Yu Yu sobbed miserably, clinging to Zi Shu and refusing to let go.
"Zi Shu, when you grow up, you have to avenge me!"
Zi Shu munched noisily. "…Shu Tu's cooking is amazing."
They were eating spicy crawfish.
Shu Tu smiled. "Glad you like it."
Big Cat licked its bowl with loud clangs, showing its love for Shu Tu's food through action.
So good, so good, still so good!!!
Yu Yu burst into tears, wailed, "When I went offline, those two said they'd keep beating me when I came online on tomorrow."
"Waaah, why am I so unlucky…"
She thought the issue was over, but apparently, the real victim had come knocking. There might not be many in Silver Moon bold enough to assault a spellcaster, but Wind Singer seemed to be one of them.
Zi Shu, taking a break, asked, "From what you said, Wind Singer's a high-tier warrior?"
Yu Yu, still teary, said, "Could anyone but a warrior hit that hard?"
"I got a bruised-and-battered buff—it just hurts, not even a light injury," Yu Yu stressed. "I can't even go to Senior for justice!"
If the beating had been severe, she could've cried to the high-tier spellcasters for help, but Wind Singer was clearly a seasoned pro. It hurt like hell but left no serious damage.
Fuyu, too busy eating to talk earlier, chimed in, "Strictly speaking, you did publish in the paper that he's a little doggy."
"His sister standing up for him and getting someone to beat you seems fair," she said, empathizing with the kid. "Plus, you helped him copy books and then put that in the paper."
Chang Yu nodded. "Exactly, exactly. Maybe the books he copied were his sister's punishment."
"Think about it—doesn't that make the little doggy super pitiful?"
Yu Yu fell into thought. "Kinda makes sense."
Chang Yu: "And he paid for it, only to get roasted in the paper!"
Fuyu got into it. "Ugh, that awful spellcaster, too much! Must be punished! Oh, he probably didn't even dare fight back!"
"What a bully magic circle!"
Zi Shu mused, "If I'd published that, I'd probably be sunk in the moat by now."
Yu Yu: "Think positive—maybe the gallows?"
She hadn't just offended the little doggy; the Duchess was the real victim. As a lowly spellcaster, publishing insults about the Duchess, even with her senior's protection, likely dealt a blow to the Duchess's prestige. Hmm, was that a bit bad?
Maybe she should publish a clarification tomorrow?
Yu Yu thought for a moment. "I'll publish a clarification tomorrow. Senior's been so good to me, and the Duchess's not bad either."
As a player, she didn't care about losing face—anyway, it was the magic circle's face she was losing.
Life's tough, Yu Yu sighed. "Now that I think about it, NPC waters run pretty deep."
Zi Shu cracked a big claw, casually pinching it, and the tender crawfish meat popped out.
She turned. "I'm just novice-tier. Who knows how long it'll take me to reach high-tier?"
"Instead, think about befriending this Wind Singer," she said seriously. "When I hit high-tier, I'll help you beat her."
Yu Yu's eyes glinted. "Feed my pigs?"
Zi Shu: "I'll feed your chickens, ducks, fish, and pigs for a month!"
Yu Yu upped the ante. "A year!"
Zi Shu snorted. "Two months."
"Deal!" Yu Yu took the win.
They happily sealed the agreement.
Fuyu finally caught up. "If you meet a high-tier rogue, keep me in mind! I wanna hug NPC thighs too!"
Yu Yu: "I'll keep an eye out."
She turned. "Shu Tu, hungry, rice bowl!"
Shu Tu, exasperated, said, "Got it."
~
Online.
"Stop!" Yu Yu scrambled up from the ground, blurting, "I want to apologize!"
Wind Singer: "?"
Yu Yu: "I deeply realize my mistake. Stop hitting, stop hitting! If you keep going, my colleagues will show up."
Wind Singer looked at her, surprised, taking a moment to process. "An outsider?"
Magic circle spellcasters weren't this spineless. They always acted like "sky's first, earth's second, spellcasters third."
