The high-tier rogue was still coolly spitting threats, unaware that Yu Yu had witnessed her being trounced by Lynn.
How to put it?
First impressions matter. She knew this was a high-tier rogue, the fierce kind, but…
Yu Yu slid off Fuyu's back. "Your Excellency, surely a rogue wouldn't harm a polite visiting spellcaster."
"Introductions: Yu Yu, low-tier magic circle spellcaster."
The high-tier rogue sneered, "What do you mean by magic circle or no magic circle? Would I be afraid of magic circle?
"Do you believe that if I stab you to death right now, they won't even dare to make a sound?"
Yu Yu glanced at her. "I believe you."
The rogue froze. Damn, first time no one's called her bluff.
She coughed dryly. "Spit it out. Why're you here?"
Yu Yu briefly stated her purpose.
Rogue: "Not going, don't care, no time."
Triple rejection.jpg
Yu Yu wasn't surprised. She turned to Fuyu. "Where's your mentor?"
Fuyu: "Dunno, gotta look. Maybe you just knocked them out."
"Wait."
Yu Yu looked back, puzzled.
The rogue squinted at her face. "I've seen you before."
Yu Yu's heart sank. "Yes, I was at Fuyu's contest last time."
The rogue pinpointed the memory. "You! You were with Wind Singer when she thrashed me!"
Yu Yu: "…Here's the thing."
[Yu Yu narrates p3]
The rogue had an epiphany. "So you're the mastermind!"
Yu Yu, guilty-faced, said, "I'll compensate you with 1,000 gold, Senior. Sound good?"
The rogue's eyes lit up, not a shred of doubt, primly saying, "Is that so? Fine, I guess."
"Since you sincerely admit fault, I'm not unreasonable." She salvaged her dignity.
Yu Yu: "But I haven't got my rewards yet, so I'm short. Can I write you an IOU?"
The rogue pondered, "No money, why offer?"
Yu Yu's eyes sparkled. "I'm broke now, but I own a garden outside the city. I'm a spellcaster, a knight. With my IOU, I can't welch, right?"
"If I can't pay, I'll mortgage the garden," Yu Yu realized, "Oh, how much is a garden worth?"
The rogue swallowed hard. Spellcasters are loaded.
A low-tier spellcaster with a garden—ugh, so jealous.
With envy and spite, she growled, "Depends on size, but at least a few thousand gold."
Yu Yu, struck by the sum, nearly had a heart attack.
Senior gave her that much?!
Wah, I love Senior!
Haven't treated Senior to dinner in days!
This damn task better end now!
Yu Yu pulled out a pen to write the IOU. The rogue dropped her poise, guiding, "Spellcaster IOUs need a Spirit sigil. I heard you spellcasters seal contracts that way."
Yu Yu, who'd written her name, blinked, "Spirit sigil? Never learned that."
"No way?!" The rogue snapped, "You trying to scam me?!"
Yu Yu, speechless, conjured a magic circle sigil. "This is all I know."
The rogue, initially skeptical, dropped it seeing the sigil. "You do know it."
Yu Yu muttered, "This is a magic circle sigil, not a Spirit one."
Chang: "???"
When did you learn that?!
What's your status, stamping a measly 1,000-gold IOU with the magic circle's mark?
No, how do you even know how to use it?!
Did a legend teach you this too?!
Even the Grand Archon wouldn't dare stamp this carelessly, and you slap it on a lousy IOU…
Chang leaned back, fuming.
The rogue gleefully pocketed the IOU. "Pay up soon, or… heh."
Yu Yu's eyes glinted. "Short on cash, Your Excellency?"
Rogue: "Who isn't?"
She wouldn't risk her life accepting the Duchess's invite to the magic circle's den if she wasn't broke.
Silver Moon—dogs wouldn't come!
Yu Yu: "I need a small favor, paid."
The rogue turned warm instantly. "What favor? Another IOU?"
Yu Yu: "Here's the deal…"
She rattled off the plan.
Rogue: "?"
Yu Yu clarified, "No effort needed, Senior. Just say a few words, show your invincible swagger to your adoring outsiders."
The rogue hesitated, then nodded. "How much?"
"120?"
The rogue's face fell. "You tossing coins to a beggar?"
Yu Yu, serious, said, "Do nothing, just stand there, not even a full evening. Isn't that enough?"
"Wind Singer's only 100!"
The rogue visibly perked. "Then I need more—150!"
Yu Yu said painfully, "Fine, but Senior, I need an invoice."
Rogue: "?"
Yu Yu said seriously, "Might get reimbursed."
