Thick fog filled the air ahead, accompanied by a cacophony of sounds emanating from the mist. The roars of monsters, the clash of weapons, human shouts, and the rumbling of collapsing buildings intertwined to create a chaotic symphony.
Hearing these overlapping noises, Chai Yingying couldn’t help but think that the buildings of Ella Town wouldn’t need the monsters’ help to crumble—at this rate, they’d be nearly destroyed soon enough.
If the players failed to complete the mission and resolve the disaster in Ella Town, the fate of its residents was grimly predictable.
After walking further into the thickening fog and hearing the increasing commotion, they finally caught sight of the battlefield.
A group of Western players was locked in battle with two monsters. The Western players huddled together, their expressions tense. All of them bore varying degrees of injuries, and the combined assault of the two monsters left them struggling to hold their ground.
One exception stood out: Odinson.
The handsome young man, with his golden sword in hand, stood firm. Every swing of his blade radiated a golden light, not merely from the speed of his strikes but due to the sacred power imbued in the weapon itself.
Whenever the golden sword landed on a monster, a roar of pain erupted from the creature, revealing the weapon’s tremendous effectiveness against them.
Even the observing Eastern players could immediately recognize the power of the sword.
“This sword restrains monsters,” Huo Ting observed confidently.
“Western players love hunting for holy swords in their game worlds. These swords are pretty effective against dark creatures, though they’re quite rare,” Chai Yingying added, clearly knowledgeable about their gameplay style. “This Odinson is impressive—no wonder Mina and the others hold him in such high regard.”
…
As they spoke, Odinson seized an opening created by his teammates distracting one of the monsters. Leaping high into the air, he swung the golden holy sword with all his might.
The strike was forceful and precise, aimed directly at the monster’s head.
The golden light pierced through the fog like a burst of radiant sunlight. The monster let out a wail before crashing to the ground. Its blackened body began to show faint signs of disintegration. While the effect wasn’t as instantaneous as an exorcism talisman, the holy sword’s destructive power far exceeded that of most other items.
Everyone watched with bated breath as the monster, weakened and unable to reform itself through the surrounding fog, lost its ability to fight.
With one monster down, Odinson turned his attention to the other.
“That sword is incredible,” Jiang Ze remarked with admiration. “It’s clear that Western players have an advantage in game worlds like this. Their strengths outshine ours.”
Western players indeed struggled with tools like talismans, but many of their specialized items were equally effective against monsters, depending on the wielder’s skill.
In this case, even without exorcism talismans, the Western players weren’t entirely without hope.
Finally, Odinson subdued the second monster.
Both creatures lay on the ground, their bodies entwined with faint traces of black mist. The mist, an integral part of their bodies, now dissipated under the holy sword’s influence, showcasing the weapon’s devastating effects.
The Western players collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily. Only Odinson remained standing.
Leaning on his golden sword, Odinson glanced toward the group of Eastern players.
Gu Jiu approached him with a smile. “Mr. Odinson, your sword is remarkable.”
Odinson gave a slight nod of acknowledgment to the group and said, “This is the Sword of Dalis, a holy sword. It is indeed highly effective against dark creatures.”
His tone carried a touch of aristocratic pride, along with a barely noticeable hint of self-satisfaction.
Although Eastern and Western players weren’t opposing factions and had no direct conflicts of interest, there was often a subtle rivalry between them. This rivalry manifested in the speed of clearing game worlds, the quality of items obtained, and the players’ levels.
Gu Jiu smiled warmly and said, “A holy sword effective against dark creatures is truly impressive. Mr. Odinson, you have a fine weapon.”
On the surface, her words were complimentary, but something about them felt slightly off.
Before Odinson could fully consider her meaning, the beautiful Eastern player continued, “We just passed through the forest to the east. The Mistgrass there is as beautiful as rumored.”
Odinson’s gaze instinctively flicked in the direction they had come from, his eyes gleaming faintly.
So, the forest to the east is in that direction?
“Thank you,” Odinson acknowledged, accepting the information with a hint of gratitude.
Gu Jiu, still smiling, said, “No need to thank me. Since our goals are the same, there’s no reason to keep secrets. Besides, with your abilities, I’m sure you’ll find it soon.”
Her open and straightforward attitude left the Western players momentarily stunned. They hadn’t expected the Eastern players to share such information so freely. If this wasn’t some sort of ploy or pretense, it was undeniably admirable.
After bidding farewell to the Western players, Gu Jiu’s group continued exploring the fog-covered town.
Once the Western players were completely out of sight, Chen Zhiru spoke up. “Gu Jiu, how could you tell them the location of the Mistgrass?”
Although there wasn’t any direct conflict between Eastern and Western players, there was competition for points. Points earned after clearing the game were crucial. If the Western players took a longer or more inefficient route, their scores would be lower.
Conversely, the Eastern players would have relatively higher scores.
Gu Jiu, unusually, gave her a fleeting glance and replied in a gentle tone, “Chen Zhiru, after all this time, I didn’t think you’d still be this stupid. Stupid enough that I can’t even be bothered to argue with you.”
Chen Zhiru: “….” What the hell did you just say to me?
Without paying her any further attention, Gu Jiu continued walking ahead.
