When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)-Chapter 701: Shang’s Nightmare (4)

Shang had been on the run for a week— the longest, most excruciating week of his life.

From a respected teacher to a struggling businessman and now a wanted criminal... just how did things turn out like this?

Where had things started to go wrong? Where had he gone wrong? Was it the moment when he ignored the subtle signs of bullying, causing the first death in his class? Or was it when he was too afraid to push the door open, too afraid to confront the bullies, too afraid to stand up for the weak, which resulted in the second death? Or was it when he accepted the hush money but pretended he was forced into it...?

Was this karma, perhaps?

He had nowhere left to go. The friends and acquaintances he had made with much difficulty all abandoned him after this incident. Returning home was not an option because there were people stationed there, just waiting to ambush him. He could only hide in cheap, shoddy motels that didn’t require ID, but then he was kicked out on the third day because the money he had on himself was limited and all his bank cards had been frozen.

He could only continue to move, hiding in one secluded place after another, sometimes even living off the streets, just like a lowly cockroach crawling in the damp, shadowy corner.

His hair and clothes exuded an unpleasant smell— or maybe it was just his distraught mind talking. But now he was getting more and more used to enduring the things that had once been unbearable for him. In this kind of situation, he could not afford to complain.

Unable to bear the hunger any longer, he risked going to a small convenience store in the middle of the night to buy himself some food, but his worst fear came true— the clerk ended up recognizing him and secretly reported him to the police!

Damn it, damn it, damn it all!!! 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Hiding in the dark alley beside the smelly garbage can, Shang held his breath as he waited for the pursuing footsteps to fade into the distance. Nonetheless, he still couldn’t bring himself to relax. He pressed himself close to the wall, ignoring the dirty wall and the mice scurrying beneath his feet, desperately praying he wouldn’t be discovered.

Mom and Dad, they must have received the news by now, right? Were they shocked that the son they are so proud of is now a wanted criminal...?

What should I do from now on?

Bitterness surged from the base of his tongue. Despair, helplessness and futile rage, all of it churned inside him, turning him into a wreck. He buried his fingers into his hair and resisted the urge to scream aloud, to curse at everything beneath heavens and earth.

What had he done wrong?!

All the choices he had made were just so that... so that he could survive! Anyone in his position would have chosen to do the same thing, so why must he be singled out? Why must he bear the ill will and malice of the world?!

If only... if only everything was a mere nightmare...

"Congratulations, you’re right. This is indeed a nightmare."

The sudden voice jolted Shang upright. His gaze snapped toward the depths of the alley where the light couldn’t reach. "W-Who’s there...?!" his voice trembled with unconcealed panic, his entire body tensing up, ready to bolt at any moment.

Only after squinting his eyes did he belatedly make out two silhouettes standing not far away. Since when have they been there?!

"Pfft— Nian’er, this appearance of his is so..." the taller one chuckled, clearly bearing no good will. "Are you sure you don’t want to let him be?"

"No, return his memory. I want him to remember everything."

...What?

"You hit the lowest point of your life," the cold voice continued, "and that was when the Nightmare Cycle appeared."

"You saw this as a golden opportunity. Unlike others who dreaded its danger and challenges, for you, it was no different from a godsend aid. Because there, everything is equal. Money, status, power— none of it matters in the Nightmare Cycle. Everyone starts from the same line, just like what you want."

"And you’re lucky to awaken as a healer, allowing you to recruit some strong teammates."

Shang’s eyes widened bit by bit. A look of pain appeared on his face as he clutched his head.

"You were obsessed with power, and the Nightmare Cycle granted you just that. The stronger you became, the more you feared nothing at all. You exploited a loophole in the rules and dragged your enemies into the Nightmare Cycle, slowly crushing them and watching them sink into despair—"

"—just like they once did to you."

"You were reborn, thanks to it."

"This damn legendary level test..." Shang cursed under his breath.

In a mere seconds, his demeanor changed drastically. Gone was his jittery, pathetic look. Even though he still looked unkempt, his expression was more composed now and his gaze held the indifference of someone accustomed to being in a high position.

