Chapter 52: Ambers of the Long Night (8)
After a round of interrogation, Yan Wuzhen obtained the intel they needed and swiftly gave every remaining member of the Secret Forest Guild a clean end.
So many members of Secret Forest suddenly disappearing would definitely alert the Jade Society — but there was no helping that. Because of the public livestream system, keeping operations secret was nearly impossible. If the Secret Forest guild master had secretly contacted him, he would have also ordered every member to shut down their livestreams. After all, if their betrayal was broadcast to the public, backstabbing the Jade Society would be pointless.
The only question left was how long they could hide the complete collapse of Secret Forest’s main combat force — that would determine how long their intel remained useful.
Yan Wuzhen thought over these details while waiting by the roadside. Sure enough, a hovering car soon stopped in front of him. The window rolled down, revealing Ment and the others. None of them scolded him right away for sneaking off — their expressions were far too complicated for that.
“…How did you even pull it off?” Ment finally asked once Yan Wuzhen sat down in the back seat.
After being intercepted by Secret Forest demons, the team realized something was wrong. Ment had contacted Emmanuel to get Yan Wuzhen’s coordinates, urgently used his rank privilege to access the surveillance footage — and what they saw had left them speechless.
It wasn’t even Yan Wuzhen’s rapid level-up that shocked Ment most, but everything he’d achieved through information manipulation.
For a brief moment, Ment even thought Yan Wuzhen might actually be a native of this world — someone who had lived here for decades, building an immense intelligence network over time. Not someone who’d just arrived a few days ago.
If he truly had been born here, this society’s power structure might already look very different.
“Hmph. Hard to explain,” Yan Wuzhen said with a faint smile. “Drive. Emmanuel’s been waiting long enough — if I don’t get back soon, he might start putting the other two under house arrest.”
Ment and the others exchanged looks but said nothing, silently turning the car around to head back.
When they arrived, Ment and the others intentionally hung back while Yan Wuzhen, lost in thought, walked ahead, already rehearsing how he’d casually reveal his Level 57 rank and mention the intel he’d acquired — then smoothly bring up the traitor Duan Li once everyone’s attention was on him.
As for hiding it? What a joke. Yan Wuzhen wasn’t the kind of person who’d do something great quietly. If he scored 80 points of credit, he’d want to paint it up to look like 100 — just so the people involved would never forget how capable he was.
He wanted Tang Mobai to be so impressed that he’d follow his lead without question — completely, absolutely loyal.
Thunk!
As soon as Yan Wuzhen pushed open the door, a bucket balanced on top of the frame tipped over. White, sticky liquid cascaded down, drenching him from head to toe. His all-black outfit instantly turned snow-white.
“Pfft— you actually fell for it!” Tang Mobai blinked in surprise, then burst out laughing. “Hahahahaha! Finally, payback!”
“Based on his usual way of opening doors, this angle offered the highest chance of success,” Seth calmly explained.
“You’re a genius, Seth!”
“You’re welcome.”
Yan Wuzhen’s expression didn’t even twitch. He pushed his soaked bangs aside, but the sugary smell mixed with sweat and heat made the air around him unbearable — the kind of sticky sweetness that would drive any neat freak mad.
“You two… are dead.”
Spider silk shot out instantly, wrapping around Tang Mobai and Seth. Seth withstood it fine, but Tang Mobai, caught off guard, was yanked forward and fell flat on his face.
Yan Wuzhen grabbed the rest of the sugary mess from the bucket and smeared it directly across Tang Mobai’s face.
Now there were two sticky white figures. Tang Mobai froze for a second, then lunged, and the two of them started wrestling like schoolkids.
Seth tried to separate them — but Yan Wuzhen flicked a silk thread, Tang Mobai leaped again, and the two dragged Seth into the mess. Chaos expanded.
On the second floor, Deville watched the entire spectacle unfold, clicking his tongue in disgust as the jealous personality’s voice echoed in his mind:
“What are they, ten years old combined? Pathetic.”
For some reason, ever since witnessing Yan Wuzhen’s decisions, the usually quiet Jealousy persona had become unusually talkative, spitting venom without restraint:
“I don’t know what tricks that Tang Mobai used to tame them so well. That robot doesn’t count — he’s practically mindless. But even Yan Wuzhen fell for his surface act. Impressive, really. Wonder how long he can keep the mask on before the others see the truth. When that happens, I want to see how long their little ‘team’ lasts.”
