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墨書 Inktalez
"Hey there, how about teaming up for some grinding?"
When she heard the voice, Yan Yan knew that the player she had noticed earlier was interested in her. She anticipated he would come over to say hello, but he arrived sooner than she expected.
Turning around, she saw Bright revealing his ID as Jiang Wulang. Her eyes sparkled with intense curiosity; she was surprised to recognize him as the second-in-command of the Limitless Alliance, rumored to be a rough man with the Seven Apertures Luminous Heart. In reality, he was also the head of a gaming studio and had played countless games, his experience comparable to a textbook. It was quite unexpected for someone like him to show such interest in her, a newcomer.
"Silent," she replied calmly, revealing her hidden ID.
Jiang Wulang looked at the girl who had just displayed her ID and understood immediately. He quickly sent her a party invitation.
After joining the party, Yan Yan noticed his impressive level and raised an eyebrow. After a moment of thought, she decided to hide her surprise. "I've heard much about you, Wulang the Great."
"You know me?" Although it was a question, Jiang Wulang felt certain. Thinking of his reputation in the gaming community, he smiled casually. "Which gaming studio are you from?" With skills like hers, she must be from some studio or an elite from a well-known guild.
"Who doesn't know Wulang the Great's name? It's a bit of a joke," she replied playfully, prompting Jiang Wulang to reassess the slender girl before him. Her beauty was partially hidden in the shadows; her ordinary profile was so unremarkable that one could easily overlook her in a crowd. She appeared to be only seventeen or eighteen years old but spoke with confidence and composure. As thoughts swirled in his mind, he raised his Bronze Sword and said:
"The glory of a god is useless in Zero Point; we're all here grinding away. But what about you? Why are you leveling up alone? Where are your teammates?" If she were part of a studio, they would usually level up together. He thought of his own studio's rough men who clamored for soft girls and felt a bit helpless. This girl seemed calm and composed; given her previous actions, she likely had a steady temperament.
"Thanks for your kind words, but I'm just a Nameless Soldier; I don't belong to any studio. I play games for the freedom it brings," Yan Yan replied openly to his scrutinizing gaze.
"Oh? Which game were you in before? Didn't you join any guild?" Jiang Wulang asked with increasing curiosity. A player with such skill didn't seem like an average casual player. If she were casual, he would have at least heard of her from other famous players or peak legends, yet this girl was completely unfamiliar to him.
With that thought in mind, he chuckled heartily. "Haha, not many people here; meeting is fate! Zero Point Game is indeed different from many previous games; leveling up here is quite interesting. Your Health Points should be full now; shall we discuss how to grind monsters together?"
"I've played a few games before; it was mostly just for fun without joining any guilds," she paused for a moment, glancing at his thoughtful expression and then at her Bronze Longbow before continuing, "It's my luck to team up with someone like you."
Her first response was impeccable and only piqued Jiang Wulang's curiosity further. If he could bring her into the studio, it would fill the gap left by Luo Shui's Three Thousand when they paused their work due to studies. Three Thousand's absence had put some pressure on them. This girl seemed just as promising as Three Thousand; he couldn't let this opportunity slip away.
As various thoughts raced through his mind, he quickly sent a message to another member of the studio detailing what had just happened.
"Hey there, I saw you handling that rabbit solo with ease before. This time, since we're teaming up, why not let loose?"
The tentative words made Yan Yan pause for a moment. She looked at the burly man in front of her, with a square face and a friendly appearance, his clear eyes and calm demeanor giving off an air of stability. If it weren't for the rumors, one wouldn't guess he was someone with a clever mind. However, every word he spoke seemed to probe her thoughts, confirming the tales she had heard.
She lowered her guard. For someone like him, the best way to bridge the gap was to be straightforward. As for his hidden intentions, she hadn't really considered joining a game studio; she had already decided on her path in life and intended to walk it alone. There was no need to drag anyone else into a misguided venture.
"Wulang the Great, let's first take out those five over there," she pointed to where he had previously cleared some enemies. The terrain was open and suitable for her movement. "As a half-baked archer, I’ll need you to tank the monsters."
