Yu Yu argued loudly, but the spellcaster's attitude was like humoring a fussy kitten. She even wondered if she was meowing.
The white-robed figure chuckled, expression unchanged. "Alright, alright, short on work or money?"
Yu Yu dropped her debate, tilting her head. "Both."
"Hmm," she pondered. "I recall Xiao Bai needs people, right?"
"Go draw a salary under her."
"I forgot about your flying in the sky last time. I saw that you were young and curious, so I didn't care. But forgot about sweeping the streets," she said earnestly. "Outsiders might think we mistreat our little spellcasters."
Yu Yu: "…"
Really because of sweeping?!
I swept a street and got hauled to the orange building for a job?
If Zi Shu and them knew, they'd rage at the devs for a century!
But… sweet deal!
Heh.
Yu Yu nearly meowed on the spot. "Got it, Senior, I'm listening."
The white-robed figure smiled warmly, pleased to solve a big issue. "Off you go."
The spellcaster's reputation is preserved. Good thing she caught it fast. Leaving the grand city guard camp, Yu Yu received a quest.
[Join Silver Moon Mage Corps (Completed)]
[Status Updated]
[Report to Zhiyuan District Guard Station (In Progress)]
Yu Yu opened her pricey map.
Zhiyuan District.
West city, got it!
Let's roll!
On this sunny afternoon, Yu Yu mulled over her life.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What am I doing?
Gazing at the pond outside, feeling the cool breeze, half-reclined in an office chair, she zoned out. Oh, she was gaming, then got a street-sweeping quest, and the higher-ups assigned her a job. The job was… uh?
Yu Yu checked her desk's work notes.
Confirmed.
Each district had a spellcaster team, aiding the guard camp with quests, maintaining daily safety and stability—basically, keeping the peace.
Who'd have thought? The job she couldn't land in reality, she got in-game.
Who'd expect that?
Yu Yu gave a dead-fish stare, lost in the pond view.
So idle, truly idle.
She'd been here all afternoon. If not for the quest's countdown, she'd be out grabbing tasks.
[Work (9:00–17:00), 2:31:24 remaining]
Since it's a quest, there'd be rewards. Yu Yu was waiting to see if it was worth staying this lazy.
It was just too…
"Yu, read this, write a 300-word report. Past reports are there, check them. Due tomorrow."
Yu Yu: "On it."
300 words? Pfft, her elementary essays were longer.
Yu Yu flipped through old reports, squinting during what should've been thrilling game time.
After a few, she got it.
Fluff essay time.
Why waste her precious game time on this nonsense?
She'd rather hit the library, translate histories for the old folks. They'd long begged her for those tomes, but she'd had no time…
Yu Yu dawdled, glancing at the sky, lazily slumping on the desk. Her teammates were spellcasters—four low-tier including her, one mid-tier.
She hadn't protected her reputation, so…
She had a fond nickname: Street-Sweeping Spellcaster.
After fierce protests, they switched to Loving-to-Sweep Spellcaster.
Still stuck.
Now she felt like a retired spellcaster.
Daylight, so bright.
Yu Yu yawned amid the room's rhythmic breathing, nodding off.
Fine, everyone's asleep, I'll sleep too.
Scrawling a final fluff sentence, Yu Yu's head hit the desk.
[Work (Completed) (Repeatable)]
[Gain: Experience +1000, Silver +10]
In darkness, Yu Yu looked up, dazed.
Oh, quest done.
Casting Candlelight, she saw her colleagues had left. They'd left a note: lock up, toss a Magic Alarm at the door, and go. No thief in this city dared touch spellcaster stuff. Yu Yu touched her mouth—no drool.
She crumpled the note, indignant.
Lies, slander.
After stretching, Yu Yu looked at the time and realized that he was almost offline. Experience, guaranteed.
Yu Yu pondered. 1000 experience a day? Kinda low?
Next level needed 30,000 experience. At this rate, she'd level in a month.
Too slow.
If she didn't have to sit here, could roam, do other stuff, it'd be better. 1000 experience a day!
Their old 1st-ring quests, life-or-death, gave just 1000.
Now? Mold in a room for 1000 experience. Quitting felt wrong.
Logic urged Yu Yu to ditch it, focus on grinding.
But emotions wouldn't let go.
1000 experience, 10 silver daily, and the boss said weekly pay—3 gold.
Waaah, how could she quit?
Yu Yu turned on the light and was not ready to leave. Joking, as an ace employee, she'd live and die with the office.
Leave? Sleep on the street?
Without Feng Ran's dorm to crash, Yu Yu often woke on hard ground. Here, at least, were desks and chairs. Not leaving, never.
Yu Yu propped her chin, brainstorming.
Today: four small quests + this work loop, 3000 experience total.
