A Painful Return and Unbelievable Charm

Ye Jue led Lin Shenyue through a winding path for several minutes. Along the way, they encountered no other monsters.

“This is the place,” Ye Jue announced. It was one of the rare gathering spots in the forest where no monsters harbored aggression.

Lin Shenyue surveyed the vicinity. It remained a dim expanse, though faint hints of other colors were discernible.

“How did you ever find a place like this?” Lin Shenyue finally couldn’t help but ask.

Ye Jue sighed. “Are you certain you want to know?”

Although Lin Shenyue was a little slow to react, she was by no means foolish. She understood that Ye Jue was presenting her with a choice; making it might bind her to his journey from then on.

Lin Shenyue furrowed her delicate brows, but ultimately shook her head.

Ye Jue wasn’t surprised in the least. After all, they had only just met, barely familiar with each other’s personalities. Who would readily agree under such circumstances?

Nevertheless, a faint sense of disappointment settled in Ye Jue’s heart.

Lin Shenyue watched as Ye Jue silently turned to begin gathering. She hesitated, but decided against asking further.

[Newbie Quest: Gather White Ling Flowers. The Newbie Village Apothecary requests your assistance in collecting some White Ling Flowers. Should you succeed, a generous reward awaits you. Progress: 0/5.]

Observing Ye Jue already at work, Lin Shenyue began her own search for White Ling Flowers. These small white blossoms were quite noticeable in the dim forest, and Lin Shenyue soon located one, commencing her gathering.

Gathering was a basic life skill everyone possessed, but it only allowed for simple collection with low efficiency, and some advanced materials remained out of reach. Mastering advanced gathering techniques required learning from an NPC.

“Gathering…” A progress bar appeared before Lin Shenyue’s eyes, indicating it would take approximately ten seconds.

“Finished gathering?” Ye Jue inquired after collecting his five flowers.

“Almost done, just one more,” Lin Shenyue replied, watching the progress bar slowly fill. “Done.”

Ye Jue nodded. “Once you’re ready, commit suicide.”

“Su… suicide?” Lin Shenyue’s face was etched with confusion.

“That’s right. In the Newbie Village, the quickest way to return is by suicide. There won’t be any significant losses, though it might sting a bit,” Ye Jue explained.

Lin Shenyue hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

Ye Jue walked towards the monster gathering area, quickly drawing the attention of two Green Snakes. He made no attempt to dodge, allowing the snakes to attack and kill him.

Lin Shenyue saw a Green Snake lunge at her. Steeling herself, she closed her eyes. However, the moment the snake struck, a searing pain forced her eyes open, and she cried out involuntarily.

The pain did not last long; the second snake’s attack instantly ended Lin Shenyue’s life. She felt the strength draining from her body, a suffocating sensation enveloping her.

Ye Jue waited at the resurrection point for Lin Shenyue. At this stage of the game, few players were dying, apart from those who idly wandered into the forest and were attacked.

After all, Level 1 goats didn’t possess high attack power, and by now, any freshly spawned goats were quickly dispatched.

A flash of white light at the resurrection point heralded Lin Shenyue’s appearance, her face deathly pale. She absolutely never wanted to experience such a death again, and a hint of anger flickered in her gaze towards Ye Jue.

Ye Jue found himself bewildered by Lin Shenyue’s angry stare. While an enraged Lin Shenyue possessed a certain unique charm, he couldn’t simply endure her wrath without understanding its cause.

Then, upon seeing her ashen face, he seemed to grasp the situation. “What’s your pain simulation set to?” Seeing Lin Shenyue’s slight confusion, he clarified helplessly, “It’s the pain simulation setting on your system interface.”

Lin Shenyue opened her system interface and was slightly taken aback to see the pain simulation set to 100%. Unbeknownst to them, the game itself was designed to stimulate Lin Shenyue’s brain to aid her recovery, and thus, her default pain setting was naturally 100%.

Perhaps her parents hadn’t anticipated Lin Shenyue would commit suicide, or perhaps they believed they could shield her, inadvertently subjecting her to a painful experience.

In her previous life, as a shut-in, Lin Shenyue had never endured such agony. Fortunately, her HP was low, and she died almost immediately after being attacked, before the full brunt of the pain could register. Yet, the sensation of death itself was excruciating; for a moment, she truly believed she was dying again.