Yu Yu: "I didn't know the little doggy wasn't actually a doggy, so I hurt him by mistake."
"Don't worry, I'll publish an apology right now," Yu Yu said, eyes gleaming. "If you don't believe me, come with me."
Wind Singer had clear, emerald eyes and wore a light trench coat, looking both gentle and cool.
"No need," she said, lowering her hand. "The Daily's just the magic circle's lapdog. If I go, it'll be a mess."
She pivoted to an unrelated question. "That day in Silver Moon, the one flying—was that you?"
Yu Yu's eyelid twitched, quickly recalling details. "It was my first offense. Just a verbal warning."
Wind Singer didn't respond, instead picking up her hat from the table. "Even if you joined the magic circle, you can't bully others."
Her beige wide-brimmed hat covered her flaxen hair, and her emerald eyes were dead serious. "If you're not convinced, report me to the magic circle. I'm Lynn, titled Wind Singer. Remember it."
With that, she brushed her trench coat, adjusted her hat, and walked out.
Yun Lun groggily opened her eyes. "You're here?"
"You're up early," she said, having slept on the table all night. "Feels like you did something wild."
"Oh," she yawned, "even though we're spellcasters, we can't keep bullying the little Duchess. The little doggy's so small…"
She clearly didn't care about the Duchess. "Lady Wind Singer's super nice, really gentle. Don't take it personally."
"She's got a huge rep in Allen," Yun Lun said. "Everyone says she'll be the first legend of the younger generation."
Yun Lun's face glowed with admiration. "A legend-in-waiting! Getting beat up by a future legend isn't shameful at all!"
She was genuinely trying to comfort Yu Yu.
Yu Yu sighed. "I'm not mad. I won't hold a grudge."
She had no power to do anything to a high-tier warrior. Yun Lun was overestimating her. Besides, she felt like Wind Singer really disliked spellcasters. Was it less about standing up for the little doggy and more… resisting magic circle tyranny?
Cough.
She wouldn't get bullied by high-tier spellcasters every day, would she?
Yu Yu's imagination ran wild: a warrior with pretty emerald eyes cowering in a corner, a gang of black-robed spellcasters in Gengar hoods wielding tiny whips, cackling maniacally. The scene was… cough.
Yu Yu shook off the weird daydream. "Before the matches start, let's find Senior."
"Has Senior woken up?" Yun Lun asked.
Yu Yu thought. "Probably?"
She'd never gone to Senior in the morning.
Yun Lun, a spellcaster, easily entered the magic circle with Yu Yu.
"Senior?" Yu Yu knocked softly.
"Senior?!"
Medium volume.
"Senior?!!"
Loud.
"Senior!!!"
Super loud.
The door opened.
Yun Lun: "…"
Yu Yu turned confidently. "See, I said Senior was awake, right?"
Senior hasn't slept.jpg
Yun Lun: "…"
"Senior, look who's here… uh, did I disturb your sleep?"
Felix looked exhausted, giving her a cold glance. "Speak."
Yun Lun was much better behaved. "Senior."
Felix showed slight surprise. "What brings you to Silver Moon?"
Her tone was familiar. "I heard from Mama Lady you advanced to mid-tier spellcaster."
"Not bad, well done," she praised like an elder.
Yun Lun beamed. "Still not as good as Senior…"
They chatted, and Yu Yu, bored, plopped on the sofa and picked up a newspaper. The Silver Moon Daily had none of her articles. So dull, so soulless. Flipping casually, Yu Yu found a report on Wind Singer and perked up.
[Wind Singer dismantles Black Edge's seventeenth stronghold, restoring normal traffic between Frian City and Silver Moon]
Yu Yu skimmed more and noticed Wind Singer's name popped up a lot.
Was this woman out doing heroics 24/7?
No wonder her reputation was sky-high. Guards stood up for her, and even Yun Lun liked her. But she seemed to hate spellcasters. How could Yu Yu snag her quests?