Then, a softer voice — the childlike Gluttony persona — asked timidly, “You said we’re all different stages of the same person’s memories, right? Different embodiments of the seven sins. Then you… you must be the older me?”
Jealousy fell silent, then replied coolly, “…Yes.”
He already knew what question would come next.
Gluttony looked down at the three playing below, eyes bright with longing. “Then… will I ever have friends like that, too?”
Will anyone ever understand me? Stay with me? Peel away the rotten shell and look straight into my heart?
“…No,” Jealousy said flatly. “Fate doesn’t favor you just because you grow up. Life is suffering — in childhood, in adulthood, always. It’s the sin we’re born with, and it’ll drag us to our inevitable end.”
Gluttony fell silent, still staring at the laughing trio — until it started to hurt. The three of them formed a small, bright world he had no place in. Even the sugary scent filling the air didn’t stir his hunger anymore — only dragged him back to darker, lonelier memories.
So hungry…
Deville clutched his stomach, turned away, and left the room that suddenly felt suffocating.
Emmanuel passed him in the hallway, glanced down at the gloomy boy, then shook his head before turning toward the chaotic mess below.
“Should we stop them?” Ment asked behind him. “Their… battlefield seems to be expanding.”
Indeed — what started as a prank had turned into a full-on war. Tang Mobai had just wanted to tease Yan Wuzhen after hearing from Emmanuel that he’d gone off on his own. But once the syrup got under Yan Wuzhen’s clothes, things escalated fast — now the entire hall was splattered with white streaks.
None of them were using their powers, but the fight had already reached the “no one stops until someone surrenders” stage.
“No need,” Emmanuel said, hands on his hips, smiling faintly. “They’ve been under tension these past days. A little play won’t hurt. Besides, inside the Super Brain’s cognition, they’re still infants — it’s normal for babies to act out.”
Ment’s mouth twitched. Babies? He’d never seen a “baby” build an information network, outwit an entire guild, and kill a dozen demons in one night.
By the time the three finally turned into literal “snowmen,” Yan Wuzhen’s cleanliness obsession kicked in hard. He surrendered first, grumbling as he wiped syrup off his hair. “What the hell is wrong with you? What is this? Syrup?”
“I can’t stand the nutrition paste here anymore,” Tang Mobai said matter-of-factly. “Meals that can’t even trigger dopamine aren’t real meals. So I tried baking a cake. Uh… this was the failed batch.”
Yan Wuzhen licked his finger, grimaced. “It’s disgustingly sweet.”
“Told you it was a failed batch.” Tang Mobai shrugged. “And you’re calling me crazy? You’re the one who ran off solo! If Emmanuel hadn’t told us, we wouldn’t have known! Hmph, Spider, who knew you cared about us so much. Should’ve said so earlier!”
Seth added seriously, “My creator said honesty resolves eighty percent of interpersonal issues.”
Yan Wuzhen forced a stiff smile. “Don’t get the wrong idea. I was just testing my capabilities. Getting intel was incidental.”
“Hm hm~ hm hm hm~” Tang Mobai made a series of knowing noises, face full of “I totally understand, say no more.”
Yan Wuzhen had originally planned to explain everything — but looking at Tang Mobai’s smug expression, he suddenly felt irritated. “Weren’t you ignoring me? Not talking to me? What, changed your mind now?”
“I stopped being mad a while ago,” Tang Mobai grinned. “I figured, if we really can’t survive, I’d rather drag you two down with me. Otherwise, it’d be too lonely.”
Yan Wuzhen and Seth both froze.
“Besides, it was just a clash of ideals,” Tang Mobai continued. “It’s unrealistic to expect you to bow your head right away.”
Yan Wuzhen huffed softly. “Good. You understand… This time, your approach was the right one.”
Both Tang Mobai and Seth looked at him in surprise. Yan Wuzhen’s face flushed slightly — admitting he was wrong didn’t come easily.
But wrong was wrong.
In truth, he wasn’t that different from the guild demons he’d just killed — deep down, he too once believed the natives of each world were just faceless NPCs.
Yet after using his [Consultant] ability to build an information network, he’d come to see them differently. Through their words and actions, he’d met all kinds of people — kind, impatient, lazy, hardworking — a crowd of individuals once faceless now with features and lives of their own.
That realization had changed him, even if only a little.
Still—
“I don’t think my view was entirely wrong,” Yan Wuzhen said quietly. “Lost Paradise and the native humans are fundamentally opposed. Conflict between us is the norm. This time’s alliance is a fluke — we won’t always get lucky.”
