Chapter 10.2 The Reader and Protagonist Definitely Have to Be in True Love

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Chapter 10.2 – Author: The space-time corridors of the past and future

The first mural depicted a group of creatures waiting in line to buy train tickets … Du Ze stopped himself from mentally joking around¹ and began to seriously examine the mural. The painting is not abstract. He soon understood the content: A glowing person is on top, surrounded by glowing spheres. Each race is represented by a group of people and the leader of the angel race is in front of the glowing person, stretching out a hand to receive a ball of light.

Du Ze doesn’t understand but he feels that it’s very interesting.² He looked at the second mural. It’s a group of birds in combat – *cough* – No, it’s a group of demons and angels fighting. The angels seem to be in trouble as the demons are much more numerous.

The third mural is divided into two halves. The lower half shows the demon race and on the top half is the angel race which has been joined by a group of elves. This time, the beautiful creatures with pointed ears are the most numerous.

Looking at these scenes, Du Ze had a feeling of deja vu,³ as though there is something that he should remember. But even though he tried, he simply couldn’t recall what it reminded him of. The cute reader decided to leave this vague feeling behind him and continue to look at more murals.

The fourth mural depicts the end of a battle. The defeated-looking elves were at one corner while opposite them were skeletons and zombies that were rising up from the battlefield.

The fifth was very modern and out-of-place, full of machines. Du Ze saw a group of giant robots⁴ with gnomes sitting on them. The robots were obviously being controlled by the gnomes and they were fighting the undead army.

When he saw this, Du Ze finally realized the truth: “This is the history of the world of ‘Mixed Blood’!”

In the historical setting of “Mixed Blood,” the chaotic continent has experienced seven eras of history. The first era was the war of the angels and demons. At first there was a stalemate, then the “destruction” talent of the demons slowly began to dominate. Finally, the elves joined the war and allied with the angels, driving back the demons to a corner of the mainland.

The angels were victorious, but they were weakened by internecine warfare, so the elves began to rise in prominence. That was the second era.

Then, due to the death of many powerful creatures who were turned into undead, the undead began to grow stronger. The elves could not resist the undead’s tactics and retreated into their forest to live in seclusion. That was the third era.

Then the fourth era began. For the undead who could turn living things into their allies, the gnome’s robots⁵ are their greatest nemesis. The gnomes wiped out the undead army and built up a huge mechanical empire. Then one day, the gnomes suddenly disappeared, the flourishing mechanical civilization declined, and the fourth era ended.

Next, the dragon race dominated the fifth era but they suddenly retreated to an island and were rarely seen on the continent.

The beastkin race began to expand their influence. That was the sixth era.

Now the world is in the seventh era. Each period of history has seen the rise and decline of a race. The seventh era is the time of the human race. The humans drove the beastkin into the wilderness and established three empires. The protagonist was born in a small town in the Empire of Light.

Du Ze continued walking down the corridor and, sure enough, the sixth mural showed a large number of Western dragons perched on a steel tower, their wings spread open to block the sun.

The seventh mural had various forms of beastkin but the shadow of a dragon can be seen in the horizon.

The beastkin in the eight mural is running away to a distant place while everywhere, humans are raising their shields and cheering.

Looking at these murals, Du Ze came to a realization: because he isn’t a person of this world, the Time Corridor showed him the history of the world. Stupid person ~ you underestimate this extreme, crazy fan.⁶ He can recall the history of “Mixed Blood” as easily as he can recall his own birthday. As for the first mural, that scene was not in “Mixed Blood.” The transaction between the god of creation and the eight races … wait, that was the god of creation?

Du Ze turned and walked back. He hadn’t paid attention to the BOSS’s appearance, unforgivable!

However, when Du Ze turned around, he saw that that the corridor behind him was gone, leaving only a black void. To step on it would mean falling down into the other side of the world. There was no opportunity to pay tribute to the god of creation. He was heartbroken and could only walk forward again. The face of the god of creation is not something you can look at whenever you want to … his tears fell…

Du Ze was very curious about what the next mural would show him. Before he crossed over he had read that the protagonist led the demon army against the angels. According to the author, the next story arc would be “The Rise of the Human Race” … I want to read it. Du Ze wanted to scratch the wall. The most grievous thing in the world of “Mixed Blood” is that he won’t be able to read the story’s next update!

While he was glaring at no one, his gaze accidentally fell on the doujinshi. The despondent Du Ze swallowed the blood that he was about to cough up:⁷ why am I here with you, why are we together?

Doujinshi: this is absolutely true love.

In front of Du Ze’s sad eyes, the ninth mural finally appeared.

