Currently, Gu Jiu is a lone wolf, with few player acquaintances. Since her time in the multiverse game world has been brief, she hasn’t yet gained enough reputation to draw the attention of the player factions.
From the perspective of Ruan Yuan and the others, Gu Jiu is exactly the kind of high-potential player the major factions would vie to recruit.
A player like Gu Jiu, who has just entered the multiverse game world, has endless potential, minimal entanglement with any factions, and no allegiances—an ideal target for large factions looking for fresh talent.
Although Gu Jiu hadn’t shared much about herself, Ruan Yuan and his team went out of their way yesterday to check her name on the “Famous Players List” in the Boundless City, only to find that her name wasn’t listed.
The “Famous Players List” is a highly influential ranking published by the “Players’ Alliance,” featuring players below S-rank. Players on the list fall into one of three categories: those with endless potential, those who’ve awakened special talents, or those with backing from powerful individuals.
“Backing” refers to having family connections to S-rank players in the Scattered Zone, players who are best avoided.
Gu Jiu’s name still not appearing on the “Famous Players List” proves she’s a solo player who has recently entered the game world and has yet to make a name for herself.
Curious upon hearing about this “Famous Players List,” Gu Jiu asked, “Where can I see this list?”
It wasn’t surprising she didn’t know about it; after all, her time as a player had been very brief. Every time she entered the Boundless City, she was too busy training at the practice grounds. As a former D-rank novice, many privileges in Boundless City were inaccessible to her, with no paths to discover them.
Currently, she was still in the exploratory phase regarding Boundless City, knowing very little.
Wan Xingzhou cheerfully answered, “Just join the Players’ Alliance, and you can see it.”
He then provided Gu Jiu with a crash course on the “Players’ Alliance.”
As the name suggests, the “Players’ Alliance” is composed of players. While it could be considered a faction, it lacks organization, discipline, and requirements, allowing players total freedom. It doesn’t select its members, force players into obligations, or demand loyalty.
It is open to all players, and anyone who reaches C-rank can choose to join.
What reassures players the most is that joining the Players’ Alliance doesn’t prevent them from joining other factions; the Players’ Alliance doesn’t interfere with that.
Players choose to join mainly for the convenience it offers: access to guides for various game worlds, the “Famous Players List,” the “Items List,” and the secret trading forum where players can trade items anonymously, reducing the risk of attracting unwanted attention.
After hearing this, Gu Jiu felt the Players’ Alliance was indeed worthwhile—no wonder so many players were willing to join.
After all, it didn’t restrict them in any way and provided valuable information for free.
She was intrigued by the person who founded the Players’ Alliance and asked, “Who created the Players’ Alliance? Who’s the current leader?”
All three shook their heads simultaneously.
“It’s hard to trace who actually founded it—the Players’ Alliance has been around for a long time. As for the current leader, we don’t know either; rumor has it they’re an S-rank big shot from the Scattered Zone.”
Gu Jiu wasn’t surprised. Only a top-tier S-rank player could manage the resources to keep an alliance like this running smoothly.
“Are all three of you members of the Players’ Alliance?” Gu Jiu asked.
The three nodded and explained how to join.
To join the Players’ Alliance, a player simply has to visit the Alliance branch in their region, check in, and fill out a short form. It’s straightforward and easy.
Gu Jiu nodded and continued to inquire about the other factions within Boundless City.
Their meal passed in conversation, giving Gu Jiu a rough understanding of Boundless City’s power structure.
After the meal, Gu Jiu returned to the real world to have dinner with her family after they’d come home from work. Since becoming a player, her appetite had grown. Even though she’d already eaten with Lu Ji in Boundless City, she could still eat two bowls of rice back in reality.
After dinner, she returned to the game world, where Lu Ji was waiting for her at the training grounds.
“Ah Jiu, are you planning to join the Players’ Alliance?” she asked.
“Probably, but I’m really busy right now. I’ll check out the Alliance branch when I get a chance.”
She was focused on her training. As a young lady who had never been oppressed, she absolutely refused to let her combat skills be a weak point. She was used to being the strong one, dominating her enemies without compromise.
Lu Ji asked, “If you join the Players’ Alliance, do you think you’ll join any other factions later on?”
“Probably not,” Gu Jiu replied casually. “I don’t like being restricted—unless I’m the one in charge.”
Her words were bold, especially given her soft-spoken, classically elegant demeanor. Even her tone was gentle, making it sound almost like a joke.
But Lu Ji, who knew her well, understood she meant every word. This young lady wasn’t one to tolerate being restrained.
During the rest of her downtime, Gu Jiu spent her time training in the practice rooms.
Wan Xingzhou, Ruan Yuan, and Lu Haidi often came by to find her, and seeing her immersed in training day after day left a strong impression on them.
“Even though Miss Gu’s already incredibly powerful, she’s still this committed. What excuse do we have to slack off?” Wan Xingzhou said, promptly setting up his own training room next to Gu Jiu’s and turning into a training enthusiast himself.
Lu Ji muttered under his breath, wishing he could throw the guy into the Sea of Rules.
Ruan Yuan and Lu Haidi, inspired by this competitive spirit, started spending more time in the training rooms as well.
As game time approached, Ruan Yuan came over to Gu Jiu and asked, “Miss Gu, should we form a team? I’ve got a four-person team item.”
Lu Haidi looked quite interested too.
They remembered how, during the “Death Movie” instance, they had pretty much followed Gu Jiu to an easy victory. It had been fantastic.
While it might seem a bit unambitious, the thrill of an easy win was undeniable—who wouldn’t want that?
