What a terrifying woman!
Although it was a bit terrifying⊠it was undeniably adorable! Keeping a straight face, Mu Xuetong extended her arms and hugged Ye Lan tightly.
"Xiao Lan, I finally found you!"
"Huh? Is that you, Xuetong?"
Realizing it was Mu Xuetong hugging her, Ye Lan relaxed her fists and let out a sigh of relief.
Given her current level, if that punch had landed, it likely would have seriously injured or incapacitated her. The attack power of a level 5 beastkin was no small matter.
She now fully understood why sheâd been given a debuff reducing her strength outside of combat. Without it, her life would be⊠complicated to say the least.
"Let go of me, I canât breathe!"
Ye Lan wriggled a few times in Mu Xuetongâs embrace. Embarrassed, Mu Xuetong quickly released her and stepped back, scratching the back of her head with a sheepish smile.
"Sorry, sorry, I just got too excited. Iâll be more careful next time!" she laughed, clasping her hands together in an apologetic gesture.
Hearing mention of a next time Ye Lan frowned, crossed her arms, and replied with a pout "There wonât be a next time! Enough with the hugs! Iâm not a toy!"
Upon hearing this, Mu Xuetongâs face filled with panic.
"How can you say that?! Without you, Xiao Lan, I donât know how I could survive in this new world! Ye Lan, without you, I wouldnât have even a shred of will to keep going!"
With sincere, pleading eyes, she looked intently at Ye Lan, hands clasped together.
Seeing the genuine emotion in Mu Xuetongâs expression, Ye Lan felt her heart soften without realizing it. Without me, she has no will to live?
Why was her heart racing so much? Wait⊠did this count as a confession? And was she even supposed to be a girl right now? Ye Lanâs lips trembled as she awkwardly turned her head to the side, giving in just a little.
"Is it really that serious? Fine, fine⊠do what you want" she said with a pout.
"Great!"
Overjoyed, Mu Xuetong hugged her tightly again. Ye Lan, practically gasping for air, lifted her head and began tapping Mu Xuetongâs shoulders in a weak attempt to escape.
âDefinitely⊠definitely donât get this close again!â
âŠ
"Cough, cough! Letâs set some ground rules" Ye Lan said, her face flushed as she extended her hand.
"You canât get too close to me, no hugging, and no restricting my freedom. If you can agree to this... then... maybe, just maybe, I might let you hold my handâŠ"
Without a secondâs hesitation, Mu Xuetong took Ye Lanâs hand, gently intertwining their fingers. A shiver ran through Ye Lan as her furry ears perked up in surprise.
"Could you not be such a pervert?"
"Xiao Lan, Iâm being perfectly normal. Now, if it were a guy here instead of me... who knows... hehe (ÂșïčÂș)"
Ye Lan flinched. 'A guy? A guy? No, she didnât even want to imagine it! If it were a guy, she wouldnât be able to hold back from throwing a punch, especially now that she had this level of strength. Thankfully, fate had at least granted her the advantage of being a beastkin. If sheâd ended up as just a powerless loli... wellâŠ'
[Affection toward Mu Xuetong: +100]
âYouâre right. Good thing itâs you... Thanks for being there when I needed it mostâ she murmured without thinking.
Mu Xuetong paused, then, with a soft sigh, smiled and, unable to contain herself, nuzzled her head against Ye Lanâs cheek, a touch of excitement lighting up her expression.
"Donât thank me! Iâm the one who should be grateful, Xiao Lan" Mu Xuetong said with genuine warmth in her voice.
"Iâm so happy I found you! My childhood dream of having a friend with animal ears has finally come true!"
Ye Lan felt a flicker of warmth in her chest, thinking it might be a genuine, heartfelt moment between them, until Mu Xuetongâs next words shattered the feeling entirely.
"Since weâre so close now, why donât we become girlfriends? I could be the 'dominant' one, and you the 'submissive'. Or, if youâd rather be the âdominantâ⊠I could go with that too!" she teased, flashing a mischievous grin.
[Affection toward Mu Xuetong: -200]
"Get away from me!" Ye Lan snapped, her face red with frustration.
Mu Xuetong ignored the outburst, tightening her hug as if Ye Lan were nothing more than a beloved plush doll. Ye Lan struggled, but with her strength dulled by the non-combatant debuff, escaping was futile.
Could it be⊠she was actually being overpowered by another girl? That didnât make sense! How could she do that without⊠the right tools?
Suddenly, footsteps echoed from deeper within the abandoned building. Both of them froze, turning their heads toward the sound.
"Someoneâs coming!"
They exchanged a quick glance, sharing a silent understanding, and pressed themselves against the wall, waiting in tense patience for the potential threat to pass by.
The footsteps grew louder, and Ye Lan clenched her fist while Mu Xuetong tightened her grip on her longsword.
Tap!
Tap!
Tap!Â
Tap!Â
Tap! Â
Tap! Â
"Itâs time!"
In perfect sync, Ye Lan and Mu Xuetong spun toward the approaching footsteps. The three figures froze, their eyes wide with shock as they leaped back, stumbling to the ground.
"WAIT! Stop! Itâs us!"
The three shouted in panic as Ye Lanâs fist and Mu Xuetongâs sword halted less than a meter from them. On closer inspection, they saw it was Suo Gang and his team.
"Oh, itâs you guys. Thought you were someone else" Mu Xuetong said, lowering her sword with a mocking smile.
"Didnât expect you to still be alive, Iâm honestly surprised"
Looking at the levels above their heads, she noticed they had barely reached level 15. Surviving this long at such a low level was impressive... although Ye Lanâs level 5 was in a league of its own compared to a humanâs level 5.
Suo Gang chuckled, a bit embarrassed. "Weâre not exactly front-line fighters. For a game like this, you need a little bit of this" he said, tapping his temple with a grin.
As Suo Gang pointed to his head, Mu Xuetong puffed out her cheeks, sensing this might be his subtle way of suggesting she didnât use hers often enough.
"All right, enough joking" Suo Gang continued, his tone shifting to a more serious note.
"Mu Xuetong, with your level, you must have realized by now⊠this game isnât as simple as it seemed"
'Not as simple as it seemed?'
Ye Lan tilted her head, not fully following, as Mu Xuetong, now with an uncharacteristic look of focus, began sharing everything sheâd gathered.
"So itâs an organized group, a mafia syndicateâŠ" Mu Xuetong explained.
"Theyâre no amateur, theyâre not just building a high-level combat force but also seem to have a strategic operation behind it all. We have about twenty minutes until the next location scan, and when that happens, weâll likely come face-to-face with them. We need to be ready⊠thoughâŠ"
Suo Gang stopped mid-sentence, a strange smile creeping onto his face. The other two members of his team exchanged knowing glances, and even Mu Xuetongâs lips curved into the same peculiar grin.
Standing alone, Ye Lan glanced nervously between them, a chill running down her spine.
'Could someone explain to me what youâre all smiling about?'Â she thought, feeling a growing sense of dread.
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