After returning home, Yu Yu still felt unsettled. Was she just extremely unlucky, or had the anomalies already erupted beyond control?
The real estate agent had also encountered trouble. Did that mean she could only rent her apartment for three months?
Just thinking about having to move around looking for housing at a time like this made Yu Yu's head ache terribly. Unfortunately, her family home had already been sold to pay for medical treatments. If only they still had it...
Yu Yu's expression turned forlorn for a moment before she quickly composed herself. She glanced indifferently at her phone.
Old Li: [What do we do now? What happened to them? Should we call the police?]
[Call them if you want.]
Yu Yu thought about the real estate agent's community, with all those ambulances...
In comparison, the situation at their company seemed much less severe. Old Li had been hiding in the bathroom for ages and was still completely fine. Yu Yu had no intention whatsoever of getting to the bottom of things. As a powerless ordinary person, what she needed most was self-awareness.
Avoid danger when possible—and going back toward danger after escaping it would just be foolish, wouldn't it?
She was still avoiding Wang Rui for this very reason, with zero interest in investigating the cause.
Old Li sent a pitiful expression, [But they're all my employees... I can't just ignore this. How would I face their families?]
Yu Yu lowered her eyes, and after a long moment replied, [Then good luck with that.]
Old Li immediately added, [I'll definitely let you know if I learn anything.]
Yu Yu: [...Whatever.]
She typed a few words, then irritably deleted them and closed her phone, not looking at it again. Shu Tu would probably contact her, but Shu Tu was cautious by nature and wouldn't cause any problems anytime soon. Rather than worrying about that, she might as well think of ways to persuade Shu Tu to move to a flat with both front and back doors.
Old Li, feeling he had successfully borrowed an external brain, was beaming with joy. "She didn't refuse."
Shu Tu sipped her milk and gave a faint "Mm," her fingers typing without pause.
Li Xuanyun stretched her neck to look. "What's up? Who's contacting you?"
"Teammates."
Li Xuanyun nodded with half-understanding. "Oh, is the game that fun?"
Even in such dangerous times, Su Shu was still thinking about games.
Su Shu raised her eyelids slightly. "...Go to sleep."
Li Xuanyun: "..." I can see it—you're dismissing me too. Boo-hoo.
Su Shu continued typing: [Yes, I'm playing "Eternal Darkness," but I don't have time to carry you guys.]
[I have my own things to do.]
After sending the message, she ignored their reply and prepared for bed. The situation in Huyou City was even more bizarre, with entire buildings being sealed off—impossible to hide. Xiao Lian had decisively decided to relocate the company, so all her old friends would be coming to Rong City...
To be honest, it was quite annoying. Once they arrived, Xiao Yu's address will be even harder to find..
Su Shu lay on the couch and, after thinking it over, decided to go online. To play the game.
Li Xuanyun tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw all those eyes, and turning her head, she saw Su Shu already wearing her gaming bracelet...
You gaming addicts!!!
Even the end of the world can't stop you from gaming, can it?!
Meanwhile, Yu Yu was also online. Dangerous as things were, she still needed to earn money. As long as social order remained, money would still be money. Whether dying from those anomalies or starving to death at home, death was death. So the necessary grind had to continue.
She needed to maintain her position in the first echelon, otherwise she couldn't make money. Selling gold coins was truly a last resort. The players in the game remained cheerful, apparently unaware of the situation outside, or perhaps the level of crisis varied by location.
Moon Bay Town was bustling with activity, filled with the happy voices of novice players. The bulletin board at the entrance was already nearly as thick as chopsticks, suggesting how many revisions the Archon had made.
Her little guardian hadn't come online yet, so Yu Yu decided to check the plantation first. Her current experience was Level 4 (9400/10000). The rat mission gave 1000 experience, and she'd gained plenty more from defeating all those rats and rat kings.
