Chapter 8: Death Acrobatic Troupe 08

Realizing the NPC was likely also deprived of sight, Jian Bumian’s lips curved into a smile.

…He had a crazy, bold idea to test his guess about whether the NPC could see him or not.

Jian Bumian’s vision was now pitch black, completely at a disadvantage.

But he could judge the NPC’s current actions through the subtle bending of the steel wire and the sound of the blade cutting through the air.

The NPC was right behind him now.

The NPC should be raising its knife-wielding hand, ready to slash down at Jian Bumian.

Provided this NPC even had hands, and wasn’t just some bizarre lump of flesh.

The NPC had also sensed Jian Bumian was right in front of it. It didn’t hesitate, didn’t spout any trash talk, and immediately struck, wanting to viciously kill this acrobat who ignored the rules!

Jian Bumian could clearly hear the blade slicing through the cold air.

A bit like the sound of a bubble being popped, he thought.

Unexpectedly, even though Jian Bumian heard the danger behind him, he didn’t dodge!

He remained obediently standing still on the steel wire, showing no intention of resisting.

His figure was slender, wrapped in the soft white pajama fabric. Coupled with his pale face covered by the black cloth, he didn’t possess the slightest bit of intimidation.

…Like a delicate, expensive doll at someone’s mercy, its fragile, beautiful body ready to shatter with a single twist.

“Swish ———”

The coldly gleaming blade came chopping down.

It struck right where Jian Bumian was standing, dead center.

Yet the NPC didn’t hear the dull thud of a blade piercing flesh and blood, nor the sizzling sound of spraying blood.

Not even the acrobat’s pleasing, intense scream of agony sounded!!

There was no sound at all!!

The surroundings were so silent it was eerie!

But…

It could feel that the steel wire before it was still bent, still bearing weight.

This proved Jian Bumian absolutely hadn’t left.

Its blade hadn’t missed, either. With the steel wire there, it and Jian Bumian were on a straight line. How could a straight downward chop miss?!

It went berserk, gripping the knife and slashing wildly around it.

Every fiber of its being screamed to kill this disobedient acrobat.

Since Jian Bumian wasn’t in front of it, he must still be somewhere on this wire!

It would just hack everywhere around its position, eventually hitting him, eventually hearing that pleasing, melodious scream! Hot, fresh blood would eventually spray out!

But even after swinging the knife countless times, it still saw nothing.

The blade only ever met air, greeted only by the faint sound of air being sliced—like it was mocking a clownish fool.

Jian Bumian indeed hadn’t left.

He had stayed put the entire time, completely obedient, not moving even a single meter.

Only, his position was different.

He wasn’t on top of the steel wire, but had flipped underneath it, one hand gripping the wire tightly — his whole body hanging in mid-air!

Although Jian Bumian couldn’t see, he could hear the NPC on the wire… acting like a ridiculous monkey, swinging a knife trying to kill him, the blade continuously slicing the air, the bubble-popping sounds ringing out in succession.

…His guess was correct.

This NPC, as expected, was blindfolded just like him, unable to see.

Although Jian Bumian was suspended by his hand gripping the wire, his weight hadn’t disappeared; the wire still bent under it.

He had merely switched his top and bottom position.

But the NPC couldn’t see. How could it detect he had changed positions?

The NPC was like a madman, raising its knife high, hacking aimlessly, but couldn’t hit anyone at all!!

Jian Bumian curled his lip, shaking his head helplessly.

This generation of NPCs wasn’t as smart as when he was one.

【00:001:00】

【Distance to Wire Endpoint: 6.5M】

The final minute.

—It was his turn to strike.

Jian Bumian gripped the steel wire tightly, his palm detecting the slightest changes in the wire’s curvature.

The wire closest to Jian Bumian showed significant bending, indicating a heavy weight was on top.

The NPC was nearby!

The NPC still hadn’t given up. It had become a crazed, numb hacking robot, hysterically venting its frantic emotions.

It had killed many acrobats on this wire—pushed them off, stabbed them alive…

But it was the first time seeing an acrobat who so brazenly provoked it!

Since it couldn’t hit him no matter what…

A thought flashed through the NPC’s deranged mind.

