405: 8.5 The Perfect Protagonist

8.5 The Perfect Protagonist

Before Lu Yizhou could ascertain whether that was really a human or just mere reflection of the light, a commotion nearby pulled his attention away.  1

The second carriage glided in through the gate and stopped a few distance away from the one he rode in. The first woman stepped out with a scowl, huffing and puffing. She had smooth jet black hair that fell over her shoulders. If not for the twisted look on her face, she would have been a delicate beauty. Alas, all impressions of a refined and graceful lady instantly shattered as soon as she opened her mouth.

"Damn it, this is so annoying! Why the hell do I have to be in the same carriage as that weirdo? Dare to ignore me… who does she think she is?! I will let her know who I am when we get out of this place! Why the hell did they send this kind of cheap ass carriage? Didn't the quest background say that this is the wealthiest family in the town?!" Then she stomped to the coachman and started to convey her complaints with great flourish. 

Ji Yan visibly cringed beside him. Lu Yizhou only realized how tall he was — plus the boots he was wearing — when he noticed that Ji Yan's head only reached her chin. "Oh wow, just our luck to have someone like that in the team."

Lu Yizhou's attention was drawn to her words. "Team?"

"Oh yes!" Ji Yan instantly perked up and said with twinkles in her eyes. She might as well go on tiptoe trying to whisper into his ear. Lu Yizhou not so discreetly took a step back but unfortunately, Ji Yan did not realize a thing due to excitement. "Miss Irene, you don't know what a team game is? Don't tell me this is your first quest?"

Lu Yizhou wordlessly nodded. With how clueless he was about this world, she might as well pretend to be a newcomer. Inwardly, the sinking feeling in his chest intensified. He recalled the drunkard earlier, this excited poodle in front of him, the rude woman who spewed out curses smoother than breathing, and who knew what kind of people would pop up in the future. He had to… clear the Nightmare Game with these people in the next seven days? 

All of a sudden, Lu Yizhou felt that the future was very bleak…

Ji Yan patted her chest proudly, unaware of the lifeless look in Lu Yizhou's eyes. "Perfect, you can rely on me! This is my fifth quest, so feel free to ask me anything you want!"

"What does a team mean? Can I go off on my own?" He had always been better off alone. Moving with a group of people would only slow him down and become a burden. Even now, his head was throbbing listening to the barrage of insults that the rude woman was spouting. Lu Yizhou did not know when he would finally snap and decide to shut the woman up once and for all.

"Ah? You want to do this alone…?" Dumbfounded, Ji Yan gawked at him for a second. He then let out a dry chuckle and muttered under her breath. "Oh God… on top of being an ice goddess, you are also a lone wolf." 

The corner of Lu Yizhou's lips twitched and he chose not to comment on that. 

Ji Yan's face became serious when she answered Lu Yizhou's question, "Just as the word implies, we are a team. Of course, if you choose to be alone, then it's your own free will and I can't do anything to stop you, but…"

Lu Yizhou's gut instinct clamoured that he wouldn't be happy to hear what Ji Yan would say next. And sometimes, he hated how accurate he was.

"But oftentimes, there are team missions we have to complete. The game has been tailored so that you cannot clear it alone. Completion will give us life-saving clues and rewards whereas failure… means that we have to undergo punishment together." Ji Yan pursed her lips and emphasized with a grave look. "I swear, you don't want to get punished. I have seen others underestimate the team mission and choose to save their own lives first and… all of them did not end well."

By now, Lu Yizhou was already used to hearing one bad news after another that it did not surprise him anymore. So far, the only good thing that had happened to him since waking up was the presence of Ozzie. After that, everything started to go downhill with still no sight of the bottom… He had a sudden urge to let out a crazed laugh. Why did this world seem so insistent to go against him?!

"Don't worry, Miss Irene!" Ji Yan patted his shoulder in the form of camaraderie. She used her thumb to point at her own nose, chin tilted up proudly. "Not to boast, but my luck is pretty — no, actually I have extremely good luck! Otherwise, how could I end up choosing the carriage with you in it?" She finished her sentence with a wink.

Lu Yizhou: "..." 

[666: oh my Admin God, 666 just got goosebumps. This kiddo is trying so hard to impress you, Host!]

'Hehehe, isn't she too adorable?' Ozzie pipped in cheerfully.

