Chapter 22: Traversing the Game
Du Xin's dream of a peaceful, quiet day was shattered, because...
*Knock, knock, knock...*
Du Xin put down the game controller he was holding and opened the door.
"Good evening, Master!"
There stood Han Yawen, alone outside the door, dragging a large suitcase behind her.
Completely oblivious to—or perhaps simply unconcerned by—the look of utter exasperation on Du Xin's face, Han Yawen greeted him with beaming enthusiasm.
"You're not actually planning to move in, are you?"
Du Xin asked, sounding thoroughly bewildered.
"You're so smart, Master! That's exactly what I'm doing! It makes it so much easier for you to teach me how to play games—plus, it saves me the money I'd otherwise spend on a hotel!"
"Aren't you supposed to be investigating me? Don't you have a job to be at right now?"
Du Xin cried out, feeling as though he was on the verge of a breakdown.
"Uh... well, actually, investigating you was just a side objective."
"You're a young woman living alone—aren't you afraid I might try something with you? Just so you know, when I really go wild, even *I* can't rein myself in!"
"Of course not! I brought a teammate along with me—I certainly won't let you get away with anything!"
As she spoke, Han Yawen reached back into the hallway and dragged Tan Xiaoxiao out into the open.
"Um... well, my workplace is really far from my home, and your place is much closer. So, I just came along to... to keep an eye on *her*!"
Tan Xiaoxiao said, pointing a finger at Han Yawen.
"That excuse of yours... you only thought up the first half beforehand, didn't you? The second half was completely improvised on the spot! You really put yourself through a lot of trouble there, didn't you?"
Du Xin retorted sarcastically. His words made Tan Xiaoxiao's face flush crimson with embarrassment. Before Du Xin could voice any further objections, Han Yawen seized the opportunity; she slipped past him, dragging her suitcase inside, while Tan Xiaoxiao hurriedly followed close behind, pushing her own suitcase through the doorway.
"We're taking the two rooms on the second floor—and you're strictly forbidden from going up there!"
Han Yawen pushed her suitcase to the foot of the stairs, but finding herself unable to haul it up by herself, she had no choice but to call upon Du Xin for help.
"Hey, Master—are you even a man? Are you really just going to stand there and watch us struggle like this?"
Still reeling from Han Yawen's audacious remarks, Du Xin stood there in a daze. How had he—the homeowner—suddenly gone from being the host to being a mere guest, and now, to being nothing more than a servant?
Watching the two girls continue to struggle with their luggage, Du Xin ultimately stepped in to help them carry their suitcases upstairs. To avoid arousing any suspicion in Han Yawen, he even made a point of making two separate trips to carry them up. Over the next two days, Du Xin embarked with the pair on a dim, debauched... *ahem*... a wildly indulgent lifestyle. One notable achievement was that Han Yawen, at least, no longer got lost; however, their overall progress remained less than ideal—thanks to the "diligent efforts" of his two deadweight companions, Du Xin's rank had actually dropped all the way down to Platinum.
"Master!! I can't bear to see you go! Without you, I'm going to get absolutely crushed!"
Two days later, Du Xin finally welcomed his liberation: Han Yawen was leaving. Breathing a sigh of relief, Du Xin feigned an air of reluctance, though the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth was impossible to conceal. For the past two days, Du Xin had been gaming day and night alongside this "gaming fanatic"; Han Yawen's dark circles had grown so deep they seemed to stack upon one another. Tan Xiaoxiao hadn't merely joined the party just to fill a slot, either; by now, even she had managed to climb her way up to Gold rank.
After seeing Han Yawen off, Tan Xiaoxiao felt too awkward to remain there alone; however, to Du Xin's consternation, neither of the girls had taken their luggage with them.
"Phew—they're finally gone."
Du Xin sprawled out on the sofa and let out a long sigh. He felt more exhausted than he had during the centuries he'd spent sleeplessly researching genetics back in his Pocket World. Over those two days, Du Xin had also gleaned quite a bit of information from Han Yawen. They had indeed come to investigate the matter concerning the "Captain of China"; Han Yawen, specifically, had been assigned by the Information Technology Division to review the local surveillance footage—yet they hadn't made a single shred of progress.
Lying there on the sofa, Du Xin soon found himself growing bored once again. Two days of mindless gaming had left him craving an activity that could serve as a mental palate cleanser.
