She Was Sentenced to Life Imprisonment [Unlimited] - Chapter 72

Chapter 72: The Communication Zone

What am I, really?

A roar echoed in her ears, and the pain made Jiang Nan frown sharply. The collapsing world in front of her became an illusion, and a white light filled her vision. As if knowing her discomfort, a pair of warm hands gently covered her ears. The familiar scent immediately told Jiang Nan who it was, but she still froze for a moment, unconsciously raising her hand and grabbing the other person’s wrist.

She heard a faint laugh, both real and illusory, and couldn’t distinguish the emotions within it. It wasn’t until the roaring stopped that the hands left her ears. But Jiang Nan was a little reluctant to let go of that warm touch, though her indifferent face showed no sign of it.

The blade appeared in her hand. The other person’s hand covered hers, guiding her to hold it tighter. She felt something change in the uneven pattern of the hilt. The person leaned close to her ear, their hot breath on her neck made her feel a little itchy, and the turmoil in her heart became more obvious. The resonance from the depths of her soul made her unconsciously follow the other person’s words, reciting them word by word, and a bewitching color crept into her light-colored pupils.

“In the name of the gods, the world perishes.”

The blade, which had absorbed Xiao Qi’s bl00d and soul, suddenly hummed in her hand, like a person’s resolve, about to rush towards death. The powerful force that suddenly descended shattered the world. The white light that was supposed to take them away became transparent, and the current state of the dungeon appeared before them. The dark cracks in the ground were like several giant abyssal mouths, devouring the world. The dungeon, which was originally just going to be recycled by the main god, was completely destroyed at this moment.

He Nas’s ears suddenly rang, and “its” exasperated and angry voice sounded in her mind. “He Nas! What are you doing?!”

Her deep purple eyes were tinged with a bloody crimson, and her appearance was so maniacal that it was terrifying. She let out a soft laugh, which made it impossible to see any warmth in the corners of her slightly raised lips, only the coldness of a glacier.

A long, beautiful hand came from behind Jiang Nan and pinched her chin. He breathed softly between their necks. Their bodies were pressed against each other, an extremely ambiguous action that made Jiang Nan’s body stiffen, but she had no intention of breaking away.

“Little Jiang Nan, tell it what we’re doing.” Her voice was like a lullaby, trapping people in a nightmare.

In the depths of Jiang Nan’s pupils, the destruction of the world was reflected. Her lips parted, and she spoke without a single ripple, highlighting “its” unreasonableness. “We’re helping you destroy the world.”

After saying this, Jiang Nan’s muddled mind suddenly cleared, but the parts that were made up of countless fragments made her frown in pain. She couldn’t remember what she had just done… But they were still here… Jiang Nan felt the warm body behind her, and her eyes darkened. This seemed a bit too intimate.

It was furious, but it couldn’t find any fault with them. Because He Nas was a tool in its hands, He Nas knew very well how to make it powerless against her. Besides, the system it had arranged itself had said to close the dungeon, and destroying it was also a form of closing it.

“You should get a reward, you know?” He Nas’s words were a bit shameless. Even though Jiang Nan couldn’t see it now, she could imagine that it must have been so angry its teeth were grinding. Thinking of this, Jiang Nan turned her head, but she could only see He Nas’s profile, and she couldn’t even see the expression on her face.

“Who… are you talking to?” Jiang Nan frowned, asking.

He Nas’s hand, which was pinching Jiang Nan’s chin, extended an index finger and gently rested it on the other person’s slightly cool lips, signaling her to be quiet.

It seemed to be in a rage, and it disappeared after a cold snort. The white light covered her vision again. Jiang Nan returned to the rest area, and she was still thinking about its last words before it disappeared. “This time, I can come find you.”

The system started to settle her points, but it seemed to be stuck halfway, and no result appeared for a long time. Jiang Nan was a bit impatient. She directly scrolled to the end of the transparent control panel and clicked to confirm leaving the rest area, thus missing the small movement of the thing casually placed in her pocket.

Her figure appeared in the communication zone, and Lin Jia and the others appeared with her. They were also a little surprised to see Jiang Nan, but Yan Xin politely nodded to Jiang Nan and then silently pulled Yang Yi away. They were in such a hurry to leave, as if staying with Jiang Nan for another moment would bring them bad luck.

Jiang Nan didn’t pay attention to their expressions. But just as she was about to look for He Nas, she didn’t know if it was her imagination or not, but the sky-high ladder in front of her, which was like a pyramid, suddenly became a phantom, as if it was about to disappear, but it quickly returned to normal, as if nothing unusual had happened.

Lin Jia wasn’t in a hurry to leave. She followed Jiang Nan’s gaze and saw that she was looking at the sky-high ladder. In a crowded place, she smiled sweetly and said to Jiang Nan, “There’s nothing good to see there. It’s just something made of malice.” So many people were gathered here. Who didn’t have some guilt in their hearts? Guilt corresponded to evil.

