Chapter 146
Chapter 146 Wow, it’s really Ling Mo!
After struggling to get out of bed and finishing breakfast, while Ling Mo was dutifully washing the dishes, Xia Xinyan was sitting on the couch in a daze.
She was checking the system for Tianji.
During this time, the two had squeezed in a few games together, earning quite a few game points and credits, and she had even secured several chances for draws.
Unfortunately, most of the draws were garbage.
The only useful thing was a severely limited gadget—
【Shield Generator】
【Creates a circular shield with a radius of one meter based on the generator, capable of withstanding any form of attack regardless of strength, lasting for one minute】
【Remaining uses: 3/3】
It seemed quite strong, but considering the last time she was nearly done in by that arrow, Xia Xinyan specifically checked the item details this time and figured out its real use—
It really can block any form of damage; it might even withstand the shock of the world’s destruction—though there was no condition to verify this. But this gadget is essentially a barrier that only deflects damage; attacks from outside can’t harm those inside, and damage from inside can’t reach those outside the shield.
But the enemies can just walk right in and attack!
—Right, this shield isn’t physical; it can’t block other forms of entry besides attacks.
That’s why it’s said to have significant limitations.
The only scenario Xia Xinyan could envision utilizing this thing was for self-defense against large-scale weapons. Like that time in the arena, if she had this shield, she wouldn’t have been in such a dire situation.
However, not every dungeon would require her to deploy a tactical nuclear bomb, so while it seemed impressive, it was really just that.
Better than that Cupid’s Bow, at least.
It’s worth mentioning that she had basically put all the useless items, including the Cupid’s Bow, up for auction, and the Cupid’s Bow even sold for fifty thousand game points—perhaps the brother who bought it hadn’t scrutinized the bow’s details carefully, or maybe his use for it was different from hers, but that wasn’t her concern.
With all this extra income, their power had naturally improved, but most of it was in physical attributes, with not much growth in abilities, as Xia Xinyan had saved up all her points.
After the last lesson, she realized that a few thousand game points offered little help in facing the realm of the unsolvable; she needed at least ten thousand points to truly feel prepared.
This became her strategic reserve stock.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that with their completion rate almost at 100%, even though Xia Xinyan deliberately slowed down their growth rate, they inevitably became climbing contenders. Now, Ling Mo had squeezed into the top thirty, while Xia Xinyan was ranked thirty-sixth.
After reaching this rank, avoiding attention became no simple task, so Xia Xinyan simply pulled Ling Mo along to go incognito, which could delay exposure a bit.
In fact, there were quite a few anonymous players on the leaderboard now; besides those who, like them, didn’t want to be too high profile, there were some who enjoyed playing dumb—like pretending to be weak and slacking off, then suddenly stepping up at a crucial moment to save all their companions, only to tell them afterward that they were actually ranked high.
Xia Xinyan had seen this kind of operation several times in her previous life; she just couldn’t understand what the point of these antics was. But apparently, those people really enjoyed the adoration that followed their reveal… and it was said that this method attracted girls more easily than showing off one’s identity from the get-go.
However, later on, few people opted for anonymity, as it became a matter of strength being respected; the leaderboard effectively became a testament to one’s identity, and no one would give up that privilege to play dumb unless they could thrive without it— or had a screw loose.
Of course, at least at this stage, it didn’t affect Xia Xinyan and Ling Mo to do this.
Moreover, she was curious whether this act of anonymity followed by revelation would attract girls more… hmm, perhaps she could use Ling Mo as an experiment?
—She just didn’t expect the effect to appear so quickly.
After finishing the dishes, Ling Mo joined her in the game, not to tackle a dungeon, but to browse the player community.
This had become their daily post-meal stroll routine; as for their real bodies, the Game Pod had the ability to recalibrate, solving their digestive issues while they were in the game.
For Ling Mo, he enjoyed the feeling of strolling hand in hand with Xia Xinyan while marveling at the ever-changing player community.
As Xia Xinyan once said, in just a few months since the game’s release, it had begun to impact the real world. The once-silent player community was gradually buzzing, and those environments that resembled dead cities had started to gain popularity, until the first pedestrian street opened, and the first player-run entertainment mall launched… this second world was beginning to truly feel like an independent realm.
And he was one of the witnesses to this change.
Standing halfway up the mountain, gazing at the sunrise on the distant peak, reflecting on his developments in the game, Ling Mo felt an inexplicable surge of ambition.
This perhaps… truly marks the dawn of a new era.
Meanwhile, Xia Xinyan had already experienced such a change once.
But experiencing it again made her emotions rather complex.
Nowadays, everyone online is praising the miracles of the second world, yet when the Cataclysm arrives and the second world begins invading the real one, how many will long for the simplicity of the past?
They couldn’t even resist this process.
In her previous life, it was only when she realized this that she truly felt the insignificance of humanity.
But now, she had seen through it all.
Life is like a strong ahem; since you can’t fight it, you might as well enjoy it…
“Ah! That person looks just like Ling Mo!” A voice full of surprise interrupted Xia Xinyan’s thoughts.
Turning to look, she saw a little girl climbing the mountain, breaking away from her companions and running towards them, her eyes growing brighter: “It really is Ling Mo! And Miss Xia! Wow! Are you here climbing the mountain too?! Can I take a photo with you?! Ah, can we be friends?! If we ever tackle a dungeon together, could you take me along?!”
Xia Xinyan: “…”
Ling Mo: “…”
