The Demon Lord is My Dark Moonlight [Transmigration Novel] - Chapter 18

Surviving a swarm of Nizoren Man-eating Ants was no easy feat. Individually, they were only Fourth-Rank beasts—manageable enough. But these ants fought as a unit, appearing in colonies that acted like a wildfire, leaving nothing but barren earth in their wake. Hundreds, thousands of Fourth-Rank beasts working in perfect coordination were as lethal as a First-Rank beast.

The group didn’t flee because of cowardice; they fled because they simply couldn’t win. The saying “ants can topple a giant” was being proven in the most literal, horrific sense.

Being bitten by them was indeed agonizing. Despite the lead’s intervention, several ants managed to latch onto Gu Jinli’s body. A bite took a chunk of meat every time; Gu Jinli ended up with three bloody holes in her skin.

Whew~

She thanked the System’s pain-blocker yet again. Though the wounds looked horrific, she didn’t actually feel the excruciating pain they suggested.

“Did we lose them?” Gu Jinli panted, doubled over with her hands on her knees after sprinting through the dunes. Her lungs felt like they were on fire. “I can’t… I can’t run anymore.”

“It’s okay now, Big Sister.” Shen Chigui was also breathless, but she calmed down quickly. She looked back at the desert, confirming the swarm hadn’t followed. “They likely went after the larger group.”

Even beasts understood the math of a meal. Compared to two scrawny girls, a large group of strong adults was a much more attractive target.

“I hope they make it out,” Gu Jinli sighed. She felt a twinge of worry, but she was powerless to help. She had only survived because of the lead’s quick thinking.

*****

Was the appearance of the ants truly a coincidence? No one knew, and Gu Jinli didn’t suspect a thing.

From their current position, the silhouette of the Crystal Tower was clearly visible. Having lost the ants, they headed straight for their goal. About fifteen minutes later, they stood before the massive gates of the Tower. Surprisingly, quite a few people were already there.

“Why aren’t they going in?” Gu Jinli observed from the back. The people were huddling in small groups, whispering, but few actually stepped inside.

“Probably waiting for others.” Shen Chigui’s gaze swept over them indifferently. She didn’t slow down for a second. “Big Sister, let’s go.”

“Shouldn’t we wait for them?” Gu Jinli followed hesitantly. She looked at the crowd at the door, then at the lead who didn’t even look back. She felt a moment of indecision. Just walk in like that? Ignore the people from before? Though they were scattered by ants, they would surely arrive soon…

“If you want to wait, then stay behind,” Shen Chigui turned back and smiled. “I’ll go in alone.”

“No way.” Gu Jinli refused immediately. There was no way she was letting the lead enter alone. She didn’t want to wait by herself for heaven knows how long. “I’m coming with you.”

She stepped into the Crystal Tower alongside her creation.

******

The Crystal Tower was essentially a climbing game. There were thirty-six floors, each with different trials. A challenger had to pass the current floor’s trial to proceed to the next. Every six floors, there was an opportunity to “skip” levels. In the original plot, the lead skipped her way to the top to claim her sword as fast as possible.

The rules weren’t detailed in the novel, but as the creator, Gu Jinli knew them well. Simply put, the trials were of two types: those that required raw martial power to break through, and those that required a brain to solve.

The trials for floors one through six clearly fell into the former category.

Slaying exotic beasts, challenging floor guardians—it was a journey of brute force and constant combat. But this method of progression was anything but friendly to Gu Jinli. By the time they reached the sixth floor, she had lost count of how many times she had died.

Her unique constitution made her an incredibly shiny target in this gauntlet, and the female lead showed zero mercy in exploiting it. She was shoved out to block blades, used as live bait for beasts, accidentally cleaved in two by a guardian, or tripped and fell into bamboo spikes to become a human kebab. Her deaths were diverse, creative, and never repeated.

“Finally… we’re here.”

Gu Jinli stood before the massive stone gate, hands on her knees, gasping for air. She was nearly moved to tears. This was it—she had cleared the sixth floor! She was finally going to get away from the lead! She would use the level-selection mechanic to separate their paths forever!

[Choose the next trial.]

The stone gate sensed her gaze, and a prompt shimmered into existence. Gu Jinli scanned the options: 7, 8, 9… 12… 33.

From the sixth floor onward, any level up to 33 was selectable. However, the tower had 36 floors in total, meaning no matter how many levels you skipped, everyone eventually had to face the final three floors.

In the original novel, the lead skipped straight to floor 33.

“Which floor are you choosing?”

The first six floors had nearly driven Gu Jinli to a breakdown. Her legs felt weak just looking at the gate. But she had made up her mind: use the level-skip to ditch the lead right here! Entering the tower with Shen Chigui had been a reckless mistake. The girl’s treatment of her over the last few floors was atrocious; she was sick of being a meat shield. Even if she couldn’t die, she didn’t want to endure this anymore.

“Which floor does Big Sister want to go to?”

Sensing Gu Jinli’s desire to avoid her, Shen Chigui’s expression flickered with amusement. “I’ll wait for you to choose first, then I’ll pick.”

“No, no, no!”

If she waited for Gu Jinli to pick, how was she supposed to escape? Gu Jinli wasn’t having it. She stepped forward and began ushering the lead toward the gate. “Go on! Go get your natal sword! I’m in no rush.”

“…Alright, Big Sister.”

Her small body significantly limited her leverage. No matter how reluctant she was, Shen Chigui couldn’t stop Gu Jinli from pushing her toward the gate. Under Gu Jinli’s burning gaze, she selected her floor: Thirty-three, heading straight for the top.

“Good luck!”

The stone gate slowly ground open. Gu Jinli backed away, a wide, genuine smile spreading across her face.

“I’m going now.”

Shen Chigui gave her a long, deep look, sounding somewhat regretful. “I thought we could stay together until the end.”

She paused, then added: “I’ll be waiting for you at the finish line~”

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