Chapter 241

Chapter 241: Chapter 238: "Mommy...Mo Yan kicked at every door in the hallway, attempting to kick open the tightly shut doors.

Having been ordered by his brother to check on the people on the second floor, he had to do just that, ensuring nothing unexpected would threaten his brother.

He kicked at the doors until his feet were sore, but he failed to kick any of them open.

...Damn it, if only I had added more Strength Value.

Mo Yan could only press his ear against the door, trying to hear any movement inside in order to determine if there was anyone there.

The NPC students seemed very quiet at night, as if they were dead asleep, so quiet that no matter how hard he kicked the doors, there was no sound from inside.

The Players were also silent at this time, not known whether they were dead or too scared to make a noise; in any case, he had been kicking doors for a long time without knowing if anyone was inside.

And just then, from the depths of the hallway, came his brother’s shout.

"—Mo Yan, come here."

The voice went around in circles, carrying a distant echo.

"Coming, big bro!"

Mo Yan immediately stopped kicking with his sore foot and scurried in that direction.

Seeing his brother, his heart settled down, but at the same time, the scene before him gave him a shock.

Bright red blood was everywhere.

Above the doors, in the cracks of the floor, on the grey-white walls. They looked as if they had been repainted, splashed with large swathes of red.

By the door, a strange young man slumped, his hand still holding a cigarette, although it was stained with bright blood. His chest was caved in, as if his ribs were broken, and above his throat were traces of corrosion, as if he had been burned.

Next to the young man stood his brother, only, his brother’s gaze seemed very wrong at the time.

Locking eyes with his brother, cold sweat seeped down Mo Yan’s back in an instant, freezing him in place, his feet as if nailed to the floor, barely able to move.

"What are you spacing out for." Su Ming’an gestured to him: "Come here."

"Big bro... may I ask, what is your current san value?" Mo Yan asked with some difficulty.

"...Let’s see." Su Ming’an glanced at the orange bar: "98."

Mo Yan couldn’t believe this number.

...How could big bro look like he’s at 98 san value?

Mo Yan moistened his dry lips and somehow ground out the words through the nearly solid air:

"Big bro, why don’t you take a nap first."

"...Ha."

Laine, lying on the ground ahead of Su Ming’an, chuckled.

Laine’s condition seemed very poor, coughing up blood as he spoke.

Thin strands of blood dripped down his chin, falling to the ground and mingling with the large pool of blood already there.

"See, Su Ming’an, even this cannon fodder can tell you’ve gone mad, and yet you think you’re perfectly normal..."

"Bang!"

Laine’s eyes widened.

The moment his sentence ended, he received a fiercely violent kick from the other person.

Blood uncontrollably spurted from his mouth, and the sudden strike left Laine dazed, his eyes drifting almost lifelessly into darkness, his fingers curling unconsciously.

"Su Ming’an—when will you stop!" he yelled, unable to contain his pain.

Su Ming’an said nothing, his gaze heavy, and another kick came.

Using all his strength, Laine tried to dodge and reach out to wake the Defense Formation he had set up, only to be instantly pinned down by a tremendous gravitation.

He tried to fend off the attacks that came like a violent storm, but the opponent struck his abdomen with one hand, and the sudden burst of pain from the ruptured wound made it nearly impossible for him to think.

"Are you asking me if I’m finished?" Su Ming’an seemed to suddenly release his self-control, unapologetically throwing his fist down.

His fist aimed for nothing but Laine’s delicate face, and although his Strength Value was not high, it far exceeded that of an ordinary Zhai Xing, with the heavy force of the blow brushing against the cheek and smashing inward, each punch bursting blood from Laine’s mouth.

"— So when you were pressing me earlier, asking me about my feelings, did you ever ask yourself—if you’re finished?" Su Ming’an said, his tone unusually calm.

In sharp contrast to his calm tone was the intensity of his attack. His punches fell like raindrops, each seeming to exhaust all his strength.

Under Energy Suppression, every hit was a critical hit.

Even in Shadow State, his opponent could feel intense pain, the pain of being physically beaten.

"In front of the whole world, you bring up my mother, her act of slashing her wrists, a deed you revel in so merrily.

In front of the whole world, you ask me how it feels, how I watched her bleed, heard her wail. You beautify it as your ’little revenge’."

"I’ve told you my feelings, acknowledged this part of my past, and now you’re asking me again if I’m finished?"

Speaking, Su Ming’an threw another punch, striking his adversary’s nose fiercely, the crisp "crack" sound echoing.

"—Now, let me tell you, Laine." Su Ming’an listened to his miserable scream, his eyes cold as he watched the scene unfold in the darkness:

"You’ve crossed my limit, a rare limit for me. Congratulations, I can now clearly inform you, this is far from over."

"You..."

Laine coughed up blood.

