Volume One, Chapter 12: A Night Doomed to Be Unbearable

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Night quietly descended, and time slipped away like a fleeting horse. In the blink of an eye, it was already evening.

At the agreed time and place, several people gathered beneath the city wall. When Lin Yi arrived, he found Huang Tian and the others already waiting there. Moonlight poured over them like water, painting a serene and mysterious scene.

Lin Yi smiled as he stepped forward, teasing lightly, “Well now, everyone’s really early! Such enthusiasm is truly admirable. Oh? Even Xiao Xin is here.”

Hearing this, Zhang Xin, standing nearby, pouted slightly, her cheeks flushed like a ripe apple—irresistibly charming. She had just finished washing up and looked completely refreshed, a stark contrast to before. She coquettishly replied, “Big brother, Xiao Xin arrived ages ago. You’re the slowpoke, making us wait here so long.”

At that moment, Zhang Guoxing’s expression suddenly changed. He sharply scolded, “Xin’er, don’t be rude! It’s our great honor that His Majesty allows us to wait.” After speaking, he cautiously glanced at Lin Yi, silently praying that his few words wouldn’t anger him, fearing dire consequences.

Under Zhang Guoxing’s rebuke, Zhang Xin’s tears began to flow uncontrollably as she murmured, “Daddy’s so fierce... Does Daddy not want Xiao Xin?”

Huang Xiaorong quickly wrapped an arm around Zhang Xin and shot Zhang Guoxing a stern look. Comforting her, she said, “How could your father not want you? Xin’er is the sweetest; no crying.”

Huang Tian also chided Zhang Guoxing gently, “Brother Zhang, you went a bit too far. His Majesty isn’t stingy.”

Seeing Zhang Guoxing’s displeasure, Lin Yi coldly remarked, “Well done, making your daughter cry feels good, doesn’t it? I didn’t even say anything, so why get so worked up?”

“That’s enough. Next time I see you treat your daughter like that...” Lin Yi’s voice trailed off.

Zhang Guoxing’s face was filled with regret as he noticed a flicker of fear in his daughter’s eyes. Feeling uneasy, he said to Zhang Xin, “Xin’er, Daddy was wrong. Can you forgive Daddy this once?”

Hearing this, Zhang Xin glanced at him and whispered, “Xin’er forgives Daddy.”

Seeing this, Lin Yi lightly waved his hand, his expression turning serious as he said firmly, “Enough. Let’s stop the fuss. We’re not here to chat idly but to seriously discuss tomorrow’s important matters.” With that, he gestured to the group.

Hearing this, the previously noisy group instantly fell silent and gathered closely into a tight circle.

Yet, a heavy silence descended upon them all, the atmosphere weighed down by an oppressive tension. It wasn’t that they were unwilling to speak; rather, none knew what kind of monsters awaited them tomorrow. The unknown bred a fearful heaviness deep in their hearts.

Sensing the dull mood, Lin Yi smiled faintly and pulled two long loaves of bread from his backpack.

The bread emitted a tempting aroma that immediately caught everyone’s attention. Especially Zhang Xin, who hadn’t eaten for several days. Her eyes locked onto the bread, and her mouth watered uncontrollably.

Noticing her craving, Lin Yi found it amusing. He deliberately waved the bread in front of her and teased, “Well? Want some? Are you still going to play with me?”

Zhang Xin, after all a child, couldn’t resist the lure of food. She eagerly nodded and said, “Big brother, you’re the best. Please give me some bread to eat!”

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Hearing Zhang Xin’s innocent words, the other four were momentarily stunned before exchanging smiles. Their laughter was like a spring breeze, instantly dispelling much of the tension hanging in the air.

Just then, Zhang Guoxing broke the silence, asking, “Your Majesty! How do you know there’s a monster tomorrow? What if there isn’t?”

Huang Tian was about to stop him, but Lin Yi waved it off, appreciating the question. “Not bad, not bad. It’s good to have your own thoughts.”

Still, trying to get me to reveal my secrets—too soon. Smiling, he said, “Because I am the king here, I have a certain ability to foresee danger.” He thought, “Let’s see how you respond to that!”

Well, Zhang Guoxing dared not reply and let it go. Changing the subject, he asked, “Since Your Majesty is so sure, do you have a strategy?”

