Chapter 15: Holographic Game (II)

Previous Chapter ∇ Table of Content ∇ Next Chapter

Chapter 15: Holographic Game (II)

Entering Second World felt as simple as closing and opening his eyes; it was a game that had existed only in fantasy in his original world. He glanced around and saw only a few people on the street. The game had only been open to ordinary people for one month, so most were busy leveling up.

“Guild Leader, don’t worry. We will definitely deal with that kid who hooked up with Miss. He’s just a poor guy who recently started the game, and he dared to challenge our Cangqiong Palace. He’s really overestimating himself!” A man in white said as he approached. He did not look particularly striking, but he gave people a soothing impression.

This was An Yi, whose in-game name was XiaoxiangGentleman. He was the son of the Miao family’s extremely loyal butler. An Yi had been allowed to enter the game because this was Miao Lichen’s first gaming experience, and he needed someone to look after him. However, he had fallen in love with his young master’s fiancée, meaning betrayal had existed from the beginning.

“He’s just a newcomer in Second World. I don’t take him seriously. What matters is what she thinks,” Miao Lichen said. He drew a longsword from his back and swung it in an arc. Dressed in elegant Qixiu gear, he held a sword in one hand, with another tucked behind his back.

Miao Lichen, also known as CangChen in the game, was a Fighter specializing in melee combat. Fighters were a category that could be further divided into specialized classes. For example, Magicians could be categorized into Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Similarly, Fighters could be classified as Knight, Swordsman, and a few hidden classes.

Miao Lichen was originally a Swordsman, and carrying two swords was a precaution. But now his two swords clearly belonged to the Qixiu Sect. Perhaps they had been changed by Lovely. He opened his inventory and checked the contents. It was not his Swordsman Online 3 game backpack, but the one that belonged to the original Miao Lichen of this world. However, there was one extra item: a shining orange twin-sword healing weapon called Purple Smoke.

He should be happy that he had his weapon to use. Anyone who has played Swordsman Online 3 knows that, aside from the Shaolin Sect, other classes were practically paralyzed without their weapons. Therefore, the disarming skill became the defining characteristic of the Mingjiao Sect.

“Miss naturally cares for you and the guild…” XiaoxiangGentleman said, his voice less confident than before. Everyone knew why their guild leader was so furious. If Miss hadn’t siphoned off some of the guild funds under the guise of sending them to the development team, he wouldn’t have been so angry.

She hadn’t taken much, but it had caused resentment among the game experts who had previously been involved in dungeon exploration. These were professional players whom their guild leader had worked hard to recruit. It was common for them to spend day and night trying to obtain the first clear of dungeons.

“Young Master, are you really going to keep the young lady under house arrest? That isn’t a good approach. The young lady is rather straightforward. If you keep her under house arrest, she might throw a tantrum or log off. Then, when Master and Madam find out…”

“All right, enough. I have my own considerations. I know you two have a good relationship.” Miao Lichen said with a smile, appearing gentler than usual. He seemed oblivious to the slight awkwardness on XiaoxiangGentleman’s face. Perhaps only the original, who had never given much thought to romantic matters, could have missed their relationship.

“Tell the members to focus on clearing dungeons and set everything else aside. We must secure the first clear in Nightmare Mode Shadow Cell.” Miao Lichen instructed. He looked away, unconcerned with these support characters. All he needed to do was focus on the capture target. He activated the Angel bloodline skill, Divine Halo, and his eye twitched. Quickly, he deactivated it, thankful that XiaoxiangGentleman was looking at the ground and not at him.

XiaoxiangGentleman nodded. Though he was a little unsure of what Miao Lichen was thinking, he knew Miao Lichen would not harm the young lady. His young master had treated her as his own since they were young. Protecting his woman from harm was something he had been taught since childhood. He simply needed to know that she would be fine.

Qi Yingfeng, also known as LunarBreeze in the game, found himself in a challenging predicament. As a seasoned gamer, he had spent his savings to finally access the game and was familiarizing himself with the world when a woman dragged him into serious trouble.

While he was grateful for her assistance in his time of need, it did not erase the trouble she had caused him. He would naturally repay the favor, but he preferred to stay far away from the young lady who was clearly raised in a wealthy family.

Qi Yingfeng frowned slightly as he watched the members of Cangqiong Palace leave. Although he was a little puzzled as to why they retreated when success was within reach, he didn’t have the energy to question them. He struggled to move his injured body. The pain in the game felt so real that, if he weren’t accustomed to it by now, he likely would have passed out.

He pulled a red bottle from his inventory and drank it. After taking a moment to rest, he retrieved a sword from the inventory and finally relaxed. The sword wasn’t a typical blade wielded by the Swordsman class; it appeared more like a long dagger. This unique weapon was the reason he had borrowed money from Invite2Dream. Missing out on a weapon with the potential to grow would have been a pity. Even the most ordinary weapon was worth gambling on if it had the “Growth” effect. His instincts told him that this weapon was the one best suited for him.

Furthermore, despite being constantly pursued, he hadn’t lost anything besides potions. He had even managed to send some of his enemies back to the resurrection point and gained some valuable equipment. Even if he were killed a few times, it would have been a good deal. The only valuable thing he had on him was this weapon, and it could not be dropped.

Qi Yingfeng looked up at the endless trees before him, and wondered how he could get back to the main city to restock his potions. Every time he entered the city now, he would be chased. This was his first time experiencing the power of a guild. His grip tightened slightly as a cold and resolute expression darkened his handsome face. He had never been known for his generosity. One day, he would trample Cangqiong Palace under his feet.

