Coming out of the game world, it was only natural to relax a little.
Players had many ways to unwind, but the most popular methods often involved adult pleasures. In Boundless City, there were plenty of places catering to such indulgences. At certain special venues, as long as two players found each other agreeable, they could spend a passionate, electrifying night together.
Everyone was an adult, after all. Having fought tooth and nail in the game world, most players cared less about formalities and more about savoring the moment.
But Gu Jiu wasn’t interested in such pursuits. Lu Ji, newly awakened to such concepts, was too innocent and pure to even have such thoughts. Meanwhile, Ruan Yuan and Lu Haidi were a couple and could take care of their needs within their own circle. None of them had any such cravings.
So, their way of relaxing was to enjoy a good meal together.
Gu Jiu treated them to a late-night supper at a famous restaurant in the 98th Star Zone.
“Order whatever you like. It’s my treat,” Gu Jiu said generously.
Ruan Yuan, knowing that Gu Jiu’s earnings this time must have been substantial, didn’t hold back and ordered a table full of food.
Although there was a lot of food, it was all made from ordinary ingredients, which were quite cheap in Boundless City. The meal cost only a small amount of points. However, in terms of flavor, every dish could be considered top-tier delicacies in the regular world. For ordinary people, it was already an extraordinary experience.
“One day, let’s save up some points and go to a spiritual cuisine restaurant in the top ten star districts,” Ruan Yuan said with a look of longing. “I heard that the restaurants in the first to tenth star districts specialize in spiritual energy-infused dishes. Most of these ingredients are grown in cultivation worlds, and a single meal can cost tens of thousands of points. It’s something ordinary people can’t afford.”
This was the first time Gu Jiu had heard of such things, and she was somewhat intrigued.
Lu Haidi asked dumbfoundedly, “So expensive? Do people even go there?”
“Of course they do!” Ruan Yuan replied without hesitation. “The big shots in the Star Zone 0 have no shortage of points. Every time they enter an S-class game world, their earnings easily reach tens of thousands of points. Not to mention that these big shots usually have their own forces supporting them in Boundless City. Even without entering the game world, they can earn points while lying down.
“How do you think those spiritual cuisine restaurants even came to exist? Naturally, they are backed by big shots. Although they don’t show up publicly, these restaurants are under their names. Only they have the freedom to enter cultivation worlds and bring back those spiritual ingredients to Boundless City…”
Gu Jiu and Lu Haidi both listened with longing expressions.
The Multiverse Game divided its game worlds into levels, corresponding to player levels. Players could only enter game worlds that matched their rank.
For instance, C-level players entered C-level worlds.
Cultivation worlds were classified as S-level, and only S-level players could enter them. It was said that if an S-level player established some form of karmic connection with an S-level world, they could enter it freely without the need for assistance from the system steward.
S-level was the ultimate goal pursued by all players.
Lu Haidi sighed. “I wonder when we’ll become S-level players.”
Ruan Yuan didn’t respond. Though optimistic by nature, she was also realistic. She knew that with their abilities, it was already fortunate enough to survive the game worlds. As they advanced to B-level and A-level games, the worlds would become increasingly dangerous. Whether they could stay alive was an uncertain prospect.
S-level wasn’t something they dared to dream of for now.
However, she had faith in Gu Jiu and Lu Ji, believing that these two just might become S-level big shots one day.
These two were the most promising players Ruan Yuan had ever met—individuals with the potential to become S-level players.
After ordering, Gu Jiu casually invited Wan Xingzhou to join them.
Wan Xingzhou had just returned from a game world as well. After waiting for nearly twenty minutes, he finally arrived. His complexion was pale, his steps unsteady—it was clear he was injured.
“Why are you hurt again?” Ruan Yuan asked. Although their relationship was casual, they were still friends, and her concern showed.
Gu Jiu handed him a glass of orange juice and asked the same.
Wan Xingzhou took a sip, his bloodless lips trembling as he weakly replied, “It’s nothing—just an injury. At least I’m alive.”
His recent game world had been as dangerous as ever. Injuries were a regular occurrence for him. Fortunately, he carried a few life-saving items, allowing him to barely survive and clear the level. Though the experience was harrowing, the rewards weren’t bad, as they allowed him to purchase more life-saving tools for future game worlds.
Hearing his story, Ruan Yuan and the others couldn’t help but feel sympathy.
However, this didn’t stop Ruan Yuan from further solidifying her decision not to team up with him in the game world. Joining forces with someone so unlucky felt like a surefire way to shorten her own lifespan. Only someone as bold as Gu Jiu could ignore Wan Xingzhou’s streak of bad luck.
