Three days later.
In a lush forest.
"Tuanzi, how is Bai Jun? Will he be okay?"
"Don't worry, Sister Rou, your little boyfriend is fine. He’ll wake up soon. Thankfully, that dark cloud hasn’t polluted this last sanctuary yet, or else your little boyfriend might not have made it."
"L-little boyfriend? Tuanzi, stop talking nonsense! I saved Bai Jun only because we were once comrades."
"Oh, come on. Everyone knows you two were childhood sweethearts. If not for that incident back then, you probably would’ve—"
"Shh! Both of you, quiet. The handsome guy seems to be waking up."
"Fine, fine. Let’s go. Sister Rou, hurry up. That dark cloud might drift over any minute. We’ll head back first and wait for you."
"Alright."
The noisy voices reached Bai Jun’s ears.
He opened his eyes groggily.
Where... am I?
Blurred images gradually sharpened.
Bai Jun found himself lying on unfamiliar grass, surrounded by a strange landscape.
The sky was an unnatural shade of purple, with clouds dyed as if by magic, drifting slowly overhead.
He sat up and looked around, realizing he was in a vast forest—but one unlike any he had ever seen.
The trees had twisted, bizarre trunks, their leaves gleaming like metal, some even emitting a faint glow.
The air carried a peculiar fragrance, both fresh and eerie.
Strange sounds echoed through the forest—some like distant waterfalls, others like the whispers of unseen creatures.
This place feels familiar... Have I been here before?
Bai Jun tried to stand but found his body unusually heavy, as if weighed down by an invisible force.
Just as he attempted to channel his qi—
"Wait! You’re still injured. Don’t use your qi yet."
The voice struck Bai Jun like a bolt of lightning.
His body stiffened. He whipped his head around—and froze.
The figure before him was nothing like the Jiang Rou he remembered.
Yet, despite the shock, he couldn’t stop himself from whispering, "Jiang... Jiang Rou?"
The being in front of him was bizarre beyond belief.
Her upper body was wrapped in pristine white feathers, with a pair of snowy wings sprouting from her back, shimmering under the violet sky.
Her lower half revealed avian talons.
Though her face remained beautiful, her eyes now held the slitted pupils of a beast.
"Are you... really Jiang Rou?"
His voice trembled, rough with disbelief.
The Jiang Rou he remembered was gentle yet resilient—nothing like this half-human, half-bird creature.
At his words, a flicker of emotion passed through her eyes.
She stepped closer, her wings rustling softly with each movement.
"Bai Jun, it’s me."
Her voice was still gentle, but now carried an ethereal quality, as if echoing from afar.
Jiang Rou brushed a hand over her wings, her gaze distant. "After we parted in the Third Forbidden Zone, I survived... but this was the price."
The Third Forbidden Zone!
Bai Jun’s pupils constricted.
Now he understood why this place felt so familiar.
This was the same forbidden land they had once explored together.
He and Jiang Rou had grown up side by side, and he had secretly admired her.
Back then, he had planned to confess his feelings after their mission.
But then the demonic beasts ambushed them, and in the brutal battle that followed, Jiang Rou had fallen.
Or so he thought.
Yet here she was—alive.
A thousand questions burned in his mind, but Jiang Rou shook her head, a bitter smile on her lips.
"I know you have many questions."
"But... Bai Jun, the truth is too cruel. It will shatter everything you believe in."
Bai Jun’s expression twisted with urgency. He tried to stand again, but the oppressive force of this place pinned him down.
Helpless, he could only stare at her, his voice hoarse.
"Jiang Rou, tell me. I can handle it. Just tell me."
"Is this related to the Warrior Department’s [Anti-Demon Weapon] experiments?"
He already had his suspicions.
Jiang Rou’s survival and her current form...
It had to be connected to the human modifications.
After all, every [Anti-Demon Warrior] capable of wielding silver qi had undergone those experiments.
Seeing that Bai Jun had pieced together some of the truth over the years, Jiang Rou wasn’t surprised.
She sighed softly, her smile tinged with sorrow.
"You’re right. The Department implanted countless qi circuits in our bodies, all converging at the [Silver Core] in our brows."
"But... we were deceived. That so-called Silver Core? It’s actually an artificial demon core—repurposed from the remains of powerful demons and implanted into us."
"During the battle in the Forbidden Zone, I thought I would die. But unexpectedly, my core resonated with the land, triggering a mutation. The Silver Core fused with my body, transforming me into... this."
"Half-human, half-demon."
"Over the years, I’ve come to accept it. I live peacefully now... but I couldn’t resist watching over you from the shadows."
"Until recently, when the Night King nearly killed you... I had to intervene."
"Bai Jun, leave. This place is dangerous."
"The power of darkness has already invaded this Forbidden Zone. It’s a force..."
Jiang Rou’s face paled.
