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After Bystander A Bound to JJ Literature City – CH22

One Person Every Ten Steps, No One Stays For a Thousand Miles

Chapter 22 – One Person Every Ten Steps, No One Stays For a Thousand Miles

“Out of the tiger’s den, into the wolf’s lair,” Yu Zhi muttered, his face grim. “Xiao Ming, pull over.”

Lu Liming obeyed, his voice tense. “Aren’t we running anymore?”

Yu Zhi recalled the car, storing it within his [My Items] inventory. He scanned their surroundings, his eyes narrowed. “There’s a trap ahead. Fu Suxi, that madman, blew up the road. We can’t drive any further.”

The road stretched before them, a path to an unknown and likely dangerous destination. Moonlight illuminated the devastation of the city center. The main road was shattered, buildings on either side reduced to rubble. Twisted steel bars protruded from the debris, and the air was thick with the smell of burnt earth and dust.

Fu Suxi’s destruction had forced them onto a narrow path winding through the ruins, barely wide enough for a single person. It resembled a long, claustrophobic tunnel more than a road, with crumbling walls pressing in on either side. Both Yu Zhi and Lu Liming were lean; anyone with a larger build wouldn’t be able to squeeze through.

As they navigated the treacherous path, Yu Zhi asked, “Did you open that random blind box you got for completing the scenario?”

“No,” Lu Liming admitted. He hadn’t opened it because Yu Zhi hadn’t told him to.

“Open it now,” Yu Zhi instructed.

He hadn’t mentioned it earlier while Lu Liming was driving, wanting to avoid distracting him. Yu Zhi had planned to examine the box’s contents when they reached safety, but now, reaching safety was far from certain.

Lu Liming wasted no time. Before Yu Zhi could even open his own blind box, Lu Liming exclaimed from behind, “Holy shit! A pistol! And it has unlimited ammo!”

Yu Zhi glanced back, spotting the gun in Lu Liming’s hand. “Is it a Type 77?”

“Yes, Brother Yu!” Lu Liming confirmed, impressed by Yu Zhi’s knowledge.

“It’s identical to the one we took from that bald guy,” Yu Zhi observed.

He checked his system panel. Next to his universal coin balance, a new notification had appeared: [Random Blind Box X1]. With a thought, he opened the box. A translucent panel materialized, displaying a bright red gift box with an elaborate design.

System: [Do you want to open the blind box?]

Yu Zhi: [Yes.]

The lid of the gift box sprang open, revealing a single card.

[Ability: Ordinary Kick (Ability Type)]
[Function: Each kick costs 10 universal coins.]
[Description: An ordinary kick from an ordinary passerby. It looks very ordinary, but it’s not special at all. If I kick you, you’ll just be kicked.]

Yu Zhi stared at the description in disbelief. An “Ordinary Kick”? And it costs 10 coins per use? Was this some kind of joke?

“Does your prop cost money to use?” he asked Lu Liming, hoping for a different answer.

Lu Liming checked his panel. “No. What awesome prop did you get that you have to pay for?”

Yu Zhi, his eyes twitching at the word “awesome,” deadpanned, “Ordinary Kick.”

Lu Liming was momentarily speechless. Then, with a click of his tongue, he managed, “Well, that’s…special.”

“It is very special,” Yu Zhi agreed, “Especially useless.”

Lu Liming could only offer an awkward silence.

Neither of the blind boxes had provided anything useful against Fu Suxi or for their escape. They had no choice but to continue on foot.

“Let’s go,” Yu Zhi said, pushing onward.

The area seemed deserted, devoid of any signs of life. The silence was profound, broken only by the skittering of cockroaches beneath the rubble and the distant roar of Fu Suxi’s motorcycle, a constant reminder of the danger pursuing them.

Yu Zhi dashed down a narrow path, the oppressive sound behind him growing louder and closer. The heavy, rhythmic pounding carried an undeniable weight, forcing his nerves to tighten involuntarily.

His eyelids twitched. Had Fu Suxi already caught up? Did he know where they were?

The answer came in the form of action.

“Boom—”

An explosion ripped through the night, sending shockwaves through the air.

In front and to the right, rubble rained down, blocking their escape.

Yu Zhi’s expression changed. “Left! Go left!”

“Boom—Boom—”

Flames shot skyward, the deafening sound of explosions echoing around them.

Fu Suxi stood atop a pile of ruins, calmly observing the two figures scrambling below.

When they deviated from the obvious path, his fingers curled slightly, and another explosion erupted nearby, forcing them to alter their direction again.

It wasn’t long before the shorter figure, Lu Liming, started slowing down, his breath ragged as if he couldn’t run any further.

Fu Suxi lit a cigarette and leaned against a broken wall, waiting patiently. He gave them a minute.

Exactly a minute later, “Boom!” Another explosion startled Lu Liming into running again, resuming his earlier speed.

Ten minutes passed, and when the pace began to lag again, Fu Suxi gave them another brief moment of respite.

“Boom—” This time, Lu Liming ran even faster than before.

