Chapter 42

Li Ren had never suffered such torture in the decades he had been a freeloader or an idiot.

It looks like just a thin thorn, so how can it cause such pain as to churn the bone marrow when it moves?

That's something a meat T can't bear!

His forehead was covered in cold sweat, and he immediately begged for mercy: "I was wrong, I'm sorry, little brother, I didn't recognize the great man - you, please let me go!"

Even the name changed from "little bastard" to "little brother".

Ling Xi sneered in her heart, without showing any expression on her face, and gently turned her fingers in the air.

The thorn also circled in Li Ren's flesh.

If the spike had no lines, it might be better; but it was spiral-shaped, and the tiny friction brought continuous aftershocks, each of which made him feel so painful that he wished he could peel off the useless flesh and blood, leaving it behind.

Li Ren rolled on the ground holding his legs, and because he moved too much, he hit the sharp thorns, which made the pain even worse. His face was covered with tears and snot, and he looked extremely miserable. There was no trace of his previous aggressive look.

Li Ren couldn't tell if he was crying or wailing anymore. His pleading for mercy never stopped. "I was wrong, I was really wrong... I shouldn't have had any thoughts about your jellyfish. I, I swear, I won't touch it—no, I won't even look at it!"

Whether it was out of genuine repentance or out of necessity due to severe pain, this person had learned a lesson.

"Uncle, don't think about things that don't belong to you anymore."

Ayaki is quite calm.

"Yes... yes, you are right..."

The boy raised his fingers together with his palm facing upwards, and all the sharp thorns that were still causing trouble on Li Ren's four fingers floated up gently and returned to his hands one by one, without even a speck of blood staining them.

Li Ren lay on the ground, gasping for breath, sweat pouring down like a waterfall.

The remaining pain would not disappear so quickly, and he didn't know if the child had any other tricks up his sleeve, so he didn't dare to act rashly.

Ling Xi glanced at him and knew what this man was thinking without having to guess.

After all, he only hurt himself. The boy thought, if Li Ren had attacked Li Jue just now, the situation would be completely different now.

...Li Jue...

Ling Xi woke up as if from a dream and quickly looked at the little jellyfish on the other side.

I have never shown that look to my baby or anyone else before. I hope Juejue was scared.

He picked up the little guy in the audience seats and tried carefully to read the emotions from this "face" without any facial features.

However, the cub did not show any fear. Instead, it jumped around excitedly in the water ball, wanting to cuddle with him: "Bo, Bo, Bo, Bo!"

Xixichao——awesome!

Ling Xi was stunned for a moment, then she started laughing.

Well, just like Zizi is the best in the world in his heart, maybe I am always perfect in Li Jue's eyes... ?

Ling Xi asked softly, "Jue Jue, do you want to go back?"

Although they are wrapped in a film of water, jellyfish are aquatic animals after all, so it is better for them to stay in a suitable environment.

The little jellyfish jumped in the water ball: "Bobo."

The baby is not uncomfortable.

It’s better to stay with Xixi.

Ling Xi curled her eyes: "Okay."

Anyway, he has long been accustomed to taking Li Jue with him wherever he goes, from human cubs, to kittens, to the little jellyfish now.

In comparison, the small jellyfish without bones, although slippery along with the bubble, is the lightest one.

There was still some space in the water ball, enough for Li Jue to float around: "Bo?"

"He's fine." Ling Xi said softly, "It's just a little lesson."

Li Ren turned over with difficulty, wanting to see how his legs were doing, and was shocked to find that all the wounds had disappeared, without even a needle hole like the one from an IV drip.

He touched the place where he remembered being injured in shock and gasped.

Although he couldn't see, the pain still remained and made him shudder.

Is this the "lesson" the boy was talking about?

There are no sequelae, but it is enough to make him unforgettable for the rest of his life.

By the way, there is no possibility of exposure yet.

But, Li Ren thought, even if he told everyone exactly what had happened, who would believe him?

——Believe that a five or six-year-old child taught him a lesson when he was a grown-up in his sixties?

It’s better to believe that he is Qin Shi Huang.

Li Ren finally recovered and glanced at Ling Xi who was sitting on the bed holding the little jellyfish and muttering to herself.

Now he looked like an innocent child again, as if the cruel executioner a few minutes ago was just his hallucination.

