"Crimson?" Fuyu scratched her head, "Isn't that the big shot from the Heavenly List?"
Ever since Destiny exploded globally, the fame of Hall of Fame players had skyrocketed, their recognition soaring. At the very least, young people who played the game regularly were somewhat aware of their reputations.
The Hall of Fame was a comprehensive ranking of professional players, typically featuring team leaders or star players from major teams. Both popularity and skill were indispensable. By now, the game had fused with competitive sports, streaming, and other fields, each intertwined with the others.
Hall of Fame players had a strict requirement: they had to be on the Heavenly List. A secondary requirement was good looks and a clean record.
The Heavenly List was, in fact, a collective term.
It was a comprehensive ranking based on Destiny's peak individual tournament standings, combined with personal achievements, carrying immense prestige. Players affectionately called it the "Heavenly List."
While the Hall of Fame considered factors like popularity, teams, and guilds, influenced by the audience, the Heavenly List was a pure strength ranking. The stronger you were, the higher you ranked.
At her peak, Yu Yu had dominated the Heavenly List, and because of her first-place ranking, she was later crowned number one in the Hall of Fame. Though her time at the top was brief due to fluctuating audience preferences, it still amplified her fame and significantly boosted her value.
In summary, Hall of Fame and Heavenly List rankings were critical for professional players, tied directly to their livelihoods. No one could afford to ignore them. Team competitions, guild invitations, salaries, endorsement deals—all these matters of fame and fortune were bound to these two lists.
Zi Shu instinctively sized up Yu Yu, her expression subtly shifting.
Yu Yu remained expressionless.
Zi Shu glanced at Shu Tu, who didn't bother hiding her attitude, and rubbed her nose. "If that's the case, I think I know who you are."
Fuyu was dumbfounded. "Wait, how do you just know?"
Zi Shu ignored her, looking at Shu Tu and asking, "Since the great Shu Tu is standing here, I'm guessing things aren't as the rumors claim, are they?"
Shu Tu sighed lightly. "It's a complicated mess, hard to explain in a single sentence. But I can say with certainty that Xiao Yu is absolutely not that kind of person."
At the academy, beside a small orange sapling.
Fuyu raised her hand. "Hold on, hold on, what's going on? Why am I out of the loop?"
Zi Shu gave a brief rundown. "Crimson, the top spellcaster account in Destiny, belonged to Azure Waves. But that account changed hands."
Fuyu's face was blank. "That's a thing? Accounts can switch owners?"
Zi Shu said matter-of-factly, "They signed contracts with the team. The account's ownership belongs to the team. Capital isn't a charity—killing the donkey after it's done grinding isn't just expected?"
"Back then, the Azure Waves team won the regional championship two years in a row and nearly took the global title. Their fame was at its peak."
Fuyu muttered, "They're still at their peak now."
Zi Shu shook her head emphatically. "Not anymore. After that tournament, Azure Waves never won first again. Last time, they barely clung to the regional top eight."
She'd only known the rough details before, but while digging into Yu Yu's identity, she'd learned the specifics. Azure Waves, one of the super-sized guilds in the Xia region, had a team of the same name. Strong, famous, a pure celebrity team.
But that was in the past.
First, the guild and team were acquired. Then, the most celebrated young genius, Yu Yu, was hit with a scandal. At her peak, she abruptly breached her contract and left. Afterward, the team captain, Shu Tu, terminated her contract, leading to the team's steady decline.
Only after digging deeper did Zi Shu realize that Shu Tu had retired shortly after Yu Yu left the team. No wonder she'd only appeared in individual tournaments before.
Now, it seemed likely she'd already terminated her contract.
While observing Yu Yu, Zi Shu recounted, "They say Crimson was desperate for money and secretly sold the divine equipment her teammates worked so hard for to a rival guild."
"It was right before that regional tournament. That boss caused a huge stir in the game. They went through hell to secure the boss and the equipment, and it dropped a divine spellcaster piece."
"That equipment was entrusted to Crimson for safekeeping, but on the eve of the match, it changed hands," Zi Shu said carefully, choosing her words. "And it was bought by the spellcaster of their archenemy team, Qian Qing (Light blue)."
"Crimson's fans didn't believe it at the time. They thought she had no reason to do such a thing. She was so young—why ruin her future? But Destiny's company produced transaction records, and people had no choice but to believe."
"Then, the next day, it came out that Crimson was short on money," Zi Shu frowned, struggling to continue. "She…"
Yu Yu cut in, "My mother's illness dragged on. She was in the ICU and needed money for surgery. They all thought I hadn't saved enough for the operation in two years and assumed I sold the equipment for cash."
