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Chapter 107 - One Hundred and Five: ".

Chapter 107: Chapter One Hundred and Five: ".

As the Number One Player with the most attention, who would have thought his post count to this day remains a clean "zero".

It’s as if he didn’t know how to use the posting system at all, silent in the face of any storm, leaving people outside to rack their brains and chatter away to no end.

"It’s to complete a task," Su Ming’an still remembered his task for advancing to Second Rank—one post with at least a hundred million in popularity.

He pressed the "Send" button.

"Ding-dong!"

"Ding-dong!"

The alert from "Special Attention" rang simultaneously by the ears of Yu Ruohuo and Lv Shu, and at the same time, on the twenty thousand Main God Plazas, countless people, nearly 900 million of Su Ming’an’s followers, also heard this notification sound of a "Player Post".

They opened the World Forum, and there in the Following section, they saw the clear ID of [Su Ming’an].

That ID was dazzling gold, beside it was the golden symbol of World Rank One, the bright white label of Number One Player, and three little stars signifying a Perfect Pass.

"Su Ming’an... made a post?"

People instantly got excited, they couldn’t wait to open the post, eager to see what earth-shattering words the Number One Player, who could easily provoke a world tide, would say under such tense circumstances—

...

[Su Ming’an: .]

...

At the very top of the World Forum, a post’s popularity skyrocketed in an instant.

A simple period, plain and unadorned, without any substantive content, carried a sense of begrudging business obligation.

The people were stunned; they clicked on this post, not understanding what the Number One Player meant by this.

"This is a silent declaration of war; the Number One Player is declaring war on Edward and his crew!" interpreted some supporters.

"...Could it be he’s so disappointed with us that he has nothing to say?"

"To hell with his theories! This is clearly a proof of being speechless! He’s admitting that he’s a stooge for the organizers!"

"A simple period, reflecting the Number One Player’s psyche and attitude toward the world’s opinion waves. With the most elementary punctuation, he proved to us that he doesn’t care about our views. The round period expresses his pursuit and yearning for the sole Lighthouse, and together with his post count, it ironically highlights his disdain and scorn for what we think is our self-righteous discussion..."

"...Why do I feel a familiar sense? The taste of passive business?"

"I don’t know what Su Ming’an is thinking, I remember he was quite talkative, why just a period?"

"Couldn’t it be that he made a mistake and sent it out..."

"Edward issued a declaration of war, he said he will make Su Ming’an kneel and beg for mercy in the Fourth World."

"Edward is indeed very strong... I don’t even know how his values suddenly soared so high..."

"What is the Fourth World about? A competitive world for only twelve players? Can we bet on who the winner will be?"

"The betting shop has already started betting pools, and there’s also a system interface; it seems like an official game bet..."

"I’m betting everything on Noel! If he doesn’t win, I’ll stand on my head and wash my hair..."

"..."

Yu Ruohuo looked at the simple response from Su Ming’an and was momentarily at a loss.

"Su Ming’an... what exactly are you thinking?" she said.

She looked up to see Su Ming’an also browsing the World Forum, feeling that she might never be able to understand him in this lifetime.

Su Ming’an looked at the post he had just made.

The popularity had just started and successfully broke a hundred million, quickly soaring to even greater heights.

...Task completed.

He turned off the World Forum with satisfaction and pulled up his personal interface.

[All promotion tasks completed!]

[You have been promoted to (Second Rank One) Player.]

[Second Rank One Players enjoy the following privileges: increased odds of receiving additional side quests, increased NPC favorability, extra experience bonus! The Main God Store has more props available!]

[You are the first player to be promoted to (Second Rank One). Would you like to broadcast this throughout the entire game?]

[You’ve earned the honor of (Second Rank Pioneer): Congratulations, Ruler.]

[You’ve received 40 Honor Points.]

[Combat Power: 695+35]

"Announce it," Su Ming’an said as he opened the Main God Store, curious about what had been updated within.

Yu Ruohuo was watching Su Ming’an.

She had a vague guess at the truth.

...It seemed that he truly didn’t care about what these people had to say about him, and posting was merely a means to complete his mission, leaving a trail of mysteries for others to argue and speculate over.

The existence at the very center of the world’s torrents, his every move magnified infinitely.

Maybe he was no longer concerned about these things.

...

The Main God Plazas with the smaller numbers are the most coveted, either designated military and political strongholds or planned as enclaves for the wealthy. The cost of living here is generally high, but naturally, there are plenty of good things to be found. Only those of Zhai Xing’s original status and powerful players with plenty of Points to their names could afford to live here.

In a teahouse at Main God Plaza Three, by the window in a prestigious seat, sat two ladies of no ordinary standing.

The fragrance of tea wafted in front of them.

The woman with jet-black hair took a delicate sip of her tea without lifting her eyelids.

