The tunnels deep underground were silent—no wind, no movement, only an all-consuming stillness.
"Awooo... There's no one here, Master. Did you see it wrong? That old witch was shaking with fear; I bet she won't dare come back," Da Piaoliang muttered, craning its neck and sniffing the stale air.
Ye Shux brushed her fingers through the unruly fur of her feline companion, her voice cold as ice. "Come out now, or I'll kill you."
"Oh dear! So you did notice me, sis."
From around the corner, someone emerged. Ye Shux recognized him immediately—it was the gloomy young man they'd passed on the road last time.
"Why are you following me?"
Her tone was openly hostile. The delicate angles of her face were sharpened as she glared at him, her knuckles tapping a warning rhythm on the hilt of her peachwood sword.
"Sis, it's a misunderstanding—just a big misunderstanding! I swear, I wasn't trying to sneak after you. I just happened to pass by, and then, well, I witnessed... that spectacular scene!"
"Besides, my name is Lin Qing. I'd like to team up with you, if you'll have me."
Lin Qing's eyes glistened as they looked at Ye Shux, bright and eager, like a puppy begging for affection.
"Lin. Qing." The name... Ye Shux couldn't help but compare it to someone else's. It carried the same sense of irritation. Equally bothersome!
The boy had pleasant enough features, but was so unremarkable—so plain, in fact, that he could blend into any crowd, invisible and unmemorable.
Ye Shux realized she couldn't quite recall his face, even after having seen him twice. Her physical abilities had been enhanced—she might not have perfect recall, but remembering a face shouldn't be so difficult.
And yet, this Lin Qing was like a blur—she forgot him the instant she looked away.
In the dim, flickering light, Ye Shux let her gaze slip toward him, feigning nonchalance. A steely glint flickered in her eyes. She made a mental note: if necessary, she’d have to investigate Lin Qing. Perhaps he was tied to the strange survival game in some way.
"Why me?" she asked, her voice sharp.
"Because... you're strong, sis. And you seem like a good person. My gut tells me so!"
That gave Ye Shux pause. She stared in surprise—"a good person." No one had ever complimented her that way before. Could that be considered praise?
"Sis, you haven't told me your name yet."
"Ye Xiaoshu."
"Also, you may stay nearby, but do not come any closer to me."
Satisfied with her reply, Lin Qing's obsidian eyes sparkled, bursting with excitement like a child who'd just been given candy. "Then please take care of me over the next thirty days! I'll protect myself and never cause you trouble, sis!"
"Sis, is this your pet cat? If you like cats, I know of even better ones at home."
Lin... Lin Qing!!
Da Piaoliang's fur bristled once more. When had this brat been hiding in the shadows? It hadn't even noticed! And why was its master entertaining the pointless suggestions of this undergrown human? Want to replace him—how dare he!
Darkly, Da Piaoliang squirmed in Ye Shux’s arms, trying to retort, but when its glare met Lin Qing’s smiling, unfathomable eyes, a chill of fear swept through it. Its bravado evaporated.
This feeling... Even scarier than Lin Qingyue! Not even on the verge of death had fear gripped it so tightly.
This player is dangerous—Master shouldn't have agreed at all.
Ye Shux had long since muted Da Piaoliang’s mental protests; the cat spirit was just too mouthy. With all her time spent training or venturing through dungeons, she could hardly handle its constant chatter.
"Careful not to cross the line, Lin Qing. There won’t be a next time," Ye Shux warned, kneading Da Piaoliang’s paws and shooting Lin Qing a cold glance. She was starting to regret letting this boy tag along.
"I'm sorry, sis. It won't happen again."
Lin Qing apologized in a hurry, trying to look innocent even as a flicker of darkness crept into his eyes when he glanced at Da Piaoliang.
That strange familiar... It was more important to Ye Shux than he’d thought. He’d have to come up with a way to get rid of it—but that would upset Ye Shux!
Da Piaoliang climbed onto Ye Shux’s shoulder, its emerald eyes locked fiercely on Lin Qing. As a supernatural creature, its instincts were sharp: Lin Qing had obvious hostility toward it. Was he trying to get close because of Master?
Thinking things over, its gaze inadvertently met Lin Qing’s bottomless black pupils. The tiger's body shivered; it was instantly too terrified to keep thinking.
Had he really been staring the whole time? That look was terrifying. Was he planning to kill it?
Ye Shux ignored the tension between spirit and human, sitting down and closing her eyes to rest. The subterranean world was forever wrapped in darkness, making it impossible to tell day from night.
What’s more, time itself seemed odd here—each day grew shorter, she realized, a detail that had only become obvious these last two days.
That meant fewer and fewer resources. More lanterns—she’d need more of them!
Right now, she had only eight low-tier lanterns, three mid-tier, and a single high-tier lantern—just barely enough to last another ten days or so.
She hadn’t even had the chance to mine crystals for the day.
Groaning, Ye Shux sprawled on the cold ground a moment before finally rousing herself. With shovel in hand, she picked methodically at the cave floor.
"Crack—"
The hard earth split with a sharp sound, dust rising as Ye Shux worked. In just a few strikes, she carved out a hole wide enough for an adult to crawl through.
With flashlight in hand, Ye Shux searched the chamber deftly, only managing to scavenge a single ordinary crystal.
The second tunnel: ordinary crystal.
Third tunnel: another ordinary crystal.
Fourth: nothing at all.
Fifth... also nothing.
Of ten caves, she found only three shabby ordinary crystals.
It was, without a doubt, the worst luck Ye Shux had had since entering the game.
She fused the three into one low-grade crystal and toyed with it distractedly, shooting a glance at Lin Qing, who was feverishly digging away in the corner.
She still didn't know why this boy was clinging to her—but so far, he hadn't done anything out of line.
Ye Shux’s eyes fluttered shut as she waited—for the sound of footsteps to approach. When they did, she opened her eyes, just as Lin Qing dashed up to her, standing right in front with a wide smile.
"Didn't I tell you—" she started to say, but then her eyes widened in shock. Her gaze zeroed in on the pile of crystals in Lin Qing's arms. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Handfuls of... high-grade crystals?
This kid's luck was outrageous!
Five days into this hellhole, and she’d found only one high-tier crystal—anything else she had, she'd produced by fusing lesser ones with her power.
"Ye-jie, these are for you!"
"That's not necessary..."
"I always dig up tons of stuff from these caves—hundreds most days. Today it's only a dozen pieces."
Lin Qing beamed, face radiant and guileless, not a hint of ill-will in sight.
Ye Shux, who had meant to refuse: "............"
Hundreds of what? High-tier crystals?
No wonder he was so nonchalant!
If that old wretch Pang Tong were here, he’d be able to see this kid’s aura; Ye Shux could already guess Lin Qing’s luck must surpass even Pang’s infamous fortune.
Just a few hours ago, Pang Tong had sent a string of whiny complaints—he was only finding low- and mid-tier crystals, but at least every cave yielded more than one, making it easy to exchange for lanterns and other supplies.
Ye Shux had been secretly jealous, but now, comparing Lin Qing’s haul, Pang’s luck seemed almost pitiful.
"Sis, please, take these. Can I follow you?"
Lin Qing watched her hopefully, eyes bright and wet as if he were about to cry.
Da Piaoliang spat mentally—this green tea boy was still putting on an act in front of its master. It was boiling with emotion inside, but on the surface, it dared not show a hint of it.