Ex-Girlfriend – Chapter 63

Song of the Wanderer Arc

Great Demon King 22

Yu Wan Yan relayed the lush words. Xin Lan nodded and took a few steps back.

In an instant, over a dozen ghostly figures appeared in the narrow stairwell. They crowded together and pounced towards the person lying on the ground.

Qi Haolin let out a scream of agony, and the sound of flesh being chewed resonated in the air, sending shivers down one’s spine.

His body was surrounded by the group of female ghosts, not showing even the slightest gap. Xin Lan couldn’t see it, but she could imagine the kind of scene it was.

The cries of pain gradually subsided and then abruptly disappeared.

As one of the female ghosts looked up, Xin Lan realized that it wasn’t that Qi Haolin didn’t want to scream anymore; his tongue had been directly consumed.

The speed at which a dozen or so ghosts devoured a person was incredibly fast. Even though Qi Haolin was a robust man, within less than two minutes, only a skeleton remained.

Though brief, the tormenting process didn’t spare him from experiencing the depths of agony.

Zero Nine: Host, it’s done. Give me a shout when you’re leaving!

Knowing that Xin Lan might still have unfinished business, Zero Nine informed her and then disappeared.

Xin Lan looked at the white bones on the ground, watching as the bones disappeared.

Ren Difei remained silent, standing awkwardly in place.

He tugged at his clothes, speaking before Xin Lan could.

“Um… How about… I do it myself?”

As Ren Difei spoke, his voice was hesitant, and his body trembled along with his words.

He was truly frightened, watching Xin Lan make people climb up and then pull them down, it was simply diabolical.

Seeing that group of ghosts devour a fully grown person entirely only intensified his fear.

If he had to die, he hoped he could make it quick and neat.

Ren Difei sighed wryly in his heart. He was originally the weakest one. If he hadn’t ingratiated himself with the right people, he might not have even been able to make it to the third floor.

“How are you going to handle this on your own?”

Xin Lan raised an eyebrow, observing Ren Difei’s attempt to feign composure.

Ren Difei began to contemplate his method of dying. The quickest way, of course, was to slit his throat, but there seemed to be no knife around, and the kitchen he had just seen didn’t have one either.

The more Ren Difei thought, the paler his face became. Without even a tool, how could he end his own life? Should he just crash into a wall and die? Would that be too painful?

Xin Lan found Ren Difei’s demeanor somewhat amusing, which only exacerbated his anxiety.

“You should leave.”

Xin Lan tilted her chin slightly toward Ren Difei.

“Me?” Ren Difei pointed at himself, widening his eyes. “You don’t mean I also have to play that one-minute game, do you?”

Ren Difei was frightened. He was afraid that just as he was about to step outside, fate would grab him by the back of his neck and forcefully pull him back.

“Get it done as quickly as possible, before I change my mind.”

Xin Lan said without much sentiment. If Ren Difei kept dragging his feet, she would just kick him out.

Ren Difei’s inner world was a complex mix of fear, anxiety, doubt, and gratitude all at once. As he walked past Xin Lan, his legs felt weak.

Xin Lan watched him step by step, originally not planning to bring anyone along. She had already prepared for the destruction that would unfold here.

It could be said that looking obedient and well-behaved was quite endearing; perhaps luck might shine on him at some point.

Xin Lan had no intention of prying into the secrets of this game and had little interest in this third level. If her initial goal in the house was to leave while dealing with some scum along the way, this time she couldn’t be bothered with challenging the level, focusing mainly on dealing with the scum.

She thought it might be because she had been on too many missions, making her more susceptible to fatigue.

The repeated act of surviving in different identities, playing various roles, can easily lead to exhaustion over time.

Before leaving, Xin Lan specifically thanked Yu Wan Yan.

“I’m very grateful for your help. After I leave, you can consume me.”

There wasn’t much else to say. When Yu Wan Yan told her she wouldn’t leave, Xin Lan could only offer this final gesture using her current body.

“No need.”

Yu Wan Yan’s eyes softened, and her body gradually became transparent.

Xin Lan wanted to say something, but then Zero Nine informed her that the logout time had come, and her consciousness was pulled away.

When Xin Lan emerged from the mission room, her mood wasn’t particularly good.

She didn’t like owing favors, especially ones she couldn’t repay.

“Host, this time went well too. The energy points have been credited to your account!”

“Mm.”

Xin Lan nodded but didn’t check the details. She went straight back to her own room.

Because of Yu Wan Yan, she felt a bit restless.

It wasn’t that she was being stubborn, but owing someone a favor without being able to repay it was truly vexing.

The most distressing aspect of being a villain for Xin Lan was having loyal underlings sacrifice themselves for her. In the past, there was no choice, it was something villains had to endure. But now that she had choices, how did things end up like this?

Xin Lan untied her long hair and furrowed her brow as she tousled it.

Perhaps it was time to seek some relief; those restless emotions couldn’t continue like this in a loop.

While Xin Lan was feeling uneasy on one side, on the other side, Wan Yan wasn’t doing much better. Thinking about the lack of progress in the mission world, her frustration was on the verge of overflowing. She immediately arranged to meet with her close friend to unburden herself.

“What? You’re saying you haven’t made any progress in a single world?!”

Orange slammed the table, her face showing a mix of exasperation and disappointment.

Wan Yan nodded, her beautiful face concealing her emotions. In reality, she was in turmoil inside, close to tears.

She hadn’t expected things to turn out like this.

“Well… Did you… Did you give yourself any mental suggestions before entering?”

Although systems brought into mission worlds by non-hosts would have their memories wiped, they could still implant some mental suggestions.

“I did.”

Wan Yan nodded, recalling her mental process in the mission world, feeling a bit of a headache.