Li Ren scratched his face, unable to hold back, "Little brother, is this... a hidden weapon? A poison needle or something?"

Ling Xi didn't expect that this person would have the mind to ask this.

He lowered his eyes to look at the palm of his hand, where the spikes appeared and disappeared at will. "No, they are horns."

"Horn?" Li Ren was surprised. "Whose horn is it? A wild animal's? A unicorn? Did you pull it off? Didn't it bite you?"

Lingxi: "..."

What kind of family can raise such a weirdo?

Ling Xi, who has no parents, feels puzzled.

Li Ren felt better, so he slowly stood up by holding onto the wall and limped towards Ling Xi.

Seeing the boy staring at him warily, he immediately raised his hands: "—Don't worry, I won't come closer. I'm right here, ah, not a single step forward."

Ling Xi frowned and said nothing.

However, Li Jue in his arms flapped his umbrella, floating here and there from time to time, and was quite curious about this two-legged beast that Xixi had taught a lesson in a very handsome way.

Oh, he really has the face of a villain who looks like he will be defeated by the protagonist.

It's not the ultimate boss yet, it's just a provocative passerby minion.

Li Ren couldn't tell what Jellyfish was feeling, and he had no idea that his rating in Li Jue's heart had dropped to the lowest. His attention was still on the boy: "Hey, little brother, let me ask you another question. You can tell me in secret."

Ling Xi looked at him.

Li Ren lowered his voice deliberately in the room where they were alone. "Are you the boss that little girl was talking about?"

Ling Xi slowly typed a question mark.

The boy didn't answer, so Li Ren took it as a tacit agreement: "Oh, I really can't believe you're so capable at such a young age. They say heroes emerge from youth since ancient times... Haha..."

His smirk made Ling Xi feel very embarrassed.

"I'm not," the child replied simply.

"Huh? Then what are you, the n... nbc?"

"...Are you talking about NPCs?"

"Yes, yes, that's the C. Are you?"

“Not really.”

"So you're a player?"

"no."

"and you……"

Li Ren had guessed everything he could, but Ling Xi denied them all.

Li Ren hissed, "That's strange. If you don't hold any of the... well, even the positions, then why are you here?"

However, Li Ren was not the only one who was confused. Ling Xi also felt lost.

What exactly is one in this infinite space, in this subspace where everyone has a position and a role to play?

Like an indifferent bystander, like an unknown passerby.

No one cares and nowhere to go.

The child was stunned by this question, his eyes blank.

"Boo!"

A soft, bubble-bursting sound pulled him out of his despair.

Ling Xi was stunned for a moment, then looked down to see the cub waving its tentacles, trying to attract her attention.

"Hihihi! Hihihi!"

"……Um?"

"Xixi, are you unhappy?"

Ling Xi could clearly hear Li Jue's baby voice, as if the little cub with sweet cream-colored pupils was right in front of her.

Although the little kitten can act coquettishly and the little jellyfish is very cute, he still misses the real Li Jue.

He was not sure whether he was a human being, nor could he say whether Li Jue was a human being now.

However, only when we become human beings can we rely on each other the most and come closest to "love".

Ling Xi felt like sighing.

Who added the setting that the system will only change back to human form when seeing the boss?

This is just to make things difficult for them.

The boy patted the water ball gently: "No."

"Xixi, don't be sad."

The little jellyfish tried to touch him with its small tentacles in front, but unfortunately the water film could not be broken. It had to settle for the next best thing and waved the pair of large tentacles behind it, like a butterfly flapping its wings.

Li Jue said solemnly: "Baby, I love Xixi the most!"

Ling Xi has always known that Li Jue is a very straightforward child, but this sudden "confession" still made his heart tremble.

The boy blinked, then tightened his arms around the little jellyfish and whispered, "...Yeah, I love Juejue the most, too."

The little jellyfish's umbrella nudged him, but no matter what form it took, it couldn't change his nature of liking to act coquettishly towards Ayaka.

Ling Xi touched the bubbles as if she was touching her head, and the tangled emotions in her heart slowly dissipated like mist in the sun.

yes.

I exist because of your existence.

You are my meaning.

*

After the lesson that night, Li Ren never harassed the two little ones again, and always avoided Ling Xi when he saw her.

