The gathering with the Anya Squad was incredibly enjoyable.
By the time they returned home, it was already past nine o’clock at night.
Startled, Duan Xiaozhao insisted on watching Jiang Hudong walk through the doorway before she could finally relax.
“A Mang, you have to stay well.”
The cheerful laughter from the dinner faded away as Duan Xiaozhao’s whole demeanor turned cold and her voice dropped low.
She hugged Jiang Huaying tightly. “There are so many things I want to say, but I don’t know where to start.”
In the past three years, everyone’s lives had undergone earth-shattering changes.
The future remained as confusing and unpredictable as ever.
“Huihui, you take care too. We have to be best friends for life.”
Jiang Huadong returned the embrace, holding close the best friend she had in this world.
This hug came three years late.
She hadn’t been able to stay by Duan Xiaozhao’s side when she first entered the Game World, to offer companionship and support, nor did she know how Duan Xiaozhao had escaped death again and again to clear the game.
“We’ll live long and prosper. Even if all our teeth fall out, the game still won’t kill us!” Jiang Huaying’s voice carried a nasal tone as she rubbed her face firmly against her best friend’s.
“Pfft, meow!” Duan Xiaozhao was serious for barely two seconds before bursting out laughing. “Hahaha, I don’t want to lose all my teeth—that would turn me into a toothless old lady. You can lose yours instead.”
The sadness that had just begun to rise in Jiang Huaying instantly evaporated. She glared in dissatisfaction and widened her eyes: “No way! You have to lose your teeth too! We have to be ugly together!”
The two of them teased and wrestled for a good while before finally laughing breathlessly and stopping.
“Hey, your last relationship ended a while ago, right?” Duan Xiaozhao abruptly changed the subject.
Jiang Huaying hadn’t yet caught on. “Huh?”
“It’s time for a new one,” Duan Xiaozhao winked at her. “Any one of the Anya Squad picked at random is a top-tier catch! Life is short; you have to enjoy it while you can. I think you can even try dating two at the same time—one innocent, one fiery; one puppy-like, one big wolf dog.”
At these words, the faces of Song Ran, Jiang’s husband, and Xing Keduo flashed in Jiang Hudong’s mind.
Her skin suddenly tingled, and she hurriedly shoved her best friend into the car. “You better get going! Be careful on the road!”
Duan Xiaozhao called after her: “Think it over!”
The only response was the sound of Jiang Huaying closing the door.
Duan Xiaozhao smiled as she started the car. After driving through no more than two intersections, an unexplained chill suddenly surged up her spine.
It felt as if something silently sat in the back seat, watching her in absolute silence, its terrifying, icy gaze searing the back of her neck.
She slammed on the brakes and spun around sharply!
The back seat was empty—there was nothing there.
“How strange,” she muttered, trying to recapture the eerie feeling, but it had vanished.
She then took out the Low-level Monster Detector, which the Anya Squad had given her.
She and A Ying drove around the area twice and confirmed that everything was safe before Duan Xiaozhao resumed driving.
After Jiang Huaying entered the house, she gave Jiang Ms. a big, forceful hug.
“Mom, I love you so much!”
Jiang Ms. was pushed back two steps, her heart melting. “I love you too. Did you get scared today?”
Jiang Huaying nodded and then shook her head, saying little more. Like a clingy little animal, she buried her head back into her mother’s fragrant embrace.
She was truly happy to have such a wonderful mother and friend.
“Go rest now.” Jiang Ms. stroked her daughter’s head, but a flash of worry passed between her beautifully arched brows.
Jiang Huaying keenly noticed this and didn’t choose to obey immediately: “Mom, is something wrong?”
Jiang Ms. replied, “The Eternal Domain Guild ran into a bit of trouble, but it’ll be resolved soon.”
Jiang Huaying tilted her head as she looked at her mother: “Really?”
The ever-strong Jiang Ms. said, “It just needs a little time.”
Jiang Huaying kept watching.
Under her daughter’s clear, innocent gaze, Jiang Ms. exhaled, dropping all pretenses. “Alright, it’s the Game Funds that have some problems.”
“Our guild’s players consciously invest in the Game World every time they enter the game.”
Jiang Ms.’s words immediately revealed her veteran investor’s mindset.
“Today, a player brought back bad news. Some assets in one of the Game Worlds have been damaged. If it’s not resolved quickly, the funding chain will be broken.”
The Eternal Domain Guild had been established for three years. By Jiang Ms.’s methods of making money, they should have accumulated a considerable fortune.
But making money in the game was not that simple, and the more the Eternal Domain Guild earned, the more it spent.
