Her sudden shift in demeanor and aura was so drastic that, for a fleeting moment, Ling Mo even wondered if she’d been possessed.
Still, he didn’t resist—mostly to avoid hurting her… and, well, several girls holding rifles stood nearby.
Seeing his stunned expression, Xia Xinyan guessed his thoughts.
He was new to the game; delayed reactions were normal.
But she had no time or chance to explain.
“Is he a participant?” One girl sized them up, pointing at Ling Mo.
Xia Xinyan kept shaking Ling Mo by the neck: “No clue. But this guy’s no pretty boy. Taking him out is right. Down with toxic masculinity!”
“Right on, sister!” The girls instantly rallied. “Down with toxic masculinity! The world belongs to the pretty boys!”
“Exactly!” Xia Xinyan played along excitedly. “You find the others—I’ll handle this man!”
“Got it, sister—stay safe!” They turned to leave.
Xia Xinyan leaned down, pressing almost flush against Ling Mo. To observers, she strained to strangle him—but Ling Mo felt not even a trace of pressure on his neck. *She’s acting.*
Still, the closeness made his heart skip.
The soft warmth against his chest felt like poison.
Addictive poison.
Before he could linger, she freed one hand, slipped him a gun from a blind angle, and whispered: “Shoot the moment they turn. Don’t stop until they’re down.”
Ling Mo hesitated a split second. “Got it!”
*Showtime.*
*First kill.*
…Ahem. Not that he craved violence—these were NPCs. He was just gaming. VR’s novelty lay in that visceral thrill of taking down foes. Pure curiosity.
Spotting the girls turn, Xia Xinyan rolled off him. Ling Mo raised his pistol, aimed, and fired without hesitation.
Xia Xinyan aimed too—but didn’t shoot.
Letting him fight earned her system points. Game currency? Not urgent yet. Besides, points came from more than instances.
Under the jungle canopy, ten meters apart. Ling Mo’s aim held true—he dropped every Protection Association member within one magazine.
Seconds later, white light swallowed them. Only scattered rifles remained.
In Xia Xinyan’s mind, Tianji’s voice chimed:
【Protection Association eliminated: 5】
【Solid start, Host.】
*Thanks, Tianji.*
【…】
Ling Mo blinked. “They’re… already gone?”
*Way too fragile.* His pistol wasn’t high-caliber. Torso shots, two max per target—shouldn’t have dropped them this fast.
“First instance. Easy mode’s normal,” Xia Xinyan said, pulling him up and brushing off his clothes with a smile. “Did I scare you?”
“N-no…” His face flushed slightly, recalling that soft pressure. “If not for you, we’d be dead.”
He truly hadn’t noticed them approaching.
Xia Xinyan gazed at him gently. “Your coordination was great. And your aim? Impressive.”
“R-really…?” Ling Mo instantly floated, grinning like a fool.
Xia Xinyan kept smiling—but the urge to tease vanished.
Pity flickered in her chest.
No wonder a simple compliment made him soar… He’d rarely been genuinely praised by a girl on something specific. Past “compliments” were just chase tactics—missing the mark, leaving him cold. Girls assumed he was hard to win over. Truth? Just a clueless straight guy.
So when she hit the right note… his defenses shattered.
*Honestly… the more I think, the sadder it gets.*
*…I’ll compliment him more.*
While looting the dropped rifles and magazines—a solid haul—she sighed. No inventory yet. She kept two rifles, stuffed all mags into pockets, handed one to Ling Mo. “Firepower upgraded.”
He checked the rifle. “If enemies stay this easy… clearing this feels doable.”
Pistol shots felling them? Easily tricked? *Definitely beginner-tier.*
“No,” Xia Xinyan shook her head. “Difficulty ramps up fast.”
NPCs died cleanly not from low difficulty, but design: easing players into violence. Full realism early on—blood, corpses—could trigger discomfort or fear. The game avoids that.
Early kills stay sanitized. Later? Blood appears. Corpses linger. Effects escalate… until they touch NPCs… and players.
And by then, the Great Cataclysm has already begun.
For now? Still just a game.
Like instance difficulty—
【Breaking News: Pretty Boy Protection Association has locked its participant list. Hunt commences immediately.】
【Breaking News: Due to safety concerns, the reality show is canceled. Rescue helicopter arrives at Flat Peak Mountain in 60 minutes. Proceed promptly.】
【Current Objective: Head to Flat Peak Mountain】