She raised her Bronze Longbow, showing no sign of hesitation in her eyes.
"Don't sell yourself short; I have complete faith in your abilities," he said, glancing at her Bronze Longbow, which was of similar quality to his own Bronze Longsword. He chuckled, "Calling me 'Great' feels too formal. My friends just call me Jiang Ge. You look like you’re at least ten years older than me, so you can call me Jiang Ge too. 'Great' is a title I hope to live up to in the future; right now, it doesn’t quite fit, haha!"
His hearty laughter floated away with the night breeze, dissipating the earlier tension in the air.
Yan Yan understood his intention and replied, "Jiang Ge's kindness is something I cannot refuse." With that, she quickly stepped back three paces, skillfully nocking an arrow. The moonlight cast a shadow over her straight figure; hidden in the darkness, her beauty became more elusive, but the light in her black eyes grew brighter and more intimidating. The fierce aura she exuded starkly contrasted with her previous harmless demeanor—it was as if she had transformed into someone entirely different. Jiang Wulang suppressed his surprise and felt puzzled about who this girl truly was.
"Whoosh—" Three arrows shot out rapidly as Jiang Wulang entered combat mode. His eyes were fixed on the rabbits that sprang up. Surprisingly agile for his size, he moved swiftly to block all three attacks from the rabbits while simultaneously striking back with his sword, causing damage values to float above their heads.
-5, -9, -...
Yan Yan didn’t stop moving; as she turned to run back, two more arrows flew out rapidly behind her. With two rabbits chasing her closely but no sign of panic in her eyes, she raised her bow with her left hand to deflect the first rabbit's attack while deftly dodging the second's bite with a quick step. When she turned to shoot again, she found herself perfectly within Jiang Wulang's attack range—her precise positioning and calculations made him realize that she was not just an experienced player; her skills were nearly on par with some well-known players.
He moved swiftly to intercept the two rabbits following Yan Yan. With two swift strikes from his sword landing on their heads, damage values appeared above them just as three other rabbits leaped toward him!
At that moment, Yan Yan's arrows flew through the air again. "Thud—" One arrow struck precisely into a rabbit's neck as Jiang Wulang slid sideways to avoid an attack while moving toward Yan Yan's position. Receiving the signal in his eyes, Yan Yan quickly nocked another arrow and released five arrows in rapid succession—almost in one breath—successfully drawing aggro from the rabbits and clustering them together before starting her assault.
Under the night sky, she moved leisurely yet purposefully, occasionally turning back to release an arrow while keeping the five rabbits within five yards of range—just outside their attack range—and her running path effectively kept Jiang Wulang at the center.
Jiang Wulang stood within that circle watching as exactly five rabbits were trapped within his attack range while they circled around him. He swung his Bronze Longsword continuously, creating splashes of red damage values around him. In less than a minute, all five rabbits fell simultaneously.
He looked at Yan Yan standing five yards away and let go of any lingering thoughts of pulling her closer; the last trace of distance in his gaze vanished as he recognized her strength—this friend was truly deserving of respect.
"Hey, do you want to go for another round?" A voice with a hint of laughter echoed in the quiet night.
"Sure."
With a swift turn, she resumed her previous task of luring monsters and kite-fighting.
After three consecutive rounds, Yan Yan leveled up, while Jiang Wulang was nearing his third level.
"Jiang Ge, how much experience do you need to level up?" She rotated her wrist, glancing at the remaining third of her arrows, then looked back at Jiang Wulang, who was also stretching his joints. "Why is your studio letting their boss do all the hard work alone?"
"I need five hundred experience to level up. Once you reach level three, we can wrap this up," he said, gazing at the starry night sky above. It was a sight he had never seen in reality. "Such scenery shouldn't be missed. Even the studio boss needs some time alone to think quietly, right?" He winked, his serious expression softening slightly.
Thinking about the bills his wife had handed him earlier brought a tinge of worry to his mind. But looking at the girl before him, who seemed so much younger yet shared a similar sense of urgency, he felt he couldn't afford to relax.