Not only that, he also became uncharacteristically polite to everyone, especially Yuan Yingying, whom he had previously teased with words. He seriously apologized to the girl, and then the situation reversed and he became the one trying to curry favor with her.

The reason is very simple. Li Ren now truly believes that he is in a game where he will die if he doesn't pass the level.

Even a random kid was able to torture him to death. I couldn't imagine what kind of monsters he would encounter in the future.

Since I don’t have the ability to fight alone, the only way out is to hold on to someone powerful.

He has so much money and is going to inherit Mr. Shen's legacy. He has finally gotten rid of his two rivals, Chen Yan and Shen Jiangxing. How can he not enjoy it with his life?

In the escape game, all fame, wealth, and pleasure are fake.

The only real thing is not to die.

Decryption-type dungeons require a lot of teamwork, and players reached a tacit understanding of forming their own teams soon after entering the dungeon.

Yuan Yingying and Lu Ying are old partners, so naturally they will not break up; Li Ren shamelessly asked to join them. The two of them discussed it and decided that there would be no loss in taking this person with them, and he could even serve as a scapegoat when necessary.

A long time ago, they were not cold-blooded people and would be heartbroken by the death or injury of their teammates.

But infinite space is a place that can destroy humanity. They can only helplessly watch the important people leave again and again, until their hearts are no longer moved.

For Yuan Yingying, the only moment that makes her feel that she is still "alive" and not a walking corpse is when she sees the cute little creatures in the sub-world.

For example, the little kitten in the previous world, and the little jellyfish in this world.

She had no idea how these innocent little creatures were drawn into such a cruel world, but being able to have a moment or two of respite, where she didn't have to think about how to survive or whether there was an exit from the maze, was enough for her to just indulge in the cuteness of the little creatures and touch the freshness and softness of that young life.

It's like a short yet luxurious rest during a long journey.

Yuan Yingying finds Ling Xi, hoping to take a look at the little jellyfish to recharge herself.

Although Yuan Yingying and Lu Ying had never met the little servant directly in the previous world, Ling Xi, as a bystander of the infinite space, knew them.

He entered the dungeon with Little Pear Cat, protected Li Jue in front of Shen Jiangxing, and later obtained the gem with the help of Zizi in the fake dragon cave.

They are nice to Zizi, so Lingxi has a good impression of them.

Not only Yuan Yingying, but everyone else also rushed to go see that special little jellyfish when they heard that they could go, whether they were players or crew members.

But I have never seen the Glass Bow Pear Blossom Jellyfish after drifting on the sea for decades!

(Yes, this was the full name of the little jellyfish, as agreed upon by unanimous vote.)

It's said to have the ability to automatically form a protective layer when it leaves water. Sounds impressive.

Although I don’t have the honor of touching it, but just looking at it can also bring some luck, right?

Ling Xi felt a little embarrassed when she saw the expectant eyes of about 10 or 20 people.

There are so many people here, won’t the baby be scared?

"...Um, please wait here for a moment. I'll go in and tell him first."

Everyone nodded repeatedly and smiled with satisfaction.

Children are so innocent that they can even imagine talking to animals.

But they are all willing to keep this innocence for him:

"Xiao Xi, tell him we are all good people."

"Yes, yes, there's no ill intention, so he doesn't need to be afraid!"

"What color will the pear blossoms be today?"

"Ah, didn't you decide to call her Xiao Liuli yesterday?"

"Why doesn't anyone agree with my name for the little bow!"

They actually started arguing about which nickname to use for the little jellyfish.

Ling Xi looked at this group of childish adults and felt helpless.

In the end, it was Yuan Yingying who came up with a solution. She said with a smile, "Why don't we ask Xiaoxi on our behalf to see which name he likes?"

Others also think this idea is good.

He said he was asking the little jellyfish, but actually he was asking Ayaka.

After all, how could a jellyfish talk?

The boy nodded hesitantly and walked in first.

The little jellyfish was originally sleeping in the small house built by Ling Xi. It woke up when it heard the door opening, swam happily to the edge of the fish tank, and spit out several strings of bubbles.

"Bobo, Bobo!"

It’s Xixi who’s back!

Ling Xi washed her hands first, then reached into the fish tank and touched his soft umbrella body: "Juejue, later... someone wants to come to see you, is that okay?"

