Don't you have any shame?
Yu Yu grumbled inwardly.
"Maybe lawful good wouldn't snitch to the Grand Archon?"
Felix's face was cold. "Anything else?"
Yu Yu perked up. Oh, there's definitely more!
She rummaged through her bag, pulling out a fruit platter. "Senior, have you eaten breakfast?"
She'd brought in her afternoon tea spread.
Felix: "Han's eaten."
Yu Yu: "Oh, Senior Han's eaten."
Han: "?"
Something's off with you two.
After a suspicious glance, she made a grab for Felix's share.
Big mistake.
You can always trust Wolfy's food-guarding skills.jpg
Even Meng was stunned, watching these two disgraceful juniors brawl over an apple in midair.
Have some dignity!
You're high-tier spellcasters!
Seniors! Mentors! How could you?!
While Felix focused on fending off Han, Meng swiped the fruit platter with lightning speed.
Felix: "?"
Han: "?"
The high-tier spellcasters' skirmish went unnoticed by Yu Yu. All she knew was, once she offered fruit, they went quiet.
She assumed they were munching.
Damn it, she got no answers from Meng's attitude.
That jerk spoke up just to threaten to snitch!
Knowing they were all there, Yu Yu said confidently, "Fine, no waiting. Let's check things out."
Zi Shu, biting her apple, mumbled, "Didn't you just say no rush?"
Yu Yu was unabashed. "Wasn't I worried about danger?"
With Senior overhead, what's to fear?
Was she wrong?
Not at all!
She'd been chased by high-tier mutants before. Who knew how much the Grand Archon's reprimand held the frontlines?
Besides…
Yu Yu: "I didn't say we'd go ourselves. I'll send a summon."
[Summon Fire Elemental]
As she chanted, fiery energy swirled, and a vivid red figure appeared. Lava formed its muscles and veins, shaping a sleek body. It raised its head haughtily, staring at Yu Yu.
Zi Shu, standing close, felt intense heat and stepped back to Yu Yu's side.
She removed her gauntlet, revealing her arm—red and scalded from mere seconds near the elemental. It hurt to touch.
Just a few seconds?
She'd reacted fast, retreating the moment she felt the heat.
She was amazed. "So strong."
As if understanding, the slender fire elemental tilted its chin proudly.
Yu Yu, puzzled, said, "This is a fire elemental?"
"Senior's fire elemental is burly," Yu Yu mused. "Three times wider. Are fire elementals malnourished?"
She'd thought all elementals looked alike. Senior's elementals were truly massive—two to three meters tall, several people wide, arms thicker than Zi Shu's whole body.
Yu Yu muttered, "Got it. Senior's fire elementals must eat well."
Her analysis sounded reasonable, but the fire elemental's head flared, flames growing fiercer.
Meng: "Idiot, that's an elemental lord. Sign a contract quick."
Yu Yu was baffled.
The fire elemental, now livid, let out a strange sound and vanished in a huff.
Yu Yu: "???"
"I didn't dismiss it! How'd it leave?!"
Meng appeared, exasperated, jabbing Yu Yu's forehead. "Do you know what you just missed?!"
"Elemental lords are a prerequisite for the fifth-ring spell Elemental Legion, but they rarely answer spellcasters' calls. Summoning one is like winning the jackpot. The Grand Archon summoned water elemental lords for nearly a decade before lucking out!!!"
"And you thought it was worse than my trashy lesser elementals?!"
"Look, it's gone now, isn't it?!"
Felix appeared too, arms crossed, leaning against a tree. "Seems Yu Yu's studies are lacking."
"She doesn't even know basic summoning knowledge."
Yu Yu, dazed from the poking, raised a weak hand. "I really didn't know."
Aggrieved Yu Yu.jpg
"I don't know how to contract either."
Meng softened, her expression turning sympathetic. "Poor thing. First time summoning a fire elemental, right?"
"First try, and you got an elemental lord, only to miss it. Now you'll summon for decades and regret for decades," Meng said, pitying Yu Yu. "So sad."
