FLME Ch35: Battle Royale Recording

Beep, beep, beep—

The health bar issued another warning, dropping dangerously to 2%.

Yu Wen released the dragon and took a step back, slowly taking a deep breath.

His eyelashes fluttered slightly, his gaze ebbing and flowing like tides, both moved and sorrowful.

The dragon’s memories were mostly verbal, with the holographic projections serving as supplementary visuals. Even with his eyes closed, just listening, he could feel the intense emotional impact.

To experience another’s experiences, to live as they lived…

Some souls harbor dazzling gems, and portraying these characters is like unearthing those gems.

Even if this was just a simple variety show script.

Even if the hero’s role perhaps only spanned a mere two or three pages.

Knowing the ending beforehand, a tragedy beginning with reverse memories, impacted Yu Wen more deeply than even Chu Zhiyao.

If a TV series is watched from the end first, all the joy and happiness will be tied to the outcome, and each shared moment of joy will bring even deeper regret when it all ends.

The greater the regret, the stronger the desire to change it.

Yu Wen turned and looked back, the light screens floating in the vast space like scattered stars, encapsulating brief warmth, timeless with the galaxy.

He surveyed it all, like a lost traveler searching for traces of the past.

Finally, his gaze quietly rested on the dragon.

“I will win.” He said softly.

Yu Wen picked up the sword and without looking back, set off on his journey.

He had to win this time.

The remnants of the demon king’s presence wandered the castle, omnipresent.

Tong Li and the others spent some time finding the secret room Yu Wen had previously entered.

On either side were dark acrylic barriers, with the NPC playing the demon king drifting around, occasionally performing jump scares, scaring the guests out of their wits.

They pushed and shoved each other, eventually sending out a representative—Tong Li—to talk to the demon king.

The NPC was wearing extremely frightening makeup and hiding behind the barriers, making their location difficult to pinpoint. Tong Li was also scared, trembling as she said, “D-demon king…”

The NPC was thrilled, almost wanting to burst out laughing. The sense of accomplishment lost with Yu Wen was recovered with the current guests, making them double down on the scares.

Shrieks echoed nonstop, with the more timid guests like Daniel Li and Yi Ming collapsing on the floor, hugging their heads and crying.

The director was very pleased, pointing at the screen and saying, “We’ve got the tears, and now we’ve got the laughs. Our first episode is complete!”

When the time was right, the director used the walkie-talkie to cue the NPC to give the information.

The demon king repeated the words he had said to Yu Wen.

The group scrambled out of the passageway, with Tong Li crawling on the ground, shakily pulling out the Whispers of Undead from before.

Her body was on the verge of passing out, but her mind remained clear. She swallowed and spoke in a hoarse voice, “The curse… There’s a line in the curse that says, ‘The Demon King’s castle becomes the strongest prison in the world.’ But since the dragon has taken over the castle, doesn’t that mean the ‘Demon King’s castle’ no longer exists, and the curse is nullified?”

“Wait!” Suddenly, an idea flashed in her mind. Just before they found this secret room, the broadcast had hinted: ‘The Demon King’s lingering resentment remains… deceiving the naive traveler into becoming his blade…’

Was the naive traveler referring to the bard?

If the Demon King’s lingering resentment remains, and he wanted to target someone, wouldn’t the most likely target be the dragon that took over his castle, thereby causing the curse to fail?

This didn’t seem to have much to do with the other contestants.

But…

“Is Xiao Jian the villain?” Yi Ming asked in surprise.

“That’s not the main point. The main point is that taking on the villain role usually comes with certain advantages. He might not need to gather clues like we do to clear the level; if he plays it well, he could take out everyone,” Fan Xiangyang, who was most familiar with the show’s tactics, immediately chimed in.

“No wonder Xiao Jian hasn’t been searching for clues much since the beginning,” Daniel Li mused. “So… what’s his advantage?”

–

His advantage was that if he killed the soul the Demon King most loathed, he could escape directly.

From the beginning, Jian Heng woke up in the hall, with his health bar depleting the fastest, all according to the character’s setup. Although he bore the greatest risk and the least favorable starting point, once the clues were found, his advantage far surpassed that of the other contestants.

