In the dorm, four girls were excitedly discussing the Forsaken Game.
The short-haired girl, Chu Yan, who was Qin Xiaoyou's best friend, was packing her things as she spoke: "Apparently, people from the same area who fall asleep at the same time will appear in the same starter town. I need to head back to guide my parents... They've never played games before, and I'm afraid they won't adapt."
One girl sighed helplessly: "Don't end up getting yourself trapped. Honestly, we should level up ourselves first, and then we can help our parents later."
Another girl with glasses nodded enthusiastically: "Exactly, exactly. We can't even guarantee our own progress yet..."
Qin Xiaoyou glanced at her phone.
Truthfully, she was waiting for an apology from Qin Feng.
But...
Even now, there was no word from him.
This made Qin Xiaoyou increasingly frustrated.
"Such a big event, and he still hasn't come to apologize? Does he think he's that important?"
But for her to apologize to Qin Feng? Impossible.
The most important thing was...
Qin Xiaoyou believed she hadn't done anything wrong by skipping her exam to attend Song Fei's concert.
To her, Song Fei's concert was a rare opportunity, something far more valuable than a mere exam.
"An exam can be retaken, or the course repeated."
"But if I miss this concert, I'll forever lose the chance to be close to my idol."
"Thankfully, Chu Yan went with me. It was the closest I've ever been to him..."
Just thinking about Song Fei brought a sweet smile to Qin Xiaoyou's face.
That line at the concert opener, "I missed you guys," had left her in a state of bliss even now...
"I wonder when Song Fei will enter the Forsaken Game?"
"With his strength, I'm sure he'll work hard and be just as strong in the game!"
It was funny how things had changed.
In Qin Xiaoyou's mind, when she thought of "brother," she mostly thought of Song Fei now, not Qin Feng...
In her past life, Qin Feng never knew this.
When the Forsaken Game first appeared, Qin Feng had personally gone to her school, apologizing and begging her to join him in the game.
But this time...
Well, she could do whatever she wanted!
Thanks to Qin Feng's different approach this time, things were already changing.
In the past, though Qin Feng was busy at work and couldn't rush to her side immediately, he had sent numerous texts apologizing, keeping her appeased...
But now, Qin Feng wasn't paying her any attention!
Apologize?
Maybe in her dreams.
As a result, Qin Xiaoyou might enter the Forsaken Game earlier than expected this time.
But what did that have to do with Qin Feng anyway?
Suddenly, Chu Yan glanced at her phone, excitement lighting up her face: "Hey, girls, check this out! Zhang Wei has already reached level 3 and came out of the Forsaken Game!"
Qin Xiaoyou was a bit surprised: "So impressive? Reaching level 3 so quickly means he's definitely a pro!"
After saying that, she picked up her phone and tagged Zhang Wei in the WeChat group...
Zhang Wei was the guy who had been sleeping in class earlier.
As soon as he reappeared in the group, the whole class showered him with praise.
Qin Xiaoyou: "@Zhang Wei, any tips or strategies for us?"
The compliments from his classmates made Zhang Wei feel a bit smug.
Especially Qin Xiaoyou's message, which thrilled him. He thought, isn't this the perfect chance to impress her?
Normally, Qin Xiaoyou held herself in high regard!
Now, Zhang Wei wasn't one to openly fawn over Qin Xiaoyou.
But if a girl came to him willingly, why not?
So, Zhang Wei quickly messaged her privately, boasting confidently...
"Don't worry, Xiaoyou. As soon as someone in the town reaches level 5, they'll activate the teleportation array."
"At that point, starter towns will be able to teleport between each other."
"For now, just find a town, join a team, and level up. When the time comes, I'll come find you and help you level fast!"
"Also, here's a little secret… Make sure to put all your initial attribute points into agility. Otherwise, you'll be too slow and get bullied by the monsters."
Reading his message, Qin Xiaoyou felt a bit puzzled.
She asked, "What if I'm playing a mage? Do I still put points in agility?"
Zhang Wei replied seriously: "Yes, agility is still useful for mages. It speeds up casting time, which is crucial early on."
Qin Xiaoyou: "Got it."
Looking at Qin Xiaoyou's cute WeChat profile picture, Zhang Wei's confidence soared, and he even began fantasizing about winning her over...
Little did he know, Qin Xiaoyou only had eyes for her "brother Song Fei."
To her, everyone else was just a stepping stone to help her level up faster.
Thinking about Qin Feng, Qin Xiaoyou smirked to herself:
"He still hasn't come to apologize? How arrogant..."
"Fine, I'll go into the game first. Once Zhang Wei's town has someone reach level 5, he'll teleport over and carry me through the game."
"By the time you enter the game, Qin Feng, we'll be way ahead of you!"
She was confident that, with someone helping her, she'd level up quickly.
Unbeknownst to her...
Qin Feng had already reached level 5!
If Zhang Wei was considered a "pro," then what was Qin Feng?
...
The teleportation arrays in the starter towns were two-way.
So lighting up the array in one town wouldn't work unless another town had someone reach level 5 as well.
This was why Qin Feng wasn't in a rush to light up the teleportation array.
Besides, his plan was to quickly grind to level 10 and head to the main city—where the real Forsaken Game would begin!
"Still, with free teleportation between towns..."
"I should think about where Song Fei's town is."
As Qin Feng casually ground monsters in the dark forest, he narrowed his eyes in thought.
In his previous life, shortly after the game began, Qin Xiaoyou had wanted to go find Song Fei, but Qin Feng had kept her in check, preventing her from leaving...
Thanks to Qin Xiaoyou, he remembered there was a fan group of Song Fei's, and they had mentioned the name of his starter town.
"I think it was... Firefly Town?"
"Perfect. Once I hit level 5, I'll teleport to Firefly Town and kill Song Fei every time I see him."
A murderous intent flickered in Qin Feng's eyes.
In-game hunts would just be the beginning, sowing fear before forcing him to log out.
The real hunt... would come later!
Qin Feng glanced at the leaderboard for Shell Town.
At the moment, he was the only one at level 6.
Everyone else was still stuck at level 3.
Waiting for players from other towns to reach level 5 and activate teleportation would take some time.
"Back to grinding."
*Shadow Flash!*
-754!
-754!
-754!
...
Monsters that seemed terrifying to other players were instantly slain under Qin Feng's attacks, turning into experience, lifespan, and loot!
Meanwhile, back in the real world, in Jianghai City...
After returning to reality, Wang Meng quickly drove to the station to report the situation.
"What? You're saying someone in Shell Town has already reached level 5? And soloed it?"
"His codename is 'Shadow'?"
"Reaching level 5 already... he must be the global number one!"
In the station, more than a dozen high-ranking officials listened to Wang Meng's report, all utterly shocked!