After Bystander A Bound to JJ Literature City – CH23

Chapter 23

“Mouth” what? What mouth?

Yu Zhi reread the description again, word by word. It wasn’t a typo. It really was just the character “mouth” repeated twice.

“Mouth, mouth.”

He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, trying to quell the rising frustration. He consoled himself that at least he had another ability, and at least this one didn’t cost money to use. Compared to “Ordinary Kick”… he really wanted to give JJ Literature City a swift kick!

“Brother Yu?” Lu Liming, noticing that Yu Zhi had fallen behind, slowed his pace. “What’s wrong? Did you awaken a new ability?”

Yu Zhi nodded, then shook his head, uncertainty clouding his features. “Maybe it counts as an ability.”

Lu Liming seized on the keyword. “Maybe?”

“Yeah.” Yu Zhi thought of his “shit, piss, and fart” ability. It technically counted as an ability, but it was more of a bizarre quirk than something with any real use. “Mouth, mouth” seemed to fall into the same category. Neither could be mentioned in polite company.

He didn’t explain further, instead picking up his pace. “Let’s go.”

Lu Liming followed closely. He was used to Yu Zhi’s cryptic pronouncements and knew better than to press for details. He couldn’t help but wonder, though. If Yu Zhi wasn’t even sure it was a real ability… how powerful must it be? It had to be some kind of secret weapon!

The night deepened, and the pale moonlight cast their elongated shadows on the rubble-strewn path. Yu Zhi, agile as ever, scaled a small mound of debris, effortlessly navigating the obstacles in their way.

He wracked his brain, trying to decipher the purpose of “Mouth, mouth.” The vague description was even worse than useless. He shouldn’t have written off “Ordinary Kick” so quickly.

“System,” he asked mentally, “how do I use this ability?”

The system’s response was immediate. [For a better experience, please explore on your own.]

“Telling me directly would be a better experience,” Yu Zhi retorted.

[Please explore on your own! Actively complete the mission!]

The familiar automated response made Yu Zhi narrow his eyes. “Do you even know how to use it?” he asked suspiciously.

This time, the system remained silent.

Yu Zhi cursed under his breath. The system was clueless. He was on his own.

Ten steps to kill one person, ten steps to “mouth” one person… Kill, “mouth”…

Did the ability have something to do with killing?

He vaulted over a fallen beam and spotted a large cockroach with twitching antennae lurking in a crack in the wall.

Use the “mouth mouth” ability on it, he commanded mentally.

Nothing happened. The cockroach continued its frantic exploration of the crevice.

Yu Zhi tried again. Use the “mouth mouth” ability on the wall in front.

Still nothing.

Yu Zhi pursed his lips. So “Mouth, mouth” wasn’t a targeted ability? And not an offensive one either? Or could it only be used on people? He had no clue, and his frustration grew.

He glanced at Lu Liming’s swaying braid, then quickly looked away. He couldn’t experiment on Xiao Ming. What if it did something awful? He still owed him a house!

The path ahead was blocked by a two-meter-high wall. Yu Zhi crouched down, placing a hand on a rock, ready to vault over it.

Suddenly, a sickening thud and the stench of cockroach innards filled the air. Yu Zhi whirled around.

Fu Suxi stood behind them, a gleaming blade protruding from a bisected cockroach. With a casual twist of his wrist, he flicked the remains aside, splattering foul-smelling blood.

He’s here already?

Yu Zhi’s eyelids twitched. He immediately deactivated his title, leaped down from the wall, and sprinted forward, the wind whipping past his ears.

“That madman’s chasing us,” Lu Liming chattered as they ran, “but he’s completely silent, like a ghost. I thought there would be more explosions. Why’s he using a knife now? Did he run out of explosives? Brother Yu, should we fight back? Should I shoot him? I have unlimited bullets…”

Yu Zhi, lost in thought, recalled A’Zheng’s words: Fu Suxi likes to use a knife when he’s in a bad mood.

Well, who could blame him? Facing an endless horde of cockroaches was enough to put anyone in a foul mood.

They reached an intersection. Yu Zhi’s sharp eyes noted that the left path was teeming with cockroaches, even a pulsating pile of ootheca. He veered left, hoping to further disgust Fu Suxi.

He’d barely taken two steps when a gust of cold air swept over him. A chill ran down his spine, and his body reacted instinctively. He grabbed Lu Liming and rolled out of the way just as a blinding flash of steel sliced through the air.

Crack—

The ground shook, and a deep fissure appeared in the asphalt, splitting the path in two. Fu Suxi had cut off their escape route.

Yu Zhi scrambled to his feet and ran in the opposite direction. To his surprise, the right path led them out of the ruins and onto an intact city street lined with residential buildings.

Street lights flickered, casting an eerie glow on the deserted road. Shop doors were tightly shuttered, and several cars sat abandoned in the middle of the street.

Yu Zhi sprinted past a corner, intending to summon his car. But as he raised his hand, he froze, his gaze fixed on a monstrous obstacle looming ahead.

He slowly raised his head, his heart plummeting. A gigantic wall, as tall as a six-story building, stretched across the road. It was a haphazard construction of stones, steel bars, mangled vehicles, and even uprooted trees, clearly thrown together without any care. He couldn’t see the end of it, and a wave of despair washed over him. They were trapped.

