The Protagonists Keep Adding Scenes For Me | Chapter 15 | The Sanctuary of Outcasts | Novela.app

“Sorry, I refuse.” Having practiced his rejection on the fifth masked person of the day, Mu Ran used the brief moment of time-stagnation to vanish, leaving behind several people who hadn't yet reacted. Mu Ran scooped up the system, which had reverted into a small white fox, using its fluffiness to heal the psychological toll of the past few days. *Mu Ran: Even though they aren't stopping the experiment from finishing... they are seriously dragging down our progress!* Lately, these people’s "casting animations" had been getting longer and longer. They no longer approached him with direct invitations as they had before; instead, they would launch into bizarre, emotional monologues. It took them ages to finally utter the keyword "invite." Mu Ran had finally figured it out. In the eyes of these people, the entire sequence—from meeting him to being rejected—was a complete "process." Because of this, they didn't interfere with his experimental procedures, nor did they question why they encountered him in similar circumstances every time. While this was convenient, it was also a massive drag on their efficiency. ...Furthermore, those masked individuals always stared at him with excessively fervent eyes. Sometimes, after rejecting them, he genuinely worried they might just pounce on him. The system rested its front paws on his arm and squinted its eyes. [System: How about taking a break for a few days? If they can't find you, maybe they'll give up.] To this day, they still didn't understand why these people remained so persistent despite being rejected. They had considered moving to a different location, but unlike the previous experiment, this one was site-specific. They weren't sure what was so special about this mountain... For now, their only option was to lay low. [Mu Ran: I think that’s a great idea!] Time to slip away. *** The active Star Lords on the forum noticed that the appearance rate of the new Soul-being had dropped precariously. A wave of fierce condemnation erupted. [Dammit, if that crappy island can't afford to play, then don't play! Don't you dare shadow-nerf the spawn rates!] [Just let me see him once, okay? Don't pull this crap!!] [Refund my money!! The success rate for an invitation was already microscopic, and now you’ve slashed the encounter rate? What are you trying to do!!] Initially, the forum had maintained a nuanced, wait-and-see attitude toward this new Soul-being with his unique settings and extreme acquisition difficulty. The bizarre rules for obtaining him had even sparked a rebellious streak in some non-high-tier Star Lords, who began nitpicking his flaws. *Heh, high-tier Star Lords only, right?* *You don't want to give him out? Fine, I don't even want him.* However, as the high-tier Star Lords on the front lines continued to leak intel, the "sour grapes" crowd gradually succumbed to the "sweet scent" of desire. When they saw the youth interacting intimately with his personal white fox: [I didn't want to like him... but he's so gentle, and he's so good at petting animals.] [Ohhh, his companion is a white fox!! My Penglai Pet Park is only missing a white fox, ahhh!] When they saw the youth helping a passerby only to be met with harsh words: [Waaaah, my baby is so pitiful. He helps people and always gets hurt. Those ungrateful wolves better stop yelling at my cub!!] [My heart aches. Stop helping them, baby QAQ.] When they heard the youth refer to himself as a wanderer: [Hiss... a cat. He’s a cat. A cold, aloof stray cat.] [I want to give you a home too! Just give me a chance!!] Ultimately, even the non-high-tier Star Lords began to sing the same tune: [Waaaah, I’m topping up right now to level up! Baby, stay strong and wait for me!] Perhaps because information on this youth was so scarce, many Star Lords were obsessed with livestreaming every detail of their encounters. Related threads exploded in popularity, becoming the "traffic password" of the forum. The thread *“Let’s Talk About That Stray Soul-being Who Refuses to Be Adopted”* had become a daily fixture, floating at the top of the front page every day. The original poster was a high-tier Star Lord dedicated to completing her collection. After her invitations were repeatedly rebuffed, she had descended into madness, changing her avatar and profile info to a white-furred, green-eyed cat and turning to "metaphysical rituals" for luck. There were countless high-tier Star Lords just like her. Consequently, when they discovered the youth’s appearance rate had dropped, they collectively lost their minds. At the same time, other Star Lords who enjoyed "cloud-petting" the Soul-being through screens grew dissatisfied. Everyone joined in a chorus of curses against the shameful conduct of Central Island. A day later, perhaps unable to withstand the pressure, Central Island finally issued an announcement. [The "Encounter in the Woods" event restrictions have been relaxed! All Star Lords can now participate! There is a chance to encounter the mysterious wandering Soul-being~] For a moment, the high-tier Star Lords were choked with rage, their curses stuck in their throats. But the general public’s hostility softened instantly, successfully divided by a single announcement. [Well... then, I guess this is acceptable.] [I mean, it’s pretty reasonable... more people can join in now, right...] [Exactly! A top-tier limited Soul-being like this shouldn't have such a high entry barrier!] Before long, the once-hostile front page was replaced by even more livestream threads. [Challenge! Taking home the stray Soul-being within a hundred tries~] [This Emperor of Luck finally has a chance. Livestreaming the capture in ten tries.] [Starting the stream. If I succeed, I’ll send out red envelopes to everyone.] A scene of peace and harmony. The high-tier Star Lords: ...Fuck. When it comes to being sub-human, nobody does it better than you, Little Broken Island. They couldn't complain too much anymore; they could only join in silently. *** On a certain abandoned island. The palaces here were dim, as if they had lost their color. The core of the high tower, representing the energy source, flickered with a weak light. Compared to a normal Penglai Isle, it looked destitute and impoverished. Yet, it wasn't truly dilapidated. Looking closely, one could see that even the tiny plants by the entrance had been meticulously cared for and trimmed. The area in front of the gates was clean, free of cluttered fallen leaves. Clearly, the people living here cherished and loved this place. This was the home of the so-called "aberrations." A young man, whose appearance was both similar to and different