**Chapter 36: Going Home, Lao Wang Calls**
After defeating the **Soul-Eating Ghost**, the psionic energy contained within its essence began to rain down around Su Yu, shimmering like droplets of light. He sat cross-legged beneath the falling energy, his focus unwavering.
"Ding! I sense that you are absorbing psionic substances. Do you want to convert these into experience points or psionic coins?" the system chimed in.
"Convert to experience points," Su Yu replied, his mind already racing with the possibilities.
Three seconds passed.
"Ding! Through psychic absorption, you gain 900 experience points."
Killing monsters in the real world granted a significant experience boost—one hundred times that of ordinary monsters in the game. However, the danger was palpable. While dying in the game meant a mere thirty minutes offline, being killed in reality meant the end.
In the real world, monsters fought without honor. They often attacked in groups, set traps, or summoned powerful allies. In contrast, game monsters were predictable, waiting patiently in their designated areas to be defeated.
Yet, as a reborn individual, Su Yu always felt an underlying urgency.
"It's becoming increasingly inefficient for me to hunt ghosts alone. I need to collaborate with the official authorities; their intelligence network is undoubtedly faster than my solitary search," he thought, though anxiety crept in.
His current power level left him vulnerable; revealing his identity to a foreign spy could lead to his demise with a single sniper shot. For now, it was best to keep his information under wraps until he grew stronger.
However, he was still sitting on the campus of Tunghai University, and lingering any longer could raise suspicions, possibly landing him in a mental hospital for his bizarre behavior.
Su Yu quickly rose and retraced his steps back to the entrance. As he passed by the classroom, he noticed Teacher Fang Min and her students still staring out the window in shock, unable to chase after the "madman" who had just barged in.
Fang Min, still covering her flushed cheek, was momentarily dazed. Despite being struck, she felt a sudden clarity as the grogginess that had haunted her for days began to lift.
...
With no cameras to capture his movements, Su Yu returned the Ultraman mask to its place on the supermarket shelf before heading to his rental house. He stopped by a breakfast shop along the way, treating himself to soy milk and fritters.
As he prepared to log into the game, his phone rang, breaking the silence.
Checking the caller ID, he saw it was Lao Wang, the department manager at Muyun Group.
"Hey, Brother Wang, what's up?" Su Yu answered.
"Su Yu, the HR department didn't approve your resignation process. I tried speaking with them, but they're adamant that they need your signature for it to go through," Lao Wang explained.
"Is it really that complicated?" Su Yu frowned slightly.
He had submitted his resignation three days prior but had been too preoccupied with buying a gaming helmet to finalize the paperwork.
"I went to bat for you, but they still insist on your signature. It's a simple process—you just need to come in and sign. Once that's done, not only will you receive your salary for this month, but the company will also compensate you for an additional month's pay," Lao Wang continued.
"Is that so? I'll make time to come in. Can I stop by at 9 AM tomorrow?" Su Yu replied, looking at the time.
"Sure! I'll be waiting for you at the office," Lao Wang confirmed.
Su Yu didn't dwell on the matter. After hanging up, he donned his helmet and logged into the game.
He materialized in the warehouse of Nolan Village. Before he could step outside, a message flashed from the True Red-Eyed Black Dragon.
"Hello, boss! (*▽*)" it greeted cheerfully.
"What's up?" Su Yu responded.
"Hey, there's definitely something going on, or I wouldn't dare bother you," the dragon said, a hint of concern in its tone.
"Spit it out," Su Yu urged.
"Boss, we're planning to start leveling up at midnight, and once we hit level 5, we'll attempt to clear the wasteland dungeon. But we can't handle all three dungeons at once!" the dragon lamented.
"The dungeon of **Silver Snake at the Bottom of Qingcheng Mountain** has a formidable boss, **Warrior Fahai**," it explained. "And in the **Thunder Bluff** dungeon, the boss **Kane Bloodhoof** is practically unbeatable! I once managed to defeat it, only to have it resurrect with a similar name!"
"And the dungeon in **Qingqing Grassland**? That boss has 3000 HP and 100 attack power! How are humans expected to take that down?" the dragon exclaimed.
The True Red-Eyed Black Dragon continued to vent its frustrations, but Su Yu remained calm. "The Qingqing Grassland dungeon is manageable. The village chief in Yangcun poses ten questions; if you answer them all correctly, he'll only have 300 HP left, allowing you to clear the level without a fight."
The dragon looked exasperated. "But all the answers must be correct! Who can even answer those? Do you know the name of the Queen's favorite ship?"
"'Sky Noble'! It's an airship," Su Yu replied casually.
"The princess used it to escape from the northern Calet rebels. You should check the village library; it's all documented there," he added.
The True Red-Eyed Black Dragon fell silent, overwhelmed by the sheer audacity of Su Yu's knowledge.
During the server's first day, everyone else was preoccupied with leveling up, leaving no time to read in the library.
"Alright, for the Qingqing Grassland dungeon, gather more players to compile the village chief's questions," Su Yu instructed. "By 10:30 PM tonight, summarize those questions and post them on the forum. I'll answer them then; it'll be a nice benefit for all players."
"Got it! I'll get started right away! (*≧▽≦)" the dragon exclaimed enthusiastically.
The two concluded their chat. To an outsider, it might seem like the True Red-Eyed Black Dragon was merely a subordinate to Su Yu, but the dragon knew the truth—it was playing a shrewd game of its own.
Initially, it feigned helplessness, hoping to extract dungeon-clearing strategies from Su Yu. However, the arrangement they had struck would not only benefit the Emperor Blood Guild but also enhance their reputation among the players.
As long as the True Red-Eyed Black Dragon emphasized the guild's contributions in future forum posts, players would be grateful, fostering goodwill that could be leveraged later.
(end of this chapter)