Genius Chapter 26: Wraith

Chapter 26: Wraith

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

“The rabbit is giving birth?!” The words had just left Su Mo’s mouth, and for a moment, everyone in the team was stunned, their minds blank. They mechanically held off on using skills until ScarletFruit’s expletive snapped them out of it, causing ClearWind, who was absorbed in securing positions, to nearly slip and fall forward.

ClearWind was dumbfounded. “??? What egg? Soul Rabbit can lay eggs?”

ScarletFruit corrected him, “Nonsense, the egg that Soul Rabbit is carrying is about to hatch.”

Because Soul Rabbit was carrying a spirit pet egg, the impending hatching process halted its attacks. It stood amidst the chaotic battlefield, looking around as if awaiting further instructions from its owner. The four-person team lost a crucial output at a critical moment.

Su Mo calmly summoned White Tiger to take Soul Rabbit’s place and issued new instructions to Soul Rabbit. “ScarletFruit! Take care of the rabbit.”

ScarletFruit, who also served as a healer, watched as Soul Rabbit ran towards him with the egg in its arms. Internally, he felt like thousands of rabbits were racing past him in turmoil. “Brother! I’m a healer, but I really don’t have experience delivering rabbits—no, I mean, taking care of eggs!”

ClearWind dodged two skills, just settling onto his seat when he found a moment to say, “Fruit, there’s a first time for everything.”

Soul Rabbit obediently followed its master’s command and stood beside ScarletFruit with the egg.

Su Mo’s voice turned cold. “Protect it.”

ScarletFruit was speechless. Help! What kind of game was he playing? Not only did he have to heal people, but now he had to care for eggs too?

With only 1 minute left, the situation on the field became even more chaotic. Several tea tables erupted into disputes, and players from all sides deployed defensive items, prepared to defend until the last second. The other three had no time to spare for ScarletFruit. Su Mo’s summoned beasts once again broke the deadlock, and with Yu Zhen’s cover, ClearWind successfully took his seat.

ClearWind shouted, “Brother! Only 8 seconds left.”

Yu Zhen forcefully stacked two layers of defense arrays, Su Mo used the bear’s taunt to draw away the enemy warriors, and when LunarFeline’s group confusion cooldown ended, it unleashed its ultimate skill into the crowd once more. ScarletFruit threw a big heal onto ClearWind.

[5, 4, 3…] The countdown from ApexMind echoed in their ears, pounding on the hearts of all players. [Congratulations to player ClearWindIsHere for successfully capturing the tea seat!]

[1]

The seat occupation and the countdown ended almost simultaneously. When the green light illuminated the tea seat, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. ScarletFruit collapsed to the ground, “That was close, so close. Didn’t lose my cool, and the money’s still intact.”

ClearWind lay sprawled across the tea seat, “I’m exhausted. My butt feels sore.”

Su Mo dismissed the four summoned beasts disappeared. He looked up at the golden text appearing in the sky, displaying the event settlement accompanied by ApexMind’s voice for all players in the inn to hear, [Desert Inn’s first stage ends. Proceeding to battlefield settlement. Remaining players: 106. Remaining teams: 26/20. Successful tea seat occupation: 19/20.]

[Battlefield resurrection in progress. Occupying tea seat teams revived in full.]

The interior of the Desert Inn changed to the “Safe Zone” map. The lanterns that had been extinguished on the second floor lit up again. Scene props like vases and teacups damaged by player skills were repaired in just two seconds, restoring the map to its initial state.

Players looked around at their resurrected teammates, visibly relieved. At that moment, a red light fell upon the players who hadn’t occupied a tea seat, completely enveloping them from top to bottom.

“What the heck is this?”

“We can’t get out!”

“This light stings a bit!”

Su Mo glanced at a nearby warrior shrouded in the red light and said, “Sorry.”

“You’re amazing, brother,” the warrior unexpectedly replied. “No need to be so polite. Playing events in games always involves risks. Your summoner skills are really slick.”

Su Mo didn’t say anything, but the other player sent a friend request. He then learned the player’s ID—”[SnackTimeBear].”