Emerald eyes, slender frame, flaxen ponytail, and those pretty pointed ears—she didn't seem human?
Yu Yu was a bit stumped.
Felix: "Your match is this morning. What are you doing here?"
She took two sips of water, her face screaming "get out." "I'll arrange a place for Yun Lun. Don't reveal my identity."
Yu Yu snapped back, realizing Yun Lun had been whisked away. "She doesn't know your identity?"
Felix, stone-faced: "Obviously."
Yu Yu guiltily looked away, then remembered her point. "Should I publish an apology…"
She rambled on, looking expectantly at Senior.
Felix glanced at her. "He came to you? Hmm, she must've found out about the book-copying."
Her eyes gleamed with unhidden schadenfreude. "He got Lynn, tsk, embarrassing little doggy."
Yu Yu actually found Lynn's name vaguely familiar, like she'd heard it somewhere.
Wasn't there a spellcaster next to that legend named Lynn?
But was it a first or last name? Yu Yu couldn't tell.
The names of the people here are somewhat Western-style, and Yu Yu can't really tell them apart.
Seeing Senior's expression, Yu Yu was speechless for a second. "…Senior doesn't like the brother?"
Felix gave her a cold look, clearly thinking Yu Yu was too chatty.
"Him? He's always clinging to my idiot sister. Nothing to do with me."
Felix's tone was icy. "Alright, if you've got nothing else, get out."
"Explain or don't, your call. If you don't mind the embarrassment, go for it."
Her voice was indifferent. "It's not my face you're losing."
Yu Yu was kicked out again. Senior was probably rushing to wash up. She'd be at the arena today and wouldn't get much sleep.
Yu Yu rubbed her chin, shrugged, and wrote a simple article, avoiding clickbait this time.
The Daily staff were weird, double-checking if she really wanted it published.
Yu Yu insisted.
[Experience +500, Silver Coins +20]
Yu Yu felt like she'd found a major bug.
This got rewards too?!
Under the Daily staff's odd stares, Yu Yu left cheerfully.
This should wrap up the drama, right?
She'd ask Yun Lun later about Wind Singer's deal.
~
Arena.
Sure enough, Yu Yu saw her name on the screen.
Great, she was first again.
Who was this petty?
Believe it or not, I'll hack your rice bowl!
Yu Yu succeeded today, but she really wanted to hack it.
She'd brought a bag of snacks—biscuits, cupcakes, spicy strips—to share with Yun Lun, Senior, and the others.
Just for fun.
If the little doggy were here this morning, Yu Yu would've slipped him some snacks.
Senior and the Duchess were untouchable, but the little doggy's ears? Maybe pettable?
Those soft, silver ears, all springy, with pink-white fuzz inside.
Maybe she could've touched them?
You gotta have dreams, right?
Yu Yu had packed snacks for this, but sadly, no little doggy—only Wind Singer.
Such a shame.
Senior would just taste the snacks, but ears? No ears to pet.
Yu Yu sighed just thinking about it. How tough was her life?
How many gold coins could she earn this time? Enough to buy a house in Silver Moon?
She wanted a two-story place—bedroom upstairs, a restaurant or café downstairs.
She'd been dreaming of earning NPC money!
Then get Shu Tu to let Banban out to wait tables, heh heh.
Banban hadn't been out since entering the city—probably bored stiff.
Zi Shu even tried to rope Shu Tu into letting Ban Ban work the docks, splitting the earnings 90-10. Shu Tu seemed tempted.
[Yu] vs. [PissOffWorldWildcat]
One second, Yu Yu looked up, and the stage had just a few people; the high-tier spellcasters hadn't woken up yet.
In a blink, NPCs popped in, and the seats filled instantly.
This?
Players were stunned. "Can players learn that? Looks so convenient!"
Felix, all prim and proper, appeared solemnly. "Yu, come here."
Yu Yu hurried forward.
