"He's been like this for a while now."
As guild president, Lin Shiming clearly knew more about the guild members' situations than Li Xian did, and he didn't seem particularly surprised by this.
"Shouldn't you go talk to him?"
Li Xian asked.
"With something like this, he has to work it out himself. No one else can talk him around."
Lin Shiming took out the insulated flask he always carried at the Player Center and slowly swallowed a mouthful of hot water.
Li Xian was still looking in the direction the man had left, a trace of incomprehension in his eyes.
As he screwed the lid back on, Lin Shiming said:
"A clear goal, a firm will, an optimistic outlook... having any one of those keeps life here from feeling too difficult. But plenty of people don't have a single one."
"This place doesn't just strip you of the right to live in peace. It also takes away your hopes for the future."
Li Xian nodded thoughtfully. His own goal had always been so clear that only now, after stumbling upon this issue, did he realize just how cruel this place was.
"Good luck in your next instance."
Lin Shiming ended with those words, patted Li Xian on the shoulder, and left.
Time at the Player Center flew by, and soon Li Xian entered his second high-difficulty instance.
[Welcome to the game instance!] [Instance name: Brilliant New World] [Instance type: Hybrid] [Instance difficulty: S-Rank] [Number of players: 8] [Clearance task: Liberation]
"Holy shit, S-Rank..."
The moment he entered the instance, Li Xian heard an exclamation beside him.
He turned his head and found a stranger sitting next to him. He himself was on a bus.
The scenery outside flashed past. Trees and greenery lined both sides of the