[Battlefield expulsion in progress. Teams that haven’t occupied a tea seat will be expelled and subjected to event penalties.]

As ApexMind’s voice faded, all players enveloped in the red light were expelled from the inn, making the Desert Inn suddenly spacious. With the first stage of the event over, everyone found a [Desert Inn Lodging Voucher] in their inventory. Immediately, the staircase position on the second floor lit up, and the previously unopened path leading to the lodging area on the third and fourth floors of the inn opened up.

The innkeeper at the front desk gestured, “Please, everyone.”

Other players hurriedly ascended to the second floor, seemingly eager to grab rooms on the third and fourth floors.

“Brother!!” ScarletFruit’s voice echoed in the team’s voice chat. “The rabbit!!!”

Su Mo snapped out of his thoughts, his gaze falling on the rabbit hiding behind ScarletFruit, clutching the egg. He noticed a countdown timer for “[Hatching]” appearing before him, with the timer currently counting down in reverse.

Yu Zhen suddenly spoke up, “Let’s change locations.”

Su Mo quickly realized that the [spirit pet egg] couldn’t be stored in his inventory anymore. He had to rely on the cover provided by the other three to make his way to the third floor and found a room near the staircase that had been left vacant.

“Isn’t this egg about to hatch?” ScarletFruit nervously watched as Su Mo placed the egg down. “It’s my first time seeing a pet egg hatch. What kind of creature will be inside? Judging from the situation, it should be something small, not too large in size.”

ClearWind denied, “You’re silly. Pets have a juvenile stage. Rabbits are small when they’re young too!”

Soul Rabbit hopped a bit, its powerful ears looking threatening.

ScarletFruit was speechless.

The spirit pet egg was placed on the table in the center of the room, and the four men gathered around it, at a loss of what to do. ClearWind glanced at the egg and then at ScarletFruit. “Why don’t you give it a try?”

ScarletFruit raised an eyebrow, “Me?”

ClearWind said, “Aren’t healers called ‘nannies’? Maybe you have to be a midwife for pets too.”

ScarletFruit maintained a gentle tone, “Wind, just because you learned a new term doesn’t mean you should throw it around. It worries me if you can properly guide teenagers as a livestreamer with this level of quality. Your behavior really concerns me.”

ClearWind replied, “I suspect you’re launching a personal attack on me.”

ScarletFruit retorted, “You started with a professional attack on me.”

The two engaged in a debate about whether healers could nurse pets and what excellent qualities a professional livestreamer should possess. Su Mo stood by, noticing subtle changes in the patterns on the spirit pet egg. “There’s a progress bar here, currently counting down.”

Yu Zhen looked at him puzzled. “Does the item description of the egg say how to hatch it?”

Su Mo frowned. “There was a hint during the battle, telling me to take good care of it.”

Yu Zhen fell silent for a moment. “Take care? How about touching it?” He added, “This egg belongs to you, so I think only you can make it hatch.”

Su Mo picked up the spirit pet egg and followed Yu Zhen’s suggestion, gently rubbing the eggshell for about a minute. Suddenly, the progress bar, which was previously counting down in reverse, stopped and started counting down at a normal pace. He was slightly surprised. As he touched the eggshell, he felt a warm sensation, as if a little life was struggling to hatch with his help.

This feeling was different from touching Soul Rabbit’s fur, and the anticipation it brought was also different. Soul Rabbit leaned on the table, eagerly looking at the egg in its master’s arms, emitting a joyful mewl.

Finally, about ten minutes passed.

The countdown on the spirit pet egg finally reached zero, and with a slight crack, the eggshell was gently pushed open. Su Mo watched in astonishment as he carefully placed the egg on the table, seeing the crack grow larger and larger—

Until the last hint of emerald green light peeked through. What emerged from the eggshell wasn’t a fully formed creature. It was like a small, misty cloud of emerald green, with only a pair of amber-like pupils in the center, reflecting the stars and the sea.

ClearWind couldn’t help but feel excited. “Wow… it’s beautiful.”

ScarletFruit remarked, “Is this a rare pet that hasn’t been officially released? I just saw the system announcement! It’s called Veil Wraith!”