However, Gu Jiu declined, saying, “Sorry, I already promised Wan Xingzhou to team up with him.”
“What?” Ruan Yuan was stunned. Since when had Wan Xingzhou managed to persuade Gu Jiu without them knowing?
Lu Ji was equally surprised, as he hadn’t heard of this either.
Wan Xingzhou trotted over, grinning cheekily. “Last night, I specifically approached Miss Gu about this. While I may have a bit of bad luck, my skills aren’t lacking. Teaming up with me will definitely be beneficial.”
“What benefit? Sharing your bad luck?” Ruan Yuan replied bluntly.
Wan Xingzhou hesitated, knowing full well his luck was indeed unpredictable, which was precisely why he wanted to team up with Gu Jiu. He hoped her presence might counterbalance his misfortune.
Realizing he wouldn’t be able to team up with Gu Jiu, Ruan Yuan was disappointed but didn’t take it too hard. There would be other opportunities. Besides, simply having Gu Jiu as a friend was great in itself.
The more she got to know her, the more Ruan Yuan felt that Gu Jiu’s temperament was perfectly in line with her own. She was also easy on the eyes—her beauty was pleasing, and her mere presence was enough to brighten her day.
Who wouldn’t want a friend like that?
Only Lu Ji remained silently disheartened.
He would never oppose Gu Jiu’s decisions and didn’t feel he had any right to, but he couldn’t shake his own sense of disappointment.
This gloomy mood caused a black vortex to emerge along the banks of the Sea of Rules in the Void beyond Boundless City, sending waves of terror through the powerful figures who were monitoring the Sea of Rules. Despite their best efforts, they couldn’t determine what had triggered this strange occurrence.
“Maybe it’s not the Sea of Rules acting up, but a sign that the Lord of the Dark Hall is in a bad mood?” a red-haired young man named Alcides speculated.
The Lord of the Temple of Time and Space looked indifferent. “And why would you think that?”
The others turned to him, intrigued.
Alcides smiled. “Don’t forget, he was born from the Sea of Rules and inherited the destructive powers left by the gods. The Sea of Rules is even susceptible to his emotions.”
This was an unsettling topic, one that made everyone uncomfortable.
Everyone present understood this fact well. It was precisely this knowledge that made them so wary of the Dark Hall’s master. They monitored him, feared him, and even harbored a touch of resentment toward him because the destructive powers he’d inherited from the gods were terrifying. One wrong move, and he could drag the entire multiverse into annihilation, causing the end of all existence.
As beings of the multiverse, no one wanted to die if they could continue living.
The Lord of the Dark Hall was like a lethal blade hanging over everyone’s heads. If they had the strength, they would have already destroyed this blade rather than live in constant dread, fearing the day he might decide to end it all—and take the multiverse with him.
The Temple Lord gazed thoughtfully at the black vortex near the shores of the Sea of Rules. “So, you believe he’s in a bad mood?”
“Possibly,” Alcides replied. “This black vortex only appeared recently; it was never here before. Don’t you think it’s a rather telling sign?”
“What kind of sign?”
“It suggests that the Lord of the Dark Hall is finally experiencing emotions other than cold indifference, proving that even he can change. Though, the reason behind this change remains unknown…”
Alcides’ words plunged the others into thoughtful silence.
Was this a good omen or a bad one?
As everyone pondered, they suddenly noticed that the black vortex vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
The Sea of Rules returned to its usual calm, as if the black vortex had been nothing but an illusion.
What was going on?
—
Lu Ji’s gloomy mood didn’t last long before Gu Jiu managed to lift his spirits.
It wasn’t that she intentionally comforted him, but her words made him unexpectedly happy, sweeping away his melancholy.
“I agreed to team up with Wan Xingzhou because I’m curious to see just how unlucky he can get, and how much luck he might find afterward,” Gu Jiu said with a playful smile. “Ah Ji, you don’t mind having one more person in the team, do you?”
Of course he minded!
But he couldn’t say that outright in front of her, so he simply replied, “Whatever. I don’t mind.”
Gu Jiu chuckled softly, her gaze fixed on her. In a gentle voice, she said, “If it bothers you, I won’t team up with him. Your happiness matters most to me, Ah Ji.”
Caught in her beautiful, focused gaze and treated with such warmth, Lu Ji felt as though he’d developed a very human-like heartache again.
A faint blush crept onto his pale earlobes as he maintained his expressionless facade. “It’s fine. I’m curious to see how he performs, too.”
As he lowered his gaze, he began to understand that Gu Jiu’s agreement to team up with Wan Xingzhou was actually a test to see if he could earn her approval.
So, no matter how much he disliked Wan Xingzhou, he wouldn’t interfere with her plan.
She disliked the constraints of joining another player’s faction and preferred the idea of building her own, where she could be in charge. That was precisely the mindset of a young lady like her.
With Wan Xingzhou and his two friends offering themselves up, she already saw them as future subordinates.
That was fine. If she wanted it, he would support her.
As it grew closer to game time, Gu Jiu returned to Boundless City early, first stopping to take a bath.
Back in the real world, her vision once again grew blurry. Having grown accustomed to seeing clearly in Boundless City and the game world, returning to reality and feeling like she was half-blind soured her mood a bit.
After a leisurely soak, she stood up, and a soft bath towel was gently draped over her.
Gu Jiu wiped her face and put on her glasses, peering through them to make out the faint shapes of two small blue papermen standing nearby, with a towel seemingly floating toward her.
She reached out to grab the towel, spotting the tiny paperman beneath it.
Gu Jiu chuckled softly, surprised to find that even Lu Ji’s papermen could be so attentive and caring. How adorable!