Yu Yu's gaze carried a trace of mockery, unclear whether it was aimed at the stupidity of public opinion or her own poor social standing.
Zi Shu pondered, "Someone must have deliberately steered the narrative. Anyone who thinks about it for a moment would see the holes in the story."
The others' reactions were also strange.
Shang Wei seemed to defend her but was actually kicking her while she was down. She and Crimson had never gotten along, though it wasn't public knowledge—many knew.
Qian Qing and her crew, as the beneficiaries and long-time rivals, were predictably snide, which wasn't surprising.
But Yu Yu's teammates staying completely silent? That was bizarre.
Even Shu Tu herself never publicly supported Crimson. Whatever was going on behind the scenes, only they knew.
Zi Shu found it baffling during her investigation.
Moreover, the acquisition of the team and guild raised plenty of questions.
Azure Waves was originally founded by Xiao Lian, with Shu Tu joining as a founding member. After it was bought out, why did Shu Tu agree? She supposedly held shares in Azure Waves.
Zi Shu continued, "Then, in a completely unclear—frankly, absurd—situation, Crimson was accused of breaching her contract, forced to pay an astronomical penalty, and vanished from the scene."
Fuyu thought hard. "…Was there something like that?"
She might not have been playing the game back then, stuck in high school grinding 6-9-7, so she had no memory of it.
Zi Shu looked at Yu Yu. "It's full of holes. It feels like you were just a scapegoat. The whole thing is too ridiculous."
Had Crimson ever admitted to it herself? Could a conviction really be based solely on Destiny's transaction records?
Hardly.
As for the so-called "desperate for money" theory, it was pure nonsense. Shoot the arrow first, then draw the target—how could you miss?
Yet the public narrative was so overwhelming that it settled in less than a week. Utterly bizarre.
Zi Shu asked, "Was your account password only known to you?"
Yu Yu's eyes were mocking. "You think that's possible?"
In teams like theirs, the accounts weren't even theirs. At least five people knew her password.
Zi Shu pressed, "Then why didn't you report it to the authorities?"
Yu Yu said coldly, self-deprecating, "I wasn't as smart back then, was I?"
She'd risen to fame early, barely an adult at the time. She was crushed overnight, the situation spiraling too fast. She was in a daze, and by the time she came to her senses, it was too late.
Shu Tu said quietly, "She was still young. This was the result of many forces working together."
Yu Yu narrowed her eyes. "I only want to know—how much was Shen Lan involved?"
Shen Lan, the one who acquired Azure Waves was also an old friend of Shu Tu and Xiao Lian.
Shu Tu replied, "The whole thing."
Yu Yu sneered, "I was such an idiot back then. I didn't even know where my enemies were coming from."
Shu Tu said, "I'm sorry…"
Yu Yu cut her off, "I don't want to hear it."
Zi Shu had more to say but, seeing Yu Yu's expression, decided it wasn't necessary.
Propping her chin, she asked, "So, you know who set you up now?"
Yu Yu's face was calm. "Shang Wei played the opening act, and then multiple forces piled on. In everyone's eyes, I was an easy-to-bully fool."
"And I was a fool because I didn't even react at the time."
Zi Shu considered her age. "How were you so young when you started competing?"
Yu Yu glanced at her. "I needed money. What else?"
If she'd had any other choice, she would've picked a stable, respectable life. But pigs on the wind's crest don't get to choose. If you don't fly, you crash immediately. If you fly, you at least have a shot. Yu Yu had no habit of picking at her scars, so she refused to delve into her past struggles.
"Back then, I had everything—except brains," Yu Yu laughed. "Now… heh."
Fuyu chimed in, "Now you have everything!!!"
Yu Yu shot her a look. "Now, besides this not-so-smart brain, I still have nothing."
Fuyu looked wounded. "What kind of toxic motivational soup is this?"
Shu Tu said, "Xiao Yu's changed a lot."
The old Yu Yu was young and triumphant, brimming with confidence, bold and straightforward. Words of self-destruction like these would never have left her lips back then. Yu Yu recovered her composure quickly. After her toxic soup, Zi Shu could no longer see any trace of it in her eyes.
"What are you looking at?" she asked.
Zi Shu immediately averted her gaze, coughing awkwardly. "If you'd been this sharp back then, no one could've bullied you."
Yu Yu said coolly, "You trying to bully me?"
Zi Shu stammered, "…Don't put words in my mouth."
Yu Yu ordered, "Go back and feed my pigs."
Zi Shu's face fell. "…You just want me to feed your pigs, don't you?"
