Chapter 39 Part 1

The weather outside was perfect, with clear skies stretching endlessly.

The unnamed flowers in the roadside flowerbeds swayed in the wind, carrying a burst of fresh fragrance.

Zhong Nian poked at the flowers, then rested his hand on his brow and squinted at the sun.

“Are these all real?”

The System said, “Gods can create all things, and their power is absolute. What they create is naturally real.”

Zhong Nian raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Then the game was created by them too. Why do you say it’s fake?”

“…” The System hadn’t expected Zhong Nian to bring up its earlier words and was momentarily stumped, falling silent.

Zhong Nian had no intention of arguing with the System. He looked around, searching the dazzling street for a dessert shop.

The shops in the Rest Area were all run by players, serving as a way to earn points beyond live streaming.

The street bustled with people—some doing business, others shopping, or chatting in small groups. If not for the fact that a large portion of the players wore bizarre outfits, carried defensive weapons, and moved with an unshakable vigilance and neurotic sensitivity, it would have been hard to associate them with those terrifying Game Dungeons that could devour people.

Zhong Nian stood in front of a dessert shop, carefully selecting the sweet, fragrant cakes inside. He was very serious about it, his brows furrowed, pink lips pursed, and his small nose twitching unconsciously as he sniffed, trying to pick the most aromatic one.

“Just buy them all,” the System urged in his mind. “Stop picking. Buy and go.”

Zhong Nian said, “You’re such a spendthrift.”

The System said helplessly, “…A lot of people are watching you. Though rules prohibit players from killing each other in the Rest Area, you still need to be careful.”

Zhong Nian froze and turned to look.

He was used to others’ gazes and had momentarily forgotten where he was. This place was different—possibly even less safe than the Cruise Ship.

The bold or covert stares from all directions weren’t entirely friendly. Some carried selfish desires and lechery, like slimy creatures crawling on his skin, making him extremely uncomfortable.

Zhong Nian’s little face tightened. He quickly picked a few items and asked for them to be packed.

The boss was a girl who packed them slowly, stealing extra glances at the extraordinarily beautiful boy before her. Unable to contain her curiosity, she asked, “Are you a new player? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

Zhong Nian didn’t answer but kept a polite smile. “Please hurry a bit.”

“If you tell me your player ID, I can add you as a contact for discounts next time—like a membership~” the girl said.

Though he sensed no malice, Zhong Nian still smiled and refused.

He carried the paper box out of the dessert shop, but it was too late. At the door, several young men blocked his path.

“Hey, let’s get to know each other. We’re from the Silver Snake Guild. Interested in making some friends?”

Zhong Nian lifted his thin eyelids and gave them a cold glance. “No interest.”

With that, he turned to leave.

After walking some distance, the men, who had been numbed by his icy stare, snapped out of it and ran up to block him again.

“Don’t be so cold. We don’t mean any harm.”

“We’re really from the Silver Snake Guild. Once you’re familiar, we can even recommend you join.”

“No tricks. Look, this is our guild badge.”

One man pulled out a necklace hidden under his collar. The round silver medallion of the Silver Pendant bore a coiled snake engraving.

Zhong Nian merely glanced at it. “I don’t know any Silver Snake Guild. Really no interest.”

“Huh?”

The men stared in disbelief, as if they couldn’t fathom someone not knowing the Silver Snake Guild.

“I get it. You’re a newbie who just arrived, right? Haven’t checked the Forum yet?”

“That’s even more reason to hear about our guild!”

“You might not have heard of Silver Snake, but after coming out, you’ve surely seen the Leaderboard. We’re the guild with the most in the top hundred. Jie Jialiang, ranked third, is our pillar.”

The men followed Zhong Nian’s steps like sticky taffy that couldn’t be shaken off.

After exiting the Newbie Dungeon, Zhong Nian had indeed heard the System announce the unlocking of the Forum or Leaderboard, but he had been immersed in the game’s ending and had no mood to explore those new features.

So he had no concept of what these players were saying.

“Don’t ignore us. How about we take you to our guild base now?”

As the man reached to grab the slender wrist peeking from Zhong Nian’s sleeve, Zhong Nian, with a stern little face, was about to lash out when a branch extended from the side and whipped the man’s hand hard.

At the same time, a languid voice rang out. “Hey, why does Silver Snake always act like they’re running a pyramid scheme out here, pulling people? Can’t you see he doesn’t want to?”

Zhong Nian turned his gaze and met a pair of fox-like, narrow, curved eyes.

The young man wore an especially flashy wine-red shirt, unbuttoned to his chest, revealing lean pecs and a red rope that looked like some kind of jade.

“Damn, it’s Yu Jingshan!”

“What bad luck…”

The clingy men scattered like they’d encountered a flood beast, their faces grim.

Zhong Nian blinked. “?”

The man called Yu Jingshan bent down close to him. “I chased them off for you. Don’t you want to thank me?”

Zhong Nian was always wary of strangers, and seeing those men’s reactions made him think the man was even more formidable.

Better not to get involved.

“Thanks,” he said perfunctorily, hugging his bag of Little Cakes and walking quickly away.

Yu Jingshan was dissatisfied. “That’s it?”

He had just shaken off one tail only to pick up an annoying fox tail.

“What’s your name? Let me introduce myself. I’m Yu Jingshan. I just cleared an A-level Dungeon a few days ago. I’m pretty experienced. Teaming up with me guarantees no losses… Oh, and stay away from Silver Snake Guild in the future. They’re all no good, especially that Jie Jialiang, who loves to act all… Hey, why are you running?”

On the Rest Area’s main street, all eyes turned to the two figures—one fleeing, one chasing.

The boy ahead first quickened his pace, then broke into a run. His hair scattered, revealing a clean, full forehead. Even panting, he protected the cakes in his arms.

The man in the red shirt pursued relentlessly, his face lit with excitement, as if savoring the chase.

The man kept a deliberate not-too-close, not-too-far distance. After a while, Zhong Nian realized it was intentional.

He scanned the surroundings and decisively turned into an alley behind a building. His seemingly soft, slender legs proved nimble and agile as he leaped down stairs in a few bounds, putting distance between them.