Chapter 78 – Appearance-obsessed world

Translator: Xena
Thank you for waiting! Here it is~

Even if he was slow to react, Jian Xie realized what was happening at this moment.

It was not that he hasn’t been approached by people while working part-time jobs, but when the other party was a monster, it felt really weird.

Jian Xie: “…”

He suddenly thought of Qin Zhuo.

So he wasn’t joking or teasing at all. Were those tentative touches really the result of thoughts that had crossed the line?

He thought that his and the evil god’s affections for each other were purely platonic—

【There’s no going back,】he said.

“……”

That’s true.

They’ve already made a pinky promise.

Mistaking Jian Xie’s silence for some kind of acquiescence, the monster smiled with satisfaction, moved closer to him, and admired the other’s face that had immediately caught its eye as it entered the venue.

It said, “I’ve checked and there’s no one here. So, could we have an interview beforehand?”  

The monster’s mind was filled with all sorts of thoughts.

Of course, the first thing was to touch that face again.

Although it was unclear what exactly happened, Wen Heshu was already losing his composure on the line.

If something really happened, not to mention Cheng Li, even he himself wouldn’t be able to forgive himself, especially since he was the adult between the two of them.

The silence was making him anxious.

“……”

But before it could reach out to Jian Xie again, everything suddenly went black, and it slipped and fell to the ground.

It fell hard, but in a proper kneeling position.

It was completely dumbfounded.

At the same time, the monster seemed to sense an even colder and damper aura that gradually spread throughout the forest, completely surrounding and trapping it within.

—These trees would not let it leave.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, it abruptly raised its head and looked at Jian Xie in disbelief.

The other party’s fleeting gaze was fixed on it. A layer of crimson glow flickered in his eyes, clearly indicating that the other was not an ordinary person as it had expected.

Its pupils trembled.

“You are…,” it blurted out.

Jian Xie didn’t waste any words. He looked down at it and stated the purpose of his visit. “The Bureau already knows your identity. Who is the person you’re working with?” 

Upon hearing this, Wen Heshu, who had been closely monitoring the situation, breathed a sigh of relief on the other end of the earpiece.

He then sat back in the driver’s seat, his expression finally improving a little, though still somewhat gloomy.

The other side should have already subdued it.

Although the speed was ridiculously fast, it was ultimately a good thing as it prevented the monster from getting any more aggressive.

After a long pause, he couldn’t help but click his tongue. “This probably isn’t the first time it’s done this. To come right out and say something like that…” 

Wen Heshu used to play around a lot.

So when the monster uttered its first words, he had a vague feeling that something was wrong, and the conversation that followed confirmed his suspicions.

It actually wanted an S-class investigator? It sure wasn’t afraid of having its heads twisted off. 

The monster paused for a moment when it heard Jian Xie’s question, seemingly caught off guard, and then threw a question back at him.

“Working with?” It was playing dumb. 

It didn’t answer immediately, and Jian Xie planned to give it another chance, but the evil god within his body, who had been observing coldly for a long time, had other ideas.

Suddenly, a thick, swirling black mist appeared behind the youth, reflected in the eyes of the terrified monster.

It even forgot to stand up, only using its knees to struggle backward.

“Let me ask.”

Every word It spoke carried immense oppression, causing the monster’s human shell to peel away gradually, making it scream in pain and become a bloody mess in a matter of seconds.

“……”

Jian Xie didn’t stop him and merely looked away.

He knew Qin Zhuo’s cruel nature, so he was not surprised by his actions.

He could sense that the monster’s desires had two meanings. One of sexual desires, and that of hunger for flesh and blood.

It was a repeat offender.

……

Once in the car, Jian Xie told Wen Heshu what he had learned.

“It was a player.”

He kicked things off with this bombshell line.

Without any preamble, the key information was stated directly, giving the other party no time to prepare.

“…Player?” Wen Heshu paused for a moment after hanging up the call to notify the [Logistics Department] to clean up the mess, then frowned and asked, “Are you referring to the players from Hell?” 

As mentioned before, these monsters were not creatures that exist in this world.

