Chapter 26: Secret Longings

[Main Quest 2: Satisfy Them]

[Quest Description: Do you know the deepest, most hidden desire of your target? Find out what they most long for, and fulfill it! Go spend a wonderful weekend together!]

[Mission countdown begins—]

[36:00:00—]

[35:59:59—]

[35:59:58—]

...

The mission lasted a total of thirty-six hours. It was now eight o’clock on Saturday morning, meaning the players needed to complete the mission by eight o’clock on Sunday night and return to the refresh point within the settlement countdown.

In other words, they had a whole night at their disposal…

Upon reading the mission description, the four people in the dormitory each had a different expression.

Huang Tao picked up his basketball, the muscles on his arms bulging as if he could crush it in his grip.

Shao Ling made a strange whimpering sound in his throat, frantically searching the system for protective measures suitable for special occasions.

The chubby one, comforted by the [Safety Bubble] in his inventory, managed a slightly calmer look, but as memories of the homeroom teacher's cane surfaced, he couldn't help but burst into tears.

Only Wen Nan remained calm, lips curving in a faintly cheerful smile.

This kind of mission was exactly what he wished for.

As Main Quest 2 officially began, all four livestream rooms in the corresponding [Community] of the trial zone lit up simultaneously.

In an instant, [Night Nine’s Stream] surged past twenty thousand viewers, and the bullet screen exploded—

[Here we go!]

[It's live!]

[Finally! You made us wait so long!]

[Night Nine! How could I live without you, Night Nine!]

[The main quest is out? Wuhu! A whole day and night, we’re in for a show!]

[Wait a minute, why is the streamer’s equipment reserve so full?]

[What the—! It's nothing but nutrient supplements, sleeping capsules, safety bubbles, and attribute experience cards! Does the streamer have an equipment hoarding compulsion?]

[No, hang on, what’s that in the bottom right corner of the equipment bar? Am I seeing things?!]

[Holy—!]

[Holy, holy, holy, holy!]

[Could that be the legendary…?]

[Staff Fragment! Soul of the Replica!]

[Unbelievable! This is just the trial zone map, how could such top-tier gear drop here?!]

[What exactly happened last night?]

[Damn it, why is the stream closed after mission settlement! We missed the master’s brilliant moments!]

[The legendary Staff Fragment (◔ิω◔ิ), this is my first time seeing one.]

[Me too. I’d only seen it in guides and thought it was just a gimmick, that it didn’t really exist.]

[Stop staring, screenshot it!]

[This is a moment for the records—by association, I too have touched a Staff Fragment!]

[But it’s just the start of the trial zone and you get a replica fragment. Not much to use it on here, right? The best gear is the [Safety Bubble], you’re not going to copy a [Safety Bubble], are you?]

[For sure, just keep it and take it out of the map.]

[Right. For gear of this level, it isn’t map-restricted. Once it’s bound to a player account, you can bring it anywhere in the game world.]

[If it were me, I’d hoard it and, when I get to a top-tier map, use it to copy a super-powerful piece of gear with the shortest lifespan.]

[You’re dreaming. First, you’d need the ability to survive that far.]

[I definitely couldn’t, but someone like Night Nine surely has no problem.]

...

...

In the dormitory, the bell for morning exercises began to ring.

It was Saturday, and while there were technically no classes, as seniors they had to attend an extra half-day. Morning exercises, however, were voluntary.

Huang Tao and Shao Ling headed off to the sports field one after the other, leaving only the chubby one and Wen Nan in the dorm.

The chubby one sidled up with a grin. “Boss, where are you headed?”

Wen Nan clearly had no intention of joining the exercises; with his hands in his pockets, he strolled out leisurely. “Just going to wander around the campus.”

Hearing this, the chubby one’s face changed slightly.

He had no wish to wander the campus—every nook and cranny hid female ghosts. But he’d resolved to stick close to Wen Nan, and seeing the lucky star about to disappear from view, he gritted his teeth and hurried after him.

By day, the campus wasn’t quite as eerie as at night, but not by much.

The entire place was empty—no one in sight. At night, the darkness at least offered some cover, but now, under the harsh daylight, the path from the dormitory to the classroom building was strewn with blackish-red blood stains, pools of animal corpses crushed to pulp and smeared into the ground, fur and viscera tangled together.

In the flowerbeds, several pieces of exercise equipment stood rusted, creaking and groaning as they moved with no wind.

The chubby one looked all around, trembling, his teeth chattering, inching closer and closer to Wen Nan until he practically pressed himself against him.

Wen Nan tolerated it for a while, then finally stopped and turned to look at him. “It’s so hot out, aren’t you uncomfortable sticking so close?”

The chubby one whispered, “Boss, isn’t this campus… super creepy? Aren’t you scared?”

Wen Nan glanced around and shrugged. “Not really. I think it’s fine.”

The chubby one stared at Wen Nan in disbelief, a new sense of admiration rising within him—this, surely, was the difference between a pro and a newbie. Such courage, such composure—impressive!

He was about to add a few more words of flattery when, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a long-haired figure in white. Startled out of his wits, he bolted, crying, “Mama! Help!”

Wen Nan watched the chubby one’s fleeing silhouette, then turned back to see another familiar figure approaching.

“Night Nine,” Wu Yuwei stopped in front of him. “Can we… talk again?”

Wen Nan considered for a moment, then shook his head. “There’s nothing left to say. I made myself clear yesterday.”

“You…” Wu Yuwei’s eyes reddened, tears glimmering. “I waited for you all night, just to talk for a moment, and you won’t even give me that chance?”

Wen Nan shook his head. “I told you, we’re not right for each other.”

Tears blurred Wu Yuwei’s vision, threatening to fall at any moment. She trembled as she pressed on, “Are you really… going to treat me this way? How could you… be so heartless?”

Wen Nan’s expression was indifferent, his words cold. “I don’t like you. Forced love doesn’t taste sweet. Don’t cling to me anymore.”

With that, he stepped around Wu Yuwei and headed straight for the classroom building.

Wu Yuwei’s tearful voice called out behind him, “Night Nine! You’ll regret this!”

Wen Nan didn’t look back, the corners of his mouth slowly lifting.

9527: [Congratulations, your affection rating with Xiao Wei has surpassed 90%!]

9527: [You’ve triggered a new side story—Xiao Wei’s Obsession.]

9527: [You’ll be awarded 100 additional attribute points, to be tallied at the end of the trial.]

As the system notification faded, black mist once again shrouded the campus of No. 7 High…