PTYS Chapter 3

Xiao Muyu held her breath as she stared at the grove of trees and plants. The unknown was always the most terrifying.

She was in a supernatural world and still had no idea what it truly meant. She didn’t know what the game was, what the rules were, or how it would end.

After waiting for a long time, the shaking branches finally calmed down, and nothing frightening emerged. It was as if a harmless little animal had passed by. But Xiao Muyu noticed that throughout her journey through numerous forests, there hadn’t been any animals, not even a single bird call.

Seeing that nothing happened, Xiao Muyu slowly exhaled the breath she had been holding. She turned to continue on her way. But just as she turned her head, something unexpected happened! With a swish, a stick came sweeping through the air towards her. She didn’t have time to react and could only raise her hand and squat down quickly.

With a dull thud, Xiao Muyu grunted as the stick struck her arm, causing a numbing pain.

Before she could react, another stick swung at her. Fortunately, Xiao Muyu was agile and rolled to the ground to dodge it. She quickly assessed the situation and saw that there were two people attacking her.

“Damn, how did she react so fast? Hurry up!”

One of them cursed under his breath. The two of them immediately moved to block Xiao Muyu’s path, lunging at her from both sides.

Their surprise attack was swift and coordinated. Xiao Muyu, unable to react in time, was quickly pinned to the ground, her limbs restrained.

Unable to move, Xiao Muyu saw the round head of one of her attackers up close. She headbutted him hard on the nose, causing him to cry out and loosen his grip.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Xiao Muyu kicked out with her left leg, her body twisting with incredible flexibility. Her left leg swept across, striking the cheekbone of the other attacker.

The man’s face contorted with pain as he clutched his mouth, feeling like his teeth were about to fall out.

At that moment, a person sitting on a tree branch not far away clicked their tongue softly. Their long, slender fingers drummed leisurely on their bent knee, watching with interest.

Xiao Muyu’s counterattack had thrown the two men into confusion. Despite the pain, they gritted their teeth and continued their assault, swinging their sticks without mercy.

No matter how tough Xiao Muyu was, she couldn’t fend off two attackers at once. Moreover, they were stronger and armed with weapons.

When a sharp wooden stake pressed against her throat, Xiao Muyu had no choice but to give up resistance and was pinned to the ground.

The two men were a stark contrast: one was as thin as a stick, and the other short and plump like a ball.

They wore ridiculous masks that only exposed their eyes and mouths, as if they were afraid of being recognized.

“Who are you? What do you want?” Xiao Muyu looked at them calmly, without the usual panic or fear of someone at their mercy.

Seeing her composed expression, the two men exchanged a bewildered glance. The short, plump man moved his round body and said in a hushed voice, “Is she not a newbie?”

The word “newbie” caught Xiao Muyu’s attention immediately. Were these men players too?

The thin man glared at his companion for speaking carelessly, then turned a cold gaze on Xiao Muyu and said, “If you don’t want to die here, you’d better behave.”

He then tore open Xiao Muyu’s backpack, dumping its contents onto the ground. Aside from clothes, there was a power bank, a charging cable, a water bottle, a deck of cards, paper money, and a paper dice.

Seeing these items, the man recoiled as if burned, his voice trembling. “What kind of weird stuff is this? Funerary items?”

Xiao Muyu glanced coldly at the discarded items, a hint of mockery in her eyes, but said nothing.

“This woman is strange. How did she bring these things here?”

The thin man slapped his companion, then pressed the sharp stick harder against Xiao Muyu’s throat. “Hand over your talisman, now! Or I’ll kill you right here and now.”

Xiao Muyu’s mind flashed to the weak talisman. Did “unbound” mean it could be stolen?

She was now convinced that her attackers were also players. Clearly, they knew that newbies carried talismans. Based on the fat man’s slip of the tongue, they were not newbies.

This dungeon had other players, and players could fight each other? This was important information.

“What talisman?” Xiao Muyu asked, feigning confusion.