Yu Yu imagined it: pulling an SSR on her first try, only for the SSR to spit and run because she was too new.
To get another SSR, she'd have to summon for decades?
Smile fades.jpg
She wanted to die, truly.
Seeing her crestfallen face, Meng comforted, "It's fine. I don't have a single elemental lord either."
"Are elemental lords stronger than regular elementals?" Yu Yu's heart bled.
Meng: "Of course, but for you, maybe not."
Yu Yu: "Huh?"
Meng shrugged. "An elemental lord's strength depends on your Spirit. Their true power is immeasurable—they're just projections."
"The elemental plane is unfathomable, an endless sea of countless elemental lords. Compared to regular elementals, they're still…"
Yu Yu: "A drop in the ocean."
"Exactly, a drop in the ocean."
Meng: "Besides lords, elementals vary. High elementals differ from regular ones, and inferior elementals, newly born, are weaker."
"But we'll cover this back home. I'll teach you summoning basics, including the elemental lord contract ritual. For now, focus on the competition."
With that, she teleported away. Yu Yu's single elemental summon had yanked the examiner out.
She sighed, "Got it. Elemental lords are slimmer."
Regular elementals were burly, rough, lava-slinging brutes. Elemental lords, with their crystalline red veins, were radiant, elegant, beautiful.
Felix: "It's gone. Stop dwelling."
Her voice was cold, clearly unimpressed by Yu Yu's blunder.
Yu Yu dropped the act. "Wah, Senior, my elemental lord ran away, wuwuwu…"
With a flash, a graceful, slender figure appeared before Yu Yu. It had radiant red crystal veins, utterly elegant.
Felix: "Take a good look."
Yu Yu wailed, "Senior, this isn't comfort—it's a whale flexing in my face!!!"
Meng: "Honestly, I agree."
Han: "Honestly, I agree."
Both high-tier summoning spellcasters were sour, tears welling.
Why?!
Why did elemental lords snub summoners but cozy up to Felix, a curse mage?
Why?!
So sour, so sour, so sour…
Felix: "It's not hard. You'll meet another."
Then she vanished.
Yu Yu, unconsoled, restored her Spirit and summoned another fire elemental.
This one was, as expected, ordinary—burly but not that burly, rough, less spirited than Senior's.
It blinked fiery round eyes, adorably clumsy.
Yu Yu slapped a detect spell on it.
[Fire Elemental]
[Spirit: 12
Will: -
Perception: 12
Strength: 16
Constitution: 16
Agility: 12
Health: 325 (Elemental Resilience)
Spirit Points: 180
An elemental from the elemental plane, with exceptional physique, capable of low-tier fire spells and melee combat]
Good grief, its stats outdid Zi Shu's, and it could cast spells.
Fighting it would burn, right?
Sadly, Yu Yu glanced at her status: [Summon Fire Elemental: 290s (remaining)]
Time-limited.
If only it wasn't.
Yu Yu thought of Senior Meng's elementals, which didn't seem freshly summoned.
Was there a special trick, or did high-tier spellcasters do it differently?
On Yu Yu's command, the fire elemental zipped to the battlefield. Zi Shu, Fuyu, and Shu Tu, who'd heard everything, gave Yu Yu sympathetic looks.
Shu Tu comforted, "You summoned one on your first try. You might get another."
Yu Yu: "I'm fine. I'm thinking, with these stats, if it wasn't time-limited, I could thrash Zi Shu."
Zi Shu: "?"
Her face cooled. "Oh? How high are its stats?"
Fuyu leaned in, all ears.
Yu Yu: "Spirit higher than yours, Will's a dash, Strength and Constitution 16, Agility 12."
"Pretty high, huh?"
Zi Shu's composure cracked briefly but recovered. "I bet it has weaknesses."
Yu Yu: "Too bad it only lasts five minutes."
