Chapter 73 Chapter 73 (2/2)

Zhou Mingxuan, Song Qinglan and Ji Yushi formed the other group.

After entering the second room, Zhou Mingxuan separated from them.

Song Qinglan and Ji Yushi separated at the fourth room. After going through three rooms alone, they met again before once again separating in the new room.

The reduction in the number of rooms made it easier for them to meet up again.

Once, Duan Wen said, “Those ninth squad bastards. I’ve already encountered them twice, but why haven’t I encountered those other two?”

He was talking about the two men who didn’t look like traversers.

Song Qinglan glanced at Ji Yushi. The latter had already recovered his usual calmness, “You won’t see them again.”

They continued with their mission, repeating the process of separating, meeting and then exchanging information.

They would meet different teammates in different rooms, and they would also run into more and more traversers.

Finally, they noticed that the blue rooms had disappeared.

On the six sides of the cube, one side had a dark void appear and that side soon turned into dark nothingness. At the same time, Duan Wen who joined the blue rooms disappeared.

Before Ji Yushi entered the last room with the red ball, he ran into Song Qinglan again.

The room had recorded an earlier traverser’s death process.

She knelt on the ground, her skin slowly peeling from her body until her bones were revealed underneath.

She cried out in agony. The short blond hair falling from her scalp and the gun in her hand…..all of it allowed Ji Yushi to recognise her.

After Zoe separated from him, she had chosen a red room again.

She was bold and courageous, but she had failed to make it to the end.

The two stood together on the ladder. Song Qinglan was able to take in Ji Yushi’s reaction.

Song Qinglan grabbed his shoulder and said in a low voice, “Don’t look. I’ll go this way.”

Ji Yushi however didn’t mind.

The two stood very close. He spoke up but what he said was, “Cap Song, I have already reminded you earlier.”

Song Qinglan found breathing difficult.

The other party’s state wasn’t good. It could be said that it had worsened considerably in a very short amount of time.

Song Qinglan took in the other party’s pale face and sweaty forehead as well as the slightly quivering eyelashes and unwavering resoluteness.

“Ji Yushi!”

Without giving him a chance to stop him, Ji Yushi quickly climbed down the ladder and entered the room.

“Beep——”

The round hole closed.

The ball that was originally in Ji Yushi’s hand returned to its original position.

With Ji Yushi gone, Song Qinglan could only watch himself be moved in another direction together with the room: “……..”

In this labyrinth-like cube, he could no longer see Ji Yushi’s figure.

*

In the darkness, a new figure emerged.

The teammates in the centre block waited eagerly for their comrade who managed to successfully join the rooms.

The man was tall and straight and his skin was pale. His appearance easily attracted everyone’s attention.

“It’s Advisor Ji!” Duan Wen shouted, “Only Cap Song is left.”

In addition to Duan Wen, Tang Qi, Tang Le and Zhou Mingxuan were all there. There were also more than a dozen unfamiliar traversers.

They were all people who had completed the joining.

Ji Yushi walked over. There was still some doubt in his expression.

He already knew that as the rooms moved, there would be people dying due to a calculation error in the time difference between the rooms and that some traversers would cooperate and form a team to complete the mission. The chances of all six timelines being completed by the seventh squad was very small. With so many people here, he didn’t understand how Tianqiong would calculate the completion of this so-called Super S-level multiplayer mission.

Groups of people whispered to each other in twos or threes.

Every time a traverser entered the centre block, their expression would change.

Everyone stood together and waited for a while before Song Qinglan finally emerged from the darkness — He had successfully joined the very last colour.

“Congratulations, you have completed the new Super S-level mission, 【Rubik’s Cube】.”

Unpretentiously, Tianqiong’s gentle female voice sounded. When it reached their ears, it automatically switched to their language.

All the traversers stopped talking.

“Guardians from Star Era 1456, congratulations on completing the multiplayer mission together with traversers from other times and spaces. You have completed the Rubik’s Cube mission outstandingly and are the winners of this mission.”

At this very moment, everyone felt emotional.

It turns out that the squad who joined the most room wins. Only they will be given the credit.

Those unfamiliar traversers around them disappeared one after another. They were sent back to their original time and space by Tianqiong.

The seventh squad was extremely envious of this.

What they wanted wasn’t the reward, but to return to their own time and space, just like those innocent traversers who had been unfortunately implicated.

But Tianqiong’s words following this left everyone in disbelief.

“You have completed all the missions that I have prepared for you.”

“You have the right to save your reward and continue to the next mission or return to your time and space and use your reward immediately.”

Everyone in the seventh squad was stunned.

They can…..go home?

*

The silence lasted for several minutes.

Fantasy, lies, reality, no one was able to truly believe in those words.

But, going home. It was like hanging a plump pancake in front of a starving man. It was something they truly desired.

Would it be true this time?

Would they finally be free?

As if it knew what they were thinking, Tianqiong said, “This time you will truly return.”

After the emphasis, everyone couldn’t help but believe.

Could they finally return back to the third second after setting off, back to their original era?

Tianqiong continued to clear up their confusions, “Unfortunately, because a time anchor could not be set for the ‘Rubik’s Cube’ mission and in order to ensure the integrity of time and space, the return time will be adjusted to 17 March, 1456. Furthermore, because a teammate of yours failed to complete this mission, you will not be able to return to your original transition time together as a group. You will have to return separately.”

