Chapter 9 Author: Three years flew by.

Du Ze was very puzzled. Clearly, he has been acting like the Virgin Mary to the protagonist.1 So why was the protagonist not impressed by his benevolent Virgin Mary act, and instead fiercely bullied him?

These past few days he had forced down his resentment, but now he was ready to rebel.2 He wanted to lecture the protagonist but… a cold, lofty condemnation of the protagonist’s bad behavior = talk earnestly about life = the need to say many, many, many words … Never mind. ˊ_>ˋ 3

Therefore, Du Ze was worn out. Though his face remained cold, there were hidden internal injuries.4

Of course, Du Ze was aware that the protagonist had been betrayed by his good friends many times. Asking him to immediately trust a person of unknown origin was not realistic. Right now, it seemed that Xiu didn’t care what others thought of him. In his view, using people then killing them before they can betray Xiu was the rational choice. That was especially true when the said person5 was an elegantly beautiful6 person wearing mystical attire7 who appears aloof from worldly affairs8 (the lights are on, but nobody’s home).9

… So the chief criminal is you, public relations barrier?

Public relations barrier (elegantly beautiful and aloof from worldly affairs): Ahem.

In the empty, lonely Lost Land, there were only three creatures: the protagonist who has been learning Necromancy, the reader who has been abused, and a peeping tom/spirit beast. Speaking of the spirit beast, Du Ze has seen it many times these past few days. It has a regular daily schedule: in the morning, peep at the protagonist; at noon, peep at the protagonist; at night, peep at the protagonist.

… How much do you really want to sign a contract with the protagonist, Meow Star?10

Whenever it was sighted by Du Ze, the nine-tailed beast would run away. Is this a game of Red Light, Green Light?11 Doubtless, if Du Ze left the protagonist alone for even a minute, the spirit beast would certainly come running to see the protagonist and meow meow meow: Sign the contract with me quickly, young man!

This thought made Du Ze determined to never leave the protagonist’s side.

The cat-like monster, although it is indeed at the level of a god beast, was very cute. All of the readers, including Du Ze, liked it very much. But the author kindly informed them that “This meow has a passive skill. The beast loves the feelings of hate and despair; it was attracted by the protagonist’s resentment. In order to trigger this emotion, it will invite bad luck! It was one of those who played a huge role in the protagonist’s blackening!” This thunderbolt hit the reader and burnt him black12 which made the author smile! Ah! This!

In order for me to bring back the cute hero, goodbye Meow Star!

meow star

The cat spirit beast is always peeping on Xiu but Du Ze easily scares it away.

A certain cute person didn’t admit that he was envious. How come he signed the contract with the protagonist but he wasn’t treated equally? How come in the novel, the protagonist treated the beast as a pet who went with him everywhere, while the reader was abused almost to death? This is racial discrimination, fudge it!13 Du Ze also wanted to act cute but he was incapable of actually doing it. In fact, more than once he has wanted to talk to Xiu but each time his too-high social barrier thwarted him.

In his mind there were a lot of witty lines he could say, but in the end, he just sat there with a wooden face, silent and unable to turn the page.14

Day after day Xiu practiced Necromancy on him, abuse piled on abuse, never changing.

In the past one of the things Du Ze especially liked about “Mixed Blood” was that the protagonist was hardworking, not like the usual stud harem master. When Du Ze thought about what happened in this part of the story, he wanted to cry.

[… Time flew by, and before he knew it, Xiu had been in the Lost Land for three years. He …]

Three years … three … years …

Du Ze fell down on his knees. Originally, he had feared that what the author wrote wasn’t giving the protagonist enough time to master Necromancy. He must have been possessed by an evil spirit to think that!

To the reader, the protagonist would seem to appear on the horizon one day. Then “three years flew by” and the protagonist would appear again in a flash, three years older.

The depressed Du Ze thought that things couldn’t go on like this. If he was abused for three years, he would become trash. He has excellent plot resources in his hands. Therefore, he will try to overcome the monster that is his social barrier and become the protagonist’s good brother. For one week he has been rubbing the social barrier. Social barrier: haha. Now he plans to finally build a modern drama to increase his favorability rating.

poor uke

Du Ze trembling from the Wither curse while Xiu observes him. That was from last chapter but I just wanted to post this.

Du Ze prepared spoilers related to the events in the novel. In Louis’ Magic Codex, there is an important note stating that Louis had tried to revive a gnome with Necromancy. The experiment succeeded. However, the gnome did not fully revive. He had the characteristics of the undead, but also had a certain vitality. He became a half gnome half undead existence. Because he had read the story of the “Mixed Blood,” Du Ze knew that this “half undead gnome” was the protagonist’s grandfather.