Fuyu mused, "That's fine. Doesn't seem smart. If it's stronger and smarter than humans, spellcasters would rule the world. Why bother with other classes?"
Zi Shu and the others nodded vigorously.
Yu Yu agreed, looking toward the battlefield.
At first, the fire elemental wandered, lonely and lost, stirring no reaction.
Yu Yu: "…Are those things not interested in fire elementals?"
Zi Shu: "Probably. Should Fuyu bait them?"
Fuyu, confident, drew her dagger. "Watch me sneak and stir things up."
Yu Yu was micro-managing, directing the fire elemental to dig graves.
"Let's see," she said.
Meanwhile, emo Meng snapped back.
She probed Felix. "How many elemental lords do you have? Just fire? What about lightning? Wind?"
Felix, polite but cold, replied, "Senior Meng, you're overthinking. I only have one."
"Really?" Meng was skeptical.
Felix looked at her.
Meng caught herself. "It's that kid's fault. She's got me paranoid lately."
Felix was a proper, polite junior—how could she suspect her of hiding anything?
It must be Yu Yu's fault, too slippery. Meng feared Felix was catching it.
Exactly.
Looking into the distance, Meng chuckled. "If she's banking on this, she'll be disappointed. Elementals don't attract undead."
Watching, Meng's eyes narrowed.
She grew puzzled.
What's this?
Digging them up directly?
The fire elemental, diligently digging, actually unearthed one.
The undead stared blankly at it, then, reacting, yanked a greatsword from the ground, "&@%?!"
Yu Yu tested the fire elemental's power.
After some maneuvers, she let it fight freely, adopting a hands-off approach.
The fire elemental's attacks were heavy, sparking flames with each hit, and it could lob fireballs from range.
Yes, low-tier fire spell: fireball.
It only knew this one.
Though not ideal, its performance was stunning.
Thick health, innate fire-enchanted attacks, robust Strength and Constitution, and occasional fireball sniping.
Without a time limit, its potential was boundless.
Yu Yu, chin in hand, watched the skeleton locked in a fierce brawl with the fire elemental.
"Got careless."
Zi Shu: "Got careless."
Fuyu: "Got careless. Fell for experience bias. Could some players… not even get one undead core?"
They'd applied hack-and-slash game logic, assuming undead would fall in droves, success just a swing away.
Now, looking again…
A 16 Strength, 16 Constitution fire elemental was neck-and-neck with a greatsword undead, trading brutal blows.
Those tough bones made the fire elemental's lava splash. If it was Zi Shu, the outcome was grim.
Yu Yu thought. "Not that bad. Either there's a trick we don't know, or… this one's just unusually strong."
"They wouldn't judge others by my standard, right?"
Using her as the benchmark—could others even survive?
A 5000-point third-ring spell—could others afford it? Would they spend it?
Could they muster the Spirit to cast it?
Her necklace and staff boosted her, and her naturally high Spirit barely let her use third-ring spells.
Shu Tu observed. "Have your elemental target its brain—or the fire in its eye sockets."
Yu Yu took control again, only for the undead to seize the chance, unleashing a flurry of slashes.
Micro-managing was worse than letting the elemental fight freely.
But…
[Fireball]
[Fireball]
[Fireball]…
Yu Yu drained the elemental's Spirit Points, spamming fireballs to the undead's face, forcing it back, then landing a punch.
Logout, let the fire elemental take over.
It capitalized, chaining combos.
The undead's skull glowed red, finally cracking under a hook, flames bursting.
It died.
Almost simultaneously, the battered fire elemental dissolved into sparks, vanishing.
Time's up.
Fuyu, in stealth, returned. "Here, this thing."
A deep black bead, purpose unclear.
No clue, Yu Yu stashed it.
[Hunt Undead Cores (1/1)]
Seeing the updated task, Yu Yu muttered, "They don't encourage PvP, or my task would show rankings, including others'."
"We worked hard. Four of us need four cores." Yu Yu scanned. "Shu Tu, can you shoot into an undead's eye socket?"