Chang: "…"
The rogue's expression twisted, but she wrote the invoice, saying, "Shadow Strider."
"My title."
Yu Yu: "Got it, Lady Shadow Strider."
She shot Fuyu a look. Fuyu stepped up, all politeness and charm. "Senior, I'll take you to Silver Wolf Plaza."
Yu Yu smiled, waving them off, then froze. "How do I get down?!"
Moments later, she floated down with gust of wind.
Heh, flying's not illegal here.
As she neared the exit, something felt off. [Force Shield]
The ethereal shield shattered instantly.
A player rogue flickered by. "Came and think you can leave?"
"Lone spellcaster, let's see your gear drop," he sneered. "Die here, no one'll know."
Yu Yu: "…"
Next second, a shadow loomed behind the player.
The rogue was kicked out of stealth, a dagger plunging into his neck.
Shadow Strider's furious voice rang out, "I don't dare kill her in Silver Moon, and you're bolder than me?"
You think the magic circle's vegetarian?!
[Great Purge]—that historic term was carved by the magic circle's bloodthirsty, ruthless psychos.
You *** want to die, don't drag me down!!!
Fuyu, stunned, said, "That works?"
Yu Yu sighed.
Though Senior said no magic circle help, every step she took was shadowed by their presence.
Honestly, the pressure was mounting.
Fuyu, envious to dissociation, said, "Another day I want to join the magic circle."
When Lynn saw Shadow Strider, her eyelid twitched.
You brought her?
If this sparks a fight, it's a disaster.
But Shadow Strider just snorted, struck a cool pose, and stood beside her.
Almost instantly, the second shop page added a skill.
[Nimble Grace]
A mid-tier rogue skill, brief levitation ignoring terrain, boosting survival.
Seeing the new skill, rogue players went wild, news even reaching Endless Night.
Among players, two guild members mingled, ready to act.
But seeing two high-tier NPCs, they hesitated.
If they caused trouble, would it work?
Plus, these rewards were tempting. Without tasks, even accepted ones wouldn't earn points!
Yu Yu's group reunited.
Watching Shadow Strider brazenly pose before players, the hunt leader's temple throbbed.
No, he had to message the elders.
Yu Yu handed over costly supplies and gear to waiting rangers.
Zi Shu, here all afternoon, chatted with Yun Lun, bonding +20.
Yun Lun, friendly knowing Zi Shu was Yu Yu's teammate, was chatty.
Zi Shu: "Could we coax guards out too?"
Yu Yu: "We've got Lynn. Need guards?"
Zi Shu: "Guards in armor carry symbolism. Maybe it'd work?"
She nodded outward. "Look, they've been here a while."
Yu Yu: "That doesn't count as Duchess's help, right?"
Chang: "No."
Yu Yu jumped. "Senior, you're here?!"
Chang appeared, expressionless.
Moments later, a striking ranger approached.
Oh, it's that elf from last time.
Shu Tu took his class once, raving about it.
Sure enough, Shu Tu greeted him.
Yu Yu felt numb.
This won't cost, right?
Good, it was free.
Swayed by Yu Yu's pitch, he conceded, his crisp voice saying, "I see. A skill for outsiders? How about wind-guided arrow?"
Shu Tu, hearing this, bolted to the player queue.
Why? Fuyu was already queuing.
Zi Shu was tasking—did they not get it?
Smiling as the ranger joined Wind Singer to pose, Yu Yu's grin cracked.
"Senior," Yu Yu wailed, "They all get boosts, but not me!"
"Not only no boost, I'm spending money!"
Chang, lifting her hood, was speechless.
She hadn't expected Yu Yu's mix of charm and bluff to rally three high-tier pros.
Now the pressure was on the magic circle.
Yu Yu clung to her arm, teary, "Look, everyone's here, but spellcasters are discriminated against, getting nothing!"
"Right? Right?"
Yun Lun nodded furiously.
Chang her head aching from the shaking, said, "Why no spellcasters? Don't you know?"
Yu Yu innocently said, "The Grand Archon only barred me from magic circle aid. But if the magic circle, for its honor, decides to maintain order here, that's not me asking, right?"
"Right? Right, Senior?"
Chang nearly wavered, steadying after a pause. "I need to consult the Grand Archon."
"Don't go. Send a night crow."
Chang: "…"
Moments later, a teleport burst near Yu Yu.
The Grand Archon eyed the packed plaza, then the innocent instigator.
After a long pause, she gritted, "Chang, you go."
Chang's face twisted, but she grudgingly stood before the statue.
Having watched Yu Yu's tactics, she knew the drill.
