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All that remained in Dan Xingyu’s mind were the four words: “I like you, too.” In huge letters! Playing on a loop! Scrolling endlessly across the screen!

But soon, he was jolted back to reality by an icy blast of snow magic.

Qiyu saw that his face was still flushed, but thanks to his previous experience, he wasn’t quite as flustered this time. He tapped Dan Xingyu on the arm: “Hurry up and confirm! The countdown’s almost over!”

Resource Zone, Resource Zone.

Dan Xingyu snapped back to his senses and hurriedly checked the survival panel; a familiar path gradually came into view. Qiyu took a step forward and was suddenly grabbed by the wrist.

Qiyu:？

Dan Xingyu caught up, walking side by side with him, but didn’t let go of his wrist. His ears were so red they looked like they might bleed, and his heart was racing.

Qiyu could only feel the palm gripping his wrist was scorching hot. He was a little concerned: “Dan Xingyu, are you sure you don’t have a fever?”

Dan Xingyu skillfully ignored the remark and said earnestly, “Qiyu, you just committed a crime!” 

“……”

Qiyu gave him a puzzled look and said bluntly, “Dan Xingyu, it looks to me like you’re the one who’s lost your mind.”

“I don’t care.”

Dan Xingyu declared emphatically, “Back where I’m from, you absolutely can’t just say things like ‘I like you’ casually. Qiyu, since you said it, you have to take responsibility!”

That really struck a nerve—it was a gap in Qiyu’s knowledge. Is there such a saying on Earth?

He hesitated for a moment, looking a bit conflicted: “But that’s exactly what I tell the Survival Game every day.”

Dan Xingyu: “……”

“That’s different,” he said decisively. “The Survival Game isn’t from Earth.”

Qiyu thought to himself, I’m not from Earth either. But he couldn’t say that.

He could only say to him, “All right then, how do I make it up to you?”

The corners of Dan Xingyu’s mouth twitched upward ever so briefly.

“You have to keep your word,” he said earnestly. “We’re going to be together for a long, long time.”

“Besides, you said you like me.” He took a gentle breath. “Qiyu, do you really know what ‘I like you’ means?”

As they spoke, the two had already walked off the path and emerged onto the plaza outside the resource zone.

Qiyu looked at him thoughtfully: “I think I do know. But the way you’re acting makes me feel like my understanding is probably different from yours.”

He likes Dan Xingyu, he likes survival games, he likes the Forest of Stars, he likes his territory, he likes treehouses… He has so many things he likes. 

But Dan Xingyu clearly wasn’t so overjoyed because of these kinds of “likes.”

So was the “liking” he was talking about sex?

There were already quite a few people in the square, and when they saw newcomers approaching, everyone around turned to look at them.

Dan Xingyu didn’t want Qiyu to become the subject of others’ gossip, so he gently let go of his hand. He said, “I’ll tell you next time.”

Qiyu nodded. “Okay.”

Once he quietly left the resource zone, he figured it would be a good time to check in with his other friends on Earth.

This time, perhaps because the resource zone had opened at such an inopportune time, the number of players in the crowd in the square was visibly low—

You could tell just by their attire.

However, it was also possible that, having learned from their previous experience, the players had finally started dressing more normally.

The “Mage” title was incredibly useful, and besides, a four-star mage was considered a decent combatant out in the world. Soon, people came over to strike up conversations, but Qiyu, of course, turned them all down.

He didn’t need teammates even when he was alone, let alone now that Dan Xingyu was by his side.

Unlike the last time, this Inspector didn’t have a particularly intimidating appearance; she was an ordinary-looking middle-aged woman. Hovering in midair, she announced the precautions in a flat tone before vanishing in a streak of light.

Soon, three different light gates appeared before the group. Qiyu said, “Dan Xingyu, shall we go?”

He turned his head and noticed that Dan Xingyu was staring intently at a certain place.

He followed his gaze and smiled. “That’s where we first met—right there at that place.”

Dan Xingyu: “That’s right, but I didn’t know it was you back then, and you didn’t recognize me either.”

It was truly strange.

He turned his gaze away and looked tenderly at Qiyu: “I can hardly believe it—we’ve only known each other for two months.” 

Qiyu’s thoughts were completely different from his: “We’ve known each other for two months already—that’s wonderful.”

He said happily, “We’ve been such good friends for so long—there will be many more two-month periods to come.” He was certain that Dan Xingyu would be able to survive in the survival game for a very long time.

“Qiyu, you’re at it again,” Dan Xingyu muttered under his breath.

He suspected the little mage was the reincarnation of a jar of honey—how else could he be so good at sweet-talking? His voice was too soft, and Qiyu didn’t catch what he said.

He was observing the people in the square and quickly realized something was off.

“Dan Xingyu,” he said in a low voice, “something’s off. Why are there so many people heading to the Black Resource Zone?”

He had noticed this before: the number of people entering the red light gate was visibly greater than those entering the green light gate. Later, after learning about the differences between the various areas, he realized this was perfectly normal.

But what was going on this time?

When it came to serious business, Dan Xingyu put all his distracting thoughts aside. He said solemnly, “Let’s go in first. I’ll see if I can find out anything.”

Qiyu suggested, “If we can’t find out anything, let’s see if we can buy the information from the alchemy puppet staff.” Last time, that staff member in the green uniform had left a very deep impression on him.

The two blended into the crowd. Dan Xingyu adjusted his gait to make himself look like a greenhorn out seeing the world for the first time.