Shu Tu, calm, said, "I'll try."
Fuyu twirled her dagger. "If I don't get hit, I've got a shot, but one hit and I'm done."
Rogues were nimble, unmatched at weak-point strikes.
If they didn't get hit.
Rumor was, mid-tier rogues got a survival boost—true or not?
Zi Shu: "…Let's try another. I don't think I can tank it."
16 points—that's mid-tier max, right?
She feared a single hit would break her.
Yu Yu switched to an earth elemental.
Thick stone rose, opening earthy yellow eyes.
[Earth Elemental]
[Spirit: 12
Will: -
Perception: 10
Strength: 16
Constitution: 16
Agility: 8
Health: 425 (Elemental Fortitude)
Spirit Points: 180
An elemental from the elemental plane, with robust vitality, capable of low-tier earth spells, ideal as a tank]
The earth elemental fought differently. While the fire elemental dug graves slowly, this one stomped on a grave mound.
A small patch of earth quaked, and seven or eight undead crawled out.
The earth elemental, heroically sacrificed, was hacked to rubble.
Meanwhile, Yu Yu slapped a detect on an undead.
[Undead]
[Spirit: 8
Will: -
Perception: 12
Strength: 14
Constitution: 14
Agility: 12
Cursed spirits, minds corrupted, craving living flesh. Put them to rest.]
They looked worn, bones whitened, wielding weapons pulled from the ground, wandering aimlessly, blue flames in their eye sockets signaling unrest.
One stood out.
[Undead (Mid-tier)]
[Spirit: 10
Will: -
Perception: 14
Strength: 16
Constitution: 15
Agility: 12
Once a valiant mid-tier warrior, now a cursed, homeless soul, stripped of dignity. Pitiful, lamentable.]
Yu Yu noticed the game's writing style kept shifting.
Task text, gear descriptions, monster blurbs—none matched.
Were different people writing these?
Amused by her own thought, Yu Yu refocused, eyeing the clustered undead and coughing. "Not no progress… If Shang Wei's team shows up, I know how to make them happy, right?"
Just send an earth elemental to stomp. Tsk.
She shared the data with Zi Shu and the others.
Zi Shu studied it. "Not too bad, not beyond imagination."
"But we'll need your elementals to fight. Fuyu can pull—her stealth is 'mastered.'"
Fuyu puffed up. "Next proficiency level needs 5000. Watch me be the first max-stealth player."
Yu Yu recalled Fuyu's recent stealth obsession, even in real life.
At home, you'd hear her voice but not see her.
Losing to Zhong Ye must've scarred her.
"Let's fight," Yu Yu checked the game time. "This is a bad review. I will file a complaint against Eternal Darkness sooner or later. I have to log off to check the time in the game. I will write a letter to complain to them when I get home!"
After logging back in, she griped, "About forty minutes left. Let's try one."
They avoided the cranky undead nest, pulling from another direction.
It wasn't their first team fight, but they didn't battle often.
The first undead took a full fifteen minutes.
Even a 14 Strength, 14 Constitution regular undead had ample combat experience. Zi Shu was pushed back, but her eyes grew brighter.
Shu Tu's arrows barely dented the hard bones without elemental effects, so she aimed for the eye sockets. The undead blocked with its arm, easing Zi Shu's pressure.
Fuyu stayed in stealth, splitting pressure from Zi Shu and seeking openings.
But she'd met her match.
Despite being undead, the skeleton's instincts were sharp, hyper-alert to Fuyu's stealth, causing her to miss repeatedly.
Fuyu didn't falter, her eyes shining like Zi Shu's, hyper-focused.
Yu Yu assisted with spells, testing.
[Sluggish Stream]
Before leaving, she'd bought useful first-ring spells to pad her list.
Second-ring spells were pricey—1500 points.
She could only splurge on first-ring.
Since it was their first undead, they wanted to test their own strength, so Yu Yu held back her overpowered spells.
Like third-ring spells or strong second-ring attacks—burst fireball, lightning beam, flame explosion.