Hearing this, Jiang Nan withdrew her gaze, turning to look at the other person a few times, or rather, at the players who seemed to be busy. But she didn’t see any sign of surprise or a discussion of the illusion on anyone’s face. Out of thousands of players, not a single pair of eyes saw the anomaly of the sky-high ladder, so this was a sight only she could see.

Jiang Nan hadn’t figured out what this meant yet. Seeing Lin Jia looking at her with a new sense of curiosity, she hid her doubts and said calmly, “Aren’t you leaving?”

Jiang Nan’s eyes drooped slightly. She was already used to others avoiding her like the plague. Lin Jia smiled. A hint of an unreadable emotion flashed in her eyes. It was like a curious look, or perhaps excitement for something new. She said, “We’ve been through two dungeons together. I also think going through dungeons with you is full of unexpected things and quite thrilling, but I probably don’t want a next time.” After all, staying alive was the most important thing here.

“Then I can only wish you good luck.” Jiang Nan said and then started to leave, but Lin Jia blocked her path again.

“Is there something else you need?” Jiang Nan took a step back, and a coldness appeared in her eyes, making people shiver.

Lin Jia noticed her movement. She immediately pretended to raise her hand to put her hair behind her ear, revealing a somewhat shy smile that made her look harmless, but Jiang Nan knew it was all a pretense. She only heard her say, “You don’t have to be so nervous. I won’t do anything like those people here.” She said, with some disdain for the players who were looking at them. Then she spoke again. “I just have a question I want to know the answer to, and only you can tell me. I won’t let you lose out. So, as an exchange, I’ll tell you a secret.”

Hearing her words, Jiang Nan’s eyes narrowed slightly. She didn’t trust the other person. She weighed every word in the other person’s sentence and didn’t immediately agree. Lin Jia didn’t seem to be in a hurry either. She had a one-sided chat with Su Yue, who was waiting beside her, but she still blocked Jiang Nan’s path. A hint of an obscure emotion flashed in her eyes. Lin Jia had been very interested in He Nas since the last dungeon. Thinking of this, the person’s figure flashed in her mind, and her hand, hidden in her bl00d-stained sleeve, tightened.

“I don’t know anything about her,” Jiang Nan said coldly, using this as a reason to reject Lin Jia’s deal.

But unexpectedly, Lin Jia shook her head, smiled at her, and said mysteriously, “I’m not asking about her. I’m asking about you.”

“Me?” Jiang Nan looked at the other person thoughtfully. The coldness in her eyes intensified. She sneered, “About me? I don’t even know what I am.” Her tone was a bit sarcastic, but she was mocking herself.

Lin Jia didn’t expect Jiang Nan to be so harsh on herself. She frowned slightly and stared at the other person’s eyes, trying to see through her, but to her dismay, she failed every time. But it was precisely because of her continuous failures with Jiang Nan and He Nas that her curiosity was piqued.

“Since you don’t trust me, to show my sincerity, I can tell you the secret I know first.” Jiang Nan raised her chin slightly, motioning for the other person to continue.

“Go on.”

“You probably don’t know yet, but the novice dungeon in the City of Desire has disappeared.”

Hearing this, Jiang Nan lowered her eyes. An emotion that others couldn’t see flashed by. She asked, “Why?”

Lin Jia didn’t care about the question Jiang Nan asked, treating it as a bonus. “An anomaly appeared, an anomaly that made the main god afraid.” Lin Jia said, her eyes fixed on Jiang Nan, trying to see any emotional fluctuation in her, but she saw nothing.

“You think that anomaly is me and He… Luo Ning?” The danger in the depths of Jiang Nan’s narrowed eyes was terrifying. It was as if if the person in front of her were to admit it, she would pull out her knife and kill her to silence her.

Lin Jia quickly waved her hands and denied it. “I never said that, and I never suspected you.”

Jiang Nan didn’t miss the cunning look in her eyes. She subtly tried to take a step back, but then she heard the other person speak again. “I’m not here to get that answer today. If you have a little bit of trust in me, you can extend your hand. What I’m going to ask might be a taboo.”

Hearing her words, Jiang Nan’s movements faltered. She said calmly, “You can’t be sure if I’ll choose to answer.”

“But I have to ask, or I’ll be depressed,” Lin Jia said, winking at her, seemingly not caring if Jiang Nan answered.

Jiang Nan looked at her for a while and then extended her hand. Seeing this, Lin Jia knew Jiang Nan had agreed. She walked over happily. The words she wrote on her palm tickled her fingers slightly, but when the last word fell, the gloom in her eyes was startling.

Lin Jia asked what she was, really.

What did she say? Perhaps she herself didn’t know. Jiang Nan withdrew her hand, her expression indifferent, and repeated the same words without a single change. “I don’t even know what I am.”

She had no past and no future. In her memory, there were only constantly falling floors and a despairing version of herself. The only variable was the appearance of He Nas. So, she really didn’t know what she was. Was she a person? An NPC? She didn’t seem to be either.

