Volume 3: Deep Blue Sea
In the gaming world, Shu Xun also spent what seemed like an ordinary day, completely unaware that one of his daily routines had made its way into the livestream. After extinguishing the lights and covering himself with a significantly shortened small quilt, Shu Xun began contemplating when he could craft a bedroll with wishful attributes. In the unseen world, where people couldn’t see, time quietly passed, and Shu Xun was gradually growing up.
The next morning, a large number of viewers flooded into Shu Xun’s livestream room, silently waiting. When Shu Xun’s livestream signal reconnected, countless hearts skipped a beat. All eyes were immediately focused, and then they witnessed Shu Xun, who had grown again overnight. Shu Xun, now washing his face with a stone-made basin, had grown more than twice his size in one night. The once chubby face was gradually showing signs of widening, and the eyes and brows were no longer purely cute but had a hint of indescribable charm. Wearing ethereal ancient clothing added a touch of otherworldly temperament.
“Suck in, I actually got stunned. I have a feeling that Little Dumpling is about to evolve from a cute creature into a beautiful one. Suddenly, I don’t want Ye Qian to find Little Dumpling. Let’s wait patiently for Little Dumpling’s stunning return after two or three dozen days and successfully break Ye Qian’s poker face.”
“That person who said Shu Xun would grow to twenty centimeters today, you guessed it right!”
“What on earth happened to Shu Xun? It feels like he really grew a year overnight!”
“This time it’s really huggable, this height is perfect!”
“Did you notice? Little Dumpling’s residence has changed in location and appearance, and it looks like this dwelling has been built for a long time. So it’s really not due to Little Dumpling’s racial bloodline but a system glitch. Little Dumpling is probably not in ‘Deep Blue Sea’ anymore!”
“Panic! Can Little Dumpling still come back? How does StarPlay Entertainment plan to handle this?”
Two consecutive days of anomalies have led the audience to speculate about Shu Xun’s situation. For a moment, countless players connected to the network service center of “Deep Blue Sea,” demanding an explanation and the retrieval of Shu Xun to fix the loophole.
This time, the official website of “Deep Blue Sea” quickly responded, stating that they were aware of the situation, took action upon discovery, and provided a link to a livestream room. The link came with an explanation, stating that it was the leading live-stream platform of StarPlay Entertainment, and players could watch the rescue operation in real-time.
In no time, another new livestream room surged to the top of the popularity chart, and the broadcaster was none other than the Boss who had no idea he had been sold.
People had long been curious about Meng Muyu’s identity. Being the person who could develop a real game to such an extent, Meng Muyu was unique. Just like “Deep Blue Sea,” it was probably impossible for any other Phantom tribe, even the one with the highest spiritual power, to achieve such a level. Moreover, Meng Muyu himself seldom appeared in the public eye. Even the StarPlay Entertainment family led by him rarely made appearances. This mysterious development team created one miracle after another, revealing very little information.
At this moment, Meng Muyu was searching for clues around Shu Xun’s disappearance coordinates, hoping to capture Shu Xun’s logout signal. However, the results were not ideal. Meng Muyu was preparing to expand the search range, but the prerequisite was that he could survive on this dangerous planet. Even as a game developer, once entering the game world, he had to follow the rules of that world; otherwise, it could lead to system loopholes. A meticulous system with a loophole could potentially cause a butterfly effect, resulting in the entire world collapsing. This was also the reason why Meng Muyu immediately entered the game world to remedy the situation upon discovering Shu Xun’s abnormality. It wasn’t just because of his and Ye Qian’s relationship; similarly, if the loophole wasn’t fixed and caused unforeseeable consequences, StarPlay Entertainment would face the consequences of joint judgment by major races.
In Meng Muyu’s livestream room, the barrage on the public screen was rapidly scrolling. Apart from discussing Shu Xun, a large portion of people were also discussing Meng Muyu.
“We finally get to see the real person! Meng Muyu! The leader of StarPlay Entertainment. He’s unexpectedly handsome. He rarely shows himself; I thought it was because of his poor looks.”
“Meng Muyu! I once had the privilege of visiting the StarPlay Entertainment Center and saw the core figure of the StarPlay Entertainment family from afar. His appearance is absolutely peak, just don’t know why he rarely shows up.”
“It seems like the Boss is searching for Little Dumpling’s system signal, but it seems to have failed. Where did Shu Xun go?”
“I’m curious about how StarPlay Entertainment managed to develop a game to an end-of-the-road planet. It’s extremely difficult to enter these planets even with nutrient pods, and the danger level is extremely high. Other developers of survival games spend a lot of time and resources, but StarPlay Entertainment’s development speed is abnormally fast!”
Meng Muyu’s livestream effectively pacified the emotions of the audience. This mysterious man who constantly created miracles seemed to provide strong psychological comfort. At the same time, it allowed them to know about the rescue situation of Shu Xun in real-time.
Of course, another reason why the audience didn’t riot was because Shu Xun was living a comfortable life. Compared to the chaotic escape routes in other livestreams, Shu Xun’s leisurely atmosphere made people feel drowsy. Shu Xun showed no signs of negative emotions at all. Every move appeared serene and content, clearly showing his enjoyment.