They find themselves in the depths of a gamified hell, and those who’ve entered it before were not initially referred to as [Investigators], but rather as [Players].

As far as he knew, this game has been integrated into reality for over a decade.

Generally, [Players] who leave the game will proactively take the initiative to register with the Management Bureau in order to protect themselves and ensure their survival.

Using game analogy, they were more like beta testers before the game’s official release. Once they were integrated into reality, all their previous progress were deleted in the official version.

But the monster’s memories were not erased.

Therefore, they could easily find them and settle scores from past grudges in the game.

With this in mind, the Bureau treat its staff very humanely.

Players only need to state what they have experienced in the game and what information they know. There was no requirement to go on missions or work overtime at the Bureau every day, and they could easily earn a salary, just like an [Investigator] who has entered retirement.

Wen Heshu had never considered this possibility.

Not monsters, but players?

So their previous conjecture that the mastermind was the “Eighteen Evils” set in the game was actually just a smokescreen?

“Are you sure?” He raised a reasonable question. “Although players have Insight, they can’t use props because they’ve been kicked out of the game.” 

Without it, they have no chance of protecting themselves from monsters, so why would any A-level monster be willing to cooperate with them?

As far as he knew, those players rarely even showed themselves, for fear of being accidentally spotted by wandering monsters.

Jian Xie replied, “Yes.” 

The gruesome appearance of the monster flashed through his mind.

Qin Zhuo didn’t let him look through the other person’s memories to confirm, probably because he didn’t want him to see any R18-restricted scenes that should be censored…

But after bearing the malice of an evil god, even a monster would not dare to lie.

As for the players, it was actually not impossible.

Jian Xie paused for a moment before saying, “Perhaps he’s just making empty promises.” 

Even if most players and monsters were enemies, it still meant they know each other.

So they know each other and the real-world Management Bureau wouldn’t know what really happened in the game because they could only rely on the players’ accounts.

Any retelling would likely result in distortion, and the possibility of secondary creation exists.

“Although Special A-level monsters have intelligence similar to humans, they are actually not that smart.” Recalling those food in the past, Jian Xie gave an objective assessment, “I’ve dealt with a lot of monsters, and attributing their behavior solely to arrogance doesn’t quite hold up They were actually kind of handing themselves over.” 

Wen Heshu: “…”

Handing?

Are you sure it’s not that you’re just too strong?

“Because of my flesh and blood, or because of dubious rumors, they easily set me as a target.”

Jian Xie paused for a moment, then said, “If a player who once held a certain status in the game were to use provocative speech, they might not be immune to falling into the trap.”

It was possible that the other party deliberately misinterpreted the evil god’s thoughts, telling the monsters that It would help them eliminate the investigators.

That was why It’s descent  was repeatedly planned during the gatherings.

But this didn’t entirely explain it…

After all, although none of them recognized Jian Xie immediately, each of them recognized the [Hell] that he had created first.

He couldn’t help but feel like the focus was actually on the gift Qin Zhuo gave him.

Wen Heshu was somewhat convinced. As he started the car, he said, “I’ll contact Minister Zhang right now and ask her to send me the list of registered players.” 

There was an 80% chance that this player has never register with the Management Bureau.

After all, he was capable of negotiating with monsters on an equal footing, so he probably wouldn’t care about the preferential treatment offered by the Management Bureau, but to be on the safe side, it was still best to have a copy anyway.

They could get the rest of the information once they meet those two monsters.

As he drove the car out of the parking space, Wen Heshu glanced at his side.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jian Xie with his head down and holding the camera, seemingly focused on the photos.

Wen Heshu couldn’t help but smile.

As expected of a high school student, even during a mission, he couldn’t resist his curiosity and took some random photos of the school.

Now he was probably flipping through them one by one.

“What university do you plan to apply to in your senior year of high school?” He casually asked, “Have you found a university you like?” 

Jian Xie didn’t look away, but simply nodded.

“What university is it?”

“It’s one of the top 2, but it’s still uncertain.” Jian Xie said, “I’ll choose one based on the college entrance exam scores.” 

The mediocre student, Wen Heshu “…”

Although his tone was casual, it revealed a confidence unique to top students.