—Then this acrobat must have missed his step and fallen off.

Clumsily slipping off, to be torn alive by the Corpse Puppets below amidst panic and regret.

Without even letting out a scream.

That must be it.

The NPC thought this, but it never imagined—Jian Bumian had already flipped back onto the wire, appearing behind it like an invisible specter!

The NPC’s body stiffened.

The youth’s clear, clean voice broke the abruptly silent atmosphere.

“I didn’t fall off.”

Jian Bumian really disliked others making wild guesses about him. He slowly approached the NPC, saying somewhat aggrievedly:

“I also didn’t run around, nor did I suddenly disappear. I was very good, didn’t move at all, right in front of your eyes the whole time. …It’s just that my position was a bit different, but too bad you couldn’t see. You can’t blame me…”

Jian Bumian’s tone was extremely gentle, even carrying a pitiful, wronged undertone.

But the NPC suddenly felt a deep, bone-chilling terror.

It couldn’t make a sound, only a “gurgling” bubble noise from its broken, decayed chest cavity.

In the brief moment its consciousness went blank from fear, Jian Bumian suddenly stepped forward, raised his foot, and playfully kicked forward.

He didn’t make the poor NPC fall off, but instead stomped it down beneath his foot.

The NPC felt sticky and ice-cold to the touch… some parts even burst into pulp from his accidental stomp.

He didn’t even know what kind of liquid the burst pulp was.

Jian Bumian frowned in disgust.

The NPC never imagined the acrobat would counterattack!

It didn’t fall off, but lay flat on the steel wire, its tattered, sparse body being gouged by the wire into long marks.

Its broken chest cavity made “ssss” inhaling sounds, like it was trying to cough up a glob of phlegm that would never come out.

It was trying to speak.

A hoarse, raspy voice followed:

“You think you can really complete the training? Don’t forget, your opponent isn’t me, and your Quest isn’t to kill me, but to finish walking this wire! You absolutely cannot finish it!! You’ve already wasted so much time!!”

“So what if you kill me? If you can’t finish this wire, you’ll still be subject to Erasure!!”

In the eyes of the viewers in the Livestream Room, Jian Bumian seemed to have fallen into a classic trap of the Infinite World…

Many players focus only on dealing with instance NPCs, neglecting their actual assigned survival tasks, even delaying their progress because of the NPCs.

Even if they kill many NPCs, without completing the task, they’ll still face Erasure.

【Countdown: 00:00:20:】

【Distance to Wire Endpoint: 6.3M】

Only twenty seconds left, and Jian Bumian still had over half the wire to traverse.

Walking a tightrope is different from walking on flat ground; it requires focus and caution, naturally slowing the pace.

Moreover, Jian Bumian was now completely blind, which would slow him down even further.

Jian Bumian absolutely couldn’t finish.

【Ah… it’s over. Mianmian wasted too much time on the NPC.】

【An experienced player in this situation would never waste time on an NPC. They’d charge full speed towards the finish, even risking being hacked to death.】

【See? Told you this kind of player would screw up. Shrugs.】

【Mianmian still looks very calm.】

Time was flying by. Clearly, there was no chance for a turnaround anymore.

Yet Jian Bumian remained eerily calm.

He carefully bent down, responding to the NPC’s words: “Hmm? Of course I know I can’t finish walking this wire.”

He raised his hand, reaching above the NPC’s body, his fingers touching the cold blade.

His palm tightened, and he viciously yanked the blade out!

The delicate, tender skin of his palm was instantly cut by the blade, blood seeping out and dripping onto his pale-white instep.

Jian Bumian flipped the blade in his palm, gripping the handle, as if playing with a dangerous handgun.

The NPC reacted, its chest cavity emitting a muffled, eerie gurgling sound. It should be mocking Jian Bumian, its slurred, dry voice sounding again.

“What use is taking the knife? A knife can’t grow legs and walk the remaining distance for you! Just wait for death!”

【Countdown: 00:00:10:】

【Distance to Wire Endpoint: 6.3M】

The final ten seconds.

The countdown flickered frantically with a red light.