Across from her sat a young girl, fiddling with her coat, looking carefree and casual, her brown curly hair framing a face of natural novel heroine beauty, exuding clear and confident allure. However, her posture was sloppy, and her exaggerated earrings chimed as they swayed with her movements.

"Sora, Sora, big sis Mizushima Kawa, my dear sister!" The girl wobbled back and forth as if sitting on a rocking chair, though she was actually on a cushion. She giggled, seemingly impervious to annoyance, fixing her lovely eyes on Mizushima Kawa Sora before her: "Big sis, you could at least pay me some attention. After all, it’s not easy for Qingqing to get a chance to see you, and yet you’re still so cold..."

Mizushima Kawa Sora set down her teacup with a light sigh, "Sit properly."

"Heeheehee—" Mizushima Haru twirled her teacup in her hand, making ripples in the tea: "Big sis is still like this... But it’s alright, isn’t it? Even if you’re always so aloof and unapproachable, there must be someone you care about, right?"

A moment of bewilderment flickered in Mizushima Kawa Sora’s eyes.

And the next moment, the girl’s probing gaze shot towards her, the deep blackness almost startling her.

"You’re hesitating," Mizushima Haru’s voice was low. "Big sis, you’re not immediately denying it like before... After the World Game began, since Qingqing left your side, big sis has found someone new to care about."

"I..." Mizushima Kawa Sora began.

"It’s okay, it’s okay~"

The girl, who had been looking extremely somber, suddenly revealed a sunny smile, as if the danger from moments ago had never existed. She raised her hand, her smile warm and enthusiastic: "—After all, we can guess who it is, right? The Fourth World, those people, those who have been in contact with big sis, those who have cursed big sis... I will leave none behind, I’ll eliminate them all—since Qingqing is ranked twelfth on the World List and qualifies for entry, there won’t be any strange people around big sis from now on..."

"Be normal," Mizushima Kawa Sora tapped her on the head. "Don’t be careless; the other ten players are very strong."

"Awoo." Mizushima Haru covered her head and made a strange noise, her eyes welling with tears as she looked pitifully at Mizushima Kawa Sora, her expression the picture of innocence. But her words were chilling:

"...Anyway, it’s okay, because getting rid of the strange people around big sis, I’ve done it before, especially that weirdo calling himself Lighthouse, not so strong... and daring to get so close to big sis! Sooner or later, sooner or later, I’ll skin him alive..."

"..." Mizushima Kawa Sora’s brows furrowed slightly.

"Ding-dong!"

An abrupt system notification sounded in their ears.

Mizushima Haru’s eyes lit up.

"Oh dear." She switched her demeanor in a split second as if possessed by another persona, pretending to be startled and covering her mouth, but the teasing in her eyes could not be fully concealed:

"...That hateful guy... seems to have come to scare us again, Sister," Mizushima Kawa Sora opened the system panel.

She heard a bland announcement from the system’s voice:

"Congratulations—Player Su Ming’an has become the first to advance to the (Second Rank) Level Player!

Adorned with honor, crowned with glory, billions of beings cheer for him!"

Mizushima Kawa Sora’s hand, which had been touching her teacup, paused,

and then, her eyebrows slightly furrowed.

...

"Pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft..."

In the cramped room, Yu Ruohuo awkwardly turned around to heat water with the electric kettle from her backpack, surrounded by steam, making a "pfft" sound.

She wanted to find a place to lean on for a while but found that Su Ming’an’s personal space didn’t even have a sofa, just a small bed which was already taken by Lv Shu who sat down on it. She tried to turn around to place a chair but could barely fit, almost leaning against the wall.

"You really need someone to take care of you," Yu Ruohuo sighed, and after a thought, she simply sat down on the floor.

Su Ming’an was munching on chocolate to replenish his physical strength, noncommittal.

...But Yu Ruohuo clearly read a "goodbye" in the act.

This guy seemed eager to push her away again.

She should have been angry, but thinking of Su Ming’an’s mental state from before, worry surged in her heart.

"Where are your parents?" she asked, "If not for your own sake, at least consider them a little. I bought a house for my dad who entered the game in a less crowded and more comfortable area so he can live more comfortably. You’re the Number One Player after all. You can’t be lacking in Points... Living in such a cramped small room like you’re some corporate slave working for the game organizers..."

Su Ming’an didn’t respond to her, looking at the Main God store interface in front of him.

Previously, he had only ever bought Blood Bottles for restoring health from here and hadn’t paid attention to anything else.

The Main God store was like a big supermarket, offering various life necessities. Nearly everything available on Zhai Xing could be bought here, and that too at extremely low Points prices. It was no wonder players preferred not to leave this comfort for a harsh life.

Besides life necessities, there were Blood Bottles for restoring health, Blood Bottles for restoring Blue Energy, Guild banners for forming guilds, Teleportation Formations following Players, miscellaneous Props like Challenge Letters that were not very helpful in combat.