Xiang Qin: "Feels like spellcasters get way more attention than us. Do your best—if you catch NPC favor, you might get more quests…"
Shang Wei, looking lazy, mumbled half-hearted "mm-hmms." Arriving, she immediately spotted Yu Yu chatting cozily with an NPC.
She got serious. "I will, don't worry."
Xiang Qin paused, then turned to Zhong Ye. "See the captain?"
Zhong Ye tucked her dagger back in her bag, nodding for Xiang Qin to look.
Xiang Qin scanned and sure enough spotted Shu Tu in the crowd.
She was with two newbies—warriors? Rogues?
Xiang Qin: "Captain got new teammates?"
Shang Wei scoffed. "Captain ditched you guys. First day hearing it?"
Zhong Ye casually slung an arm around her, but her icy dagger grazed Shang Wei's neck. "Little Wei, if you can't talk nice, don't talk. We don't need your brutal honesty, got it?"
Shang Wei smiled politely. "Got it."
Zi Shu: "Are they staring at us?"
"Lots of players are looking too." She was a bit nervous. "They seem to have noticed you."
Shu Tu, arms crossed, was unfazed. "Get used to it. You'll be watched plenty in the future."
"Look at Xiao Yu—she doesn't care."
Zi Shu tried to relax, keeping her face neutral. "Just lack of experience."
Fuyu, oddly more chill, said, "Pretend you're giving a speech in the school auditorium. You do that all the time, right? No big deal."
"Besides, they're staring at Shu Tu, not us."
"Players already recognized Shu God. If not for the silver-armored guards, they'd have swarmed her."
Zi Shu pictured it and instantly calmed down. "True."
Shu Tu: "Xiao Yu's in."
The whole arena went quiet, everyone holding their breath, eyes on the screen.
The Grand Archon yawned. "Can we finish today?"
Duchess Silver Moon: "Should be fine. Today's matches are half of yesterday's, and they'll keep dwindling."
Grand Archon: "Can't we shove them all in and let them fight at once?"
Duchess Silver Moon was silenced. "…Probably not great. Changing rules last-minute—they'd have no prep."
Grand Archon argued, "Change it at the top 16. Let them fight for rankings all at once. Isn't that better?"
Duchess Silver Moon: "…Teacher's call."
By then, the match was over.
[PissOffWorldWildcat], entirely green, choked out, pointing at Yu Yu, "You… poison…"
Yu Yu stood on an unassuming ridge, twirling her short staff. "I'd buy osmanthus and share wine, but it's not like…"
"You jerk!"
[PissOffWorldWildcat], frozen in toxic water, took his last breath.
Yu Yu: "Youthful… wanderings…"
[PissOffWorldWildDog]: "I'm pissed, so pissed! Despicable, shameless! A mage match, and she used poison!"
"Qian Qing, you gotta teach her a lesson!!!"
Qian Qing ignored his brain-dead guild leader, staring at the woman on the screen.
"It's her. No surprise."
"Who is she?" WildDog asked.
Qian Qing: "Crimson."
WildDog: "???"
Worth noting, the Destiny guild had also been bought out. The once-mega guild renamed en masse. Qian Qing fought tooth and nail to keep his ID, but…
Sigh, just look at the leader's name—[PissOffWorldWildDog].
Yu Yu stepped out, took two steps, and saw two people approach at once.
Shang Wei, smiling brightly, clapped lightly. "Senior, that was a beautiful fight. How's it feel?"
Qian Qing: "Crimson, long time no see."
The players exploded, buzzing with excitement.
Heavenly List second—Crimson. Heavenly List fourth—Qian Qing. So who was [Yu]?
The high-tier spellcasters didn't hide their curiosity, glancing over.
Seems outsiders had their own drama.
This little one had enemies?
Interesting.
Felix perked up her ears, subtly looking over.
The woman who'd just emerged had her hood covering most of her face, revealing only a soft jawline and pale skin.
Even without seeing her full face, her carefree vibe was palpable.
Yu Yu: "Hm… anyone with hands could do it?"