Calculations showed that the guild’s flowing Game Funds were still insufficient.
There simply wasn’t enough to patch this hole in the short term.
“Game Funds?” Jiang Huaying was somewhat confused. “Can you really make money inside the game?”
Since the problem wouldn’t be resolved anytime soon, Jiang Ms. didn’t mind explaining to her daughter: “Of course, and Game Funds can help players solve many troubles.”
When players clear a Game World, the assets they earn don’t reset; they accumulate in their Personal Accounts.
For example, in the Cyber World, if a player earns 100 credit points, their game assets become 100.
Each Game World’s currency is different, but they’re interchangeable, just with varying exchange rates.
If the player next enters the Zombie World, those 100 credit points would convert to between 320 and 370 Crystal Cores depending on the rate.
Having money doesn’t guarantee players can clear the game, but without money, they definitely die miserably.
Jiang Hudong was deeply moved after hearing this.
“So, Mom, how much are we short?” Despite possibly having little money herself, she was willing to give all she had to her mother.
Jiang Ms. felt her daughter’s sincerity, and the anxiety eased a bit. “Converted into credit points, it’s about thirty thousand.”
Jiang Huaying opened the game forum and clicked into her personal homepage.
She remembered her Game Funds were still settling last time.
The interface loaded for a moment:
[Game Assets: 12 billion credit points]
Jiang Huaying froze on the spot.
Expressionless, she exited and then re-entered.
Twelve billion…
Really twelve billion!
Jiang Hudong’s pupils dilated instantly, her curled eyelashes trembling. Like a little hamster who had just discovered a huge stash of nuts, she held her phone still and motionless.
Seeing this, Jiang Ms. thought maybe she hadn’t saved much from the last game and offered some comfort: “Sweetheart, keep your money. I’ll transfer some to you from my Personal Account.”
She took out her phone to send her daughter some pocket money.
Suddenly, her phone vibrated, and she received a transfer record:
[Your game account received 10 billion credit points on XX month XX day. Post-transaction balance: …]
Jiang Ms.: “…”
Jiang Ms.: “?”
Jiang Ms.: “!!”
The mother and daughter sitting on the sofa slowly turned their heads to look at each other.
Jiang Huaying: “Mom, did you get it?”
Jiang Ms.: “Y-yes…”
Jiang Huaying nodded slowly: “So it wasn’t a hallucination.”
Jiang Ms. finally reacted, standing up with a “whoosh,” no longer able to maintain the “Witch’s” noble and aloof image. Excitedly, she paced around the living room: “Baby… tell me quietly, how did you clear the game?”
Jiang Huaying, still curled up on the sofa, seemed like a small bundle inside. “Well, I completed some personal missions, and I happened to get involved with an MF group?”
Jiang Ms., who had been flaunting wealth for years, was for the first time thoroughly outshined.
And the person showing her up was her own precious daughter.
The ringtone broke their conversation again. Jiang Huaying looked down and rummaged through her things—it wasn’t her phone, but the Low-level Monster Detector given by the Anya Squad.
“Not good…” Jiang Huaying groaned softly, like Huihui at midnight, hurriedly leaving the dance floor.
That previously unseen low-level monster had reappeared.
Clearly, it had targeted her.
Really unlucky.
But for the safety of others, she should find a place with no one around to hide and wait for backup.
A seat by the bar emptied again.
The unfinished cocktail was left alone on the counter.
The lights shifted, and the music changed.
When the guests regained focus, the mysterious and cold bartender was gone.
Jiang Huaying sent a message to the Anya Squad as she walked.
They had exchanged contact info yesterday.
Soon a reply popped up on her phone.
The Anya Squad had been temporarily assigned another mission and couldn’t arrive at the party in time but would send other reliable players.
[Another team has been notified and is on the way, three people, easily recognizable, all wearing Beast-head Badges.]
After editing the message, Shen Wei pressed send.
Whether due to signal issues or not, the message kept spinning and refreshing, causing impatience.
Finally, before Shen Long’s patience ran out, the message was successfully sent.
Jiang Huaying clicked on the message inside the villa.
[Another team has been notified and is on the way, three people, easily recognizable, all wearing Beast-head Badges.]
“Beast-heads… that’s definitely easy to spot.” Jiang Huaying nodded and put away her phone.
She gradually approached the Rose Garden nearby.
Compared to the dazzling lights inside the villa, the lighting here was much dimmer, only a few antique oil lamps lit the way.
The faint glow shrouded the entire Rose Maze in a warm and ambiguous atmosphere.
Before reaching the maze entrance, Jiang Huaying heard faint noises and suppressed laughter from inside.