From that view, this job's experience wasn't enough to stay.
But think long-term.
This game—or world. What's the main leveling method?
Grinding mobs? No way.
Barely any beasts—newbie village bug-killing was a scramble. Mobs didn't respawn. Grinding was a dead end. Quests, then?
Seems so.
But from Yu Yu's experience, quests weren't promising. Her aside, Moonbay Town's scene was clear. Too many players, too few quests, insane competition—even manual labor was fought over. NPC quests were need-based, not conjured from thin air.
Yu Yu knew early, else she wouldn't have raced to join NPC patrols. Silver Moon's quest abundance was temporary—players hadn't flooded in.
That day was near.
Players joined daily, newbies constantly, and Silver Moon oversaw four other towns. Backed by the Magic Circle, Yu Yu was cushioned, but other players?
If they couldn't grind or quest, trapped, would they kill friendly NPCs?
Yu Yu had wondered, but now she found a thread. What if working here was a quest?
Like her—work itself gave experience and silver. And she might get double: quest rewards plus boss pay.
Work was a mega-quest, with unlimited experience potential. If so, players' issues could be solved. The game seemed to push blending with NPCs. Almost like competing with reality for population.
Yu Yu shook off the silly idea.
No way.
Overthinking.
She'd try a few more days. Like, was it really 1000 experience daily, or could surprises boost it?
What if she got promoted—more experience?
Or… if she slacked off, did side stuff, could she earn extra experience?
Cough, spamming the Daily was a must!
Yu Yu, inspired, wrote a new draft overnight.
#Why Did a Genius Spellcaster Sweep Streets? Why Did Tavern Fare Freeze in a Breath? Why Did a Cat Climb a Tree? Why Did a Dog-Eared Boy Seek a Scribe? Is It Human Nature's Twist or Morality's Fall? Welcome to Today's… Silver Moon Daily#
The title was two-thirds of the content. Yu Yu scribbled furiously, finishing before logout. No time to admire her masterpiece, the system booted her.
"Forgot to turn off the light, hope it doesn't dock pay…" Yu Yu mumbled.
"I'm 5700 experience from leveling, Yu Yu, you?"
Eyes open, Yu Yu heard Zi Shu's laser-focused, competitive question. Turning, she met Zi Shu's bright stare.
"…Thanks, I'm Level 6."
Zi Shu, satisfied, "I'm close—two days, tops."
Fuyu bounded upstairs. "Why's Yu always last to log off?"
"I've been off for half an hour."
Before Yu Yu spoke, Zi Shu explained, "Her mental stat's high. If she pushes, the system takes longer to kick her."
"Good thing—more tasks, more experience."
Yu Yu, sheepish, mumbled, "Not… always."
Like slacking all afternoon.
"You didn't wait just to ask if I leveled, right?"
That'd be demonic. Zi Shu slowly bent down. Yu Yu's brow twitched.
Zi Shu scooped up a sneaky Big Cat. Yu Yu's heart stopped.
Zi Shu waved Big Cat's paw at Yu Yu. "Nah, Shu Tu just noticed Big Cat was gone, remembered your door was open, so I checked if it snuck to you."
She sighed, "Big Cat loves you. Besides Shu Tu, who feeds it, you're its favorite."
Staring at the goofy cat face, Yu Yu fell silent, voice trembling. "Spill it…"
Zi Shu: "Your slippers, mouse, remote…"
"Gone."
Yu Yu collapsed.
Fuyu munched an ice pop, crunching, cackling. "Big Cat's love, take it. Others don't get it."
"Chang Yu tempted it with meat to live at her place—ate and left."
"Even Shu Tu only sees it at mealtime. What's that mean?"
"It loves you!" (Booming)
Zi Shu, stifling laughter, "Yeah, don't let Er'er down."
Yu Yu wobbled downstairs, dejected.
Shu Tu glanced, understanding. "Zi Shu was too late?"
"It really likes you. Saw your door open, and…"
Yu Yu sighed, ruffling Big Cat's head. "Wait, I'll find a spell to talk to animals online. Once I learn it, you're done."
Big Cat, unmoved, took Yu Yu's scratches like a breeze.
Shu Tu rubbed its ears. "It's just curious. Let it chew everything once, it'll stop."
Yu Yu spat a bone. "You call that human speech?"
Shu Tu stared.
Yu Yu: "Fine, it is."
Shu Tu said, "You're not broke anymore, check the app."
"What's up?"
Zi Shu: "New Eternal Darkness trading section. People buy skills with cash—basic Stealth is 250,000."
"Also buying silver and gold. I tested—it's legit."
"1 silver for 1000, instant," Zi Shu said, pointing at the ceiling, "Probably them."
Yu Yu nodded. "Nice, direct cash exchange, no player middleman."
