Chapter 485 - Four Hundred Eighty-Two - ’You Forgot.

Chapter 485: Chapter Four Hundred Eighty-Two - ’You Forgot."Atlanda, is this the exchange position item that allows switching places?"

Edward stared at the prop handed over by Atlanda.

After the boss rabbit had left, he sought Atlanda out again.

Since the organizers didn’t want him, he could only rely on himself to show some value for now. As the "Prophet," a special identity, the prop provided by Atlanda should be of help to him.

"Yes, there should also be an explanation on the item itself," Atlanda said. "I won’t trick you, we’re on the same side after all."

Edward shifted his gaze downward.

[Exchange Position Item (Red Level): A one-time prop. Can be used when not in combat, your location will be switched with that of a specified player, and both parties will gain the "Appearance Disguise" effect for a period.

Note: The exchange location must not contain any traps.

Note: This item can only be used during the early stage of instance activation.]

"Good, if this proves successful, I’ll put in a request for more informational support for you," Edward said as he took the prop, exchanging it with a Red Level piece of equipment from his possessions for Atlanda.

Atlanda smiled ambiguously then turned and left.

"I wish you success," Atlanda said.

Moments later, Edward found an unoccupied cave.

He noticed a bloody mark on the cave, seemingly depicting a blood-red python, but he didn’t pay it any mind.

"Activate the prop." He said, "Target—Su Ming’an."

The next instant, light enveloped him.

Edward opened his eyes.

After teleporting, the scene before him had completely changed; he was no longer in the original cave. Sёarch* The Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Taking in his surroundings, he realized he was at the entrance of a stone building’s room, facing a stone corridor with flickering candles, giving off a feeling reminiscent of an ancient treasury.

He and Su Ming’an had switched places. Hence, he should now be in the First Tribe.

In front of him, Second Elder Tu Yuan was slightly bowing his head, seemingly awaiting his response.

Edward toggled off the system interface to see the face of a black-haired young man, knowing it to be the appearance of the role Su Ming’an was playing. After the switch, he would have the "Appearance Disguise" effect for some time, where others seeing him would mistake him for Su Ming’an.

However, this was merely a facial disguise; his body was still his own, and he could only use his own skills. As for the raven on his shoulder, it was just a simulated shadow—the real raven remained with Su Ming’an.

"Well? Foreigner, can you allow Lord Raven to kill Cici Zeven, the source of Qiongdi’s evil?" the elder asked again, seeing he had remained silent.

Edward, upon hearing the elder’s words, immediately turned to see Su Ming’an’s Guide, Xiber, asleep on the bed, showing no signs of waking.

He suddenly realized this was an excellent opportunity to strike.

"Of course, I can," Edward said.

Tu Yuan was taken aback; he hadn’t expected the stranger’s attitude to take such a sudden one-eighty.

"Wait here," Edward said, and turning around, he closed the door, drew a golden sword, and approached the sleeping Xiber on the bed.

He planned to... first kill Su Ming’an’s Guide, undermining the opponent’s strength. Then he would kill Su Ming’an’s companions, such as Lv Shu, Yamada Machiichi, and the rest. He would take this chance to take control of the First Tribe, rallying the entire tribe to surround and attack Su Ming’an.

He raised the sword, its tip pointing at Xiber’s fragile neck.

Although Tu Yuan had instructed that the raven should kill her, that didn’t matter—as long as it looked like a bird had done it, he would be fine. The tribe’s highest combat power wasn’t here, so even if he took forceful action, it wouldn’t be an issue.

The chill in his eyes grew more intense, a flash of white light glided past the tip of his sword.

At that moment, he saw Xiber open her eyes.

This opening of eyes was somewhat unexpected, like a rag doll suddenly coming to life, startling him.

"—Do you want to kill me, Su Ming’an?" she said.

Edward immediately took action, not intending to give her a chance to call for help.

However, the next instant, his sword was gripped by a hand covered with thick calluses and burns.

"You still want to kill me." Xiber held his sword: "...Even you think I am the source of all disasters."

Her hand clenched tightly onto his sword, blood flowing from her palm, merging with the various intersecting blood seals on her arm, gradually emitting a faint glow.

