Chapter 44.1 – Reader: (LOL)
Du Ze felt as though he was travelling by boat. His head was bobbing up and down, making him feel dizzy. As his head felt heavier and heavier and sank down lower and lower, suddenly a big wave hit and his head was jolted down.
Then some silly, cute person slowly woke up. The first of his senses to return was smell. His nose was filled with an herbal scent. Then he recovered his sense of touch. His face seemed to be resting on cold silk. Next, he opened his eyes and saw white cloth that was embroidered with a beautiful blue pattern. Finally, his hearing caught up with his other senses and he heard Xiu’s voice close to his ear: “You woke up?”
Du Ze lifted his head that was as heavy as it was in his dream. He was horrified when he discovered that he was being carried by Xiu. Their surroundings were still the same snow-covered terrain, but they were no longer in the peak above the ice crystal grass valley. Xiu was carrying him and Eddie was walking beside them. It seems that they are … going down the mountain?
The last thing he remembered was drinking Eddie’s wine. Du Ze frowned. His head was aching badly and even thinking of something seems to aggravate the pain. In addition, his mouth and face feel painfully swollen, though that’s just an illusion.This hangover is killing me… 〒▽〒
“We are going down the mountain?”
“Uh-huh,” said Xiu softly. “The task is finished.”
In other words, during his drunken period, the ice crystal grass was picked up, and the three-headed hell hound was also tamed. Only that jostling had woken him up. Exactly how drunk was he?! Some silly, Moe person’s thoughts were really slow. He rubbed his throbbing temples and stared dully at the snow-covered slope. Somehow, he felt as though he had forgotten something very important.
What was it?
Suddenly, Du Ze’s eyes widened as he saw the first sign of an avalanche. A silly, cute person was enlightened: Oh, it was you, Mr. Avalanche.
… Ah.The group of three people were surprised. The heavy wave of snow was bearing down on them like a white snow dragon. Xiu’s first reaction was to grab Du Ze protectively. As the avalanche drew near, Xiu’s hair was blasted away from his face and he stared at the oncoming menace, calmly and quickly chanting a magic spell.
Just as the snow was about to hit them, a purplish-red flower grew at Xiu and Du Ze’s feet. The flower rooted itself firmly on the ground then swallowed the two of them in one gulp. This was a plant attack magic but Xiu used it this time to avoid the impact of the avalanche.
“Whumph!”
After some time the snowy mountain became tranquil once again. Suddenly, an enchanting flower bloomed forth from the snow. It unfolded its petals, revealing Xiu and Du Ze. In the vast expanse of white snow, they couldn’t find any trace of Eddie and didn’t know where he had been swept away by the avalanche.
The gray light of the pet contract flashed and a five-metre-long hellhound appeared on the snow. Its whole body is a shiny black color and it had a total of three heads. Each head can cast magic. From left to right, the heads have blue eyes, black eyes, and red eyes. Their eye colors match the type of magic that head can cast – wind magic, dark magic, and fire magic. This was the majestic Cerberus.
The leftmost head – called Greenie – saw Du Ze and stiffened. It nudged the middle head which impatiently turned to look at Du Ze. The black-eyed head also went stiff. On the far right, the red-eyed head moved up and down, trying to catch a glimpse of what the other two were looking at but the other heads blocked its view: What happened? What happened?
Another silly Moe spirit beast.
Xiu soothed the Cerberus until it finally stopped whimpering and trembling in fright. The spirit beast flattened its ears against its skull and one of its heads obeyed Xiu’s command to search for Eddie. The remaining two heads stared at Du Ze. The reader could only think that it was good that he was drunk and did not participate in the fight earlier. Otherwise, the hellhound might have been frightened away by Du Ze’s presence and would have been lost, just like the Meow Star from before.
Cerberus guided them to an icy cliff. There was a cold wind blowing up from the abyss and Du Ze’s brain finally sobered up a bit when he saw Eddie hanging from a branch. Eddie saw Xiu at the edge of the cliff.
“Help me-”
Du Ze rubbed his temples but his head just ached even more painfully: Should he stop Xiu or should he let Xiu make the choice for himself?
While Du Ze hesitated, there came the sound of ice breaking, then came the sound of a heavy weight thudding on the ground. Eddie’s words reached Du Ze ears: “Thank you.”
Du Ze looked up in shock. At the edge of the cliff, Eddie sat on the ground, wiping away his cold sweat. Xiu was standing beside him, looking indifferent as always.
Why did Xiu save Eddie?
Du Ze was still confused when they arrived in Snowy Town. Eddie was very eager to bring the ice crystal grass to save his companion. Du Ze saw Rose for the first time. The girl who had been Xiu’s childhood sweetheart lay on a bed. Her skin was burned and covered with red and white blisters. The ice crystal grass gradually healed her. The festering burns slowly disappeared and the young girl’s previous beautiful appearance was restored.
In the original “Mixed Blood” novel, Xiu let that scum Eddie fall. However, Xiu went back to the cabin to save Rose. Xiu took care of her until she gradually recovered. Since his elf form has such godly beauty, naturally he was able to greatly increase his favorability rating before he played the scoundrel. Xiu said to Rose: “Wait here for me. After I return to the Elven forest, I’ll pick you up.” Rose happily agreed but she never saw the elf, who had promised to be with her, again.
A tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye, that was the original Xiu’s decision.
Now… Du Ze looked at Eddie who was at Rose’s side. He is here taking care of Rose. It’s not going to be Xiu, the “stranger” elf, who will take care of her, so the plot won’t unfold that way now. So not only did Xiu prevent Eddie’s fall, he also decided to spare Rose?
“… Thank you very much!”
In the mercenary guild office, Eddie was both excited and nervous as he asked again: “I really don’t need to pay?”
