She was probably going to die and respawn in town.
Yu Yu, despairing.
She'd rather have run with Zi Shu and the others. Now her teammates were gone, Banban had bolted—how would she survive?
Spellcasters were such a fragile class, at least low-tier ones. Yu Yu just waited like this, no longer moving.
The best plan: don't move.
Wait for teammates, if they were still alive. Wait for Banban, if the cat remembered to return. So she waited, stubbornly.
She was in a passage with a rugged ground, which turned out to be a cave. It wasn't narrow and was ventilated, but Yu Yu couldn't tell the wind direction. She felt the wind was coming from both sides.
She set Magic Wards on both sides and kept Shield Barrier on herself. When the wolf vanished, she resummoned it. Same with Shield Barrier. In spare moments, she meditated.
She waited, unsure how long, until she felt hungry. Maybe it was a psychological effect, this time Yu Yu actually started to feel hungry. She never got hungry before. Perhaps the mental strain—constant spellcasting, even with meditation to restore mental energy, couldn't ease her inner fatigue.
So hungry.
Yu Yu rubbed her stomach, pulling jerky from her bag. No teammates, no fire. She ate jerky with cold water. Good thing jerky was lightweight; she hadn't given it to Zi Shu to carry. Otherwise, she might starve here. Yu Yu waited like this, and she didn't know how long she had been waiting.
A night? A few hours?
In the dark, her sense of time blurred. She just kept refreshing spells, even finding the stoic wolf handsome. This wolf was pretty cool—mane flared, eyes cold, with deep blue eyeliner, a faint blue glow around it. She wondered if higher-tier summoning had smarter summons.
Thinking of the quartermaster, Yu Yu felt summoning spellcasters had a bright future. The Grand Archon was a summoner, after all. Suddenly, she heard something. But listening closely, it was gone. The darkness remained deep. Yu Yu reapplied Darkvision, staring intently that way.
It was where Banban had chased. Her palms sweated. Banban wouldn't be in trouble, would it?
Shu Tu loved it so much. Could game Banban revive if it died?
Yu Yu's thoughts raced, forehead sweating. Adjusted to Darkvision, she saw a strange shadow approaching, unhurried.
Its vague outline wasn't Banban. Yu Yu's heart sank. She ordered the wolf to crouch, mimicking Banban's earlier stance, ready to strike. The monster's timing was bad—her wolf was halfway through its duration. Mental fatigue meant Yu Yu only resummoned when the wolf was nearly gone, or her stamina couldn't keep up, even if her mental energy did. And now she got hungry.
Yu Yu was almost certain playing consumed her mental energy, or she wouldn't be this tired, this hungry. Even in a game, they couldn't fight endlessly—mental reserves weren't enough. Suddenly, her Magic Ward triggered. Yu Yu bristled, instantly sending the wolf forward. A figure emerged, brushing past the wolf without a glance. Seeing familiar yellow-black stripes, Yu Yu nearly cried.
So touching.
"Banban…"
Relieved, Yu Yu collapsed to the ground. Banban dragged a deer-like corpse, still dripping blood. Far colder than the real-world big cat, it barely reacted to Yu Yu's hug, even finding her annoying. Growling twice, Yu Yu didn't let go. Banban, impatient, broke free and started eating the corpse happily.
Hunting success.jpg
Yu Yu felt much more relaxed and actually watched Banban eat for a long time. After eating, Banban licks his paws to digest the food.
Yu Yu: "Can you find your master?"
Banban didn't understand, resting its big head on its paws, watching her.
Yu Yu: "Where are they now?"
Talking to herself, Banban listened, then closed its eyes. It seemed to sleep.
Yu Yu: "…"
Fine.
You're key combat power—sleep away. Yu Yu refreshed a Magic Ward, sitting in a daze. Dazing, she leaned against Banban. Banban smelled nice. Yu Yu suspected Shu Tu bathed it—something Shu Tu would do. Just a bit of blood from eating.
~Edit and rewritten by Rikhi, Reiya_Alberich, ReiNyam~
Banban glanced at her, then closed its eyes to rest. It was way cooler than the real-world housecat but felt oddly safe. It rarely vocalized, unlike that dumb real-world cat, always flaunting its emperor engine. Yu Yu paused summoning the wolf, chewing more jerky. Eating eased her fatigue. Halfway through, she sensed something.
"Xiao Yu?"
"Xiao Yu."
Yu Yu's body didn't vanish, but her eyes lost their spark.
She logged off.
Banban stood instantly, sniffing her, circling. Suddenly, it spotted the half-eaten jerky in her hand. A tongue swipe, and the jerky was gone. Banban licked its lips.
Kinda tasty.
Yu Yu checked with Shu Tu, glancing at the time—only five hours had passed.
She was in pain, "Got it. Banban and I will wait here. Keep looking, but if you can't, just head out. I'll suicide out."
Her Guidance spell didn't work here—rugged terrain, tunnels vertical, horizontal, diagonal…
Shu Tu said she sensed a faint link with Banban and was heading toward Yu Yu, urging her to stay put. Who'd have thought the biggest issue wasn't combat, but getting lost?
Yu Yu didn't want to rot in-game, but feared logging off might lose Banban. Banban was an animal—who knew what it'd do?
Online.
Yu Yu hit the ground, clutching her head. "Ow."
