After a busy afternoon, Yu Yu was drenched in sweat. Fresh from a shower, toweling her hair, she asked, "Where's Shu Tu?"
Neither Chang Yu nor Shu Tu had left, staying in the guest rooms for a couple of days. Besides Yu Yu's master bedroom, there was a downstairs bathroom for showers.
"Showering," Chang Yu said, swallowing pills. Bottles piled on the table, a numbing sight.
She expertly downed them, chugging a glass and a half of water to finish, then looked up. "I saw online people saying there's nothing in the sky. They're all fine."
The windows were fully covered, the room brightly lit.
Yu Yu, stone-faced: "Why care about them? Mind yourself."
You can't stop people from courting death. Who knows who'll get unlucky?
Yu Yu instructed, "Wear the hats we bought this afternoon. Always wear them outside, and don't look at the sky."
"Should we warn Zi Shu and them?"
Yu Yu considered. "Zi Shu's with Fuyu. She's level-headed; she doesn't need our reminder."
"But let's mention it anyway."
"Got it!"
The big cat slept in the downstairs living room. Kicking it out just made it whine to Shu Tu—no choice. Yu Yu prayed her living room survived tomorrow. Maybe the anomalous world made people cling together. Neither Chang Yu nor Shu Tu planned to leave, crashing on the master bedroom sofa after showers.
Online.
Even the apocalypse couldn't stop their gaming. Pitch black. Yu Yu adjusted, barely making out shapes. Muttering a chant, she cast Darkvision on herself. The scene snapped into clarity.
"You're online," Zi Shu's low voice came.
Yu Yu: "Yeah, just logged in. You're early."
Zi Shu sighed heavily. Fuyu echoed with a heavy sigh.
Yu Yu: "?"
This game's monsters didn't respawn. Dead was dead.
Yu Yu cast Candlelight. The five sat in a circle. "What's with those faces?"
Zi Shu, numb: "Is your invite from last time still open?"
Yu Yu nodded. "It is."
Zi Shu might tame the big cat. Maybe she could save Yu Yu's pillow this afternoon.
Zi Shu, weary: "If we survive leaving campus this time, we're coming to your place."
Fuyu whimpered softly. "I'm dropping out."
Yu Yu: "?"
Shu Tu: "What happened?"
Zi Shu sighed, explaining.
Fuyu clutched her face in agony. "I should've smashed his phone!"
"Now the whole class heard it!"
"You never know what'll hit first—idiots or anomalies…" She wore a mask of pain.
Zi Shu, dejected: "Solitude's the best state. Today, those morons stared at the sky from the balcony, ignoring all warnings."
Shu Tu: "The school's sheltered them too well."
Zi Shu: "We bought hats, plus sunglasses and sleep masks. We don't take them off, even sleeping."
Fuyu: "Good thing it's just us two in the dorm. We pulled the curtains, and we're set."
"The dorm next door fought over curtains. How'd they even get into Rongda? My grades are worse…"
"Proud of bad grades?" Zi Shu, speechless for a moment, sighed. "That's just how the world varies."
Fuyu said seriously: "But I understand human speech!"
Zi Shu had no comeback.
Yu Yu snorted. "Sometimes, understanding speech is a solid trait."
Thanks to comparison.
Yu Yu: "So, TreeSeed was you."
"?" Zi Shu, surprised. "How'd you know?"
Yu Yu explained.
Zi Shu nodded. "I was rattled, didn't think much. Should've reported it."
"With so many listeners, how'd it find you?"
"And your dorm's crowded, plus it's school…"
Zi Shu: "Hope so. I'm just worried if it's not just us, it might drag in others who didn't hear."
Fuyu hugged her knees. "Zi Shu wanted to take us out for dinner, crash outside. She rarely offers to pay, but it didn't work out…"
"Our class is a mix of year groups, scattered dorms, couldn't gather…"
"If something happens, the first hit should be that guy…" Yu Yu mused. "Keep an eye on him."
"Chen Xiao, total dumbass," Fuyu cursed. "All his fault. Had to listen, then made us listen…"
"Last time, he hit on Zi Shu. I'd bash his head in."
Zi Shu covered her face. "Focus on what matters."
Who knows if Chen Xiao would survive days? Pointless talk.
Yu Yu: "If it's something you can fight, call me."
She stressed fight. Some anomalies couldn't be fought—like Strangle Disease…
Who knew how it spread?
Like Empty City.
Or Mysterious Girl… wait?
Don't look at the sky? Not the Mysterious Girl's shadow, is it?
Or another anomaly?
Yu Yu felt uneasy. Was its spread like Zi Shu's case?
Hearing the sound triggered it—so knowing the term, would the shadow visit her?
Did it hunt one by one?
Was not looking enough?
Yu Yu's mind raced, then dismissed it. An anomaly locking down a city wouldn't target her specifically. She couldn't be the only one among millions seeing that term.
Zi Shu: "If it's fightable, I'll call for help."
Fuyu was more optimistic: "Maybe we can fight it."