Ye Jue sighed helplessly. “While it’s good to keep it high normally to train your sensitivity to danger, you should always lower the pain simulation at the moment of death. The feeling of dying is incredibly unpleasant.”

“But you didn’t tell me!” Lin Shenyue retorted, a trace of anger in her voice. She knew this wasn’t entirely Ye Jue’s fault; he had offered her a choice, and she had chosen suicide. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, she couldn’t help but direct her frustration at him.

Having had a girlfriend for three years, Ye Jue naturally understood that reasoning with women, especially angry ones, was futile. He dutifully apologized. “I’m sorry, I should have been clearer.”

Upon seeing Ye Jue apologize, Lin Shenyue felt a touch of embarrassment. She knew well that while Ye Jue hadn’t fully explained, pain simulation was generally set quite low, especially for female players, often at the minimum 20%.

She tried to adjust it, only to discover the pain simulation could not be changed. This must have been an oversight by her parents, who, intending for the game to cure her illness, had simply fixed the simulation at 100%.

“Never mind, I forgive you for this. Now, let’s go turn in the quest,” Lin Shenyue said, unconsciously running a hand through her hair. With that, she began walking in a certain direction.

“Uh… about that…” Ye Jue couldn’t help but interject.

“I already forgave you! What more do you want? Let’s go!” Lin Shenyue snapped, a hint of annoyance in her tone.

“That path leads out of the village,” Ye Jue said helplessly.

Lin Shenyue’s face instantly flushed crimson, resembling a ripe apple, making Ye Jue involuntarily swallow. However, seeing her growing irritation, he wisely decided to change the subject.

“Come on, let’s go to the Village Chief.”

Lin Shenyue felt utterly helpless. This body’s sense of direction was so abysmal she felt she could get lost walking in a straight line. Despite having looked at the map and believing she was heading towards the village center, she had still gone astray.

“Let’s go.” Ye Jue’s voice drifted from a distance; he had already reached the intersection while Lin Shenyue was lost in thought.

Snapping back to reality, Lin Shenyue hastily hurried towards Ye Jue.

****

“Village Chief, I’d like to submit a quest,” Lin Shenyue addressed him.

The Village Chief chuckled. “Ah, Yue’er! Excellent, excellent. You finished the quest so quickly. Here’s your reward, take good care of it.”

[Ding! Congratulations on completing the quest ‘Clear the Frenzied Goats.’ You have gained 130 Experience Points, 10 Copper Coins, and the item ‘Worn Magic Book.’]

[Ding! Congratulations, you have leveled up!]

[Worn Magic Book: (Common, Off-Hand Weapon) Level Requirement: 2. Magic Attack +4-5. A magic book, inexplicably kept under the Village Chief’s possession, is exceedingly worn, yet faint traces of magic can still be perceived.]

To her surprise, she had received an off-hand weapon, perfectly suited for her current level. Lin Shenyue was delighted. Though the item’s description left her somewhat speechless, her healing output would now be slightly higher, making monster encounters safer.

She shivered involuntarily, recalling the sensation of her recent death.

“Oh, and Yue’er,” the Village Chief said, his tone turning serious, “I’ve received reports of unknown monsters appearing near the Yellow Sand Plains. I hope you can investigate the cause for me.”

[Do you accept the quest: ‘Investigate Unknown Monsters’?]

“Yes.” After confirming, Lin Shenyue respectfully addressed the Village Chief. “Village Chief Grandpa, I’ll go investigate. See you next time!”

The Village Chief stroked his beard, smiling. “Very well, go quickly and return swiftly. Be careful.”

Lin Shenyue turned to look at the dumbfounded Ye Jue, feeling a little awkward. “What’s wrong, Peerless Karma Fire?”

“Nothing,” Ye Jue said, speechless. He was beginning to wonder if Lin Shenyue was the Village Chief’s illegitimate daughter; the old man’s attitude towards her was utterly unlike his treatment of other players.

As expected, Ye Jue received no such preferential treatment when he turned in his quest. The Village Chief simply completed it with a cold demeanor, then fell silent.

Only after Ye Jue inquired again did he receive the quest, earning a mere 107 experience points and nothing else.

‘Such blatant favoritism!’ Ye Jue wailed internally. ‘It seems Lin Shenyue’s Charm stat must be over 10, perhaps even 20.’

Lin Shenyue found Ye Jue’s resentful gaze a bit overwhelming. “Let’s hurry and turn in the herb quest,” she quickly suggested.

