It became clear that reality and games were distinct realms, and one’s physical state in the real world exerted no influence on their in-game attributes.
Thus, during the few days her relatives visited, Bai Xia spent most of her time immersed in the game.
Each day, she logged in, forming parties with Tian Zheng and their companions to clear dungeons and undertake hunting quests.
Though they couldn’t always gather a full party of five, it was an unavoidable circumstance.
After all, everyone else, apart from Bai Xia, had real-world obligations to attend to; no matter how captivating a game might be, it was ultimately a means of relaxation and entertainment.
Fortunately, her level continued to rise steadily, and her purse grew increasingly plump.
Naturally, the onset of her menstrual cycle (TL Note: ‘dàyímā,’ a common Chinese euphemism for menstruation) still affected Bai Xia somewhat.
During this time, her emotions fluctuated wildly, and she found herself unexpectedly sensitive, prone to overthinking, and constantly drifting into inexplicable daydreams.
Indeed, she had contemplated much over the past few days, gaining a deeper understanding and appreciation for her current female identity.
While she didn’t believe her soul, whose very existence remained uncertain, would become entirely feminized by this, she had undoubtedly been influenced to some degree.
Was it for the better or for the worse? Bai Xia couldn’t say.
Yet, being inherently lazy, she found such contemplation utterly bothersome and simply cast all those thoughts aside.
Self-pity and paranoia never aligned with Bai Xia’s character.
Though she could never claim to have adapted to, let alone grown accustomed to, her current life, what recourse did she have if she remained unadapted and unaccustomed?
The world, after all, did not revolve around any single person.
Whether as a man or a woman, Bai Xia refused to shortchange herself.
Thus, she opted to disregard the issues that caused her headaches, striving instead to find things that brought her joy and diverted her attention.
This form of escapism was hardly shameful; in fact, it proved remarkably effective.
To put it plainly, Bai Xia was a very pragmatic person; no matter what kind of life it was, her own comfort was paramount.
****
As mid-November approached, a faint chill of winter permeated the air outside.
For once, Bai Xia didn’t log directly into the game first thing in the morning.
Instead, she burrowed deep into her quilt, sleeping until noon before slowly stirring from bed.
Reaching out, she touched her lower abdomen; although still a little uncomfortable, she had grown somewhat used to it.
After a brief contemplation, the girl, whose appetite had been rather poor lately, decided to treat herself today.
After a quick wash-up, Bai Xia dug out her recently purchased bear-head apron and headed into the kitchen.
Without a fully automated smart machine, she naturally had to do everything herself.
Fortunately, her culinary skills hadn’t vanished entirely simply because she now inhabited a different body.
While still somewhat unaccustomed, it posed no significant challenge.
Before long, several seemingly delicious dishes were placed upon the table.
“Eating alone feels a bit lonely, doesn’t it?”
Gazing at the lunch spread, enough to feed a family of three for an entire meal, Bai Xia fell silent after removing her apron.
She quickly shook her head, however, then opened her Sky Messenger to pull up a movie, consuming the food on the table while watching.
After logging out of the game, she would play some songs, anime, or movies; this had recently become a new habit for Bai Xia.
It wasn’t that the songs were particularly melodious or the movies especially captivating.
Rather, it was simply because she had grown accustomed to the lively atmosphere of the game and found the sudden silence of the entire space somewhat unsettling.
Moreover, despite having prepared a generous amount of food, Bai Xia had no intention of wasting any of it.
Though this body was petite, its appetite was anything but small.
Even Bai Xia herself sometimes couldn’t help but exclaim, ‘Could this be the legendary dimensional stomach (TL Note: ‘yìcìyuán wèidài,’ a term used to describe an exceptionally large appetite) I’ve heard of?’
Of course, she was almost accustomed to it by now.
With a full stomach and a comfortable warmth, as the old saying went, ‘one’s thoughts turn to *that* desire (TL Note: ‘wēnbǎo sī nà shá yù,’ a proverb implying that basic needs met lead to carnal thoughts).’
Having barely indulged this body since her last intimate experience (TL Note: ‘kāihūn,’ a euphemism for engaging in sexual activity) due to her period, Bai Xia found herself, after a satisfying meal, once again entertaining some rather peculiar notions.
However, after shaking her head, she ultimately suppressed all those thoughts.
Some things, once started, become incredibly difficult to control, especially after one has tasted their sweetness.
While a moderate release was not inherently problematic, Bai Xia never considered herself a person of exceptional self-control.
Therefore, to prevent herself from unknowingly falling into an inescapable vortex of desire, she resolved to avoid such matters as much as possible in the future.
After a moment of thought, Bai Xia returned to her bedroom and launched the game.
Logging back in from where she had last disconnected, she glanced at her friends list, only to find herself the sole person online.
Bai Xia paid it no mind, however.
She pulled out a town portal scroll, and just as she was about to use it, she instinctively glanced at her experience bar, only then remembering that her experience was already at 95% for Level 14.
Consequently, she put the town portal scroll away once more, then silently equipped her weapon, facing the monsters scattered across the plains where she stood.
