Heroes' Prison Chapter 93

Huang Yi also left the square and wandered directionless into the deep night. The residents of Thornbush City had mostly gone to sleep, and the streets were desolate, with many shops already shuttered.

As he walked along, Huang Yi came upon a garden.

The garden was filled with the fragrance of flowers, serene and peaceful. No one was around; only the dim street lamps cast a solitary glow. The warm lights from the nearby residential buildings, which hadn’t turned off their lights, filtered through the paper-covered windows.

Next to a flowerbed in front of Huang Yi was a carved bench, and he walked over and gently sat down. All around was quiet, and the bright moonlight fell on him, casting a hazy shadow on the ground. Time seemed to stand still, frozen in this night-time garden.

Huang Yi turned his head to look around, taking in the sight of the various flowers under the night sky. Suddenly, his gaze fell on a residential building’s window and he stared intently at it.

Inside that window was the silhouette of a young girl with a ponytail, standing with her head bowed by the window, leaving a profile on the window paper.

For a moment, Huang Yi felt a sense of distraction. The girl’s silhouette, that posture, that angle, it imprinted on his heart.

It was as though he had been searching for a long time for something he hadn’t found. That feeling was very raw, like a secret a young boy is too scared to voice, hidden at the heart, unable to be spoken aloud.

So he just stared at that girl’s silhouette, watching for a long time, motionless, as if he were a statue in the garden.

What did the girl behind the window paper look like? How old was she? What was her name?

Huang Yi suddenly wanted to understand everything about the girl behind the window paper. But at that moment, her window dimmed as the girl turned off the light to go to sleep.

Huang Yi gazed at the window sill lost in the night and slowly retracted his gaze. The brief encounter felt like a century had passed. For the first time, he experienced an unprecedented feeling of curiosity about a girl.

From childhood to adulthood, he had never felt this way before, nor had anyone ever taught him or trained him to feel this.

Even when he was with No. 9 Qin Shiyu, he had never felt such a clear sensation. He and Qin Shiyu had grown up together, their familiarity bred natural gestures like holding hands, so he did not feel the strange sense of earlier.

Huang Yi lifted his gaze to the dazzling starry sky. On the huge, bright moon, the Ring Mountains were clearly visible, and colorful stars encircled a band of nebulae, nestled in the sky as if reachable by hand. He thought of Little White Cat, from whom he had been separated for over a week, wondering if she was doing well at Bai Long Lake, if she was causing mischief or feeling unhappy.

"Meow~" Just then, a soft meow sounded nearby, strikingly similar to Little White Cat’s call.

Turning his head, Huang Yi saw a small white cat at the other end of the bench, gazing up at him timidly, its tail gently swaying. Covered in dirt, it seemed to be a stray cat that stirred sympathy.

"Do you not have a home either? Then let’s keep each other company!" Huang Yi smiled at it and leaned down to pick it up.

The little white cat allowed Huang Yi to hold it, quiet and undemanding, its small paws clutching tightly to his arm as if seeking support.

As Huang Yi stroked its fur, the gentle touch reminiscent of how he used to pet Little White Cat, he slowly grew sleepy and eventually fell into a deep sleep on the bench, the little cat curling up in his embrace, asleep as well.

The tranquil moonlight flowed in the still garden, where, many years later, memories would stream.

...

When Huang Yi opened his eyes, the sky was already showing the pale light of dawn, the night was about to retreat, and the morning was coming. Thorn City was about to welcome a new day, and the hardworking small merchants had already gotten up, starting to prepare for another day’s business.

"Meow~" The little cat suddenly uttered, it looked up at Huang Yi and shook its tail, as if to express gratitude for his company through the cold night. Then it hopped out of Huang Yi’s embrace and walked into the depths of the garden, as if it had never been there.

A man and a cat, strangers crossing paths, had spent a lonely night together, parting ways without a need for goodbyes.

Huang Yi also got up, stretched lazily; the garden flowers were covered with dew, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of blossoms. Taking a deep breath made one feel invigorated.

Huang Yi left the garden, ready to start a new day of striving.

He still made his way to the Teleport Plaza of Thornbush City, where some people who had been battling in the Tower of Pantheons all night were gathering, discussing the loot of the day. Some were ecstatic about getting a piece of Blue Gear and happily inviting friends to drink at the tavern; others frowned, complaining about the low drop rate, not even managing to get Green Gear. The faces of all walks of life could be seen here, brimming with the airs of the common folk.

This time, Huang Yi chose the 21st floor. He was now level 28, and the drop rate for battling on the 20th floor would be much lower, and there was no longer any difficulty, one could pass through it easily. It was time to go to higher places.

The 21st floor, however, was a completely new scene, with new bosses, new gear, and new challenges.

After the Power of Teleportation faded, Huang Yi arrived on the 21st floor, a magnificent golden hall that exuded a regal air, as if in a palace of the Royal Family, even the ground beneath his feet seemed to flow with nobility.

In the great hall, some golden-armored soldiers patrolled back and forth with Long Spears, their weapons standing in orderly rows, their footsteps uniform, acting in unison. Every step on the ground sounded thunderous, making the floor tremble slightly, exuding an aura of fierceness.

Huang Yi took out the huge Barbaric Hammer from his storage ring and charged forward, smashing down furiously on a golden-armored soldier. This time, he scored a critical hit, the soldier immediately perished, turned into bits of flesh, with hardly a whole corpse to be found.

Huang Yi fought valiantly as he made his way through. At this moment, wielding a level 30 Purple Martial weapon, apart from his jewelry, his entire outfit consisted of Purple Gear with extremely high attributes, far surpassing players of the same level. Although the 21st floor was a completely new scene with stronger NPCs, they still couldn’t stop him.

Half an hour later, Huang Yi had cleared the level, taking even less time than he had on the 10th floor.

The 21st floor’s setting was spacious, unlike gardens and mazes that required detours, basically allowing one to rush straight to the boss to attack, saving a lot of travel time, which made the battle somewhat quicker.

Next, Huang Yi directly teleported to the 23rd floor. The NPCs there were challenging enough to suit him, and the drop rate was high. He settled on this floor and began to grind through the level over and over again.

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Thanks to Dong Huang, Pitiful Nameless, Angel, Yun Sihai, Little Riddler, Dragon Dominates The Worldcai, Eight Characters Don’t Match, Yimu Qingxin, Stained with Memories, and saber Arthuria for their generous tips these past days! Yun Sihai has become the first protector of this book! Thank you so much for your strong support!

Additionally, I’d like to share some good news: I’ve just received a message from the editor that next week this book is going to be recommended on Sanjiang. The words Sanjiang have been a regret of mine since I began writing; from my very first work, I’ve been applying for this recommendation, up to this book, continually seeking approval, but never getting through because the competition is too fierce. There are thousands and thousands of books all vying for just a dozen spots. When I received this news, I almost cried, the years spent writing all seem to be paying off now, and today has been an extremely fortunate day with as many as 10 readers tipping!

Thanks to all the readers for their support!

Of course, I also want to thank my editor Red Tea. I troubled him a lot during the writing training camp, and he was the one who offered guidance out of confusion. The current momentum of this book is good, thanks to the editor’s instruction. I also want to express gratitude to several other editors as well!