PTYS Chapter 38

Xiao Muyu stared at the number 52348526, feeling a strange sense of familiarity. She couldn’t pinpoint why it seemed so recognizable. When she looked again, the interface had already disappeared, but the eight-digit number remained etched in her mind.

52348526—she considered it an ordinary number, yet its familiarity nagged at her. She closed her eyes and tried to recall where she might have seen it before, but ultimately, she came up empty-handed. Dismissing it as her imagination, she redirected her thoughts.

The figure of over fifty-two million players surprised Xiao Muyu. What kind of structure was this so-called Tianwang World that it had the power to select such a vast number of participants for its game? Moreover, how did it possess the capability to defy life and death?

Was this world truly supernatural, with a hidden realm of the paranormal and scientific marvels unknown to ordinary people?

Xiao Muyu took a deep breath, deciding to find an inn to stay in and take her time to understand this so-called world over the next two days.

She put in some effort to find a cheaper inn this time, costing only 1,000 gold coins per night. Although the conditions were not as good, it was still clean. Xiao Muyu noticed that most of the guests here were players, and they scrutinized her as she walked by, their gazes filled with an assessing look that made her uncomfortable.

Ignoring them, she entered her room and immediately locked the door. She took out her phone and logged into the forum.

Upon logging in, she saw that most of the content was about team recruitment. Xiao Muyu clicked on a few posts, noting that they were more detailed than job advertisements. Requirements varied widely, often including gender, age, number of successful clears, and clearance ratings. Some had fewer conditions but required specific items. Essentially, the goal of these posts was to enhance the team’s overall strength.

Suddenly, a newly published recruitment post caught her eye: “Urgent Recruitment” for April 5th, A-level Instance 006, seeking two members. The current date in Tianwang World was April 4th, meaning it was the next day. Time in Tianwang World flowed normally, even in instances, meaning that a year spent in an instance would also pass as a year in Tianwang World.

Xiao Muyu spent almost the entire first day on the forum. Being a player forum, it was mostly devoid of casual chat unless something urgent came up. The players, constantly facing the threat of death, had little interest in wasting time on idle conversation.

Occasionally, she found some simple educational posts, but they were either very old or sparse. Xiao Muyu tried to share her instance experiences, but as she expected, such content did not pass the review.

However, she came across a post by a player with the nickname “The Little Prince’s Rose.” The post was an extensive guide, not on how to clear instances but about Tianwang World itself. It covered everything from the map and different zones of Tianwang World to recommendations on food, clothing, and lodging, even detailing where to buy necessities at the best prices—a survival guide for Tianwang World players.

The little street selling various items that Xiao Muyu had walked through before was also mentioned, and the description matched what she had learned. Tianwang World, serving as a game’s resting hub, was a place for players to rest. Although rest periods seemed to extend, they were likely still limited. The effort and time taken to create and share such a comprehensive guide were commendable.

In a sea of cold, businesslike recruitment posts, this guide stood out as the warmest.

Players who didn’t want to waste time on virtual conversations or feared exposing their privacy left messages under the guide. There were expressions of gratitude, confessions, and even final blessings from those facing despair.

Xiao Muyu noticed one comment: “Thank you, author. Although I may never use this again, many others will benefit. You’re a warm person and should go home. Bless you!”

Below it was the author’s reply: “Everyone should go home. Let me know when you do. Someone will miss you.”

Xiao Muyu saw that the latest comment was from two months ago. After “The Little Prince’s Rose” replied, no one had responded. Other players had deliberately avoided commenting on that thread, choosing instead to leave their prayers under different comments.

Xiao Muyu just watched, her heart still unmoved, proving once again that she was indeed cold-blooded.

Many players quietly recorded their dungeon runs, only to have their records abruptly stop. This was quite a negative phenomenon, watching other players fail at the same dungeon was torturous for others. However, no one stopped or reprimanded them. Xiao Muyu understood that apart from the online community here, probably no one would know that person existed, let alone where they had vanished.

Time passed quickly, and by the time she emerged from the dungeon, it was already afternoon, and the sky had turned dark. After a simple meal, Xiao Muyu lay on her bed and opened her phone’s map. For some reason, her gaze fell on the Yellow Springs District, where she found the Abyss Hotel, which wasn’t far from her.

Realizing what she was looking for, Xiao Muyu immediately turned off her phone and tossed it aside, closing her eyes to rest. Her mind was filled with various information: confusion about the Skynet world, uncertainties about future dungeons, and thoughts of Shen Qingqiu, who had forcefully entered her world.

After leaving the dungeon, all her wounds had healed, but the fatigue from intense mental exertion and tension hadn’t dissipated. Soon, Xiao Muyu fell into a deep sleep.

Early the next morning, the front desk clerk, Zhou Yuan, saw his target, Shen Qingqiu, who had been on his mind. He had seen her several times yesterday afternoon, lingering around the hotel entrance, and this morning, for the first time, she even greeted him, asking him to watch for any visitors looking for her.

Zhou Yuan, rarely encountering her willingness to talk to him, couldn’t help but flirt: “Miss Shen, you must have cleared another level, right? It must have been exhausting. Why don’t you take this rare opportunity to relax? How about a spa to help you unwind?”

Shen Qingqiu, now dressed casually, looked much more relaxed and approachable, her previously aloof and arrogant demeanor softened significantly. She looked up at Zhou Yuan, this front desk clerk who fancied himself quite handsome.

An inhabitant or NPC of the Skynet world, flirting with players at the front desk, seizing the chance for one-night stands with those indulging in decadence—truly repulsive.

