“What’s wrong with tricking you? Haven’t you already forgiven me?”
Yun Yan dealt more damage than Wei Jiaze, and with Tuanzi assisting, it still took almost twenty minutes to defeat that water monster. By the time Wei Jiaze finally killed it, nearly an hour had passed.
“This is an elite monster, right?” Yun Yan drank a health potion and happily checked the loot. “Yi Qiu-jie, is this snow lotus useful?”
Yan Yiqiu nodded. “Yes. The more we gather, the better. You can add it to burst potions to increase their duration.”
“Wow, then it really is valuable,” Yun Yan said, handing over the snow lotus.
Yan Yiqiu took the snow lotus from Yun Yan and Wei Jiaze and put it into her backpack. She rested in place for ten minutes and also opened the chat channel to inform other players about the snowmen’s dual forms.
[Friend Channel: Snowman monsters have two forms. The second form, the water monster, is an elite monster with high damage and thick HP.]
[Huo Zhengqi: Thanks for the heads-up, Miss Yan.]
[Lin Siyuan: You guys already ran into monsters?]
[ABB: Thanks for the warning!]
…
[Chat Channel: Snowman monsters have two forms. The second form, water monster, is an elite monster with high damage and thick HP. Please be aware.]
[Wow, dual-form monsters? Thanks for the heads-up, big shot!]
[Damn, I just killed a snowman monster and wondered why it was so fragile—200 damage and it died. Turns out it has a second form? Thanks to the kind person for the warning, may you live long!]
After sending the alert, Yan Yiqiu closed the chat channel. Rest over, they continued moving forward.
The icefield was vast, and the chance of encountering snowman monsters was high. They’d only walked a few minutes before coming across another snowman. Stop to fight, then rest, then repeat. Walking and stopping, stopping and walking, the day quickly turned to night.
At night, the icefield was even more beautiful. Moonlight scattered across ice peaks, frozen stones, and ice trees, casting a faint glow. It looked almost like a fairyland.
However, the temperature dropped further, with icy winds blowing. Snowmen were more active, and even the second-form water monsters had thicker HP. The freezing wind caused a layer of frost to form on the water monsters, and they had to break it to deal effective damage.
“The water monsters at night are so hard to handle!” Yun Yan slumped onto the ice after defeating one, feeling the cold and quickly taking a Warm Sun Pill.
Wei Jiaze was even more exhausted, sitting silently, flicking frost off his bangs.
Seeing them so drained, Yan Yiqiu pulled out a fire pit, added wood, and said, “Let’s rest for two hours this time.”
No snowmen appeared nearby. The three of them gathered around the fire pit, warming themselves and eating hot food.
Yun Yan took three corns and threw them into the fire, a hint of nostalgia in her voice: “When Grandpa and Grandma were still alive, I loved the corn they roasted for me, all crispy and fragrant.”
“Back then I wished they could live longer. Now, seeing it, maybe it was better they left early—avoiding having to endure this game at an old age.”
The icefield at night was so beautiful, and the cozy atmosphere around the fire brought Wei Jiaze, usually quiet, to speak unusually.
“My grandparents also liked roasting corn and sweet potatoes for me,” he said softly, looking down at the slightly blackened corn in the fire. For the first time, he mentioned family: “Sometimes they’d take me up the mountain. Our old home had wild fruits: chestnuts, wild mulberries, wild pears…”
“Unfortunately, they weren’t healthy and passed away when I was ten.”
Yun Yan sighed, holding her face. “I miss them so much.”
Wei Jiaze’s tone was low. “Me too.”
“Yi Qiu-jie, what about you?” Yun Yan asked.
The flickering crimson fire cast a warm glow on Yan Yiqiu’s pale face. She raised an eyebrow and calmly said, “Me? I’m an orphan. No family.”
Yun Yan’s eyes widened, and she quickly apologized: “Sorry, Jie, I didn’t know…”
Oh no, she shouldn’t have brought up family!