“Since you’ve implanted them, then go ahead! How is it possible that nothing happened at all?”

Wan Yan explained the details of her previous mission to Orange, who looked utterly shocked.

“This is the first time I’ve seen someone want to go into a supernatural world to find love. Isn’t that just crazy?”

“It was her system’s choice.”

“Don’t you know how to communicate with her system and switch to a romance-oriented setting?”

“That doesn’t sound good…” Wan Yan hesitated. “She’ll definitely be unhappy if she finds out.”

“Just keep suppressing your desires, you’ll be stifled sooner or later.”

Orange took a bite of the squid skewer in front of her. This person really had no sense of romance.

Wan Yan furrowed her brows, appearing deeply contemplative.

“Are you sure about this? You won’t change it?”

Orange swallowed the squid in her mouth before responding.

Because the other party was a mission taker, Orange wanted Wan Yan to think carefully.

She had known Wan Yan for a long time. Wan Yan was the kind of system who appeared reserved and didn’t talk much, giving off a serious AI vibe. But after spending time together, one would realize she was actually quite reserved yet seductive, with a hint of tsundere.

As a good friend, Orange hoped that Wan Yan’s love would take root and flourish, and not come to an untimely end like the hosts who derailed their missions, a common occurrence on the forums.

“I won’t change it.”

Wan Yan poked at the dessert in front of her with a spoon.

“Do you know, even when I watch her beating people up, I still find her incredibly cool.”

“Do you know what kind of person she likes?”

“I don’t know, but I can try them all.”

Wan Yan had it all planned out – innocent and pure, tomboyish, aloof, enchanting, sweet – she had various styles ready. Surely, one of them would capture Xin Lan’s heart!

“Then you better give it your all! Aim to win her over sooner!”

“I just want to get a bit closer to her right now.”

Wan Yan felt a bit helpless. She lacked experience and didn’t know how to approach people.

But opportunities always had a way of unexpectedly presenting themselves.

Wan Yan sat in the coffee shop and saw a woman walking in.

Xin Lan had just come out of the counseling room, having relieved her recent restlessness. Her mood was now quite calm.

She placed her order and, as she looked up, noticed someone across from her, watching her.

The person seemed somewhat familiar, as if they had met before.

The individual smiled at her, their ice-blue eyes sparkling.

Xin Lan politely nodded in response, waiting for the robot to bring her coffee and dessert.

Wan Yan noticed that the last time, Xin Lan had also been sitting in the same spot, looking at her like this.

The music in the cafe was soothing, and Wan Yan lowered her head, typing out a message on her screen.

A—05: What kind of world will you choose next time?

Zero Nine: I haven’t decided yet.

A—05: Will it be another supernatural world?

Zero Nine: Probably not, Chief. Which types of worlds have higher completion rates?

A—05: Entertainment industry, interstellar, fantasy, and similar genres all have decent completion rates, with the highest being the entertainment industry.

For face-slapping department agents, the entertainment industry is a relatively easy world to complete missions in. Many times, they’ll transmigrate into roles like scandalous stars, and they can completely utilize their exceptional acting skills and advanced abilities to turn the tables.

Zero Nine: Then let’s choose something in that direction for the next one. It could help my host relax a bit.

Zero Nine began searching but found that entertainment industry missions were in high demand. She used her fastest reflexes to grab one, but upon seeing it, she seemed a bit stunned.

Zero Nine: Chief, I’ve sent you the mission coordinates. I’ll notify you when it’s time to depart.

A—05: Alright.

Wan Yan opened the coordinates and was a bit surprised when she saw the role assigned to her.

For face-slapping missions, the original hosts were usually either vase characters, washed-up stars, or minor figures. But the mission that Zero Nine had secured…

Wan Yan put away her screen and looked at the woman across from her, elegantly sipping her coffee.

Originally, she had thought she could become some sort of benefactor or sponsor, but now it seemed not so easy.

When Xin Lan left, she saw the person still sitting across from her. Sometimes, that person gazed quietly in her direction, but their gaze didn’t make her feel uncomfortable.

As she left, the person even waved to bid her farewell.

Xin Lan gave a faint smile, nodded, and walked out of the café.

Perhaps the counseling session had really worked. Even when someone stared at her, she didn’t feel restless.

When Xin Lan returned, Zero Nine excitedly approached her, mentioning that she had bought a lot of ingredients.

“Don’t you think we’d be a good fit for a post-apocalyptic world?”

At least with Zero Nine around, the scarce food in an apocalyptic world wouldn’t be a concern for them.

“Great idea! I’ll consider it next time.”

As they talked, Zero Nine followed Xin Lan into the mission room.

In the next moment, everything spun around, and Xin Lan found herself standing in front of a door. The door had poor soundproofing, emitting ambiguous sounds from within.

Memories of the original host flooded into Xin Lan’s mind, and she quickly began sorting through them.

Xin Lan: Isn’t this the ex-girlfriend series mission?

How come in the original host’s memories, she was still the current girlfriend?

Zero Nine: The original host only became the ex-girlfriend shortly before her death. If we were to set it to that time, it would be too late. That’s why this point in time was chosen for the mission.

Xin Lan understood and took out her phone from her bag.

The original host still shared her name and had the role of a talent manager.

Zero Nine: I’m sorry, host. It’s my fault for not being quick enough, but I’ve been single for so many years! Look at other hosts in the entertainment industry, they’re either top actors or actresses, or they’re washed-up stars or scandalous celebrities. At worst, they’re minor figures. I don’t know how I ended up with this situation… QwQ

Xin Lan didn’t feel bothered by it. She opened the video recording function on her phone and then opened the door in front of her.

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