Without prompting, the shop page added a new spell—
[Chang's Thunder Leap]
Yu Yu's eyes gleamed, nearly bolting to queue.
Grand Archon: "Where're you going?"
Yu Yu: "To queue for tasks! Can't miss this!"
After so long, she knew prefixed spells were spellcaster-improved.
Improved spells outshine originals.
Thunder Leap, third-ring elemental spell, =5,000 points =20 gold.
Gold was minor; points were key.
Yu Yu ignored the Grand Archon's cryptic look, blending into the queue.
Lynn's emerald eyes locked onto Yu Yu, forgetting her lyre.
What are you doing?
Meanwhile, players discussed guild tokens.
"Heard mid-tier bosses drop guild tokens. True?"
"Too convenient, right? Mid-tier mobs spawn, then this leaks?" EatNoWashBowl, camped closest, lounged with buddies, "I got it!"
"NPCs spilled! They're finally learning to treat players nicely!"
EatNoWashBowl fumed, "Last time, I ran into that freezing NPC again! She stared, and I thought she'd hit me. Guess what she said?!"
"What?"
"She said!" EatNoWashBowl gnashed, "[EatNoWashFeet, I remember you!"
"Am I EatNoWashFeet? Am I?! I'm ***!"
Lynn, struggling through lines, said, "Brave… warrior… my homeland…"
Yu Yu pressed, "What's up with your homeland? Spill! I can help!"
The overly handsome ranger watched silently.
Shadow Strider: "?" Got a big plan?
Chang stared, expressionless.
Her arrival had rattled the three NPCs' poses.
Recalling their looks, Chang's teeth itched.
Yu Yu, innocent, said, "Hurry, I've got tasks to do! 100 points!"
Lynn's eye twitched, gritting, "My homeland's bandit-ridden. Please… help… me…"
Her voice squeezed through clenched teeth.
Yu Yu: "Got it, accepted."
Wind Singer cracked, grabbing her, hissing, "150?"
Yu Yu got it. "You'll get it too."
Lynn, soothed, steadied her lines, waving happily, "Go quick, come back soon."
EatNoWashBowl glanced up. "This NPC's glitched, right? Code's busted?"
"Morning, she spoke. Afternoon, ventriloquism, lounging and strumming badly."
"Why's she waving?"
"Hey, isn't that Boss Yu?"
Her rapid-fire chatter dazzled others.
Wind Singer: "?" My playing's bad?
"EatBowl, finish your thought."
"Don't call me EatBowl—call me Eat or Wash," EatNoWashBowl said, "This NPC's brain-dead. She's EatNoWashFeet! Old and senile. Next time, I'll curse her out."
Chang glanced over.
Guessing you mean… Meng?
[Phantom Sound]
Chang saved a copy, firing it to Meng via night crow.
She's a pillar here—why's Meng lounging?
Avoiding bias?
She's gone from examiner to NPC—bias, my foot!
Chang, livid, broadcasted messages.
Meanwhile, EatNoWashBowl rambled on.
They were among the first to take and finish tasks, now camped closest to Wind Singer, circling and chatting.
Lynn endured the afternoon thanks to their nonsense.
But…
EatNoWashBowl piled on, "These new NPCs seem kinda dumb."
Chang: "?"
Ranger: "?"
Shadow Strider: "?"
EatNoWashBowl: "Wind Leaf's lazy, just slacking there."
"They just stand like statues, posing stupidly."
The three adjusted poses, glaring.
EatNoWashBowl: "NPC smarts vary, I bet."
"How so?"
"These three are the dumber batch," she said, "Wind Leaf's smarter."
"She got bored mid-song and switched!"
Lynn's vein throbbed.
Thanks, real genius here.
"But the dumbest isn't them."
Meng, dragged by a friend to mock, spotted Chang, then heard a familiar voice.
She looked over.
EatNoWashBowl boomed, "The dumbest is that ice NPC! Can't even remember names! Isn't she the worst?!"
"Yeah!"
"Right!"
"Totally!"
The air buzzed with glee.
Meng: "Heh."
When Yu Yu's group returned, they stared at the ice chunk on Wolfy's nose, pensive.
Queuing to turn in tasks to Lynn, Yu Yu recited lines, asking, "Who's that? Why's it hung so high?"
Lynn, rare smirk, said, "EatNoWashFeet."
Yu Yu: "???"
Who's that?
Confused, she was grabbed by the ranger.
Yu Yu: "Senior?"
Ranger, voice crisp, said, "150?"
Yu Yu: "???"
She spun, "Grand Archon, someone's calling you!"
The ranger jolted, releasing her.
No way? The Grand Archon's here too?
Yu Yu bolted.