“If I did, do you think I’d be asking you?” Lin Yi thought to himself, “Just praised you a second ago, and now you ask nonsense.”

Looking at their worried faces, Lin Yi said, “But here’s some news: as long as I appear before the monsters, they will fixate on me and relentlessly pursue me. If I die, this castle will collapse along with them.”

Zhang Guoxing was shocked, while Huang Tian and Huang Xiaorong remained calm, since they were here to protect Lin Yi.

After a moment’s shock, Zhang Guoxing pondered, “Your Majesty, you don’t mean to use yourself as bait to lure out all the monsters, do you?”

“Smart, you guessed it,” Lin Yi smiled confidently, clearly pleased with Zhang Guoxing’s insight.

Feeling Lin Yi’s intense gaze, Zhang Guoxing felt a bit embarrassed. “Your Majesty, please don’t tease me.”

At this, Huang Tian and Huang Xiaorong exchanged a look, then rose and said loudly, “Your Majesty, if you do that, Xiaorong and I will never agree. You are the foundation of this castle and must not be harmed. Besides, we don’t know the monsters’ strength tomorrow. We can’t fully protect you.”

With that, they knelt on one knee, clasped their hands, and bowed their heads in unison. “Please reconsider, Your Majesty.”

Zhang Guoxing also realized the gravity and knelt down, saying, “Your Majesty, this method must not be used. If the monsters aren’t too strong, the three of us can handle them.”

Zhang Xin noticed something was amiss too. She looked at Lin Yi with wide eyes and quietly said, “Big brother shouldn’t be found by the monsters. My daddy is very strong and can protect you.”

Lin Yi hadn’t expected that merely suggesting an idea would be met with such opposition. But he didn’t blame them—it was out of concern for his safety. Punishing them would only chill their spirits.

So he said, “Everyone, please stand up. I’m not foolish enough to gamble with my life. After all, I’m carrying more than just my own.”

“Really,” Huang Tian tentatively added.

Well, as the king, how could I deceive you? If I’m going to be bait, I’ll have to see how things unfold.

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Only then did the group sit back down. Lin Yi said, “I currently have a cannon, but its destructive power isn’t strong.”

They then began discussing plans for tomorrow, talking well past nine o’clock. They decided to rest atop the city wall for the night.

Walking along the wall, which encircled the castle in a circle about ten meters in radius—not very large yet—Lin Yi reflected that at level two, the radius would expand to a thousand meters, and at level three it was something else entirely, the highest and not low.

Lin Yi checked his watch and saw over ten messages from his younger brother, mainly saying: “Brother, my guess might be true, the officials even posted about it.”

He quickly opened the message box. At the top was a pinned message by an ID named Great Wall. Lin Yi didn’t know how they managed to pin it. The message read: “Don’t upgrade before leveling up; upgraded monsters will become exponentially stronger.”

The comment section exploded immediately, filled with cries, wails, and despair.

One lamented, “Oh no! I’ve been working so hard to almost reach level four, excited to upgrade my weapon, only to find I lack the resources! What am I going to do?”

Another echoed, “Same here, I’m in the same boat! It’s truly heartbreaking...”

At that moment, Lin Yi’s attention was caught by a special post. An ID named Jade Mist shared a screenshot of the lobby chat with a caption: “Hehe, luckily I wisely heeded this big shot’s advice and didn’t blindly follow the crowd.”

The screenshot showed Lin Yi’s earlier message, which had immediately garnered countless replies and likes.

Some commented, “Haha, I felt the same at first—strange—but after thinking it through, it’s exactly right!”

Others said, “I’m just waiting to see what happens to those who ignored the expert’s advice. They not only refused to listen but insulted him—they’re asking for trouble.”

Some even sympathized with the big shot named Skywing, saying, “Poor Skywing, offering good advice and getting treated like that is heartbreaking.”

Others sighed, “I bet the expert was really angry back then...”

Lin Yi scoffed, “They had it coming for not listening.”

He then quickly opened the chat with his friend Lin Chuan and sent a brief, concerned message: “Stay safe, don’t take unnecessary risks.”

After sending, he resolutely closed the screen, slowly closed his eyes, and began to calmly contemplate what might happen next and how to respond.