Outside, the fog was thick. Yu Yu logged off early today because she still had points to spend and hadn't chosen her spells. She needed to check Changyu's situation in detail before deciding what to exchange for. These days, Yu Yu could stay in the game until 6 a.m.
After the phone call, she was a bit distracted. Should she protect her address and brave the fog to leave?
Was Was the #Location# tied to her personally, or fixed at her house?
Yu Yu weighed her options, then sighed, thinking of the late real estate agent. Three months from now, she still wouldn't know where to go. Not worth venturing into the fog. Yu Yu was still uneasy about her "5" Corruption. If everyone could see their Corruption value, it might help screen for nearby anomalies, or at least serve as a warning…
Yu Yu indulged in a cup of hot milk, savoring it at her laptop.
Exposed? Fine. She'd pack a bag and move. She was curious to see what teammates the game had matched her with. If it could pinpoint her location, the game had some power in reality. Bold guess: it might've summoned the strongest players in her area?
Not to brag, but Yu Yu was definitely among the top spellcaster players in the game. Spellcasters relied heavily on spell lists, and when it came to spell lists, Yu Yu was second to none. Others might not have her knack for earning money, and even if they did, Yu Yu's early-game snowball advantage wasn't something latecomers could catch up to easily.
Yunlun, the chatty NPC, hadn't mentioned any new Academy favorites, but if there were any, she'd have spilled the beans. Not planning to go out, Yu Yu set aside the teammate question. She confirmed Changyu's address and some details, then paused the chat.
…Cheer up. At least it's not Strangle Disease, Mysterious Girl, or Empty City-level anomalies.
From Changyu's account and some deduction, Yu Yu summarized the "Skin-Changer's" traits:
It perfectly inherits the memories of those it possesses. It can multitask, role-playing the deceased while controlling multiple bodies. You can't tell it's "it" versus the original until it reveals itself. Its intelligence matches or exceeds human smarts, which is tricky. Its only non-flaw flaw: its combat ability is human-level.
If Yu Yu were it, she'd target humanity's violent institutions first…
Shudder. Terrifying.
She might have to avoid calling the police from now on. Changyu didn't know how many bodies it currently controlled. Yu Yu's eyes flickered, but she abandoned the idea of taking it out. She lacked the ability, and its powers, as long as it stayed hidden, were perfect for targeting someone exposed like her.
If it wasn't stupid, it likely held key identities, and Yu Yu had zero real-world defenses.
Gotta stay low.
Her goal: save Changyu without exposing herself.
Try, at least.
Changyu wasn't sure of its full capabilities. If it could soul-lock, hiding was pointless. Yu Yu could only do her best. This ability was scarier than overt anomalies. Without Changyu's oddity, who knows how long it'd have gone unnoticed? Maybe one day the whole city would be it.
"Psst, secret: the whole city's my smurf.~ Don't believe me? I'll switch and chat as someone else~"
Yu Yu shivered at the thought. How could she alert the authorities without being found?
In this situation, Yu Yu's options were limited. She could protect herself from discovery, but stopping it was beyond her—only official forces could handle that. The sooner, the better. If the authorities got compromised…
Sadly, Yu Yu knew little about its spread or weaknesses. Pulling back her wandering thoughts, she slapped her cheeks. Focus on the present.
Goal: Save Changyu while staying safe, avoiding its attention. If it does notice, ensure it can't find her. Also, keep Shu Tu, potential tool—er, teammates, and Changyu hidden. Changyu was tricky… Saving her while it possessed her body, without it tracking her again…?
So hard.
Yu Yu brainstormed possibilities, crossing out or reworking them. In a blink, she'd scribbled pages in her notebook. She decided to log in, buy spells, and clarify Trainee Guardian skills. The anomaly's powers might only be counterable by Changyu herself. Asking wouldn't hurt.
She confirmed Changyu's home location, terrain, foot traffic, and got a floor plan. Luckily, it was currently trapped in Changyu's body, unable to move or go online.
Yes, it could go online.
That's why Yu Yu found it so thorny. Who knows if it posed as netizens, luring people to meet?
Inheriting full memories meant it likely adopted human antics too. Given time…
Soon, Yu Yu was kicked offline, her recent points depleted. Level 1 quests weren't as quick as Level 0, often taking days. She'd completed three Level 1 quests recently, keeping the points untouched beyond the three free spells. Now, she'd spent them all. Recalling her plan, Yu Yu grabbed her notebook to review.
…Completely illegible.
