Boy No More

The game should be over.

Wen Anran walked towards the battlefield with a gun in hand, still loaded and finger still on the trigger.

Li Changan was leaning against a broken wall, clutching his ribs and carefully breathing heavily, like a person who had almost drowned. But his exposed lung lobes couldn't stand any irritation. His greed could only be carefully cautious.

The bullet barely grazed his ribs, tearing off a large piece of flesh no matter how strong his physique was, exposing all his internal organs to the air. If he hadn't covered it in time, there would be a pool of blood on the ground by now.

Just as Li Changan had guessed, Charles' head exploded into splendid fireworks, but before the headless corpse hit the ground completely, it turned into a rain of light and dissipated.

Some people in this world really had control over the situation in the Taia Trial, and Charles was obviously one of them. The family behind him had probably prepared something for him. Even with his head smashed now, Li Changan still felt he hadn't really died yet.

"Hey, come help me bandage myself, I can't reach my back." Li Changan weakly beckoned to Wen Anran and turned his back towards him.

Bandage? Wen Anran's expression was complicated, and he wanted to raise his gun several times.

"Hurry up." Li Changan urged weakly. "My wounds are too severe, I might die."

Wen Anran was stunned and hurriedly ran over, throwing his gun aside and taking out the medicine he carried with him.

Li Changan's face paled and he smiled bitterly: "Containing Charles was a bit difficult, he's much stronger than we imagined at first."

"But I didn't expect him to be so strong in close combat too. I thought I could give you a better opportunity. Sorry about that."

Wen Anran impatiently scolded, "Don't talk so much with such serious injuries!"

"But..." Li Changan turned his head with difficulty. "I'm afraid if I don't talk I'll fall asleep. You talk to me too."

Wen Anran shook his shoulders, lowered his head, and said unpleasantly: "What good is there to talk about? Since you find it difficult, you should have retreated. Don't you want to live?"

"When I was 13, I escaped death once relying on my own ability, but I could only watch my parents burn to death in a fire."

"I was hungry for 3 days on the street digging through trash cans looking for something to eat. I ran into a man who said he could give me food, so I went with him."

"I thought where there is life there is hope, but he only wanted to sell me to a brothel. I killed him and took his money to escape."

"Right after killing someone, I just felt like throwing up, but I couldn't survive without eating, so I threw up and ate, ate and threw up again, pretty disgusting huh?"

"My ability can guide me in directions, but it can also tell if someone has good or bad intentions towards me. I've seen too many people, they use kind words to disguise their malicious intentions."

"But I can always see through them. Only with you... I feel safe around you. I've never sensed any malice from you. Why does such a person exist in this world?"

He babbled on and on, Wen Anran didn't even know what he was saying anymore, there was just breath stuck in his throat that made him feel uncomfortable if he didn't spit it out.

Until the wounds were bandaged, but there was no sound from Li Changan.

"Hey!" Wen Anran's eyes widened as he held his breath and gently nudged Li Changan. "Are you alright? Don't fall asleep!"

There was no response. The heartbeat slowed down bit by bit, barely audible.

"Don't die on me, Li Changan!"

"Wake up already, stop pretending to sleep!"

"Hey! I didn't mean to shoot you, I'm sorry! Wake up, don't scare me!"

"Please, don't die okay? Can you please not die?!"

"I beg you open your eyes and look at me! Don't give me hope only to leave me alone again!"

"Li Changan!"

Tears streamed down Wen Anran's face as he hugged Li Changan's body tightly, not daring to let go. The temperature of the body in his arms was dropping.

"Are you cold? I'll give you my coat!" Wen Anran hurriedly took off his coat to wrap Li Changan in it. He took out the chocolate he had picked up from his pocket and carefully pried open Li Changan's mouth to stuff it in.

"Eat this...once you're full you won't feel cold...really, hurry up and eat!"