Banban had lain back down, head on paws, napping, back to Yu Yu. Yu Yu, sprawled: "My body's still here? How's that work?"
Was it because she logged off leaning on Banban?
Online, her fatigue eased a bit. She dropped Shield Barrier, scooting back to Banban, leaning against it. A tiger made a great pillow. Since the big cat ruined her pillow, it could be her pillow instead. Yu Yu felt she'd forgotten something but couldn't recall.
Time slipped quietly by.
Checking her jerky, she'd eaten eight sticks overnight, and Shu Tu's group still hadn't found her. Day two, no one went out. Shu Tu remotely directed movers via phone. No word from Zi Shu—whatever it was hadn't reached them yet.
Online, Yu Yu kept leaning on Banban, zoning out.
This wouldn't do.
She needed to move. Sitting in jail was too painful.
Logging off, she talked to Shu Tu, who respected her choice, telling her to take Banban.
Online again, Yu Yu tugged Banban's round ears. "Let's walk a bit."
Banban stretched lazily, rising slowly. After two days' rest, Banban's wounds were nearly healed, almost back to normal. Yu Yu climbed onto its back. She had a stamina bar, just less obvious. Chang Yu tired from walking—so did she, just slower. She needed to save energy for the next crisis.
No crisis came.
After the team split, no monsters attacked. Maybe Banban's high perception led her around danger. Yu Yu didn't know the way, relying on Banban's instincts. Deeper or exiting? She couldn't tell—her perception was useless here. But Yu Yu was pessimistic—her jerky was running out.
Yes, running out.
She never thought she'd see the day. If she overused spells, she'd starve here.
Logging off restored energy, but slowed exploration. She couldn't let Banban sit with her until death.
Damn it, what was this quest?
What was Woodheart Camp's goal?
Irritated, Yu Yu opened the quest log. It hung there, unchanged.
That day, offline, Yu Yu said, "Maybe I should just suicide."
"Stop looking, or we'll all be stuck."
"Banban might find you…" She hesitated.
Shu Tu killed her with one sentence: "Die, and your stuff drops where you fall."
Yu Yu, pain mask: "I'll have Banban carry it out?"
Shu Tu: "It might not make it either."
Yu Yu: "I don't want to rot here. I'm sick of meditating."
In that silent, oppressive cave, with only Banban, she felt their bond grow. Banban even licked her sometimes. Oh, usually after she ate jerky. Banban seemed to crave it.
Yu Yu: "I'm out of food. You?"
Shu Tu: "Same. Mostly out of water."
Yu Yu facepalmed. "Yeah, didn't expect to split up. I brought too little water."
She had water, but…
No food. She was the only one who could keep going.
"Go out first. I'll keep moving. It's my assessment—I want to see what's here."
Yu Yu took a deep breath. "Listen, you guys leave."
"Banban and I will push on. If we all die, that's too grim."
Shu Tu considered. "Zi Shu said the same."
Yu Yu: "They seem fine for now?"
Shu Tu: "Fine is good. Best case."
Yu Yu: "I'll try something else today. Maybe I can bring food in."
"You try too—maybe it'll work."
Shu Tu nodded. "I'll message them."
Yu Yu dashed to the kitchen, mid-run grabbed by the waking big cat's leg. It took effort to free herself. Big cats were very cat-like, cat traits strong. Stuck inside, after an afternoon of rote tasks, Yu Yu succeeded a few times. One was Shu Tu's potato-beef rice bowl, a pack of instant noodles, and the big cat's food bowl. The bowl was a spur-of-the-moment win. It held meat Shu Tu prepped for the big cat, lightly boiled.
She wasn't aiming for scientific cat-rearing—the big cat loved flavored, cooked food. The bowl was stuffed in her bag. How Shu Tu would handle the cat's whining tomorrow, who knew?
Cough, all-capable Shu Tu would figure it out. Yu Yu pulled out the bowl, and Banban woke.
"Purr…" Emperor engine on.
"Here, your cat food."
Over time, Yu Yu grew less cautious. Banban was a seasoned tiger, seeming to know safe spots, always picking secluded rest areas. Yu Yu eyed two noodle packs and the rice bowl, debating. Noodles first—save the good stuff.
Using Magic Flame to warm a water bottle, Yu Yu decided she needed cookware.
Ugh, no hot water.
Noodle time.
Banban was thrilled, licking the bowl with clangs.
Eating lukewarm noodles, Yu Yu petted its head. "Your master made this. Good, right?"
Banban was way more capable than the big cat but ate worse. Poor Banban. Banban growled low, emperor engine purring. Animals could be won with food. Yu Yu ate contentedly, habitually checking the quest log.
Hm?
[Whispers in the Dark (Epic)] (Unknown)
Yu Yu rubbed her eyes.
What?
When did she pick up an epic quest?
Her assessment quest's description had quietly changed.
(The clue seems to be ahead)
Yu Yu perked up. She checked the epic quest, then the assessment's new text, thinking. The epic quest had a little arrow?
A guide, invisible but felt. Could she finish the quest?
She wasn't getting out anyway, so…
Yu Yu patted Banban.
Banban's face was buried in the bowl, nearly licking off a layer.
Done, it nuzzled Yu Yu, purring loudly.
Yu Yu: "…No more nuzzling, none left. Next time, promise."
Sensing the direction, she tugged Banban's round ears, heading that way.