On this day, everyone finally learned about Shu Xun’s race.
Shu Xun, already twenty centimeters tall, was leisurely handling the collected spirit plants when suddenly he seemed to notice something. He stood up and looked towards the southeast, then began counting on his fingers. After a moment, a blue light flashed on his back, and a pair of large blue butterfly wings appeared. In an instant, Shu Xun flew out of his dwelling. It was only at this moment that the audience noticed Shu Xun’s companion blue butterfly was also growing. At least the wings it manifested were larger than Shu Xun’s, allowing it to effortlessly carry Shu Xun.
The livestream perspective followed Shu Xun’s movements, continuously expanding and shifting the field of view. The audience discovered that Shu Xun had traveled a considerable distance during the days they hadn’t seen him.
Presently, Shu Xun was soaring above a vast and lush continent. Flying in mid-air, he could see verdant mountains, flowing rivers, cascading waterfalls, tranquil pools, and a rich ecological environment with diverse flora and fauna. Everything was brimming with vibrant vitality, like newly sprouted life, possessing an uncontrollable and boundless life force.
Shu Xun’s speed was exceptionally fast; he flew for nearly two hours before coming to a stop. The audience finally confirmed that Shu Xun was in a different time and space. Throughout his journey, they hadn’t seen any familiar giant insects or other predators, indicating that the oxygen concentration here was in the normal range they were accustomed to. Similarly, judging by Shu Xun’s speed, the gravitational force on this planet was not as strong as in “Deep Blue Sea.”
Gradually descending, Shu Xun retracted his wings. His agile body used trees to cushion his landing. Then, to the audience’s perplexed gaze, the tiny figure spun around several times before finally stopping on what seemed like an ordinary piece of land. The Little Dumpling then manifested a pair of sharp claws and began digging into the soil beneath. The movements were skilled and rapid. In the blink of an eye, the Shu Xun disappeared underground.
Thanks to the live stream perspective, the audience could see what was beneath the soil. Everyone stared in astonishment at Shu Xun’s lightning-fast digging speed. The tiny claws almost became a blur. However, this was not the end. The digging Shu Xun suddenly paused, furrowing its small brow as if dissatisfied with its speed. Before the audience could retract their dropped jaws, a faint light flashed, and Shu Xun vanished, replaced by a blue-gray, palm-sized fluffy ball!
The live stream chat erupted with comments, and jaws dropped all around.
“Ah! No wonder the digging is so fast! Little Dumpling is actually a mouse!”
“So cute! Is it a mouse? It looks like a rabbit but with short ears and a small size. The tail is just like it—short and fluffy!”
“I really want to pinch those little paws! Applying for a handshake with Shu Xun in his animal form!”
“Truly living up to the name of Little Dumpling! Is it because of the fur? Why did Shu Xun become a round ball! Laughing so hard!”
“The whiskers twitching are so amusing! Hahaha! Ye Qian probably won’t believe it, but Shu Xun’s whiskers are longer than Ye Qian’s hair!”
“…”
Shu Xun was still unaware that the identity he had secretly hidden was unexpectedly exposed in such a surprising way. Moreover, his worries were completely unnecessary because the audience unanimously agreed that Shu Xun’s identity was that of a mouse, completely oblivious to the fact that “Treasure-seeking Mouse” referred to something else.
The fluffy ball habitually brushed his whiskers with his paws, then once again delved into digging. If the previous digging speed had already astonished everyone, this time the audience was left in a state of speechlessness. Enthralled by the fluffy form of Shu Xun, the audience quickly fell into a state of unparalleled amazement. After the shock, they marveled at the concept of an agile chubby creature.
In just a short span of ten minutes, Shu Xun had delved deep underground for thousands of meters, precisely locating what he needed—a Crystal Ore. The crystal ore served as the essence where spiritual power converged, forming through the perfect combination of timing, geographical advantage, and individual capability. Mostly concealed deep underground, these crystals were challenging to discover unless through fortuitous circumstances. This particular crystal, almost as soon as it formed, was sensed by Shu Xun from thousands of miles away, prompting this digging journey.
Shu Xun cradled the crystal in his small paws, satisfied and content. The golden crystal, resembling flowing splendid light, radiated a gentle and rich energy. Even through visual inspection, one could sense its extraordinary properties. While the audience didn’t know the specifics of this ore, they could confirm its extraordinary nature. For a moment, attentive viewers pondered why Shu Xun could so precisely discern the unique ore located several kilometers underground. However, after much contemplation, they couldn’t find any scientific basis.
The livestream continued, and Shu Xun returned to the surface, shaking off the dust from his fluffy little body. The already round Shu Xun instantly transformed into an even more spherical shape. After shaking off the dirt, Shu Xun transformed back into human form, humming a tuneless song while spreading his wings to return to his dwelling.
Days passed like this, with the audience becoming accustomed to welcoming a new Shu Xun every morning. They witnessed Shu Xun’s growth process firsthand, and many viewers thoughtfully recorded videos to send to Ye Qian, who was still diligently collecting small fish, hoping to compensate for the moments missed.