The cold water slowed the undead slightly, but only slightly.
After chaining spells, Yu Yu realized:
Its stats didn't list armor or resistance, but both were high.
Zi Shu was scraping, Shu Tu's non-elemental arrows were scraping, Fuyu didn't bother, targeting only the eye sockets.
Even Yu Yu's tests showed high magic resistance.
Earth aside—she had few earth spells.
Its ice, lightning, and wind resistance were high.
Physical-leaning evocation spells were worse.
Cold did nothing to bones. Without lightning beam, regular lightning arrows only chipped the sturdy frame.
Wind… Yu Yu's first-ring wind blade was partly cutting, half-physical.
Bones didn't care.
Only water and fire dealt full damage.
Water seemed to erode bones—it hated water spells, even lunging past Zi Shu at Yu Yu.
Though stopped, it fixated on her.
Yu Yu paused testing, summoning an earth elemental as a fallback.
The skeleton disliked fire too, showing clear scorch marks.
After testing, its aggression toward Yu Yu spiked.
While Yu Yu experimented, the others adapted, seeking a viable attack pattern.
So far, it seemed decent.
Or rather, Zi Shu and Shu Tu found a rhythm.
She stopped aiming for the skeleton's eyes, instead baiting its attacks, exposing its eye sockets to Shu Tu.
Shu Tu caught on.
But the skeleton blocked fast, its arm catching Shu Tu's arrows.
Zi Shu didn't relent, parrying its strikes.
Luckily, though Zi Shu's base stats were low, her excellent-to-superior gear boosted her nicely.
Strength 14, Constitution 13, Agility 12.
Gear-driven, but parrying wasn't too hard.
The skeleton's combat instincts were strong but lacked intelligence.
No learning, no thinking.
Hit by Shu Tu's arrow once, it fell for Zi Shu's bait again.
As Zi Shu got the hang of it, Shu Tu found her trick.
She often used multi-shot to catch the skeleton off-guard, killing the first one this way.
Its arm lowered, unaware of Shu Tu's second arrow.
Fifteen minutes for a supposed trash mob.
Par for the course.
Eternal Darkness was hardcore.
After a brief rest, they fought again.
Skeletons' past professions varied, but all were tough.
As Zi Shu and Shu Tu synced, Fuyu gradually joined.
Zi Shu exposed the skeleton's eye sockets to both Shu Tu and Fuyu.
The second skeleton took three minutes—Fuyu stabbed its eye socket.
Then the third, the fourth…
They fought smoothly, and Yu Yu let loose.
One minute per kill, steady, never over.
Yu Yu's support and damage—you could always trust.
And she was versatile.
Meng: "Feels like Yu Yu's cheating."
Han, the cool woman, never responded.
Felix, cold and polite, said, "Yu Yu's always been stronger than other outsiders."
Meng huffed, "That's my teaching."
Felix: "?"
Meng, unanswered, was shocked. "Isn't it?"
Felix paused, subtly turning away, refusing to lie.
Yu Yu's spell models were copied from her—what did Meng do?
Meng: "Felix, that's rude."
Felix brushed it off. "All Senior Meng's credit."
Meng: "Obviously."
She resumed watching. "You're high-tier now. When'll you pick a codename? Hurry, or the good ones'll be taken."
Felix was indeed considering it. "Any suggestions, Senior?"
Meng: "Wolf?"
Felix, expressionless, said, "No."
"Then, Silver?"
"Nope."
"Moon?"
Felix's cold face. "Senior's taste is so bland."
Wolfy disdains.jpg
Meng: "Bland?"
"Better than those guys' names, no?"
Meng almost named names but clamped shut.
You don't badmouth magic circle seniors—you never know when they'll hear.
Then… the fun begins.
She looked at Yu Yu, inspired. "Yu Yu's codename seems set. She's got one—'Crimson'?"
"I heard outsiders call her that."
