This mysterious town is hidden deep within the mountains and forests. Wooden houses are scattered across the uneven terrain, and the surroundings are eerily quiet—there are barely any townspeople in sight.
Yu Deng's wooden house is tucked away in a secluded corner at the end of the street. From the outside, only two overlapping silhouettes can be seen at the window. The moment the figures step back, nothing can be seen anymore.
Although Cheng Xiao knew that his beautiful stepmother had more than just him as a man, seeing it with his own eyes—even being provoked in person—was a completely different matter.
Those details he refused to acknowledge or think too deeply about were now laid bare before him, forcing him to confront the truth—he was not Yu Deng's only dog.
Cheng Xiao clenched his fists, staring at that wooden house with a deadly gaze, then sprinted toward it at full speed.
Inside the house, Yu Deng was still unaware that his stepson was breaking down inside, sourer than a lemon. He was being held by the waist, tilting his head back as he kissed Qin Jun. The hood of his cloak wobbled, on the verge of falling off.
His slightly dry lips had already been moistened, glistening with a faint sheen. After a while of being kissed, Yu Deng finally realized that something seemed off.
Dazed, he thought—does hydrating his lips really require this?
"Caw!!!"
The little black crow lost its patience before Cheng Xiao even arrived outside. Seeing that damned man kiss its master into a daze, it leaped from the windowsill and flapped its wings furiously.
Qin Jun remained unmoved, effortlessly pinning the furious crow down with one hand.
"…Xiao Hei, don't make a fuss." Hearing the little crow's cry, Yu Deng hurriedly turned his head to scold it before gently pushing the man away. "Qin Jun, that's enough… My lips aren't dry anymore."
"Alright." Qin Jun obediently stopped but still held Yu Deng firmly in his embrace. "Is this the crow from the castle dungeon?"
"Yes." Yu Deng nodded, reaching out to stroke the crow's head.
Just then, the young man outside finally arrived. He strode directly up to Yu Deng, grabbed his hand, and, the moment Yu Deng turned to look at him, pulled him away from that eyesore of a man.
The rebellious young man lowered his head, his gaze heavy with suppressed emotions, his voice low and sour: "Baby. Who is he?"
Qin Jun felt his arms empty, clicking his tongue in displeasure.
Yu Deng looked up at the two of them and introduced them, "Cheng Xiao, this is Qin Jun. He's also a player I met before."
Cheng Xiao understood instantly. "I see. Then did he just bully you?"
"Hm? I don't think so." Yu Deng thought about it seriously and decided it wasn't bullying. "My lips were very dry, and Qin Jun said he was hydrating them for me."
Qin Jun gave a composed nod, seemingly indifferent but secretly showing off. "It was nothing. As long as I can help baby, that's all that matters."
"…" Cheng Xiao sneered.
Hah, he despised these cunning old men the most. This Qin whatever—this wild man—was just as detestable as his little mom's dead husband.
Holding Yu Deng's hand, he couldn't resist taking a jab at his rival. "Baby, he looks pretty fierce. Aren't you scared of him? And people in the Infinite World aren't exactly trustworthy. Someone with his aura might have killed before. You should be careful of him."
Qin Jun cracked his knuckles, the sound echoing ominously: "…"
The seasoned beast and the young, vicious wolf cub locked eyes, neither backing down, both glaring coldly at each other.
Sizing up the aggressive young man, Qin Jun scoffed disdainfully. "I've already told my baby everything about myself. You, on the other hand, don't seem to have any right to interfere."
"Baby's first dungeon was with me. We're especially close—he takes care of me and even sleeps with me." Cheng Xiao recounted their experiences together with a casual air. "Isn't that right, little mom?"
Yu Deng couldn't keep up with their rhythm, so he subconsciously responded to Cheng Xiao's address: "Hm? Yes."
Qin Jun: "…" So this is the kind of intimate roleplay we're doing?
His gaze darkened, exuding an icy aura as he warned Cheng Xiao, "Kid, eliminating you would be easy."
Tension crackled between them, both seeing red at the sight of their love rival. If not for their concern about scaring Yu Deng, they probably would've started fighting already.
Caught between them, Yu Deng belatedly realized that something was off. He tugged at their sleeves one by one.
"Don't fight, okay? I still need to clear the dungeon."
Only then did the two reluctantly suppress their urge to beat each other up, standing in front of Yu Deng, waiting for further instructions.
Yu Deng withdrew his hand from Cheng Xiao's grip and put his crow mask back on. His voice came out muffled from beneath it. "Where did you guys come from?"