More than one couple was having a secret tryst.
Jiang Huaying’s steps faltered; for a moment, she didn’t know where to go.
She had intended to enter the Rose Maze, but clearly, that was no longer a good idea.
She could go back inside the villa and find an empty room.
But the Rose Maze was at the back of the villa. Going further meant even fewer lights, just dark, eerie shadows.
The thought of walking alone through there sent chills down Jiang Huaying’s spine.
She even felt the cold wind swirl around her like malevolent spirits watching, ready to grab her ankles and drag her into the pitch-black abyss.
Her beautiful emerald eyes widened in fear, startled by her own imagination.
Almost panicked, she jumped and stomped her foot hard, as if that would crush the ghosts.
At that moment, a warm presence suddenly approached from behind.
“To the right, there’s a door. Open it and go in.”
The low voice was muffled, carried by the night breeze to Jiang Huaying’s ear, inexplicably comforting.
Jiang Huaying tried to turn around but was stopped.
“Don’t look back. Walk.”
The voice lowered further, still gentle and affectionate.
If Jiang Huaying turned now, she would directly collide with the other’s chest.
They were only a fist’s distance apart.
The man wearing a ram’s head mask stood like a wall behind her, exuding an inhuman oppressive aura. His huge shadow completely enveloped her, swallowing her whole.
The fragile white rabbit still had no idea she had stepped into the beast’s cage.
Jiang Huaying hesitated, then obeyed.
Through the door, they returned to the villa.
Unlike the lively party outside, it was quiet here.
In the mirrored hallway, only their footsteps echoed.
Jiang Huaying finally got a clear look at the man through the reflective glass.
He wore special tactical military gear. His tall, upright figure was almost terrifying, perfectly stretching the clothes as if he had just come from the battlefield, still smelling of blood and gunpowder.
He wore a ram’s head mask that covered his entire head, matching exactly the “Beast-head” description from Captain Shen Long.
Truly easy to recognize!
Jiang Huaying felt completely at ease, even took the initiative to converse with this taciturn player: “You arrived so fast. Did your other teammates go check nearby?”
The Butcher replied softly, “Hmph.”
Satisfied with the answer, Jiang Huaying brightened her eyes: “Thank you all for coming in time. Sorry to trouble you. That low-level monster seems to have singled me out. It’ll be more dangerous if you stay with me.”
“No.”
Jiang Huaying wasn’t sure what he meant.
“Turn left.”
She obeyed like a small robot receiving commands. “Oh, oh!”
The entire villa’s floor was carpeted, so she hadn’t noticed a raised edge.
When her high-heeled shoe stepped on it, she lost control and stumbled forward.
Luckily, at that moment, someone came walking from the left corridor.
“Beautiful lady.”
A man wearing a lion’s head mask caught her swiftly.
“Thank you!” Jiang Huaying held onto his sturdy arm tightly, her heart racing.
Behind her, the Butcher’s gaze fell on Leonid’s hand resting on her waist—unmasked murderous intent.
Leonid seemed oblivious, only after steadying Jiang Huaying did he slowly withdraw his hand and straighten his cufflinks.
“Looks like I’m late.”
A dark voice came from the right.
From the shadows, Sinclair appeared, wearing a cat-head mask, each step like treading on knife edges—dangerous and sharp.
Jiang Huaying adjusted her dress and smiled sweetly at him: “Not late at all. You all arrived just in time. Did you find the low-level monster?”
Sinclair’s fury, already at its peak, suddenly ignited, and he was momentarily at a loss for words.
“No rush. We can wait for it to come to us.” Leonid lifted a bright red rose pinned to his chest and naturally tucked it behind Jiang Huaying’s ear.
There were many people at the banquet, including many players. To avoid unnecessary trouble, the three monsters, rare in their unified behavior, reined in their dominator-level auras.
So Leonid’s words weren’t meant to placate.
The low-level monster couldn’t detect their presence and would come looking for them on its own.
After Leonid approached, the Butcher also stepped forward, the oppressive presence of his body hitting Jiang Huaying like a wave, hot breath continuously radiating onto her.
Sinclair, unwilling to be outdone, pressed forward stealthily, blocking her last retreat.
Jiang Huaying’s space shrank steadily; she unconsciously retreated until her back pressed coldly against a mirror.
The huge reflective surface clearly mirrored the scene of the rabbit girl trapped by beasts.
Surrounded on three sides, nowhere to run.
At the same time, that obsessive low-level monster was inching closer to this side.
Its crazed fixation had become infinite fanaticism!
It wanted to have her… it wanted to have her…