Chapter 579: Gathering of The Strongest Line-up

Chapter 579 Gathering of The Strongest Line-up

The castle was very big; from its central area to its corners, each floor was quite sizable – however, as they now have more people in their group, their search proceeded at a faster pace.

The five of them used only roughly half an hour to search through the second floor, but they found nothing. Chen Xiaolian, Phoenix, and Sawakita Mitsuo were characters with intellect and detailed judgement. The three of them took the lead while Nagase Komi and Soo Soo followed them. After searching through the floor and making no discovery, they knew they did not miss out on anything.

However… … something appeared off with Phoenix. She appeared somewhat absent-minded. She had tried to put on the façade of normality. However, Chen Xiaolian, who had fought beside her twice, was able to detect that something was wrong.

She appeared slightly different compared to back when she was in the London instance dungeon, where she had shown extraordinary intellect.

“Let us head upstairs. We will discuss further after we reach the fourth floor.” Seeing no other way, Chen Xiaolian gave the suggestion. No one objected and all of them moved up the castle. 

Sawakita Mitsuo and Nagase Komi had searched through the third floor. Naturally, they chose to skip searching the place. Then, when they were moving to the fourth floor…

“Can’t go up?”

The stairs leading to the fourth floor stood not far from them. However, when they tried to move toward it, they found themselves obstructed.

No matter how hard they tried running, they could not close the distance between them and the stairs at all.

Phoenix sighed and said, “This is the same situation I encountered outside this castle. The fourth floor is not open for us.”

“That makes sense.” Chen Xiaolian nodded his head and continued, “There are a total of six areas in this instance dungeon. After entering this instance dungeon, the areas we were assigned to can be considered the default area. One area is open by default. Now that we have collected four of the quest items, a total of four areas are opened. Add the default area into it means we can only access five areas… … in other words, we only have access to five out of the six areas. One of them remains inaccessible.”

“If so, how does the system determine which areas are inaccessible? We have three groups on our side. There should be three default areas open to us, but now all of us cannot access this one area. Could it be, all of us cannot access the fourth floor? But then what of the people on the fourth floor? They should also be unable to access one area. Could that area be one of the floors below? How does this work?”

“Hell if I know. Maybe it is random. Maybe, we all just happen to be unable to enter the fourth floor.”

Chen Xiaolian looked at the few figures who were discussing the matter and sighed. “This instance dungeon… … after entering it, we did not encounter any danger or battle. However, I keep getting the feeling that this instance dungeon’s level … … is frightening.”

Then, Chen Xiaolian’s eyes, which were looking at the stairs, suddenly grew focused.

He had seen a familiar figure slowly descending from the fourth floor through the stairs.

It was a figure that Chen Xiaolian would inevitably dream of once in a while. However… … it should be impossible for the figure to appear here.

“Lin, Lin Leyan?!”

If the first figure had aroused the feelings of oddity in Chen Xiaolian, then the second figure to descend the stairs made him shocked.

A slender and petite body, a cool face, a heroic disposition and the metal object on her arm… …

“Floater… … Nicole? Impossible!” Chen Xiaolian shouted.

Nagase Komi’s face, too, twisted.

Finally, another figure descended the stairs. It was a muscular man with a bald head; on his face was a trace of a reckless and care-free smile.

The appearance of this third figure caused Chen Xiaolian to swiftly retrieve out a weapon from his storage equipment. Killing intent had appeared on his face.

“Tian Lie!”

Chen Xiaolian bellowed.

At the same time, his entire figure vaulted through the air.

Tian Lie, who was still standing on the stairs, simply smiled. He stopped moving and just stood there on the stairs.

Chen Xiaolian had jumped through the air. However, due to the restrictions placed upon them by the system, the sword that was slashing down was unable to reach the stairs. Chen Xiaolian’s lunge had seemingly brought him far. However, when he finally landed, he was still at the same spot he was before jumping out.

“Tian Lie!” Flames seemingly flared out from Chen Xiaolian’s eyes.

Tian Lie!

That was Tian Lie.

After entering this game world, the most savage fight he had to go through was the one against Tian Lie. In the Tokyo instance dungeon, his whole team was chased to the point of no escape. In that final battle, they had all nearly suffered from total extermination. In the end, they had to sacrifice Nicole to kill off this fearsome opponent.

