Chapter 575: Two Available Cycles

    Before he could move, however, Lucius had taken it upon itself to open the window by a crack and slipped into the room in one smooth motion before nudging it shut once more.

    Had any other person witnessed this, they would have been shocked out of their wits at the cat’s skillful operation. But Gu Luoxin merely stared at the black cat without blinking, seemingly trying to ascertain whether the sight before him was real or it was just a figment of his imagination.

    He no longer stood on ceremony and behaved courteously around Lucius like he did at the beginning. In the Glass Slipper Town, he had transformed into a mouse and it was Lucius who had saved his poor little life from the filthy sewer. Since then, the two of them had formed a close bond, one that was exclusively different from his friendship with Noir.

    Lucius might have been a divine prop bound to Noir, but to him, the black cat was just... Lucius and no one else.

    Gu Luoxin felt like he should say something— for example, asking what it was doing here and whether it had come here because Noir heard what had happened, but he couldn’t force his throat to work. His entire body felt heavy and lethargic. All he wanted to do was close his eyes, shut down his mind, and sleep until... until everything got better.

    Though he had no idea if things would get better once he woke up.

    Right now, he simply did not wish to do or think of anything. And so, he watched as Lucius leapt into his bed, stretched a bit before curling up beneath his chin, close to his chest.

    Then, it began to pur softly.

    Gu Luoxin had no idea where it had come from, but Lucius’ body was not at all affected by the chilly weather outside. Its sleek black fur was always warm, impeccably clean, and carried a faint, pleasant scent of sunshine, like a noble and majestic cat. With Lucius sticking close, Gu Luoxin felt like he had his own personal warm, soft, and nice-smelling heater. Even the purring sounded oddly therapeutic and comforting.

    Slowly, very very slowly, Gu Luoxin shifted to hug the black cat, his face buried into its warm body. And before he knew it, silent tears soaked into the glossy and velvety fur.

    "Are you here to accompany me?" he asked, his voice so small and fragile it was nearly inaudible.

    "Meow~" Lucius responded before tentatively licking his wet cheek.

    Somehow, the comforting gesture made Gu Luoxin cry even harder. "I’m so sad, Lucius..."

    "Meow..."

    "I lost my good buddy today, right in front of my eyes. His name is Shang Hao. I... I used to dislike him a lot, because he’s loud and annoying."

    Lucius tucked its limbs into its body to form a loaf, its purr growing louder. It nudged its head against Gu Luoxin’s cheek, using this sticky and spoiled demeanor to reassure the other person of its presence.

    Just like that, Gu Luoxin whispered many, many things to the black cat, something laughing and sometimes crying, until he unknowingly fell asleep. When he woke up after an unknown amount of time, the sky outside the window was completely dark, and Lucius was nowhere to be seen.

    After blanking out for a while, Gu Luoxin searched for his phone, whose screen had become cracked because he accidentally dropped it on the rooftop. With both eyes as swollen as a pair of walnuts, he clicked on the chatting interface of Team SJG and slowly typed:

    [I’m coming with you guys. I will do my best not to become a burden. Please take care of me orz]

    Two minutes later, a reply came from Shen Nianzu, as concise as ever: [Good.]

    .

    .

    Shen Nianzu worked fast, and the next day, Gu Luoxin’s phone received a notification that the tickets were now available for purchase. Under normal circumstances, the team leader would directly handle the tickets for all members, and this was the first time Gu Luoxin was required to purchase on his own.

    Feeling confused, he clicked on the Nightmare App, only to be stunned.

    There were two high-level Cycles to choose from; both were dated in early June, still half a year away from now.

    1. House of Evil.

    2. Battle of the Gods

    Holy hell, Gu Luoxin couldn’t help but swallow nervously. None of them sound like anything good.

    Big Boss: [There are two Cycles available. We can take our time choosing. It’s not like others will snatch it anyway.]

    That was true. Aside from its extensive scope, another reason why the Cycle was classified as ’high-level’ was due to its maximum player capacity.

    Low-level Cycles could accommodate four to seven players at most before closing, while mid-level ones could hold up to twenty players, excluding the annual Cycle, of course. High-level Cycles, on the other hand, were said to allow up to or even more than fifty players, though this number had never been filled due to the lack of challengers.

    Nonetheless, the Cycle would still activate even if only a single player entered. This was also the start of the rumor where high-level Cycles existed as separate realms of their own.

    A few minutes later, another message popped up:

    Big Boss: [If I could give my two cents, let’s go with the second one.]

    Stinky Dog: [I will follow wherever you go, Nian’er 3]

    Big Boss: [Scram disgust.jpg]

    Gu Luoxin gave it careful thought before agreeing with his Boss. Judging from the theme of the Cycle alone, the first one sounded more like a horror and psychological thriller, while the second one seemed to involve guerrilla tactics and melee combat.

    Out of three members of SJG, only Shen Nianzu could be considered the brain of the group. Jin Jiuchi was all brawn with no brain, while Gu Luoxin... well, he was somewhere in between. But if he was given a choice, he would never willingly pick a supernatural Cycle— horror was a big no-no!

    The three of them were quite good fighters, so wouldn’t they fare much better in the second Cycle?

    Xinxin: [I agree, let’s go with 2!]

    Two votes with one abstain, the decision was quickly made.

    Big Boss: [There’s one more thing...]

    Big Boss: [I’ve almost forgotten about this because it has been too long.]

    Big Boss: [Team formation is not allowed in the high-level Cycles. In other words, we’re going to challenge this Cycle solo. We can still meet up later inside but...]

    Big Boss: [worried.jpg]

    The messages popped up one after another, causing Gu Luoxin’s eyes to go wide in shock. He finally realized why players had to purchase their own tickets.

    Going solo... in a high-level Cycle at that?!

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    A/N: guess which one they will enter in the end? *evil laugh* fyi this will be the last Cycle before we get to the final battle against the Nightmare ^^