"This... this big brother, please wait a minute," the mage player implored, stopping Chu You, who was about to leave.
Chu You turned around, his gaze meeting the mage's pleasant smile. He silently observed them.
The mage player took a step closer and said, "Big brother, what's your name? We're from the Yangying Guild, and I'll introduce myself; I'm Yang Ying Suifeng. Can we be friends?"
In Tianshi, players couldn't see each other's names unless they were in a team or friends, making it necessary to ask for introductions through contact.
The level can be seen, but if it is higher than level 5, a question mark will appear in the lower-level player's level information when viewing a higher-level party.
Chu You tilted his head and said, "What guilds? People can only form guilds after they transition to the next job, right?"
"Oh, certainly. Our members will definitely form factions as soon as they transition. We have 500 people offline..."
Chu You waved his hand, cutting off the other player. "Get to the point if you have something to say. I'm quite busy."
This big brother is quite impolite.
The mage player's smile remained intact as he continued, "Um... I hope you'd consider selling the skill book you just acquired to us. We'll offer a price that will definitely satisfy you, just name it."
Yang Ying Suifeng realized that recruiting Chu You would be futile, given that Chu You must be backed by a guild or some other entity for him to have achieved such a high level (level 4) in such a short period of time. His primary goal shifted towards obtaining the skill book from Chu You. He had observed that Chu You didn't immediately use the skill book but stored it in his space backpack, suggesting either a temporary inability to use it or that it wasn't intended for Chu You.
At the beginning of the game, obtaining a skill book greatly enhanced the leveling process. The more skilled a player became, the higher their chances in dungeon runs. Yangying Suifeng couldn't miss this opportunity to bolster his guild's professional gameplay.
Chu You shook his head indifferently and stated, "I'm not selling it, end of discussion." He continued walking forward without looking back.
"Who is this?" grumbled the priest standing nearby, clearly displeased. He had never encountered such an arrogant individual.
Yang Ying Suifeng couldn't hide his frustration any longer. He had already lowered his stance, but Chu You seemed unappreciative. The transaction had been unpleasant, and it chipped away at his guild's dignity. While his guild might not be among the largest, it still boasted 500 members. As a vice president, he expected respect.
As Chu You walked away, unaffected, Yang Ying Suifeng's expression darkened in the wind.
Chu You remained unfazed. In his previous gaming experiences, especially during the early stages of a game, he had dealt with presidents of major guilds and armies, knowing the importance of collecting valuable equipment. This conversation was merely a negotiation, and sometimes, silence was a powerful statement. The two players had just been testing the waters, laughing and hiding their true intentions.
In Tianshi, many grudges are born from trivial matters, and some grudges are even entirely inexplicable. As a virtual world, many people here tend to magnify their darker tendencies and engage in annoying behavior based on personal preference.
It's a chaotic world devoid of moral constraints, and if you fail to grasp this, you'll likely suffer endlessly.
In Chu You's mind, as long as something doesn't hinder him directly, it's inconsequential. For instance, if he were at level 1 right now, it would have inevitably led to a battle, as he frequently encountered similar situations later in the game.
Hence, Chu You adopted that attitude. What's wrong with it? Has this demeanor harmed you? If you disagree, feel free to challenge me.
In his previous gaming life, Chu You essentially fell into the category of those who didn't hesitate to take action.
Shortly thereafter, Chu You entered the level 5 experience area. He had decided to level up to 5 here. Currently, most players were still at levels 1-2. The level 3 experience area marked the limit for player interaction. Moreover, the experience area was quite vast, ensuring minimal player encounters.
With a slight lock onto a little demon pig ahead, a level 5 ordinary monster, Chu You took out his training sword. There weren't many steps to take, just a simple approach to the task.
There weren't many steps to take; Chu You simply drew his training sword and moved forward.
However, Yang Ying Suifeng followed closely behind, with the priest trailing behind him. Yang Ying Suifeng wore a gloomy expression, while the priest furrowed his brow, but both kept their eyes fixed on the towering figure ahead. Given their distance, they couldn't target the little demon pig and gauge the damage Chu You was inflicting.
"I think it's fine. The opponent seems to have a movement speed advantage that's hard to match," the priest remarked after a moment. Although he had been annoyed earlier, his years of gaming experience had taught him that some players had every reason to be proud and arrogant. In the priest's view, Chu You belonged to the category of players who could back up their confidence with their rank. After all, the proof of their prowess was evident.