"How about I play a game?"
Du Xin suddenly exclaimed with a burst of excitement, and with that, he entered his Pocket World.
Two days had passed in the real world; within the Pocket World, the calendar now marked the year 738 of the New Era. The New Era was a chronological system devised by the inhabitants of the Pocket World, calculated from the moment of Lucifer's Fall. There were still over two hundred years remaining before the Demon Race's full-scale invasion would begin; for the time being, however, the only threat occupying the minds of the populace was the relentless persecution inflicted upon humanity by the Clan of Evil Dragons. The strongest individual among humanity today is the Guild Master of the Mages' Guild, who has attained the rank of a Magic Saint. However, the Dragon Clan boasts no fewer than five such powerhouses; the Forest of Magical Beasts holds three; and even the reclusive Elven race possesses two experts of the Magic Saint caliber. If the Druids—who dwell deep within the forests—were to be counted as humans, then humanity could claim one additional individual of the Magic Saint rank.
As for those of the tier just below—the Archmage level—the disparity is even more pronounced. Any adult dragon naturally qualifies as an Archmage-level powerhouse, and there are hundreds of them. The vast Forest of Magical Beasts, teeming with life, is home to over two hundred such experts; the Elven race counts nearly eight hundred among their ranks; and the Druids number close to one hundred. Humanity, by contrast, possesses a mere fifty-seven—and every single one of them is an old man.
Du Xin assumed the guise of a handsome sixteen-year-old youth and descended upon the Saint Yuan Continent. This was the specific appearance he had chosen to adopt for his arrival. He found himself amidst a desolate, bitterly cold wilderness; Du Xin knew that just ahead lay a colossal city—the Northern Stronghold, known as Yu Bei City—while directly behind him stretched the boundless Forest of Magical Beasts.
A horse-drawn carriage traveling along the path where Du Xin stood came to a halt.
"Young lad, are you all right? Why are you out here all alone?"
"I... I got lost."
Du Xin paused for a moment to think, then offered up a rather flimsy excuse. "Hahaha, little brother, this is just outside Yubei City! Head another thirty kilometers north, and you'll hit the Monster Beast Forest—and let me tell you, that is *not* a good place to get lost!"
The speaker was a burly middle-aged man clad in leather armor, with a massive broad-bladed axe strapped to his back. Although this world had advanced magical civilization to a near-pinnacle, true mages remained a rarity; the sheer requirement for one-in-a-hundred talent was enough to bar the vast majority of people. Even among those born with the physical constitution to practice magic, most never progressed beyond the rank of a Magic Apprentice. Consequently, a new profession emerged: the Warrior. Warriors could not wield magic, but a century ago, a legendary warrior devised a method to temper the body using the ambient magical energies of the heavens and earth. Thus, the Warrior profession began its rise. However, becoming a Warrior demanded two things: unyielding endurance and immense wealth. Endurance allowed a Warrior to undergo rigorous physical training day in and day out, while wealth provided the necessary resources—potions, elixirs, and gear—consumed during that training. And so, yet another profession was born: the Mercenary. The Monster Beast Forest was, without a doubt, the most lucrative frontier for adventurers in the world; whether it was rare magical materials, exotic crafting components, or the very monster beasts that inhabited it, everything found within its depths was highly sought-after merchandise.
The middle-aged man standing before Du Xin was the quintessential example of a mercenary—a Berserker.
"Mister, could I join your group on your expedition into the Monster Beast Forest?"
The middle-aged man frowned.
"This place isn't a playground for children; people die in there every single day."
"I can be of use to you, though. I'm a mage."
The middle-aged man was taken aback, and every other mercenary nearby turned to stare.
"You little punk—you're a *mage*? Then where's your mage's robe? And where's your Mage's Badge?"
A burly man standing some distance away called out.
"I've been studying under my master deep within the distant mountains; I've only just begun my practical training. But I really *can* use magic—if you don't believe me, just watch!"
As he spoke, Du Xin waved his hand toward the distance. A three-meter-long spear of ice instantly coalesced in mid-air; the palpable ripples of ice-elemental energy radiating from it sent a shiver down the spine of the burly man standing nearby.
"...A Second-Tier Ice Spell! The Spear of Frost!!"