444: 8.44 Everything Will End Soon

8.44 Everything Will End Soon

Stuck with the matter of soul swapping, they finally decided to leave it at that and dispersed to search for the other clues.  2

At first Ji Yan suggested forming a two-person group but Lu Yizhou straightly refused. "I better off working alone." He had a hunch that if he did not make his point clear early on, everyone would take him as a pushover, thinking that they had finally become a team. Lu Yizhou couldn't help but scoff. He was already irritated thinking about the sleeping arrangements tonight so he did not need any little chicks to follow him around during the day too.

Perhaps Lu Yizhou's face was really terrifying, the other three did not say anything before nodding, finally giving Lu Yizhou the space he needed.

The library was indeed enormous with rows of tall shelves lining deep into the room, filled with hardcover and thick books that could definitely cause a concussion if it were to fall onto someone's head. The smell of old books filled the air, no doubt the library would be a heaven for those who loved to read. 

Lu Yizhou started his exploration on the deeper, darker part of the library where the light did not quite reach. A single lantern illuminated his way. Master Luca's collection was extensive, ranging from history, geography, politics until hobbies like gardening and cooking recipes. There was also a section for children books, most likely belonging to Ella when she was still alive. Yet now all of them had gathered dust in the corner, untouched and forgotten.

He had almost walked by the children's books section when the corner of his eyes caught sight of a fluttering black dress, almost merging together with the shadows. His steps froze midway. That was… 

Lu Yizhou snapped his head back so fast that he almost got a whiplash. "Ellie…" Her name came out of his lips in a relieved murmur. He looked around to make sure that the three others were focused on their own business before he finally approached the woman clad in black gothic dress. "So it's you. Why didn't you say anything…" 

Words disappeared from Lu Yizhou's throat when he took in the state of Ellie's body. His blood instantly ran cold and his eyes widened in horror. Ellie's body was half transparent. In fact, she was so transparent it was as if she was going to disappear anytime soon. 

The relief in his face vanished, replaced with deep worry and anxiety. "What's wrong with you?" He tried to reach her but then, his hand went through Ellie's arm just like that… as if she was just a fragment of his illusion that was not even here in the first place. 

Previously the temperature had always plummeted around her but right now, all Lu Yizhou could feel was a slight chill. His pupils shook as he returned his gaze to the ghastly pale woman. This… This had never happened before! Ellie was so weak, so weak that she couldn't even maintain her form. Alarm bells wailed in Lu Yizhou's mind. Something was very wrong here and he had to do something. Anything!

"Ellie…?" He called out again, his voice barely a whisper. 

But Ellie did not answer him. She merely gave him a slow blink as though expecting that Lu Yizhou could understand her just like that. And then she pointed at something beneath her feet. 

There was a cluster of books there, all fairytales. He picked the one Ellie was pointing at. In the next second, the system notification rang inside his mind. 

[[Side quest(6/?): Obtain more clues about the mystery of the Knox Family in the library. Number of clues: 2/3]]

From afar, there was a cry from Ji Yan. "Who has found the clue?! Olivia, is that you?! Ailín?!" 

"Not me!"

"Not me either!"

The ruckus breezed through Lu Yizhou's ears like invisible wind as his attention was wholly focused on the woman in front of him. 

"How…" He swallowed past the lump on his throat. "How can I help you? Tell me. I–I am a white witch. There must be something I can do to help you. I can offer you my energy if you need it. Tell me, Ellie." He did not even give the book in his hand a second glance, his eyes transfixed on the almost translucent figure, scared that she was going to disappear if he so much as to blink. And oh, Lu Yizhou was really, really scared now. Fear gripped his heart so tight that he couldn't breathe. He was pleading now, begging so that she could allow him to help her. 

Ellie had once told him that he wouldn't want to know the extent of her greediness for him, but the same also applied to Lu Yizhou. Ellie would not realize, ever, the extent Lu Yizhou would go through just to keep her away from harm. 

"Miss Irene, where are you?" Ji Yan's voice was getting closer and closer. "Please answer me otherwise I will think that something has happened!"

Once again, he tried to grab her wrist to no avail. Frustration coursed through him. Why?! Why didn't he have the goddamn original plot?! If he could just obtain it the first second he entered this world, if he could just know what was threatening his lover, then everything wouldn't turn out like this and he wouldn't run around blindly like a headless fly! 

"Ellie." Lu Yizhou's voice was strained now, sharp on the edges and pressuring. The corner of his lips turned downward into a scowl. "If you don't tell me… I will burn this fucking house down. I will charge straight into the master bedroom and pull every single person there out. Consequences be damned! It will be utter chaos, Ellie… or do you want that?" He growled. "Do you want to see me destroy this world for your sake?"

Ellie's eyes widened slightly and then she shook her head, amused. She opened her arms and floated closer to take Lu Yizhou into her embrace and a second before Ji Yan appeared through the corner, she whispered in a voice so faint that Lu Yizhou had to strain his ears to listen. "Everything will end soon. One more." After saying that, she faded away until what was left in Lu Yizhou's arms was only empty air.

"There you are!" Ji Yan poked his head in before skipping forward excitedly. "Geez, you scared me one second there, Miss Irene! I thought something had happened to you! Why didn't you— Miss Irene?" He caught a glimpse of Lu Yizhou's face and paused. His smile faltered. "A—Are you okay? Did something happen?"

Lu Yizhou shook his head. He did not have the leisure to think of what kind of face he was putting on right now. His mind was still reeling on the words Ellie said earlier. Everything will end soon? One more? What did she mean by that? This was only the second day. There were still five days from when they were supported to—

Lu Yizhou's mind screeched to a halt. "Ji Yan."

"Y–Yes?!" Ji Yan squeaked out. 

He turned to face the man and asked urgently, "Is it possible for a game to end sooner than the allocated time?"

"O–Oh, yes!" Ji Yan blinked in surprise. Fortunately he did not ask anything further and quickly gave the answer Lu Yizhou wanted. "As long as we manage to complete all of the main quests, then the game will be over. As simple as that."

"Complete the main quests…" Lu Yizhou fell into deep thoughts. If this was a normal ending, then the mission would be to cure Madam and Miss' illness but as it turned out, Lu Yizhou had unlocked the true ending. That meant if he could solve the mystery in this family, then he would be able to end the game! So this was what Ellie meant by everything would end soon! She must have sensed that Lu Yizhou had almost grasped the whole truth!

There was no time to waste. He had to move as soon as possible. "Come on," he said to Ji Yan, already turning around. "We have to go look for the third clue." 

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Mini theater

LYZ in a nutshell: if I can complete the game in two days, why should I spent seven days?

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