"Yeah. You feeding them or not?"
Zi Shu relented, "…Fine, I'll feed them."
Fuyu: "???"
"What just happened that I don't know about???"
"And, Yu Yu, your expression just now was like a total villain!!!"
Saying it out loud made Yu Yu feel a little lighter, even if only slightly. Back then, many had trampled her. Yu Yu remembered every single one. She did have a villain's mindset. For instance, she dreamed of rounding up those people, grabbing a big cat's tail, and swinging it to smack them a few hundred times each.
Or maybe just tying them up in a basement, giving them a few whip lashes whenever she felt like it. Besides Shang Wei and Shen Lan, that turtle Qian Qing was probably in the game too, right? Yu Yu's eyes unconsciously darkened, wondering if they were participating this time.
Shu Tu said, "The individual tournament here seems different from Destiny. They group by class first for the matches."
She'd already gotten the details. "They select the top sixteen for each class, then mix with other classes and switch to a points-based system."
Yu Yu nodded. "That's pretty good, isn't it? Prevents strong players from being eliminated early due to class disadvantages."
Zi Shu mulled it over, eyeing Yu Yu suspiciously. "Feels like it's protecting spellcasters. Besides your slow chanting, which puts you at a disadvantage in arena fights, what other class needs protection?"
Yu Yu: "?"
"Don't go slandering me!"
There's a Grand Archon three feet above us, you know?!
At the preliminary draw site, Yu Yu pulled her hood up, scanning the arena. Why were there so many people on stage???
Was that the Grand Archon up there?
The silver-haired beauty beside the Grand Archon—was that Duchess Silver Moon?
A ton of black-robed spellcasters were on stage. Yu Yu's eyes roamed for a moment before finally spotting her senior sister.
She was sitting close to the Grand Archon, her gaze unfocused. As if sensing Yu Yu's stare, she looked over.
Yu Yu immediately waved.
Felix rolled her eyes in disdain.
The Grand Archon noticed too, turning to say, "Look, the little one's waving at me."
Felix: "?"
Who are you?
Duchess Silver Moon said, "By general reasoning, she's more likely waving at Felix."
The Grand Archon protested, "? How's that possible?"
"Am I really less popular than Felix?"
Duchess Silver Moon met her gaze for three seconds before conceding, "You're right. She must be waving at you, teacher."
Yu Yu muttered, "Why's Senior ignoring me?"
She didn't know that the Grand Archon's comment about "waving at me" had drawn the attention of all the high-tier spellcasters above. Who was she?
Why was she waving at the Grand Archon?
If even young Duchess Silver Moon confirmed it, could there be any mistake?
Yu Yu, puzzled, pulled her hood tighter, covering her face.
In this desolate plaza, she felt a strange chill. Odd.
But for a spellcaster preliminary, why were so many high-tier spellcasters here?
Don't you all have better things to do?
And Duchess Silver Moon, where's your ducal dignity?!
With all classes competing simultaneously, why'd you just follow your teacher to watch the spellcasters?
Not even a courtesy glance at the other classes?
So decadent, Duchess.
Yu Yu inwardly scolded while pulling her hood.
Still felt chilly. Weird.
"Hey, I'm 'NoDishWashingAfterEating.' You?"
The line was slow, with a long queue ahead. The woman in front turned to chat with Yu Yu.
Yu Yu replied, "Yu."
"Fish? That's a short name."
"I didn't expect so many spellcasters," she said, as if she'd been holding it in and finally found someone to vent to. "I've been playing with friends for a month, and we've barely seen spellcaster players outside the magic circle."
"But coming here today? Wow, there are spellcasters! Where are they usually? Where'd they go?"
Yu Yu thought for a moment. "Probably off doing quests?"
"Could be. The magic circle quests are endless. Even a production team's donkey wouldn't be worked this hard, right?"
"Haha, it's not that bad," Yu Yu said, thinking, There's a bunch of big shots up there who might hear you. Keep it down.
Felix tilted her head, amused, listening leisurely.
Young Duchess Silver Moon, already a high-tier warrior, glanced down instinctively.
Were magic circle quests that numerous? What was a production team's donkey?
The woman went on, "Spellcasters are the ultimate suckers. Fighting takes a millennium to cast a single frame. By the time I finish chanting, my teammates are done with the fight."
"Those damn spells are like foot-binding cloths—stinky and long."
"Other classes' skill lists are short and sweet. Ours? Dozens of pages, and when you look closely, it's just a freakin' table of contents!"
"Every skill costs money to learn. By the time I master them, I'll probably be dead."
