Matryoshka Off-Limits Chapter 77

Chapter 77.1 Crimson Sunset Expedition

Unlike the lively parties in real life, the players who gathered today weren’t very outgoing.

They all had things to do later. After they finished eating the cake and had a short chat, they quickly left. Ji Yuanzhi went ahead and told the front desk to send someone to clean up the room. Surprisingly, the last person to leave was the guild leader himself. Wen Shi stopped him for a moment.

“I had another birthday party to attend in a couple of days. If you tried to contact me and I didn’t reply quickly, it was because I was at the party.”

Guild leader: “……”

So, in the end, where was this loneliness and sorrow?

Ji Yuanzhi needed to get a new pair of glasses. The guild was willing to reimburse him.

The Orphan in the Beautiful World smiled and waved, seeing the masked man off from the room, and then gently shut the door with a backward hand motion.

Over the next few days, Wen Shi hardly left his room, spending his time lying on the plush hotel bed like a salted fish. He had been tense for a long time, so unwinding felt refreshing. When the cooldown period from the last tea party finally ended, Wen Shi began inviting all the family members.

The first one to accept was the Earl.

“Hah—” Wen Shi admired his courage.

It didn’t take long before invitations from all the members were approved.

It was already past noon. With everyone having some free time and no need for further delays, Wen Shi didn’t immediately click ‘Agree’ when the system notification indicated it was time to start. After a few days of lethargy, he tidied up a bit, changed into clean clothes, and then set off formally.

…

Sanatorium, data room.

The old bulbs were replaced with small colored lights. A clean, cream-colored tablecloth covered the round table, adorned with a crystal vase holding a fresh and vibrant bouquet of baby’s breath.

Following the last unsuccessful gathering, when the teenager, who didn’t get along with Jian Qingrong, saw the specially arranged environment, his first reaction was that the scheming guy set up an enchantment array.

Before long, Jian Qingrong appeared from the darkness, pushing a cart with three eye-catching layers of cake.

The hostility in the teenager’s eyes subsided a bit. Seeming to remember something, he was about to speak to confirm, when A’Sang suddenly came over with a bowl in his arms, accusingly saying, “It’s him, the villain who almost killed Dad!”

Of course, his accusation wasn’t aimed at Jian Qingrong. A’Sang’s finger pointed to a corner where a colorful light cast onto a man’s naturally pale face. The different hues of light added a somewhat magical touch to his usually gloomy face. The gemstone atop the castle master’s left-hand scepter shone with a brilliant glow. Despite the child’s raging anger, he couldn’t help but admit that this impactful man looked expensive.

Epensive attitude, expensive gear, and expensive appearance.

His mind was limited when it came to adjectives. “Expensive” and “smells good” had taken up most of the space.

Coincidentally, Xie Tangyan had just teleported. Her figure hadn’t completely materialized yet when she heard A’Sang’s report.

Drawing her longsword from its sheath, it transformed into a streak of rainbow light that headed straight for the Earl. The clash between the staff and the sword’s edge was met with resistance by the Earl’s powerful strength, deflecting the blow effortlessly.

Seeing this, the teenager let out a cold laugh. An extremely lethal demonic tail emerged, striking the ground with a crisp and pleasing sound. Ripples of sound spread in concentric circles, prompting people to involuntarily look over. The narrow eyes swept in this direction, meeting the provocative gaze that could ignite infinite desire. A touch of mockery flickered in the Earl’s crimson eyes. “Decaying soul.”

The castle master was a connoisseur of souls. The only thing that could fascinate him was the essence of a soul.

The teenager narrowed his eyes with intrigue. In his calculated attempt at confusion, besides Jian Qingrong, he had added another person to the list.

The next second, the slender figure vanished from its original spot. Faster even than A’Sang, it moved with a faint luminosity. With swift precision, his nails aimed for the castle master’s neck.

The man took two steps back, avoiding a fatal blow, but a long, deep gash appeared on his arm. Blood oozed out like boiling oil in hell’s cauldron. Outnumbered and outmatched, especially against the teenager’s superior strength, the odds were against him.