“It’s fine,” Yan Yiqiu smiled, letting Yun Yan off the hook. “I’m used to it. Talking about it doesn’t bother me much.”
Before the game, she might have occasionally been emo about it, but now, ever since the game appeared, she had no energy to dwell on such things. Her mind was occupied with leveling up, managing the territory, gathering materials, and making residents feel more at home. Besides, she had been reborn.
“Just talk freely. It’s good to let me experience what having a family feels like.”
Yan Yiqiu didn’t want her own history to dampen the teammates’ moods, and she curiously asked about Yun Yan’s parents.
“I figure Aunt Lin and Uncle Yun were around thirty when they had you?”
Yun Yan cautiously observed Yan Yiqiu’s expression. Seeing she didn’t mind, she replied: “Yeah. Mom was originally pro-DINK—you know, before the game she was a dance instructor, very strict about her body.”
“She feared pregnancy would ruin her figure, so she and Dad agreed on DINK. Later, around thirty, she saw other kids and thought having a child like her would be fun.”
“At that point, she relaxed about her body. She and Dad agreed, and I was born. Mom wanted me to dance, but I inherited Dad’s clumsiness. My limbs are uncoordinated, so dancing looks awkward.”
After sharing, she glanced at Yan Yiqiu and then Wei Jiaze.
Thanks to the earlier lesson from prying, she didn’t ask about Wei Jiaze’s parents. He never mentioned them, and she guessed his family situation wasn’t great.
Wei Jiaze volunteered the info himself. Nothing special—parents divorced, remarried, had new families. His existence with the ex-partner wasn’t welcomed. While grandparents were alive, he lived with them; after they passed, only the housekeeper stayed. Oh, and money. His parents were wealthy, so materially he was fine.
Yun Yan: “…”
Why are my teammates’ families all so tragic? Suddenly she felt lucky—at least her parents were alive and loved her.
This long chat around the fire seemed to strengthen their bond. Wei Jiaze even looked up properly to speak, though his bangs still hid his eyes a bit.
Two hours passed quickly.
Yan Yiqiu extinguished the fire, packed it up, and led Yun Yan and Wei Jiaze onward.
The night wind was biting, slashing their faces like knives, dropping HP periodically.
Yan Yiqiu took out masks used in the third dungeon and made two more for Yun Yan and Wei Jiaze, wrapping their skin tightly.
“The wind even deals damage. This dungeon is brutal,” Yun Yan complained, her voice muffled behind the mask.
Yan Yiqiu smiled. “You’ll get used to it.”
The three pushed through the cold. They didn’t see any monsters but instead ran into another player team—eight players, led by a level 7 combat player. Fully bundled, they still shivered from the cold. Their features were sharp, clearly not Chinese.
Yun Yan was surprised: “Jie, foreign players? I thought we could only meet our own players!”
Yan Yiqiu glanced at the team, tone flat, slightly disgusted, warning Yun Yan and Wei Jiaze: “Be careful. Stay alert.”
The two noticed the tone but didn’t question, remaining cautious.
Both teams kept a safe distance, moving in the same direction.
Yun Yan and Wei Jiaze noticed occasional glances from the other team, assessing them—likely checking if they were locals. Fully masked, only their eyes were visible.
But… the stares were uncomfortable.
Yun Yan expressed her feeling vaguely, and Wei Jiaze added quietly: “Like hunting prey.”
Yun Yan nodded: “Yes, exactly.”
Yan Yiqiu murmured faintly, barely audible over the wind: “Maybe, in their eyes, we are prey.”
The wind howled, almost knocking them over.
The foreign team approached. The blonde level 7 lead waved, speaking in a foreign language, automatically translated in-game.
“Hello, want a temporary alliance?”
His smile looked a bit stiff from the cold, giving a slightly menacing vibe.
Yun Yan, once again team leader, replied cautiously: “No, thanks.”
“Are you Chinese?” the blonde asked, unfazed. “You sound like a Chinese student I knew, haha.”