His struggle weakened, his gaze became vacant amidst the void, the divine light that flickered within slowly starting to fade.

His perception of the outside world was diminishing.

"You’d best pray that in every instance from now on, you don’t run into me," Su Ming’an retracted his bloody fist:

"I won’t initiate conflict in the Main God Space, but in the game instances, Laine, every time I see you, I’ll kill you.

Even if you die, are stripped of all your powers, as long as you enter the fray and bump into me, your fate will always be miserable.

Unless, you can rise up, surpass me, kill me, stop me.

—Otherwise, every time you see me, what awaits you will always be the same situation as today."

He extended his hand, grabbing Laine by the collar, watching as he coughed up more blood, little by little.

"Got it?" Su Ming’an stared into his pale eyes, his voice as still as dead water, "Don’t think that you can forever cover ugly truths with pretty words, the things you’ve done, I’ll probably remember them until the end of the World game."

Laine spat out another mouthful of blood.

His body still carried the scent of cigarettes, mixed with the disinfectant, somewhat stifling.

Looking at Su Ming’an, a crazed, maniacal smile spread across his bloodied face:

"...What’s this now." Laine chuckled, "Talking about facing your past in front of the whole world so easily, but now it seems you’re just putting on a brave face, Number One Player—look at you now, I’m seeing the Number One Player enraged for the first time... Hah, what an honor, the enraged face of the Number One Player was unlocked by me, I wonder what others would think if they saw this scene..."

"No worries, I had already closed the broadcast the moment I started hitting you," Su Ming’an fixed his gaze on him, "I don’t even know myself what I might do when I’m not living under the scrutiny of the entire world, and you’ve successfully made me discover... that I can still get this angry."

"Because you and I are both mad," Laine said.

Su Ming’an stared into the other’s eyes.

Through Laine’s clear, mirror-like eyes, he could see his own reflection, a shadow as if stained with blood.

"Bang!"

He used force, pushing his adversary firmly against the wall, then turned away.

"Mo Yan, come here," Su Ming’an called to the statue-like Mo Yan, "Come here, kill him."

"... Ah?"

Mo Yan finally snapped out of his dazed state, facing his blood-drenched, increasingly agitated elder brother, he was extremely frightened, even pointing at himself, "Me?"

"Kill him, and you’ll be a Doctor," Su Ming’an said, "If you wish to live safely until the end, become a Doctor like me. Otherwise, I don’t guarantee I’ll let a Student like you live—even though I believe you won’t report me."

"..." Mo Yan swallowed hard.

He took his treasured sword out of his backpack, approached, lifted the sword, and hacked toward Laine, who lay on the ground defenseless.

"How ridiculous, Su Ming’an... to believe in this kind of guy rather than trust your Doctor companion." Before Mo Yan came closer, Laine spoke.

His voice was very light, as if floating in the air.

His expression hidden under his black fringe, only a bloodstained mouth was still moving slightly:

"Su Ming’an, you chose to give the identity of the Doctor to this kind of guy, you’ll definitely regret it.

This sort of... guy with an unclear background, who only knows to cling to your coattails, like a fawning dog.

You’re definitely going to be deceived, definitely going to be betrayed.

You chose to kill all players except yourself, to side with a bunch of NPCs, to try to clear this level alone...

Su Ming’an, you who have chosen to mix with a bunch of NPCs, will definitely regret it—because I can tell, you’ve already gone mad, you are, not going to last until the final day.

And you—Number Three, don’t really think that your big brother, will always protect you.

Sooner or later, you’ll end up like me, dying at the hands of your crazed big brother. Dying by the hand of the person you trust most..."

"Swoosh!"

Mo Yan swung his sword, and the blade pierced through Laine’s heart.

His sword hand was very steady, as if practiced tens of thousands of times, and the thrust was precisely aimed, without a single deviation, like a natural-born Assassin.

Laine leaned against the doorframe, his chest pierced through.

His gaze was gradually dissipating:

"...I just wanted to tell you a story, Ming’an."

As he spoke, his blood-stained eyelids slowly closed.

The darkness shaded by the door fell upon him, and he collapsed to the ground, gradually blending into the night.

Mo Yan sheathed his sword.

Blood splattered broadly; he wiped the blood on his face and once again wore a smile, "Big brother, big brother, I just checked the next room, there’s no sound, I don’t know if there are any players still alive..."

"It’s okay, I’ll go check it out myself in a bit, you go back—oh right, have you become the Doctor yet?"

"No, the system hasn’t given any sign yet, I don’t know if it requires some time."

"You go back then."

Mo Yan, holding his sword, turned around: "Well then, big brother, you should rest well."

"Sure."

"I’m off."

"Go ahead."

"Big brother, you must believe me... I really have no ill intentions, I truly feel sorry for big brother."

Su Ming’an didn’t respond again, but started opening each door one by one.

He