Happy times are always fleeting.
To be precise, it was Energetic Foxfox's happy time that was fleeting—because after she took forty-seven photos of the “magical girl transformation” from various angles, she was finally stopped by Chinatsu's Song, who forced an end to this one-sided persecution.
“Alright, alright, all done.”
Energetic Foxfox closed the game's screenshot function and looked at the girl beside her with a smile, her eyes curving into sweet crescents.
“What a pity. It would've been perfect if we could get a proper magical girl outfit. But even without the gear, our Little Chinatsu is still super cute.”
“...You're exaggerating.” Chinatsu's Song was a bit overwhelmed by the praise, her face flushing even redder.
Though she acted modest, she secretly added in her heart: Well, I suppose I am pretty cute.
“Speaking of which, Little Chinatsu, your vibe is actually quite similar to Utena's~”
Energetic Foxfox giggled, covering her mouth. She was referring to Utena before she transformed.
Indeed, Chinatsu's facial features bore a slight resemblance to that character.
“No, it's not!” Chinatsu's Song immediately puffed out her cheeks in protest.
How could she have a personality like Baiser? She was clearly obedient, soft, and cute!
“Think about it. Purple hair, an ahoge, blushing easily, and getting completely flustered when praised—” Energetic Foxfox counted them off on her fingers. “And when you were posing for the transformation just now, that shy expression as you hid your face was just...”
“Sister Foxfox!!!”
Energetic Foxfox, seeing that it was time to stop, didn't tease her further and smoothly changed the subject:
“Alright, I'll stop teasing you. Come on, I'll show you around town so you can get familiar with the environment, and I'll help you level up while we're at it.”
“Really? That's awesome!” Chinatsu's Song's eyes lit up, instantly tossing the embarrassing photo session to the back of her mind.
“Yup, let's go.”
...
The streets of Player Town were bustling with people, filled with lively chatter.
A large number of new players who had just joined the game were weaving through the streets. Most of them were taking on town construction quests, carrying stones and timber, and turning in building materials in exchange for experience.
The veteran players from the first beta had already formed parties and rushed into the newly unlocked fifty-kilometer area to grind monsters and explore.
Of course, there were also quite a few newbies who wanted to fight monsters. They teamed up in groups of two or three to head deep into the forest. However, most chose to stay in town and slowly accumulate experience, just like the players in the first beta did.
“Little Chinatsu, look over there,” Energetic Foxfox said in a crisp voice, pointing toward the Temple Square. “That's the spawn point, which is where you just appeared. You'll also need to come here when you advance your class later.”
“The place where I just appeared?” Chinatsu's Song looked blank, her head tilting slightly.
Seeing her dazed look, Energetic Foxfox put a hand to her forehead in exasperation. “Right there. See that giant angel statue?”
“Oh, oh! I see it!” Chinatsu's Song followed her finger and saw the magnificent, holy angel statue. Her expression suddenly grew excited. “That's the statue of the Goddess, right?!”
“That's right.” Energetic Foxfox's eyes curved. “You must have seen the Goddess herself when you created your character and logged in, right? Wasn't she super stunning?”
“Mmhmm! The Goddess is absolutely beautiful!” Chinatsu's Song's small face was full of starry admiration. “I like her so much!”
She then asked eagerly, “Will I be able to see the Goddess again in the future?”
Energetic Foxfox shook her head slightly. “You can't see her directly during normal gameplay. You only get a chance to see the Goddess if you trigger a main story quest or a special hidden storyline.”
“Ah... What a pity.” Chinatsu's eyes drooped, her face full of disappointment.
“Look at these rows of houses around us.” Energetic Foxfox shifted her gaze and pointed to the clusters of courtyards along the street. “Many of them were built by our guild. Of course, there are also cottages built by solo players, but their looks are a far cry from what our guild produces.”
“Guild?” Chinatsu blinked, looking puzzled. “Sister Foxfox, have you already joined a guild?”
“Yup, our guild is called Rose Heart.” Energetic Foxfox raised her chin proudly. “Want to join me? I'll help you become a wealthy player in the game! That little courtyard I live in was built by the guild. I only contributed a few building materials.”
Chinatsu's Song asked hesitantly, “Are there a lot of rules and restrictions if I join a guild? I prefer to be free and easy.”
“There are almost no restrictions,” Energetic Foxfox explained patiently. “Just help out with some town construction quests when you have time, and you can get free experience to level up. At the end of every week and month, the guild also distributes Merit Points as dividends. You won't be forced to go out and fight monsters or PvP at all.”
