Hang Zhou, West Lake District: West Stream, a residential district on the road.
Afternoon, 5 o’ clock.
……
“Brother Xiao Yao, how do you feel about this three-room house?” Song Han, holding the receipts, couldn’t help but say: “I feel that it’s a rip off. For 2500 a month, it’s too expensive.”
I stand on the balcony and while looking outside, say: “Pretty good. It’s the second floor and three rooms for 2500 is actually quite cheap. A convenience store and a row of stall-like small restaurants are located downstairs. Cheap food. This type of a residence is what we need the most. ”
“However, there’s not enough money left for anything else…..” Fox frowns: “Just buying food is going to be difficult. We only have 300 yuan among us. What do we do?”
Standing by my side, Lin Wan Er says: “You also need to rent a truck, if you plan to move. That’s another expense. Looks like the food that Zhan Long Studio will be eating for the first week are instant noodles….”
Old K clenches his fist: “Instant noodles are so expensive. Two yuan for a pack and I’m still hungry after a pack ……”
I nod: “Right ……”
Song Han looks at me: “Brother Xiao Yao, you’re Zhan Long’s boss. It’s your call. How do we solve his food situation?”
I think aloud: “That’s simple. Old K go downstairs and buy a bag of rice with a wholesale box of pickled vegetables. At least, that should solve the food situation until next week. Seven days should be enough time for you guys to rise to Lv 40. As soon you guys get to Lv 40, we can begin accumulating gold and equipment to exchange for real world money! ”
Old K nods: “Okay, no problem!”
Lin Wan Er looks at me and can’t help but say: “You guys really do know how to get by…..”
I grin: “We endured through rougher times, this is nothing……”
Song Han, Fox and Old K also waved their hands to express their consent. To achieve ones dream, having a little hardship is nothing. I hear that the combination of white rice + pickled vegetables is actually quite tasty anyway ……
……
In the night when the other Zhan Long members return home to prepare, I also go back and pack a bit of luggage, which includes my Han sword “Xiao Hei”. I don’t usually take it out since it is a lethal weapon. Since I am the Boss, I get the room facing the sun. I put “Little Black” under the bed. Song Han and Fox share a room and Old K gets the third.
7 o’clock at night. Liu Hua High School dining hall.
Dong Cheng Yue excitedly looks at me: “Xiao Yao, you’re really rebuilding the Zhan Long team. Well, I’ll congratulate you. So does this mean you won’t get bullied everywhere anymore?!”
I nod. With Little Wolf, Ran Min, and Fox, players cannot just come up and kill us. With my present strength, we can take down at least 10 players. No sweat!
Miss Lin eats a mouthful of pudding and then looks up at me: “That…… you’ve been looking at that piece of paper all night. What’s on it?”
I smile: “Our in-game experience and personal information, I plan to go to the Destiny official website to apply for an official studio. That’s why I must have specific information of three or more members registering ……”
“Oh? Let me see…..”
“Sure.”
Passing over the paper, her beautiful eyes scan the pages and laughs a little while reading: “Xiao Yao. Lives in Hangzhou. 25 years old. Joined [Conquest] in 2014 ID: ‘Xiao Yao Ge Ge Zhan Jiang Hu’. Highest rank: 3,147,789. In [Destiny], ID: ‘Xiao Yao Zi Zai’. Lvl 42. Profession: Swordsman. Excellent handlings, strong skills, haha……”
I stare at her: “Damn, Wan Er, don’t laugh!”
Ms Wan Er chuckles and continues reading: “Song Han. 24 years old. Lives in Hangzhou. Joined [Conquest] in 2015. ID: ‘Wolf Totem’. Highest rank: 497. He has yet to enter [Destiny]. Haha, Song Han is ranked quite high! Xiao Yao, are you sure you can lead be the boss of him?”
I cross my arms, and chuckle: “Ever since we were young, Little Wolf has always been my brother. There has never been a time when I couldn’t keep him under control.”
“Sure!”gravitytranslations.com
Lin Wan Er’s beautiful eyes sweeps across the pape, continuing to read: “Ran Min. 26 years old. Lives in Hangzhou. Joined [Conquest] in 2014, ID: ‘ Hero Ran Min ‘, Highest rank: 2,141,770. He has yet to enter [Destiny]. Hm …… this Ran Min is that Old K, right? Seems like his skill level is at your level…… ”
I feel hurt, and I sink my head down, stuffing a mouthful of seafood fried rice. Then while eating, Dong Cheng Yue grins: “Xiao Yao’s current ranking can’t be farther than 3000K…..”
Lin Wan Er chuckles: “Ah, that’s for certain. Right now, there’s at most 1000K total players. If you add the new helmets, there’s still only 6000K total players.
Looking back down at the page, she says: “Liu Yong, 27 years old. Lives in Hangzhou. Joined [Conquest] in 2014. ID: “Glass Fox”. Highest rank: 3479. He has yet to enter [Destiny]. I can’t see how that middle-aged man Fox…… actually ranked 3000+. Yeah, the original Zhan Long Studio can be considered a crouching tiger, hidden dragon…..”
TL: Crouching Tiger/Hidden Dragon = lots of potential or power but not well known
I cringe: “How’s he middle-aged? Fox is only 27 years old.”
“He looks like he’s at least 40…..”
“Fine, you win. Lin Wan Er, you aren’t allowed to use your Mind Reading on me or I’ll fight you ……”
“Okay, okay, do you think I want to go through your wretched inner thoughts?”