He seemed to have made a fool of himself again.

Let’s leave the academic issues to Cheng Li to worry about.

“Can I have the camera for a bit?” Jian Xie suddenly looked up and asked, “I’ll give it back to you after I copy them.” 

He turned to him, his face still expressionless. He didn’t realize that the look in his eyes when he asked the question made Wen Heshu suddenly understand the monster a little.

If Jian Xie stared intently at someone, it could indeed make that person feel an urge to agree to anything.

“Of course.” Wen Heshu looked away, trying his best not to look at him. “I can give you the camera directly, as a gift for our temporary partnership.” 

“No need, just for a bit. I only need the photos.”

Jian Xie refused outright.

He simply wanted to keep the photos he took of Qin Zhuo, and choose one to use as his phone wallpaper. There was no need for him to owe anyone any further favors.

……

The prestigious university in B City was located in the suburbs. Fortunately, it was close to noon and there weren’t many vehicles on the road, so there wasn’t much of a traffic jam.

It took them more than an hour to finally reach the library in the city center, right when the cafe on the second floor was taking a lunch break and staff were changing shifts.

Wen Heshu stayed in the car as usual.

This time, however, he specifically instructed that if the same situation occurred again, there was no need to say anything more and just take action.

If anything happened, the management bureau could send logistics personnel to handle it.

Students who have only recently come of age should have a pure and innocent inner world.

Jian Xie: “…”

He felt that Wen Heshu was making a mountain out of a molehill.

Not all monsters wee interested in abnormal relationships with humans. This was the first time he has seen one so reckless.

Since he was dressed casually this time, Wen Heshu changed his headset to earrings, which were a bit trendy but shouldn’t attract too much attention.

It was quite fitting for Jian Xie’s age.

“Cheng Li said you have a single ear piercing.”

Jian Xie took the earring and put it on.

He was a little unaccustomed to it. He was studying at a private high school and the management was much stricter than before, so not many students wore jewelry anymore.

After Jian Xie put it on, Wen Heshu unexpectedly showed a conflicted expression.

For the first time, he understood so profoundly why assassins in novels don’t want people who are too good-looking. Even basic earrings could look like something out of a fashion magazine on them.

After a long pause, he finally said. “Alright…” 

He had no choice but to submit.

“……”

As soon as Jian Xie appeared on the second floor of the library, holding a waiter’s uniform, the manager immediately pulled him aside.

“Are you the new guy? You arrived just in time, I was almost overwhelmed.” 

After seeing Jian Xie’s face clearly, she was immediately filled with regret. “Why didn’t anyone say you’re so good-looking? Otherwise, I would definitely have moved you to the cashier’s counter instead of having you make latte art in the back!”  

This was a living advertisement!

Jian Xie frowned. “Latte art?” 

He didn’t know how.

He wondered if he would be exposed.

Wen Heshu’s voice rang in his ears. His explanation was reasonable and well-founded, “We needed to make your resume stand out to increase your chances of getting accepted.” 

He never expected Jian Xie to be assigned to the kitchen, which meant his process of getting close to that author would likely become much more complicated.

The store manager complained, “All a handsome guy had to do was put his photo up front, why write so much? It’s made me assign positions wrong.” 

It was such a waste to have him be in the background.

Wen Heshu: “…”

I’m tired of this appearance-obsessed world.

“……In this case, I’ll add you to the duty roster even if it’s last minute. You’ll be in charge of serving tea to the author who’s here for the book signing today.” There will be a lot of media there. If you put the coffee shop’s name on the front of your uniform, they’ll definitely take pictures of you. That’ll be free publicity.” 

The store manager became more and more satisfied. “Don’t worry, if you’re willing to show your face, I’ll give you three times your salary.” 

Jian Xie doesn’t really want to appear in the media.

But if it was for the sake of the mission, it was not unbearable, since what was at stake here concerned him.

Even if it got him some attention online, it would probably just be a passing fad.

……

After the handover was completed, Jian Xie went to the changing room.

He commented, “It was a bit of a bumpy ride, but the outcome wasn’t too bad.” 

Wen Heshu: “…”