Chapter 20.1 – Reader/Protagonist: Don’t make a fuss

Du Ze changed the topic decisively. Seemingly calm, he looked around while his face expressed the thought “don’t be silly, this is a time for serious academic discussion.” He asked: “What is this place?”

Actually, when Du Ze saw the piled-up bones after finishing their “mutual cultivation,”1 he knew that they were at the reverse side of the continent’s undead sea of bones. In the world of “Mixed Blood,” the Chaos Continent was like this: at the center was the Lost Land, the far north is a very cold place, the east is a deadly desert, the south contained the demonic beasts’ forest, and in the west is the boundless sea. In the reverse side of the continent, the western part is also a sea, but composed of countless dead souls. It is a paradise for the undead where their fighting power is greatly increased and the other races’ powers will be restricted.

Although … when he saw the sea of undead souls, what first appeared in his brain wasn’t “in the novel, this is where the protagonist in his undead form arrived,” but rather “this is where the protagonist, in his undead form, and his enemy got it on” – again – finally -? My moral integrity has become really small!

Doujinshi: Blame me.

reluctant du ze

Remember this? Notice the skulls in the background.

Xiu was not interested in this topic. He looked at the doujinshi and carelessly replied: “I’m not sure … come here.”

That was the same as saying “come here, it’s time for more harmonious health education.”2

“I know this place,” said Du Ze, still hoping to change the topic: “This should be the undead soul sea.”

Finally, Xiu’s attention was caught: “Undead soul sea?”

Du Ze was relieved and began to recite lines from the novel: “The western part of the reverse side of the continent is where the land lays buried under piles of bones. The creatures here call it the sea of undead souls.”

“You know a lot,” said Xiu. It seemed like a rhetorical question. Du Ze nodded in a profound way. When the silly Moe person saw that Xiu was smiling, he continued saying “Many things are very interesting …”

Du Ze saw that Xiu was looking at the doujinshi in his hands and his face cracked.

Harmonious topic: I’m back.

Du Ze’s salvation came in the form of movement in the sea of undead souls. It came from the depths, as though something had emerged from the sea and was rushing towards them. The sounds of combat became louder and louder. Even Du Ze could hear it clearly, but when he turned to look at Xiu, the latter seemed unsurprised. Xiu’s eyes narrowed slightly and he appeared to be somewhat unhappy.

Through a gap in the bone heap, Du Ze and Xiu saw two demon girls, one in red and one in blue. Their beautiful faces were the same, therefore they must be twin sisters. The girl in the red dress had a bouquet of white flowers in her arms. The flowers had black stems and white petals were shaped like skulls. The girl in blue was wielding a sword and guarding the other girl. As they fled, they nervously looked behind where a group of translucent demons were chasing them. Under the girls’ feet, bones continuously emerged to hinder their progress.

When Du Ze saw this, he was excited. Not because he saw a pair of beautiful demon sisters, but because he guessed their identities.

Protagonist, your family’s harem members have finally appeared!!!

In “Mixed Blood,” the number of sisters was ever-increasing and the harem was ever-expanding. Among the harem members, there were a few that made the readers’ eyes brighten, like the demon sisters. Firstly, because they are demons, they made the harem more diverse. Secondly, they are twin sisters, which is icing on the cake. Thirdly, the chaste author wrote that the two sisters became the wings of the protagonist. (P.S. If you do not understand, please don’t search the internet for “3P”)3

The girl in blue is Violet while the one in red is Alice. They are the Lords of Belial City. In the original plot of “Mixed Blood,” the protagonist had just arrived in the reverse side of the continent when he saw the undead attacking Violet. Naturally, that was a good time for the usual “hero saves the beauty” moment. He then learned a lot about this place from Violet and she also told him that she had a twin sister who was cursed by a Necromancer. She was in the sea of undead souls to collect medicine for her sister.

A Necromancer’s curse was not a problem at all for the protagonist who had unlocked his undead bloodline. True to its mainstream harem novel roots, the treatment that the protagonist gave the sister in “Mixed Blood” embodied the readers’ and author’s moral integrity:

Why do you want to undress?

To save you.

Why are you kissing me?

To save you.

The body is so cold.

I’ll keep you warm.

When the readers started making comments like “hey, hey, hey,” Yi Ye Zhi Qiu replied: “Come on, this is scientific first aid for hypothermia.”