"The promise to accompany each other to the end, you’ve forgotten," Xiber said:

"The songs you sang for me, you’ve forgotten."

She sat up from the bed, her light-colored nightgown moving as if it had a life of its own.

Looking at the astonishment on Edward’s face, her gaze remained calm and unmoved.

"Saying we’d win together until the end, you’ve forgotten," she said:

"Saying you’d help me ascend to godhood, you’ve forgotten."

Her white hair fluttered behind her, beginning to twist and fuse, as strands of delicate hair stuck together, forming serpent-like tresses.

A pair of fresh red eyes glinted atop her white hair, coldly watching the stiff figure of Edward.

"Saying you wouldn’t abandon me, saying you’d give me your trust,"

"—Saying you’d show me the ocean, you’ve forgotten."

Dark, tentacle-like black fluids slowly crept out from her body, like black snakes spreading across the floor, coiling around Edward’s body.

And he just stood there, gaze vacant, trembling incessantly, as if devoid of the ability to think.

"Wait... wait..." When the tentacles crawled up to his neck, he finally found the strength to speak, his eyes regaining a moment of clarity: "I’m not Su Ming’an—I’m not!"

Xiber looked at him, her light-colored eyes now a deep crimson.

Her light-colored nightgown flowed like gentle waves, and as she extended her hand, her fingertips lightly touched Edward’s cheek, her sharpened nails grazing his face.

"You’re articulate, adventurer, I’ve always known," she said: "So even at a time like this, you’re still deceiving me."

"No! I’m really not Su Ming’an!!"

Edward felt he was incredibly unlucky, how come every NPC around Su Ming’an was more freakish than the last?

But the effect of changing appearance temporarily couldn’t be dispelled, and now everyone saw him as Su Ming’an. He couldn’t clear his name even if he jumped into the Yellow River.

He knew trouble was upon him and immediately unleashed all his strength. Following the sound of a "tick" of a second hand, his figure teleported five meters out of thin air, appearing outside the room.

Outside the room, Tu Yuan, the Second Elder, looked at the escaping Edward, suddenly seeing black tentacles spilling out from under the door.

The next moment, the door swung wide open.

Boundless black tentacles burst out in an instant, grabbing the fleeing Edward, and even Tu Yuan beside him, pulling them both into the mire of tentacles.

He had no time to resist, those tentacles possessed a rhythm that severely restrained spiritual power, not allowing him to release even half a skill.

Inside the room, Xiber, now stained with a crimson hue, closed her eyes.

Upon her arm, the twisted blood pattern glowed as if it were a living thing.

"You abandoned me, Su Ming’an," she said to Edward, who was entangled by the tentacles.

"Since that is the case, I no longer have any hope of winning."

"Let’s end this."

As she spoke, she embraced the tentacles that gradually oozed black muck.

She did not mention that in her recent unconsciousness, she had a dream.

She dreamt of a forest that was like a deep green ocean.

Verdant lines extended along her gaze, spreading out smoothly into the horizon where they merged with the sky. And the Cursed Fire Flowers, buried deep in the soil, took root in the filth, struggling to live among the foul-smelling black muck.

She looked along the darkness and green, noticing in the distance where leaves layered upon leaves, branches weighed down upon branches, all things stretching out and chanting in the verdant growth.

——And then a Flying Bird, passing through the layers of shadows, landed on the ground above the flower.

It sang, claiming it would take the flower to places unseen, to the skies, to the clear lakeside, to the boundless ocean.

And then she woke up.

She saw the bird, the one with feathers of freedom all over its body. Its sharp feathers aimed at her, ready to kill her.

She was fully awake now.

"Not bad," she whispered with her eyes closed, amidst the writhing darkness of the tentacles.

A tear briefly glistened at the corner of her eye.

"I like this way of dying," she said.

The tentacles spread out from the Stone Fortress.

And turned it slowly into a silent expanse of pitch-black monoliths.

Su Ming’an opened his eyes to see a damp cave.

He reached out his hand, and noticed the garment on his arm was no longer his black long sleeve but a white blouse with puffy sleeves.