Yun Yan responded curtly, keeping distance.
The foreigner ignored her coldness: “What’s your class? Your team is small. It’s safer to stick together. What’s your name? I’m Bell. Did you get those warm clothes from monsters? Lucky! Ours aren’t warm at all—we’re freezing.”
Yun Yan PMed Yan Yiqiu: Jie, this guy is so annoying!
[Yan Yiqiu: Make him leave.]
[Yun Yan: Uh? Isn’t that rude? He’s not bothering me…]
[Yan Yiqiu: Then endure it.]
[Yun Yan: QAQ]
Although this was their fifth dungeon, with Yan Yiqiu around, Yun Yan had never faced truly dark situations. Even if players tried to rob them, Yan Yiqiu would just thrash them and let them go. Wei Jiaze could endure even more.
Yan Yiqiu decided to let them handle a bit of hardship themselves this time.
So when Yun Yan subtly sought help, Yan Yiqiu ignored it. Yun Yan, an obedient kid for 18 years, couldn’t bring herself to confront this chatty blonde. She could only endure, occasionally replying briefly.
Bell: “Cold?”
Yun Yan: “Not too bad when it’s not cold. But when it is… it’s freezing.”
Bell: “What are your classes? Our team has melee, ranged, and warrior, plus life players—very versatile. Safe to ally with us.”
Yun Yan: “Wow, you guys are so great…”
“…”
Yan Yiqiu noticed a small laugh from Yun Yan. Wei Jiaze’s shoulders shook slightly as he covered his mouth, amused by Yun Yan’s half-hearted chatter.
Bell was persistent. Despite Yun Yan’s disinterest, he kept chatting.
Then they encountered snowmen monsters.
At night, snowmen doubled in number. During the day, they’d meet 4–5; at night, the number surged to twenty! Yan Yiqiu’s team plus the foreign team was only eleven, and some were low-level life players.
Yun Yan instinctively looked at Yan Yiqiu. Behind the mask, her face was unreadable, only calm black eyes visible.
Before she could decide what to do, Bell’s team rushed at the monsters.
Snowmen died in swaths, leaving puddles on the ground, which quickly coalesced into water monsters chasing them back.
Yun Yan: “…”
No choice—Yun Yan had to summon Tuanzi and join Wei Jiaze in the fight.
Yan Yiqiu didn’t step in. She stayed back like the life-class players from the other team, openly observing and analyzing.
The blonde youth, Bell, was a Gold-element mage. He waved his wand, hurling golden blades at the Water Monster. Their team’s warrior stood at the front with a shield, moving skillfully to minimize damage.
The other players reacted quickly as well—melee players stayed beside the warrior to deal damage, while ranged players kept a two-meter distance, kiting the monsters while attacking.
Overall, their coordination was impressive; this was a strong team.
No wonder, besides Bell, the combat players’ levels were all around five or six, and even the life-class players reached level five.
This was the strongest team Yun Yan had encountered in all the dungeons so far. By comparison, her and Wei Jiaze’s coordination seemed less polished.
Yun Yan noticed this too and got distracted for a moment—right as a Water Monster lunged at her face.
A flash of gold streaked past; Bell swung his wand and helped her out.
“Thanks!” Yun Yan said, quickly regaining focus.
Even though the number of Snow Monsters was double their combined total, with Bell’s team working together, it still took over two hours to clear them all.
“So, you’re a summoner,” Bell said, sitting on the ground with his teammates, giving Yun Yan a grin of praise. “Haha, very impressive!”
Since Bell had helped her, Yun Yan treated him with a bit more respect, less perfunctory than before. “Just okay, not as good as you guys. Your team works really well together. Did you start teaming up from the first dungeon?”
Bell laughed heartily. “Of course. In a game where you can die, you want more teammates to survive properly.”
Yun Yan nodded in agreement.
Shared combat experiences quickly bring players closer, especially when someone helps you. Yun Yan, chatting freely, let slip a bit of information—but of course, she wouldn’t reveal that her life-class teammate was insanely strong, only mentioning Wei Jiaze’s role.