Meng: "But two-syllable names are for top-tier spellcasters, to shed obscure codenames. She can't use it."
She tsked, citing, "Like she said, Senior Dai—probably 'Codename' Senior."
"That senior's codename 'stunned' many, but she found it dull, so she went by 'Dai,' not 'Codename.'"
Felix mused, "Is that so?"
She hadn't known.
Meng: "I only know because someone tried 'Dai.' No duplicates in the system, but Senior Dai blocked her, forbidding it…"
Meng spilled gossip, and Felix listened eagerly.
Then she caught Yu Yu muttering.
What'd she say?
"With an organization like the magic circle, why do we log out to check time? No way, this needs fixing! I gotta suggest something…"
Felix: "?"
Didn't you promise not to suggest that numbering thing?
Meng, still rambling, paused. "Yo, second team's here. Bad timing."
Felix looked.
Xiang Qin's tattered trio finally reached the battlefield's edge.
The rogue died en route.
They were far scruffier than Yu Yu, dodging and hiding on the ground, battered despite their skills.
Without some chops, they wouldn't have made it.
Qing Qian's oversized team, too conspicuous, got scattered by forest critters, still trudging uselessly.
Felix checked the sky. "Yu Yu's about to log off."
Meng, pleased, said, "Yup, they're back."
Yu Yu's group split the undead cores, six each, perfect.
Fighting was grueling. They slipped into the warm cellar, too drained to chat, and logged off.
Offline, they were full of energy.
Fuyu: "Yu Yu, Zi Shu, Shu Tu, look, look at the news!"
"Whoa, the sky ban's lifted! Wooo!"
"I haven't seen the sun in days!!!"
Zi Shu was thrilled but cautious. "Hold off. We'll check the sky in a few days, in case it flips."
No one understood sunless days, homes dim despite full lights, lacking that bright cheer.
They were near depressed.
Yu Yu opened the app, spotting an Anomaly Bureau order.
Generous cash and points, materials prepped and delivered.
Since mastering enchantment powder, her treatment skyrocketed.
Yu Bai was online 24/7, on-call, with experts answering her questions, sending free food and drinks!
Her fruit platters and gift boxes? All from them.
Yu Yu genuinely felt valued, pretty happy.
Making powder wasn't tiring either.
Taking the task, Yu Yu browsed the player exchange.
Since the app, she rarely checked game forums—too many randos. Unless needed, she stuck to the app.
Another task popped up, and Yu Yu raised a brow.
[(Auto-Assigned) Use Detect to Inspect (0/6)] (Distance: <10Km)
[(Suggested) Use Identify to Appraise Items] (Note: Items have minimal corruption, no close contact needed, professional equipment aids spellcaster players)
Yu Yu thought, then took both tasks.
If it was safe, she was happy to help, especially with points and cash.
Lately, the app's vibe was growing more like Eternal Darkness.
But honestly, Yu Yu liked it.
Maybe she was too introverted, disliking Yu Bai's calls. She preferred tasks—take what you can, skip what you can't.
Quiet, natural, perfect.
Shu Tu and the others were buzzing over the sky ban lift, moods soaring.
Seeing Yu Yu come down, Zi Shu asked, "What's up? New task?"
"Yup," Yu Yu said. "You'll get points too, right?"
She added Zi Shu's assistance, and the Federation wasn't stingy—Zi Shu got rewards too.
Zi Shu: "Yeah, what powder this time?"
Yu Yu: "Dunno, but player posts say feedback's good."
Thinking, Yu Yu brightened.
The government wasn't making arrows—they enchanted bullets.
Crafted and sent to players, who raved.
Elemental bullets had unique effects—some anomalies ignored physical attacks but fell to lightning, ice, or fire bullets.
Posts even begged for bullets at high prices.
A win-win.
The Federation was encouraging other spellcasters to learn these spells, with some success.
Yu Yu didn't mind—bullet demand was insane, far beyond her alone.
She suspected even if all spellcaster players supplied, enchanted bullets would still be short.
