Player Association

Mu Yuan's heart was bleeding. It hadn't been easy for him to earn that little bit of Soul Sand. Was it easy for him or what?

This Cross-Border Tax was ridiculously expensive!

In the real world, he could no longer view item descriptions. However, he had already read the information on Energy Potions and Crimson Blood Fruits in the game world so many times that he could recite it from memory. He had also used the game forums to find out everything about their exact usage and whether they had any hidden drawbacks.

"Energy Potions can make people full of vigor, allowing them to go seven rounds in one night... They let people experience the joy of staying up all night, but today, getting some sleep would be more suitable for me. I'll save this potion for when I need to stay up, such as during the Novice Trial... I heard the Novice Trial might last one or two days, or even two or three days. In that case, only Energy Potions can keep me going."

Mu Yuan manifested three bottles, leaving three bottles in the game.

As for the Crimson Blood Fruits, he extracted all of them into reality.

"Crimson Blood Fruits can invigorate the blood and strengthen the body. They're perfect for an ordinary person like me to improve his physique. According to the forums, I shouldn't eat too many Crimson Blood Fruits at once. One a day, for ten days to half a month, should bring a huge improvement."

By then, punching Goblins and kicking Slimes would be no problem at all.

Hmm. After careful consideration, Mu Yuan realized that his combat power was currently perhaps even slightly inferior to that of a level-one Little Skeleton.

It was time to strengthen himself.

The Crimson Blood Fruit was slightly smaller than an apple. Mu Yuan washed it, then ate the entire thing, skin and flesh alike.

At first, he didn't feel anything at all. He even thought he had eaten a fake fruit.

But gradually, his body began to heat up. It felt as though waves of warmth were surging and flowing through him. It was also as if he had eaten a hundred pounds of Spicy Crayfish. Hot—he was about to die!

"Ha!"

Mu Yuan opened his mouth, and clouds of white mist poured out.

He was a little uncomfortable, but he endured it. Taking a cold shower at this time could indeed ease some of the discomfort, but it would affect the absorption of the Crimson Blood Fruit's medicinal effects.

Time ticked by.

He didn't have to endure it for long. After about half an hour, the discomfort quickly faded, replaced by a clear mind and a powerful body.

Mu Yuan clenched his fist, clearly feeling strength flowing through his palm.

He felt that he could punch a wolf to death!

Of course, that was an illusion. Even Skeleton Soldiers couldn't kill a Gray Wolf with one punch, let alone an utterly ordinary person like him.

But the increased strength and the growing lightness of his body were no illusions.

Mu Yuan was quite energetic, so he did several sets of calisthenics before gradually cooling down.

After taking a shower, he lay down on the bed and went to sleep.

"It's not even one o'clock. This schedule is incredibly healthy and regular."

The next day, at exactly seven in the morning, Mu Yuan woke naturally and sprang out of bed, looking incredibly energetic.

He first went to the computer, which he had left on, and checked what had happened the previous night.

The previous night had not been peaceful. His weak territory had actually been harassed by monsters—once at around two in the morning, and once at around four.

"These Gray Wolves and Goblins really have no sense of honor."

"Oh, they were cut down by the patrolling Deathbone the moment they entered the territory? Then there's no problem."

There had been two Gray Wolves and three Goblins, all of them weaklings.

However, judging by the diary, Deathbone had still used ambushes... crossed out, tactical methods. Mu Yuan nodded, expressing his great approval.

He silently recited "Evolution Points," and a faint frame unfolded before him.

There was no need to mention the Falcon's Evolution Points. After a night of growth, the Skeleton-type Evolution Points had accumulated to "1.78," enough to evolve another Skeleton Soldier.

Mu Yuan had previously tried to continue evolving Deathbone, but the feedback he received was that it required five units of Evolution Points.

Quite expensive.

At low levels, a Rare Troop Type probably couldn't even beat five ordinary Three-Star Troops. However, Rare Troop Types had higher limits, leveled up faster, and found it easier to break through major ranks. They couldn't be compared so simply.

What Mu Yuan hesitated over was whether to evolve several more Skeleton Soldiers or save up his resources and let Deathbone advance into a Rare Troop Type.

"Let's wait for now."

"For the time being, let Deathbone and the others continue training. I'll go out for a while... By the time I return, Deathbone should probably have reached level three."