"The northern forest," Qin Jun said.
Not to be outdone, Cheng Xiao answered immediately, "The south, near the collapsed area."
Oh? Then Cheng Xiao must have randomly spawned in the same starting zone as him.
But speaking of which… Normally, when players cause large-scale destruction to a dungeon, the main system would immediately intervene and issue warnings. Why did this special dungeon have a pre-existing collapse area?
Could it be that special dungeons differ from regular ones—that they're designed purely for player elimination, so destroying them doesn't matter? Or was there some hidden mechanism behind this?
Unable to figure it out, Yu Deng simply threw the question at the other two.
Cheng Xiao paused for a moment before responding, "It is kind of strange."
They had all been warned against damaging dungeons and had even signed contracts pledging allegiance to Yu Deng, making them understand how much importance the Infinite World placed on dungeons. In that case, this dungeon's setup was indeed inconsistent with its usual rules.
"Never mind. It's probably not that important… Let's focus on figuring out this dungeon first." Yu Deng shook his head and looked up expectantly. "Come help me analyze the situation, okay?"
Their hearts melted at Yu Deng's cuteness. Of course, they agreed without hesitation. The three of them gathered inside the wooden house and found chairs to sit on.
Yu Deng found it all rather novel.
This seemed to be the first time he was seriously discussing clues and dungeon plots with other players.
They quickly compiled all the known dungeon clues.
The dungeon's theme was obvious—it revolved around the hidden temple and the rumored evil god. Apart from that, the eerie town and the randomly appearing collapsed zones were also worth investigating.
"There are also those strange creatures in the forest. They're highly aggressive and incredibly fast. Ordinary players wouldn't last two minutes against them."
Yu Deng, who had been listening quietly, finally realized they were talking about creatures like Xiao Huang. In a small voice, he said, "Actually, they're pretty obedient… Xiao Huang even gave me a ride."
"?"
They fell silent for a few seconds, once again gaining a newfound respect for Yu Deng's incredible charm.
[HAHAHA, you guys really have no idea how irresistible Baby is!]
[Xiao Huang: That's right, it was me.]
[LMAO, both of Baby's "bad dog" instance players have gathered. I love seeing love rivals fight over him!]
[But wait, why did Baby and Qin Dog's screen go black for a few minutes? What did Qin Dog do to Baby?!]
"Ahem, then Baby doesn't have to worry about that."
Cheng Xiao shifted the topic back to the dungeon clues. "The hint given today was: 'Where the moonlight and radiance breathe, the land that never falls.' I'm not sure what it specifically refers to, but the people here like to speak in metaphors—it might not actually mean sunlight and moonlight."
Yu Deng generously shared his clue. "Yesterday, I met an old woman. She said, 'Even if it collapses, this is my home.'"
What would make someone accept death so calmly? Benefits? Or faith? Yu Deng couldn't figure it out yet, but it was probably related to the evil god.
Even though eliminated players could just be teleported away, they had to resurrect on the spot… This game mechanic was truly filled with malice.
After roughly sorting through the known information, they listed a few possible locations where the temple might be. Without needing to discuss it, they naturally centered their temporary team around Yu Deng and decided to start their search from this house before heading to the town for more clues.
The house was quite ordinary, similar to Granny Mara's wooden cabin. Its structure was simple, the furniture was crude, and a blank canvas hung on the central wall, completely devoid of any patterns.
Aside from that, there were no other obvious clues. Sticking to their plan, they continued their search in the town.
Since Yu Deng insisted on pretending to be a mysterious merchant, the two men did not stick too close to him but instead followed at a measured distance.
His short boots made faint sounds against the cobblestone ground. As he turned past a row of wooden houses, Yu Deng heard voices.
He cautiously peeked around the corner and saw a player talking with an NPC. The NPC was a woman with her hair coiled up, prominent cheekbones, and dark skin.
Yu Deng stealthily hid behind the house, trying to eavesdrop on their conversation.
"A temple? You actually dare to seek the temple? Let me tell you, kid, every year, many outsiders come looking for it, and every single one of them fails." The woman scrutinized the player with a cold expression.
"Ridiculous. A god's dwelling—is that something mere mortals can find? Even our town mayor doesn't know where the god truly resides!"
Town mayor?
Hearing this title, Yu Deng shifted his gaze to the similar buildings in the town.
After the player left, Yu Deng quietly waved at the two men behind him. "Do you know where the mayor lives?"
"Just ahead."