Lin Jia laughed a few times, she didn’t know if she was laughing at the answer or something else. Suddenly, her expression changed. She seemed to be trying to suppress her fear and said lightly, “Your partner is here. I’ll see you later, oh no, never again.” After saying that, she motioned for Jiang Nan to look in a certain direction and then left on her own. Su Yue also left after a nod.

Jiang Nan looked over and saw the person walking towards her from the crowd. The blurry face became clear in front of her, familiar yet strange. The smile on her face never changed, as if nothing could ever stir any emotion in her.

He Nas walked in front of her. Under her tall figure, the shadow she cast covered Jiang Nan. The other person’s fragrance filled her nose. “I was limited before, and this time it finally let me out. I guess…” She paused, as if thinking of a suitable explanation. “It’s a reward from it.”

Jiang Nan: … So the reward He Nas shamelessly asked for from the main god was this.

“You have so many faces, you don’t have to be so shameless,” Jiang Nan pouted, mercilessly complaining about the other person.

After leaving the dungeon, this place was one of the two safe places. It was the first time they had met in a place without a mission. Although Jiang Nan’s words weren’t pleasant, she still couldn’t help but get closer to the other person.

“Your clothes are dirty. I’ll go with you to change them,” He Nas said.

Jiang Nan’s eyes drooped slightly, but the other person had already taken her hand and pulled her into the crowd. “The City of Desire is getting more and more useless. How long has it been, and no one from the novice dungeon has even made it out?” The idle players complained to their companions, perhaps because they couldn’t earn points from newcomers.

“You’re right. I heard it has a problem.” “Then will it still fulfill its promise when we reach the tenth floor?” Someone started to worry. “You’ll just have fewer competitors, and you might not even make it up there anyway.” They laughed at the person who was worrying unnecessarily, but even if the news was unconfirmed, they could only speculate now.

When Jiang Nan heard their conversation, she suddenly realized that Lin Jia had tricked her, but her answer at that time was of no use to Lin Jia, so they didn’t owe each other anything.

“Be careful.” He Nas said, putting an arm around Jiang Nan’s waist and pulling her to the side, avoiding a player who had just come out of a dungeon and was covered in bl00d. That person had escaped the dungeon, but he was on his last breath. Even if he came out, the City of Desire wouldn’t provide medical care, and the points he brought out would be divided up by the other players like a pack of wolves.

Sure enough, the moment the person fell to the ground, the players swarmed him, and before he could even catch his breath, someone slit his throat. He Nas’s eyes narrowed slightly, reflecting the corpse on the ground and the celebrating players. A hint of pity appeared in her eyes. Pity for them and disgust for this place.

Jiang Nan looked at them and suddenly found it funny for that person. They had fought so hard to survive, only to be killed by the very people who were supposed to be in the same predicament. Here, all humanity was gone. They were trained by the main god to be like a bunch of lunatics.

“Let’s go,” He Nas said to Jiang Nan. “You can ask me any questions you have. I’ll answer.” But whether the answers would be true, she couldn’t tell. Whether it was true or false was just a matter of the other person’s words. Thinking of this, a look of darkness flashed in Jiang Nan’s eyes.

“What am I, really?”

As if she didn’t realize that Jiang Nan’s question was about herself, He Nas lowered her head and thought for a moment. Then she took Jiang Nan’s hand, leaned into her ear, and spoke in a soft, pleasant voice that was like a devil’s whisper.

“You are my blade. You are the ticking time bomb I buried in the main god’s body.”

Jiang Nan’s pupils constricted, but she didn’t push the other person away. So, because of her, the City of Desire would disappear. Just thinking about it made her bl00d boil with excitement. This wasn’t her emotion. It was… She lowered her eyes in thought, and from the corner of her eye, she saw the person.

This was He Nas’s emotion.

“You’re a successful liar.” She had used her, but she still couldn’t bring herself to kill her. He Nas looked into her eyes, as if she couldn’t tell from Jiang Nan’s complicated eyes whether she was angry about this. She only felt a hint of a smile from the other person and thought that there was no rift between them. So, the smile on her face deepened, arrogant and carefree, as if she didn’t care about anyone else’s life or death.

“Little Jiang Nan is complimenting me.”

Jiang Nan looked at her deeply, knowing that the other person couldn’t hear the sarcasm and could only confirm her feelings through her senses. So, the smile on her face also deepened, but it had a different meaning. “Yes, I’m complimenting you.”

As she said that, she tilted her head, pushing He Nas’s head away from her shoulder. She saw the scattered players and the only remaining corpse on the ground. A look flashed in her eyes. “Why isn’t it called the System of Desire?” It was already clearly called the City of Desire, but it used a somewhat complimentary word for its system. How could survival be worthy of their ugliness?

“You’re wrong.” He Nas laughed. She raised her eyes, looking down as if she had taken in all the evil. There was an endless sorrow and sarcasm in her smiling eyes.

“When you forget desire, survival becomes an instinct.” The further they went, the more they would realize how difficult it was to stay alive.