Chapter 69 Live Together, Die Together

“Mr. Ji?”

Ji Linmo raised his head, only to see the young man with a face so beautiful it was almost otherworldly, leaning in close, drawing nearer to him. No matter what criticisms one might have of the youth’s character, Ji Linmo had to admit—he was truly blessed with an exceptional appearance, especially those bewitching, almond-shaped eyes. When he smiled, they could steal a soul away.

“What is it?”

Ji Linmo silently took a step back, trying to keep his distance, but Qin Feng reached out naturally and gripped his shoulder.

“Mr. Ji, what’s wrong? You seem a bit off… Are you feeling unwell?”

“No…”

Ji Linmo waved his hands in denial and pressed the button for the second floor in the elevator, indicating that he was fine.

The elevator panel showed only the first, second, and fourth floors—there was no third floor.

With a chime, the elevator arrived at the second floor. The moment the doors opened, Ji Linmo was stunned.

Under the crimson light, the second floor was packed with people even in the dead of night, so dense there was hardly space to set foot. Amid the throng, the air was saturated with the aroma of food.

“Judging by the names alone, these dishes all seem rather normal,” Qin Feng said, standing on tiptoe to peer around, his gaze sweeping over one shop sign after another.

—“Fragrant Lamb Stew Shop,” “Braised Beef Rice Bowl,” “Spicy Shredded Pork.”

But at the doors of these packed shops, few customers actually bought anything. The crowd, with fierce and eager faces, all seemed to be waiting for something at the very center—for the “Delicious Rabbit Meat Shop.”

A long, snaking line wound out from that shop, curling past the entrances of the others.

“Rabbit meat! I came all this way just for a taste of this rabbit meat!”

“Incredible, what’s their secret to making this rabbit so good?”

Ji Linmo struggled to find a place to stand, pressing himself silently against the wall. The vast second floor’s walls were plastered with banners and advertisements—all about rabbit meat.

—“Sales Leader! Rabbit Meat Hits New Highs!”

—“Delivery Service Now Available—delicious rabbit meat, tasty rabbit meat, let a cute little rabbit come home to comfort your soul and your stomach!”

In this enormous mall, the first floor was for human goods, the second was a dining hall, and the third was a ward…

“Qin Feng, do you remember that patient we saw on the third floor, the one whose whole body was covered in black tentacles?” Ji Linmo lowered his voice, his face expressionless as he surveyed the second floor.

“Think about it. Doesn’t the texture of rabbit meat feel a lot like those tentacles?”

Qin Feng stroked his chin, tilting his head.

“Hm? Does it? I’ve never eaten rabbit, so I wouldn’t know.”

He paused, as if struck by a sudden thought, then winked at Ji Linmo, glancing meaningfully toward the back kitchen of the “Delicious” Rabbit Meat Shop.

“Should we sneak backstage and take a good look?”

Ji Linmo said nothing, merely taking out the universal magnetic card the woman in red had given him earlier.

Under the red light of the second floor, the card shimmered with a mysterious glow.

If this card worked, they’d be able to move freely on this floor.

Just as Ji Linmo was considering how to investigate the rabbit shop, he noticed something unusual about the card.

Was there something written on it in special ink?

Qin Feng leaned over, curious. When he saw faint writing begin to appear on the card in Ji Linmo’s hand, he narrowed his eyes, covering part of it with his hand to shield it from the light.

In the dim glow, a line of tiny words emerged on the card.

“Mother Rabbit’s Access Card”

[Congratulations, player! You have discovered the crucial clue: ‘Mother Rabbit’s Access Card.’ The hidden side quest of the dungeon has been unlocked. Dungeon progress +25%.]

A sudden white light flashed by, and simultaneously a new prompt appeared before their eyes.

[Dungeon Hidden Side Quest: The Secret of the Rabbit Meat]

[Quest Introduction: Have you ever heard a rabbit’s moan? What sound does a rabbit truly make?]

[Task 1: Discover what the rabbit meat actually is (Clues: 1/4)]

[Task 2: Find out where the rabbits are (Clues: 0/4)]

[Current Dungeon Progress: 25/100%]

[Kind Reminder: If dungeon progress does not reach 100% by the end, players will die instantly.]

The death side quest had been triggered again, and this time, both of them at once!

Ji Linmo stared blankly at the card in his hand, his grip tightening until veins stood out on the back of his hand.

—The clues for the hidden side quest in this dungeon were always fixed.

And once a side quest was activated, all clues had to be gathered, pushing hidden progress to one hundred percent.

Otherwise, even if the main dungeon was completed, the player would suffer a backlash from the clues and die inexplicably within the game.