...He had been facing the problem with Tu Yuan just moments ago, yet suddenly he was in a cave, with his clothes changed.

He immediately guessed the effect of the prop—it was an item that could swap positions and also came with an appearance exchange feature.

He brought up the system mirror and saw in it a man with golden hair like daylight, his visage as if sculpted from white porcelain, seemingly magnetized, making it hard for one to shift their gaze away from him.

He had a unique charm that would make him stand out as the brightest even in a crowd.

...This was Edward’s role-play character image, which Su Ming’an clearly remembered.

In this world, the characters that players role-played often looked very much like their real appearances, at least the features were very consistent. This image was not much different from Edward himself,

He took out the Positioning Compass that Xiber had initially given him and found he was quite far from the First Tribe. If he were to rush back at full speed now, it would be night time before he could reach the First Tribe.

He looked up and saw a smear of blood-colored Oracle on the cave wall. The content was the children’s rhyme that Chang Sheng had sung.

Su Ming’an glanced at it, the nursery rhyme was complete, not a word had been changed.

He reached out his hand and immediately chose to submit this Oracle.

Poor Edward, just happened to pick a cave next to an Oracle, allowing Su Ming’an to enter the "Cursed Ghost and Hunter" exile meeting room right away and inform Yamada Machiichi, who was still in the First Tribe.

The "Cursed Ghost and Hunter" instance lasted for three days, ending only during the daytime of the fourth day, and was still ongoing.

The next moment, a bright white light burst forth.

When he opened his eyes, Su Ming’an saw the brass pointers on the table and the four players sitting around it...

They were, the Lolita-dressed Yamada Machiichi, a burly man wearing bright red boxing gloves named Yuriklu, a thin man who looked sneaky and shifty-eyed named Fuer, and Erwin, who held a skull scepter with a grim expression.

The long table, which originally had sixteen seats, was now incredibly empty.

The remaining eleven chairs were vacant, and those who hadn’t been teleported here to meet could be imagined.

Su Ming’an glanced around and did not see Lv Shu.

On the table, the candles "flicked" to life, and the exile discussion had already begun.

All eyes naturally fell on Su Ming’an’s face first, then everyone paused for a moment.

"Edward?" Fuer seemed surprised but quickly understood: "...I see, it’s an Appearance Disguise prop, isn’t it."

Everyone present was smart and quickly realized that this was not the real Edward. After all, Edward did not compete and was not qualified to participate in the meeting.

"Yamada." Su Ming’an ignored the others and spoke quietly to Yamada: "After the meeting ends, take Teacher Fang with you and ask her to call Guang Li, the Third Elder, and Migael, the Fifth Elder. Ask them to go to the Stone Fortress in the Inner City immediately to find Xiber. Edward has disguised himself as me and is now in the Stone Fortress."

Su Ming’an had intended to entrust this to Lv Shu, but now Yamada Machiichi was closest to the Stone Fortress. Moreover, Lv Shu... it seemed he had already been eliminated as well, only the eliminated or dead would not be teleported here.

"..." Yamada Machiichi looked at the face so close to him and started blushing.

"I understand." Yamada Machiichi looked away, his face still slightly flushed.

Su Ming’an didn’t understand what Yamada was blushing about, but considering the previous instance when Yamada Machiichi blushed at Zhou Lili, it seemed that Yamada Machiichi probably had a thing for blondes.

...Perhaps it’s better not to tell him that the Saintess is Noel.

"—Alright, should we now discuss who to exile this time?" Yuriklu spoke up, his deep voice booming through the meeting room:

"The speed at which participants are being eliminated is a bit too fast, even Leslie and Lv Shu have been eliminated, it seems that ’Ghost’ is quite strong, we must exile it quickly."

"I believe those who acted with the eliminated players are highly suspect, we could try a process of elimination..." Erwin coughed, apparently wanting to analyze the situation.

"—No need to pretend anymore." Su Ming’an suddenly interrupted them.

The dancing flame lit up the center of the room, he stood up and faced everyone’s gaze:

"My fellow ’Ghosts’."