Bound by the peculiar constraints of the homestead, although the Earl accounted for merely one-thousandth of the family, erasing him still violated the taboo. All his power was compressed within a confined space, a rather stifling experience.

The teenager paid no heed to this. He would inflict as much damage as possible, and go as far as he could.

The clash of sword light, demon’s tail swipe, and staff… The confrontation of these three forces created a chaotic play of lights and shadows.

Just as Wen Shi finished tidying up and appeared, he caught sight of this scene.

The game had teleported him to a relatively safe entrance. At first glance of the melee, it was a bewildering sight.

“Dad.” A’Sang held onto Wen Shi’s arm, guiding him to sit down. He stood on a chair, placing a small birthday crown on Wen Shi’s head.

Across the way, Jian Qingrong was lighting birthday candles. The same face that had shed the hypocritical porcelain mask from their Big Factory days revealed its true charisma when he was focused on his task.

Wen Shi’s gaze often involuntarily drifted to the other side. “Over there…”

However, only he seemed concerned about the battle. The adult and child duo on the other side had begun clapping and creating a rhythm.

“Happy birthday to you…”

Several meters away, Xie Tangyan coldly inquired, “Which one of your hands injured him?”

“Do everything according to your heart’s desire. Chopping off a hand isn’t enough. It’s better to dig out the heart,” the teenager said with a smug smile.

The unsettling conversation was right within earshot, and though Wen Shi wanted to continue observing, a warm song began playing on loop before him. “Happy birthday to you…”

Jian Qingrong and A’Sang sang the birthday song in a composed manner, without any interruption throughout.

To show respect, Wen Shi refrained from turning his head, forcing a smile as he sang along with them.

“Don’t mind them.” When the birthday song concluded, Jian Qingrong smiled and said, “Make a wish first.”

Closing his eyes, Wen Shi crossed his hands and slightly lowered his head. “I wish for…”

“To marry or not?” The castle master’s slightly crazed voice drifted over, “Isn’t that the question you asked me in person? I’ve come to seek an answer.”

In response, a three-foot-long sword appeared.

The sounds of battle intensified again, the clashing of metal incessant.

“I wish for—” Some splattering blood flew over, landing on Wen Shi’s face. His mouth twitched involuntarily.

Jian Qingrong used a tissue to wipe away the bloodstain for him.

Wen Shi took a deep breath, striving to say it all at once. “I wish for a harmonious family relationship. When the family is united, everything will prosper.”

Before the sound of “prosper” could escape, a black shadow flashed before him. With a loud bang, the castle master was flung to the other side by the demon’s tail, crashing heavily against the wall.

Xie Tangyan and the teenager pursued and engaged in fierce combat.

Wen Shi bent down to blow out the candles, once, twice, and even after the third attempt, they remained lit.

A’Sang and Jian Qingrong joined in to help blow, but instead, the fire burned even brighter.

Wen Shi: “……”

It was his wishful thinking.

The tip of the sword finally reached the vulnerable throat. However, after moving forward a bit, it was restricted by the rules of the homestead, preventing further advancement.

The castle master had several wounds on him. Even with blood dripping from the corner of his eye, his desire seemed to intensify as he stared at the sword’s tip.

Xie Tangyan pointed his sword at him but looked towards Wen Shi, providing an example on the spot. “Watch closely, Little Brother. Someone who gets turned on even when their chin is lifted by a sword is no different from a beast. If you encounter them again, just stab them to death.”

Wen Shi hesitated for a moment. “Not necessarily.”

Unexpectedly, he spoke up on his behalf. The castle master lifted his head to look over.

“When I used a sword to dominate others, there were onlookers who got excited on the spot.”

Amidst the sea of blood, someone’s favorability increased rapidly.

Jian Qingrong, among the mentioned onlookers, remained quite composed in his seat. When Wen Shi threatened the original dorm supervisor with a sword, the blade went from the throat to the waist and abdomen. It was truly very sexy at that moment when sweat beads also fell from Wen Shi’s forehead.

Recalling that scene, Jian Qingrong’s Adam’s apple tightened, and his slender fingers suspiciously clenched.