Unfortunately, Xiao Jian had gone off course and never looked back.

He lifted the tablecloth and looked under the table, searching for the missing Teacher Yu.

He didn’t find anything under the table, so he opened a cabinet.

Still nothing. Jian Heng was on the verge of breaking down. “Where’s my Xiao Yu?! Who hid my Xiao Yu?!”

The director watched as he frantically searched for Yu Wen like a mother hen looking for her lost chick, wanting to speak but stopping himself.

The assistant director suggested, “Maybe we should give him another hint…”

He was veering way off track.

The director was at his wit’s end. “He’s not looking.”

All the contestants’ initial information was vague and even misleading to increase difficulty. As they searched for clues, they needed to constantly overturn assumptions and reassemble them. But Jian Heng, once he made his guess, was convinced that Yu Wen was the one he needed to find, completely ignoring the director’s intentional hints along the way, as if they were flirting with a blind person.

Jian Heng lifted the painting on the wall, checking if the show had hidden his Xiao Yu behind it.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a shadow. The figure he had been desperately searching for appeared at the second-floor corner.

Jian Heng was overjoyed to the point of tears. “You’re not lost! You’re not lost! Damn the production team, I missed Xiao Yu so much I couldn’t even eat…”

Yu Wen had long grown accustomed to his dramatic antics; Jian Heng was born to be a comedian.

“Wait.” Yu Wen raised a hand to stop him from rushing over, pushing him aside as he walked to the long dining table and began feeling around on the floor.

Curious, Jian Heng asked, “Xiao Yu, what are you looking for?”

Yu Wen replied, “A mechanism.”

So Jian Heng followed suit, crawling on the ground like a serpent.

After a while, Jian Heng belatedly asked, “What does the mechanism look like?”

Yu Wen’s muffled voice came from the other side of the table, “I don’t know.”

Jian Heng: …Just groping?

Whether it was the clue “you are the center of the event” or the dragon statue directly overhead, everything indicated there would be a mechanism in this area. Having skipped over several stages, Yu Wen didn’t have all the information, so he could only rely on brute force now.

After about twenty minutes, Yu Wen found the switch under the carpet.

Both men stepped back as the floor beneath the dining table slowly shifted. The ground seemed to crack open, revealing a ten-square-meter hole from which thin, wispy black smoke began to rise.

A broadcast, like a chant, echoed.

“Hero, have you completed all your explorations?”

Yu Wen nodded.

“Wow! Xiao Yu, did you figure it out so quickly?!” Jian Heng enthusiastically applauded, praising, “Amazing.”

Yu Wen’s fingers lightly rubbed the back of his right hand—where a bandana was tied. If he untied it now, it would reveal the dangerous, glowing 1%.

He didn’t have much time left.

In minutes, 1% translated to about fourteen minutes, and this 1% wasn’t even full.

He needed to verify his storyline first. If the storyline was correct, then the target he had to hunt down would also be correct.

“Hero, before you stands a mountain. Please prove to me that you are awake.”

Yu Wen thought for a moment and drew his sword.

This was the first time he had unsheathed this holy cross sword.

The bright blade gleamed, reflecting cold light. Yu Wen’s fingers gently brushed it, feeling the icy touch.

Jian Heng didn’t understand the meaning behind his actions, but just watching made him unconsciously hold his breath.

It was almost like… a coronation.

It was rare to see such a serious expression on Yu Wen’s face. He was usually just calm, but this scene made Jian Heng see a certain unwavering determination in his old friend.

It was as if, in that moment, he truly was the hero.

Yu Wen casually twirled the sword.

Thanks to the training with the “Legend of the Immortal Sect” crew, he had gained quite a bit of experience with swords as props. Chu Zhiyao’s weapon was also a sword, so he had learned many sword tricks and techniques. Although there was a gap between fantasy and Western fantasy, this casual twirl, combined with Yu Wen’s composed expression, created an oddly fitting and wondrous harmony.

After loosening his wrist, Yu Wen suddenly knelt on one knee, and with great precision, plunged the long sword into the black mist in front of him.