Xiu took back his D-class mercenary card, coldly shook his head, and pulled Du Ze with him as he walked away.
“If you ever need me, please don’t hesitate to look for me!”
Eddie followed them as far as the door and shouted that at the two figures that were walking away. The snow covered the two figures and soon he could no longer see the elf and the human.
Chapter 44.2 – Reader: (LOL)
The small Phoenix peeked out from under the hood and its tiny head was immediately covered by snow. It shook its head and looked up at the falling snow, chirping merrily. Du Xe looked at Xiu and finally could not help but ask: “Don’t you hate them?”
Xiu shook his head – these people are no longer worthy of his attention. But even if there is no hate, he won’t easily let go. That person will keep the treasure he wants most. He can only look but not touch, and always looking, forever unable to forgive himself.1
Du Ze feels that life is good: Moe Lord, you are so cute! To think that this young man unexpectedly saw you lay down your hatred today!
“I am very happy.”
Xiu paused, gazing intently at the person beside him: “Then smile.”
Du Ze looked blankly at Xiu as the elf brushed the snow off his hood and softly said: “You have never smiled.”
– Ah Ze, he is an idiot, always giggling.
But… the person in front of him is Xiu
Du Ze slowly forced the corners of his lips to curve up but it really has been too long since he made this expression. Even if there is no mirror, he knows that his expression is stiff and awkward, not like a smile at all, but like baring his teeth at an enemy.
Moe Lord, don’t have nightmares! If you want, this young man can go on the (LOL)2 route!
In the swirling snow, the silver-haired elf stretched out his arms to hold the stiff black-haired youth in his arms.
“That’s good.”
One day, this man will take off all of his masks3 in front of him and look only at him, laugh only with him.
Xiu watched the snow falling down thickly, like a barrier isolating the two of them, as if they were the only people in the world. It felt … very good.
***
After a night’s rest, Du Ze and Xiu set off for the Star Empire.
In the seventh era, the humans drove off the beastkin and set up three Empires: the Bright, Moonlight, and Star Empires. The Bright Empire is the strongest. Its area of influence is medium-sized. The whole country, including the emperor, believe in the God of Light, so the Temple of Light is very powerful. It’s ruled by a combination of imperial and theocratic rulers; the government is centralized.
The Moon Empire is the smallest and weakest. It lies in the East of the Chaos Continent and is often invaded by the beastkin.
The Star Empire is vast but, as everyone knows, the government is divided into several factions and the most powerful person there is not the emperor but the prime minister.
It took a day’s travel for Xiu and Du Ze to reach the Imperial City of the Star Empire. Along the way, some silly, cute person has been very worried about how he can get rid of the Moe Lord and find the mercenary team. If Du Ze and Xiu go together to see the mercenary team… First of all, he doesn’t want to say “give me back the doujinshi” in front of Xiu. Secondly, Du Ze genuinely felt that if Xiu saw the mercenary team, he will be enraged and start a killing spree.
Du Ze began to recall the events in the “Mixed Blood” novel, trying to think of how to find the mercenary team. The Star Empire plot can be divided into three story arcs. The first arc is the Thief King task: Jack, the Thief King, gave his only disciple Enoch the task of stealing “time” from Vieruodis,4 a female alchemist. After doing some research on the target, Enoch learned that Vieruodis has a pocket watch. That should be the “time” that the Thief King wanted Enoch to steal from her. However, Vieruodis rarely leaves her magic tower – and mages are very aware of whatever happens in their own magic tower. Inside a mage’s own magic tower, even a fly can’t escape the mage’s inspection.
Fortunately, a source told Enoch that Vieruodis loves the play “Cecil.” Whenever this play is staged, she will certainly watch. Currently, the most famous acting troupe in the entire Chaos Continent was in the Imperial City of the Star Empire. Enoch knows their leader and asked him to help, but the leader couldn’t give in to his request because “Cecil” is famously difficult to stage. The beauty requirement for the main actor is outrageously high. Many actors have attempted to take on the Cecil role, but they got booed by the audience so much that they were unable to act. In order to protect the reputation of his troupe, the leader did not dare to try to stage “Cecil,” but he was so worn down by Enoch’s repeated requests that he promised that as long as the thief can find a suitable actor, he will immediately prepare to stage the play.
Therefore, when the beautiful elf Xiu and the mercenary team met again, Enoch almost flew to Xiu and embraced his thigh: “My savior, you came!”
“The elf in front, brother, please wait!”
Du Ze was a little bit surprised. How come when he thinks of the plot, the plot comes?
A thief jumped in front of them. It’s the mercenary team’s Enoch. When he saw Xiu’s cold, handsome face, first he became frozen with shock5 then extremely excited.
“Can you act?”
******
******
Once there was a very beautiful person, his name was Cecil, and his beauty stunned the world.
In order to appreciate Cecil’s beauty, God froze his time so that Cecil would stay forever in his most beautiful moment.
The whole world fell in love with Cecil and envied his lover.
As time went on, everyone felt that the lover was not worthy of Cecil, and the world hid Cecil.
The lover looked for Cecil, but the lakes, the forests, the birds, the beasts, all of them prevented the lovers from seeing each other.
The lark said to the lover: you are so old, how are you worthy of Cecil?
The rose said to the lover: you are so ugly, how are you worthy of Cecil?
The lover began to wonder: If I became beautiful, could I be with Cecil?
So the lover used a taboo magic.
Finally, the lover became beautiful.
God and the world are amazed at the lover’s beauty.
So God unfroze Cecil’s time and froze the lover’s time.
– “Mixed Blood: Cecil”
*******
The author has something to say:
Author: Today I want to slack off and play Jian Wang 36 (LOL).
Reader: Today I want to remove the author (LOL).
Protagonist: Today I want to top the reader (LOL).