Seeing this, Xie Tangyan suddenly fell silent.

Wen Shi pondered and asked the teenager, “Is this really twisted?”

He used to think it was, at worst, just a minor psychological issue.

The teenager answered earnestly, “I don’t know. Usually, I just use the tip of my toes to lift someone’s chin, not a sword.”

A’Sang seemed to grasp the concept to some extent and tried hard to join the conversation. “I just make people lower their heads.” He held a bowl in his left hand and demonstrated the action. “I’d smash their crown directly.”

“……” Xie Tangyan’s expression turned frosty.

This family had something extraordinary about it.

The teenager hopped back onto the high chair, fitting into it comfortably. The demon’s tail dangled below, swaying slightly. He seemed to lightly complain, “Can’t kill, quite annoying.”

Damn homestead rules. The scheming guy couldn’t be killed, and the lunatic couldn’t be killed either.

Wen Shi nibbled on the tip of the cake. “Once I put in more effort, I’ll be able to develop the new function【Come to My Place】.”

He had coveted this feature for a long time. The accursed capital required a whopping ten thousand points to unlock it.

A’Sang was excited. “Is it for inviting food to visit?”

Wen Shi nodded.

A’Sang: “Dad, keep up the good work!”

Wen Shi handed him the cherry from the mini cake, thinking about how to make a profit. With the bond through the huggable teddy bear, he shouldn’t fleece his sponsor any further. It was time to turn the scythe towards new potential sources.

Throughout the tea party, amidst the mingling of blood and the scent of affection, A’Sang suddenly joined the fray in the latter half, temporarily switching the teenager back and accompanying Wen Shi to eat cake. Everyone rotated in sequence, ensuring a two-against-one setup. Without wasting any time, they managed to celebrate Wen Shi’s birthday.

Blood surged wildly. Initially, Wen Shi tried to fend off some of it, but he grew numb as time passed. He was even close to consuming cream cake with blood.

Most surprisingly, Jian Qingrong’s ability astonished Wen Shi. He remained at a distance, calmly slicing his palm. The bloody molecules swiftly diffused in the air. Caught by the Earl’s nostrils, he used this slight contamination to slightly slow down the opponent’s attack.

When Jian Qingrong, as a relatively intact entity, was present, his power far exceeded that of Big Eye.

As the system announced the afternoon tea’s conclusion, the mixed doubles match came to an end.

The Earl’s blood was indeed thick. Despite being covered in wounds, he still had strength for one final showdown.

Just as Wen Shi was about to launch a verbal attack, venting his frustration from the day he had been pierced through the heart by the staff, Jian Qingrong suddenly walked up to him. He bent down and hung something cold around Wen Shi’s neck.

Goosebumps formed on Wen Shi’s skin. His first thought was of the eyeball, but he quickly realized that even his eyeball couldn’t be taken out to the virtual world. When he looked down, he discovered it was a pendant.

Crimson red, slightly murky at the edges, like an amber pendant.

Jian Qingrong: “There’s a drop of my blood inside. I’ll try to find you through it.”

“With just a drop of blood?”

Jian Qingrong smiled and said, “The heart is the most contaminated place. This is a drop of my heart’s blood, something the eye can perceive.”

His left eye was still bandaged, and the scarecrow’s shell was currently undergoing further modification in the laboratory. The whole person exuded a strong sense of morbidity.

Wen Shi rubbed his forehead. Even lab specimens weren’t dissected this way. Gouging out eyes, poking the heart… only digging out the bones was left.

“You…”

Jian Qingrong gently interrupted, “I know what I’m doing.”

His body had long become a super source of contamination. Unlike regular humans, the best sample for evolution was himself.

“Afternoon tea is over. The homestead is temporarily closed.”

Wen Shi made the most of the remaining time to bid farewell to everyone. Xie Tangyan directly stepped over the Earl’s grand attire, not looking sideways as she took two steps toward the direction where Wen Shi was about to disappear. She cautioned, “Take care in all matters.”

Wen Shi nodded and waved, “Until next time.”

The game didn’t delay even for a minute. It immediately initiated the teleportation.

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