Jian Bumian’s pale face, bound by the black cloth, was illuminated by the dangerous red light, looking as if stained with blood.

Jian Bumian slowly licked the fresh blood off the blade’s edge, his lips dyed a vivid crimson, like a passionately fragrant rose petal.

Anyone would be unable to resist wanting to kiss them deeply.

His lips parted gently, his laughter equally soft and calm, like a refreshing mint candy:

“Of course, taking your knife is useful.”

The NPC couldn’t imagine what use its knife could have besides killing the living, and it sneered provocatively.

“Give up! You absolutely can’t finish the wire! Less than ten seconds left!!”

“…”

Jian Bumian frowned unhappily, sounding pitifully aggrieved:

“Hmm? Who told you tightrope walking has to be done by ‘walking’?”

Jian Bumian’s pale, slender fingers gently rotated the hilt, the blade pointing straight down.

In a split second, he suddenly bent down again, bringing the blood-stained blade down high!

—Crack!!

The sharp blade instantly cut the steel wire in two!!

This player is crazy!!

That was the thought of every viewer in the Livestream Room!!

In reality, acrobats walking a tightrope pray the wire doesn’t snap. Once it does, the acrobat’s life is in grave danger.

Before every tightrope performance, the troupe inspects the wire multiple times…

Yet Jian Bumian cut the wire himself!!

【Fck! Has this player gone mad?! Is he trying to commit suicide!!】

【Ah… that hit me. Mianmian licking the blade tip looked so damn alluring and alpha!! Wanna see him get railed!】

【It’s over. Originally, the remaining ten seconds could have been a desperate attempt, but Mianmian just cut the wire!】

【I get it! Does this player not want to die a miserable death by Erasure? So he chose suicide first??】

【Wait, don’t jump to conclusions. Mianmian said the wire didn’t necessarily have to be walked.】

The viewers suddenly remembered what Jian Bumian had said earlier.

—Who told you tightrope acrobatics must be done by ‘walking’.

Neither the instruction note upon entering the training ground, nor the announcement broadcast inside, ever mentioned the phrase “walking the tightrope”!

They only said that within ten minutes, moving from the start of the wire to its endpoint meant completing the training!

They never said it had to be done carefully, step by step, from beginning to end!

After Jian Bumian cut the wire, it snapped abruptly in the middle!

The wire instantly went from a “dash” shape to two vertical “I” shapes, the tops of the two wires connecting respectively to the start and the endpoint.

Jian Bumian didn’t fall. He gripped the vertical wire leading to the endpoint tightly, hanging in mid-air.

Jian Bumian never intended to walk the tightrope from the start.

The steel wire was too cold on his feet; he didn’t like it.

Compared to walking, he preferred climbing.

Jian Bumian was light, and his arm strength was decent. Climbing was effortless for him.

Even though he still couldn’t see, by climbing straight up along the now-vertical wire, he could easily reach the endpoint.

He didn’t need to see at all. He could do it purely by bodily instinct!

The visual impairment the acrobatics training imposed on him was completely useless!

【Countdown: 00:00:05】

Last five seconds!!

The severed steel wire drooped high above. Jian Bumian gripped the wire tightly and climbed towards its endpoint above.

Then, the viewers noticed the Corpse Puppets beneath Jian Bumian also began surging upwards along the wire…

Using their decayed arms, like slimy, ferocious octopus tentacles, they wrapped around the wire at incredible speed and climbed rapidly upwards.

Jian Bumian didn’t see them! He was completely unaware of the danger rapidly approaching!!

【00:00:03】

Three seconds left. Jian Bumian was only two meters from the endpoint, but a Corpse Puppet had already reached beneath his feet, the distance between them a mere fist.

If that Corpse Puppet violently bit Jian Bumian’s foot, everything he’d done before would be in vain.

But Jian Bumian hadn’t noticed the immense danger right beside him at all.

The barrage of bullet comments flooded the screen, but Jian Bumian couldn’t see them. The viewers could only watch helplessly as Jian Bumian headed for death.

Jian Bumian only felt his arms were a bit sore.

This body’s stamina wasn’t as good as he’d imagined.