The store also sold some weapon Equipment, but these were standard items, such as "Fine Longsword," "Excellent Armor," with uniform attributes and names, without any attached Skills, purely for adding to one’s four dimensions.

He noticed that after advancing to Second Rank, he had unlocked a new area for purchase. When he clicked to see it, he found three new slots opened.

[Occupation Evolution Gem (Small) (Points: 50/each)]

[Pet Evolution Gem (Small) (Points: 30/each)]

[Occupation Points (Points: 20/point)]

These seemed to be slots opened specifically for individual Players. Su Ming’an currently had 198 Points, and he first spent 80 Points to buy a pair of standard lower body Equipment to fill the empty equipment slot.

...

[Standard Boots (Green Level): Standard Equipment from the Main God store, only the unfortunate who can’t find Equipment would buy it.

Defensive Power: 5

Durability: 10/10

Equipment Requirement: None

Special Attributes: None]

...

[Combat Power: 730+10]

...

He planned to save the remaining 118 Points, just in case.

Being able to respawn after death didn’t mean invincibility; he could have respawned at a moment that left him powerless to change anything. For example, the time right after the end of the Third World, in a room filled with explosives—if he died, it would lead to an endless loop of respawning... and there was also the World Chessboard of the First World... Despite his reluctance to recall, Yuanyuan’s eyes, ironing despair and hope together, still burned into him.

One more clone, one more life; he needed to preserve at least one opportunity to respawn a clone.

He closed the Main God shop and heard Yu Ruohuo calling him:

"—Su Ming’an, Su Ming’an, can you hear me talking?"

"?" Su Ming’an lifted his head.

"I mean, I can give you points to decorate your personal space, or how about buying a house directly in the city district? My stand-alone villa with a garden is just 40 points..." Yu Ruohuo brushed her ear-splitting hair with a somewhat coy gesture: "...Or if you don’t want that, you could stay at my place... I’m pretty good at cooking, and if you have any psychological stress, you can talk to me about it..."

"Then I want to live there too." Lv Shu, who was sprawled on the bed, suddenly raised his hand.

"...You aren’t actually invited," Yu Ruohuo said in a low voice.

"No way, you don’t seem like a good person; I must prevent you from getting too close to Su Ming’an." Lv Shu, with his straightforward male tone, didn’t mind Yu Ruohuo’s face: "Letting you in was already generous, don’t push your luck."

"You, you! You’re the one pushing your luck, okay!" Yu Ruohuo’s face turned crimson, a fiery red amongst the pale: "This is Su Ming’an’s personal space, not yours! What gives you the right to act like the owner and talk to me like that! Even if you, Lv Shu, are a big shot on the leaderboard... I won’t be polite!"

"Su Ming’an is a good person. You’re not," Lv Shu deflected lightly. "I can help Su Ming’an in the Fourth World. You cannot."

"What, what’s it to you!" Yu Ruohuo was fuming, red-faced.

"So noisy..." Su Ming’an covered his head: "Out, you’re in the way of my routine nap."

Every time he returned from a world, he took a nap, but now he was entangled in a bunch of matters, and Lv Shu had even taken his bed.

"I have nowhere else to go," Lv Shu said.

"At least come down, don’t occupy my sleeping spot," Su Ming’an said.

Lv Shu slid off the bed and sat on the floor.

For some reason, Yu Ruohuo recollected a well-known comment about Lv Shu from the World Forum:

[He has the ability but insists on being a lickspittle.]

She felt an inexplicable sense of crisis.

"...Are you still not leaving?" Su Ming’an looked at Yu Ruohuo, who was still standing.

"I, my water hasn’t boiled yet!" Yu Ruohuo came up with a terrible excuse, but she absolutely couldn’t let these two men be alone together.

"Whatever."

Su Ming’an tossed her the Sword of Yarman, Cold Shadow Stone, Moonstone, Red Claws, and the Crimson Claw from his backpack.

"If you have time, go sell this claw for me. Any extra points and these forging materials can be used to repair this sword," he said, then covered himself with the blanket.

A deep sense of exhaustion engulfed him instantly.

"You..." Yu Ruohuo was somewhat vexed—did he really see her as a mere errand runner?

But seeing Su Ming’an’s tired expression, the angry words she had at the tip of her tongue receded.

She looked at the Crimson Claw in her hand: "...A Blue Level weapon? I’ll sell it at the auction. It’s quite valuable."

"Good."

Su Ming’an casually gave her the permission to enter and exit the place; he sensed that his three followers had already shaken off Edward and were now waiting for his command in a Main God Plaza.

Because their armor was too conspicuous, it attracted the attention of many players, and they were photographed and discussed frantically by players like three statues.

Su Ming’an didn’t want to use them for the time being, and the reason he hadn’t allowed his followers to kill Edward and the others was the same.

Once he started really killing people, it would mean something entirely different.

He absolutely, absolutely wouldn’t become an accomplice of the organizers.

...For now, it was merely a temporary expedient.