While Du Ze was remembering the plot of “Mixed Blood,” Violet and Alice were caught in a dilemma. Surrounded by spirits, Violet whispered a few words to Alice, who shook her head violently. Violet seemed to be trying to persuade her but there was a commotion coming from the direction of their escape.

“Jie Jie jie …” a dry laugh echoed through the sea of dead souls, making impossible to pinpoint where the sound came from. “It’s really a sisterhood, but you don’t have to worry about being apart. I won’t anyone let go.”

A ring of Necromantic power appeared and a tall, thin figure in black robes entered the circle.

“I would like to apologize if we offended Your Excellency by inadvertently breaking into your territory.” Violet knew that the undead had a strong territorial instinct. If it wasn’t necessary, she wouldn’t have brought Alice to the sea of undead souls. She tried to negotiate with the undead: “We are the city Lords of Belial City. To cure the blood poison plague that is spreading in our city, we need skull flowers. I promise you, in the name of the Lord Belial, that you will be reimbursed satisfactorily.”

“I know, Jie Jie, of course I know – I did not send my collection of blood poison plague seeds in vain.”

Violet thundered: “It was you!?”

“Of course, honey. If I didn’t send you a gift, how would I get you to come to my place?” The black-robed undead shook with Jie Jie laughter: “Welcome to my territory, baby, I am the Lord here -”

Between the calcium carbide4 flames, Violet’s sword cut off the head of the black robe. Although the robe collapsed and the bones rolled about, that ‘Jie Jie’ laughter did not stop. Violet stared at the robe and pile of bones – the other did not appear in his real body.

Because Du Ze and Xiu’s place is well concealed, the people fighting did not see them. Du Ze’s feelings are complicated. This is like watching a “Mixed Blood” prequel. He and the protagonist arrived just in time to watch as the sister was cursed by the undead mage. Du Ze was in awe of the Great God’s story. In order to let the protagonist execute the “hero saves the beauty” cliche and push down the sister, the background event was being carried out right in front of their eyes. There were no plot holes. The world is really too professional!

So from the time the girls appeared up to now, Du Ze was just repeating in his mind “Watch the plot unfold, watch the protagonist.” He has been waiting for the hero to save the beauty.

Now the sisters were surrounded, but there was no response from Xiu. When the sisters looked like they were going to be taken, Xiu … looked like he was going to fall asleep?

… Protagonist, you are on strike?!

Du Ze cannot help but remind Xiu to follow the script: “Not going to do anything?”

Xiu lifted his head and looked at the scene: “No need.”

Du Ze suddenly realized that there really is no need to save the demon sisters right now. According to the original plot, the demon sisters will be able to escape this time, but one sister will be cursed. When the proper times comes, the protagonist will cure (push down) the sister, so everything will be alright.

His reason told him that was right, but somehow he had a feeling that something was wrong. It was as if a substandard gear had been inserted somewhere in a machine and he couldn’t spot where exactly it went awry. At this time, there is a new change in the script. When Du Ze tried to attract Xiu’s attention he sensed a disharmony in the plot.

– If Du Ze thinks intervention is not needed because of the plot, okay. But why did Xiu say “No need”?

Looking at the demon sisters, Xiu’s purple eyes reflected the girls’ helpless, fragile appearance. Though a rock had been tossed into the water, no ripples were made – the demon girls’ distress didn’t cause any reaction from Xiu.5

Xiu feels he doesn’t need to save them because they don’t have any value to him.

Chapter 20.2 – Reader/Protagonist: Don’t make a fuss

Alice, who had been very quiet until now, surprised the onlookers when she suddenly stretched out a fist, spread her fingers, and revealed her palm. A red flame was sticking to the skin of her palm. It seemed to become brighter as it drank her life force. Violet saw the flame on Alice’s hand and called out in alarm: “No!!!”

The flame was growing brighter and brighter, changing colors – orange, red, yellow, pale yellow, then, finally, pure white. The white flame emitted endless light and heat. The evil spirits that surrounded the two sisters burned, wailing as they vaporized. In the white light, Alice smiled at her beloved sister and fell to the ground quietly. Violet held Alice in her arms and sprang back up, tears on her face.

The white flame was still burning in the air after Alice fell. Jie Jie’s laughter finally stopped. The Necromancer shouted angrily and countless skeletons tried to approach Violet and Alice but were melted. Violet wiped away her tears. She picked up Alice and desperately ran forward, leaving the circle of flames. Behind her, the white flames burned lower but did not look like it was dying. It was more like it was concentrating its energy for an explosion.