Fifteen minutes later.
“Ding! Congratulations! Your level has increased to Level 15. You may return to town to find a class advancement instructor and accept a class advancement quest.”
The system notification caused Bai Xia to frown, but before her confusion could deepen, several more system prompts chimed in her ear.
“Ding! As your level has reached 15, and through the infusion of an unknown power, your class has automatically changed from ‘Assassin’ to ‘Shadow Slayer.’ Your base attributes have increased.”
“Ding! Original class skill effects have changed. You have acquired new class skills: ‘Dark Rite,’ ‘Blood Slaughter,’ and ‘Soul Burial.'”
These two consecutive notifications brought a sigh of relief to Bai Xia.
Just moments before, she had been wondering why her class hadn’t changed upon reaching Level 15, and if Qingcheng, that utterly mysterious individual, had perhaps deceived her.
She had even planned to visit the class instructor upon returning to town, but it seemed she had simply been too impatient.
Driven by curiosity about her new class, Bai Xia turned her attention to her basic information and the newly unlocked exclusive skills.
Shadow Slayer: An exclusive class for Dark Elf Assassins, wielding the deadly dagger of dark power!
While some of her original skills were retained, their various effects had been enhanced and altered to a certain extent.
The most basic skill, Backstab, now had an increased damage bonus.
Dark Affinity, which previously ‘enchanted’ weapons, had been changed to Dark Corrosion.
Its effect was to imbue the weapon with dark power, increasing damage, while also leaving residual dark energy to corrode enemies with every attack or skill cast, lasting for a certain duration.
Dark Harvest, on the other hand, had transformed into Dark Pierce.
Upon activation, it instantly pierced through enemies in a straight line.
Those pierced would be briefly bound by dark power, and after the pierce concluded, all accumulated power would detonate, dealing damage to the enemies.
This skill now bore a striking resemblance to the equipment skill of the Phantom Blade, though its attack and effects were considerably more potent.
The Shadow Stealth skill remained largely unchanged, merely gaining increased stealth duration and movement speed while stealthed.
Additionally, one could now choose to voluntarily end the stealth state.
Fatal Strike: No change in effect; the next attack after activation was still guaranteed to be a critical hit.
Shadow Step: Effects enhanced.
Next were the three newly learned skills.
First, Dark Rite: Pray to the God of Darkness and Death to receive their blessing.
Attacks would then be imbued with the power of the God of Darkness, with a certain probability of inflicting an armor-piercing effect.
Blood Slaughter: At the cost of burning one’s own HP, attack speed, movement speed, and evasion would be boosted to their absolute maximum for a certain duration!
The more HP burned, the greater the amplification.
A maximum of half of one’s total HP could be burned, and the skill could not be activated if current HP was below half of the maximum HP.
Soul Burial: Upon activation, attacks would have a certain probability of triggering an instant death effect for a short period.
The trigger chance would vary based on the levels and grades of both parties.
“As expected of a hidden class, huh…”
With the class transformation, her base attributes underwent a monumental change, and her class skills became both more refined and more powerful.
Especially the three newly added skills: while none were purely offensive, Dark Rite offered defense-ignoring armor penetration, Blood Slaughter provided extreme movement and attack speed after burning HP, and Soul Burial could even trigger a terrifying instant death effect!
Under these multiple enhancements, Bai Xia now felt a strong urge to rush to the Fairy Trial and test her blade on the Thunder Knight’s neck.
Of course, it was merely a thought.
The Fairy Trial was best tackled as a team once everyone was online.
After all, it had previously wiped out their entire party, and any revenge was best exacted together.
Having reviewed her basic information, and with Tian Zheng and the others still offline, Bai Xia had no desire to continue leveling.
She pulled out her town portal scroll once more, marked her current location, and prepared to return to Forest City.
It was at this precise moment, however, that she spotted an unusual figure not far away.
“Hmm?”
Bai Xia was currently in a plain situated between the Human Kingdom and the Endless Forest Sea.
Compared to the Endless Forest Sea, a popular exploration area, this plain had far fewer players, which was why they had chosen to explore in this direction previously.
Yet Bai Xia was certain: when she had logged off earlier, there had been absolutely nothing as strange as what now lay within her sight.
For it was undeniably a human, and a human covered in blood at that!
Clad in tattered silver armor, he lay motionless in the tall grass behind a large boulder, his fate unknown.
Dense weeds almost completely obscured his body, and combined with the obstructing boulder, had Bai Xia not been so sharp-eyed, she might not have noticed him at all.
But… why would an NPC suddenly appear behind this boulder?
Yes, it was undoubtedly an NPC, for players wouldn’t bleed so profusely.
So…
“A special quest?”
Bai Xia’s eyes lit up.
She pocketed the town portal scroll she had been about to crush for the second time, then cautiously approached.
The closer she got, and the more she saw, the more she understood the NPC’s wretched state.
He lay lifelessly in the grass, his exposed skin, visible through the shattered armor, almost entirely devoid of an unblemished spot.
His right arm was even missing, as if he had been caught in the blast of a powerful bomb.