After a few cycles of this cat-and-mouse game, Fu Suxi narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

Although Lu Liming’s stamina seemed worse than that of the average healing ability user, after just a minute of rest, he was able to regain his explosive speed—and even exceed it.

Resilient.

“Boom—Boom—”

The explosions drew steadily closer, their oppressive noise reverberating through the air.

Yu Zhi’s chest burned with each breath, frustration and anger mounting with every step. Fu Suxi wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that he was toying with them, orchestrating the chaos with precision.

He alternated between driving them to run with well-timed explosions and granting brief moments of reprieve, as if enjoying a private joke at their expense.

Yu Zhi’s teeth clenched as he glanced over his shoulder.

Fu Suxi was only thirty meters behind, his silhouette tall and imposing against the ruined backdrop. His pace was leisurely, his movements unhurried, but the explosions synced to his footsteps created a chillingly relentless rhythm.

The next instant, a crumbling wall to Yu Zhi’s right erupted into flames.

“Boom—”

The explosion was jarringly close, disorienting him with its intensity.

When his senses cleared, Yu Zhi’s cheek stung sharply. His fingertips came away wet and warm—his face had been grazed by flying debris, leaving a small but bleeding cut.

He glanced at the shattered remnants of the wall. The damage was minimal compared to the earlier blasts.

It was a warning.

A grim reminder not to lose focus and to keep running.

“F*ck you, Fu Suxi!” Yu Zhi growled under his breath, his fists clenching tightly.

The humiliation of being toyed with was nearly unbearable.

Then, from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a giant cockroach scuttling past.

He inhaled deeply, an idea forming. With a flick, he turned off his title ability and grabbed Lu Liming’s arm.

“Hold on a second,” he muttered.

Lu Liming halted, his confusion evident. “Wait for what?”

Yu Zhi didn’t answer immediately. He turned, his gaze locking onto Fu Suxi, who had stopped not far behind.

With a mocking smile, he sneered, “Wait for the mad dog.”

As they ceased moving, so did Fu Suxi’s orchestrated detonations.

In the tense silence that followed, only the crackling of flames could be heard—at first.

Then, a new sound emerged.

“Hissss—Hissss—”

It was a sinister, skittering noise, like countless tiny blades scraping against the broken bricks and rubble.

The sound grew louder, pressing in from every direction.

From the shadows of the ruins, swarms of enormous cockroaches began emerging. Their black, shiny carapaces blended with the darkness, but their presence was unmistakable as they moved with chilling speed, honing in on their prey.

Yu Zhi stood frozen, his gaze locked on Fu Suxi. He didn’t dare blink. Cockroaches swarmed around Fu Suxi, but they seemed to avoid him, their antennae twitching as they changed direction and crawled relentlessly towards Yu Zhi.

Just as the nearest cockroach was about to reach his face, Yu Zhi activated his title.

[Title “Cockroach Warrior” activated.]

The leading cockroach, a monstrous black creature, screeched to a halt. Its antennae and legs twitched frantically, as if sensing a sudden, inexplicable danger. The creature, driven by an insatiable hunger, could only drool in frustration before scuttling towards another potential meal – Fu Suxi.

And it wasn’t alone. The air filled with the chittering of countless legs as the entire swarm of cockroach pollutants surged towards Fu Suxi. They formed a black tide, crashing over him wave after wave.

Fu Suxi paused, his eyes flicking over the roiling mass of insects before settling on Yu Zhi. A smirk played on his lips.

Yu Zhi met his gaze and, mimicking Fu Suxi’s earlier gesture, waved with a smile. Go play with your friends, Mad Dog!

He grabbed Lu Liming’s arm and sprinted away. The cockroaches wouldn’t hold Fu Suxi for long. They had to put as much distance between themselves and the madman as possible.

Yu Zhi weaved through the maze of narrow paths, pushing himself to his limit. He deliberately led them towards areas with the highest concentration of cockroaches, hoping to further impede Fu Suxi’s progress.

They ran for over half an hour without any sign of pursuit. The explosions had ceased. Just as Yu Zhi started to breathe a sigh of relief, a comment flashed across his vision.

[User “Rebirth in a Different Universe” is curious if you plan to give up the mission.]

Give up the mission? What mission?

Yu Zhi’s blood ran cold. He frantically opened the main mission panel, the one he had completely forgotten about in the chaos.

[Main Mission Two: Protect the Earth, starting with me.]
[Mission objective: Within the time limit of twenty-four hours, do your best to launch a personal Earth protection operation. Please be sure to actively complete the mission.]
[Countdown: 01:09:08]

One life-threatening crisis after another had driven main mission two completely from his mind.

His head throbbed. Now, not only did he have to escape Fu Suxi, but he also had to figure out how to complete the mission with the clock ticking away.

Do your best… ability…

Was there really no other way?

Time slipped through his fingers.

[Countdown: 00:50:20]
[Countdown: 00:35:01]
[Countdown: 00:21:09]

Desperation clawed at him. Yu Zhi scrubbed his face with his hands, his expression grim. “System,” he said, his voice flat, “use all my coins to enhance my physique.”

“Should I do the same?” Lu Liming asked, his voice laced with concern.