Anyone? Look at the cub

The little jellyfish was puzzled: "Bo?"

"Well, it's just the players and NPCs. They all think you're cute."

"Bo~Bo!"

The cub also thinks he is cute!

Ling Xi narrowed her eyes and fiddled with the tiny tentacles with her fingers: "Yes, Juejue is the cutest. So would you like them to come and see you? There might be a lot of people."

The little jellyfish naturally didn't mind.

Little Li Jue, who grew up alone with his father, likes lively places very much.

"Oh, there's one more thing," Ayashi asked. "They want to give you a name. There are three options: 'Little Pear Flower', 'Little Ruri', and 'Little Butterfly'. Which one do you like?"

The little jellyfish lifted its bow-tie tentacles.

What a strange name. He doesn't like it.

"Baby!" he replied.

Ling Xi was confused: "Huh?"

Why are you calling yourself?

"I like the name, Baby." Li Jue said solemnly, "This name!"

The boy reorganized the little cub's messy word order: Among all the names, Li Jue still likes to be called "baby" the most.

Ling Xi also likes this name very much. It sounds soft, cute and bouncy, like patting a small ball.

"Okay, then I'll go tell them to call you baby." Ling Xi took two steps and then turned back and said seriously, "If you feel scared later, tell me."

No matter how much those people want to see the baby, it is not as important as the baby's own feelings.

"Boo!"

Li Jue shook his tentacles, stuck them to the glass and spit out a bubble.

It looks like a heart shape.

*

"This is absolutely super, super, super, super cute."

"The cutest thing in the world."

"Yeah, you're right."

"I never thought plankton could make people so soft-hearted."

"Ah! It looks so soft, I really want to rub it!"

"Woo woo woo, how about I change into my swimsuit and jump into the tub and give you a hug?"

"What nonsense are you talking about... take me with you."

The fish tank containing the small jellyfish was moved to the deck along with Ling Xi's desk.

The two-legged beasts surrounded the Cult of Cuteness in three layers inside and outside, paying homage to it.

Today, the little jellyfish is no longer light blue under the sunny light, but a sparkling gold, like a lemon-flavored fruit candy.

He was also excited to see so many Twolegs looking at him with surprise or curiosity.

Li Jue floated in the water, hid in the small house for a while, and came out again after hearing everyone's disappointed sighs, and then flapped its butterfly wings amid cheers.

If a Twoleg places its finger on the glass, he will touch the same spot with his tentacle, looking like a friendly handshake.

Of course, the most common thing is gurgling and spitting bubbles.

The little jellyfish's bubbles are not just for cuteness, they are a form of conscious communication.

Whenever someone spoke to him, he would respond in this way.

Although these stupid two-legged beasts couldn't understand what he meant, the clever little system could understand everything he said.

Reject the performance of the baby.

But I couldn't refuse Zaizai and he insisted on performing.

The hearts of the onlookers, who had been tortured by the escape and the waves at sea all day long, melted.

"Oh my god, it seems like it's talking to me!"

"Woo woo woo baby is blowing bubbles again."

"It's the baby."

“So cute, so cute, so cute!!”

"Is there any way to steal the baby cub?"

"There's no need to say it so openly... take me with you."

At first everyone was standing, but then the people in the back row couldn't see, so they pressed the heads of the people in the front row to make them squat down.

The person whose head was pressed was unhappy and turned around to curse.

Soon, the name-calling escalated into pushing and shoving.

The scene was very chaotic for a while.

Ling Xi was worried that they might accidentally knock over or break the fish tank, and was even more afraid of scaring the baby, so she quickly stopped them.

"Everyone, please line up in three rows," the small child instructed methodically. "Stand still. Keep some space between you, your front, back, left, and right."

Although the adults were confused, they still followed Ayaki's instructions and lined up in three orderly teams in order to better see the little jellyfish.

Then, to the point where everyone's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in astonishment, Ling Xi took the little jellyfish out of the fish tank.

“……?”

The adults all exclaimed in their hearts: Is this really possible?

The facts answer them: Yes.

The water film attached to the small jellyfish's body also turned into a light, shiny gold along with today's sunlight, and Li Jue also changed from a lemon candy to a floating lemon candy.

Ling Xi held Li Jue and walked past each person in turn, saying to them, "You can touch it."