The thin man grew impatient. “Don’t play dumb. You know what I mean. Unless you’re a rare unlucky one, everyone has one. I suggest you hand it over.”

He threatened further, “Otherwise, I’ll strip you naked. You can’t have hidden it in your stomach. You’re such a pretty girl; who knows what I might do if I lose control.”

Xiao Muyu’s expression changed. She despised such gender-based threats and insults.

The person in the tree scoffed, their playful smile turning cold.

Just as Xiao Muyu was about to humiliate herself and hand over the talisman, a dagger suddenly slashed from behind, cutting the man’s hand and pinning it to the ground. The shock was as great as when they had ambushed Xiao Muyu.

“Who?” The two men, now tense and alert, turned to find the source of the attack.

Xiao Muyu seized the chance to dodge the wooden stake threatening her throat and quickly stood up.

As she steadied herself, she saw a figure leap from the tree, swinging from a branch to land in front of them, kicking the two men to the ground.

The person somersaulted to the ground, landing gracefully like a cat. They picked up the dagger and twirled it in their hand.

The newcomer smiled charmingly, “You two really don’t know how to treat a lady.”

The men, stunned by the stranger’s beauty, hesitated before regaining their resolve. Clearly wary of the new arrival, they exchanged glances.

Xiao Muyu scrutinized her savior. She was at least 1.7 meters tall, with long legs, a slender waist, black pants, and combat boots. Her black tank top clung to her skin, revealing her fit figure. Her light brown hair was tied back, and her pale skin stood out starkly.

The two men had no time to admire her. They didn’t want to lose their prize and gritted their teeth. “We don’t need to fight over a newbie. Sometimes they’re just a burden.”

“Ha, I like this newbie. Who are you to tell me what to do? If you need a talisman, you’re the real burden here.”

Xiao Muyu wanted to compliment her, but being called a newbie herself, she didn’t feel like it.

Seeing that she intended to intervene, the men prepared to fight. They retrieved their sharpened sticks, Xiao Muyu unable to stop them in time.

She glanced at the woman, who didn’t even acknowledge their weapons, her smile growing more radiant.

As the sticks swung, the woman dodged effortlessly, kicking the tall man’s knee. He screamed and fell to the ground.

Her smile turned cruel as she grabbed his hair and yanked it back hard.

“Ah!”

The man screamed in pain. Xiao Muyu winced at the sight.

The woman pulled his face back so violently it deformed, then leapt over his back, landing a powerful kick on the fat man’s face, sending him crashing to the ground.

Two moves, total defeat.

“I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll let you go. Leave before I change my mind.”

She winked playfully, but to the two men, she was a demon.

They scrambled to their feet, abandoning their quest and fleeing in terror.

This dungeon was cursed, filled with terrifying women tougher than ghosts.

After dealing with them, the woman turned and examined Xiao Muyu, her smile more genuine and intrigued.

Uncomfortable under her scrutiny, Xiao Muyu looked away and whispered, “Thank you for saving me. I don’t know what would have happened otherwise.”

The woman laughed, moving closer. She reached out to Xiao Muyu’s face.

Xiao Muyu reflexively dodged, but the woman continued, plucking a twig from her hair.

She brushed off Xiao Muyu’s clothes and leaned in, “You don’t need to thank me. I like you and couldn’t stand to see them bully you. They don’t appreciate beauty, but I do.”

Xiao Muyu didn’t like strangers getting so close, especially not with such flirtatious words.

Her expression turned stern, her eyes showing she didn’t believe a word.

Amused, the woman laughed, her smile bright.

“Time is running out. The sun’s setting. I hope we meet again. My name’s Shen Qingqiu. Don’t forget it. Goodbye.”

She winked and disappeared into the forest with unnatural speed.

Shen Qingqiu? What an ill-fitting name. Why did she introduce herself?

Xiao Muyu found her dangerous. Glancing west, she saw the sun setting and knew she had little time.

Reaching into her pocket, she froze, her fingers searching frantically.

She searched all her pockets, her face darkening. The talisman was gone.