What kind of girl would be out late at night grinding monsters? The other two girls in their studio were busy gathering information at an inn, enjoying a leisurely job. This girl, whose eyes held a depth beyond her years, must have her own struggles that mirrored his own.
Standing calmly in the darkness, she gazed up at the night sky without a hint of emotion on her face. Even after leveling up, there was no sign of excitement or joy typical of girls her age; instead, her black eyes reflected an eternal calmness and darkness that was hard to decipher.
Reflecting on this and contrasting it with his earlier despondency made him smile inwardly. As an older player, he felt outmatched; life was tough for everyone, but what mattered was the unwavering determination and resilience they showed.
"Have something to eat to regain some stamina."
Yan Yan pulled out two buns and casually handed one over, interrupting his train of thought. He took the bun from her and quickly finished it off. After shaking off his sword hilt, Yan Yan swallowed her food as well and tightened her grip on her longbow before luring monsters again. The two began a new round of monster hunting.
Working together with someone of equal skill was both efficient and enjoyable.
To speed things up, Yan Yan started by attracting seven rabbits this time. Their previous cooperation had reached a good rhythm; it was time to increase the difficulty.
Following their usual pattern for monster grinding, Yan Yan led the seven rabbits behind her while circling around Jiang Wulang at a steady pace. She occasionally checked the hatred value of the rabbits behind them as she unleashed arrows in rapid succession, maintaining control over the distance between them while ensuring each arrow struck true at the rabbits' necks.
-5, -1...
Under the barrage of dense arrows, the rabbit quickly succumbed to the Continuous Bleed Debuff. With each swing of Jiang Wulang's sword, the blade struck true against the rabbit's neck, stacking damage that resulted in astonishing Damage Values.
-85, -1, -8, -5...
In less than a minute, seven rabbits lay dead on the ground, and both players saw their Experience Bars rise.
By the time Yan Yan had exhausted her quiver of arrows, she had just reached her next Level, while Jiang Wulang had already achieved Level Four.
In under five minutes, both had leveled up twice. Such a rate of experience gain was enough to leave any player astounded; after all, it had taken them five hours to gain just one level!
After distributing the loot and gold, the two exchanged friend requests and said their goodbyes before heading back to their respective villages.
Yan Yan glanced at the two pieces of equipment in her inventory and equipped them without hesitation.
Player: Silent
Race: Human
Class: Archer
Level:
Strength: 15
Agility: 1
Intelligence: 5
Stamina: 5
Charm: 4
Remaining Attribute Points:
Equipment: Rabbit Fur Wristguards (Bronze Longbow), Rabbit Fur Pants (Bronze Longbow), Bronze Longbow (Bronze Longbow), Novice Clothes (Plain)
Inventory: Novice Pants (Plain), Tattered Dagger (Plain), 15 sets of Exquisite Rabbit Fur
Money: 1 Gold 5 Copper
Skills: Gathering (Novice/5), Aiming
While looting the corpse earlier, she had used the Gathering skill to collect Rabbit Fur, totaling 15 sets of Exquisite Rabbit Fur, which was quite a profit. She glanced at her attribute points and thought about entering the forest. After calculating for a moment to ensure her safety, she stopped in the Safe Zone, preparing to log off.
As she removed her Game Helmet and opened her eyes, a hint of fatigue flickered in her gaze. The familiar damp smell of the basement filled her nostrils, and that weariness quickly faded away.
She glanced at the quiet contact list on her wrist. In the game, Strict Language hadn’t logged in today either. Thinking that she had just entered S Institute and was likely busy with a bunch of health checks, she sent a message and waited for a moment without receiving a reply. She then stood up and walked to the refrigerator, taking out a Nutritional Supplement and quickly drinking it down.
As the Nutritional Supplement entered her mouth, she found herself missing the soft, fragrant white buns from the game. Thinking about how many players were obsessed with Zero Point just for a bite to eat, she couldn’t help but agree wholeheartedly.
After a quick wash-up, she lay down at the head of her bed, set the Alarm Clock for two hours later, and soon fell into a deep sleep.
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