What was she thinking? What were these scribbles?
Staring at the chaotic marks, Yu Yu put the notebook down, speechless. Closing her eyes, she recalled. No need for the notebook—she remembered. After sorting every possible mishap with contingencies and escape routes, Yu Yu opened her eyes. The fog had cleared. Brainwork was exhausting. Standing, she felt dizzy.
Hungry.
Time to treat herself: another cup of milk. Tired of instant noodles and plain pasta, Yu Yu had switched to toast and eggs—quick, convenient, though sometimes unsatisfying.
But it's fast!
If her potatoes grew, she'd make green pepper potato stir-fry, veggie tofu soup, and rice. Delicious.
Very budget-friendly. Perfect.
No veggies or soup? Soulless meals. Her fried rice skills were subpar.
"Xiao Yu."
Yu Yu glanced out the window, saw the fat cat sprawled asleep on the lawn, and opened the door confidently.
"How are you not scared of that fat cat?"
Shu Tu, hands in pockets, said, "I saw them."
"They don't seem like pros. You can relax."
Yu Yu: "Where are they?"
"Complex entrance."
Shu Tu glanced outside. "They probably saw Banban and didn't dare come closer."
Yu Yu hadn't expected Banban to be useful. "Let's go, then."
Shu Tu: "How's it sleeping so soundly?"
Yu Yu grabbed a cap and mask, secured her phone in her pocket, tied her shoes, locked the door, and tossed the key in the doorstep planter.
"Sleep spell."
Walking, she explained, "Sleep and Daze have different strengths. Daze is strong control but lasts only 10 seconds. Sleep is slower but can keep them out for ages."
"But you need the right moment. If they're not sleepy, it's like hypnosis—control time might be shorter than Daze."
She glanced at the lawn's lazy cat. "It's bouncing around every night, sleeping by day. Useless cat."
Shu Tu defended Spots. "It's hot during the day, and Spots has thick fur. Not moving much is normal."
Yu Yu's mind veered. "I need to learn Ice Spike and Water Orb soon. No more AC. Saves electricity."
No, saves money.
Shu Tu was speechless.
"You're not covering up?"
They were nearing the complex exit.
Shu Tu, unfazed, said, "Too many people know me. No point."
Yu Yu: "…But this time, you really should."
Shu Tu: "?"
"You're finally out! Why's there a tiger at your place? And why haven't you called the cops?!"
"We almost died of fright!!"
"Its eyes were huge, staring right at me! How'd it see through my stealth?!"
Yu Yu caught the key detail. "Oh? Banban saw through your stealth?"
Glancing at her, Yu Yu realized, "7788?"
"You know me?"
7788 studied her, searching her memory. Yu Yu wore a plain white lettered T-shirt, beige shorts, a black-and-white cap, and a big mask, revealing only her striking black eyes.
"So pale," 7788 remarked.
Yu Yu: "?"
7788 coughed, looking at Shu Tu. "I meant her."
Shu Tu was unmoved.
Yu Yu: "…We've traded."
Thankfully, her teammates were all women. With their looks, men would've been extra trouble.
"So it's you."
The other woman spoke—tall, lanky, like a bamboo pole, with what looked like a zither case on her back. Coincidentally, Shu Tu carried one too.
7788 turned. "Who? You know her?"
Zhugan glanced at 7788. "Quest."
Yu Yu checked her phone, seeing their game IDs displayed.
Leader: [Yu]. Members: [Shu Tu], [7788], [Zi shu].
Familiar names. Yu Yu often ran into them on the forums, such as Zhou Dashazi, such as Zhou Dashazi, and such as Zhou Dashazi.
"I checked on Zhou Dashazi before. Hospitals are wild now. Avoid the city hospital," Yu Yu warned kindly.
"So it's you, old friend!" 7788's smile warmed. "Hope you're not as annoying as that guy."
Forum regulars knew [Boss] = [Yu].
"Boss please guide us on this quest."
Yu Yu raised an eyebrow. "No problem."
Zi Shu, with delicate features but a cold demeanor, seemed hard to approach.
She studied Yu Yu's face. "Why cover your face?"
Yu Yu: "Long story. Let's find a place to sit. I'm worried the cat'll wake up."
At KFC, the four sat down. Yu Yu gave a brief rundown.
…It took two hours and four glasses of water.
Shu Tu was fine, but Zishu and 7788 were visibly dazed.
"…In summary, it's not that complicated," Yu Yu concluded. "Any thoughts? Let's hear them."