The hall fell silent. Seth shot him a look of disapproval, but Yan Wuzhen continued anyway. He wasn’t the type to compromise easily.
This team might feel comfortable — maybe because dealing with fools took less effort — but blind idealism would only doom them all.
When that day came, no matter how comfortable things were, he’d walk away without hesitation.
“…I know,” Tang Mobai said after a pause, having read the resolve in his eyes. He knew their ideological clash couldn’t be brushed aside.
“I know most of Lost Paradise’s missions go against what I believe in. And I know sometimes, to survive, you have to dirty your hands.”
He met Yan Wuzhen’s gaze seriously. “I’ve accepted that. When the time comes, I’ll do what needs to be done — just like during the revival match, when we destroyed 009’s last hope of resurrecting their comrades. I don’t regret that. Being hated was inevitable.”
“But if there’s a choice — like in this world — I’ll still choose to work with the natives.”
Tang Mobai smiled faintly. “So just stay as you are. Every team needs someone rational to pull the brakes. I hope that person is you.”
Yan Wuzhen gave a small snort. “So you’re the good guy, and I get to be the villain? How sly.”
“Then should we switch roles?”
“No need,” Yan Wuzhen chuckled. “Being the bad guy suits me just fine.”
He was covered in grime, too tired to bother cleaning up again. Tossing the towel aside, he simply collapsed to the ground. “I’m exhausted.”
Tang Mobai followed suit, lying down beside him, then turned and tugged Seth down as well. “Seth, whose side are you on?”
Seth blinked, then, mimicking them, laid flat on the floor. After a brief pause, he murmured, “Either is fine.”
Yan Wuzhen frowned. “Don’t you have a self? You’ve got to pick one side — destroy or save.”
“I’ve never made choices like that,” Seth said quietly. “There’s no need.”
Tang Mobai smiled. “Then start thinking about it now. We’ve got time. Don’t wait until it’s too late and regret it.”
Seth didn’t respond. He just stared at the ceiling, rare uncertainty flickering in his eyes — but he was thinking, seriously.
Upstairs, Emmanuel watched the three of them from the second floor, letting out a low sigh. “Unbelievable. I thought they’d fall apart completely.”
When he’d observed their earlier argument, Emmanuel had already spotted the team’s biggest weakness. Though only three people, Tang Mobai and Yan Wuzhen’s philosophies were like oil and water. Against a powerful enemy, they might unite briefly, but once things calmed down, conflict and division would inevitably follow.
And Seth… Seth was the most unpredictable one. In truth, he was never fully in the team. His “anything is fine” attitude was just the flip side of “nothing really matters.”
He stayed not because he wanted to, but simply because he had no reason to leave.
Yet now, the cracks were gone. One person had become the glue holding the mismatched trio together. “Tang Mobai… he really does have a strange kind of charm,” Emmanuel murmured.
The faint whisper brushed against Ment’s ear. He blinked, turned toward Emmanuel, and caught only the fleeting trace of nostalgia in his gaze — eyes quietly focused on Tang Mobai, who was currently holding a bucket, pretending it was a shield.
Ment’s stomach dropped. Wait… no way, right? Not that kind of interest?!
After enough chaos and bickering, it was finally time to talk business.
Unable to stand the sticky residue anymore, the three changed locations. After another short scuffle over turns, they decided to just squeeze into the same bathroom. Fortunately, the ship’s bath was large — big enough for five men if needed.
“So the Jade Society plans to ambush us in this dungeon?” Tang Mobai asked, rinsing off the syrup with the showerhead.
“Mm. No surprise there. The team’s likely led by Red Duke — the same guy who tried to trap us in Hunger Hell. Besides them, there’ll be elites from the Spirit Music Guild, Thousand Joy Guild, and Clock Guild. Not a large number, but all well-known streamers — top-quality fighters.”
Yan Wuzhen reclined in the bathtub, water sliding over the defined lines of his body. His pale skin glowed faintly under the warm light. Seth comMentd, “So basically all the top players who haven’t ranked up yet. Quite the lineup, just to take us down.”
Tang Mobai kept glancing over at Yan Wuzhen.
“…What?” Yan Wuzhen asked.
“You actually have abs. Doesn’t fit your face at all.”
Yan Wuzhen snorted. “In a place like Lost Paradise, a pretty face alone won’t save you. Sometimes you’ve got to reason with your fists.”
As he said this, he shot a look at both Tang Mobai and Seth, the meaning clear. Tang Mobai nodded, then nudged Seth. “He’s calling you a brute. You just gonna take that?”