Someone failed to complete the mission?

Duan Wen’s expression changed, “Li Chun?!”

Tianqiong: “Yes, but don’t worry, he just needs to complete a simple B-level mission to make up for it and then he can go back home.”

“Dammit!! What kind of rule is that?”

“Do you think you’re the teacher who wrote the test and can change it just because you want to change it?! You’re just a damned system!”

“Can I swap my reward in exchange for Li Chun’s return?”

Tianqiong, “Sorry, I cannot do that exchange. The mission is not dangerous, please rest assured.”

Everyone cursed.

What missions could Li Chun complete alone?

Sure enough, Tianqiong continued, “In order to ensure that the new mission is successfully completed as soon as possible, you can choose to leave a team member behind to assist him in completing the mission.”

Everyone, “……..”

What a damned scammer!

How shameless could this broken system get?!

“At most we can just all stay behind.” Tang Qi said, “It’s just one more mission.”

“I will definitely beat him to death this time.”

As the rest of the squad chattered, Ji Yushi didn’t speak.

“Alright.” Song Qinglan interrupted them. His eyes swept across them, “You can all go back. I’ll stay behind.”

“If we’re staying behind then we will all stay behind.”

“The sooner it’s done, the sooner we can go home!”

“No, if you’re staying, we’re staying too!”

Song Qinglan raised his eyes and once again looked at Ji Yushi, “It’s just a B-level mission, me alone will be enough. You all have things you want to do. The sooner you return, the sooner you will finish the report and psychological assessment.”

Song Qinglan said, “Or are you saying that I can’t even complete a normal mission myself? I’m not reliable?”

Everyone was silent.

Zhou Mingxuan immediately said, “Then, since I have nothing much for me when I go back anyway, I’ll go with you.”

Song Qinglan hooked up his lips, “Okay, Old Zhou can stay. The rest are not needed.”

Tianqiong spoke in due course, “Song Qinglan, Zhou Mingxuan, you are welcome to stay and complete the B-level mission. Your rewards will be saved.”

Very clearly, this was what Tianqiong wanted. Everyone began to curse.

The group surrounded Song Qinglan and Zhou Mingxuan.

With the two of them together, they should be able to somehow complete the B-level mission with Li Chun.

From the beginning until now, 【Ouroboros】, 【Chaos】, 【Who am I】 and 【Rubik’s Cube】, everyone went through these difficult missions as a united team.

Every one of them had a strong desire to return home. Tang Le had an urge to cry and was comforted by Tang Qi who embraced his head.

Even Duan Wen’s eyes had reddened.

“Control your tears. Maybe we’ll be back just a few seconds after you return.”

Song Qinglan threw this out casually. His ruthless words successfully contained the emotional scene.

And then, in front of everyone, Song Qinglan turned to Ji Yushi and said, “Advisor Ji.”

For Ji Yushi, more than ten hours had passed since he and Song Qinglan separated.

Song Qinglan’s words made his heart skip a beat. He looked up and was met with the other party’s eyes which held some difficult to describe emotions. He seemed to be angry, or even frustrated, but in any case, that look of his made Ji Yushi feel that something about Song Qinglan had changed during those few hours.

“After I return, I have something to say to you.” Song Qinglan spoke a little fiercely but his words didn’t contain the commanding tone that belonged to a captain, “There is something I hope you can consider very seriously.”

Everyone was confused.

Cap Song didn’t sound like he wanted to ask Advisor Ji again to stay in their squad.

On the contrary, there was a sense of burning all his bridges as well as resoluteness after having made up his mind. The teammates couldn’t help but exchange looks with each other.

Ji Yushi: “…..I don’t know where I will be then.”

Song Qinglan almost immediately understood what he meant by that.

Ten years ago…..that incident.

Song Qinglan said bluntly, “Don’t go back yet.”

The bright lights forming the timelines made Ji Yushi’s pale complexion appear very cold, just like how it was when they first met.

He didn’t directly answer and just said, “I miss my cat(s).”

There were four capsules not far away faintly emitting a glow.

Ji Yushi wasn’t able to take more than a few steps before Song Qinglan grabbed his shoulder.

The handsome young man’s face was covered in stubble, giving off a ruffian-like air. That oppressiveness made it difficult for others to look at him in the eyes for more than a few seconds.

Ji Yushi wanted to avert his , but he heard him say, “Wait for me. I will go with you.”

Ji Yushi’s heart pounded very rapidly.

He knew that his teammates were watching them, but Song Qinglan didn’t seem to care.

He didn’t know what this situation looked like to them. Before he could speak, Song Qinglan forced through gritted teeth, “Ji Yushi, do you hear me? That year, I will go with you.”

Ji Yushi didn’t answer.

Those few seconds of silence seemed like it lasted for several years. It was so long that Song Qinglan thought that Ji Yushi would refuse, so long that Song Qinglan almost wanted to harden his heart and make Ji Yushi replace Zhou Mingxuan to accompany him through the next unknown mission instead.

But Song Qinglan couldn’t do it.

It was too cruel for Ji Yushi.

At this moment, Ji Yushi raised his beautiful eyes and said something: “Hasolamu.”

The strange pronunciation surprised Song Qinglan, “What does it mean?”

He very quickly realised that this was Big Beard’s language.

Ji Yushi blinked a few times and said, “I hope everything goes well for you in the B-level mission.”