“So that's how it is! Then I want to join! I want to be with Sister Foxfox!” Chinatsu's Song immediately nodded vigorously.
“Then there's no time to lose. Let's go to the guild headquarters first. I'll ask Sister Bing Lin to invite you directly.”
...
At the same time, on the outskirts of Starfall Forest.
Five players wearing flashy equipment were surrounding and attacking a giant beast over two meters long.
It was a rock-armored boar, its entire body covered in a hard, thick, grayish-brown shell. Its mouth was filled with sharp, menacing tusks, and its heavy breathing made the surrounding grass rustle violently.
“Oink, snort—!!” The rock-armored boar roared, lowering its head and charging straight at the Knight player holding a giant shield.
The Knight player's expression tightened, and he shouted, “Quick, give me a shield!”
“OK, OK, coming!”
A pale blue energy barrier instantly enveloped him.
Bang—!!
The heavy body of the boar slammed hard against the shield, the loud impact ringing in everyone's ears.
The Knight player's feet plowed two deep furrows into the ground. He was pushed back repeatedly, gritting his teeth to withstand the impact, lock-stepping into a stalemate with the boar.
The Mage and Ranger in the back row immediately seized the opening. The Mage raised his staff, magic power churning at its tip, while the Ranger drew his bowstring, condensing a fiery red magic arrow.
“Fireball!”
“Flaming Arrow!”
The two attacks howled through the air and slammed into the rock-armored boar, blowing open two scorched wounds. Dark blood flowed out from the cracks in its shell.
The rock-armored boar let out a painful squeal.
“Now's the time! Cross Slash!”
A Knight player holding a long sword, who had been waiting for an opportunity, seized the opening. He stepped forward and unleashed an X-shaped intersecting sword light, precisely striking the monster's wounded spot.
“It hit!” the Knight player cried out in joy.
But in the next second, disaster struck.
The rock-armored boar did not fall. Instead, it suddenly burst with strength, directly tossing aside the shield-bearing player. It turned its thick head and charged straight at him.
“Holy crap?!”
The next moment, he felt the entire world spin. The rock-armored boar rammed its head right into his butt, throwing him into the air like a ragdoll. In his vision, the blue sky and white clouds flipped rapidly.
“Ouch, my butt!!”
He spun a full turn and a half in the air before landing face-first on the ground. At the same time, a “Bleeding” debuff popped up on his status panel.
The Knight player screamed in pain, frantically rolling and dodging to the side. He held his face with one hand and clutched a bloody gash on his butt with the other, yelling:
“Can you guys stop just watching?! Help me out here!!”
“Hahaha! That's what you get for trying to steal the last hit! Deserved!” The Mage player laughed so hard he could barely hold his staff. “That parabola of yours was practically art. I took a screenshot.”
“You fucking screenshotted it?! Delete it!!”
“No way, I already posted it in the group chat.”
“Dammit—!”
The other Ranger player was also laughing so hard he was out of breath, showing absolutely no teammate love.
“What are you laughing at?! Quickly crowd-control it! Otherwise, my butt is going to get split open again!” the Knight player yelled in exasperation as he hopped and scrambled backward.
“Alright, alright, here it comes.”
Suppressing his laughter, the Mage player raised his staff. “Entangle!”
Several thick vines instantly shot out from the ground, tightly wrapping around the rock-armored boar's limbs like snakes. The wild boar struggled frantically, pulling the vines taut until they creaked, looking as if they were about to snap at any moment.
“Holy crap, they're breaking already?!” The Knight player's face turned pale, and he scrambled to retreat.
Just a second before the vines were about to snap.
From the shadows nearby, a black figure quietly darted out.
The cold gleam of a blade flashed, fast as a bolt of black lightning.
“Shadow Blade.”
A cool voice echoed, and the blade was already back in its sheath.
The rock-armored boar's struggling came to an abrupt halt.
In the next second, its massive head slid off its neck and rolled onto the ground with a thud. Its colossal body crashed down, turning into rich experience points.
The entire area fell silent for two seconds.
“Holy crap! Captain, you're amazing!”
“That was so cool! As expected of a former professional player, that damage timing was incredibly precise!”
The party members immediately showered him with praise.
The person in the shadows slowly stood up. He had black hair, purple eyes, and a cold, handsome face. The long blade in his hand still bore a faint trace of blood.
His game ID was Silent Rain.
He cast a cold glance at the wild monster on the ground, which was already turning into ashes, his voice devoid of emotion. “Keep moving forward. Don't waste time.”
“Understood!”
Rate on N.U.
