I apologize for not updating in the past few days. I was suffering from a severe headache and needed some rest. I'm feeling a bit better now, so here's a new chapter for you all. I've also come up with a new idea: if the power stone votes reach 1000, I will release a bonus chapter. Enjoy, and thank you for your support!
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In the world of 'Tian Shi,' there were notable events etched in the memory of Chu You, one of which revolved around a female player with the ID 'Luo Shuihui Ye.'
As players in the game reached beyond level 40, various organizations began crafting unaltered leaderboards. These leaderboards, marked by their diligent and responsible curation, gradually gained recognition from the gaming community. They contained authentic, compelling content, devoid of any unnecessary embellishments.
However, amidst this recognition, a particularly contentious leaderboard emerged in the China Region, known as 'Celestial Elegance.' This leaderboard stirred controversy as it assessed the beauty of female players. What made it so divisive was the allowance for players to adjust their avatars' appearances, albeit within limits. While this alteration wasn't drastic, it raised concerns about authenticity.
Nevertheless, 'Celestial Elegance' persisted, with its list of captivating female players drawing undeniable attention in the region.
"The system meticulously scanned the players' initial appearances, and any alterations, including those who had undergone plastic surgery, were reverted to their original faces, ensuring that the female players on this list had a solid and unaltered foundation."
A female player by the name of Luo Shuihui Ye found her place on this list, and her ranking was quite impressive, securing the third position.
However, the name Luo Shuihui Ye also graced another leaderboard, and this one was particularly intriguing. It went by the name: "Top Ten Priests of China!"
This newly released leaderboard had undergone meticulous preparation by its organizing team. It stood as the most representative and stringent ranking. The individual skills and mindfulness of those listed served as references, with thorough comparisons made before inclusion.
Remarkably, Luo Shuihui Ye once again appeared on this list, this time securing the second position.
"Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect is that the first and third ranked priests were male players. In essence, Luo Shuihui Ye became the foremost legendary female player among Chinese priests during that period."
"Luo Shuihui Ye emerged as one of the early, influential figures in the formative days of the 'Tian Shi' in China. Consequently, major guilds vied for her attention, unlocking her star potential, and her value continued to soar.
However, just as the major guilds began their quest to meet Luo Shuihui Ye offline, a tragic event unfolded that shook the Huaxia District to its core – Luo Shuihui Ye tragically succumbed to a sudden heart attack."
The devastating news plunged many players into profound grief. Luo Shuihui Ye had already achieved a revered status as a goddess in the hearts of countless players. Even as the game advanced, many held onto the hope that if Luo Shuihui Ye had continued her journey, she might not only have excelled in the top ten priests leaderboard but also risen to prominence at the forefront of the game's conventional rankings.
....
Inside an internet cafe near a university in Binhai city, two girls occupied a quiet corner. One girl was engrossed in gaming, while the other sat by, observing.
They were engrossed in a game that had nearly fallen out of favor: "The League of Owners."
The girl in command of the game was remarkably beautiful, yet her expression remained impassive, even as the game reached its climax.
Her nimble fingers danced across the keyboard, perfectly synchronized with mouse movements. On the game screen, her character's health dwindled.
"Lin Luoer, why are you putting so much effort into this game? It's not popular anymore," remarked the girl with green hair seated beside her.
Lin Luoer remained silent, her gaze fixed on the screen. In that very moment, the character she controlled executed a strategic move at a critical point, securing a kill double kill.
"I mean, come on, don't be upset. With your looks, a mere gesture could attract a legion of admirers," her green-haired friend remarked.
"As Lin Luo'er displayed her remarkable skill by swiftly pursuing and defeating the enemy, she achieved a triple kill."
"Luoer, how about I introduce you to a sophisticated gentleman who knows how to treat a lady?" her green-haired friend suggested.
"Quadra kill!" Under Lin Luoer's precise control, hostile players had no chance to escape.
"If you keep this up, your mother will really..."
"Penta-kill! The king reigns supreme, the king dominates."
Lin Luoer shot her green-haired friend a stern glare, and with just that look, her friend fell silent.
The game came to an end, and Lin Luoer had secured the highest rank. She opened a gaming webpage and glanced at the event section, which seemed devoid of content except for a nostalgic video showcasing past glory.
"Do you know which class is the most popular in 'Tian Shi'?" Lin Luoer inquired, addressing her friend.
"Um... it seems to be the priest."
Lin Luoer nodded, having already selected the priest class. She rose from her seat, then turned to address her green-haired friend. "I'll return the funds I borrowed from you to purchase the gaming helmet through the currency exchange. Thank you." With that, she made her way towards the exit.
"Pity welled in the eyes of the green-haired girl as she let out a soft sigh. She followed, and together they headed towards the school dormitory."
...
"Are you saying that Lin Luoer's family has gone through a significant change?" In Chu You's understanding, Lin Luoer's family had been quite well-off. How could things have taken such a difficult turn?
At this moment, Chu You and his female classmate were sitting in a coffee shop, engaged in conversation.
"Yes, did you hear that her father was involved in an incident?" The female classmate glanced around cautiously before whispering.
"Ah? But her father was a government official..." Chu You began to piece it together without needing further explanation.
"That's not all. Her mother is currently battling cancer, and the family situation has become quite chaotic," the female classmate continued in a hushed tone. "But Chu You, I noticed something today; you seem different."