He instinctively probed with his foot… and then stepped on something sticky and soft.

Hmm…? A stepping stone provided by the training ground.

That’s great.

The frantically commenting viewers were stunned, the bullet comments momentarily frozen.

What Jian Bumian stepped on wasn’t a stepping stone at all, but the head of that climbing Living Corpse!!

It was firmly pinned down by Jian Bumian, unable to raise its head, utterly humiliated.

Jian Bumian stepped on this suddenly delivered “stepping stone”, viciously borrowing its force to kick it back down.

—Then, just before the last second ended, he nimbly darted up to the endpoint.

His swift figure reminded one of a leopard cub climbing a tree to hunt—seemingly harmless and cute on the surface, yet actually agile and dangerous.

【Countdown: 00:00:00】

Countdown reached zero!

Jian Bumian collapsed at the wire’s endpoint, his chest heaving violently, gasping for breath, a faint blush spreading across his cheeks.

He raised his hand and removed the Black Blindfold obstructing his vision.

His vision slowly regained focus.

The devastated training ground entered his sight.

The steel wire originally suspended high in the air had been split into two halves by Jian Bumian. Losing its support, the wire drooped down pitifully from above.

Like two streaks of wide noodle tears.

Jian Bumian also clearly saw the “stepping stone” that had helped him just now.

It turned out to be the Corpse Puppet that had been waiting beneath the wire for a meal.

Now that corpse had been kicked down by him. As the Corpse Puppet fell, it dragged a whole string of other corpses trying to climb up crashing down with it, squashing them into flat meat patties.

Jian Bumian: “…………”

Jian Bumian looked at his own foot.

His originally fair, slender foot was now covered in sticky, unidentified liquid.

Jian Bumian’s expression changed. He covered his mouth, suppressing the urge to gag.

He just knew this training ground wouldn’t be so kind as to give him a stepping stone…

The mood in the bullet comments became lively again.

【Hahaha, Mianmian turns the tables, and still complains it’s dirty!】

【The unlucky Corpse Puppet that failed its attack and got used as a stepping stone: Do you have any manners?】

【Wuwuwu, Mianmian is too amazing. If it were me, I’d just obediently walk the tightrope!!】

【So it all comes down to Mianmian disliking the wire being too cold on his feet, so he didn’t want to walk.】

【Ah, as someone with a foot fetish, I’m actually a little excited.】

【???? Ah? I’m new here? Doesn’t this system only bind Dumb Beauties?? How come there’s only a beauty, no dumb?】

【Actually, it’s okay if Mianmian wants to just gag directly. We don’t mind. Mm, actually quite like watching it.】

The popularity in the Livestream Room surged once again.

Jian Bumian’s recent acrobatic training was replayed by countless viewers.

【Ding! Congratulations, Player Jian Bumian. Your Livestream Room’s popularity has reached a new peak!】

【Wow, more and more viewers are switching from other livestream rooms to yours! Your viral index is gradually increasing~】

Unable to bear the sticky, cold, unidentified liquid on his feet, Jian Bumian found some clean rags in the training ground. Sitting on the floor, he wanted to wipe the filth off himself and then put on his shoes.

At the same time, he hadn’t forgotten the knife he’d taken from the NPC.

It was a silver Butterfly Knife, its blade sharp, the hilt carved with intricate patterns—perfect for playing with in hand and threatening people.

He picked up the Butterfly Knife and cleaned it. The system’s notification sound suddenly rang out.

【Congratulations, Player Jian Bumian. You have obtained one Item!】

【Item Name: A Butterfly Knife suitable for playing with and threatening people.】

【Item Function: ??? (Requires absorbing the NPC’s personal aura (no clothing obstruction, skin contact) to unlock)】

【Uses Left: 1 time.】

Jian Bumian: “?”

Without thinking much, he put away this Item with unknown abilities.

After carefully wiping off the filth, Jian Bumian stood up, intending to leave the training ground.

Just as he reached the exit door of the training ground, the broadcast system inside suddenly blared, sharp and piercing.

【Ding — Detection: Training ground “Tightrope Walking” has been destroyed by Acrobat Jian Bumian!!】