In other words, no matter how many people activated the hidden side quest, only one could collect all the clues and survive!

Only one of them—he or Qin Feng—could live.

“So this is the legendary death side quest?”

Qin Feng eyed the prompt, absently rubbing his chin.

“I’ve heard people say that even top players can’t escape death in these—the side quests with an insanely high mortality rate. This is it, isn’t it?”

Ji Linmo remained silent, his gaze fixed on the card.

“Mr. Ji, you look awful.” Qin Feng poked his cheek with a grin, but the next second, Ji Linmo grabbed his hand sharply.

“Mr. Ji?”

“Qin Feng, you shouldn’t have reached over to touch this card just now…”

Ji Linmo looked up at the youth, the red lighting sweeping across his face, painting it with a wash of blood.

“When did you get so stingy, Mr. Ji? It’s just a card—can’t I touch it a bit?” Qin Feng teased, but seeing Ji Linmo’s rare gravity, his smile faded.

“What’s happened?”

The youth stared intently at him, gripping his shoulder and pinning him to the dark corner of the wall, whispering for an answer.

Ji Linmo frowned tightly, regarding the boy before him in silence for a moment before he spoke.

“Qin Feng, only one of us can survive.”

His words rang out with clarity amid the din of the second floor.

“Why?”

“Because only one person can collect all the clues and clear the side quest at the end.”

Ji Linmo raised his hand, signaling Qin Feng to release his shoulder.

“These death side quests… the real danger is not just their difficulty, but that players must fight each other for the clues.”

Neither spoke, simply gazing at one another in silence.

At length, Qin Feng’s careless smile returned. He took Ji Linmo’s hand, caressing the ring on his finger.

“So, Mr. Ji, are you prepared to fight me for it?”

“Sorry. I have no such intention,” Ji Linmo replied without hesitation.

“What if it were someone else?”

“Then I would.”

Qin Feng seemed very pleased with this answer, his eyes narrowing like a satisfied cat.

“So, Mr. Ji, what will you do? Shall we die together?”

As if imagining a pleasant scene, the youth’s smile brightened, his almond eyes curving into crescents.

“How touching—like lovers dying together~”

“Can you not joke right now? This is serious.”

Ji Linmo rubbed his brow, glancing once more at the prompt.

The tasks flashing before his eyes made him feel dizzy.

Wait—a moment. Why are there two tasks listed for this side quest?

He shifted his gaze from Qin Feng and back again, a thought surfacing in his mind.

Could it be that the two tasks were alternatives? That only one needed to be completed?

After all, one clue—the “access card”—had already pushed progress by 25 percent. Eight clues for a side quest was a lot.

“Qin Feng, you choose. But once you do, there’s no turning back.”

“One, you gamble with me and see if completing either task will let us both survive—we act together.

“Two, we go our separate ways, each fighting to survive, competing for clues.”

Qin Feng looked at Ji Linmo’s two raised fingers, studied him with a smile, then tapped one.

“I choose one.”

“Very well. Congratulations—you might really die with me.”

Ji Linmo lowered his hand, gazing toward the rabbit shop.

He truly didn’t want to fight Qin Feng, but his first scenario was just a guess; no one could guarantee it was true.

Nevertheless, a choice made is a choice, and even if it failed, it would only cost a life—a wound as wide as a bowl at the throat.

“Qin Feng, I hope we both survive, so don’t make any more trouble.”

Qin Feng put on an obedient look, grinned, and stuck out his tongue.

“I’ll be good, Mr. Ji. Don’t worry, I won’t regret it.”

With their plan settled, Ji Linmo and Qin Feng began to discuss how to sneak into the rabbit shop and uncover the secret of the rabbit meat.

Right now, the rabbit shop was the best place to find clues about the rabbits.

“It’s so crowded and busy—if we sneak into the kitchen, we probably won’t be noticed, right?” Qin Feng whispered, pointing to the kitchen at the back, hidden behind only a curtain.

The “Delicious Rabbit Meat Shop” had a large storefront, with more than twenty tables and chairs. The waiters moved back and forth from the kitchen, bringing out dishes.

“No. There are too many people. We don’t know the layout, and if something important is hidden in the kitchen, it would be well guarded. Not just anyone would be allowed in and out,” Ji Linmo said, frowning.

“I suspect the kitchen holds the raw ingredients—the rabbits themselves—and it’s well hidden.”

“We’d better make the place even livelier, attract the attention of the chefs themselves.”

But before Ji Linmo finished, Qin Feng laughed quietly.

“Mr. Ji, you want commotion? Then you’ve found the right person. When it comes to causing trouble, no one’s better than me.”