7788 opened her mouth, then closed it.
She poked a cold fry. "…No thoughts. I'll follow you."
Zi Shu, deadpan, said, "You've covered everything."
"So," she mused, "we need to hide our identities too?"
Yu Yu eyed their bracelets. "Exactly."
She sat back, munching popcorn. "Without those bracelets, I'd have verified your identities first."
"But no need now," Yu Yu said. "Changyu's bracelet stays with her. Monsters can't use it."
All four wore bracelets today. Yu Yu's was navy blue, Shu Tu's dark green, 7788's deep purple, Zi Shu's translucent red. They pondered, while Yu Yu seized the chance to devour popcorn and a burger.
Sniff. So good. She hadn't eaten this in ages. More, more.
Shu Tu watched silently. Zi Shu and 7788, apparently acquainted, discussed. "We can't go during the day."
"If it's as scary as you say, we can't show our faces on any cameras."
"Best to dress uniformly. Problem is, we probably got caught on cameras coming here…"
Zi Shu thought. "We can only hope."
Yu Yu: "No need to stress too much. Changyu's place is in Bridge North. They might not dig that hard for us."
Qiaobei is the north side of Chongjiang River. Rongcheng is divided into two parts by Chongjiang River, also known as Jiangnan and Jiangbei. Of course, locally it is called Qiaonan and Qiaobei based on the Chongjiang Bridge.
Zi Shu visibly relaxed. "That's better. I didn't expect this quest to be so tough."
7788 slurped her cola. "It's fine, right? I thought we'd fight tentacle monsters! Didn't Yu say it's freaky but weak in combat?"
Zishu: "Smart ones scare me most."
7788 shrugged.
Yu Yu sighed. "Yeah, if they were all like Zhou Dashazi, we'd have a bright future."
Zi Shu nodded gravely.
7788: "No way? You all visited him?"
Yu Yu: "…You went too?"
Zishu, eyes down, finally ate.
7788: "Duh. How else would I mock him?"
"Tch, ignore 7788's advice, suffer the consequences."
Shu Tu sighed. "So, what's the plan?"
Yu Yu: "Cosplay?"
Zishu: "Disguises."
7788: "Men's clothes, dresses, fake leg hair, mustaches, and if possible…"
"Enough, enough," Yu Yu cut in. "It's getting painful."
Shu Tu smiled gently. "I'll cover the funds."
"Thank you, Shu Tu-Shen! I bow to you!"
Yu Yu paused. "…Sounds good."
Unlike Shu Tu, Yu Yu's contract breach wasn't a mutual termination. She missed her old eight-figure savings. Back then, she was Yu-Shen, mostly for her bank account. That night, four bizarre creatures appeared in a high-end Bridge North complex.
Each was extraordinary, hopping around like Monkey King, definitely not human.
"Featherfall is awesome!" a clear female voice chirped. "Next time in-game, we team up again?"
"I feel like lightning!"
Zi Shu, coldly: "Shut up."
She scanned around. "Something's off."
7788 vanished instantly.
Stealth.
Shu Tu opened her zither case, pulling out a bow and arrows. Zi Shu quietly drew her sword. A stunning Longquan sword, floral-patterned steel with red gilding—sadly, unsharpened. Their goal wasn't killing, just rescuing.
"So pretty."
Zi Shu turned, flashing a rare smile. "Pretty, right?"
Yu Yu, panting like a dog but distracted by the sword, said, "Really pretty."
Zishu smiled. Compared to the others, Yu Yu's Constitution was trash. To avoid leaving traces, they'd mostly walked, and despite their consideration, she was half-dead.
Yu Yu crouched, gasping. "I miss Banban."
Shutu chuckled. "Almost there."
Yu Yu's brow twitched, but before she could speak, someone yanked her down.
Someone's here.
They hid behind the complex's bushes, with just enough space to crouch. 7788 was gone, but Shu Tu and Zi Shu were there. Who'd be strolling here at this hour?
The trio held their breath, waiting for the person to pass.
Footsteps drew closer, closer.
Yu Yu, buried by the bushes, face scratched by leaves, noticed no mosquitoes or birds.
Glancing over, she saw Shu Tu pull a small dagger from nowhere. Yu Yu suddenly regretted not bringing a fruit knife.
The footsteps faded.
The trio exhaled. A sigh came from above. They looked up.
7788, crouched on a thin branch, pulled off her mask to breathe.
Seeing three pairs of eyes, she nearly fell, mouthing, "What're you staring at?"