Volume Two, The Devil’s Game Chapter Forty-Four: Staying Behind to Say Hello

"Sweetheart Yueyue: Huh? Streamer, what are you doing? Why are you just standing there without moving?"

Lu Yi had been chatting with everyone for quite a while, yet he was still standing exactly where he had emerged. In fact, he had now sat down.

"It’s nothing. I'm waiting for the Guardian to respawn," Lu Yi said, his expression calm and indifferent.

"What!" A wave of shock instantly flooded the chat.

"Sweetheart Yiyi: Streamer, the Guardian must hate your guts right now. Are you actually waiting for it to come back?"

"I Am a Husky: Streamer, don't waste resources. You already said that going head-to-head with the Guardian doesn't end well."

"That may be true, but what happened before was just speculation," Lu Yi squinted at the ruined warehouse. "What if the Guardian’s evolution path has changed? For instance, what if it stops fragmenting and starts prioritizing durability instead? I need to weigh the Guardian’s capabilities."

"Sweetheart Yiyi: Ah, the Guardian is back."

"Sweetheart Yueyue: The tone, the attitude—it’s just like how he handled the previous one."

"I Am a Husky: I have that feeling too. I’m starting to think the streamer is the biggest variable in this game."

"Warmhearted Man: I can no longer predict where this is going."

"Gold Camel: Weighing it? Oh, are we going straight for a direct confrontation now?"

"Black Sand City Luo Liufeng: Damn, things are moving too fast. I can't keep up."

"Pestering Noble Lady: Right? A moment ago, you were hyping up the Guardian, and now you’re about to lock horns again."

"Black Phosphorus: I suspect the streamer is hyping up the Guardian just to enhance his own image."

"Phoenix: Black Phosphorus is right."

"Gold Camel: Very likely."

*Hey, hey, hey! What do you mean by "hyping up"? I'm just stating the facts!* Lu Yi grumbled to himself.

Lu Yi extended a finger, seemingly checking the direction, then made a gesture for silence. "Look, what have I found? There’s a Guardian about to respawn. We can try to capture it. Guardians help us complete achievements and earn rewards; they are rich in energy.

However, Guardians are not easy to deal with. Let’s approach it slowly from behind. Be careful not to let it notice us."

As he spoke, Lu Yi circled back toward the warehouse. On the ground, the core—shrouded in a light barrier—slowly gathered. Then, a stream of water flowed in from all sides, swirling around the core and gradually condensing into a human silhouette.

Lu Yi nodded. It seemed the skill tree hadn't changed.

"You detestable brat, daring to set your sights on my core!" the Guardian roared toward the direction where Lu Yi had been.

The Lu Yi the Guardian was shouting at simply reached calmly into the water and plucked out a piece of the core.

"Friends, I’ve got a piece of the Guardian's core. Time is tight, so don't dawdle—take a good look," Lu Yi said, waving the fragment around.

Clear cracks were visible on the surface. With a slight pressure from Lu Yi’s fingers, fine shards began to flake off.

"Scoundrel!" The Guardian flew into a rage, spinning around to deliver a swift hand-blade strike toward Lu Yi’s neck.

Lu Yi ducked, continuing to address the livestream, "Is there anyone who didn't see clearly?" He waved the core around again.

"Die!" The Guardian hurled a spiraling water sphere at Lu Yi’s back.

Lu Yi lunged forward, passing straight through the Guardian’s body.

"I think you've all seen it. Friends, this core is shattering quite quickly. If I hold it any longer, it’ll break apart completely and return to the Guardian’s body." As he spoke, Lu Yi crushed the fragment, and a surge of energy was absorbed into his left eye.

"Ah!" A roar of frustration erupted from behind Lu Yi. A notification sounded: "Guardian respawning. Respawn time: 4 minutes and 30 seconds."

Lu Yi tossed away the dim core fragments. Of course, he didn't really need to; the special force would pull them back into the light barrier anyway.

Clapping his hands, Lu Yi continued, "Based on my observations, we have confirmed that the Guardian is indeed evolving toward a fragmented form. Especially when I reached in, I could see the core, which was supposed to be a solid whole, splitting apart in an instant.

Hm? Friends, are you there? Why can't I hear from you?"

After a moment of silence in the headset, the chat flooded back.

"I Am a Husky: Tsk tsk, whenever the streamer goes wild, the Guardian suffers."

"A Fish: Poor Guardian. Last time the streamer took it out in seconds, and even then, he ran off. This time, he risked life and limb to kill it, and now he’s not even leaving. The Guardian was caught off guard and got pilfered just like that."

"Black Phosphorus: Streamer, how can you be so cruel? You’re performing live vivisection!"

Seeing the smiley face after Black Phosphorus’s comment, Lu Yi knew she wasn't actually accusing him of being cruel. He shrugged. "Can't help it. If the Guardian isn't alive, I can't get the core."

He sat down just two meters away.

"I Am a Husky: Whoa? Is this behavior what they call 'corpse camping'?"

"Sweetheart Yiyi: Ah? Streamer, are you trying to keep the Guardian from leaving the warehouse?"

"Phoenix: That’s too much! If I were the water-based Guardian, I’d be so angry I’d turn into a fire-man."

"Warmhearted Man: Great idea. I suggest adding a Water-Fire Guardian. Calm when he’s water, explosive when he’s fire."

Seeing the chat drifting further and further off-topic, Lu Yi quickly interjected, "Preventing the Guardian from leaving the warehouse? That’s impossible. You’ve seen its dash ability; I couldn't catch up to it even if I were riding a horse."

"Sweetheart Yiyi: Then why are you staying?"

"Nothing much." Lu Yi adjusted his seating posture. "I just wanted to wait for the Guardian to respawn so I could say hello. We’ve met three times now, and we haven't had a single civilized conversation. I feel a bit bad about that."

"Sweetheart Yiyi: *Giggle* Every time you talk 'civilized,' the Guardian ends up exploding with rage."

"Black Phosphorus: Streamer, you’re too evil. Is that a 'three-time acquaintance'? That's a 'three-death grudge'!"

"Yandere Fairy: *Giggle* Streamer, I’m pretty sure the Guardian really doesn't want to see you."

"I Am a Husky: No, the Guardian probably wants to see the streamer very much—it’s probably dying to charge over and fight to the death."

"Handsome, You’re Not Being Good: *Giggle* What’s the point of fighting to the death? The last Guardian also shouted about fighting to the bitter end, and look who had the last laugh. Given how the streamer is acting now, the wisest choice for the Guardian would be to turn around and run."

"If it wants to run, I’ll see it off," Lu Yi replied with a smile.

"Sweetheart Yueyue: 666, the streamer is full of confidence now."

*Sweetheart Yueyue gifted the streamer Lu Yi 66 pairs of Skateboard Shoes.*