Chapter 156: Butterfly Village

​​​The stars above were as clear and bright as his eyes.

The hand cradling the back of her head was no longer human—black fur now covered it, more like a monster's claw, though at this moment, he had retracted his talons, making it seem gentle and harmless.

Li Zhi gazed at the stars for a while, and her mood did improve.

She suddenly realized there was nothing to worry about. In the memories she had seen, Li Jianxi was strong and resolute. He had abandoned divinity and chosen hell—his willpower was beyond ordinary. Instead of passively enduring the system’s torment, it was better to take the initiative.

She believed in Li Jianxi, and she believed in herself.

But not now.

For now, it was better to quietly admire the stars.

The massive blue-gold wings behind her fluttered slightly. Li Jianxi lowered his head, looking at the person who had unknowingly fallen asleep against his shoulder, and even his breathing softened. Slowly, he wrapped his wings around her like a soft blanket, shielding her from the mountain winds.

From a distance, it looked as though only a lone monster sat atop a mountain rock, gazing at the moon.

But he didn’t seem lonely at all.

The livestream chat was filled with satisfaction:

​​[I could watch this scene for two whole days!]​​
​​[Just focus on romance for the next two days, please!!]​​
​​[Mystery solved—this is actually a horror-themed dating show!]​​
​​[Has Li Zhi fallen for him? She must have, right? Please don’t let Xiao Li suffer unrequited love—it’s too painful.]​​
​​[Between these two, I feel like Li Zhi would be the one to confess first. Once she realizes her feelings, she’ll go straight for it!]​​
​​[Teammates: You two are so noble, so amazing—stargazing and romancing while we’re stuck on night watch.]​​

…

Near dawn, Li Zhi felt Li Jianxi carrying her down from the mountaintop, carefully placing her back beside the campfire before flying away.

She didn’t open her eyes, just rolled over on the ground.

She slept until full daylight. The morning sun bathed the forest in vibrant life. Li Jianxi had completely disappeared—he likely could only appear at night.

But outside the mountain wall lay a wild deer drained of blood, likely caught and left for them by Li Jianxi. Thankfully, this was a dungeon—otherwise, they’d be charged with illegal hunting.

The campfire had long died out. The firewood they’d gathered the night before hadn’t lasted until morning, and by the time they woke up, everyone’s faces were pale from the cold. Fortunately, the temperature rose after sunrise. They washed up with water dripping from the mountain wall and ate some leftover wild fruits for breakfast.

The players split into two teams—one to gather more firewood, the other to process the deer, which would be their main food for the day.

They had to collect enough dry wood before nightfall, or they’d risk freezing to death.

Li Zhi instructed the foraging team, "Don’t go too far. Leave markers so you don’t get lost."

This was the fifth day in the dungeon. Neither the players nor the audience had expected the storyline to take this turn. New viewers entering the livestream were stunned by the unusual setting.

What’s going on? Where are the ghosts? The monsters? The horror? They double-checked—yes, this was Horror Variety, right? How had it turned into wilderness survival?

And yet… it was oddly refreshing.

By noon, the foraging team returned. In this dense, ancient forest, usable firewood was scarce. The humid climate meant most fallen branches were too rotten to burn, and without tools, the towering trees were impossible to fell—they could only sigh in frustration.

So they’d ventured much farther than expected.

Li Zhi had already prepared the deer. The remaining players gathered small branches nearby and built a small fire to roast the meat.

Seeing Jiao Shen’s grim expression, Li Zhi sensed trouble and walked over to him.

Four had gone out, but only three returned.

Han Wenlin was missing.

Li Zhi stared at Jiao Shen. "Where’s Han Wenlin?"

Jiao Shen said solemnly, "We came across a cliff while gathering wood. The bushes were too thick—he didn’t see the edge and fell."

Yao Lang, noticing Li Zhi’s darkening expression, quickly added, "We searched, but the terrain is too complex. There was no way down. We… couldn’t do anything."

They couldn’t just jump after him. Han Wenlin’s fall had been silent—no one knew how deep the cliff was. He was surely dead.

Li Zhi was silent for a long moment.

Han Wenlin had entered the dungeon with her. He hadn’t died to ghosts or monsters but to something so trivial.

The dungeon was full of dangers. Even without supernatural threats, there were countless ways to die.

Xu Yan’s expression was also grim. She walked over and squeezed Li Zhi’s hand reassuringly. "He might still be alive. He’s resourceful—maybe he survived."

Li Zhi turned to Jiao Shen. "Where did it happen?"

Jiao Shen frowned. "You’re going to look for him? We searched for a long time—that’s why we’re back so late. There’s no point going now."

Li Zhi’s voice was cold. "Take me there."

Jiao Shen tossed down the firewood he’d been carrying and sneered. "You won’t give up until you see it for yourself."

Despite his words, he led Li Zhi back to the cliff where Han Wenlin had fallen. Just as he’d described, the bushes were so thick that the edge was nearly invisible.

Li Zhi circled the area, tossing stones to gauge the cliff’s height, but the results were discouraging.