Wan Xingzhou then inquired about Gu Jiu and the others’ recent game experience. After listening, he was filled with envy. Clinging to Gu Jiu, he pleaded, “Miss Gu, please carry me through the next dungeon!”
Before Gu Jiu could respond, Lu Ji reached over and pulled him aside. “You can talk, but keep your hands to yourself. Men and women shouldn’t casually touch each other.”
Wan Xingzhou glanced at Lu Ji and remembered this girl’s obsessive devotion to Gu Jiu—her willingness to bend all conventions for her. That dark, burning passion seemed capable of consuming everything. Wan Xingzhou didn’t dare test Lu Ji’s limits and could only look pitifully at Gu Jiu.
Ruan Yuan and Lu Haidi didn’t sense anything unusual. To them, Lu Ji was simply Gu Jiu’s loyal follower, displaying an inexplicable possessiveness that kept others at a distance. Even they dared not get too close to Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu calmly took a sip of porridge and said, “Sure.”
Wan Xingzhou’s face lit up with joy. Relishing his supper, he thought the food tasted better than ever.
Gu Jiu ate her seafood porridge slowly. It was a special order—after coming out of the mermaid world, she had a sudden craving for seafood. On the other hand, Ruan Yuan and Lu Haidi turned pale at the sight of seafood, recalling the fish-faced monsters, vengeful and ruthless mermaids, and the various marine creatures that had attacked them. They couldn’t help but admire Gu Jiu’s psychological fortitude.
“If Boss Qi saw this seafood porridge, he’d definitely throw up,” Ruan Yuan declared with certainty.
Lu Haidi chimed in, “I wonder if Boss Qi still feels like throwing up when he sees Ge Guang’s face.”
Wan Xingzhou looked confused. After Ruan Yuan and Lu Haidi filled him in on Boss Qi’s exploits, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for the man.
Suddenly, Gu Jiu glanced at her player system interface and smiled. “Before leaving the game world, Boss Qi and Brother Nian sent me their player IDs.”
After their escape from the “Caged Bird” instance, they hadn’t exchanged contact information as they were still unfamiliar with one another. However, having now shared another game world, they had become acquaintances. Qi Yuheng and Ge Guang had both concluded that Gu Jiu was someone worth befriending—having allies could be beneficial in the future.
So, they sent her their player IDs, leaving it up to her whether to contact them.
Gu Jiu didn’t think much of it. She opened their profiles, added them to her friend list, and sent them the address to join her for supper.
Ten minutes later, Qi Yuheng and Ge Guang arrived at the restaurant.
Ruan Yuan greeted them cheerfully and asked, “Boss Qi, Brother Guang, aren’t you going to rest?”
“Since Gu Jiu invited us, of course, we had to show up! It’s still early anyway, so resting later isn’t a problem,” Ge Guang said with a smile, his tone revealing the importance they placed on Gu Jiu.
This made Ruan Yuan and the others quite happy.
Ever since teaming up with Gu Jiu, their small group had naturally formed around her as the leader. The stronger Gu Jiu was, the more others valued her, which, in turn, made them feel more secure and proud.
Qi Yuheng, seated elegantly, caught sight of the seafood porridge Gu Jiu was eating. Without a word, he abruptly stood and rushed toward the restaurant restroom.
Everyone: “….” Well, it seems Boss Qi still has a strong reaction to seafood.
Ge Guang chuckled helplessly. “Miss Gu, how can you eat seafood porridge after all that? Doesn’t it remind you of those fish-faced monsters and the seafood feast they prepared?”
Gu Jiu remained calm. “No. To me, food is innocent.”
Ge Guang gave her a thumbs-up in admiration.
When Qi Yuheng returned after a while, his face was as pale as Wan Xingzhou’s, though his expression remained composed. However, he deliberately avoided looking at the seafood porridge in front of Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu introduced Wan Xingzhou to Qi Yuheng and Ge Guang, then brought up Chen Younian.
Chen Younian hadn’t come, but he had sent her a message explaining that he was currently taking Skinny Monkey for treatment. After exiting the game world, Skinny Monkey had finally returned to normal, though lingering aftereffects required further care.
Hearing this, everyone felt a mix of relief and sympathy.
“It seems having a reliable partner is like gaining a second life,” Wan Xingzhou remarked with emotion.
Ge Guang, Ruan Yuan, and the others nodded in agreement. Every player longed for a trustworthy partner to team up with in the dangerous game worlds.