No sooner had she spoken than his aggrieved stare seemed to intensify, making Lin Shenyue shiver. It was fortunate Ye Jue didn’t know she had also received a piece of equipment; otherwise, his mournful eyes might have utterly drowned her.

Ye Jue collected himself, taking a deep breath. ‘She’s my teammate,’ he reminded himself, then led Lin Shenyue towards the apothecary.

[Ding! Congratulations on completing the quest ‘Gather White Ling Flowers.’ You have gained 260 Experience Points, 15 Copper Coins, and the item ‘Basic Magic Potion x3.’]

[Ding! Congratulations, you have leveled up!]

[Ding! Congratulations on completing the quest ‘Gather White Ling Flowers.’ You have gained 208 Experience Points, 15 Copper Coins, and the item ‘Basic Health Potion x1.’]

[Basic Magic Potion: Restores 100 Magic Points over 10 seconds. Cooldown: 1 minute. (Similar potions share cooldown.)]

[Basic Health Potion: Restores 100 Health Points over 10 seconds. Cooldown: 1 minute. (Similar potions share cooldown.)]

Magic and Health Potions could only be purchased at the apothecary. Basic potions cost 10 copper, while intermediate ones required 1 silver, offering five times the effect.

Undoubtedly, the first notification was for Lin Shenyue’s completed quest, and the second was for the unfortunate Ye Jue. While Ye Jue also reached Level 3, he had barely scraped by, whereas Lin Shenyue had surpassed Level 3 with an additional 100 experience points.

When Ye Jue learned of Lin Shenyue’s rewards, his mouth twitched uncontrollably. Based on his own experience gains, his Charm stat was likely around 7-8, which was already quite high; perhaps his hidden quests in his previous life were related to it.

However, upon seeing Lin Shenyue’s experience, he immediately estimated a number he found hard to believe: 30.

Lin Shenyue watched Ye Jue, who was muttering to himself, and couldn’t help but lean closer. She heard him repeating, “This is impossible… this is impossible…”

Lin Shenyue looked at him, utterly speechless. “You…”

Suddenly, Ye Jue lifted his head, startled to see the young woman so close to him. “Why are you here?”

Lin Shenyue also flinched, quickly pulling back. “I was just worried about you…”

Ye Jue felt a touch of warmth in his heart, but the girl’s next words made his mouth twitch violently once more. “If you went crazy, I wouldn’t have anyone to lead the way.”

Ye Jue let out a wry laugh, taking a long breath. “From now on, don’t easily tell others the experience points you gain from quests. The next set of quests has one in a Level 5 monster zone, two in Level 6 zones, and the new quest is in a Level 8 zone. We need to go level up.”

After speaking in one breath, Ye Jue paused, surprised. Unbeknownst to him, he had grown to trust the girl before him. He always had a feeling that she shared a similar destiny to his own, and thus, he harbored little caution.

Lin Shenyue didn’t press Ye Jue for details, simply nodding. “You lead the way.”

Ye Jue pondered for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up. He had thought of an ideal leveling spot.

[Nickname: Yue’er]

[Gender: Female]

[Race: Human (Four Divine Beasts Bloodline)]

[Class: ???]

[Level: 3]

[Experience: 100/900]

[Health: 50/50]

[Mana: 160/160]

[Physical Attack: 4-5]

[Magic Attack: 22-24]

[Physical Defense: 3]

[Magic Defense: 5]

[Speed: 6]

[Strength: 4]

[Intelligence: 18]

[Constitution: 5]

[Agility: 6]

[Spirit: 16]

[Luck: Hidden]

[Charm: Hidden]

[Status: Good]

[Skills:]

[Healing Spell: Restores 9+11 Health Points to a teammate per second, lasts 5 seconds. Cooldown: 20 seconds. Cast Time: 0 seconds. Mana Cost: 10. Weapon Requirement: Staff.]

[Equipment:]

[Newbie Staff: Magic Attack +0-1]

[Worn Magic Book: Magic Attack +4-5]

[Newbie Cloth Armor: Physical Defense 1]

[Newbie Skirt: Magic Defense 1]

[Fashion: Flowing Cloud Immortal Gown (Sealed) (The Creator Mother God’s painstaking effort, imbued with deep love for her daughter, currently sealed)]

[+20 Luck; +20 Charm]