Following Qin Jun's gaze, Yu Deng spotted a house larger than the others, resembling a small villa from a distance.
Unlike the ordinary wooden houses, this building surely had many players lurking nearby, watching in secret.
Yu Deng hesitated for a few minutes, uncertain whether to search for clues at the mayor's house.
"I want to check out the mayor's place…" In the end, he made up his mind. "Are you two coming with me?"
"Of course. But baby, it's probably going to be dangerous."
Yu Deng pressed his lips together. He knew it was dangerous, but his instincts told him that the mayor's house would reveal many clues… More importantly, he had an inexplicable fascination with the temple treasure.
"I know. That's why, if you come with me, you have to protect me, okay?"
With that, Yu Deng feigned composure and walked toward the mayor's house.
Along the way, he could feel multiple gazes, some overt and some hidden. He forced himself to remain calm and knocked on the mayor's door.
Several seconds later, the wooden door slowly creaked open, revealing a middle-aged man. The man was tall and burly, his thick hair resembling an overgrown bush, though the top of his head was slightly bald.
His expression was cold. "Who are you? What do you want?"
Faced with the mayor's fierce demeanor, Yu Deng's mind went blank for a few seconds. Just as Cheng Xiao was about to speak up for him, Yu Deng suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
Lowering his voice, he adopted a practiced mysterious tone. "Me? Just a humble merchant with a few wares. Mayor, I bear the divine will and can offer you guidance."
The mayor's eyes flickered. "Is that so? That's not something to joke about."
Yu Deng quickly racked his brain and fumbled inside his cloak, pulling out the lantern Granny Mara had given him.
"…" The mayor's attitude softened slightly, and he stepped aside. "Come in and speak."
Yu Deng: "?" Huh, that actually worked?
Glancing behind him, he saw the two men had also reached the doorway. Under the mayor's sharp gaze, Qin Jun calmly fabricated a lie.
"We struck a deal with him. As part of the exchange, we will serve as his attendants for the time being, guarding him at all times."
The mayor hesitated for a few seconds but ultimately nodded, allowing them inside.
The interior of the mayor's house was more complex, divided into a living room and a study. A large painting hung on the living room wall, its pattern just as abstract as before.
"Tell me, what kind of divine will have you received?" The mayor's voice carried a hidden threat. "Matters concerning the gods must not be lied about."
Yu Deng didn't answer immediately. He fidgeted with the edge of the lantern, unsure how to keep up his bluff.
Crap. What now? He had just made that up on the spot—how was he supposed to continue this lie?
Yu Deng felt the same kind of panic as someone who faked their resume and somehow landed the job. His palms grew sweaty, and the more anxious he became, the blanker his mind got. Acting on instinct, he blurted out, "I am an all-knowing merchant, of course, I know. The god does not deign to appear easily, but I have a good relationship with him and can summon him."
The mayor: "???" This feels like a scam.
At this point, Yu Deng was running out of things to say. His gaze wandered to the painting, and the mark on his lower abdomen began to heat up slightly.
Without a sound, darkness crept in. The light in the room dimmed instantly.
An indescribable presence began to materialize before them.
The mayor stiffened like a lifeless puppet, staring upward with a fervent yet slightly fearful gaze.
"It really… It really appeared. Is it truly your descent? I knew it! I knew the god must exist…!"
The suddenly manifested entity seemed annoyed by the mayor's incessant rambling and unceremoniously tossed him out the door.
Mayor: "???"
Yu Deng was equally bewildered. This strange thing… seemed to be approaching him?
He had only been making things up—did he really summon some kind of eldritch god???
The pitch-black mass gradually solidified, forming something akin to a head. It dragged its enormous body forward, attempting to affectionately nuzzle Yu Deng's neck.
Yu Deng: "…???" No, don't come any closer, sob sob.
With a choked whimper, his eyes quickly welled up with tears as he pulled out a scalpel, ready to stab the strange creature.
"Baby!" The two men had already entered combat mode, drawing their weapons without hesitation. Their attacks severed part of the pure black appendages.
The shadowy creature paused. It didn't care about being attacked—but it sensed the same emotions from these two males.
Desire. Obsession. A twisted, fervent love.
It grew enraged.
This was its most beloved human… It would not allow him to be coveted, nor to be taken away!
The unnameable being let out a silent scream, and all living creatures within several miles felt an overwhelming sense of dread.
The next second, it wrapped itself around Yu Deng and violently flung Cheng Xiao and Qin Jun out of the house.