Yu Zhen paused at the mention of ‘Veil Wraith’. “The spirit of the Misty Sea?”

ScarletFruit replied, “Unlike the Misty Sea Spirit, this little thing is much prettier!”

The little creature struggled to climb out of the eggshell. Just as it emerged, the eggshell turned into light and merged into its body. It blinked, seeming to assess its surroundings, and then hopped onto the edge of the table, successfully landing on Su Mo’s head.

[[Quest Spirit Pet Egg] has hatched. You have obtained the special and rare pet [Veil Wraith]. Do you acknowledge ownership?]

Su Mo confirmed, and a Veil Wraith appeared in his pet slots. Upon opening its skills, he found that it had three familiar skills: Mist Whip, Mist Wave, and Summon Minions. There was also a special skill waiting to be activated, which required Su Mo to gather materials to learn.

According to the Celestial Horizon’s pet system rules, only one pet could be brought into battle. While Soul Rabbit excelled in high attack and speed, Veil Wraith was more versatile, suitable for dungeon exploration. Though it didn’t look much like the Misty Sea Spirit, it inherited its three skills. Despite some modifications to the frequency and intensity of the skills, it was still a versatile pet capable of single and group attacks, adaptable to various situations.

“Are the skills any good?” Yu Zhen asked.

Su Mo closed the pet panel and reached up to touch the Veil Wraith on his head, feeling a cool sensation. He paused for a moment. “Not bad, quite refreshing.”

The other two beside him were speechless.

ClearWind couldn’t help but ask, “Refreshing? Brother, are you treating it like an air conditioner?”

Su Mo grabbed the Veil Wraith from his head and tossed it to Soul Rabbit casually, saying, “Who knows if it’s hungry or not.”

Suddenly, ScarletFruit felt a chill down his spine, a sense of foreboding creeping over him.

With the spirit pet egg hatched, Su Mo paid little attention to it, feeding it half a bag of low-grade pet food before refocusing his attention on the tasks within the Desert Inn. Although the first stage had just ended, the task progress showed a remaining time of 24 hours, indicating that this lodging segment would last for that duration. Would the next stage open after 24 hours?

“Although the tasks in the game have become strange after the Apocalypse, according to the old rules of Celestial Horizon, activities shouldn’t be continuous like dungeons,” ClearWind continued. “I just looked out the window and saw some other players leaving the Desert Inn.”

“That should mean we have access to floors 3 and 4 for the next 24 hours. We can freely enter and leave the Desert Inn during that time,” Su Mo observed the time; it was just past seven in the evening, meaning they could enter the second stage around the same time tomorrow.

“Most players aren’t online for 24 hours straight, not to mention those freaks who never sleep in the virtual warehouse. Celestial Horizon’s rules are quite user-friendly in some aspects,” ScarletFruit remarked. “So, what do we do now? Leave here to level up outside? Oh, right, I need to deposit my money in the warehouse first, just in case they deduct it in the next stage. Levels can drop, but money shouldn’t be deducted.”

Yu Zhen, however, offered a different opinion. “24 hours is not simple. We should pay attention to the NPCs or details on floors 3 and 4. They might be useful for the next stage.”

The emergence of daring players was a new type, and it was difficult to judge from the current situation whether the focus of this task was on solving clues or engaging in PvP.

With the remaining time, the four of them explored the areas on floors 3 and 4. Many teams shared the same idea, resulting in activity on both floors. However, despite thorough exploration, including examining vases, paintings, and even questioning the inn’s attendants, there were no clues hinting at the challenge’s nature.

The setup of the Desert Inn before the challenge had already made Su Mo suspicious. Many teams had stayed at the tea tables and hadn’t left. Moreover, the trigger condition for the activity was that all the tea tables in the venue had to be occupied by teams… indicating that few players had accidentally participated in this activity. More likely, they had obtained the clue about the quest in the Desert Inn in advance, holding considerable leverage.

Su Mo searched with ScarletFruit on the third floor, while ClearWind and Yu Zhen went to the fourth floor. When Su Mo returned, he noticed another room opposite theirs. The inn’s layout was symmetrical, with this room located at the corner of another staircase. The room was empty, with only a female player standing at the doorway.