Still, she loved the food deliveries.
What she didn't eat, she could give to Senior—perfect.
Food was becoming the priciest commodity.
After chatting, Yu Yu glanced at her phone.
Yu Bai's message glowed.
Maybe it was her imagination, but Yu Bai felt like her personal assistant.
Small things Yu Yu mentioned, Yu Bai handled promptly and seriously.
It flattered Yu Yu, who wondered if the Federation did psych profiles on players.
How else could they nail making her feel comfortable without annoyance?
Since that incident years ago, Yu Yu knew her personality had shifted—avoiding deep bonds, talking less, hiding emotions, overall reclusive…
Though lately, she'd improved.
Zi Shu teased, "What'd Yu Bai say now? She's practically your personal assistant."
Fuyu, munching sunflower seeds, said, "Having a spellcaster at home is great. OP in-game, and in real life, the Federation sends food and drinks."
"Now I really think I picked the wrong class. Spellcasters versus rogues?" Fuyu fake-cried. "What a sewer-tier class."
Zi Shu laughed. "Drop stealth when you talk—it's weird."
Fuyu: "Nope, I won't."
Shu Tu: "What'd she say?"
Yu Yu's face mixed confusion and joy, mostly confusion.
"She said… they unearthed a bronze cauldron in Xia District."
"Huh?"
"Something about a Xia Nine Provinces Cauldron. It seems to affect anomalies."
"They found museums, packed with weird stuff, rarely have anomalies. The government only just noticed…"
Shu Tu's voice softened, eyes sparking with hope. "Really?"
Yu Yu, dazed, said, "I don't know. I hope so."
Who'd want their world truly sunless?
A glimmer of hope left them near tears.
Yu Yu paused. "She told me because in a few days, I'm appraising items at Rong City Museum."
"Details can't go online—she's just giving me a heads-up."
Zi Shu slapped the table. "We'll escort you!"
Even Fuyu dropped stealth, beaming. "Can those artifacts clear corruption? Restore things?"
Yu Yu: "Dunno, we'll see."
She added, "Was gonna check the wild forest."
Zi Shu sighed, "And the hill's almost dug out."
"That lousy hill has so many rocks and roots."
A pain to dig.
Yu Yu rallied, "Whatever, today's full of good news. Let's feast!"
"Feast!"
"Feast!"
Shu Tu: "I'll cook today—no takeout."
"Sweet!"
"Sweet!"
"Sweet, sweet!" Fuyu chimed in.
Zi Shu facepalmed. "No 'sweet's."
Yu Yu and Fuyu ignored her, scampering after Shu Tu.
The good mood carried to login. Yu Yu hummed, unbothered even by the half-dead Xiang Qin.
Wait, what?
Yu Yu climbed out of the cellar, staring at three bloodied, groaning women, wondering if she was still asleep.
What's this?
Trying to scam me?
Why're you camped at my door?
Zi Shu called from below, "Get out! Why're you half-climbing?"
Yu Yu emerged, eyeing Xiang Qin, who struggled to keep her eyes open. "What's this?"
She grinned, hands behind her back, staff twirling merrily. "Performance art?"
Zhong Ye, about to curse, coughed up two mouthfuls of blood.
Shang Wei was worst, eyes still shut.
Xiang Qin, clutching her abdomen, leaned against a tree, weak. "Didn't prep in time, got kicked offline."
"Logged in, and undead swarmed…"
She spoke two sentences, spat three mouthfuls of blood, looking utterly wretched.
Yu Yu burst out laughing.
Xiang Qin: "…"
Zhong Ye: "…"
Yu Yu forced a serious face. "Sorry, I'm professionally trained. I don't laugh unless I can't help it."
Three seconds later, she snorted, "Pfft, hahahaha…"
Zhong Ye, suppressing blood, hissed through gritted teeth, "Damn."
Fuyu climbed up, instantly cackling.
Zhong Ye's head lolled, passing out from sheer rage.
Xiang Qin: "…"