After laughing, Yu Yu felt a bit annoyed. She'd wanted to crush Xiang Qin's team, showing off her prowess to Senior. And now they'd delivered themselves to her door?
What's the point of beating them now?
Worse, she'd just analyzed the magic circle's preferences. Deciding whether to eliminate Xiang Qin's team was a headache. The worst option was ignoring them, but that'd make her look weak.
Saving them? Out of the question.
What to do?
So Xiang Qin saw their young, arrogant ex-teammate scan them with a chilling gaze.
"Trash."
Xiang Qin's lips twitched.
She was a bit mad.
Shu Tu had said this kid had grown, at least less haughty and more human. But now, this brat was as infuriating as ever.
Yu Yu, stone-faced, sat on a boulder, plotting how to squeeze something out of them.
Kill them? Not yet.
She'd just dissected the magic circle's leanings, and Senior probably heard it all.
Acting now would be… cough.
At least not under Senior's nose.
Baby's so cute, baby only smacks teammates where Senior can't see.
Sigh, the burden of the magic circle's poorest, weakest, most helpless little spellcaster.
Plus, Shang Wei was a registered magic circle spellcaster.
What a steal for them.
Yu Yu stayed silent, but Xiang Qin couldn't wait—she was bleeding out.
"What's Xiao Yu planning?"
Yu Yu spoke first. "Zi Shu, tie up Zhong Ye and Shang Wei. Confiscate their weapons."
Fuyu perked up. "I'm on it!"
Zi Shu yanked Xiang Qin's sword, hard.
Xiang Qin gripped it just as hard. "Why're you pulling my sword?"
Zi Shu looked up calmly. "Confiscating weapons."
Xiang Qin: "…I'm still awake."
Zi Shu: "Awake means we definitely confiscate."
She snatched it when Xiang Qin wasn't looking. "Hand it over."
Xiang Qin was half-dead with rage. Yu Yu noticed the two unconscious, tied-up figures at her feet. An idea struck, and she tossed detect spells on them.
Meng's brow twitched slightly.
The detect spells worked smoothly, revealing their stats.
After a moment's thought, Yu Yu said, "Fuyu, strip Zhong Ye and Shang Wei's gear. I want their base stats."
Xiang Qin started to protest but gave up, slumping against the tree in defeat. "If Xiao Yu wants to know, just ask. She'll tell you."
Yu Yu didn't look up. "I don't like her telling. I like seeing for myself."
Fuyu stripped Zhong Ye at lightning speed, then leaned in, eyes sparkling. Yu Yu shared the data, and even Zi Shu came to look.
Xiang Qin glanced at the ever-silent Shu Tu, half-complicated, half-mocking. "Captain want to see my stats?"
Shu Tu, counting arrows on another rock, didn't look up. "Xiao Yu will check yours."
No need to rush.
Xiang Qin: "…"
[Zhong Ye]
[Affiliation: Black Claw Member
Class: Low-tier Rogue
Level: 8
Gold: Hidden
Spirit: 6
Will: 7
Perception: 8
Strength: 5
Agility: 12
Constitution: 5]
Yu Yu muttered, "Can't see skills. Lame."
Fuyu compared her own stats, frowning. "She joined Black Claw? What's that? And why's her Will 7?"
"Seems pretty average."
Fuyu grumbled, "Guess the gap between us isn't big."
Will seemed useless so far—round up, no gap.
Yu Yu wasn't surprised and opened Shang Wei's panel—
[Crimson]
[Affiliation: Magic Circle Member
Class: Low-tier Spellcaster
Level: 8
Gold: Hidden
Spirit: 13
Will: 8
Perception: 5
Strength: 4
Agility: 5
Constitution: 4]
Seeing "Crimson," Yu Yu's face grew colder.
Doing the math, she squinted. "Spirit 8—good or bad?"
Her starting Spirit was 9, and Senior hinted she was gifted.
So, 8?
Should she just off Shang Wei now to avoid future trouble?
Yu Yu lowered her gaze, deep in thought.
Shang Wei groggily opened her eyes, catching Yu Yu's look.
Without missing a beat, her sharp black eyes flashed, provoking Yu Yu. "What? Senior wants to kill me?"
Yu Yu hummed affirmatively.
Shang Wei: "Go ahead. I can't resist anyway."
Yu Yu was still scheming how to fleece them.
She exchanged a look with Zi Shu.
Kill? Senior's overhead, so probably not.
In battle, fine, kill and be done.
But these were freebies, which raised issues.
Like, Shang Wei's magic circle status—would killing her be fratricide?
Zi Shu got her drift and approached Xiang Qin.
"What're you doing?" Xiang Qin yelped.
Zi Shu's tone was gentle, unfastening Xiang Qin's breastplate. "I admire you, but we're enemies now. You get that, right? Mind cooperating…"
"Lift your arm?"