Yu Yu added 50 silver to her purse and selected the spell [Lightfoot], which temporarily increased her agility by 3 points for five minutes. One more quest, and she could level up.
"Is my lady the Spellcaster?"
Yu Yu stopped and looked over in surprise.
"What the hell? Why does he call us 'you little rascals' but calls the big boss 'my lady spellcaster'? That's not fair!"
"NPCs discriminate based on status too!!"
"Lower your voice, he can hear you. We worked so hard to build up our reputation..."
"Yeah, I heard the blacksmith remembers everyone who pulled his pants off him. Those people get a 70% rise when repairing equipment or buying things from him..."
"Wow, good thing I didn't try that..."
Three farming players whispered among themselves, but judging by the tavern keeper's twitching eye, Yu Yu guessed he had heard them.
The tavern keeper was probably a professional class too, perhaps a Rogue. Yu Yu wasn't certain.
"You know me?" she asked.
Bagen chuckled. "The Academy is very arrogant. We're curious about who they hold in such high regard."
Yu Yu was puzzled. NPCs kept saying the Academy valued her, but she hadn't noticed it herself. They certainly weren't giving her anything for free. She'd paid every coin in full. Was Senior Fei speaking a few extra words to her considered special treatment?
If so, what kind of reputation did Senior Fei have outside?
Yu Yu decided to ask, "Does Senior Felix have a bad reputation?"
Bagen's expression changed instantly, becoming visibly more cordial. "Please give my regards to Lady Felix."
Yu Yu looked bewildered.
Bagen explained, "Lady Felix reported to the Young Duke two days ago that she had advanced to become a high-level spellcaster. The Young Duke invited her to join the Silver Moon Mage Corps..."
Yu Yu listened in confusion, only gathering that Senior Phi had leveled up and seemed quite prestigious. NPCs leveled up so quickly. Did that mean she wouldn't hear Senior Fei reciting menu items anymore?
What a shame.
Bagen, seeing her innocent expression, thought to himself that she didn't know how fortunate she was. "Since you're acquainted with Lady Felix, perhaps you could send her a gift to congratulate her on her advancement."
Yu Yu: "...Alright, I guess."
She couldn't believe she was being asked to send gifts to an NPC.
"I'm here to farm," Yu Yu finally stated her purpose. "I'm part of their team."
Bagen's expression changed slightly. "Please, go ahead."
In contrast to his politeness toward her, he showed no courtesy to the three novice players.
"You lazy bunch! Hurry up and till the soil! Do you expect the spellcaster to do it for you?!"
The novice players immediately started complaining loudly.
All three were female players, named [BunnyCat Tail], [Spicy Rabbit Head], and [I Don't Eat Freeze-Dried Food]—IDs typical of life players.
Once Bagen left, Tail grumbled resentfully, "The NPCs in this game are such snobs. I can't believe how they look down on us. If only he had a health bar!"
After just a few complaints, they huddled together to discuss plans.
Four players: three noobs and one big boss.
"We need to buy farming tools. Though the owner lent us his tools, they're too rudimentary. I asked the blacksmith, and he can indeed forge farming tools, but we need to provide the blueprints," Tail explained rapidly.
[Spicy Rabbit Head]: "And we need pots, bowls, ladles, pans... Bagen only has an oven, and what he bakes tastes absolutely terrible. The blacksmith doesn't have any cookware either, so even if we have ingredients, we can't cook anything."
[I Don't Eat Freeze-Dried Food]: "We borrowed seeds from the owner. Things grow really fast here. He said the raw material for his bread comes from the fruit of this mutated herb, which ripens once a month."
Tail complained, "The seasonings here are so limited. I've never seen such a poor place—they only have salt, just salt, and they're even stingy with oil."
After they shared their difficulties, Yu Yu said, "No problem, I'll go buy them."
The farming squad set out. Tail and her friends were all quite poor, with empty pockets and only copper coins for daily use. The several silver coins required for crafting fees were a fortune to them. But Yu Yu could afford it. She arrived at the blacksmith's shop.