1 silver = 1000, 1 gold = 100,000. Huge, even now, for Yu Yu.
Everyone had a few gold coins.
Need cash? Convert. Earning wasn't hard.
Yu Yu shared her discovery.
Fuyu wailed, "No way, actual jobs?!"
"No fall recruitment in reality, now corporate hiring in-game?"
Shu Tu, stunned, "Really?"
Yu Yu: "I think so."
"Try finding jobs. I'll scout too, save spots if I can."
"More players are entering the city. Soon, someone'll figure it out—move fast."
Zi Shu stared. "Your job is…?"
Yu Yu's eyes drifted, recalling Zi Shu's offline waist-rubbing from dock labor…
Zi Shu said solemnly, "Tell me, I can take it."
Yu Yu: "City guard job, 3 gold weekly."
Thud!
"Zi Shu! Wei Zishu!"
Shu Tu and Chang Yu shouted.
Fuyu fake-cried, "Wei Zishu's heart attack—let's bury her?"
"Shu Tu, feast tonight!"
Zi Shu, teeth gritted, rose. "Wait, I'll survive. I'll find a warrior's path!"
"Piss off, host your own feast," she said. "I'll hit Level 6, then switch jobs."
Fuyu fretted, "What about me? I'm worse off than Zi Shu."
"Forget it, forget it, let's finish the work at hand first and think about it later. Shu Tu, you have really good craftsmanship, heh."
Chang Yu mused, "I'll ask my mentor—she'll hook me up."
Everyone, dazzled by Yu Yu, overlooked another privileged figure.
Shu Tu: "I'll be fine."
She was also confident, "Ranger jobs are plentiful."
Zi Shu and Fuyu exchanged looks, turning grief into appetite, devouring food.
Post-meal, yesterday's tasks resumed.
With Zi Shu's help, Yu Yu started digging. Ice cellar, coming soon.
The haze of reality seems to have temporarily faded away, and the riverside far away from the crowd is like a paradise.
Online.
Colleagues hadn't clocked in yet. Yu Yu placed yesterday's report on the boss's desk, taking her draft to the Daily. Second time's a charm.
"Yup, me again!"
After 'reasoned debate,' her draft was accepted.
[Gain: Experience +500, Silver +20]
She strolled back to work, grabbing her Magic Circle books en route.
She hasn't started learning the enchantment spell yet. If she is free today, she will learn some magic.
Such a lazy life~
Indeed chill—her report passed in one go, colleagues praising her knack.
Yu Yu responded modestly, opened the Magic Circle shop, buying the auto-water-heating thermos.
Perfect, sunny day for learning.
She pulled out a book, reading leisurely by the window.
Meanwhile, Silver Moon Daily hit Silver Moon desks.
#Why Did a Genius Spellcaster Sweep Streets? Why Did Tavern Fare Freeze in a Breath? Why Did a Cat Climb a Tree? Why Did a Dog-Eared Boy Seek a Scribe? Is It Human Nature's Twist or Morality's Fall? Welcome to Today's… Silver Moon Daily#
At the first line, the white-robed woman nearly spat her water.
Didn't she fix this?
On the Daily?
Genius spellcaster? News to her. Whose kid was that?
The title was wild, the content…
At the table, a woman in a white robe is reading a newspaper.jpg
What's this? Pure clickbait.
The title was the whole story.
Silver Moon Daily was dull, but when did it get this bad?
Spellcaster swept streets—poor. Tavern food froze—provoked spellcaster. Cat climbed tree—it wanted to. Dog-eared boy… wait?
Dog-eared boy???
The woman pondered.
She summoned a subordinate. "Find out who wrote this."
After a moment, the woman in white robe got the answer easily, and her frown relaxed. Seeing that the situation deteriorated drastically as soon as her little spellcaster was involved, her subordinates felt resentful in their hearts.
"Where'd you see her?"
"Earl's mansion."
The woman grinned, mischief gleaming. "Send the Daily to the little Duchess's desk, and the academy—never mind, you can't enter, I'll go."
Her face lit up with the inherent glow of a fun-loving person, and she skipped work on the spot in high spirits.
In Silver Moon City, there is only one earl, one marquis, and one duchess.
They all have the same surname.
Heh.
Soon, after the efforts of various people, the daily newspaper was successfully delivered to their desks. Felix glanced at the daily newspaper.
What's this?
Genius spellcaster? More than her?
Boring.
Tossed aside, she wondered if she should summon Yu Yu.
Where's the instant noodles?
She wanted to gift the Grand Archon and that person some.
Why the delay?
So agonizing.
Felix grabbed the Daily, skimming.
Ten lines a glance.jpg
Ten lines…
She froze.
Dog-eared, boy?
Scribe?
Dog-eared?
Dog?