Xiang Qin clutched her breastplate, soon fed up. "Stop stripping. What do you want? Just say it."
Zi Shu's eyes gleamed. "Really?"
Xiang Qin's eye twitched. "…Name it."
Yu Yu and Zi Shu were in sync. "Second-place warrior gets over three hundred gold, and you've got a guild. Add two hundred more."
"Give me five hundred gold, and you walk today."
Xiang Qin said coldly, "You'd get less selling me."
Yu Yu: "?"
Xiang Qin: "Guild expenses are high. Gold's precious. We didn't take guild funds."
"Competition money went to magic circle gear. I've got twenty gold. Take it."
Yu Yu: "? How can someone be this broke?"
Zi Shu wasn't shocked. "Guess Shang Wei and Zhong Ye have the cash. She spent hers on gear."
She continued, "Hand over the twenty gold. We'll strip your gear and sell it to other players."
Xiang Qin, desperate, looked to Shu Tu. "Captain!"
Shu Tu, done counting arrows, pondered. "Let her write an IOU. Hall of Fame folks care about face—she'll pay."
Xiang Qin fumed, "I don't have that much. Gold's rare in this game. Outside magic circle tasks, it's scarce. You might as well kill me."
Yu Yu, thoughtful, said, "499 gold?"
"Nope, kill me, still nothing."
"498?"
Xiang Qin shut her eyes. "One hundred max. No more."
Zi Shu considered. "Meet in the middle—250?"
Xiang Qin: "?" Who're you calling that?
Yu Yu hesitated. "497?"
Xiang Qin, near stroke, said, "Two hundred."
Zi Shu studied her, confirming she was tapped out, and signaled Yu Yu.
Yu Yu: "Fine, pay up."
Xiang Qin paid and signed with eyes closed.
Yu Yu leisurely pulled out another apple.
Xiang Qin wasn't bad—distant, but reliable, fair, with a big-sister vibe.
No real flaws, except staying silent back then.
So, a light robbery for pocket change.
Shame she wouldn't take 250. Pity~
Yu Yu glanced at the IOU. "Who're you fooling? Real name. Who wants 'Xiang Qin'?"
Xiang Qin opened her eyes, stared a while, her anger settling into something darker.
Yu Yu didn't care about her glare.
Zi Shu handed the IOU back.
Xiang Qin looked away from Yu Yu after a long pause, signing.
Zi Shu peeked—Jun Xiao.
Jun Xiang Xiao Xiang, I'm Xiang Qin?
Muttering, Zi Shu whispered, "Is there a Jun Xiang too?"
Yu Yu overheard, glancing at Xiang Qin, then stashed the IOU. "Finders keepers—we split it later."
Xiang Qin, head bowed, snapped up, eyeing Zi Shu, then Yu Yu, her gaze icy.
Yu Yu ignored her.
Back then, Zhong Ye doxxed, and Xiang Qin did have a sister, Jun Xiang, but… never mind.
Zhong Ye got a thrashing on the spot.
Shu Tu clarified, "Zi Shu reads a lot. Your name's easy to guess—not Xiao Yu's doing."
Xiang Qin looked down, silent.
Yu Yu idly recalled.
What was she doing back then?
Xiang Qin, eyes red, beat Zhong Ye, while she banged a tambourine, cheering.
No technique, pure passion.
…Dead memories strike again.
Yu Yu snapped back.
Sigh, youthful folly, all black history.
Seeing Shang Wei and Zhong Ye awake, Yu Yu signaled Zi Shu.
No warm feelings for these two.
Zi Shu went to work.
Shang Wei was mouthy, fearless, and Yu Yu enjoyed the show.
To gather evidence, Yu Yu had dug deep into Shang Wei.
Like her edgy Weibo alt, charging into every hot topic, obsessed with gender dynamics, exploding at a spark.
Yu Yu even found Shang Wei's go-to apps.
Seeing screens full of coercive, predatory tropes left her stunned.
Who'd guess?
Shang Wei was tame now, aside from her sharp tongue.
But she'd always been mouthy. Yu Yu was past the days of three-hour flame wars.
No gain, no arguing with idiots.
Though Shang Wei still seemed punchable.
Yu Yu appeared to watch, listening to Zi Shu haggle, but her mind wandered far.
Shang Wei, mid-mockery, noticed Yu Yu spacing out.
Shang Wei: "?"
She nearly cracked.
Her face darkened, losing interest in bargaining with Zi Shu.
"Fine."
Zi Shu, surprised, said, "250?"
Shang Wei: "Sure."
Zi Shu was stunned. What? Wasn't she sharp, every word a trap?
Zhong Ye glared, betrayed.
She'd resisted, fuming under Fuyu's pressure, and you just… agreed?
To 250?
Got some master plan?
Shang Wei, face grim, said, "Hope you keep your word."
Zi Shu snapped back. "Deal."