Chu You heard this and leaned back slightly, letting out a small chuckle. "What makes you say that? How do you think I've changed?"
"Woman's intuition."
"Return as a woman, and then we can discuss it. Anyway, is my change better or worse?"
The female classmate shook her head. "I can't say for sure. Anyway, you've changed, and your demeanor is different. Alright, that's all I know about her."
With a sincere smile, the female student continued, "We're all classmates, after all. Since you invited me for coffee to discuss this matter about her, I was thinking that maybe you could find a way to help her."
Chu You nodded thoughtfully. It hadn't occurred to him that his three-year high school classmate was actually Luo Shuihui Ye, who had gained fame in the previous life of "Tian Shi" and was still considered a school beauty. To be honest, Chu You had initially regarded it more as a joke.
Reflecting on the girl who had been so aloof and indifferent, Chu You couldn't help but shake his head, but he hadn't expected her to excel at the game.
As for extending his help? Of course, he was willing to assist. Having such an exceptional priest on his team and nurturing her talents would be an invaluable asset in the future, akin to possessing a legendary weapon.
Afterward, the two exchanged their game contact information and parted ways.
Not long after, Chu You returned to his villa, lit a cigarette, and then entered the game cabin.
Chu You was now online, and the environment around him remained quiet, with no other players having entered yet.
Chu You checked his red name status and found it hadn't been cleared, so he decided to continue upgrading here. Level 5 was the goal for tonight, after all.
So, Chu You invested his time in the rather monotonous task of grinding levels.
"At this moment, his determination was unshakeable. Had it been him from his previous life, he would have logged off or assembled a group of players for thrilling battles."
Currently, Chu You had just defeated a monster and was already searching for the next one, showing no signs of stopping.
Not long after, a message notification appeared from a friend on his communication list. Chu You sat down, focused his thoughts, and opened the interface.
The system prompted: "Player Feiyuxin has requested to add you as a friend. Do you agree?"
Chu You recognized it was his female classmate and promptly accepted the request.
After briefly checking his remaining health, Chu You stood up and resumed hunting monsters.
At this time, a message popped up on Chu You's communication while he was busy battling monsters.
"Wow, Young Master Chu, you're already at level 4, you're leveling up so fast!" The female classmate exclaimed.
Chu You glanced at the other party's communication and noticed she was still at level 0, shaking his head. "Why are you still at level 0?"
"Considering the crowd of players here, it's nearly impossible to snatch any monsters to hunt. Currently, we're stuck on an errand task, and it's only granting us minimal experience points."
"Then come join me. I'm at Xinshou Village of Wangshan City," Chu You said as he swung his sword, causing the little demon pig to scream and fall to the ground. Watching the corpse disappear, he heard the other party's exclamations again.
"Join you? I just checked the route. It takes 9 hours to reach you. My God, I still need to sleep," the female student replied, sounding concerned.
"Sleep? You can sleep while playing games," Chu You suggested.
"Come on, do you think everyone can afford a top-of-the-line gaming cabin like you? We're stuck with the cheapest ordinary gaming helmets. We don't have access to those high-end features," she explained.
"So that's how it was" he thought. Suddenly, a bright idea flashed through Chu You's mind.
In his past life, could it be that Lin Luoer's continuous gaming for days and nights without sleep had triggered a fatal heart attack? It seemed quite plausible.
Chu You had heard stories in his previous life about some players dying in the game due to using the most common gaming helmets. They couldn't balance gaming and sleep like Chu You did, leading to prolonged, continuous play for days and nights, ultimately resulting in death while still in their game helmets.
Typically, even the most basic gaming helmets would warn players about nervous fatigue and encourage them to log off. However, some players couldn't resist their addiction to the game. It was the allure of the second world. They would log off for an hour, then return online, and the cycle continued until it led to their sudden, unforeseen deaths.
"Hey, Chu You, I noticed that your crush, Lin Luoer, is still online. No one else appears to be logged in. They must all be asleep," the female student pointed out, realizing that Lin Luoer was the only one among their friends who was still online.
"What secret crush? Must I develop a crush just because she's beautiful?" Chu You felt a bit downcast, realizing that his past self had made some illogical choices.
"Should I add her, or should I ask her to add you?" The female classmate actually wanted to encourage Chu You to reach out to Lin Luoer. In her mind, this might be the only way Chu You could genuinely help Lin Luoer, so she deliberately kept it vague to drop a strong hint.
"Maybe you should tell her to add me."
"Your pride is something else..."
"I don't think I left a good impression on her. If I add her, she might reject me," Chu You explained while searching for his target.
"So, you're self-aware. Alright, I'll ask her to add you."
Chu You chuckled. What's going on?
After a while, the system prompt sounded: "Player Luo Shuihui Ye has requested to add you as a friend. Do you agree?"
As Chu You looked at the name, a complex mixture of emotions crossed his face.
"So this is what happened," he thought, "you had a significant event that motivated you to become strong in my past life."
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"Hello everyone, I kindly request your support by giving power stones, voting for this novel, commenting on chapters, recommending it to your friends, and adding it to your collection. I'll strive to bring you more chapters like this. Or are you, like me, experiencing a friendless, eternal single life?"
"Anyway, please vote and show me that I'm not alone on this journey. While I can manage 2-3 chapters in a day if I didn't have work to do, my work commitments sometimes mean that a single chapter can take anywhere from 1 to 2 days to complete. Any support during this journey would be greatly appreciated."