"...that even I find terrifying. As if it seeks to consume all living things."
No sooner had she spoken than—
BOOM!
A mass of pitch-black clouds rolled in from the distance.
Jiang Rou’s expression turned ashen. She grabbed Bai Jun, her wings flaring.
"No! That power has reached us!"
Before Bai Jun could react, she yanked him into another dimension.
What in the world is happening to the Forbidden Zone...?
......
BOOM!
The dark clouds blotted out the sky, their deafening roar shaking the heavens.
CRASH!
Countless black projectiles rained down from the clouds—
Not lightning.
But... they were pitch-black hands!!
The black hands plunged into the earth, forming eerie dark pillars that connected to the ominous clouds above.
Wherever these hands pierced the ground, the surrounding land, plants, and even living creatures withered and disintegrated in an instant.
What no one knew was this—
Above the clouds,
a figure loomed.
Clad in an ink-black robe, his face was shrouded by a sinister, obscuring force.
Tendrils of dark mist coiled around him, amplifying the unsettling aura he exuded.
"Three days have passed..."
"The Third Forbidden Zone is nearly fully infiltrated."
The robed figure was none other than Gu Yan!
Seated atop the clouds, he channeled countless hands—composed of claw cells and the power of night—that descended from the sky and pierced the earth below.
The energy of this forbidden zone was slowly being unraveled by him.
His eyes slowly opened, revealing faint, flickering black sigils at the center of his pupils.
Sensing the essence of this place, Gu Yan murmured to himself, "The power of life... So this is the nature of the Third Forbidden Zone. Its ruler, the 'Tree King,' grants endless rejuvenation to all living beings within its domain."
"Under its protection, any creature that dies here can be revived."
If he could absorb this forbidden zone's power and merge it with his existing abilities...
Then, even if he were killed—utterly annihilated—
as long as his soul remained intact, he could reconstruct his body!
The only variable would be the time required.
With this thought,
his gaze shifted toward a colossal tree that seemed to stretch into the heavens.
Just a little more... Once the erosion was complete, he would be able to devour the tree!
In the meantime, he might as well check on the state of the Ancient Martial World.
Closing his eyes, he willed his consciousness outward.
Somewhere in the Ancient Martial World—
Caw—!
Caw——!
A black raven soared across the sky.
Through its eyes, everything it witnessed flooded into Gu Yan's mind.
In essence, this raven had become his avatar.
A faint smirk curled his lips.
Hmph... A perfect way to pass the time.
+【Epic Battles!】 "Your Highness, they say Linxi Temple is miraculous. Won’t you make a wish?" "A wish? It should be making wishes to me." "That may be so, but since you’re already here..." "..." "Fine. Then grant this princess a consort to play with." "He must be obedient, devoted, and utterly infatuated with my body—so much so that he’d kneel and kiss my feet." "Your Highness, that’s not a consort. That’s a dog." "Then add clever, witty, heroic, ambitious yet pragmatic..." "Hmm, that’s enough for now. I’ll add more later." After tossing out these words half in jest, Princess Anle departed the temple—only to catch a fleeting glimpse of the Bodhisattva statue smiling at her. Meanwhile, Yang An, fresh out of university, was having a very bad day. Good news: He’d transmigrated into another world with a cheat granting tenfold combat power. Bad news: He’d immediately fallen into the clutches of a certain villainess. Good news: Said villainess possessed peerless beauty and royal status. Bad news: She was absolutely monstrous!!! In the frozen wilderness, Yang An knelt beneath Qin Guo’er’s feet, drenched in sweat despite the cold. Desperately clutching her porcelain-perfect foot—the very one poised to crush his throat—he could only think: How do I survive this?! Need answers NOW!
ial death, also known as "shè sǐ" in Chinese, generally refers to... well, never mind, it's not important. My name is Ye Cheng, and I'm about to experience social death firsthand. ... 【Host, your mission is to confess your love to the young lady of the Dongfang family, the current student council president, in a way that will be unforgettable for everyone at the freshman ceremony!】 【Host, assist the girl with a sprained ankle in front of you to reach the infirmary, and fulfill the wicked thoughts in your heart!】 【Host, act on your desires and punish the arrogant young lady before you mercilessly!】 【Host, follow your instincts—abandon shameful surrender, begging, or groveling, and ruthlessly criticize the domineering, ill-mannered young lady in front of you!】 【Host...】 Ye Cheng: "Here, here, you take this host role—I quit!" Wait, why is the girl with a sprained ankle the daughter of a mafia boss? And what kind of punishment method is this for the arrogant young lady? Also, who the heck said anything about wicked thoughts in my heart? Come out here, let’s settle this one-on-one!!! ... The haughty student council president, the scheming mafia princess, the fragile yandere young lady, the airheaded maid-in-waiting, the mixed-blood loli/...
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