Despite her disgust, Shen Qingqiu maintained a smiling facade, making Zhou Yuan’s eyes glaze over. “Do you know what you look like right now?” Shen Qingqiu’s voice was like a hook, drawing closer as she spoke, her eyes smiling, her red lips curving seductively in the bright morning light.

Zhou Yuan swallowed and grinned foolishly, “Like what?”

“Like a peacock, flaunting its feathers, about to display its tail.”

As soon as she said this, Zhou Yuan’s face turned a mix of green and white, his neck quickly flushing with embarrassed anger. He glared and gritted his teeth, “Miss Shen, watch your mouth!”

Shen Qingqiu’s smile turned icy. Her slender, fair fingers tapped lightly on the front desk, her gray eyes glancing at Zhou Yuan indifferently, “I never watch my mouth. Do you have a problem with that?”

Her presence was terrifying, even a ghost would be scared, let alone a front desk clerk who had never faced real danger. He immediately shrank back, too afraid to speak.

“I know what you’re thinking. Let me advise you to keep your eyes and mouth in check. Don’t direct your filth at me. Skynet only prohibits us from killing you, nothing else. Understand?”

She spoke in a manner as pleasant as a spring breeze, her expression still enchanting, but Zhou Yuan felt a chill run through him and nodded repeatedly.

At this moment, the woman who had been standing outside all along walked in, expressionless, and looked at Shen Qingqiu. Shen Qingqiu obviously noticed her too.

Zhou Yuan then observed the smile on this “smiling devil” transform entirely. The smile remained playful and alluring, but the cold, deadly glint in her eyes turned bright and lively as she winked at the elegant, aloof-looking woman.

Maintaining her leaned-in posture, Shen Qingqiu added softly, “Also, what I just said applies to this person too. Don’t you dare look at her with those filthy eyes.”

Zhou Yuan, who had been staring at the woman in the black coat and white shirt, shivered and quickly retracted his gaze.

After giving her warning, Shen Qingqiu pushed off the front desk and walked over to Xiao Muyu, scanning her with a smile, “I thought you wouldn’t come.”

Xiao Muyu pressed her lips together, her gaze briefly flicking to the pale-faced Zhou Yuan behind them, then slowly said, “If I didn’t come, how would I know that you’re as fearsome to people as you are to ghosts?”

Zhou Yuan clearly felt the unfriendly sarcasm in Xiao Muyu’s words, but instead of getting angry, Shen Qingqiu’s smile widened, “Didn’t you already know that?”

Xiao Muyu said no more, her expression still cold and indifferent, but her gaze involuntarily drifted to Shen Qingqiu’s left shoulder. Shen Qingqiu, sharp-eyed, covered her chest with her hand and moved closer when Xiao Muyu’s gaze locked onto her. She smiled, “You should know that any serious injury will heal once we’re out. Are you worried about me?”

Caught in the act, Xiao Muyu remained composed, her gaze slightly lifting as she calmly replied, “You got injured saving me. Though I don’t want too much interaction with you, I’m not ungrateful. You asked me to come, so here I am. What do you want to discuss?”

How cold, Shen Qingqiu thought, though her face betrayed nothing, “I said I’d clean up and wait for you at the hotel. What do you think I want to discuss?”

Feeling helpless, Xiao Muyu wondered why this woman was so aloof with others but so flippant with her. Because of Shen Qingqiu’s ambiguous remark, Xiao Muyu took a step back, frowning, her voice steady, “I don’t have such interests.”

“Not interested? You don’t like women?” Shen Qingqiu seemed to enjoy teasing her, continuing to joke despite Xiao Muyu’s coldness.

“I’m here because you invited me to discuss something. If it’s about romance, I’m sorry, but I’m not interested. Goodbye.” With that, Xiao Muyu turned to leave.

Shen Qingqiu’s teasing smile faded as Xiao Muyu turned away, replaced by a more serious expression. She quickly followed her out.

Zhou Yuan watched the two beauties with completely different styles leave, the chill down his spine finally easing. He was full of regret; no wonder Shen Qingqiu was unmoved—she had a different preference.

Shen Qingqiu hurried to catch up with Xiao Muyu. “I remember you usually have good patience. Why couldn’t you endure a few of my words? Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Let’s find a place to talk; I have serious matters to discuss with you.”

Her mischievous smile was gone, replaced by a sincere and earnest look. Xiao Muyu unknowingly relaxed a bit and nodded in agreement.

Shen Qingqiu found a small tea house. Such a leisurely and cozy place had few visitors; even when there were guests, most were local residents of the Skynet world, with few players. The reason was simple: spending time leisurely drinking tea was too luxurious.

Shen Qingqiu noticed Xiao Muyu looking down at the menu and smiled softly. “It’s on me. Don’t worry.”

Xiao Muyu: …

“Why do you insist on talking with me? What do you want to talk about?” Xiao Muyu was not at all calm inside, so she got straight to the point.

Shen Qingqiu looked at her steadily and was equally direct: “I want to team up with you.”

Author’s Note:

Xiao Xiao: I don’t have such interests.

Author: slap

Xiao Xiao: I’m not interested in romance.

Author: slap

Xiao Xiao: I don’t have feelings for you.

Author: slap

Xiao Xiao: Alright, I admit it. I don’t want to play any games or clear any levels. I just want to have a romance with you. I have strong feelings and interest in you.

Xiao Shen: If you had said so earlier, we would have had more romantic encounters than you’ve cleared levels.