By the time they finished their late-night meal, it was nearly 2 a.m.
Gu Jiu said her goodbyes to the group, leaving Boundless City to return to the real world for rest.
The others followed suit, dispersing one by one. Only Lu Ji remained, standing silently beneath a peach tree, gazing in the direction where Gu Jiu had disappeared. He stood there for a long time before vanishing into the shadows.
—
Back in the Dark Hall, her youthful form receded, revealing a tall and lean masculine physique.
His pale face was framed by jet-black brows and deep, dark eyes, like pools of ink splashed on freshly fallen snow. The contrast made his features both strikingly vivid and coldly detached, with an air of sickly cruelty.
Sitting upright on the throne, he idly folded a piece of paper with his pale fingers.
A paper frog materialized out of the void, opening its mouth to spit out a small gray fragment.
The fragment, suspended mid-air, seemed almost alive, trembling as though wanting to flee from the terrifying place. Yet it dared not defy the presence of the man before it, quivering in mid-air with a fearful energy.
This fragment was a piece of polluted, anomalous energy devoured by the paper frog from the mermaid world.
After carefully folding the paper into a small boat, Lu Ji didn’t spare the gray fragment another glance. With a casual wave of his hand, he flung it out of the Dark Hall into the void beyond, where it was swallowed by the Sea of Rules.
Outside the Sea of Rules, the observing demigods noticed the ripple of changes and exchanged alarmed glances.
They had been watching the Sea of Rules for a long time but still couldn’t decipher the cause of its fluctuations. Intuition told them it was related to the Master of the Dark Hall, but their limited power left them unable to figure out exactly what he was doing to disturb the sea’s delicate balance.
Some speculated it was linked to the destructive power left behind by the fallen gods of old, though no evidence supported this theory.
Of course, even if they suspected the Master of the Dark Hall, none dared to confront him directly. To do so would be tantamount to handing him an opportunity to eliminate them. No one was foolish enough to take that risk.
They had no choice but to continue monitoring from the edges of the Sea of Rules. If the sea showed signs of impending destruction, they could at least attempt to intervene in time.
—
Gu Jiu rarely allowed herself the luxury of sleeping in.
When she got up, it was already past ten in the morning.
After lazily heading to the dining room for breakfast, she was just about to log into Boundless City when her phone rang.
Answering the call, she heard the lively voice of her younger brother, Gu Mingli.
“Sis, are you free tomorrow?”
“No, not really. What’s up?”
“Tomorrow’s Saturday, and there’s this new farm-stay just outside the city that’s been getting great reviews. I want to go check it out with you. I’ll bring some friends along, too.”
Gu Jiu knew him too well. She immediately saw through his plan.
“You’re planning to take your girlfriend to the farm-stay, aren’t you? Why drag me along as the third wheel?”
Gu Mingli chuckled awkwardly, clearly embarrassed. “She’s shy. If I invite her directly, she might not want to go. But if I say you’re coming along too, she’ll agree. Come on, sis. You’ve been cooped up at home for too long; it’s not healthy. Let’s get some fresh air. The farm-stay isn’t far—just a two-hour drive. We’ll stay overnight and come back on Sunday…”
It wasn’t just about taking his girlfriend to the farm-stay. Gu Mingli also genuinely wanted his sister to relax and, while at it, introduce his girlfriend to her.
Gu Jiu couldn’t resist his pleading tone and reluctantly agreed.
With her approval, Gu Mingli cheerfully ended the call. He had called her during a break between classes and now hurriedly texted his girlfriend to confirm the plan.
Since she had promised Gu Mingli to go to the farm-stay, Gu Jiu knew she wouldn’t be able to log into Boundless City over the weekend.
When she next logged into Boundless City, she told Lu Ji about it. “I won’t be able to log in for the next couple of days. Ah Ji, if you don’t have anything urgent to do, take it easy and don’t push yourself too hard.”
Lu Ji gave a noncommittal “oh,” staring at her in silence.
Though her expression didn’t change much, Gu Jiu could sense her disappointment, which left her a bit helpless.
She couldn’t bear to see someone as delicate as Lu Ji, with her fragile and unwell appearance, looking upset. She was like a frail little angel. With a sigh, she added, “If I find the time, I’ll log into Boundless City to hang out with you.”
Lu Ji pressed her lips together and let out a soft “mm.”
His mood didn’t improve much, though. He couldn’t help but think, If only I could go to the farm-stay with her…
The thought made him pause.
Wait. Why couldn’t he enter Gu Jiu’s world to find her?