“A support-type combat player? Haha, interesting,” Bell said, smiling brightly. “We don’t have a support player like that yet. Looks like we should find one too.”
Yun Yan nodded, explaining the advantages of a support combat player. “Their damage isn’t as high as normal combat players, but the attribute buffs they provide are very useful. Since your team is big, it’s even more beneficial.”
Seeing Yun Yan chatting so smoothly with them, Wei Jiaze, who had remained silent, hesitated for a moment and sent Yan Yiqiu a private message.
[Wei Jiaze: Team leader, shouldn’t we remind Yun Yan she’s giving away too much information? I feel like Bell is intentionally probing our team…]
Yan Yiqiu hadn’t expected Wei Jiaze to notice, but on second thought, he had more experience than Yun Yan—so it made sense.
[Yan Yiqiu: No need, let her learn a lesson. Just stay alert.]
[Wei Jiaze: Understood.]
An hour passed; their rest was almost over.
Yun Yan, knowing Yan Yiqiu disliked interacting with strangers, finished her meal and stood. “We’ll head off now, bye!”
Bell got up too. “Why so quick? Let’s chat a bit more.”
“No more chatting. We’ll talk again if we cross paths.” Yun Yan waved them off.
Next moment, Bell’s teammates, who had been sitting casually nearby, all stood silently, their gaze fixed on Yun Yan’s group. Yun Yan realized they had subtly encircled the three of them.
“…What’s this about?” Yun Yan’s sweet voice turned slightly serious, frowning at Bell.
Bell smiled without changing expression. “Nothing, just thought we were getting along, wanted to talk a little longer.”
Yun Yan sensed the real intention now. “What do you want?”
“Oh, dealing with smart people is easy. I helped you earlier, so asking for a little reward isn’t too much, right?” Bell chuckled. “Hand over 200,000 wood and 100,000 ore, and we’ll let you go. Won’t make it hard for you.”
Yun Yan spat and snapped angrily, “In your dreams!”
Bell didn’t reply. He clapped his hands, and the teammates surrounding them raised weapons and moved closer.
Bell pretended to sigh. “Honestly, I don’t want to hurt cute ladies, but you’re so ungrateful. A little lesson is in order.”
Yun Yan summoned Tuanzi, who wielded a weapon and swung toward Bell’s grinning face.
Bell, prepared in advance, deftly dodged, a wand appearing in his hand. Though he claimed not to want to hit her, every move targeted weak points ruthlessly.
Wei Jiaze, already warned by Yan Yiqiu, had prepared himself. At the start of combat, he quietly chanted to boost his attributes, then drank small potions for extra damage, defense, and speed, keeping distance from the foreign players.
Yan Yiqiu, tagged as a life-class player, was ignored by the opponents, her status making her practically untouchable.
She didn’t rush to act.
Yun Yan and Wei Jiaze gradually fell behind.
No matter how skilled, they couldn’t handle eight opponents alone. Bell’s team was strong, coordinated, and relentless.
Wei Jiaze knew he couldn’t beat them, so he guzzled speed and agility potions, barely maintaining composure.
Yun Yan’s attacks hit the enemy warrior’s shield, even Tuanzi was blocked, unable to harm Bell at all.
Meanwhile, protected by teammates, Bell swung his wand. Golden light flashed; Yun Yan’s body was cut in multiple places.
Her unprotected coat tore, cold wind slicing through, making movement stiff.
A golden arrow shot at Yun Yan’s chest. She reacted too slowly and almost got hit, but Wei Jiaze lunged and grabbed her, slicing a long gash along his arm.
They had never been this helpless.
Actually, Yun Yan had never been this helpless. Seeing her teammate stunned because of her injuries, guilt surged in her heart.
Yan Yiqiu knew the moment had come.
She drew a crossbow, her long red hair lifted by the cold wind, arcing beautifully in midair.