The tasks were long, but she'd smartly rented a cart with a ghost horse, nearly crashing, yet made it.
Both task rings done, 100+700 points, 800 total, enough for skills.
As the event's mastermind, Yu Yu knew the rewards.
Except for Zi Shu, needing another task for two skills, they could lounge.
No matter Azure Waves or Destiny's schemes, guild tokens lured other guilds.
Those bandits were toast.
Logically, they could celebrate.
Unsure of Xiang Qin's progress, Yu Yu was confident she'd claim reimbursement from the Grand Archon tonight.
The Grand Archon hadn't left, surrounded by a crowd.
Spotting Senior, Yu Yu beamed, "Senior!"
Meng turned. "Doing tasks yourself? Really?"
Felix glanced over, nodding coolly.
Meng mused, "Who're you calling?"
"Senior, obviously."
Meng nodded, then paused, "Who, exactly?"
Yu Yu approached the Grand Archon.
The Grand Archon looked at her sternly with a serious expression.
The high-level spellcasters around her were silent.
Yu Yu was not afraid at all, and kept walking, "Grand Archon, will you reimburse my costs?"
The Grand Archon's eye twitched, ands he said sternly, "What's that to me?"
Yu Yu's eyes widened, "Didn't you make me do this?"
Meng coughed, "No disrespect to the Grand Archon."
Yu Yu looked aggrieved, "Senior."
Felix glanced, "Hand it over."
Yu Yu passed the invoices.
Felix scanned, handing them to the Grand Archon.
The Grand Archon's composure cracked, "Felix?!"
Felix: "Out of funds?"
It was clearly a very cold tone, but somehow one could hear a strong hint of sarcasm.
The Grand Archon's face fell, glaring at Yu Yu, "You're not done. I hear they're progressing fast too."
Yu Yu huffed, turning, "Yun Lun, flip the page."
"On it!" Yun Lun flashed the screen.
Yu Yu raised her head and looked at the Grand Archon with a particularly innocent look "It'll end tonight. Since it's all out, why not pay Chang, the ranger, and Lynn too?"
"The Grand Archon can't play favorites!" (Booming voice)
The Grand Archon face darkened. "Finish first. Make this mess, you bear the fallout."
She vanished.
Felix did not leave, and said thoughtfully, "So, without the magic circle, I could assign tasks to outsiders?"
Yu Yu: "??"
"Senior, you've got me! Why need them?!"
Meng, eyeing the slacking Wind Singer, said, "Wind's method has merit."
Felix pondered, "Could I summon players like this?"
Yu Yu looked aggrieved, "Sure, with rewards, outsiders are super easy to wrangle."
Meng glanced, "Like you?"
Yu Yu perked, "Got a task, Senior?"
Meng: "…"
Felix turned to Meng, "Senior Meng."
Meng's eyelid twitched.
Felix: "I'd like to borrow Yu."
Yu Yu's eyes gleamed.
Meng: "I just got her from Chang."
I haven't even started!
Felix: "Silver Moon has more outsiders. She's proven herself, no need for Moon Bay."
Meng: "…"
Felix: "Let her stay in Silver Moon, advise the Grand Archon."
Meng quipped, "And brainstorm for the Duchess?"
Felix was undaunted, "The Duchess needs talent too."
Yu Yu puffed her chest and said proudly said, "Exactly, I'm talent! The Duchess needs me!"
Wolfy needs me!!!
Meng nodded, "Fine, I'll tell the Grand Archon. Han can govern."
Yu Yu blinked, You can do that?
Felix wasn't surprised.
In the evening, the players returned home with a full load.
Those who are missing arms and legs have to be carried by their teammates.
The injuries should have been excruciatingly painful, but the players were laughing the whole time. Someone said something that caused the stretcher to tilt and their teammates fell to the ground.
They actually didn't care at all. The player with both legs broken rolled around on the ground holding his stomach and crowing with laughter.
"You trying to laugh me to death?!"
Then she lost too much blood and died on the spot.
Her teammate threw away the stretcher, not sad at all, and handed in the task with his arm around hers and a smile on his face.
The fierce scene left the NPCs stunned.
What kind of crazy people are these? They are too perverted, right?
Passing Yu Yu, they discussed hardcore topics—
"Game won't reattach limbs, dragging back to kill, haha, didn't expect her to laugh herself dead…"
"Last time, her arm broke, she sliced me. I planned love this time, but she left me first, hahaha…"
Meng: "…"
Felix: "…"
Yu Yu is innocent.
Why look at me? Am I the type to slaughter teammates?