from Bai Shan, lay leisurely on a low couch, wearing a mask unique to Star Lords. His white wolf had bitten this mask off the face of the third Star Lord he had ever followed. Upon arriving at the new island, Bai Shan had failed in his duty as a master to protect his companion. Instead, it was the white wolf’s resistance that had awakened its master’s long-numbed nerves. They had fled in a wretched state, suffering heavy casualties. But they had gained new life and freedom. Upon reaching this island, the white wolf, finally at peace, let out low whines at its bewildered, "dark-version" master. Finally, it rubbed against him with effort and transformed into a lifelike tattoo on Bai Shan’s neck. And so, Bai Shan became a part of this abandoned island. Many of those moving through this place were familiar companions with mutated appearances; Bai Shan had even seen "himself" several times. They might be full of hostility and resentment when alone outside, but once they returned here, everyone restrained themselves. There was a tacit agreement not to pry into each other's pasts; only the person who brought them to the island knew the truth. This island was like a truly inclusive and selfless home, accepting all their abnormalities. Whenever they had business outside, a little girl from the Miao region with two hair buns would silently light a lantern for them. The small black snake coiled around her slender white neck would say in a tiny voice: “Come home early.” Even Bai Shan, who had become incredibly lazy after his mutation, would occasionally find himself unable to stand the sight of messy leaves in the courtyard, snow on the eaves, or a dried-up pond... And then he would spontaneously do some chores. However, he spent most of his time monitoring the forum. After accidentally putting on a mask once, Bai Shan discovered he could access the Star Lords' forum through it, allowing him to gather timely intelligence on them. The reason they had been able to rush to the new Soul-being’s location so quickly last time was because they had noticed the commotion on the forum. The person who brought him to the island told him that their current purpose for existing was to prevent more of their kind from experiencing the same darkness they had. In short, an alternative version of "robbing the rich to help the poor." They would pry away the "property" of scumbag Star Lords. Those who could be saved were sent to the doorsteps of trustworthy Star Lords; those who couldn't be saved were brought to the island. In the process, they could also steal some energy to maintain the stability of their own island. For those uncontracted, wild Soul-beings, they would send someone with a low degree of mutation to approach them, pass on some experience, provide a blacklist, and warn them not to easily accept invitations from those trashy Star Lords. It seemed this was the extent of what they could do. The pain and resentment brought by mutation, coupled with their naturally gentle and upright dispositions, tortured their hearts. It hadn't turned them into complete monsters, yet it wouldn't let them fully let go of the past. Thus, they would only show kindness to fellow Soul-beings. ... [Ahhh, new baby, here I come~] Poster: Yun He’s Little Darling Wife Seeing this name, Bai Shan, who had been leisurely tracing the patterns on his mask, paused. His gaze turned icy. That woman was getting involved too? As expected... once the restrictions were relaxed, anyone could participate. No matter how firm that child’s mind was, it would be difficult to hold out under such an onslaught. Moreover, now that the threshold was lowered, *those* people would likely try as well. Bai Shan couldn't sit still. He planned to find the others to discuss this. Walking through the dark red corridor, he reached out to support a blue blob hanging from a crossbeam. “Time to lose some weight, Xiao Shui.” Passing through the courtyard, the familiar scent of wine wafted from the pond. “Tsk, if you’re drunk, go back to your room and sleep.” He kicked a scorpion tail hanging off the small bridge. The man beneath the water lazily curled his pitch-black, smooth scorpion tail as a response. ... Finally arriving at the main hall, Bai Shan explained the forum situation to everyone present. “I think it’s time for us to meet that child.” *** Meanwhile, Mu Ran was slacking off. Over the past few days, he had deliberately ignored the Main System’s urgings several times, hiding away from those people with his system. Because the white fox was far too small compared to the native beasts of the forest, Mu Ran simply perched the system on his shoulder, only letting it down when they reached a suitable spot. *Mu Ran: Oh, there’s a cave here...* After wandering around the entire mountain, they discovered a hidden cave next to a massive tree. Strange, azure little flowers spread from the depths of the cave outward, looking exceptionally eerie amidst the green grass. Not good. This looks like the start of some serious plot... With the painful lessons of the previous world still fresh in his mind, Mu Ran suppressed his curiosity and quietly left the area. ... The little blue flowers swayed slightly with an imperceptible vibration, and an eye deep within the cave slowly opened. The depths of the cave were not pitch black. A colorless figure, possessing only an outline without any physical details, sat kneeling before a giant blue eyeball, motionless. The massive eye shifted slightly, and words from memory echoed once more. “Leave this place, quickly!!” “Everything they say is a lie! Run!” Must hide the Blue. The strange eye blinked silently, commanding the fragile little flowers to push the colorless figure further behind it. ...But, the scent of that person just now was so familiar. I want to be close. *** ### Glossary Table Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation --- | --- | --- 小破岛 | Little Broken Island / Dilapidated Isle | The sanctuary for "aberrant" Soul-beings. 中央岛 | Central Island | The administrative/game-master entity of the world. 林中邂逅 | Encounter in the Woods | The specific game event involving Mu Ran. 欧皇 | Emperor of Luck | Internet slang for an incredibly lucky player. 云吸 | Cloud-petting | Internet slang for admiring/petting animals (or characters) through a screen. 异类 | Aberrations / Outcasts | Soul-beings who have mutated or deviated from their original form. 伴生伙伴 | Companion / Life-partner | The animal or entity that manifests alongside a Soul-being. 图鉴 | Collection / Compendium | A gallery of all collectible characters/items in a game. 玄学 | Metaphysics | In gaming, refers to superstitious rituals performed to increase luck. 红封 / 红包 | Red Envelopes | Monetary gifts sent digitally.