Her sharp, cold eyes targeted Bell’s moving group. Ten arrows shot, each hitting its mark with precision.
She shot twice, not sparing the life-class player hiding behind.
[You have been disabled, temporarily losing mobility!]
[You have been disabled, temporarily losing mobility!]
Bell froze for two seconds, tried to move, but couldn’t. His expression finally changed.
“This is impossible!” He could no longer keep smiling, shouting at Yan Yiqiu in rage: “How do you have such high damage? Damn it, you’re not a life-class player! You tricked us!!”
Bell had never taken the red-haired woman seriously; life-class players were trash to him.
But she was incredibly powerful.
Despite the situation seeming favorable, she struck unexpectedly. In less than five seconds, their team was utterly defeated, with no chance to resist.
This red-haired woman could not possibly be a life-class player—her displayed status was fake. Damn it!
Yun Yan had taken many injuries, her health halved. She drank a healing potion and, gritting her teeth, yelled: “You’ve got some nerve saying that!?”
Her anger surpassed Bell’s. Once her health recovered, she strode to him and unleashed a barrage of attacks. “You bastard, tricking me like that! I thought you were a decent guy.”
“So mad, so mad!”
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, especially seeing Wei Jiaze’s wounds. Guilt nearly overwhelmed her.
If she had listened to Yan Yiqiu from the start, none of this would have happened; Wei Jiaze wouldn’t have been hurt because of her.
Healing restores HP, but it still hurts!
The game didn’t spare you from pain.
Like an angry young bull, Yun Yan pummeled Bell again, grabbing his collar fiercely. “Hand over all your materials, or I’ll kill you!”
Bell laughed, asking, “Have you ever killed anyone?”
Yun Yan didn’t answer.
Bell had already noticed when he first approached. This Level 7 combat player was cautious but not intensely so. In another team, she might have attacked instantly.
Yun Yan was indifferent, but not experienced in dungeon PvP.
Or maybe she’d just been lucky, never encountering harm from other players.
“I haven’t killed anyone,” Yun Yan said after a moment, “but I can lure the monsters while you’re immobilized, let the little monsters come and kill all of you.”
What does it matter to Yun Yan if the little monsters kill someone?
As long as she didn’t personally deal the killing blow, she bore no burden!
Bell’s smile froze: “……”
Wei Jiaze looked thoughtful: “Huh?”
Yan Yiqiu raised an eyebrow: “Wow.”
Yun Yan wasn’t joking—she immediately turned to go find the monsters.
Finding little monsters in a dungeon is so easy.
“Oh, cute lady, I was just teasing you a little earlier,” Bell said, quickly dropping to a humble kneel, “If you want the materials, they’re yours. Someone as adorable as you can be forgiven for anything.”
One’s life was far more important than materials.
Without hesitation, Bell traded a pile of materials to Yun Yan, saying, “This is all the materials our team has. There’s not much in their backpacks; it’s all with me.”
Yun Yan received over 400,000 wood, about 250,000 ore, and some scattered raw materials in smaller quantities.
Among them were roughly twenty Snow Lotus flowers.
She turned to give the materials to Yan Yiqiu, trying to please her: “Sis, all yours—twenty Snow Lotus flowers included.”
“Cute lady, can you satisfy my curiosity?” Bell, unconcerned that Yun Yan might flip out after getting the materials, still had the nerve to ask, “Can you tell me—was that lady a life-class player or a combat player?”
No one responded.
Yan Yiqiu took the materials and asked Yun Yan what she planned to do next.
Yun Yan hesitated, speaking quietly: “Sis… how long will their immobilized state last?”
Yan Yiqiu: “About half an hour, I think.”
Being disabled is different from being injured.
Injury only lowers health points; disability lowers health and temporarily removes the ability to act. It lasts ten minutes to half an hour, gradually recovers, and once partially mobile, potions can speed up recovery.
“Then let’s go find the monsters now!” Yun Yan said earnestly. “Let the monsters kill them—I can’t bring myself to do it.”