Zhong Ye: "…"
Zi Shu: "Your turn. Your teammates paid. You?"
"Four hundred or two-fifty. No third option."
Zhong Ye's face twisted, finally spitting, "Four hundred. I'll take it back."
Zi Shu nearly laughed. "Worthy of Lady Zhong Ye."
Fuyu clapped. "Worthy of Lady Zhong Ye."
Zhong Ye almost coughed blood.
Watching the tattered trio limp off, Yu Yu refocused. "Shang Wei, first in her class, Zhong Ye, second, and unlike Xiang Qin, who spent on gear, their wallets are fat."
"Did we lowball?"
Zi Shu shrugged. "Ask for more, and they'd rather die. Three days' penalty. Picking a number they'd accept was better."
"But Shang Wei surprised me…"
With Yu Yu there, she thought Shang Wei wouldn't take 250.
Yet she did…
What a beast.
Zi Shu's first thought: convince Yu Yu to off her?
This girl's got issues.
Look at Zhong Ye—normal, dignified, a proper Hall of Fame player.
Yu Yu split the gold, consoling Fuyu. "Didn't win, but we got paid."
Fuyu grinned. "Thanks, Mother Nature!"
Yu Yu and crew clasped hands. "Thanks, Mother Nature."
The retreating trio nearly spat blood.
Above, the three high-tier spellcasters who'd watched it all: "…"
Funny thing—Xiang Qin's team ran into the undead Yu Yu had woken.
Out of tricks, they barely escaped, collapsing right above Yu Yu's camp.
Yu Yu's terrain choice matched theirs.
And then…
Meng faintly pitied the three unlucky saps.
Beaten, battered, and broke.
But… better than the ones behind.
Meng pondered, "Is our difficulty too high?"
"They might not reach here till noon. If they meet Yu Yu, waiting fresh, and decide to attack…"
Felix, deadpan, said, "Yu Yu's doing fine, isn't she?"
Meng: "But we can't judge by her."
She'd report honestly to the Grand Archon. Outsiders were frailer than expected. Yu Yu was solid, the unlucky trio decent, Qing Qian had potential… others had flashes but fell short overall.
Noon. Yu Yu's group rested, returning to their base for lunch.
Shang Wei's trio, fearing a finishing blow, stayed far away.
But…
Fuyu's ears twitched. "Someone's coming?"
Yu Yu smiled, silent. "Hope no one's dumb enough."
But she doubted it.
Players were fearless. Unable to beat undead, with no shot at ranking, they'd rob her team.
Guaranteed.
The magic circle's triple shrug gave them guts.
Sadly, Yu Yu didn't see Qing Qian.
He'd likely seen through Shang Wei's scheming.
Pity.
Her fire elemental tore through, the other three guarding Yu Yu, sneering tactically at foes.
Can't beat a fire elemental and you think you can rob us?
They'd killed all morning, each with over a hundred undead cores. You can't even get one, and you're robbing?
Yu Yu showed off her flair, all but demanding someone record it.
The trio: "…"
That night, Yu Yu, bored, counted her undead cores. "We wait till tomorrow for results?"
"I miss my cozy bed."
Moments later, a black-robed spellcaster emerged from the dark.
"Task complete. Here's the advancement list."
She read names steadily, with authority. Yu Yu topped the list.
She'd thank Lynn first!
Only thirteen made it, not sixteen, loosely split into three teams.
Meng announced the second task.
"The magic circle doesn't care for petty fights. Here are three bounty tasks: clear a bandit camp, foil a cultist plot, or investigate a town."
She crumpled three papers, tossing them. "Draw."
With her track record, no one dared question her fairness.
Yu Yu grabbed a paper, unfolding it.
She was crestfallen.
A mere bandit camp? How could that show her brilliance?
Could she swap?
Meng waited till they'd chosen, then added leisurely, "These three can't be solved by combat alone."
"But the magic circle doesn't mind your methods."
"We won't assist. We only care about results."
Yu Yu was lost. Bandit camp? What are you saying?
Non-combat bandit clearing? With what?
A nuke?
Meng finished, "The task starts now. Speed doesn't matter. Results do."
Yu Yu's first words: "Senior, take me back. I need a bath!"
Meng's lips twitched. "…I'll bring you back. Follow me."
Silver Moon.
Yu Yu stretched. "Silver Moon, my happy home."
Felix: "…"
Meng had vanished, likely reporting to the Grand Archon.
Yu Yu seized the chance to ask, "Senior, Senior, how'd I do in the trial?"
Felix glanced at her. "Adequate."
Yu Yu: "?"
"That means great, right? I get it, Senior!!"
Felix said no more. "See you tomorrow. Keep it up."
Though Yu Yu caused no trouble, others sure did.
She just wanted to flop at home.
Offline.
Fresh from her bath, Yu Yu heard a car outside.
Yu Bai: "Miss Yu, please come with us."