Chai Yingying and Jiang Ze exchanged sympathetic glances at Chen Zhiru, understanding that their lady boss simply enjoyed tormenting her. Poor girl—whatever she’d done must have been serious for Gu Jiu to refuse even basic courtesy.
Chen Zhiru nearly exploded in anger. She glared at Gu Jiu’s back before turning to Huo Ting. “Brother Ting, did you hear what she just said?”
Huo Ting shrugged and said calmly, “Well, Gu Jiu wasn’t wrong.”
Even though she knew Huo Ting was a habitual fence-sitter, Chen Zhiru was still infuriated. She blurted out, “How am I stupid? I reached the B-level game worlds in just a year and a half! That’s faster than most players! If that’s stupid, then what does that make everyone else?”
Yang Bing, not wanting her to feel so upset, chimed in, “Zhiru, you really are amazing. It took me over two years to reach the B-level worlds. Your progress is faster than mine.”
But internally, she thought to herself, You’re focusing on the wrong comparison. You should be competing with that lady boss, not the rest of us irrelevant players. Comparing yourself to others won’t give you any sense of superiority, especially since they don’t even know who you are.
That said, Gu Jiu’s blunt and overbearing attitude did rub people the wrong way.
The fog was teeming with monsters.
Over the course of the morning, Gu Jiu’s group encountered no fewer than ten monsters.
If they spotted one from a distance before it fully formed, they could quickly avoid it. However, if they couldn’t avoid it, a fight was inevitable. Facing a single monster wasn’t too much trouble, but encountering two or three at once was a different story. In such cases, they had no choice but to use exorcism talismans.
So, by the end of the morning, they had already used three exorcism talismans.
Chai Yingying was practically heartbroken.
“These talismans are mine—what are you heartbroken about?” Gu Jiu asked, slightly exasperated.
Clutching her chest dramatically, Chai Yingying replied, “We’re teammates now, so what’s yours is mine! Of course, I feel heartache for them. But don’t worry, your girlfriend isn’t mine—rest assured.” Catching sight of Lu Ji’s displeased expression, she quickly corrected herself.
Just then, Jiang Ze’s voice rang out. “Hey, look, isn’t the fog thinning?”
As if in an instant, the dense fog that had shrouded the town began to dissipate. The outlines of buildings a hundred meters away started to emerge, becoming clearer and clearer until the visibility extended far beyond the immediate area.
The fog covering the town dissipated with remarkable speed, clearing completely in less than a minute.
Gu Jiu glanced at her watch—exactly noon.
“So it’s midday,” Chai Yingying remarked, her previously tense nerves relaxing a little. “No wonder the fog is gone.”
From noon to 3 PM every day, Ella Town experienced its safest hours. During this time, there was no need to constantly worry about monsters leaping out of the mist.
With the fog gone, the once-quiet town regained a semblance of life.
Sunlight poured down from above, and a gentle breeze swept through the town’s tranquil streets.
Residents who had been hiding indoors opened their doors and stepped out. Most of them looked pale and gaunt, clearly suffering from malnutrition. After enduring a year of disaster, trapped in the town, with food shortages and the threat of monsters, their lives had been incredibly difficult.
Taking advantage of this safe window, the townsfolk became busy.
Some headed to the outskirts of the town to forage for food, digging up wild vegetables and fruits. If they were lucky, they might even catch small, edible animals that had wandered in.
Others busied themselves repairing their homes, climbing up and down to make their houses sturdier.
Still others were preparing meals for the day, as smoke curled out from chimneys.
—
The players walked through the streets, observing the town.
When the residents spotted them, they recognized them as newcomers—outside adventurers. The townsfolk didn’t fear them; after all, in Ella Town, outsiders were unable to harm the townspeople. This was a fact the residents were most pleased about, making them feel closer to their town.
Even with the disasters that had befallen Ella Town, the residents still deeply loved their home.
After walking down one street, Gu Jiu turned to Chai Yingying and said, “Let’s split up and explore. See how many Ellas this town has.”
Chai Yingying made an “OK” gesture and dragged Jiang Ze off with her.
Gu Jiu and Lu Ji remained standing on the sunlit street. She turned to him and asked, “Ah Ji, are you hungry?”
She took out a boxed package of steamed buns. Inside the transparent container were six plump, white meat buns squished together, so enticingly presented that just one look could make anyone’s mouth water.
Lu Ji was about to shake his head when he suddenly turned and looked in another direction.
In a nearby house, a window was slightly ajar. Behind it, a pair of eyes peeked through the crack, staring unblinkingly at the buns in Gu Jiu’s hand.
Following his gaze, Gu Jiu looked over and then smiled.
She opened the box, took out one plump, white meat bun, and handed it to Lu Ji. Then she picked one up for herself and took a bite.
The soft, slightly sweet dough paired perfectly with the juicy, flavorful filling inside. The aroma of the meat was rich, and eating it together with the dough made it exceptionally delicious.
The crack in the window widened, revealing the person hiding behind it—a pale, gaunt young girl. Her emerald-green eyes were fixed intently on the meat bun.
After a year of being trapped in the town and facing food shortages, the townspeople clearly weren’t in a position to worry about taste. Simply being able to eat enough to survive was considered a luxury.
Gu Jiu finished her bun at a leisurely pace before asking in a calm tone, “Want one?”
Not long after, a frail young girl cautiously stood before them.
Gu Jiu’s lips curved into a smile—temptation by food, successful.