Top-Tier Confrontation

Yu Shujun and Wu Yuwei stood facing each other beside the flower bed in front of the teaching building.

The two were standing very close. Yu Shujun whispered something into Wu Yuwei's ear, and though Wu Yuwei's shoulders continued to tremble uncontrollably, her tears had stopped.

Wen Nan rushed down from the stairwell and called out to the system in his mind: [9527, check Wu Yuwei's affection level.]

9527: [The affection level of the beautiful and juicy school beauty, Wu Yuwei, is 91%.]

That was a relief. She hadn't been bewitched by the Cold and Scheming Straight-A Student's honeyed words; the affection level had stabilized and even risen a little.

Wen Nan slowed his pace, but immediately after, he saw Yu Shujun raise her hand to wipe the tears from Wu Yuwei's cheeks, then gently wrap her arms around the other girl's neck and pull her into an embrace.

Watching the two of them hugging affectionately, Wen Nan's temper flared up again.

He strode over to them in a few steps and looked at Yu Shujun with cold eyes. "I have something to discuss with you in private."

Wu Yuwei lifted her head from Yu Shujun's shoulder, her eyes still stained with tears as she looked blankly between Wen Nan and Yu Shujun.

Yu Shujun patted her back lightly and whispered comfortingly in her ear, "It's fine. You go back to class first; I'll come find you later."

Wu Yuwei nodded obediently, cast a resentful glance at Wen Nan, and finally pursed her lips before turning and leaving without a word.

Watching Wu Yuwei's retreating figure, Wen Nan let out a cold snort. "You're better at wooing my harem than I am, aren't you?"

Yu Shujun turned to look at him, her face devoid of any discernible emotion. "Your... harem?"

Wen Nan nodded. "Theoretically, you're part of it too, but I'm a die-hard straight guy, so you don't stand a chance."

After a moment's thought, he added, "If you're willing to get yourself neutered, This Emperor might consider letting you serve as a Chief Eunuch."

Upon hearing this, Yu Shujun stared at Wen Nan with a blank expression for a moment. She didn't take the bait, instead walking a few steps to the side to sit on the edge of the flower bed. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

Wen Nan followed, squatted down beside Yu Shujun, threw an arm around her shoulders, and gave them a firm squeeze.

"Buddy."

"...Buddy?!"

Seeing that she seemed to resist this form of address, Wen Nan tried another:

"Bro?"

"...Bro?!"

"Little brother?"

Yu Shujun brushed Wen Nan's hand off her shoulder. "What exactly do you want to talk about?"

Wen Nan fished a pack out of his pocket. "Want one?"

Yu Shujun: ...

"No thanks, I don't eat spicy strips."

"Who doesn't eat spicy strips?" Wen Nan said with a smile. "Afraid I poisoned them?" He pulled one out of the bag, popped it into his mouth, swallowed it, and stuck out his tongue. "See? Don't worry, no poison."

Yu Shujun felt that the guy's brain was wired incorrectly, but he insisted on offering the spicy strips, and it seemed he wouldn't give up if she didn't take one.

After a moment of thought, Yu Shujun finally compromised, reached out to take one, and put it in her mouth. "Can we talk now?"

Wen Nan stared at Yu Shujun's lips, confirming she had tasted the spicy strip he'd laced with a special additive, and only then did he hook his lips in satisfaction.

9527: [Detected that the contestant has used an item—Truth Serum—on the target, the Cold and Scheming Straight-A Student.]

9527: [Item in effect, please wait...]

9527: [Item usage failed...]

9527: [Apologies, the selected target does not meet the criteria for the Truth Serum's range, so it cannot take effect.]

9527: [This instance of item usage will not be counted toward your single-task limit for Truth Serum. Please be advised that you still retain one usage permission.]

Hearing the system's notification, Wen Nan raised an eyebrow.

It was an expected result, though.

The usage range for [Truth Serum] stated: it only applies to characters below nine stars or players below level 10.

In other words, the person sitting next to him right now was either a character above nine stars or a player above level 10.

Regardless of which it was, it didn't match the description in the background file Wen Nan had received about Yu Shujun—this could not possibly be a character with a difficulty rating of only one and a half stars.

"You modified your character card."

Wen Nan spoke, using a firm, declarative sentence.

Yu Shujun's eyes narrowed slightly, and she looked at Wen Nan with full vigilance.

Since he had already opened the conversation, Wen Nan decided to strike while the iron was hot. "Who exactly are you? A player impersonating a character in the map and disrupting the normal game order—do you know the consequences if you're caught? I have concrete evidence of you cheating right now. If I report you to the complaint center, guess what will happen?"

Upon hearing Wen Nan's words, the previously calm surface of Yu Shujun's face suddenly erupted into a storm. Fear, astonishment, confusion, panic...

A variety of emotions flickered across her face all at once.

Watching her reaction, Wen Nan felt a surge of secret joy.

It seemed he had bet correctly.

In truth, how could Wen Nan actually know what the consequences of Yu Shujun's actions would be? He had asked the system about this before, but the system only knew how to muddle through, fobbing him off with irrelevant definitions.

Forget about consequences or punishments; Wen Nan wasn't even sure if that so-called "Complaint Center" actually existed.

He had been bluffing, just trying to bait the person beside him.

Now, judging by Yu Shujun's reaction, Wen Nan was certain—

Players who impersonated characters really would be punished.

[?]

[!]

[!!!]

[Huh?]

[No way?]

[For real?]

[Is this... a player?]

[Holy crap, the streamer could even tell that? Awesome!]

[How did he figure that out?]

[A pro is a pro!]

[I knew it! During that remedial mission last time, I didn't understand a single word they were saying to each other in the classroom.]

[Exactly! I thought they were just two people talking in riddles, then I thought they were two top students sparring, but now I realize—that was a top-tier standoff between two pro players!!!]

[Wait, why is a player allowed to ignore the game rules and come to the newbie trial zone to pub-stomp?]

[Bro, isn't Nine Times a Night, who we're looking at right now, a pro who ignored the rules to come to the newbie zone to pub-stomp? What's so strange about that?]

[What rules? Rules are for noobs; pros are the rules!]

[No, I can understand Nine Times a Night's move. After all, in high-level maps, there are hidden items that let you switch accounts or identities. Once you use that item, it's like restarting on a new account.]

[Yeah, it's not weird for old players to come to the newbie zone, but a player impersonating a game character... that's just too wild...]

[Exactly. The account-switching item explicitly states that you can only turn into a newbie player to restart; it's impossible to turn into a game character.]

[Guys, broaden your horizons. If an account-switching item can't do it, there are other pieces of equipment that can.]

[Holy crap, you don't mean...]

[Are you saying...]

[Archmage Staff Fragment?!]