The Real World: 2

Everyone stared in horror at the rapidly dwindling number of survivors on the Game Panel. Panic and despair swept over them once more. Some couldn't help crying; some knelt on the ground and prayed for the gods to save them; some had already gone numb and packed everything away, waiting for death; and some were indulging in one last bout of madness, rushing into the streets to rob and kill without a care in the world...

Outside Mingyue Island, the boats that had been quiet gradually grew lively. Everyone came out of their cabins, and when they saw one another, they exchanged knowing smiles. "Were you in the same instance as the lord, too?"

"Lucky us."

"I told you, sticking with the lord was the right call!"

"It's the people in the other instances who've got it bad. The survivor count's dropping so fast now that they've probably reached the final nuclear-explosion apocalypse phase. God help them avoid a total wipeout!"

"Speaking of which, what exactly did the lord do? How did she suddenly clear the game early? Wasn't she with us the whole time?"

"Right? I remember the lord was livestreamed twenty-four hours a day. She was right under our noses. How did she manage it?"

"..."

The group talked among themselves, their guesses about Ye Zhao multiplying. The more they speculated, the more mysterious and unfathomable she seemed, and their fear of her grew all the more.

Cui Xuanzhou had just taken a shower. Dressed in black, with damp, tousled hair, he exuded a cool, aloof air.

A table laden with delicious food had already been set. Cui Xiangyu ate while playing on his phone. Whenever he got excited, he clutched it in both hands and typed furiously. It was obvious he was cheering on his idol again.