Chapter 11: The General's Treasure (Complete)
As he spoke, the man pressed his face against Qi An's cheek, rubbing against it. The cold sensation traveled from their point of contact to his brain. Qi An tried to struggle, but the other's arms held him tightly in place.
The man's hands grew restless, gradually moving downward, slipping into the hem of his clothes.
Through the thin fabric, Qi An could feel the well-defined muscles beneath.
"Are you the master of this tomb, that General?" Qi An increased his force, pushing the man away, completely ignoring his pitiful expression.
"Yes." The General nodded with grievance, then his eyes lit up. "Look, this entire palace is mine. Isn't it magnificent, beautiful, and precious? All the people inside are my subordinates—I'll give them all to you!"
The General's eyes sparkled like they were glowing. "I'm very rich!"
He was practically showing off, blinking repeatedly, deliberately trying to be cute.
Qi An glanced at him, his eyelashes fluttering. After a moment of silence, he asked, "How did you come to this world from the original one? And... how did you recognize me?"
The General's expression became serious. Qi An's words seemed to have activated some kind of switch. He said nothing for a while, simply staring at Qi An's delicate features.
Like all the ghosts Qi An had encountered in this world, he had given all his attention to Qi An.
His gaze was almost tangible, carefully examining every part of Qi An, tracing each feature with intense heat.
Only then did Qi An realize that his nominal fiancé was extremely handsome.
His facial features were sharp as if carved by a blade, his eyebrows slightly raised like a sword pulled from its sheath—sharp and unstoppable. Afflicted by evil energy from years of slaying enemies, every gesture carried an air of dignified majesty.
This intense staring match continued for a long while.
"If I told you, you would leave again, wouldn't you?" The General looked at Qi An, no longer trying to be cute, his expression tinged with resignation.
Qi An raised an eyebrow.
"You should have known the answer long ago. The General's treasure has always been only you." The General smiled, looking at him with profound meaning.
"So, I can recognize you." The General's voice gradually became ethereal, as if lost in memory. His expression softened. "I... have always been by your side."
Qi An's ink-dark eyes flickered, meeting the other's deep, affectionate gaze directly.
[Main Quest: Find the General's Treasure (Completed). Transmitters: 3. Survivors: 3]
[Leave the world?]
[... ] Qi An was silent for a moment, then pressed the exit button.
The General watched with a smile as Qi An's figure gradually faded away. When the last traces of light vanished into the sky, he slowly withdrew his gaze, looking at the surrounding palace with a hint of desolation.
His eyes were no longer the ordinary black color. A striking, bloody red filled his pupils—eerie and terrifying, such that anyone who glimpsed those eyes would feel fear.
This was the sign of demonic possession.
The General lightly exhaled, walking to the center. He gazed at the beauty in the coffin with something approaching obsession, reaching out to gently brush across the sleeping youth's cheek. His eyes held intense obsession.
"I've been to every world you've visited. If only you would turn around and look, you would discover that someone has always been by your side. I like you so much—how could I possibly let you exist outside my sight?"
The General smiled lightly, as wicked as a demon removing its mask.
"You will fall in love with me, because I am essentially the same person as him—a complete madman... my fiancé."
The moment he finished speaking, thick black mist appeared around his body. Within this dark vapor, countless small ghost-like creatures screamed shrilly. The black mist grew thicker, completely enveloping the General's body before finally disappearing.
[Teammate completed the quest.]
[Leave the world?]
Kim Hye-kyung clutched her continuously bleeding right arm, shocked by the news she had heard. In truth, she had been barely holding on.
All the ghosts in this palace had gone mad trying to kill them—there wasn't even a place to hide.
To survive, Kim Hye-kyung had no choice but to constantly exchange for healing elixirs and various ghost-slaying weapons from the store. Just barely lasting until now had nearly exhausted all the points she had accumulated across previous worlds.
Who? Zhang Zhaoqi?
That thought flashed through her mind, and Kim Hye-kyung prepared to leave this world immediately. She truly didn't want to stay another moment. The instant she pressed the button, Kim Hye-kyung suddenly realized that every ghost in the entire palace had vanished without a trace.
The entire palace was empty.
As if all their near-death escapes had been nothing but an illusion.
Kim Hye-kyung frowned, then easily spotted Zhang Zhaoqi.
She saw the latter's eyes gradually turning red.
[I liked someone. The moment I saw him, I liked him. There has never been another person who fit my preferences so perfectly. I watched his every move like a pervert. I secretly hid his clothes, held them in my arms every night as I slept...]
[But he died. The moment I saw his corpse, I lost my mind. I killed so many people, my vision was filled with blood, but all I wanted was to see him alive—even if he was cold and dismissive toward me...]
[Even if he didn't recognize me at all.]
[Gradually, I began to remember certain things. It turned out I was only a part of something. There was so much history between him and me...]
[Demonic possession, bloodshed and carnage—even becoming a vengeful spirit, I couldn't live much longer. I invaded the consciousness of all the soldiers within the ancient tomb, wanting to possess all of him like before, that变态 way. I fell into a deep sleep, wanting to see him one more time...]
[Fortunately, I found him...]