Chapter 42: The Fruits of Return

Killing...

Though it was his first time, Bai Ming did not feel much. Compared to the gruesome, horrifying, and repulsive deaths of the ghosts he had encountered, the way [Ink Stains Dust] died was hardly worth mentioning. The only difference was that this time, it was a true and permanent death.

"Brother [Wu Tian]! Save me, I’m willing to give you half of the game coins I earn after clearing this stage... as a reward... I can... sign a contract..."

[Cotton Candy and Cat] begged, her voice thin as a thread. She had been tortured to the point of near-death and was desperate to finish the mission so she could heal her wounds. If she hadn't been clinging to the last shreds of her rationality, she would have handed over all her wealth to [Wu Tian] just to ensure her own survival.

Seeing this, [Blade Suppressing Mountains and Rivers] cursed inwardly. This idiot didn't even know how to haggle! If she had negotiated, they might have been able to lower the price. But now that [Cotton Candy and Cat] had already spoken, there was no room for maneuver. He could only say, "Big Brother [Wu Tian], I’m the same. We can use the contract dropped by [Ink Stains Dust]."

When a player dies, their bound equipment vanishes—like [Ink Stains Dust]'s katana, which had disappeared instantly—but unbound items remain unaffected. Bai Ming picked up the [Contract of the Yellow Springs] and found there was only one. He simply took out the contracts he had obtained from [A Novice] and signed them with the two of them. No matter how flowery the words, nothing was more reliable than a contract.

[Blade Suppressing Mountains and Rivers] wore a bitter smile. He could only console himself with the fact that [Wu Tian] was an extraordinary figure. To have survived being backstabbed by [Ink Stains Dust] and then turn around to kill him proved that [Wu Tian] was far beyond an S-rank player—a truly unique existence in the Twilight Game. If he went back and wrote a report for the relevant authorities, he would surely receive a reward.

"By the way, add a clause: you are not permitted to leak my information to the authorities," Bai Ming added.

Of course, he knew full well that players like those from [Wind City Detectives] or [Campus Daily] would report his information to their respective organizations, but at least they wouldn't know as much as [Blade Suppressing Mountains and Rivers] and [Cotton Candy and Cat]. [Blade Suppressing Mountains and Rivers] had no choice but to agree, while [Cotton Candy and Cat] was already drifting in and out of consciousness, her signature so slow it seemed she might die if it took even a second longer.

After bringing the two to the station and watching their figures vanish into the return portal, Bai Ming prepared to leave. Before departing, he looked back at the distant Dawn Hospital. The gloomy building stood in the morning mist, its silhouette blurred and twisted, as if pulled by some invisible force, expanding and contracting. Its shattered windows were like empty eye sockets, staring toward the platform. Faintly, pale shadows seemed to wander the corridors, or perhaps it was just the wind stirring tattered curtains.

Bai Ming looked away, yet he had a strange premonition that he would return here one day.

...

[Mission Accomplished]
[Calculating mission rewards...]
[Player's comprehensive performance for this mission: A. Experience and game coin rewards are 120% of the base value.]
[Player gained 720 experience points and 720 game coins.]
[Player Level: LV4 (620/1000)]

[Player level up. Gained skill point x1, gained free attribute point x1.]
[Player Willpower: 3 -> 4]

A-rank? That made sense; he hadn't moved on to the next station, after all. In the Twilight Game, S-rank was 150%, A-rank 120%, B-rank 100%, C-rank 80%, D-rank 50%, and F-rank 20%. Generally, clearing a game within the normal scope capped at A-rank; only by exceeding the main storyline could one reach S-rank. Furthermore, if you were just a "passenger" carried by a top player and contributed nothing, you would only receive an F-rank.

It was already 6:30 AM, and street cleaners had begun appearing on the roads. Fortunately, Bai Ming was agile and managed to slip away unnoticed. After walking for half an hour, he hailed a taxi home and collapsed onto the sofa the moment he stepped inside.

*Whoosh!*

Bai Xiaozhi drifted out from Bai Ming's chest. Her smoke-like form gradually condensed in mid-air, finally taking on a physical shape.

"What are you doing?" Bai Ming asked, puzzled.

Bai Xiaozhi lowered her lashes and whispered, "I'm going to make dinner."

Bai Ming looked at her slender back. "Why are you making dinner?"

Bai Xiaozhi's voice was calm but carried a trace of stubbornness. "Because when you rest for a while, you’ll be hungry and able to eat. Teacher Wang used to do this after work too..."

Bai Ming stood up abruptly. "I am not Teacher Wang, and I don't need you to do this. If I'm hungry, I can order takeout. Go get some rest."

Bai Xiaozhi walked into the kitchen without looking back, merely shaking her head gently, her hair swaying with the movement. "It's fine. I didn't do anything in the dungeon, I'm not tired. Besides... I want to cook for you."

Bai Ming opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing more. Healing Bai Xiaozhi's psychological trauma couldn't be rushed, and he was exhausted himself. Even though it hadn't involved non-stop combat like the [Campus Daily] dungeon, simply keeping his nerves taut in that crisis-ridden world was enough to drain his energy. Now that he was home, he just wanted to lounge on the sofa; moving a finger felt like a chore.

[Player "Blade Suppressing Mountains and Rivers" has transferred 360 game coins to you.]
[Player "Cotton Candy and Cat" has transferred 300 game coins to you.]

One A-rank? One B-rank? It seemed [Blade Suppressing Mountains and Rivers] and [Cotton Candy and Cat] had earned quite a few high ratings while running with [Ink Stains Dust].

With a thought, Bai Ming opened the player forum while lying on the sofa. The trending post today was: *Extreme Free Player Kills on the Street; Authorities’ Player Subdues Him in One Move.*

Bai Ming opened the post with his mind and began to browse.

"Shocked.jpg"
"Free players are a cancer; they must be completely eradicated."
"Calling on the authorities to bring all free players under control."
"A rite of passage."
"Just a test for joining [The Void]."

Overall, the reputation of free players had soured even further. [The Void], mentioned in the posts, was a player organization. Their philosophy was: "All things are born from nothingness and will eventually return to the void; existence is but an illusion, and annihilation is the only truth."

They acted with extreme measures, desperate to destroy the world's order. And yet, given the sheer number of players, there were always those with twisted minds who accepted this philosophy and joined. They were a thoroughly international, extremist organization. Moreover, while [The Void] was suppressed within the country, they had committed shocking, bloody crimes across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Africa, and South America.

As he read, Bai Ming's eyelids grew heavy, and he eventually drifted off to sleep on the sofa.

When he woke up, an alluring aroma of food tickled his nose. He opened his eyes slowly to find that Bai Xiaozhi had neatly set the table and served the rice. She wasn't eating; she was just sitting quietly across from him, her gaze fixed on him. Seeing him wake up, she immediately lowered her head, pretending to look at her phone, but beneath the table, her black-stockinged toes were curling against the floor, then shrinking back in hesitation.

Wait... black stockings?

Bai Ming noticed for the first time that Bai Xiaozhi had changed into a British-style school uniform, paired with black over-the-knee socks that accentuated the length and slenderness of her legs. When did she buy