After all, bullets were limited. Neither wasted extra shots. Once they’d gotten comfortable with the guns, Xia Xinyan decided it was time to find a spot to spend the night.
Put simply, in this game, hours of practice couldn’t match a single real fight. No amount of drilling built experience for the unexpected—and here, surprises came faster and stranger than on any real battlefield.
Accuracy mattered little anyway. In dense forest terrain, encounters were almost always close-range. A handgun’s effective range was only a few dozen meters—decent aim was enough. No need to chase sniper-level precision.
They hadn’t walked far when a virtual notification flashed before every player:
[News Alert: The Pretty Boy Protection Association has landed. All individuals identified as reality show participants will be targeted. Stay alert.]
[News Alert: The Pretty Boy Protection Association has secured island supply caches.]
[Bonus Mission Unlocked: Eliminate one PBPA member to earn 100 game points.]
Almost instantly, a voice boomed across the island:
“Down with machoism! The world belongs to pretty boys!!”
A woman’s voice—sharp with lethal intent.
Definitely PBPA.
At the sound, Ling Mo instinctively raised his gun and scanned the surroundings warily.
Xia Xinyan stayed calm. “Relax. Even games follow basic rules. They just landed—they’re still far.”
True, the island was massive. Radar confirmed they were near the center. For now, safe.
The second alert meant future supplies wouldn’t be easy pickings—not that earlier caches were “easy,” just closer to spawn points. Players who missed securing any? Nightmare start guaranteed.
Ling Mo lowered his gun. “100 points per kill… Should we set an ambush?”
“No need. They’ll come to us.” Xia Xinyan shook her head, checking the time. “With triple time speed, night falls fast. We need shelter before dark.”
Player conditions synced with dungeon time—hunger and fatigue hit three times quicker. The game displayed all status effects plainly on the buff/debuff bar. No health bar, but debuffs hit harder than in real life.
Case in point: evening neared, and Ling Mo already felt a faint pang of hunger. The debuff hadn’t even triggered yet.
“I think… skipping rest tonight’s fine?” Ling Mo suggested. “Pulling an all-nighter’s no big deal. With enemies out there, sleep’d be restless anyway. Why not lie in wait under darkness for a surprise shot? Might score extra.”
He paused, then added awkwardly, “And hey—it’s just a game. Staying up won’t ruin your skin or anything…”
Xia Xinyan: “….”
*Ugh. Again with the cluelessness.*
That last line was totally unnecessary. She hadn’t even been thinking about skincare—he just had to say it. Lucky she didn’t care. But swap her for a vanity-conscious girl? Instant block.
Absolute taboo topic, idiot!
And no—you can’t treat everything like a game!
Players who charge in yelling “I don’t know who I am, I don’t know where I am, I’m just here to slaughter!”? They die faster than light here. Use your brain. Think realistically. Idiot!
Yet outwardly, she smiled gently, took his hand, and explained patiently: “Remember—we’re in a wilderness survival show. Enemies aren’t just PBPA. Island wildlife gets dangerous at night too.”
Ling Mo blinked. “Ah… sorry. I almost forgot.”
“No worries,” she said, giving his hand a light shake. “Everyone learns step by step. No one starts as a pro. Take your time.”
Warmth bloomed in Ling Mo’s chest.
*Even a young lady like her… so considerate…*
*Or… is it because it’s me?*
Determination surged. He had to step up.
Wilderness survival… Wait, he’d watched those shows before. What did the contestants do again?
“Hey— isn’t that a cave?” Xia Xinyan’s voice pulled him back.
He turned. A dark opening nestled in the rocky cliffside nearby.
“Let’s check it out. Might be perfect for tonight.” She drew her pistol and moved first.
Ling Mo followed, gun ready. “Be careful… Let me lead. If trouble comes, I’ll protect you.”
Xia Xinyan glanced back, smiling, and gestured playfully. “Alright, big hero—lead the way~!”
*Tch. Clueless everywhere else, but playing knight in shining armor? Self-taught.*
Didn’t he know this usually just made girls see him as a tool? At best, a “You’re a nice guy.”
So young… and dense.
Watching him charge ahead like he’d mainlined adrenaline, she added silently: *Way too easy to manipulate.*
Maybe the environment kept him naive—still rational only within his narrow worldview. From his reactions, she knew: he already saw her as a potential girlfriend… maybe even wife. He’d never show off for someone he thought was out of reach. Once he performed? He believed it was “male charm” time.
Truth was, Ling Mo had done this before… Hell, so had Xia Xinyan. None of those past hormone-fueled blunders involved each other. Just pointless.
Now? Viewed from outside—it was almost adorably simple.
But a guy like this meeting a scheming girl? He’d never see the strings. A little kindness, a hint of favor—hooked in seconds. Zero difficulty.
She sighed inwardly.
*Training this guy… gonna be a project.*
…If the chance comes, she’d keep an eye on his love life too.