Violet, holding Alice, stepped over a skeleton and tripped, rolling down over a hill of bones. They fell to the bottom … right in front of Du Ze, whose eyes widened in shock.

The two groups of people: “…”

Violet had not expected to see more people around. The situation was urgent and she had no time to think. She stabbed the sword into the bones and her battle aura flared out, protecting herself and her twin.

Before Du Ze could react, his collar tightened and he was pulled onto Xiu’s embrace. Xiu opened his wings and wrapped the two of them in its darkness.

“Don’t try to escape -”

The white flame leapt up one last time then exploded.

Boom-!!!

Dazzling white light swallowed up the world, a huge part of the sea of undead souls was destroyed, and innumerable bones were blown to pieces. After the light faded, ashes from the sky fell, obscuring everyone’s vision.

The strength of Alice’s forbidden technique was so great that even the Necromancer, who was hidden in the dark, was affected. One of his hands and the staff it held was blasted off. When the Necromancer saw a figure in the haze of ashes lifting another person, his attention was caught. The undead mage took out a black skull from his bosom, which was the most precious treasure that his teacher had given him. The necromancer hesitated for a moment before his dismay and hesitation was replaced by impulsive anger. He stared at the two figures. then crushed the skull head.

“I curse you!”

“You will endure the agony of extreme cold day and night!”

“You can only dance with the dead!”

“-until you belong to me!”

A white shadow came out of the broken skull in his hand and flew towards its target. A grey mist from the hand of the one of the figures seemed to want to stop it. Purple energy arced across the distance and hit the white shadow but it had no effect. The curse hit the target. The necromancer began to laugh as the cursed figure bent over in pain.

“Jie Jie Jie Jie, very painful, this is your punishment!” The necromancer paused for a moment, then continued his taunting: “Jie Jie, if you are willing to follow me and be my people, then I will make you feel very … happy?”

Necromancer’s laughter abruptly stopped. He looked through the haze of ashes and saw two shadows, plus the previous two figures. There were four shadows. It was only then that the Necromancer realized – the sisters had fire and water elemental powers, why did he just see … thunder and lightning?

As though to confirm that the Necromancer had really seen lighting, a huge burst of electric energy lit up the sea of undead souls. The necromancer could finally see the other four people clearly. In addition to the demon twins, there was another demon and a human.

Du Ze had his arms around himself because his body was invaded by an intense coldness. Something cold had hit him from behind, making his body shiver and his teeth chatter. At that moment, Du Ze bitterly recognized that his luck stat was still E.

… Why do I always get hit?! _(;3」∠)_

A light breeze sprang up. It was Xiu, who spread his wings and leaped into the air.

Xiu hovered in the air high above the sea of undead souls. From the viewpoint of the undead mage hiding in the darkness, the figure of the demon is lit from behind, making him difficult to see. All the Necromancer can see are the demon’s purple eyes with vertical slit pupils.

“Come out.”

Under the watchful eyes of the onlookers, Xiu drew the Burning Desire Demonic Sword. His voice was as soft as a lover’s whisper when he said:

“What did you just say … Who’s going to be your man?”

******

******

Setting foot on the dark red land, Xiu sized up this strange place.

The landscape was bleak, the sky was a hazy purple, and the earth was illuminated with a gloomy red light. The withered plants shook wearily on the Scarlet Mountain Rock. The wind blew from afar and instantly crushed a few plants into powder. The black powder fell from the air, like a mournful lament.

“This is the reverse side of the continent?”

The spirit beast meowed. Xiu stroked its head and summoned the three-headed Cerberus. The dog folded its legs and let Xiu mount it.

It was time to find a creature to get information about this side of the continent. He looked around at the red land. In the West was a white line while the other directions was just more of the barren red wilderness.

So he began to ride towards the West. He found that the white line was actually a place made up of countless bones. The bones were piled up into high hills, like an ocean of bones. The spirit of the undead was especially strong here.

At the top of a hill made of bones, a girl appeared. She was wearing blue and had long black hair and purple eyes. She stared at the demon.

That was a demon girl. Her petite body seemed tired from fighting and she was biting her cherry red lips. Standing atop bones that smelled of death, she looked very beautiful and pure.

He smiled: He had found the right person.

– an excerpt from “Mixed Blood”

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Experimental Theatre1

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Reader: This young actor is not shou (uke) …

Protagonist: Don’t make a fuss.

Protagonist: Eight races tonight.

Reader: Don’t make a fuss.

Author: I want to abandon the novel.

Reader/Protagonist: Don’t make a fuss.