"They know the classes aren't fair! They don't dare let us compete directly with warriors, do they?"
"Otherwise, we'd hit the stage, and Grandma Warrior would one-shot us like kids. That's embarrassing!"
"I'm telling you, spellcasters are suckers. Quest machines, production team donkeys! Skills are numerous, expensive, and useless!"
She ranted freely. Yu Yu pulled her hood down further. "…Yeah, yeah, it'll get better."
"Pfft. Every game, I pick a late-game class. But even in the late game, doesn't a warrior still crush me like a grandkid?"
"With these stinky, drawn-out spells, by the time I finish chanting, I'm already gone," she slammed her staff on the ground. "So I say spellcasters are suckers. What about it?"
"Am I wrong?"
"Why doesn't this damn game let us change classes?!"
Yu Yu gave a dry laugh. "Maybe there's some good stuff you haven't found?"
"Good stuff, my ass. Besides endless, messy quests that make you run from one end to the other without a break, there's no upside."
"Do other classes exploit players like this?"
She kept complaining, and Yu Yu couldn't help asking, "What spells did you pick?"
"I picked the right ones, obviously!"
"Like what?" Yu Yu asked patiently.
"All attack spells. Powerful, comprehensive—earth, fire, wind, water, lightning. I've got it all!"
Yu Yu: "…What about control?"
"Don't teammates handle that?" NoDishWashingAfterEating looked shocked. "As a grand spellcaster, it's all about damage, damage, and more damage!"
Yu Yu went numb. "You didn't learn any other spells?"
NoDishWashingAfterEating said, "Learn what? Those are all version traps, aren't they?"
"Money aside, I've practically become the magic circle's dog for those points. Learn useless stuff? Am I really a production team's donkey?!"
Yu Yu: "…Alright then."
"What about you? What'd you learn?"
Yu Yu deadpanned, "Just a bunch of useless stuff, I guess."
NoDishWashingAfterEating patted her shoulder sympathetically. "It's fine. Everyone who picks this cursed class is a born sucker."
"Same roots, why fry each other?" she recited poetically. "If I run into you, I'll treat you gently."
Yu Yu: "…Thanks."
Her words struck a chord with the crowd. Complaints rose and fell—chanting took too long, spells were too expensive, quests were too dense.
Players always think their class is the worst, begging for buffs from the developers.
You say this class is actually strong? "I'm not listening!" "I'm not listening!" "I'm not listening!"…
NoDishWashingAfterEating's "production team's donkey" line was a hit. Everyone felt forced by the magic circle to become donkeys, slaving over quests all day, half-dead, only to fork over money for spells. Total ripoff.
It got Yu Yu second-guessing herself.
Was it really like that?
Was she so happy doing quests because she'd turned into a self-brainwashed little leek?
Yu Yu sank into thought.
NoDishWashingAfterEating wasn't getting much response from Yu Yu, so she quickly bonded with the folks ahead, united in declaring spellcasters the biggest suckers in Eternal Darkness, cursing the magic circle for being inhumane.
The line eventually ended, and it was NoDishWashingAfterEating's turn. She didn't even notice who was there, chatting animatedly with her new pals while scribbling her registration.
"Gonna hit the forums later and warn newbies: never pick spellcaster. Spellcasters are suckers!!"
Yu Yu froze, unable to resist peeking at the registrar.
Black robe, magic circle patterns one, two, three…
Oh crap, a high-tier spellcaster.
NoDishWashingAfterEating: "Spellcasters—even dogs wouldn't do it!"
"Dogs wouldn't do it!"
"Dogs wouldn't do it!"
The crowd joined in, the air buzzing with glee.
Yu Yu, sandwiched among the players, felt pitiful, weak, and helpless.
The high-tier spellcaster glanced at the form. "NoDishWashingAfterEating?"
"Yup, that's me. What's up?" She seemed surprised a functional NPC could talk, looking down in shock.
"Remember your words."
"Huh?"
It was Yu Yu's turn. She meekly said, "Yu."
"Write it yourself."
The high-tier spellcaster handed her the pen.
Yu Yu, trembling like a quail lost in a wolf pack, scribbled her name in two strokes, ready to bolt.
She could bother her senior later, but staying here any longer? She was afraid the magic circle would stamp her with—
[Hopeless. Await death.]
Just as she turned to flee, a heavy hand landed on her shoulder.
The "functional NPC" lifted her hood slightly, ignoring the stunned players behind Yu Yu, and asked with interest, "The magic circle is full of suckers?"
"Spellcasters—even dogs wouldn't do it?"
Yu Yu's eyes welled up.
"N-no, I didn't say that!"