This player seemed out of place compared to the others, showing little enthusiasm for searching for clues. When Su Mo and ScarletFruit went looking for clues earlier, she stood at the doorway, and even now, after about ten minutes, she remained in the same spot.

“What are you looking at, bro?” ScarletFruit asked.

Su Mo withdrew his gaze. “Did you notice anything significant?”

ScarletFruit noted, “We’ve been paying attention, but the innkeeper on the first floor seems busy handling bounty tasks. The staff in the inn are also quick with food and drink service, but they seem clueless when it comes to other questions.”

As time passed, it was already past ten o’clock, and they still hadn’t found any significant clues.

Su Mo glanced at the time. “It’s almost eleven; I’m logging off to rest.”

The team members had become accustomed to the irregular sleep patterns of summoners after experiencing offline breaks for meals. ScarletFruit asked, “Will you be online at nine tomorrow as well?”

Su Mo replied, “I won’t be online tomorrow. I should be back before the 24-hour deadline ends, so don’t wait for me.”

Another team member chimed in, “I also have plans tomorrow.”

Su Mo looked at Yu Zhen.

Yu Zhen added, “My schedule is uncertain. If I can’t log in, I’ll ask someone to fill in for me. Don’t worry.”

ScarletFruit and ClearWind exchanged looks. “Both of you won’t be online? Leaving just the two of us helpless and defenseless?”

“It’s not like we won’t be online,” Su Mo said as he sorted his inventory. “I’m logging off now. Goodnight.”

After logging off, Su Mo went to wash up. Lele was in the dressing room, selecting clothes for him to wear the next day, acting like a concerned mother. At eleven, he entered the laboratory and retrieved a special iron box from under the glass cabinet. He instructed, “Lele, prepare a nice box for me tomorrow. I’m going to Grandma Cheng’s house.”

“No problem!” Lele responded promptly, quickly identifying Grandma Cheng’s preferences. “Grandma Cheng likes sandalwood boxes and tea-scented perfumes.”

Su Mo realized, “Brother Zhou brought back some tea from the outer galaxy last time. We can include that too!”

After Lele received the instructions, he hurried off. Before leaving, he reminded Su Mo, “Su Mo, you should go to bed on time in ten minutes.”

Su Mo pushed the storage box back into place but hesitated when he saw the box next to it. He inexplicably dragged the box out and began to open it, but then suddenly stopped, realizing his actions. He paused for a few seconds before pushing the box back.

“Su Mo! Hurry up and go to bed!” Lele slid into the room from the living room, urging Su Mo to get to bed. “You need to sleep early; otherwise, you won’t be able to sleep later!”

Su Mo snapped out of his reverie and said, “Lele, my legs are numb.”

Lele was alarmed. “Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?”

Su Mo blinked at him. “Just from sitting for too long.”

Lele had no choice but to use his mechanical arm to lift the little master up from the floor. “Then Lele will carry you to bed. If you feel uncomfortable, let me know.”

Su Mo was reluctantly carried on the robot’s back and joked, “Can you really carry me?”

“I can,” Lele assured him. “Lele can carry you.”

Su Mo obediently climbed off his back and closed his eyes slightly. “Mm.”

The next morning, Su Mo completed his morning tasks as usual, satisfying Lele’s gaze as he finished his medicine. Ever since the incident at the hospital, Lele had been withholding his coffee, only displaying a cheerful emoticon on the screen when Su Mo completed his tasks on time.

Carrying the meticulously wrapped gift from Lele, Su Mo left the house and walked along the shaded path in the neighborhood towards Grandma Cheng’s house. Soon, he arrived at his destination and rang the doorbell. After a moment, the smart door opened.

Just as Su Mo was about to greet Grandma Cheng, he noticed a stranger standing behind the door. The man was dressed in a white shirt and black pants, with his sleeves neatly rolled up to his elbows. There was a sharpness and righteousness about him that couldn’t be concealed.

Su Mo paused; he felt like he had seen this person somewhere before.

“Are you Su Mo?” the man spoke, stepping aside to make way. “Come in.”

Su Mo hesitated for a moment before nodding and entering.