He raised his voice slightly to ensure that everyone within earshot—neither too close nor too far—could hear him: “Bro, didn’t they say the Black Resource Zone is the most dangerous? How come there are so many people here?”

Quite a few people immediately turned to look in the direction of the voice.

The two of them were clearly martial artists; the one dressed as such was visibly young and full of vigor, with a flamboyant demeanor that showed no restraint—at first glance, he was clearly a greenhorn who hadn’t yet faced the hardships of life.

The one beside him was even more striking—clad in a mage’s robe that looked understated but completely blocked all prying eyes, and wearing the Mage Association’s four-star mage badge.

They looked like two noble young masters out seeing the world for the first time.

Someone chuckled, “Young Masters, if you’re out to have some fun, why did you choose a Black Resource Zone?”

Dan Xingyu spoke in a complaining tone: “I said we’d be fine with just a green card, but my family insisted that the black resource zone was unusual this time—so they gave us one card each and just dumped us over here.”

As soon as she said this, quite a few people grimaced in exasperation.

Someone in the crowd even cursed, “I worked my ass off for that card and spent so many extra gold coins, and you guys still don’t know how lucky you are.”

Someone offered enthusiastically, “The Black Resource Zone is no walk in the park. You two, why not team up? We can move together, and it’ll be safer that way.”

Others eyed them coldly: “You two, you’re not at home here. Keep your mouths shut, don’t draw attention to yourselves, and avoid interacting with others. Otherwise, you might not even know when your life is snatched away.”

“……”

Amid the various comments, Dan Xingyu quickly analyzed the information.

He had deliberately mentioned that this Black Resource Zone was unusual, and not a single person had contradicted him. It seemed they really had stumbled upon something valuable.

Why call it a good find? It goes without saying—if it weren’t a good find, how could it possibly have drawn so many people here?

All sorts of thoughts flashed through his mind, but his face wore a look of discontent. He turned his head and said, “Bro, Dad didn’t say a thing. I heard the Black Resource Zone is really dangerous. If we run into any trouble, you’d better keep me safe.”

Qiyu:“……”

He replied indifferently, “Mm-hmm.”

Dan Xingyu then wore a smug expression: “My brother is already a four-star mage at such a young age. Even if it’s dangerous, I’m not afraid.”

Qiyu: “…Mm-hmm.”

Immediately, someone sneered, “So what if you’re a four-star mage? Rumor has it that a treasure has surfaced in the Black Resource Zone this time—who knows how many old monsters it’ll attract. You two greenhorns should just go home and drink your milk.”

Dan Xingyu put his hands on his hips and glared at him: “How dare you! Do you know who we are? I—”

Someone grabbed his arm.

A cold, clear voice whispered in his ear, “Shut up. Let’s go.”

Qiyu was afraid Dan Xingyu would keep acting, leaving him unable to keep up. He pulled Dan Xingyu along, and the two stepped through the light gate at that moment. The crowd that had been bustling just moments ago vanished completely.

Dan Xingyu dropped his carefree grin and said with a smile, “So, what do you think, Brother Qiyu? My acting wasn’t too bad, was it? I was actually thinking earlier that maybe I’d try my hand at being an extra during my vacation.”

Qiyu didn’t know what being an extra entailed, so he could only give a soft “Mm-hmm” and say, “That was impressive.”

Having received the praise he wanted, Dan Xingyu knew when to stop: “Still, something’s definitely going on in this Black Resource Zone—a treasure has emerged?” 

He turned to Yu Yiyang: “We ran into a treasure right as soon as we arrived—isn’t that just like a classic protagonist’s story arc?”

As they spoke, the two spotted a staff member dressed in a black robe.

“Welcome, both of you. Please hand me your resource cards.”

The two handed over their resource zone cards, and the staff member asked as usual, “May I ask, would you like to enter the resource zone on the left or the one on the right?”

This time, Qiyu knew the answer: “The right side is the premium area—that costs extra, right?”

The smile on the staff member’s lips widened slightly, and Qiyu suspected that when they were manufactured, they’d been programmed with a “love for gold coins” setting.

It nodded enthusiastically: “I can tell you’re one of our valued customers.”

It asked expectantly, “Will you be entering the Premium Resource Zone this time as well?”

Dan Xingyu stopped Qiyu just as he was about to nod and asked, “If we enter the Premium Resource Zone, can we get relevant intelligence? For example, what are the circumstances surrounding the emergence of this treasure?”

Qiyu: Oh, so I can just ask without paying?

The staff member replied hesitantly, “That’s considered internal information.”

Dan Xingyu: “Well, isn’t that just perfect? We’re your VIP customers—it’s only fair that we get a little inside information, right?”

He silently pulled a storage pouch from his backpack and waved it around. “Look, here’s ten thousand gold coins. Just answer a few questions, and it’s all yours.”

The staff member’s eyes lit up instantly, his gaze darting back and forth between him and the storage pouch. Finally, he said, “You two will need to confirm that you want to enter the Premium Resource Zone first.”

“Deal.”

Qiyu stared in disbelief as Dan Xingyu effortlessly coaxed the information out of him. He felt like he’d been tricked.

Wasn’t it supposed to be that answering questions wasn’t part of the job, and you had to pay extra gold coins to get an answer? Soon, two black cards with gold borders were returned to the pair.

The staff member said rapidly, “The inside scoop this time is that a treasure related to a spirit has appeared somewhere in the Black Resource Zone.”

Elf?

Dan Xingyu instinctively glanced at Qiyu.