As he stopped running, the comments in the live broadcast room intensified:

[User “Rebirth in a Different Universe” praises your weakness and incompetence.]
[User “I Love Earth” thinks this chase game is very interesting.]
[User “Pure Love Warrior” praises your scurrying around like a rat.]
[User “Coffee Cookie” reminds you that the cat-and-mouse game is coming to an end.]
[User “Lord of Fire God” reminds you that you have reached the finish line.]

Yu Zhi glanced at the comments, his eyes drawn to something glinting in the open space beside him. He took a closer look. A few gilded characters, salvaged from the hospital, were arranged on the ground, reflecting the moonlight.

H University Affiliated First Hospital.

The sight sent a chill down his spine. Fu Suxi had seen them last night, knew they had escaped from the hospital. This was a message, a cruel reminder that they had reached the end of the line. This maze had no exit.

“You bastard,” Yu Zhi snarled, kicking a nearby letter. The metal character clattered across the ground.

Lu Liming finally seemed to grasp the gravity of their situation. He stared at the impossibly high wall, then at Yu Zhi. Strands of black hair clung to Yu Zhi’s sweat-streaked face, obscuring his eyes, but the corners of his mouth were tilted upwards in a faint smile.

Brother Yu was smiling?

Lu Liming’s racing heart gradually calmed. He understood. Their frantic flight must have been part of Brother Yu’s plan all along. Brother Yu always had a plan.

He leaned closer, his voice hesitant. “Brother Yu, did Fu Suxi make this wall?”

“Yeah,” Yu Zhi confirmed.

“It seems we can’t get out,” Lu Liming observed.

“Yeah.”

Lu Liming fell into deep thought. Trapped, with Fu Suxi closing in… “Do we have to kill him?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Yeah… Huh?” Yu Zhi turned, meeting Lu Liming’s gaze. The landlord’s son was seriously contemplating killing Fu Suxi.

A wave of realization washed over Yu Zhi. No wonder Lu Liming hadn’t shown any fear while they were running. He hadn’t even realized they were running for their lives. Had he misunderstood the situation again?

Before Yu Zhi could speak, Lu Liming pulled out the pistol, his face full of confidence. “I have a gun with unlimited bullets.”

“He has explosives that can level buildings,” Yu Zhi countered dryly.

Lu Liming considered this. “Why don’t I use all my money to enhance my physique too? Maybe I can awaken a new ability.”

“If you awaken an ability now,” Yu Zhi warned, “it will only benefit Fu Suxi—”

The sentence was cut short by the sound of slow, deliberate footsteps echoing from the end of the street. They both turned to see a tall, imposing figure emerge from the shadows.

Fu Suxi.

He held a long knife, its blade gleaming in the moonlight. With each step, the blade scraped against the ground, sending shivers down their spines.

Yu Zhi’s heart pounded, but his mind was strangely calm. The killing intent radiating from Fu Suxi was palpable, yet it felt absurd, unreal. The protagonist of an apocalyptic novel had come to kill him. A passerby.

But it didn’t matter. This wasn’t a dead end. He still had one of those left.

Fu Suxi advanced, each step increasing Lu Liming’s anxiety. He swallowed hard, his grip tightening on the pistol. Just as he raised his arm to fire, the world spun. He was flung through the air, crashing against the wall with a sickening thud.

Yu Zhi, seeing that Lu Liming was still breathing, let out a shaky breath and looked up at Fu Suxi.

The corner of Fu Suxi’s lips twitched into a smile, but his eyes, now bloodshot, held no warmth. An aura of madness and violence emanated from him, like a demon unleashed from the depths of hell.

When Fu Suxi was about six meters away, a notification appeared before Yu Zhi’s eyes:

[Ability Two activated.]

In the next instant, Fu Suxi’s eyes cleared, returning to their normal black color. The suffocating killing intent that had enveloped Yu Zhi vanished.

It was still the same face, the same man, but the aura had shifted dramatically. It was as if Fu Suxi had suddenly awakened from a trance, his rage replaced by an unsettling calm.

Yu Zhi’s mind raced.

Ten steps to kill one person, ten steps to “mouth” one person. Kill, “mouth”…

He understood. Ability two neutralized killing intent! There was hope!

Fu Suxi was the first to register the change within himself. His desire to kill Yu Zhi had evaporated without a trace. It wasn’t a gradual fading, but an abrupt cessation, as if someone had flipped a switch. He no longer wanted to harm the person standing before him.

The sensation was completely foreign, unlike anything he had ever experienced.

He stopped, holding the knife to Yu Zhi’s throat, his voice laced with curiosity. “What did you do to me?”

Yu Zhi, now certain of his ability’s function, met Fu Suxi’s gaze with newfound confidence.

Ten steps was the range. “Mouth” meant to eliminate killing intent. Within ten steps, Fu Suxi couldn’t kill him.

The blade at his throat no longer held any terror. He slapped it away dismissively. If I told you I “mouthed” you, would you believe me?

“I saved you,” Yu Zhi declared. “Is this how you thank your lifesaver?”

Translator’s Note:

Hey Panda Readers!

After Bystander A Bound to JJ Literature City is back from a long hitcus~~

However due to my hectic work schedule these days, I decided only to release chapters every Monday >.<

Additionally, extra chapters on KOFI will start after I finish releasing till chapter 50th~

Best regards and happy reading~~