He wanted to pass on this information to the protagonist in an elegant, lofty manner saying: If you want to know more then do not continue blackening. His happy days should begin.

Xiu was sitting on the pedestal of the statue of the god. He put down the Magic Codex and gazed at Du Ze with dim, black eyes. This is the first time that Du Ze has come to him of his own accord.

Du Ze pressed on his headphones and started speaking jerkily, “In fact, – ” … your life story is in the Magic Codex.

Du Ze opened his mouth but he couldn’t make a sound. No matter how desperately he tried to speak, the words wouldn’t come out. It was though an invisible hand had grabbed him by the throat.

“-” The half undead gnome is related to you.

It’s impossible. He cannot say it. It seems that telling the truth is forbidden by someone or something. Is it the author, god, or … the world itself?

Du Ze’s face is stiff but in his heart he is crying. Why was he allowed to give spoilers before but now he is banned from doing it? The lead should not know this information now, so Du Ze can’t tell him the information ahead of time? How will he be able to influence and guide the plot of the story if he is unable to speak? To think that his only advantage has this limit. It’s very upsetting.

Opposite Du Ze, the Lich’s facial expression is becoming more and more cloudy. Du Ze’s conditioned reflex made him say, “We can leave here.”

He was able to speak again!

Xiu looked somewhat taken aback and there was a flicker of confusion and hesitation in his eyes. Du Ze was happy that he was able to bring up this topic. If he is able to persuade the protagonist to leave the Lost Land then the Necromancy practice sessions will cease. The most important thing is that Du Ze does not want to be abused again!

“Why?’

There is no little brother, cannon fodder, or younger sister here for Xiu to abuse, only the unhappy Du Ze.

Du Ze put on a serious face and said, “No one is here.”

Xiu looked at the Magic Codex in his hand. “Indeed…” he said hoarsely, staring at Du Ze. “There are no corpses.”

Wait a minute, this topic breaks down to the lack of training materials?

Du Ze felt as though Xiu’s eyes were looking into his more deeply. He was silent for a while before casually continuing, “If you leave then you can become stronger.”

This topic, is it okay?1

He did not know what bad memories this triggered but Xiu’s fingers on the Magic Codex tensed. Xiu stared at Du Ze and a strong emotion leaked out.

Warning: Your death flag will be created.

This is using your life to admonish the emperor!2 Du Ze immediately and unequivocally expressed his position, “Your enemy is not me.”

Xiu stared at him for a long time. There was only a suffocating blackness in Xiu’s eyes. Then he stretched out his hand and stroked the back of Du Ze’s neck. That was that most vulnerable part of a human being and when it was held, it gave one a sense of complete control over that person.

Feeling the ice cold skin of Xiu’s hand on the back of his neck, Du Ze felt the urge to shiver. He doesn’t know why the protagonist likes to touch his neck. Anyway, it’s just a touch and not something like destroying the world, so Du Ze doesn’t mind. Although, he always felt as though Xiu’s habit is like that of petting a restless cat. This must be retribution for stealing the role of the Meow Star …

The undead’s cold skin gradually changed temperature from the contact. Xiu felt the warmth on his fingers and rubbed a bit before withdrawing his hand. Du Ze looked at the Lich who suddenly seems happy and thought that the undead are really like the Meow Star, mercurial and capricious.

“Let’s go.”

When Du Ze had gotten back his composure, he saw Xiu standing at the temple’s entrance, looking back at him. Silhouetted by the light from behind him, the creature of darkness seemed to have a pure holiness.

“After we get out, I’ll take you to meet my good friend.”

meet friend

Xiu agrees to leave the Lost Land with Du Ze.

******

******

Time flew by, and before he knew it, Xiu had been in the Lost Land for three years. He stood at the temple’s entrance, looking at the column of light in the distance, slightly preoccupied with his own thoughts. The distant light cast a long shadow behind the Lich. In the shadow, a skeleton general smiled, the corpse king treaded on the ground heavily, and the female phantom was moving its pale, transparent body back and forth.3

“Meow!”

Xiu lowered his head. The spirit beast was rubbing his foot with its body. Seeing Xiu looking at it, the beast raised its head, gold and blue eyes full of anticipation.

He lifted the beast and stroked its neck. The eight-tailed monster rubbed against Xiu’s chest and heard its owner say,” Let’s get out of here.”

Louis’ Magic Codex contained information about the method of leaving the Lost Land. It’s time to depart.

“After I get out, I’ll take you to meet my good friend.”

His very good “friend.”

– excerpt from “Mixed Blood”

The author has something to say:

Author: Three years flew by.

Protagonist: … Time flies when you are happy.

Reader: *raises middle finger at the previous poster*4 =皿=