The first thing a hero should do upon awakening is to draw the sword and break the evil curse and magic.

“Awesome!” Jian Heng instinctively exclaimed, then realized his voice was a bit loud, afraid he might distract Yu Wen. He whispered, “Super awesome…”

Yu Wen’s appearance rarely came off as heroic. He was pure and attractive, with a natural affinity for the audience. However, his physique didn’t match his face. At 179 cm, he wasn’t particularly tall or short in the entertainment industry, but with his long neck and upright posture, wearing the hero’s crisp outfit, his expression slightly subdued, his likability diminished, transforming into a pure elegance.

At this moment, he appeared calm and collected, yet with a momentum as powerful as thunder, he firmly drove the sword into the ground.

The fluidity of his movements was so impressive that it left people in awe!

Jian Heng, just watching from the side, couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration. He couldn’t imagine how stunning it would look after editing and adding the soundtrack…

The broadcast announced:

“Hero, exploration complete.”

This meant that his storyline had been successfully verified.

Yu Wen let out a sigh of relief.

Just as he set the sword down, Jian Heng rushed over and gave him a warm hug, “Xiao Yu, that was amazing! I’m so glad to see you.”

His quick passkey and health recovery package.

Yu Wen was momentarily stunned but then, touched, he returned the hug, “I’m glad to see you too, I was thinking the same.”

What a coincidence, you’re also a health recovery package in my eyes.

In the dragon’s memories, it was mentioned that a despicable bard was killed by a dragon carrying a holy sword. The dragon wasn’t a contestant, not part of their closed loop. If there was anyone the hero was destined to hunt, it was most likely the bard who died under the holy sword.

Yu Wen had originally just speculated, but now he was about ninety percent certain.

“The lute, give it to me. I’ll play it for you.”

It was a simple logic: if Jian Heng attacked him and the hunt failed, Jian Heng would be eliminated, which indirectly meant that Yu Wen had caused it, which could be categorized as the hero’s hunt.

This was equivalent to the target he was supposed to spend time getting close to and gaining trust from, delivering themselves to him, eagerly, no less, feeling sorry for him because he only had fourteen minutes left, and cleanly slicing his own throat.

Yu Wen could only feel grateful.

If it weren’t for Jian Heng, after unlocking the dragon’s memories and with his health bar down to two percent, he wouldn’t have been so confident about escaping successfully.

However, he wasn’t sure if the hero’s hunt required a ritual, so it would be best to finish it with the holy sword later.

Jian Heng, moved by his initiative, was also slightly surprised and self-critical.

“Start now? You’ve just completed the verification; maybe we should wait a bit longer…”

If I wait any longer, my health bar will be gone, Yu Wen sighed.

“It’s okay,” Yu Wen smiled. “I don’t have anything else to do now anyway.”

Jian Heng asked, “Nothing else? Is your health bar still enough?”

Yu Wen calmly replied, “Not really, but I haven’t found my hunt target, so I’ve decided to give up.”

Jian Heng’s gaze instantly filled with pity.

He believed Yu Wen, just as he had once believed Yu Wen when he claimed to have a mystical constitution, saying wherever he went, something dramatic would happen. Once again, Teacher Jian believed him.

His eyes were full of emotion as he looked at Yu Wen, thinking, ‘Good brother, if I win gold, I’ll share half with you.’

Members who successfully escape get gold, with a different design and complex craftsmanship each season. Jian Heng had been coveting it for a long time.

He handed the lute to Yu Wen.

Yu Wen tested a few notes. After not playing for a long time, his technique was a bit rusty, but the notes that flowed out were still deep and smooth.

“Greensleeves” is a British folk song, widely known, with a classical and elegant melody. Paired with the naturally resonant lute, it created a unique atmosphere.

Yu Wen held the lute and sat down on the stairs.

The central staircase faced the long table in the banquet hall. With just a lift of his eyes, Yu Wen could see the dragon on the dome.

“…What’s wrong?” Jian Heng asked.

Yu Wen shook his head. He was just thinking about how the dragon only had one soul left, and couldn’t help but feel a sense of melancholy.