The legendary blacksmith's shop!
She had always heard about it but never seen it. Now Yu Yu was face to face with the actual blacksmith. He had a classic blacksmith appearance but seemed a bit feverish, with a reddened nose and visible irritability.
As soon as she entered, he turned around with a vigilant look. "What do you want?"
"Custom farming tools and cookware."
Tail and her friends immediately lined up, holding out their blueprints.
"Oh, I remember you three—the paupers."
The three were struck as if by lightning.
Yu Yu held back her laughter. "I'll pay."
The blacksmith glanced at her mage robes and gave a cold snort. "Fine. Come back in the afternoon."
Yu Yu paid thirty silver coins and left.
Tail and her friends crowded around her. "Boss Yu, you're so kind! Tail is so moved, I could give myself to you."
When Shu Tu arrived, she saw this scene and couldn't help but sigh, rubbing her forehead. The game's friend function was quite poor—you could only see online status. To contact someone directly, you had to use the forum.
Yu Yu: "This is an investment. If you become masters of life players someday, I'll need to rely on you."
The three beamed with joy, patting their chests. "Absolutely! Everything will be free for you."
Yu Yu smiled and told them to come back in the afternoon to pick up their tools, then looked toward Shu Tu.
"You're quite generous," Shu Tu remarked.
Yu Yu snorted. "They're the only ones who showed interest and took action. What top player doesn't have a few life players supporting them? Since I can't find any, I have to train my own."
With that, she took Shu Tu to collect silk threads. After watching her complete the collection, Shu Tu remained silent. "Isn't that a bit exploitative?"
Paying just 50 copper for something worth 14 silver?
Yu Yu: "If I weren't worried about players being lazy and not collecting silk, I'd only want to pay 20 copper."
Shu Tu was speechless.
After many years apart, Yu Yu's personality seemed to have changed dramatically. She used to be such a kind child. This time, Yu Yu collected a total of 20 sets of silk threads, earning 280 silver coins. After deducting the 10 silver cost, she profited 270 silver. Her assets suddenly expanded, with 380 silver and 140 copper in her pocket—a fortune. She counted it out and handed 40 silver coins to Shu Tu.
Shu Tu raised an eyebrow. "?"
Yu Yu: "Next time, help me collect. I'll give you a 50 copper handling fee for each set. Come sell them when you've collected them. I've already told her."
She added seriously, "Remember to report everything honestly. No embezzling."
Shu Tu stared at her directly. Yu Yu was thick-skinned.
After a moment, Shu Tu accepted the silver coins and remarked sarcastically, "Xiao Yu is so generous."
"You're too kind."
"Let's do a quest. Today I want to reach level five."
The process needs no elaboration. Yu Yu's quest turn-in contact had changed back to Yunlun.
Silver coins +50, experience +1000, spell 'Moist Ground'...
Yu Yu didn't experience any brilliant glow as she leveled up; she just plainly reached level five.
[...Strength +1, Basic Attribute Point +1, Skill Point +1, Class advanced to 'Apprentice Spellcaster']
Yu Yu had already noticed that passive abilities and passive skill points were awarded every two levels, not on odd-numbered level-ups. Except for Will, all her attributes had increased by one point. Now, her attributes were:
Spirit: 13 Will: 7 Perception: 6 Strength: 4 Agility: 7 (1) Constitution: 6 (1)
The parentheses indicated attributes added by the Novice's Ring.
Health: 24 Mental Power: 195 Armor: 1 Resistance: 0 Contamination: 0 Status: Good
Her health had successfully increased to 24, and her mental power had multiplied fivefold from its original value. Based on the previous growth rate, Yu Yu should have had 39 mental power points. It seemed health was calculated as 4 times constitution, while mental power was 15 times spirit. Clearly, the mental power multiplier was much higher than health.
