Chapter 196: The Savior

The four of them had finished resting, and now needed to return to Paradise Port immediately.

After all, everyone was injured. Though the wounds weren’t fatal, if they weren’t treated soon, the next few days would undoubtedly be miserable.

Leaving the Earth Tiger’s game site, the group spent about an hour and a half returning to Paradise Port.

Just like the day before, Chu Tianqiu was standing in the courtyard, gazing outside.

“Hey!” Qi Xia called out. “Some people are injured—get someone to help.”

“Huh?” Chu Tianqiu blinked. “Right… I’ll call for help right away.”

Before long, five or six people rushed out from Paradise Port and carried the three injured back inside.

Among them, Qi Xia spotted Dr. Zhao.

“Good…” Qi Xia said to him. “Glad you didn’t go out. Check on them quickly—they’re all covered in superficial wounds.”

“Alright… but I’m not a professional surgeon,” Dr. Zhao said hesitantly. “I’ll just do what I can.”

He led the three into a classroom to briefly examine their injuries. Apparently, this classroom was specifically reserved for the wounded.

At first glance, Zhang Shan seemed the least injured. Though covered in blood, no actual wounds could be found on him.

Next was Qiao Jiajin, whose arms and legs had large areas of abrasions, as if his skin had been scraped off by rough stone.

Though not life-threatening, such injuries would cause unimaginable pain.

The worst off was Li Xiangling. She had several fractured ribs, abrasions on her arms, a sprained left foot, and a non-severe penetrating wound in her right bicep. None were fatal, but she would need complete rest and could no longer participate in any games.

After listening, Qi Xia nodded, exchanged a few more words with Dr. Zhao, and turned to leave—only to freeze in place.

A room specifically for the wounded…?

He glanced back at Li Xiangling, and something flickered in his mind.

“Complete rest…?”

Qiao Jiajin also noticed Qi Xia’s odd expression and asked, “What’s wrong, trickster?”

“Nothing…” Qi Xia’s face darkened as an idea formed in his mind. “Just rest well. I’ll get you some food.”

With a cold expression, he pushed open the door and muttered to himself, “So that’s it… Just like Zhang Shan, Li Xiangling won’t survive tonight either.”

Qi Xia returned to his own classroom and found Han Yimo sitting inside when he opened the door.

At the moment, he was smiling faintly at the sky.

The smile was unnervingly eerie.

Upon seeing someone enter, Han Yimo immediately wiped the smile off his face and turned to Qi Xia.

“You’re back?”

Qi Xia frowned slightly. “Yeah, I came to grab some food.”

“Oh, let me help.” Han Yimo stood up, picked up a few canned goods and bottles of water, and handed them over. “Here.”

Qi Xia silently took them, his gaze fixed on Han Yimo’s eyes.

“What were you… looking at earlier?” Qi Xia asked.

“The sky,” Han Yimo answered with a smile. “It’s mesmerizing here.”

“Is that so?”

Qi Xia glanced out the window—dark red sky, a sickly yellow sun.

The sun’s edges were lined with thin black tendrils, slowly creeping inward.

“Have you ever seen a sky or sun like this?” Han Yimo turned slowly, still smiling. “The sun doesn’t glare at all—it’s like a yellow ball. I can’t find any words to describe it.”

“Strange things are everywhere here,” Qi Xia said flatly. “I’m used to it by now.”

“It’s not ‘strange’… It’s ‘beautiful’…” Han Yimo murmured. “Floating in the sky… It feels so beautiful. It’s like… I can’t explain it, but I feel like I’ve seen it before.”

“You’re just bored,” Qi Xia sighed. “Didn’t you say you had an unfinished novel? Use this time to brainstorm. You can publish it once we return to the real world.”

“Novel…?” Han Yimo blinked. “Right, the novel. Qi Xia, did you know? Every novel has a savior.”

“Oh?” Qi Xia replied indifferently. “I don’t read much, so I wouldn’t know.”

“Qi Xia, you’re my savior.”

“Me? A ‘savior’…?” Qi Xia thought for a moment. Han Yimo had called him that several times now, and it was starting to grate on him. “I just saved your life once. No need to exaggerate it like that.”

“Hahaha!” Han Yimo laughed. “Right, right, sorry. My wording was off. Anyway, thanks for saving me.”

Qi Xia couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

Before, Han Yimo had seemed like a perfectly normal young man—a bit timid, but never acting in a way that raised eyebrows or disgust.

So why was he acting so strangely today?

Had the “Land of the End” affected him?

Footsteps suddenly pounded down the hallway—someone was running in a panic.

“Emergency! Is anyone in charge?!” a voice shouted outside.

Qi Xia recognized it as Old Lü’s.

People trickled out of the classrooms and saw Old Lü, drenched in sweat, desperately searching for help. His clothes were soaked, as if he’d just been in water.

“Where’s Chu Tianqiu? And that Qi kid?” His voice trembled. “Is there anyone smart who can help?!”

Qi Xia stepped out just as Chu Tianqiu arrived as well.

“What’s wrong?” Chu Tianqiu asked.

“That celebrity… Yun Yao…” Old Lü gasped, clutching his chest. “She’s in trouble!”

Qi Xia and Chu Tianqiu both stiffened.

“What happened to her?” Qi Xia asked.

“She’s trapped in a game site…” Old Lü panted. “My god… I’ve never seen anything like it… The rabbit won’t let her leave…”

“What?” Qi Xia frowned, glancing at Chu Tianqiu.

But Chu Tianqiu looked just as confused.

“A rabbit?” Chu Tianqiu asked. “The Human-Rabbit?”

“Yeah!” Old Lü nodded frantically. “It’s so weird… Didn’t you say you gambled that rabbit to death yesterday? Why is there still a Zodiac there today…?”

Chu Tianqiu’s face paled. “Old Lü, Qi Xia—come with me. Everyone else, disperse.”

“Disperse?!”

The crowd exchanged bewildered looks. Shouldn’t rescuing Yun Yao be the top priority?

Qi Xia took a deep breath and followed Old Lü into Chu Tianqiu’s classroom.

“Close the door…” Chu Tianqiu murmured, visibly shaken.

“What’s going on?” Qi Xia asked. “Do you need me to strategize?”

“No… Wait a moment…” Chu Tianqiu turned to Old Lü. “First, tell us exactly what happened.”