The hero’s team was broken, separated by life and death. Their promise to journey together had turned into an epitaph… It was a grand tragic feast. But Yu Wen still wanted to leave a glimmer of hope in this tragic feast.

At the very least, he wanted the hero and the dragon to reunite.

He strummed the strings.

His fair fingers danced over the strings, his gaze slightly lowered, focused and immersed. The smooth and pleasant melody instantly echoed throughout the hall.

The lute and the medieval setting were a perfect match.

Jian Heng, in a daze, seemed to see a small tavern, dim and hazy, with the hero’s team laughing and chatting, raising their mugs to drink malt beer. In the corner, a bard sang of his travels, and the tavern owner raised his glass from afar, celebrating the team’s safe return…

After this thought, he felt a pang of guilt.

I’m about to kill the hero.

I’m such a terrible person.

–

Tong Li and the other three were frantically piecing together the remaining information.

Time was running out, and their understanding of the storyline was still incomplete.

For instance, Tong Li—how exactly did the princess die? What was the so-called attempt before her death…

For example, Yi Ming—what kind of person was the elf? What was his motivation for exhausting his healing magic to save the dwarf…

For example, Daniel Li—how exactly did the grand magician die…

For example, Fan Xiangyang…

There were so many details to consider.

Only about five hours had passed since filming began, which wasn’t slow compared to the previous two seasons. But the phantom bird at the start of season three had caught them off guard, causing their health bars to deplete much faster than before, making even the experienced Fan Xiangyang anxious.

A broadcast echoed outside, faint and unclear, seemingly coming from the hall. None of them looked up, but after a moment, a melody could be heard outside.

Yi Ming, who was focused on piecing together clues, couldn’t help but pause. “Who has the leisure to play music now?”

“Oh no,” Fan Xiangyang slapped his forehead. “There’s only one chance to escape. If someone gathers all the clues and leaves early, the rest of us will be directly eliminated.”

Yi Ming cursed ungraciously and bolted outside.

Tong Li lifted her large princess dress and huffed as she chased after her.

Daniel Li turned to grab his magic staff, but by the time he looked back, the room was empty.

He: “…”

At least wait for me!

–

The deep, beautiful music continued. At some point, Jian Heng had circled behind Yu Wen, sitting on a higher step, and gently sighed, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Xiao Yu…” 

Yu Wen seemed oblivious, continuing to play.

Jian Heng could tell the song was about to end.

He made a gesture toward the camera in the corner—the signal for a kill.

As the last note fell, Jian Heng leaned in slightly, his voice filled with guilt and sorrow as he spoke close to Yu Wen’s ear.

“I’m sorry, my friend.”

Yu Wen sat there quietly with the lute in his arms.

A voice echoed through the castle from the broadcast.

“Bard, the hunt has failed. The time of the undead has expired. You shall return to oblivion…”

Jian Heng: “?”

Yu Wen stared into the void, and despite expecting this result, he still smiled.

“I’m sorry, my friend,” he said, turning back to Jian Heng and giving a gentleman’s bow, repeating the exact same words.

Then he stood up, preparing to make the hand signal to the camera.

As long as his health bar recovered above twenty percent, he would meet all the conditions to escape—

“Hold on!” Yi Ming rushed out, panting, and waved vigorously at Yu Wen from the second-floor railing.

Yu Wen looked back in confusion and immediately understood when he saw Tong Li following closely behind—right, there was only one chance to escape.

He thought for a moment.

Yi Ming, catching her breath on the second floor, quickly organized her words. Before she could speak, Yu Wen said, “I’ll wait for you, but we need to be quick. I only have about…”

He removed the cloth from his hand, revealing a flashing red light that indicated he had just three minutes left.

Yu Wen fell silent and looked up seriously, “Can you finish in three minutes?”

Yi Ming felt a pang in her heart.

“Forget it,” Tong Li suddenly said.

She smiled lightly at Yu Wen and shrugged, “Our storyline still has many gaps. If you give up escaping and leave us enough time, we might all be able to escape, but don’t forget, the undead lingered here waiting for you to wake up. If we all escape, leaving you trapped here, I don’t think that’s the ending this story deserves. If it were her, she would definitely want you to leave.”

