Hey, first of all, thanks for reading my lousy Machine Translation. To be honest, I’d really like it if you guys corrected the mistakes I made. But please speak nicely and politely. My heart is not strong enough to read your too-harsh comments. Have a nice day. 🙂
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Chp25. part2
Everyone was alive.
The bracelet vibrated: [Mission successfully completed. Dungeon storyline officially initiated.]
The square had transformed into a boiling sea of humanity. Voices rose in unison: “Viscountess!” “Viscountess!” “Viscountess!” “Viscountess!”
More and more joined the chorus, the chant of “Viscountess!” echoing across the square.
This was getting out of hand, Ning Ge thought, glancing at the Queen.
Her Majesty seemed unbothered. She rose and walked a few steps forward, beckoning Ning Ge to approach.
When Ning Ge stood in front of her, the Queen finally spoke: “No one has ever led everyone out of the Sacrificial Dance like this. More important than wisdom or courage is the willingness to step forward and take responsibility.”
She raised her head. “I declare that Viscountess Nona shall be the future heir to the throne of this empire.”
Ning Ge: ?
The crowd erupted in thunderous cheers, their voices surging like a tidal wave across the square.
The men on the dance floor all knelt on one knee. “To our generous Queen, our benevolent Viscountess…”
These survivors of near-death realized they were not only alive but had also struck it rich. Their praise was genuine and heartfelt.
Ning Ge couldn’t help but notice the complex expression on the handsome male companion’s face behind the Queen, an emotion he struggled to conceal.
The ball had truly ended.
Guided by the row of Wooden Puppets, the dancers retreated into the royal palace.
The moment they passed through the golden iron gates, the bracelet on Ning Ge’s wrist vibrated. It wasn’t a new mission.
[Reward: Sprint Time Draw]
A draw button appeared.
Before Ning Ge could click it, the button vanished, replaced by a line of text:
[Sprint Time Obtained: Three Minutes]
Ning Ge glanced up at Pei Han.
He was also looking at his bracelet. “It must have been a group draw for all players. Someone clicked first, so everyone got three minutes.”
Ning Ge didn’t know what “sprint time” meant, but it didn’t sound like anything good.
The Queen, walking ahead, suddenly stopped on the steps and turned to wait for Ning Ge. Ning Ge had no choice but to quicken her pace to catch up.
“I’ve been wanting to announce the succession for a while now,” the Queen said. “Today is as good a day as any.”
Ning Ge’s mind raced: Could the Viscountess be her daughter?
The Queen smiled. “I don’t have that obsession with continuing the family line. The Empire should be ruled by the most capable person.”
So it wasn’t her daughter after all.
The Queen reached out and smoothed Ning Ge’s hair. “Was all this effort today for your precious darling? You’ve run so hard your hair is a mess.”
She continued, “If you didn’t want to let him go, why did you even take him to the dance floor in the first place? You could have just chosen someone else.”
Ning Ge blurted out, “I just wanted to dance with him.”
Pei-Precious-darling-Han quietly took Ning Ge’s hand and kissed the back of her hand.
“Even I feel like dancing now,” the Queen said. She raised her hand and waved. “Mosh.”
Her male companion, who had been waiting respectfully nearby, immediately strode forward.
He was tall and handsome, with striking features that rivaled Pei Han’s. His attire was even more dazzling, a luxurious gown encrusted with pearls and jewels that outshone all others.
The gown bore a striking resemblance to Pei Han’s, with each gold button cast in the shape of a flower—his were lilies.
As Mosh approached, he gently and respectfully took the Queen’s fingers in his.
“The Empire’s finest Puppet Maker and Puppet Master, my Queen, what is your desire?”
He deliberately placed the title “The Empire’s finest Puppet Maker and Puppet Master” before “my Queen,” clearly aiming his flattery in the right direction.
The Queen smiled, her eyes narrowing in pleasure. “I feel like dancing. Let’s return to my room to dance.”
Mosh kissed the Queen’s hand and entered the palace gates with her.
The bracelet gave Ning Ge no time to breathe, immediately urging her on with its life-threatening message:
[Act as my hands, move my feet, twist my waist. Dear master, have you seen my head? Little Husky wants a head.]
Ning Ge was speechless: [This AI customer service is getting increasingly morbid.]
“See my head?” Ning Ge thought. How would you even say that without a head?
A new task appeared:
[Task: Assemble a Wooden Puppet Servant — Little Husky.]
[Description: To be completed by surviving players. Time limit: 8 hours.]
[Failure Penalty: Any unfinished parts will be replaced with your own.]
Ning Ge thought, That’s not too bad. Losing an arm or leg isn’t a big deal. Everything will be back after we leave the Dungeon.
Her bracelet quickly added: [Your dance partner and you are responsible for the head.]
Ning Ge: “……”
Bracelet: [Your left half of the head, his right half.]
Ning Ge: How thoughtful of it to at least leave me half.
Just as she was about to turn to discuss the task with Pei Han, the handsome male dancers swarmed over.
Taking advantage of their numbers, they unceremoniously pushed Pei Han aside and rushed to pay their respects to the ‘Viscountess’ who had saved their lives and the future Queen.
Completely ignoring Pei Han, they vied for Ning Ge’s attention, crowding around her and batting their eyelashes.
A flaxen-haired man, relying on his tall and sturdy frame, claimed the spot closest to Ning Ge after bowing and refused to move.
“I’ve memorized where the Viscountess places the pearls,” he said, gazing at her with a tender expression, his beautiful eyes glistening. “At next year’s Sacrifice Ball, may I lead the dance with you? I want to help you place the pearls.”
A man who had been struggling to cut in line behind him sneered, “Don’t try to fool Her Ladyship. You’re just trying to earn another 10,000 Gold Solon, aren’t you? Now that you know which squares to avoid, you’re planning to come back next year.”
Ning Ge fell silent for a moment. “Please, don’t. It would kill me.”
If Ning Ge’s guess was correct, the Queen’s blessing ritual marked the blessed square as the first square. If she marked a different square, the twenty-five deadly squares would completely shift their positions.
The flax-haired man, stubbornly guarding his spot closest to Ning Ge, asked in surprise, “Why would it kill you? Aren’t these the same squares next year?”
Before Ning Ge could answer, her hand was seized.
Pei Han broke through the crowd. “Your ladyship, it’s late. It’s time to rest.”
His tone was incredibly gentle, as patient as a nanny coaxing a child to sleep, which made it even more terrifying.
It turned out that beyond the circle of handsome men, all the players wearing bracelets had been waiting for Ning Ge.
Pei Han pulled her away, murmuring, “Ignore them. The eight-hour countdown for the new mission has already begun, and we still don’t know how to assemble the Wooden Puppet. We need to hurry.”
Owen immediately glanced up at the sky.
Teacher Su, puzzled, followed his gaze.
Above the palace, only a few faint stars dotted the night sky. Nothing else was visible.
“What is it?” Teacher Su asked. “Is it going to rain?”
“No,” Owen replied. “Rain wouldn’t be the problem. I’m afraid it’s going to rain jars.” (remembering their first dungeon, overturned by vinegar jar)