As they were talking, another woman came out of the second carriage. She had a curly nest of ginger hair on her head and a pair of glasses so thick that it obscured her face. The rude woman gave her a stinky eye before stomping off to the side as if she was carrying a contagious illness. This was… the weirdo she was talking about earlier?

After the ginger haired woman, the carriage door slammed shut and started to move away. 

"Huh…?" Ji Yan made a noise of surprise. "One, two, three… there are only five people here? But I remember the notification saying that I have six companions. Doesn't it mean that there are supposed to be seven people here?" She scratched her head in confusion.

The rude woman, who heard Ji Yan's words, only shrugged with an arrogant harrumph. "Who knows? Maybe they have dropped dead somewhere." 

Was it only Lu Yizhou's imagination or had this woman been giving him judging glances once in a while? What was her problem…? 

"How can it be?" Ji Yan countered, horrified. "The game has not even started yet! Please don't tell me that we have to complete a seven-person game with only five people? We will be doomed!"

Lu Yizhou blinked, surprised. He had no idea what kind of 'doom' Ji Yan was talking about, but it was true that there were only five women in the vicinity, including him. With 666 identified as a player, there should be six women. So where was the last person?

Or…

[666: N—No, that's impossible! There can't be two transmigrators in one simulator, Host, or else our mission to save the villain will be in chaos!]

[Haven't we already been in chaos?] Lu Yizhou let out a snort. [You, the so-called sophisticated system is reduced to a mere player and stripped of your basic function to relay the original plot and identify the villain. Not to mention that you don't even have a physical body. In other words, you will only be a burden to the team, even Ozzie is more useful than you. Why can't the bugs just pull more transmigrators in to add the burden?]

[666: …QAQ 666 is not a burden! Host is so mean…!!!]

After one last heartbreaking wail, 666 disappeared into the corner of Lu Yizhou's mind to wallow in self-pity.

Lu Yizhou rolled his eyes at how dramatic 666 was but instead, his peripheral vision caught sight of the suspicious movement of the tall bushes beside his leg. He surged forward to catch the culprit by the back of her collar and dragged her out into the open. "What are you doing?" he asked with his eyes narrowed sharply.

It was the drunkard who had ridden in the same carriage with him and Ji Yan earlier, the one who had run off to God-knows-where. Twigs and stray leaves intertwined in her messy hair as she flailed her arms around. "I–I should be asking you that! I just want to pick up my liquor. Why did you suddenly grab me like this?!" To prove her point, she pointed at the area half a meter away from Lu Yizhou. A small bottle of wine peeked out in between the thick shrubs.

Lu Yizhou let go of her and she staggered to pick the bottle, hugging it to her chest. "My poor baby. Yes, yes, come to Mama."

Lu Yizhou observed her in suspicion. Was she really there to pick the bottle up? In the first place, how did Lu Yizhou not notice when the bottle rolled close to him? A voice was nagging inside his mind, telling him to be careful around this chubby, wasted woman. 

[You can't scan the bug too?]

[666: N—No… *hiccups*]

Lu Yizhou huffed. [Useless.]

"Alright!" Ji Yan clapped twice to break the tense atmosphere, beaming brightly. "Now that the misunderstanding has been resolved, we should introduce ourselves! We will be stuck together for the next seven days so let's  get along with each other, okay? I will start first. My name is Ji Yan, 22 years old. This is my fifth quest and um…" she chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck, sheepish. "I am actually a male."

All eyes turned to him[1] in shock. Lu Yizhou did not expect Ji Yan to divulge his real gender out in the open, even before the game started. 

The rude woman cried out the loudest, "Y–You're a what?!"

Ji Yan proceeded to tell them about Master Knox's request. "So, yeah… the system gives me a female body. It's not permanent though so don't worry!" He grinned. "I am just telling you in case you're feeling anxious. So don't worry because even though I look like this, I am a male thorough and thorough! Feel free to ask me if you need help in the future!"

Ah, Lu Yizhou had a better understanding of Ji Yan's character now. So he was the type of mood maker who would shoulder the burden on his team with a smile on his face. Ji Yan might be acting a bit too coy in front of Lu Yizhou, but that desire to help others was not fake and definitely not to boast his male ego trying to prove himself in front of women.

With that trait of his… wouldn't that make him the perfect protagonist in a survival story? 

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[1] Because Ji Yan's real gender is already out, I will use the male pronouns to refer to him from now on ^^

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