The “she” Tong Li mentioned wasn’t elaborated upon, but in an instant, everyone knew who she meant.

If it were the princess, she would want you to leave.

“The undead lingered…” Yu Wen murmured these words.

He hadn’t known this part, but as soon as Tong Li said it, he understood immediately. He also realized why his clue was: You are the center of the event.

Because these undead, and the dragon on the dome, were all lingering because of him.

He was the core of this castle.

Yi Ming was silent for two seconds, then suddenly laughed. Her wig stuck to her sweaty forehead as she waved at Yu Wen, “Next round, I’ll stick with you. We’ll win the gold back for sure. But this round, let’s just leave it. The elf wishes you a safe journey. Teacher Yu, go ahead.”

Daniel Li, holding his staff, stood at the staircase, smiling slightly. The calm and composed grand magician seemed to materialize at that moment.

He said, “Hero, do not linger—keep moving forward.”

“Go on, Xiao Yu, you only have three minutes left.” The voice came from behind. Yu Wen turned around and saw Fan Xiangyang sitting on the steps. The veteran MC’s voice carried a tone of encouragement and determination, “Move forward, and don’t look back.”

Yu Wen suddenly didn’t know what to say.

For a moment, his thoughts wandered inappropriately to a screenshot his boss had once shared in their group chat, a highlighted comment from one of his past trending topics: “Even in an unfamiliar entertainment industry, please continue to shine brightly.”

This comment had surprised him at the time. Although he had never fully immersed himself in it, he always prided himself on being diligent in his work. He was shocked that someone could so easily discern his unfamiliarity and detachment from the entertainment world.

He thought he had been serious enough about his work.

But maybe… the true allure of the entertainment industry was only now unfolding before his eyes.

After a long silence, Yu Wen said nothing, simply raised his sword, and smiled brightly.

It was as if the hero was making a promise: I will keep moving forward. Rest in peace.

The guests waved back in response.

Jian Heng watched, completely confused by their interaction, but he could sense that it was moving, so he stepped forward, preparing to give Yu Wen a farewell hug, “Teacher Yu…”

Yu Wen made the hunting gesture, grabbed the sword stuck in the ground, and swiftly sliced across Jian Heng’s waist.

The special fabric met the blade, spilling out a red liquid that looked eerily like blood.

Jian Heng: “?”

“Hero, the hunt is successful. Health bar restored.”

Even with how far Jian Heng had deviated from his original role, he finally realized what had happened.

He was deeply regretful, certain that his last words before death would be censored by the production team.

Because he had said: “Damn.”

The broadcast continued:

“Hero, awakened in the mountains, carry on with your companions’ will and continue your journey…”

The castle’s tightly closed gates slowly opened. Yu Wen walked to the entrance, where light poured in through the cracks—first a thin line, then large swathes of sunlight, enveloping him completely.

Yu Wen sheathed his sword, looked back, and pointed toward the glass decorations on the dome.

“Guests, please move away from the hall,” the broadcast reminded.

Three minutes later, the glass shattered inch by inch, tiny fragments falling from the air. The dragon soul sealed within the glass began to awaken, as ethereal as the morning mist.

The holographic projection of the black dragon approached Yu Wen, its head lowering affectionately, as if waiting for a touch.

Yu Wen gently patted its horns and smiled.

“My friend.”

–

“Beginner’s dungeon complete. Clearance achieved by one person.

“Yu Wen, registration number XYUM667, your starter package has been bound to your account. Please choose your clearance reward—

“Apologies, registration number cannot be canceled. The game cannot be exited.

“Please choose your clearance reward—

“‘Undead Mode’ selected. Description: ‘Undead Mode’ is a veteran player mode where the ultimate goal is to resurrect the undead. Form a team with four other players; the higher the survival rate in each mission, the higher the player’s score. High scores will contribute to achieving the ultimate goal.

“The second dungeon will begin soon. This season’s final mission: resurrect the undead and reunite the hero’s team.

“Welcome to the Battle Royale.”