"Are you trying to choke me to death?" Li Changan slowly opened his eyes with a bitter smile. "At least give me some water first."

Stunned for a few seconds, Wen Anran came to his senses and frantically handed a bottle to Li Changan's mouth.

Li Changan sat up, supporting himself, took the water bottle and sipped at the water. He drank the whole bottle, and his face looked much rosier.

"You're not dead!" Wen Anran secretly wiped away the tears on his face and threw an angry punch at Li Changan.

"Cough cough, you seem quite disappointed that I'm not dead." Leaning against the wall, Li Changan stood up and put his coat back on Wen Anran. Looking into the distance, he said, "San Zhenghe is here, go keep your distance."

Wen Anran resolutely shook his head, picked up his sniper rifle and stood by Li Changan's side.

Li Changan didn't insist. Although he didn't know why he had survived, his condition wasn't very good either. But as long as San Zhenghe didn't use the Blade Pavilion, he still dared to gamble once.

They didn't have to wait long before San Zhenghe's figure appeared dozens of meters away. As if not seeing their vigilance, she still walked over lightly.

"Li Changan." San Zhenghe suddenly raised her hand and waved.

Li Changan smiled slightly. "San Zhenghe, are you here to reap me?"

"Nope." San Zhenghe shook her head and stopped about 3 meters away from them. "I came to say goodbye. The Taia Trial is ending soon. Maybe we'll never meet again."

"The trial is ending soon? Are you going to forfeit?" Li Changan frowned. Although he had guessed that San Zhenghe didn't seem to be fighting for victory, hearing it from her mouth still felt unbelievable.

San Zhenghe didn't answer. She took out the handkerchief wrapped peach blossom cakes hidden in her jacket lining, took a piece for herself first before carefully placing the cakes and handkerchief on the ground.

"I'm treating you to some peach blossom cakes. They are expensive, don't lose them. If we meet again in the future, you have to treat me to these too."

Li Changan was a bit stunned. He didn't feel any urge to kill San Zhenghe; after all she was an unbeatable opponent. But asking him out for cake, what was that about? Were the cakes poisoned?

While Li Changan was puzzled, San Zhenghe's figure gradually became illusory.

"You actually don't have an ability, which is why you could gain the Blade Pavilion's approval. I look forward to the day you awaken."

San Zhenghe's figure completely disappeared.

She actually saw through that I don't have an ability? Li Changan was dumbfounded. His biggest secret had been discovered. He even wanted to immediately forfeit and exit, to go kill San Zhenghe in the real world.

But that was just a thought. It wasn't certain who would kill who, and it seemed San Zhenghe wouldn't spread the news about this. Although Li Changan felt San Zhenghe was an idiot.

"That woman has problems." Wen Anran unpleasantly twisted his lips. Looking at the cakes on the ground, he walked over to stomp them into pieces.

"Don't!" Li Changan hurriedly stopped him. "She said they were expensive. I haven't eaten them before."

Wen Anran angrily said: "Can you have some backbone? She's the enemy! And you'll eat what the enemy gives you? Aren't you afraid she poisoned them?"

"No poison." Li Changan shook his head. "You can tell she really likes these cakes. She probably didn't put poison in them."

Picking up the cakes wrapped in the handkerchief, Li Changan put them in his mouth. He immediately revealed a happy smile.

"They are really delicious. There's another piece for you."

"I don't want it!" Wen Anran turned his head away, unwilling to watch Li Changan's shamelessness.

Li Changan thought for a moment. He re-wrapped the remaining cake and put it in his pocket to give to Wu later. The girl would probably like it.

"Well I'm leaving too." Waving to Wen Anran, Li Changan looked up at the sky. The moment he chose to forfeit, pillars of light descended from the sky onto him.

[The Taia Trial is ending. Participant - Li Changan, confirmed as a survivor, not the final victor, will have the gains from this trial removed. Teleportation will now begin, please remain still. 5, 4...]