Zi Shu actually managed to coax the guard into thinking, "That's true. If I can't take over my limbs, it would be quicker to commit suicide."
Shu Tu agreed, "Avoid breaking limbs."
Fuyu was speechless. "Hey, I can feel the pain 100%! If it breaks, I will die of pain on the spot."
Shu Tu: "Fair."
Players returned loaded, tasks nearly taken over by the magic circle, shop lists upgraded to fancier formats.
Rewards, of course, weren't the old ones.
Yu Yu snagged a spell, joy +1, and enchanted materials.
Magic circle's generous, heh.
Xiang Qin's group lagged, missing event rewards.
Yu Yu's wave—self-awarding rewards.
Without lifting a finger!
Is this GM power?
That night, Yu Yu was summoned to the castle.
The Grand Archon, grumpy, pointed to a box. "My new advisor, your reward."
[Gained: +50,000 EXP, +2,000 Gold, +20,000 Points]
[Level up to 9, +1 Base Stat Point, Advanced to 'Mid-Tier Spellcaster']
[All Stats +1]
[Gained 'Grand Archon's Advisor,' 'Duchess's Advisor,' …]
Amid the reward flood, Yu Yu saw All Stats +1 and checked her stats.
She deflated.
All stats rose except Spirit and Will, her key ones, unchanged.
Still, mid-tier Spirit and Health multipliers surged, especially Spirit!
Yu Yu was thrilled, barely noticing the Grand Archon shooing her out.
Logged off!
"I've got 2,000 gold! I leveled! I'm mid-tier! All stats +1!"
"So hungry, Shu Tu~"
Shu Tu's group was downstairs, food ordered.
Yu Yu dove in.
Zi Shu, shoveling rice, said, "We leveled too, but only 1,000 gold."
Yu Yu mused, "Crap, she won't make me pay her with the extra, right?"
"Can't let Shadow Strider know I've got gold!"
She never planned to pay.
With debt, could Shadow Strider leave?
Play it right, and Fuyu's mentor is secured!
"Tomorrow online, I'll thank Wind Singer and them," Yu Yu cheered, "I got promoted! I'll push for you guys!"
Inflated.jpg
Chang Yu was envious "Why leave me out? Mentor says I don't need to mind you, just follow my pace."
Yu Yu asked, "Why won't your mentor let you out?"
Chang Yu shook her head. "Dunno, she says I'm too weak for outside."
"Oh, you get any tasks?"
Yu Yu: "What tasks?"
Chang Yu: "Real-world tasks."
Yu Yu: "Huh?"
Chang Yu showed them, "Been days, look."
[(Epic) Underdark Upheaval (Reward: Unknown, Location: Rong City, Countdown: 31 days)]
Yu Yu nearly ate her chopsticks. "This, in reality?"
They could actually die.
"Why only you? We didn't get it."
Chang Yu, puzzled, said, "You didn't?"
Yu Yu, certain, said, "Nope."
The five stared.
Zi Shu, eyeing the bowl-licking cat, said, "Sure enough, I knew that reality would not that calm. It has been peaceful all along."
Shu Tu: "What's the countdown mean?"
Yu Yu: "Find the source before it?"
Fuyu hesitated, "Underdark? How?"
Yu Yu decided, "Report it."
An epic task pinned to Rong City was beyond them.
Zi Shu: "How to explain? Only Chang Yu got it."
Yu Yu: "9 Will, no explanation needed."
She'd scanned many—7 Will was rare, 8 and 9 only Shu Tu and Chang Yu.
Yu Yu messaged Yu Bai, "Got a guild token. Federation need it?"
Shock replied, then, "Federation doesn't need it now."
Yu Yu got it.
Federation's staying low.
She continued, "Chang Yu got an epic task…"
Soon, her place was swarmed.
Yu Yu still has a lot of trust in the Federation and answers whatever she asks, including what she has done in the past few days.
They said nothing, just told her to follow her instincts.
Seeing them off, Yu Yu was content.
Moving chairs, testing new strength, she said, "We dug the mountain today. Tomorrow, check the wild woods?"
"What do you think?"
"Works."
"Good."
"I'm in!"
"All in."
Digging till dusk, they flattened the mountain.
Yu Yu looked at the thing under the earth element's feet and fell into deep thought.
"Zi Shu, you have good eyesight, come and see what that is?"
Zi Shu came over with a shovel, "What?"
She dug, and the shovel made a crisp metallic sound when it touched.
"It seems to be... uh, a branch? A bronze branch?"
The sun was setting, and Yu Yu couldn't see clearly. "How did you know it was a tree branch?"
"Got a leaf, one."
Yu Yu slapped on insight.