A Choice Made, A Path Taken

Following the battle’s conclusion, the captain of the small squad approached them, bowing respectfully as he spoke.

“Thank you for your assistance.”

Lin Shenyue studied Ye Jue’s expression, noticing his calm, almost indifferent nod. It immediately became clear to her that someone within this squad had piqued his interest, though it was certainly not the captain standing before them. Her gaze then shifted to the two other surviving members, yet she discerned nothing remarkable.

A wave of awkwardness washed over the squad captain. After all, being rescued only to be ignored left him puzzled by Ye Jue’s intentions. Fortunately, Ye Jue did not prolong his discomfort, as his gaze soon turned to the girl among the two remaining members.

“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice subdued.

The girl, who had initially harbored some suspicion, offered a wry smile upon hearing Ye Jue’s words.

“What do you think?”

Lin Shenyue regarded the girl with a flicker of curiosity. Though not strikingly beautiful, she possessed a fresh, unassuming charm.

Ye Jue remained silent for a moment before finally speaking, his tone distant. “Since you’ve already chosen your path, then walk it.”

The girl’s lips parted twice, desperate to voice her regret, but the cold indifference in Ye Jue’s eyes rendered her speechless.

The squad captain, who had hoped to leverage the girl’s connection to Ye Jue, understood from this exchange that his aspirations were futile.

Ye Jue sighed, then finally offered, “If you ever need anything, come find me. I will help you within my capabilities.”

The girl smiled bitterly and nodded. She understood that while Ye Jue might offer assistance, it would be solely out of past consideration, not from any lingering affection. She knew his character well, and she knew there was no longer any possibility for them. She glanced at Lin Shenyue, and as a fellow woman, she was momentarily captivated by Lin Shenyue’s beauty. After a beat of admiration, she turned to Ye Jue and asked, “Is this your choice?”

Ye Jue naturally understood her meaning. After a moment of silence, he replied, “Yes.”

The girl’s face grew even paler. She had asked casually, yet Ye Jue had given her such a definitive answer. This clearly indicated that he had made his choice, and it was not one easily swayed.

Ye Jue understood the girl’s thoughts, but as the saying goes, ‘it is fate.’ Once she had made her choice, she was no longer walking the same path as him. Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Ye Jue promptly led Lin Shenyue and the others away.

The girl watched Ye Jue’s retreating figure in a daze, tears finally welling in her eyes.

“What was your relationship with that girl?” Lin Shenyue asked, her curiosity piqued. Though she knew Ye Jue might not answer, she couldn’t resist asking.

To Lin Shenyue’s surprise, Ye Jue responded. “She could be considered my childhood sweetheart. However, her family later found an opportunity to rise, and she chose a different path.” While Ye Jue didn’t elaborate on what that path entailed, Lin Shenyue could more or less guess.

‘Childhood sweetheart?’ Lin Shenyue mused silently. ‘Well, it doesn’t concern me much, so there’s no need to dwell on it.’

Ye Jue’s reason for answering Lin Shenyue’s question was to prevent any misunderstanding. However, it was clear Lin Shenyue had no such thoughts, which left Ye Jue feeling a touch helpless.

Xu Linglong, observing from the side, had gleaned a fair bit from the interaction. As a woman, she was naturally more perceptive in these matters. It was evident that the young man harbored feelings for her best friend, yet her best friend seemed entirely oblivious. Xu Linglong’s eyes narrowed. To win Lin Shenyue’s heart, one would first have to get past her.

Unaware that his path to pursuing a girl had just gained another formidable obstacle, Ye Jue led the group deeper into the Sea of Skeletons. By now, all the skeletons had reached Level 13. With each increase in level, their stats had significantly improved. However, the experience points they yielded had also increased, now offering 8,000 points per kill. In truth, the primary benefit of slaying undead was the war merits.

War merits could be exchanged for rare items, titles, or positions at the corresponding NPC after the event concluded. Of course, the latter two required an amount of war merits not easily acquired by players.

To enhance the team’s coordination, Ye Jue naturally pulled a large number of monsters. This meant that even though Lin Shenyue’s skills could inflict damage, she couldn’t carelessly cast them. As a healer, ensuring the safety of her team members was paramount; recklessly prioritizing a bit of damage output at the cost of team cohesion would make her an unqualified cleric.

Lin Shenyue’s expression grew focused. What struck her as odd was a distinct feeling that her reaction speed had somehow accelerated. This unexpected change led to a miscalculation, causing a skill to be cast on Ye Jue prematurely, nearly resulting in his death due to insufficient healing later on. Nevertheless, the team’s collective strength was extraordinary, allowing them to recover from the brink.

Ye Jue and the others were surprised by Lin Shenyue’s sudden mistake. Since forming their team, Lin Shenyue had rarely made such severe errors; her past mistakes stemmed more from a lack of understanding of the game rather than fundamental blunders like this.

Seeing their questioning gazes, Lin Shenyue said sheepishly, “I just realized my reaction speed seems to be increasing, so the time I need for pre-judgment has decreased.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Jue’s eyes brightened. Although Lin Shenyue’s powerful calculation abilities allowed her to keep pace with the team despite her slow reaction speed, this deficiency would be infinitely magnified as everyone’s strength grew in the future. Especially when facing targeted attacks from other players, her calculation abilities alone would be insufficient to account for human unpredictability. However, with her reaction speed accelerating now, it meant she might return to a normal level. For her, even a reaction speed comparable to that of an average player would be enough for Lin Shenyue to *carry* the team.

Xu Linglong, who had been listening nearby, paused for a moment before her face lit up with joy. Lin Shenyue’s current state indicated a slow but steady recovery. Perhaps it wouldn’t be long before she could see Lin Shenyue in the real world again.

After a brief experiment, Lin Shenyue discovered her reaction speed was approximately 0.1 seconds faster than before. This 0.1-second difference was precisely what had caused her recent errors. Once Lin Shenyue familiarized herself with her new reaction speed, she made no further mistakes in their subsequent actions.