******

******

Walking into the wall of light, first there was light, then darkness. When he was restored to consciousness, Xiu found himself standing in an endless corridor. This was a surprise. Louis’ Magic Codex did not write anything about this. The whole place was empty and the spirit beast was not with him. His calls went unanswered.

Here is … where is this?

– The Time Corridor

A voice seemed to reply from somewhere he could not see.

Suddenly, a strong will seemed to squeeze into his brain. It was an extremely strong and Xiu could only endure as that will invaded his soul, leaving behind a consciousness.

Then he knew where he was. This was the Time Corridor – a place where he can see time and can enter only once in a lifetime.

Forwards is the future, backwards is the past. Xiu hesitated for a moment then walked backwards.

He wanted to know what he was and why he has become like this. He was always an orphan in his memory and no one can tell him his story.

Soon, the first mural appeared in front of Xiu. It was a painting of  a cloaked woman, who was stooping to put a baby in the doorway of a house. A cloaked man with his back turned to the viewer seemed to be on the lookout. His hands were on the hilt of a sword and there was a distinctive cross-shaped scar on the back of one hand.

Xiu stood as still as a statue in front of the mural for a long time. He recognized the painting of the house. That was the orphanage that he lived in until he entered the Magic Martial Arts School. So the two people in the painting … are they his parents?

Xiu involuntarily moved forward a step. Closer to the painting he could see many details. The two looked travel-worn. Although the cloak covered most of the woman’s face, he could see tear tracks and a silver birthmark. Xiu could not help but reach out a hand, wanting to take the cloaks off to see their faces. When his fingertips touched the icy wall, he stopped. It was just a mural, it was … the past.

Stopping for one last long look, Xiu finally turned to walk forward again.

The second mural was twice as big as the first and it was divided into two halves. The one on the right showed a magnificent house. A half elf with silvery scales on her face was sitting on the bed, looking lovingly at the baby in her arms. Standing next to her was a tall man whose face was not visible. On his back were two wings – one demon and one angel wing.

The painting on the left was set in a prairie. A woman with cat ears was holding a pale gnome close to her bountiful chest. The gnome was gingerly holding a baby as if he was scared of dropping it. They sat on the prairie, full of happiness.

Xiu stared at the two babies: the baby on the right side looked very familiar, especially the silver birthmark. The other baby was waving his left hand in the air and it had a cross-shaped scar.

He felt like he was suffocating. There was a very scary conjecture in his mind. Like a hunted animal he stepped forward and saw the third mural.

The third mural is a painting of several pairs of men and women with babies. It was divided into four. The first painting was of a male and female of the demon and angel race. The baby they held had two different kinds of wings. The second showed the elf and dragon, the baby lay on the dragon’s back and the silver scales on its face were sparkling. The third painting was of the beastkin and human race. The cat-eared baby is rubbing the face of the woman. The fourth painting showed a gnome lying down on a spell circle while a Lich is holding the Magic Codex in his hand.

Xiu fixed his eyes on the Magic Codex that the Lich held in his hands. He discovered that the hand that held Qian Bian⁸ was trembling. Qian Bian quickly changed into Louis’ Magic Codex. Xiu looked at the two books. Their appearance was identical. He hung his head and could not stop trembling.

What is he?

– excerpt from “Mixed Blood”

 

The author has something to say:

Author: In the Time Corridor you can see the future.

Protagonist (into the time and space corridor → the first mural: Human form pushes down the reader → the second mural: Beastkin form pushes down the reader → the third mural: Demon form pushes down the reader → … The last mural: “Advice: Make a move quickly”): … *Qian Bian is changed to Magic Codex* (Silently writes it down)

Reader (into the time and space corridor → The first mural: Pressed down⁹ by the Human form of the protagonist → The second mural: Pressed down by the Beastkin form of the protagonist → The third mural: Pressed down by the Demon form of the protagonist → … the last mural: “Advice: Accept your fate”): … the way that I entered was not certainly right!

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1. He stopped his Tucao. Tucao 吐槽 literally means “to spit” (normally – in someone’s bowl) but it’s usage is more like “to criticize” (serious meaning) or “to tease” (when used as a joke).
2. 不明觉厉 Idiom meaning – Although I do not understand (him/her/it), it feels very interesting.
3. 即视现象 The feeling that you have seen something before but cannot remember it.
4. Mechanical puppets
5. metal puppets
6. 脑残粉了 Literally “brain powder” fan. A fan so crazy obsesses their brain has turned to mush (or powder).
7. He isn’t sick, it’s just a figure of speech meaning he suppressed some strong emotion.
8. His weapon.
9. Literally 压 meaning “pressure” connoting a force from above, also means crushed.