He wanted to massage his throbbing temple, only to grimace in disgust at the sight of his filthy hands.

Shen Nianzu, however, gave him no time to recover and continue to press on, "You didn’t actually want the Nightmare Cycle to disappear, did you?"

Having your memories returned all at once was not a pleasant sensation; Shen Nianzu had experienced it firsthand. The brief confusion and disorientation was so intense that his mind felt like it was going to split apart. The fact that Shang could remain standing was a testament to how powerful and resilient he was.

In lieu of answering the question, Shang gave them a scrutinizing smile, clearly on guard. "JJ and... Nian, right? I appreciate the help—"

"Did you get something wrong?" Jin Jiuchi arched an amused brow, his heterochromatin eyes gleaming with gleeful malice. "We are not here to help you."

Shang’s head hurt even more. Now that he had just relieved the past he wanted to forget the most, it suddenly dawned on him the reason why he so badly wanted to conquer Jin Jiuchi.

Because he reminded Shang of that boy— his former student and also the source of his nightmare, whom he had killed with his own hands.

Both of them possessed a wild and untameable aura, as well as a tendency to do however they pleased. It was such an eyesore. And so, Shang wanted to break him, watch him grovel under his feet, revel in his misery while drilling into his mind his own incompetence and how he could not do anything against Shang.

Even now, in his less than ideal condition, seeing that roguish and charming smirk made Shang’s fingers twitch with impulse.

Until his sight was blocked by Shen Nianzu, who stepped before him.

"Do you remember Xinxin?" he asked.

"...Who?" Shang was caught off guard by the sudden switch of topic and couldn’t react for a while, but the other person gave him no chance to say more.

"Well, whether you remember or not, it’s no longer important. Your fate is sealed anyway."

Shang narrowed his eyes, a faint storm brewing in the depths of his pupils.

"If the Nightmare Cycle didn’t exist, how do you think your life would have turned out?" For the very first time, a faint smile appeared on that exquisite face, and yet the sight sent chills down Shang’s spine. He belatedly realized these two did not approach him with good intentions— no, he should have seen this coming from the start.

But still, Shang didn’t panic. This was the composure of the strongest Elite player, forged and tempered by countless Cycles. "Xinxin? Ah, wait... I think I remember. He was your teammate, wasn’t it? I heard of his unfortunate passing. My condolences..." he shrugged, "But what does it have to do with me?"

"Fuck you...!" Shen Nianzu was instantly provoked, anger blazing in his eyes, but Jin Jiuchi held him back, hugging his waist from behind.

"Tsk, tsk, open your eyes wide and look around. You still haven’t realized your own predicament, have you?" Jin Jiuchi flashed an inscrutable smile as he held his jade doll in a comforting embrace. In the darkness, his mismatched eyes gleamed in a way no human could, like a bloodthirsty beast locked in on its prey.

"Live on. Here, in your own nightmare," he enunciated with a grin. "The Nightmare Cycle doesn’t exist here, so don’t think it can save you for the second time. You can only relive your nightmare... again and again..."

Having just regained his memory, Shang hadn’t had the chance to observe what this Cycle was all about before he was ambushed by these two players. And now hearing Jin Jiuchi’s words, his expression finally changed, sensing something was not right. "What did you say?"

The footsteps that had faded into the distance suddenly returned once more— approaching right where they were! But Shang didn’t have the mind to spare them any attention; his sharp gaze was locked on Shen Nianzu and Jin Jiuchi. No one liked their disgusting past to be dragged out in the open and used by their enemies, and that included Shang. He could no longer maintain his mask of composure now.

"You tell me what you mean by that!" he seethed.

But Jin Jiuchi’s grin only widened in the face of his growing fury and agitation. "Exactly what I mean. And oh, one word of advice: don’t even bother to kill yourself. You won’t be able to die."

"Over there—!"

"Catch him! The boss said we must not let him escape this time!"