It didn't take long for the priest's anger to dissipate during their journey, and along the way, he tried to persuade Yang Ying Suifeng. However, Yang Ying remained sullen and unresponsive.
At this moment, Yang Ying whispered to priest, "I never intended to engage in PK with him. I just wanted to see how he's leveling up so quickly. Why did he progress so rapidly?"
Yang Ying Suifeng glanced back at the priest and asked, "Aren't you surprised?"
"What's so strange about it? People do quests after all," the priest responded, appearing puzzled.
Yang Ying Suifeng shook his head and said, "I've read some information on the official website and come across some insights from experienced players. I feel that there might be more to this than meets the eye. It's not as simple as it seems."
The priest, eager to continue leveling up, remarked, "What's the big deal? He's just a high-level player. Come on, let's focus on leveling up. How long are we going to wait?"
"Let's observe for a little longer," YangYing Suifeng suggested. He turned his attention back to the front, and then his eyes widened in surprise. "Huh, where did he go?"
Hearing Yang Ying Suifeng's words, the priest looked ahead and noticed that Chu You had been battling the monster, but now there was no sign of him. The little demon pig was rapidly approaching their location.
A foreboding feeling suddenly washed over them.
The two had concealed themselves among the rocks to covertly observe Chu You, but now, the very rocks obstructed their view of Chu You's figure.
Suddenly, Yang Ying Suifeng jumped with alarm, his head peering over the rock, and his eyes caught sight of a menacing figure rapidly approaching them.
Yang Ying Suifeng tumbled to the ground, and the priest beside him asked in shock, "What did you see?"
"Damn it!" Yang Ying Suifeng exclaimed, clearly distressed.
As the priest inquired, a tall and agile figure leaped over the rock.
In the priest's shocked gaze, Chu You swiftly maneuvered behind them and, without a word, thrust the training sword he held toward the priest.
A sudden spurt of red blood erupted as the sword slashed towards the priest's head.
In that intense moment, the priest couldn't react quickly enough to utter a word. He had been taken by surprise, dispelling the unease caused by Chu You's arrogance earlier. Now, he was under an unprovoked attack from the other party.
Glancing at the health bar, his hit points dropped by a third with a single sword strike.
A fireball spell shot towards them from behind, but Chu You keenly sensed the incoming attack and gracefully evaded the fireball.
The priest, finally grasping the situation, hesitated momentarily as he knew he had to perform a healing spell.
Chu You delivered another sword strike to the priest, and the damage indicator showed a "-50."
Yang Ying Suifeng was in a state of panic, experiencing his first-ever encounter with a full-immersion virtual game. This scene felt eerily reminiscent of a crime scene.
"Fool, don't just stand there!" Yang Ying Suifeng shouted in a hurry.
"No one can escape!" Chu You stated coldly. With a second sword strike, the priest's head abruptly lifted, his eyes flickering before falling lifelessly.
"Why are you doing this? We have no quarrel with each other!" Yang Ying Suifeng shouted, his face filled with bewilderment. It was supposed to be a mere observation of the other party's leveling progress, not intentional harassment or obstruction. How had it escalated to this?
"You will understand in the future. Now, prepare to meet your end!" Chu You swiftly swung his sword, clashing with Yang Ying Suifeng as if he were a wooden training dummy.
Even though novices couldn't drop experience points or equipment, Chu You still initiated the attack.
Once everything was over, a faint red aura enveloped Chu You. This marked the state of being a "red name."
Any player who spotted Chu You in this state would receive a system prompt, allowing them to attack Chu You in the name of justice!
System prompt: Your guilt value +2
Chu You's expression remained unchanged, as if he had just carried out a mundane task. He then immediately resumed slaying little demon pigs.
The guilt value couldn't be easily cleansed. Even if one reverted to a normal name from being a red name, the guilt value would persist, signifying that they had committed unjust killings.
Chu You took this action because Yang Ying Suifeng and the priest had violated a fundamental belief in Chu You's heart.
This creed had emerged during the development of the previous life's "Tian Shi," and its origin was unclear. However, it quietly spread among the players.
The creed was simple but unwavering: Stalking was absolutely forbidden. Regardless of the reason or excuse, all adherents were bound to eliminate those who engaged in stalking.
This creed had left a profound imprint on Chu You's heart.
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