By the time Chen Xiaolian’s feet touched the ground, however, he had quickly calmed himself down. He retracted the swung sword and gripped it beside him while looking around. “Who is it? Who created this illusion? Everyone, be careful!”

Although Sawakita Mitsuo and the others had never encountered Tian Lie before, seeing Chen Xiaolian’s reaction, they grew vigilant. Both Phoenix and the Generalissimo got into a combat-ready state.

Soo Soo, though, stared at the figures on the stairs with widened eyes…

“Xiaolian oppa, they… … are not fake.”

…

“Well, this is a quite the surprise.”

Tian Lie sighed and turned to look at Nicole, who was standing beside him. “See? Impossibly enough, we met the one fellow we would never want to meet here. “

Nicole pursed her lips. “You want to tell him, or should I?”

“You do it. The main issue is you. He keeps thinking I owe him a life… … your life. Since you are alive, the key to clearing his resentment lies with you.”

Nicole, however, revealed a faint smile and said, “I feel that using this opportunity to join hands with him to kill you is not a bad choice.”

Tian Lie responded with a smile. “Why bother? Why must the living trouble the living? We have already fought to the death several times now.”

Nicole shook her head. She stopped the nonsensical chat with Tian Lie and stepped down the stairs, alone.

As she was moving past Lin Leyan, she saw that Lin Leyan was looking at Chen Xiaolian with a strange, confused expression.

“Hey, you really do not recognize him?”

Lin Leyan stood there, her entire body tense. She wringed her hands without realizing it.

Do I recognize him?

Clearly not.

But why… why? My heart, it aches.

It is really aching.

Lin Leyan felt her heart rate increasing, but her mind remained a blank. Her rate of breathing was such that she seemed about to faint. However, seemingly out of greed, she refused to divert her gaze away from Chen Xiaolian’s face.

This face… … I cannot remember.

But… … now that I see it, I can’t help but want to keep looking.

…

Nicole had stepped down from the stairs.

She stood before Chen Xiaolian.

Although Chen Xiaolian suspected that this was an illusion created by some enemy, there was no way he would straight up stab Nicole.

After all, this was… … Nicole.

“I swear, I hate people who use these type of illusion skills.” Chen Xiaolian gnashed his teeth as he stared at Nicole. “Which bastard created this illusion? I do not understand. Can’t you fellows just step out and fight? Must you create this kind of things?”

“Chen Xiaolian.” Nicole smiled softly and said, “It has been… … ah, my bad.” After saying that, Nicole shook her head. “I should say, we met quite often, but you never knew.”

“What did you say?”

“Back in Tokyo, we fought side by side. Although I died there, I don’t think you owe me anything. That is how battles are in the first place. In battles, there are those who survive and those who die. I am a combatant, I have long since understood that. Besides, our opponent in that battle is Tian Lie. I have always wanted to kill him. Dying together with him was my choice. So, you and… … mm, Roddy that fellow, there is no need for you to think you owe me anything. Especially him. I did not die for him.”

Chen Xiaolian said nothing. He simply cast a cold stare at Nicole.

“See here, I am not used to the way you look at me now.” Nicole laughed. “I am real, not fake, not illusion.”

Chen Xiaolian gritted his teeth.

“Well, all those cannot prove anything. However, there are some things that you will understand once I tell you about it. Chen Xiaolian, truth be told, I have always been by you fellows.” Nicole smiled and continued. “The… … yoga studio beside your fitness centre, that young woman surnamed Ye is me.”

Chen Xiaolian was stunned.

“After my resurrection, I went to look for you fellows. Due to some special reasons, I dared not expose my identity. The reason I came to be resurrected is rather special. Even now, I am unable to understand that reason. However… … the truth is, I have been staying near you all and keeping an eye on you fellows. Besides… … I had secretly participated in several instance dungeons. I just never openly met up with you fellows. When it comes to feelings, I did privately help you fellows some. Chen Xiaolian… … ah, how should I put it, you and your guild actually owe me some favours.”

Chen Xiaolian’s mind began reeling.

“You… … are real? Nicole? You… … did not die?”

“See the Floater on me? I retrieved this from Roddy because… … he really doesn’t know how to use it.” Nicole smiled. “It is mine after all. There is no way for him to utilize all of its functions. Besides… … it would not suit him. This part cannot be fake, no? When I met Roddy last time, during that battle, I took it back… … truth be told, that fool has probably guessed it. However, he just did not have the courage to be certain, to believe. At the end of the day, he does not dare hope, fearing the disappointment that might come from hoping. Humans would always fear such a kind of mental blow. Thus, they will try to hide.” 