Yan Yiqiu raised her eyebrow, a little surprised: “I thought you’d let them go?”
Yun Yan muttered quietly: “I’m guessing they’ve tricked a lot of teams. If I let them go, more people will fall for it.”
“If players from their own country get fooled, fine. But if our Huaguo players are deceived and die because of them, I’d feel guilty.”
Ah, that explains it.
Yan Yiqiu nodded: “Then you and Jiaze lure the monsters. I’ll stay here and make sure they don’t escape.”
Yun Yan nodded firmly and went off with Wei Jiaze to find nearby monsters.
Their conversation was quiet; Bell, being far away, couldn’t hear clearly, only seeing Yun Yan and Wei Jiaze disappear.
A few minutes later, the familiar Water Monster appeared in view.
Bell’s eyes went wide, disbelief written all over him: “You tricked me??”
“Tricked you, so what?” Yun Yan downed a speed potion, sprinting away, and said matter-of-factly, “Weren’t you the one who said someone as cute as me can be forgiven for anything?”
“Since you’ve already forgiven me, then off you go! Goodbye!”
Bell: “…Damn it!”
He had misjudged her.
Thinking she was a harmless, adorable flower, he hadn’t expected a biting, domineering carnivorous plant!!
Bell lost his composure, swearing like crazy: “Shit, you damn Huaguo bastards never keep your word!”
Other immobilized players nearby also shouted curses, spitting out ugly words while their faces twisted in terror.
No one wants to die.
But their furious shouting didn’t help—the Water Monster couldn’t understand them; it only knew how to kill players.
The scene of the Water Monster killing was gruesome.
It wrapped its semi-transparent body around a player; the water’s corrosive damage ate through clothes, then skin and hair, and finally bones and flesh, sizzling all the way, until all that remained was a pool of blood absorbed by the monster.
During this, players remained conscious, acutely aware of being devoured as their health plummeted like a roller coaster.
No curses could be spoken, only screams… which eventually stopped entirely.
Yun Yan and Wei Jiaze had never witnessed players killed by little monsters before; their pale faces grew even paler, eyes reflecting faint horror.
This time, Yan Yiqiu didn’t let them intervene.
After the Water Monster finished off Bell and his team, she politely sent the monster away.
The icy plains showed no trace of battle—clean and pristine. Even the metallic smell of blood faded quickly.
The atmosphere was silent.
Yun Yan hung her head, mood low. Her coat torn in several places, cold wind cutting through, chilling both body and spirit. She meekly apologized and reflected.
“Sis, Jiaze, I’m sorry.”
“It’s my fault for being too lax and not rejecting them decisively, causing Jiaze to get hurt. I’m sorry. I’ve learned my lesson—next time I won’t make this mistake. You can scold me however you want QAQ.”
“It’s not entirely your fault,” Wei Jiaze clumsily tried to comfort her, “Those people were just too malicious—they approached us with ulterior motives from the start.”
Yan Yiqiu didn’t scold her further. She handed over two intact coats with a gentle voice: “Learn from your mistake—that’s what matters.”
“No one’s blaming you.”
“If you really feel guilty, just dance a bit. I’m curious what your… interesting dance looks like.”
Yun Yan: “……”
With her mask on, her face was hidden, but Yan Yiqiu’s exposed eyes were brighter and softer than the full moon overhead.
Meeting her gaze, Yun Yan couldn’t hold it in. She clutched Yan Yiqiu’s arm and cried loudly like a 200-pound dog, letting out all the pent-up negative emotions.
After wiping her tears, she returned to her usual lively self, pulling Yan Yiqiu and Wei Jiaze along, complaining about Bell. They didn’t know how many players had died at his hands—they were doing a public service by eliminating him.
Though they had suffered a loss, Yun Yan gained two extra points of determination and steadiness compared to before.
Yan Yiqiu noticed the change and nodded in approval.
Experiencing setbacks and growing from them makes for a capable teammate.