Zi Shu said in a low voice "Now I realize that being able to fight against anomalies is actually a good thing. There are many regular anomalies that will kill you if you touch them. There is no chance of fighting at all."
She was obviously a little upset today, and kept on talking, "I knew when the art room was sealed that the piano had become abnormal."
"The president of the painting club and several classmates never showed up again. There shouldn't be a piano in the studio, but they didn't take it seriously and ended up never showing up again."
"The same thing happened in the old laboratory building. A class reported tuberculosis and was isolated. The old building was sealed off, saying it was for disinfection, but it wasn't tuberculosis at all. They were the only ones having evening self-study in the old laboratory building that day," Zi Shu said in a low voice, "and I never got in touch with them again after that..."
Fuyu was shocked. "We have one in our school?"
Zi Shu glanced at her, too tired to speak. If Song Fuyu weren't a player, Zi Shu wouldn't have spoken to her past graduation.
Fuyu: "Can you hide your disdain?"
"Hmph, if you weren't a player, I wouldn't team with you."
Zi Shu turned away, scoffing.
Seeing them bicker, Yu Yu mused, "Got a school map?"
Zi Shu: "I'll send it offline."
Yu Yu: "Let's move. Finish the quest today. Passing the assessment will boost my strength significantly."
"Maybe I can pull strings for small boosts for everyone."
Mainly…
Yu Yu lowered her voice. "Saving Chang Yu was a real-world quest. Maybe this'll trigger another."
If anything could fast-track their survival odds, it was real-world quests. Those gave actual stat points. Each point was precious.
Yu Yu, eyes dark: "If there's stat points this time, I won't save for mental. I'll pick constitution or agility."
Bucket theory—reality didn't care for 'balancing weaknesses.' The more well-rounded, the better.
Zi Shu, thoughtful: "What should I pick? Mental?"
Fuyu considered. "Real-world quests give plenty. I want strength."
Chang Yu: "Constitution for me!"
Shu Tu stayed silent.
Yu Yu: "Zi Shu, double up on strength and constitution. Hit 12 in both, then branch out."
"And me?" Fuyu asked.
Yu Yu pondered. "Strength and constitution need at least 8, or survival's too hard."
Rogues were fragile. Fuyu was the most at-risk in both fights, surviving on luck.
Chang Yu wanted to ask, but Yu Yu cut her off. "You need everything. Don't ask—you don't have any."
Chang Yu made a wronged face and squatted down to draw circles. Shu Tu, with her own plans, said nothing.
Yu Yu: "Let's finish the quest today, or the bear will rot."
The three stiffened, unable to accept that loss.
"Move out."
They stepped into the dark.
"Shu Tu?"
"Zi Shu?"
"Fuyu?"
Yu Yu recalled carefully. They'd wandered endlessly, finally finding a large cavern, only to be ambushed by bats. Under sonic attacks, Zi Shu and Fuyu fainted instantly. Only Yu Yu and Shu Tu stayed conscious. Yu Yu's mental was high, Shu Tu's willpower was.
Melee down, bats numerous, terrain bad—Shu Tu made a snap call, tossing Yu Yu onto Banban, dragging Zi Shu and Fuyu behind. Yu Yu only had time to raise a Stone Wall to block pursuers before Banban carried her out of sight.
Banban's injuries, unlike players', healed slowly. Still wounded, it tired out. Yu Yu dismounted, holding Banban's round ears, walking cautiously.
"Banban, know where your master is?"
Without teammates, Yu Yu's sense of safety plummeted. Her perception couldn't detect danger, her reactions were slow, and her health was her biggest weakness. In Eternal Darkness, she couldn't solo like her last game.
She stuck close to Banban, inching forward, casting Detect Magic periodically. Without Shu Tu, Yu Yu couldn't communicate with Banban, relying on instinct. Banban was alert. The next second, it showed feline prowess. Muscles tensed, shoulders low, steps silent, it lunged, and Yu Yu blinked before reacting.
It killed a giant rat.
Yu Yu declined its offer. "Thanks, I'm not hungry."
Banban was easier than the real-world cat—self-sufficient, no worries. It ate the rat. Yu Yu couldn't heal. Most of her spells needed casting time, and without teammates, her combat power was limited. Banban, an animal, couldn't coordinate without Shu Tu.
Yu Yu sighed, summoning a wolf. It and Banban flanked her. The wolf looked fierce but was smaller than Banban, its mane puffing it up. She liked curse magic, but now, Yu Yu considered summoning.
Curse magic felt too unsafe.
Banban stopped abruptly. Yu Yu froze, signaling the wolf to mimic Banban's crouch, ready to sprint. Banban moved agonizingly slow, pausing each step.
Yu Yu wisely stopped. She couldn't mimic it. Neither could the wolf. Tigers had commendable patience. Yu Yu's eyes ached, and Banban had moved less than three meters.
Finally, it pounced.
Something fled in the dark, Banban chasing.
Yu Yu, stunned: "Banban!!!"
Don't run!!!
She took a few steps, then stopped. No way she could keep up. Banban had carried her through twists and turns—she had no idea where she was.
Now…
Yu Yu wore a mask of pain.