Killer?

"Really... thank you..."

Yi Qing seemed unaccustomed to thanking anyone like this. Her expression was conflicted, as if she wanted to make some other expression but couldn't, leaving her hesitating with an oddly strange look on her face...

"It's fine. Don't take it to heart."

Facing Yi Qing's thanks, Xuan Sheng merely waved his hand.

Everything he was currently capable of displaying was somewhat... balanced.

In short, Li Xunsheng had a clear understanding of his abilities. As his talents gradually strengthened, he would indeed grow stronger and stronger, eventually leaving ordinary players far behind.

After all, none of the skills extended from his [Divine Spark] talent were simple.

But in the early stages, even with [See Through], he was merely a little higher in terms of stats. His monster-clearing ability wouldn't be that great—at least, not much greater than that of ordinary players.

Yi Qing was completely different. She was about to reach Level 10 and change class into a Shadow Assassin. Combined with the Lord of Shadows talent, her damage output was on an entirely different level!

In short, all he had to do was cling tightly to this big sister's coattails in the early stages! It would definitely be easier and faster than painstakingly grinding levels by himself!

Not everyone had the chance to have such a Big Sister.

However, the girl's reaction was completely different from what Xuan Sheng had expected.

Yi Qing hadn't viewed everything he had done as "clinging to her coattails" or "building connections" like Xuan Sheng had. Instead, she had mistaken it for something else...

"You've helped me so much... Are you trying to... pursue me?"

"Huh?"

The usually cold-faced girl's cheeks flushed slightly. Her eyes flickered, and her delicate skin looked like a flower that had just begun to bloom in early spring, its fair surface tinged with a heart-stirring pink...

Watching the shy girl, Xuan Sheng's heart trembled, and he couldn't help falling into confusion.

No, normally, would someone mistake these gestures of goodwill for pursuit?

Although he wasn't angry at being misunderstood like this, Yi Qing did indeed fit his standards for a partner quite well.

Still, her sudden question made him feel somewhat strange.

They were in a survival game right now, weren't they?

If Li Xunsheng wasn't strong enough and couldn't level up to Lv.10 within a week, he would die, wouldn't he?

Under these circumstances, wasn't it perfectly normal to win over a powerful player who could help him level up quickly, no matter the cost?

In fact, Li Xunsheng had found things somewhat strange from the very beginning.

Yi Qing had always done as she pleased. Aside from him, whom she had been forced to add as a friend because she owed him a favor, she seemed to look down on everyone else. That was understandable.

Her chats were always brief and decisive. That was understandable too.

But why did Xuan Sheng always feel that this person was... far too inept at socializing?

Could it be that Yi Qing had already been a cold-blooded killer before entering the game?

Killing is like the wind, ever by my side?

Without answering the girl's question, Li Xunsheng narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at the shy girl.

[Yi Qing: A human who once suffered from a neurological disorder (an emotional disorder caused by physical factors). After entering the "Heavenly Silence" game, all her illnesses were cured by a special power, but some adverse effects remained (for example, poor social skills, poor verbal skills, and indifference to pain).]

[Summary: Before entering the game, she was mentally ill. After entering the game, she was a little crazy.]

"..."

The aloof killer lady you imagined might simply have had a few problems with her head...

Damn, this is way too realistic...

Indeed, compared to the low-probability possibility that she had been a killer before, it was more likely that she suffered from a related illness...

Wait a second.

Li Xunsheng's mind suddenly went blank as he recalled the past, only to discover that he no longer had any memories from before the game...

He vaguely remembered... that he seemed to have lived alone...

Hold on, he couldn't have had some serious illness before entering the game too, could he?!

Forget it. In any case...

For the current Yi Qing, Li Xunsheng had only one answer!

That was yes!

At first, he had only thought that there was no point in keeping the money idle, so he might as well invest it... Once this Big Sister grew, having her occasionally hang from his thighs like an accessory while he leveled up would be convenient and effortless... But if he could really cling to her thigh—literally—that seemed pretty good too...

Just as the young man was about to go with the flow and acknowledge this "pursuit," Yi Qing's expression turned cold. The warmth and shyness vanished in an instant.

"You're here. We had quite a time looking for you."

Apparently having taken a short nap and recovered much of his energy, Zhao Jun looked much more robust. He smiled and waved, greeting Yi Qing and Xuan Sheng as they chatted.

"Big Brother, is this the helper you found?"

Beside Zhao Jun, a petite and adorable girl in a red mage robe curled her lips.

"What do we need an assassin for? With me here, we only need someone in the front to take the damage."

"This is my younger sister, Zhao Min."

"Zhao Min?"

Why did that name feel somewhat familiar?

[Zhao Min (Princess) Lv.6]

She really was called Princess...

The red-haired girl before him looked arrogant and haughty, as if no one else was worthy of her attention. The young man awkwardly scratched his head.

"This is Li Xunsheng. You can call him Brother Li, just like I do. And this one..."

Just as he was about to introduce Yi Qing, Zhao Jun remembered that he didn't even know the name of this player from the same novice village...

"Qingyi."

Yi Qing spoke indifferently, without giving her real name.

"Hm? Qingyi!"

Zhao Min's eyes suddenly lit up. The previously arrogant girl turned around in delighted surprise and looked at the assassin she had once thought was beneath her notice.

Zhao Jun was also delighted upon hearing the nickname.

He knew that this female player from the same village was no ordinary person, but he hadn't expected her to be the one who had leveled up the fastest earlier.

"Big Sister, are you the player from the announcement who was the first to reach Level 5?"

Speaking without waiting for an answer, Zhao Min raised her hand and cast the most basic Appraisal spell, learning part of Yi Qing's basic information.

"It really is you! Big Sister, you're already Level 7? That's so fast!"

Zhao Min instantly transformed into an adoring fangirl. All traces of her earlier arrogance vanished as she shamelessly began asking to add Yi Qing as a friend.

The sudden change in her attitude made Yi Qing frown. She retreated two steps in disgust, looking entirely unapproachable.

"Qingyi isn't very good at communicating with people. Just talk to me if you need anything."

"Tsk, who are you?"

Her idol was finally right in front of her, yet some stinking man had blocked her view. Zhao Min immediately lost her good mood and, as if imitating Yi Qing, put on a look of disgust.

"All right, all right, Xiaomin, don't go too far. Brother Li was the first player to kill an Elite Monster without taking damage. He's very impressive too."

His younger sister's lack of sense left Zhao Jun extremely embarrassed. He hurriedly intervened to persuade her.

Zhao Min was still too young. After inheriting a hidden class, she had become somewhat arrogant and swore to challenge the number-one player.

However, Zhao Jun knew clearly that these two people before him were absolutely among the top players. He was the one asking them for help, so he absolutely couldn't afford to offend them!