He leaped down from the tree, looked around and prepared to leave. His body suddenly stiffened as he gripped his short sword tightly. Slowly turning, he saw a man in red, and the sight seemed almost mocking. No wonder the other Cangqiong Palace members had left; with their boss here, there was no need for anyone else.

The reason Qi Yingfeng recognized CangChen was simply that men in red clothing with white hair were extremely rare. While red clothes were common, CangChen’s white hair was unique to him. It was said to be the result of a deviation in his cultivation.

Though Qi Yingfeng possessed ample confidence, he wasn’t so arrogant as to believe he could defeat CangChen, who ranked tenth on the leaderboard. These young masters had entered the game a full month before them. While he didn’t hate the rich, he still felt a bit unhappy.

Following the red clothing upward to his face, Qi Yingfeng was stunned by the sight. He suddenly understood why Invite2Dream didn’t like her fiancé. It was simply because he was more beautiful than her, which hurt her pride.

The surprise only lasted a moment before his face quickly returned to its expressionless state. A shadow fell over his dark eyes, giving him an air of maturity beyond his years despite his youth.

Miao Lichen smiled, feeling relaxed compared to Qi Yingfeng, whose posture was tense as if he were facing a formidable enemy. He approached slowly, each step stirring up dust. Unconcerned by the short sword Qi Yingfeng gripped, he simply introduced himself. “CangChen.”

Qi Yingfeng was slightly surprised, but he instantly understood the intention. Was he implying that masters did not kill nameless individuals? His partially concealed eyes were filled with contempt. Since he was so honorable, why did he send his guild members to hunt him down?

“LunarBreeze.”

∇ Capture Target Qi Yingfeng Favorability: -15.

“LunarBreeze.” Miao Lichen repeated his name, nodded, and then walked past him.

Qi Yingfeng relaxed his grip on his short sword and turned to look at his back. Was he so confident that he could leave his back exposed to him? Or was he confident that he wouldn’t attack? A flicker of interest appeared in his eyes. CangChen was somewhat baffling—surprising, but not annoying.

∇ Capture Target Qi Yingfeng Favorability: 0.

“Guild Leader, you can leave Shadow Cell to them. You don’t need to apologize to them in person. They’re just professional players. It’s not worth it. We can easily find more if they quit.” XiaoxiangGentleman approached with a smile, though his footsteps were noticeably hurried.

If their guild leader personally apologized and compensated them, it would not only win back the professional players’ trust but also enhance his reputation among the members. For this reason, he couldn’t let Miao Lichen do it. Now that a rift had emerged between him and the young lady, gaining the approval of more members would further threaten her position. As the guild’s sole elder, her position was equivalent to that of vice leader.

“Dream is not fit to be a guild elder. I will find an elder among the professional players. This will make it easier to recruit players in the future.” Miao Lichen said, glancing at XiaoxiangGentleman with a faint, insincere smile. “You should know that Cangqiong Palace is more important to me than my fiancée. Dream’s misuse of guild funds has harmed the guild’s interests.”

“Young Master… she didn’t mean it. After all, you two have been together for so long…” XiaoxiangGentleman spoke nervously. Was the young master going to abandon Miss? What would happen to her then? Although he didn’t want to admit it, he knew that Miss got everything from the Miao Family. If she lost Miao Lichen’s favor, she would be no better than an ordinary poor girl.

“It’s because we’ve been together for so long that she should understand.” Miao Lichen said, glancing sideways and catching a glimpse of Qi Yingfeng from the corner of his eye. “She is my fiancée and won’t need to do anything in the future. She just needs to be a good wife.”

“LunarBreeze, why are you here?” XiaoxiangGentleman asked coldly. If he felt envy toward Miao Lichen, then he was absolutely disgusted by Qi Yingfeng. How could a commoner like him, who couldn’t even enter the game during the first batch, deserve such special attention from Miss?

Clearly, he had forgotten that he wouldn’t have been able to enter the first batch of players either if not for Miao Lichen.

“I’ve always been here; you just didn’t see me.” Qi Yingfeng answered as he walked over to Miao Lichen’s side. He glanced at him, perfectly capturing the slight curve of Miao Lichen’s eyes. “Guild Leader CangChen, are you going for the first clear of Shadow Cell?”

Miao Lichen nodded with a faint smile on his lips and asked, “Why, are you interested?”

“Mhm. I wonder if I have the chance to join.” Qi Yingfeng nodded, his cold aura undiminished. It didn’t sound like a request but more like an order. This trait had instilled a great deal of disgust in the original Miao Lichen.

“Sure.” Miao Lichen nodded. He was naturally happy to let him join. As the protagonist of the novel, he was the true son of luck and a cheat code. He could easily discover things others couldn’t. If he hadn’t rescinded the order to hunt him down and had met him today, Qi Yingfeng would have ventured into the dungeon himself and achieved the first clear of the Nightmare Mode. He would have accomplished something that five members of the guild couldn’t do while solo. He was truly the protagonist.

“Young Master…” Whenever XiaoxiangGentleman wanted to ask Miao Lichen for something, he always addressed him as “Young Master” and not “Guild Leader.”

“Pleasure to work with you,” Miao Lichen said, ignoring him as he shook Qi Yingfeng’s hand. Both of them were cold people, but the handshake was warm.

∇ Capture Target Qi Yingfeng Favorability: 5.

Previous Chapter ∇ Table of Content ∇ Next Chapter