The tone was generous and the eyes were compassionate.

After all, for ordinary players and NPCs who normally have no access to the system, the opportunity to have such close contact is extremely precious and an honor.

The adults did not understand the meaning behind it. They touched the glittering golden layer gently, carefully and with the same care as if it were a national treasure.

Li Jue also waved his little tentacles in the water ball in real time, and made simple contact with the biped through the bubble.

Oh my god.

Accept the mercy (heart) of the God of Loveliness.

"Wow, he's interacting with us..."

"I said the baby really understands!"

“It was as if a holy light shone on my hands.”

“I feel incredibly happy right now.”

The person in front kept chattering about his exciting experience, while the person behind him stretched his neck anxiously to see when it would be his turn.

Of course, some people don't believe it. They think that it's just touching a jellyfish, how earth-shaking can that be?

However, when he touched the baby with his own hands, his eyes suddenly filled with tears and he could hardly speak clearly: "This, this, this... this is really...!"

When it was Li Ren's turn, the man who once dreamed of monopolizing the little jellyfish wiped his hands on his clothes again and again, repeatedly confirmed with Ling Xi that he could touch it, and then said incoherently to those around him: "I can, too, I can, too!"

The one on the left who had already touched the little jellyfish curled his lips, thinking, "I can do it too!" The one on the right who hadn't yet had a turn urged, "Hurry up, it's my turn!"

Li Ren's eyes lit up, his fingers and voice trembling: "Oh, little Lihua."

However, Li Jue didn't want to get close to him. He had not forgotten what this man had done to Xixi.

The moment Li Ren reached out his hand, he hid in Ling Xi's arms, and on the other side of the bow's tentacles, he pointed his butt towards him, refusing to communicate.

Ling Xi touched him in surprise and asked in the mental connection: "What's wrong with Juejue? Are you feeling unwell?"

"Cub doesn't like him." The little cub said aggrievedly, "He's not good to Xixi. He's a bad guy!"

He is very vindictive when it comes to matters related to Ayaka!

This was a bolt from the blue for Li Ren.

He stared blankly at his rejected hand. It was too late to regret his greed.

There was even more booing all around.

"Ouch, I'm being disliked."

"unprecedented."

"Haha, I got the good rank of 'first to be rejected' at the 'Baby Handshake Event'!"

"You didn't do anything to offend the baby, did you?"

The crew members were simply making fun of him, but the players thought it was more complicated.

It's not a good sign that I'm already disliked by key NPCs (they don't recognize the small system and only regard Li Jue and Ling Xi as NPCs) after such a short time in the dungeon.

Although NPCs are data created by the main god and the center, they have a very advanced and complete self-awareness, and their actions also have a unique logic.

Rumor has it that NPCs might mark some players black or red. Players marked with the black mark, which means "hate", will be particularly miserable. They will not die easily, but will barely survive. In every dungeon, other NPCs will recognize the black mark and torture them to death; the opposite is true for the red mark.

Li Ren is in a state where he is most likely to be labeled as a black person.

It seems that we have to stay away from this guy in the future, the players all thought in unison, for fear that he would be struck by lightning one day and they would be in trouble too.

Being isolated in a cooperative instance is fatal.

Li Ren, who was still immersed in grief at the moment, had not yet realized this.

His fate was no one else's business. After the incident, people gathered around the little jellyfish again and tried to cheer him up.

The little cub also recovered from his unhappiness and resumed interacting with the "believers".

To the people on this boat, Li Jue is not just a cute little creature that provides healing.

The cub's soft tentacles are like countless tiny erasers, which can wipe away the fear, anxiety and uneasiness in anyone's heart the moment of contact.

He can calm the raging mental "core" of the ultimate boss in each sub-world, and can also heal the emotional fluctuations of minor characters.

No matter how panicked or bitter a person is, after being close to the baby, they will be affected by the healing power and calm down.

This is an ability that belongs only to Li Jue and no one else can achieve.

In his tiny body, he hides a secret so great that it can shake the entire infinite space.

Ling Xi held the little jellyfish, looked up at the happy smiles on the people's faces, then looked down at the little jellyfish still swaying in the water ball: "Juejue, you did a great job."

It was so easy to capture a whole boat of believers, including both players and NPCs.

"Bo~"

Of course!

Boy, this is the best little system!