“No,” Yu Zhi replied, “This is for main mission two.”

Lu Liming sounded surprised. He’d assumed Yu Zhi had already completed it. “Brother Yu, you didn’t even do your best to deal with the source of pollution? Awesome! As expected of you! Eh, you mean this main mission two can be completed by spending universal coins…?”

Yu Zhi was too exhausted to respond.

The key to main mission two was to do his best. And that didn’t just mean using his ability, but also enhancing and upgrading it. He’d realized this earlier, but the thought of sacrificing all his hard-earned coins had been too painful to accept. Now, he had no choice.

This is a great moment of realization for Yu Zhi! Here’s the proofread version with a few tweaks to enhance the flow and impact:

He had no way to directly use his “Cockroach Warrior” ability to fight, which meant his only option was to enhance and upgrade it. In other words, he had to spend all his hard-earned money.

He’d hoped to explore other methods, but the relentless onslaught of life-threatening situations had left him no time to think.

System: [All universal coins have been used to enhance physique.]

Yu Zhi watched helplessly as his coin balance dwindled from four digits to a big fat zero.

[Balance: 0 universal coins.]

System: [You have completed main mission two. Reward: 100 universal coins.]

[Balance: 100 universal coins.]

“Haha,” Yu Zhi scoffed. A measly hundred coins for all that?

He muttered curses under his breath as he assessed his supposedly enhanced physique. His legs still ached, his throat burned, and he was still gasping for air.

He knew it! More than a thousand universal coins had changed absolutely nothing!

Just as Yu Zhi was about to unleash his fury on the system, a notification from JJ Literature City popped up.

[My Abilities: 2/2]

His breath hitched. He clicked on the notification, and his frustration instantly turned to confusion.

[Ability Two: Mouth, mouth.]

[Detailed description: Within ten steps, I can silence anyone, leaving no trace for a thousand miles. After the deed is done, I shake off my clothes and leave, hiding my identity and name. — The Smiling, Proud Wanderer (JJ Literature City version)]

“Ten steps what?” Yu Zhi stared at the description, completely baffled.

—-

Translator Note:

Hello Panda Readers!

I have a quick announcement to share:

Due to ongoing edits by the author and delays in updates, I’ve decided to place this novel on hiatus for now. I plan to resume working on it once it becomes more readable and easier to translate.

I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and hope for your kind understanding.

Thank you for your support~

 

After Bystander A Bound to JJ Literature City

After Bystander A Bound to JJ Literature City

Score 8.9
Status: Ongoing Type: Author: Artist: Released: 2024 Native Language: Chinese
One moment, Yu Zhi was half-heartedly listening to his friend rant about the protagonist of a certain novel—a bloodthirsty lunatic psychopath. The next moment, the novel’s plot became reality. The apocalypse arrived, bringing global pollution and mutations. Some were polluted, growing mouths on the tops of their heads; others awakened, gaining superpowers. Yu Zhi: What the heck?! Bad news: He had never paid serious attention to his friend’s rants about the plot. Good news: He awakened a superpower—a bizarre one called "JJ Literature City." [Ability One: You Are Just a Random Bystander.] [Note: You used to be an ordinary, insignificant extra in the novel. But from now on, you will...] Yu Zhi took a deep breath, eagerly turned to the next page, and then froze as his smile vanished: [...be without pee, poop, or fart.] ??? This counts as a superpower? * Soon, Yu Zhi had the misfortune of running into the protagonist, Fu Suxi, who was drenched in blood and looked like a vengeful ghost straight out of hell. The good news: Yu Zhi had just acquired a second superpower. The bad news: His new power seemed equally unreliable. [Ability Two: Mouth, mouth.] [Effect: Ten steps, one smooch. A thousand miles, no survivors.] The moment Fu Suxi approached Yu Zhi, the killing intent in his heart inexplicably dissipated entirely. He pressed his blade against Yu Zhi’s throat and asked with interest, “What did you do to me?” Yu Zhi: “...” If I said I “mouth” you, would you believe me? Notes:
  1. Post-apocalyptic wasteland
  2. 1v1 pairing, both protagonist and love interest are strong characters.
  3. Includes small side plots that connect to the main storyline.
  4. Contains gore, violence, and mentally distressing scenes that may be triggering or uncomfortable for some readers. Please proceed with caution and prioritize your well-being while reading.
DISCLAIMER This will be the general disclaimer for the entire lifespan of this novel. Panda Translations does not own any IPs (intellectual properties) depicted in this novel. Panda Translations supports the authors efforts by translating the novel for more readers. The novel is the sole property of the original author. Please support the author on the link below Original translation novel: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5504144  

Comment

  1. Drowsy says:

    <3

  2. mmem says:

    Thanks for the heads up and not just dropping it!

  3. Coconutnut says:

    Ah okay that’s unfortunate but thanks for translating ?

  4. Akkachu says:

    Hmmm even though it’s an ordinary kick I feel like it’s still a guarantee that the target will 100% get kicked so it’s not that useless.

    Looking forward to the continuation of this story later on. Thank you for your hard work!

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