Seth calmly detached his arm. “Hot weapons are still more efficient.”
Both Tang Mobai and Yan Wuzhen stared at him.
“…What?” Seth asked.
“Nothing…” Tang Mobai blinked. “It’s just— that was… quite a sight.”
Watching Seth dismantle his body, wash each part, oil them, and reassemble himself… was frankly mesmerizing.
Then Tang Mobai suddenly remembered something. “Wait… don’t tell me every part of your body can be swapped out?”
“Of course,” Seth said matter-of-factly.
“And the… model…?” Tang Mobai began — only for Yan Wuzhen to dump a bucket of water on him.
“What, you want to see it that badly?”
Tang Mobai fell silent. Against all logic, a flicker of curiosity rose. “…Not necessarily alien, right? I mean, what’s even the point of changing that? You don’t even use it.”
“Who says that?” Seth protested. “Don’t humans dye their hair or paint their nails for no reason too?”
“…Don’t tell me—”
Seth stood proudly. “This model is trending back home.”
Both Tang Mobai and Yan Wuzhen glanced downward, then, after a beat of silence, tactfully changed the subject. “Anyway… that just proves we’ve been putting real pressure on them,” Tang Mobai said. “If they still can’t take us down, will they back off?”
“Maybe. Or maybe they’ll just hit harder next time. Who knows.” Yan Wuzhen sighed and splashed his face. He had to be insane — sharing a bath with these two.
Seth asked, “You guys aren’t going to comment?” Yan Wuzhen ignored him. “I’ll send you the profiles of the streamers I know. A few have tricky abilities — be careful if we run into them. I couldn’t get the exact timing of the ambush, but there’s something else…”
He frowned, “One of the Jade Society’s new recruits might have a prophecy-type ability.”
Tang Mobai and Seth froze. “A low-tier Fate with that kind of cheat skill?”
“Not sure — might be a Sloth Fate.” Yan Wuzhen rubbed his temples. “Sloth-types are rare in the lower layers. They’re lazy — most just disappear in early dungeons. But when they do grow, they get strange, hard-to-handle powers.”
“If that intel’s true, it’ll make the ambush unpredictable. They’ll attack at our weakest moment. So we need to level up fast.”
He then explained in detail how to boost their levels and what he’d experienced earlier.
“Our biggest advantage,” Yan Wuzhen concluded, “is the help from the native people of this world. The order here isn’t too chaotic, and the local forces are strong. We should use that.”
Tang Mobai and Seth nodded. The water was turning cold. They finished up quickly, left the bath, and went to bed as if nothing had happened.
Lying down, Tang Mobai closed his eyes.
His brain: Colorful spiked club. Alien…
Tang Mobai and Yan Wuzhen simultaneously: Eyes snap open.jpg
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Deville was rummaging for food. A pile of empty nutrient packs already surrounded him like a small hill. He didn’t even want to eat them, but it was all there was.
Even though the taste brought no satisfaction, he kept stuffing it in mechanically. Jealousy had called out several times, but Gluttony didn’t respond. Finally, Jealousy sighed.
This was the curse of the Sinners — their vices were part of them, unshakable. Even Deville himself couldn’t stop it.
His mind was crumbling into chaos.
Even with his stomach full, the synthetic taste made him nauseous, yet he couldn’t stop. Reaching again for the freezer — empty. Every pack gone.
Still, the hunger gnawed deeper. His heart felt like a bottomless pit.
Then something caught his eye.
On the top shelf — cakes. Messy little frosted cakes, each labeled with a name:
[Tang Mobai] [Yan Wuzhen] [Seth] [Emmanuel]…
Jealousy snorted. “Oh yeah, Tang Mobai made those today. Hah, so relaxed — hasn’t even leveled up, huh? Yan Wuzhen’s already at 57, and he’s still the same. Maybe Emmanuel misjudged him. He might end up a bad investment.”
Deville didn’t hear a word. His eyes were fixed on the cakes. The sugary scent made his stomach twist—
“Deville…”
Jealousy’s voice stopped mid-sentence.
Deville stared blankly at the cake with his own name on it.
The roaring hunger inside him surged to its peak. Without thinking, he grabbed the cake and bit deep.
Sweet. Sickly. Just as he imagined. The heavy cream slid down his tongue, electric pleasure sparking through his brain.
And at last, the beast called Gluttony sighed in contentment, purring like a lazy cat, and drifted off into sleep.
Thank you for reading 🙂 I hope you all liked my translations. If you enjoyed my work, please consider buying me a Ko-Fi 😉