Nicole’s tone was without hesitation. “Truth be told, the reason I concealed my identity and not make proper contact with you fellows – I, understand Roddy’s thoughts. However, I have yet to make a decision on that. I do not know how I should face him. You know too… … we do not actually have a deep relationship. We only knew each other for a short time. Although it was a life and death connection, it was just a few days’ time. Mm… … I keep feeling awkward. If he had remained deeply in love with me while I don’t think that deeply of him, meeting him… maybe, not meeting him would be better.”

“Memories can be pried and copied,” said Chen Xiaolian. “Maybe someone pried through my memories and copied you out. That is why you can know all those things. All of them came from my memories.”

“Fine, let us talk about this.” Nicole smiled. “It is something you do not know. Thus, if someone is actually behind this, they could not copy out this memory from your mind. However, once I tell you about it, you will naturally understand. It is about… … my resurrection.”

“Mm?”

Nicole said in a hushed tone, “After I died, I was refreshed into an ordinary human in America. Mm, back then, in the plane hijacking incident, you and Roddy became involved in it while I… … am one of the investigators for the case.”

Chen Xiaolian froze.

“The me who was refreshed into an ordinary human was rather obsessed with the case. I kept pursuing it. In the end, my investigations led me to a place, a hotel room… … mm, since I said that, surely you know what I am talking about. When I went there, I did not find you two. You two had left the place. However, I did find an item, something that you two must have left behind. A… … metal sphere.”

At long last, Chen Xiaolian’s mind heaved.

He believed her.

He did leave a metal sphere in that hotel room. Nicole being the investigator for the case was something that he already knew of. However, what Nicole said just now about her finding the metal sphere, leading to her resurrection… …

There was no way those things were in his memories.

Not a copied-out memory, nor an illusion.

If so, this Nicole standing before her must naturally be the real deal.

She was resurrected.

Moreover… … she had become like him, an Irregularity.

Chen Xiaolian put away the sword.

He stared at Nicole. A few seconds later, he exhaled and a genuine smile appeared on his face. “Nicole… … it really is you. Welcome… … back!”

Nicole reached out with both hands to gently embrace Chen Xiaolian. “Truth be told, I came back long ago. It is just, sorry, I never informed you fellows.”

“Roddy… … he will go crazy from joy.” Chen Xiaolian laughed out.

“Hey! Is the reunion drama finally over? Can I come down now?” said Tian Lie, who remained standing on the staircase. “Chen Xiaolian, are you sure you want to slash me after I come down?”

Chen Xiaolian released his embrace of Nicole and turned to look at Tian Lie. There was a frown on his face.

Since Nicole was alive, his bloody enmity with Tian Lie would no longer exist. Logically speaking, there wasn’t exactly much of a grudge between the two of them, however… … Chen Xiaolian felt a deeper meaning to Tian Lie’s words.

“Is it time for me to tell this fellow some stuff?” Tian Lie moved down the stairs with a smile and finally halted not far from Chen Xiaolian.

Chen Xiaolian furrowed his brows and looked at Tian Lie.

“Err, I am going to tell you something. After hearing it, don’t get angry and more importantly, don’t go crazy, ok?” said Tian Lie with a smile.

“… … …” Chen Xiaolian warily eyed the bald fellow.

“This thing I want to tell you is not that complicated. Mm, truth is… … we have been friends for a long time.” Tian Lie sighed. “I had even secretly helped you out, you just do not know about it.”

Chen Xiaolian was a smart person after all. After pondering those words, he frowned and said, “You… … mean to say, you have also been staying near us while concealing your identity?”

“There wasn’t exactly a need to hide.” Tian Lie sighed. “If not for you, I would not be resurrected. After getting refreshed into an ordinary human, it was because of you that I was sucked back into this world, sigh… …”

Chen Xiaolian’s mind raced and his face instantly contorted. “You, you, you are, could you be…”

Tian Lie shrugged. “Sorry, I did not wear the residential complex’s security uniform this time. As for my looks, I changed it to this one. However… … Xiaolian, we… …” Having said that, Tian Lie’s face revealed a look of sincerity.

“… … we, have already become friends for real.”

“Da, Da Gang.”

…

[TL: You’d think that the most savage battle he had was with Mene’s knights…]