"Hurry up and level, I want to see your attributes."
Shu Tu was poked twice by her. "Mm."
Skill Points: 4 Basic Attribute Points: 1
Yu Yu couldn't allocate points to Spirit; she suspected one basic attribute point wasn't enough, so she just left it alone.
"Moist Ground? What kind of spell is that?" Yu Yu was dumbfounded. She had thought she could choose her own spells.
Yunlun: "It can spread water on the ground. Honestly, I don't think it's very useful."
But Yu Yu's eyes lit up. If she spread water and then used lightning arrow on the ground...
"I heard Senior Fei has been promoted? Is that true?"
Yunlun's eyes immediately brightened. "Yes, yes! You know about it too! I told you Senior was the best! I knew she could do it!"
"Senior has already agreed to join the Silver Moon Mage Corps after this matter is resolved!"
"With Senior's abilities, she'll definitely become a high-ranking member of the Mage Corps. When I reach intermediate level, I'll ask Senior to help me join the Corps. It's safe and pays well—how perfect!"
She looked full of aspiration. Shu Tu's eyelid twitched, but Yu Yu remained completely calm. NPCs lacking ambition was nothing new—she was used to it.
"Should I congratulate Senior?"
"Oh? You want to congratulate Senior? Sure, sure. She hasn't left yet, she's upstairs. You can go up yourself."
Meanwhile, Shu Tu was observing the passing pedestrians. The Academy's decorations looked quite stylish, with people in mage robes coming and going, all walking with their heads held high...
The status of spellcasters in this game seemed unusually high. When she came to accept quests, the NPCs wouldn't even look up, but when Yu Yu arrived, they chatted for so long. Shu Tu was also bewildered. Other games had similar settings, but not so blatantly displayed. After all, everyone was a player—why create such a hierarchy?
After pondering for a while, Shu Tu noticed Yu Yu had finished speaking and was waving goodbye to Yunlun.
"I'll check if the pots are ready. If they are, I'll bring some food as a gift for Senior."
Yu Yu understood that Yunlun didn't have the authority to give her spells, but Senior Fei could. What was this?
This was a golden thigh!
Now that her golden thigh was being promoted, how could she not follow up? She had to max out that favorability rating!
Come to think of it, Yu Yu wasn't sure if it was just her impression, but she'd encountered very few male spellcasters. Perhaps men naturally had lower spirit stats?
"Where to next?"
"Going to meet my little friend," Yu Yu thought for a moment. "Then we'll check on the pots."
Yu Yu bought two more spells: [Spell Alert] and [Summon Magic Bow].
Her silver coins fluctuated, currently maintaining at 350, with 290 points.
Looking at the time, Shu Tu said, "It's almost time to log off. She probably won't come online today."
Yu Yu was disappointed. "I was distracted the past few days and told her to wait a couple of days, but I forgot to set a specific time. When I log off later, I'll leave her a message and take her tomorrow."
That player who had been heading to Silver Moon City—who knew what had happened to them? No news at all. Currently, Yu Yu might be the only one who had visited Silver Moon City. After logging off, Yu Yu stood up and suddenly felt something was wrong.
She squeezed her wrist. "Ouch..."
Her whole body ached. How could this be?
Yu Yu staggered to her feet, and after just a few steps, felt dizzy from hunger. She rushed to the kitchen and ate, ate, ate, ate...
After devouring five cups of instant noodles, Yu Yu sat on the couch clutching her stomach. Something wasn't right...
Had she also been infected by the anomaly?
Yu Yu held up a small mirror and examined herself from every angle. Everything looked normal. How strange. Massaging her sore shoulders, she decided to visit that fool who had deleted his account today.
Perhaps this would help her understand more about "Eternal Darkness."
At one-thirty in the afternoon, Yu Yu appeared at the hospital entrance wearing a baseball cap.
[Rong City People's Hospital]