"Bring him back even if you have to break his arms and legs!"

Enraged, Shang lunged forward without warning, but his hand only went through Shen Nianzu and Jin Jiuchi’s bodies, nearly sending him tumbling to the ground! He regained his balance at the last moment, though the shock in his eyes went unconcealed. "You... how did you..."

The pursuers flooded into the alley and grabbed both of his arms. Snarling, Shang fought back with sharp and ferocious movements that could usually incapacitate his opponents in two or three moves—but he forgot that in this world, he was not a powerful Elite player. He was just an ordinary person who had been on the run for days and weakened by hunger.

And so, it did not take much effort for the men to subdue him alone.

Even as his cheek was pressed to the ground, he was still glaring at Shen Nianzu and Jin Jiuchi, his eyes bloodshot as he roared, "What have I done wrong?!! Everything I did was normal! I’m a human too! I can be greedy and selfish! Fuck, I just—"

"Shut up!" The men were annoyed that he was still running his mouth off and gave a heavy kick to his side, knocking the air out of his lungs. Shang gasped in pain, shuddering. Unwillingness and resentment bled from his eyes. "How dare you... who gave you the right to do this to me?!" he growled.

Unaware that Shang’s words were not directed at them, the men were angered by his defiance and ganged up on him, kicking and punching and cursing.

"Who do YOU think you are?!"

"Fuck, I’ve never seen such a brazen fool before. You killed the boss’ precious son and still think you can get away with it?!"

"Bah, pathetic bastard!"

All the while, Shen Nianzu and Jin Jiuchi watched from the sidelines, their presence unseen.

They watched as Shang struggled desperately, angrily, like a wounded beast trapped in a thorny cage. They watched as a flicker of fear crossed his eyes when the men broke both of his legs. They watched as he gradually lost the strength to resist, his battered body twitching and trembling weakly on the dirty ground.

Only then did Shen Nianzu open his mouth, his voice dry and devoid of warmth, "Of course, humans are greedy and selfish. I am, too. But that does not give us the right to harm the innocent as we please. The moment you grow indifferent to life, you have become the very person you despise the most."

He turned around, saying to Jin Jiuchi, "Let’s go."

Shang’s pupils constricted. Despite his broken legs, he still struggled to haul himself up, panic and raw horror twisting his bruised face. "Wait—"

His voice was rough, gravely, as he reached out to them in desperation, "Don’t leave me here—! Fuck, take me with you— TAKE ME WITH YOU—"

Shen Nianzu closed his eyes, letting Shang’s desperate pleas, cries and curses wash over him. His gait contained no hesitation as he turned to leave. Together with Jin Jiuchi, their presence vanished from the world forevermore.

It wasn’t until Jin Jiuchi cupped his face and stroked his cheeks gently that he realized his face was wet with tears.

"Nian’er..." the man asked carefully. "Are you sure that’s enough? Didn’t you plan to give him a painful death?"

Despite the flowing tears, a smile—wide and genuine—broke across Shen Nianzu’s face. "There’s no need," he rasped. "I changed my mind."

For half a year since Gu Luoxin’s death, he had imagined killing the other person countless times inside his mind and devising 1001 ways to torture him, to make him regret ever crossing paths with them, but...

It was not enough.

For someone like Shang, death was still too light of a punishment.

Only when he was alive could it be considered a true punishment. And the nightmare created by this Cycle just happened to be perfect for Shen Nianzu’s revenge tool. He deliberately allowed Shang to recover his memory, for where was the fun if he stayed oblivious?

It’s not supposed to be like this. I should have been stronger! I should have had the world under my feet, free to do whatever I please! All these people, they should have been under my mercy! Shen Nianzu wanted to trap Shang in his ordinary body and torture him with these thoughts again and again, for as long as he was still alive and breathing.

It must have been more unbearable to him than death.

The true agony was to reach the peak, only to fall to rock bottom without him being able to do anything to salvage it.

To confront his reality, was the core of Shang’s nightmare.

This was Shang’s true downfall.