“……”
……
“Xiao Yao, I heard you didn’t sleep last night. How are you not tired?” Dong Cheng Yue asks.
Fighting to keep my eyelids up, I say: “How could I not be sleepy….”
“Then go back to bed, and sleep until tomorrow morning ……” Dong Cheng Yue seems to say be sorry for me and pouts her lips: “Look. Your eyes are already red, ah…..”
Lin Wan Er couldn’t take it anymore. She coughs while standing up and re-adjusts her skirt: “Enough, Dong Cheng, don’t be like that……”
“Why?” Dong Cheng Yue says with puppy eyes.
Miss Wan Er bites her lip, and clenches her fist: “Idiot …… you’re so nice to my bodyguard. How can I endure that!”
Dong Cheng Yue giggles: “Oh, I understand. I’ll show more restraint in the future ……”
Lin Wan Er looks my way: “Are you going to tomorrow’s class?”
“Can’t…….” I shake my head: “When I go back, I’ll sleep until midnight. Then I’ll get up and level online until tomorrow around noon. I can accompany you to dinner once I go offline…”
“Why live like this?” Lin Wan Er puzzles.
I stretch my hands and grin: “I need to get to Lv 45 as fast as I can, in order to equip the Fire Beacon Helmet. When I get to Lv 45, Song Han and Ran Min will have gotten to Lv 10, left the Novice Village and have made it to Ba Huang City. When they get there, I’ll take them to go power-leveling. Truthfully, I need to equip the Fire Beacon Helmet because I have so many enemies. If I equip it, only the boldest will try to do anything to me……”
“Alright, sounds exhausting…..”
“It’s for the sake of becoming invincible……”
“What idealistic thoughts. But within the three main cities at least 100 players can crush you…..”
“Ah, even though honesty is a virtue, you could be a little more tactful, Miss…… ”
“Next time, I’ll try to……”
“……”
……
Out of the cafeteria, we take a trip to the supermarket, where Lin Wan Er and Dong Cheng Yue buy a bunch of snacks. It seems that they have no intention to go to class tomorrow morning, and like me, plan to level instead.
Returning to my dorm room, my roommate’s still fighting. God only knows what level he’s at now.
I adjust the alarm on my bed. It’s not long until the murky dark night passes into dusk, and the alarm sounds. I must up before the sunrise. Being responsible for Zhan Ling Studio, I need to climb up to Lv 45. Only when I’m strong will I be able to protect Song Han, Ran Min, and Fox while they’re getting vital levels.
I enter the game！
“Shua!”
Appearing in Ba Huang City, I repair my equipment and resupply. Then, without saying a word to anyone, I get my Jade City Sword and leave straight to Dragon City. Damn, while Dragon City is my second main city, it doesn’t give me any special benefits, I even have to walk about an hour to get there!
Arriving at Dragon City, at about1:00AM, I enter the Dragon’s Tomb. As expected, Karl happily gives me a lot of quests since I had not been here for a day. The first quest is about chopping through Mystery Beetles that had slipped into the Dragon’s Tomb. In general, these Lv 47 insects had high defense and attack. I have to kill 1000, which suited the leveling I needed to do. The second quest is a little more difficult. Deep in the Dragon’s Tomb, excavate dragon bones buried underground and then put together the remains to soothe the departed dragon’s soul. This feels like work for an archeologist.
After being a scavenger cleaning scraps in Dragon City’s territory, I would’ve thought I’d be doing such high-end work. Who would’ve thought that I’d go from collecting excrement to hunting down thieves that steal from tombs.
……
Still, these Lv 47 elite Mystery Beetles give a lot of experience. Although Karl asked me to slay only a 1000 to complete the quest, I relentlessly hunt them until 9 AM in the morning. Honestly, I don’t know how many I killed, but my experience bar soared to Lv 43 with 47% filled. On finishing the quest, it jumps to Lv 43 with 79%, and I’m one step closer to hitting Lv 44.
Continuing on, with my Jade City Sword, I cruise through the Dragon’s Tomb. Gazing at the gloomy resting ground, I finally find traces of blood red dragon energy seeping through the ground, it means that there may be dragon bones buried beneath. Immediately, I use my Jade City Sword to excavate!
After digging for a full five minutes, finally with a “keng” and sparks, my Jade City Sword hits something. I have a look after I wipe it clean. It’s a dragon’s skull, laboriously dug up from the earth. A sudden burst of sound comes from the system——
“Ding!“
System Notification: Congratulation on finding a dragon’s bone. 4000 experience gained!
……
As I continued digging, I discover that this quest causes me to gain experience extremely fast. Before 12:00, I already rose to lv 44 with 67%. Following this pace, I should absolutely be able to rise to Lv 45 today with no problem. Of course, all the players were leveling at an overall fast speed. With the Heavenly Plan Sword, Jian Feng Han already rose to Lv 47. Yan Zhao Warrior was also Lv 47. Everyone’s leveling like madmen!
“Di！”
System Notification: Player [Wolf Totem] wishes to join your friends list. Accept?
……
I recognize Little Wolf’s avatar in my friends list. He seems very excited and laughs: “90%+ virtual reality games are fun, brother Xiao Yao. Fox, Old K, and I have been leveling together. Our IDs have not changed but the Newbie Town is relatively far from you! ”
I nod: “Ah, go, get to Lv 10 within 10 hours and enter Ba Huang City. Then, I’ll take you leveling!”
“Okay!”
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