Mu Yuan took the small amount of Soul Sand and a bottle of Energy Potion with him and left the house.

He also transferred the Transcendent Game to his phone. Hmm, it was a multi-platform game. Whether on a phone, computer, or handheld console, they were merely different mediums, so he didn't need to worry about being unable to monitor the game after going out.

More than half an hour later, he arrived at City Center.

People streamed back and forth.

Mu Yuan stood before a magnificent hemispherical building. Looking at the striking words "Player Association" above it, he had an expletive caught in his throat that he couldn't spit out.

"This really is City Center, and this really is the Player Association's address, but..."

He had passed through City Center countless times. How had he never noticed this magnificent building? It was impossible to miss at a glance, and he shouldn't have forgotten it.

It was practically a landmark!

Yet, in the eyes of the passersby, it seemed to be nothing more than an ordinary building. It was very abnormal—far too abnormal.

It seemed that only players could see this building.

Mu Yuan's sudden stop, his astonished expression, and the look of someone who had just seen something unbelievable attracted the attention of several passersby.

What's wrong with this kid?

Mu Yuan's old face flushed slightly. It's not like I expected this. What do you know!

Fortunately, he wasn't the only one who was inwardly exclaiming. There were three others. They were clearly newcomers from Baijiang City, just like him.

When everyone made a fool of themselves, it meant that no one had made a fool of themselves.

"Player?"

"Player!"

"Heavenly King covers the earth tiger."

"Baby something, what was it again? No, just what exactly is going on with this Player Association?"

Having several newcomers together diluted some of the tension. Mu Yuan, however, felt a little like laughing.

One of them was wearing a frog mascot costume. Mu Yuan had no idea whether he was concealing his identity or had just returned from work.

Another newcomer was wearing a cosplay outfit, cosplaying the troop Fox Girl. A white fox tail swayed behind her, making it impossible not to follow it with one's eyes.

The last person was more normal, except that his hair was a messy bird's nest and the two dark circles beneath his eyes were strikingly obvious. His face was sallow and lifeless, making people wonder whether he might suddenly collapse and die on the spot.

They were all talented performance artists.

Ahem. Though Mu Yuan himself had also done a tiny bit of disguising. Hmm, only a tiny bit.

After some conversation, the group became somewhat familiar with one another.

The bro in the frog suit went by 'Sell-Cub Frog.' He was somewhat older, so Mu Yuan simply called him 'Frog Seller Bro.' The young woman cosplaying Fox Girl called herself 'White Fox YinyinYin,' while Mu Yuan shortened it to 'San Ying.' The young man at risk of sudden death used the online name 'Three AM Sleeper Seven AM Riser Liver Emperor,' so Mu Yuan called him 'Sanqi'—crossed out—'Liver Emperor.'

Mu Yuan also came up with a 'player username' he had prepared long ago. It would make him appear a little more sociable.

It wasn't that he didn't want to be a respectable person.

The Player Association had staff responsible for receiving players and explaining things to them.

Under the staff member's guidance, the four of them soon entered the association.

The moment they stepped inside, it felt as though they had entered an entirely new world.

From outside, the Player Association was already magnificent. Only after entering did they discover that the interior was even more spacious, with no shortage of people coming and going.

That was because the people here weren't only players. There were also nearly as many staff members as players.

"Newcomers have been more numerous lately, and many veteran players have returned as well, so the association is much livelier than usual."

"Usually, those dressed in strange clothes are new players, while those dressed casually and normally are mostly veteran players."

The receptionist explained this to them.

At this point, 'Frog Seller Bro' couldn't help saying, "But the Eternal World is so dangerous. As players, shouldn't we be more careful?"

"Being careful is certainly not wrong."

Before the receptionist could answer, a passing veteran player with a bushy beard spoke up. "Back then, I was just as cautious as you are. But after spending enough time here, you'll discover that all the senior players in this association are talented, and they're pleasant to talk to. I really love coming here.

"As for danger... It's true that monsters occasionally slip into Blue Star, and some Black Player Fugitives commit crimes. There are also dangerous zones like the Borderland, as well as those lunatic Cults. But this world really isn't that dangerous."

Mu Yuan: "..."

The three performance artists: "..."