Jiao Shen leaned against a tree, watching her coldly. When Li Zhi finally walked back, he mocked, "Convinced now?"

Li Zhi didn’t answer, heading back toward the campsite.

The loss of a teammate—especially in such an absurd way—shattered the previously relaxed atmosphere. No one dared to wander far for firewood anymore, sticking close to the camp.

Night fell quickly. As soon as the sun set, the mountain temperature plummeted. By full dark, the biting cold seeped into their bones, and they huddled around the fire for warmth.

Fortunately, the day’s firewood would last the night. To lighten the mood, Guan Xiaoxing encouraged the team, "Just one more day after tonight, and we can leave this dungeon."

The mood improved slightly, but Li Zhi’s silence kept the others from celebrating too openly. Han Wenlin’s death meant little to them—if anything, it removed a competitor.

In the entire team, perhaps only Li Zhi and Xu Yan genuinely mourned his loss.

After some quiet conversation, a massive gust of wind suddenly swept through the dark forest—the sound of enormous wings flapping.

Only Li Jianxi could make such a noise.

It seemed Li Jianxi, absent all day, had returned. The group relaxed slightly—with him around, wild animals wouldn’t dare approach.

But Li Zhi frowned, standing to peer into the hazy night.

After a pause, she said warily, "Something’s wrong."

Jiao Shen reacted fastest, drawing his knife. "It’s not Li Jianxi?"

Li Zhi shook her head. "It doesn’t feel like him."

The massive dark figure circling above the forest was still too distant to identify clearly. But Li Zhi’s instincts told her it wasn’t him.

The others tensed. "Are there other butterfly monsters in these mountains…?"

Guan Xiaoxing gasped in horror. "There’s also the mutated Yin Fu!"

The dark figure swooped down, landing near them. In the firelight, its grotesque face bore no trace of humanity.

Yesterday at the inn, the newly mutated Yin Fu had retained some clarity, sparing them. But now, Yin Fu was completely gone—only a true monster remained.

This fully transformed butterfly creature was far more ferocious than Li Jianxi or the failed metamorphosis from last night. Its body was covered in spikes, its maw lined with rows of needle-like teeth—a single bite would be fatal.

The players recoiled in terror, but the monster didn’t attack immediately. Beneath its massive wings, a pair of translucent secondary wings vibrated rapidly, emitting a shrill, piercing sound.

Xu Yan’s expression shifted. "Do you hear flute music?"

Li Zhi exhaled slowly. "It’s a scout. The villagers have found us."

As she spoke, flickering torchlights appeared in the distant forest.

With the monster blocking their path and the villagers closing in, escape was impossible. They were in grave danger tonight.

Guan Xiaoxing looked ready to cry, turning desperately to Li Zhi. "Where’s Li Jianxi?"

Li Zhi didn’t answer. Gripping her baseball bat, she charged at the monster. "Kill this thing first, then deal with the villagers."

Jiao Shen and Xu Yan followed instantly.

Thankfully, they’d eaten well and conserved energy during the day—otherwise, they’d be sitting ducks.

Having fought a butterfly monster last night, the remaining three players quickly lit torches and joined the battle. But this creature was on a completely different level.

Every inch of its body was covered in spikes—even its underbelly lacked a weak point. Their knives bent against its hide.

As they fought, the torch-bearing villagers finally drew near. The village chief, spotting them, roared with fury, "Kill them!"

Li Zhi noticed a young woman beside the chief, playing a short white bone flute—the source of the shrill music echoing through the forest.

The melody was erratic but rhythmic. Observing closely, Li Zhi realized the mutated Yin Fu was being controlled by the flute’s notes.

She barked orders to Jiao Shen and Xu Yan, then sprinted toward the flute player with her bat.

But the villagers swarmed in, blocking her path. Though individually weaker, their numbers overwhelmed her. Despite her skill, she couldn’t break through to the chief or the flute player.

Chaos erupted. Even with their abilities, six players—only three of whom were strong fighters—were quickly outmatched.

Another gale-force wind tore through the trees.

A massive shadow plummeted from above, slamming into the mutated Yin Fu.

Before the players could react, the villagers shouted, "It’s that failed experiment that escaped!"

They referred to their own kind as failures.

The chief sneered. "Perfect timing. We’ve been hunting it for so long—tonight, we’ll wipe them all out!"

Li Jianxi grappled with the monster, freeing Jiao Shen and Xu Yan to assist Li Zhi against the villagers. The tide of battle began to turn. No matter how strong the villagers were, they were no match for trained players. The trio fought like demons, pressing toward the chief.

Wave after wave of attackers surged forward. The chief, visibly panicking, hadn’t expected such resistance. He turned and whispered urgently to the flute player.

Soon, the flute’s melody changed.

A bad premonition struck Li Zhi. She whirled around—Li Jianxi’s movements had slowed. His blue eyes flooded with uncontrollable rage as he turned toward the players.

Li Zhi kicked away a villager and lunged at Li Jianxi.

The flute’s notes swirled around them, but even under its control, the monster instinctively reached out to catch her.