Quadruple split.

Chapter 2838 Li Lei's Morning

Game time: 06:09 AM
Blood Barbarian Region, southern part of the Steelmane Tribal Kingdom, near the large settlement of [Heroic Thorn].

After a brief separation, the group of professional players returned to their original spectator positions. The only difference from before was that all of them had some bloodstains and dirt on them, which were not very obvious but were not deliberately concealed.

Just about fifteen minutes ago, the professional players, noticing that Bloodstained was about to crush the boarmen, scrambled out in unison. Under the command of the sorcerer, they took up key positions, cut off the enemy's retreat, and then, without hesitation, cleared out the boarmen who had finally lost their will to fight and started to flee. It took them less than ten minutes to complete the 'silencing'.

It's worth mentioning that, apart from the young Aiyou who was brought out by the perfume and had almost no combat ability, everyone else displayed strength that fully lived up to their reputation. Even the Cleaner didn't slack off too much. However, the total number of kills achieved by everyone combined was actually less than the number of kills achieved by Bloodstained in the same amount of time.

In fact, this girl, who was only a relatively outstanding up-and-coming talent not long ago, but not comparable to Fangshi, Baihua Sha, and others, had a killing efficiency in the final period that left everyone somewhat puzzled.

Not only that, when those boar-men who realized there was no hope of breaking out and were preparing to take at least one person down with them charged back into the Bloodstained territory, in their desperation and recklessness, the latter was able to increase her killing efficiency to another level. As a result, even if others wanted to help, they had no chance to intervene and could only return to their original positions and watch helplessly as the girl killed all the remaining enemies as if she were breathing.

Not a single stamina point was wasted. Every movement, every maneuver, and every slash she made precisely eliminated at least one boarman, and she successfully avoided any attacks that could inflict further injury on herself, without suffering any new wounds along the way.

Seeing the girl, her entire body stained crimson from the massive carnage, slowly walking towards them with a defiant smile on her face, carrying that savage, menacing giant blade, the sorcerer suddenly felt a strange unease.

Of course, it wasn't the feeling of being in love, but rather a reaction similar to being watched closely by a wild beast in the dark, which instinctively made my heart race and my forehead sweat.

For someone of the level of a Taoist priest to exhibit such a reaction is extremely rare, at least within the 'player' community.

Undoubtedly, just as the Cleaner had previously pointed out, Bloodstained, who survived that ordeal under almost impossible circumstances and even pulled off an incredible comeback, has undergone a 'transformation'.

What puzzled Fang Shi was that, according to feedback from the club's intelligence department, although Xue Ran's position on the [Individual Combat Power Ranking] had fluctuated, dropping from the top 100 to around 70th, the progress she had actually shown was far more than that.

Or to put it more bluntly, in the Taoist's understanding, a player capable of achieving the "feat" of Bloodstained should at least be at the level of the top of the leaderboard, but Bloodstained...

"It's best not to blindly trust those so-called 'leadership lists.' While they do have some reference value, it won't be long before they can no longer represent the skill level of us players."

As if guessing what the sorcerer was thinking, the cleaner grinned and said leisurely, "You should be able to sense it too, right? Although there have indeed been significant changes in that girl, these changes haven't actually given her even a little bit more strength, agility, or physique, nor have they increased her speed or critical hit rate by the slightest, have they?"

The Taoist priest: "...What do you mean?"

"This means that the potential that players can develop in the game [Innocent Realm] is far greater than we imagined."

The Cleaner chuckled and said calmly, "For example, although Bloodstained isn't stronger than many top-tier professional players, including you, in terms of 'pure talent,' her development of her potential, at least at this moment, surpasses yours. Well, as compensation for your cooperation just now and not forcibly hindering things, this statement should be enough, right?"

"..."

The sorcerer didn't say anything. On one hand, he knew very well that the other party wouldn't offer any more "advice," and on the other hand, Xue Ran had already walked up to him, raising the heavy, blood-stained weapon.

"Senior Yuanshi."

The blood-soaked girl stared intently at the sorcerer, revealing a chilling smile that sent shivers down his spine. She calmly declared, "If I am fortunate enough to encounter the Windbreaker Bird again in a forum like the [Debate on Inquiry], I will win, we will win, and the [Crimson Constellation] will utterly crush you."

"Is that so?"

Fang Shifeng replied casually, saying leisurely, "Shouldn't this kind of trash talk be said in an interview before the competition?"

"That's true, then I'll just say I couldn't help myself."

Bloodstained slowly lowered Blood Howl and smiled, "Then, please guide me from now on. Don't worry, I'll be very good."

The sorcerer nodded noncommittally and said, "Go and clean up a bit. We'll set off in ten minutes."

"Good~"

The girl nodded, then hung her weapon back on her back and walked briskly past the sorcerer, preparing to go to the back of the group to change her equipment (which would allow her to quickly remove dirt). During the process, she nodded slightly to the cleaner and gave the somewhat dazed Crimson Prince a hard pat on the head, while ruffling his meticulously styled blond hair.

How are you feeling?

After a moment, the Cleaner smiled at the pale-faced and somewhat listless Crimson Prince and asked in a low voice, "Do you feel the pressure is getting heavier and heavier?"

"I should be happy."

The boy stared blankly at the girl in the distance who was chatting excitedly with Bitch Cat, and said softly, "Sister Bloodstained has not only broken through, but she has also come out of her bad mood, which is a good thing."

"Is that so?"

The cleaner shrugged and casually said, "Perhaps that's true for the club and that girl herself, but as a competitor and suitor, you must be feeling pretty complicated right now, right?"

The Crimson Prince did not speak, but nodded stiffly after a few seconds of silence.

"It's a pity, kid. Although you are indeed good, in the professional gamer circle, you are at best below average. If we don't take nepotism into account, your ceiling in the club is probably that you would have already secured a 'rotation starter' position before Bloodstained."

Ignoring the other person's increasingly worse expression, the Cleaner continued, "While Bloodstained isn't among the top tier, she's still considered above average in the industry. If things continue like this, no matter how hard you try, you'll probably only be able to watch her from behind, trying your best to be a follower who doesn't get left behind."

"so what?"

The Crimson Prince glared at the Sweeper with displeasure and said irritably, "Are you saying that, for the sake of the club and for my own sake, I should give up becoming a professional player, go back to inherit the family business, and interact with you all in a different capacity?"

“These days, there are countless examples of beautiful athletes marrying rich men, so your method doesn’t seem to have any problems. I believe that as long as you use all the resources at your disposal to create opportunities, plus your dedication and your handsome face, in a few years when that girl reaches the prime age of wanting a man, the chances will be exceptionally high.”

The cleaner nodded and remarked, then suddenly changed the subject, saying, "But then again, if you want to appear less weak in front of her, or to seem more masculine, it's better to continue approaching her through unconventional, spoiled methods like playing video games." The Crimson Prince, who was already doing just that, rolled his eyes and gritted his teeth, saying, "Then don't try to discourage me!"

"I'm not trying to discourage you, I'm just stating the facts."

The Cleaner shook his head, looking seriously at the bewildered young man in front of him, and said solemnly, "You are a brat who grew up in a greenhouse, and the [Red Constellation] is also a huge greenhouse for you. Even if not many people know your true identity, it is not enough to make someone with mediocre talent like you break through to a new level."

"What do you mean?"

"Everything in the club is formal, healthy, rational, and correct, but if you follow a formal, healthy, rational, and correct path, you can only reach your maximum potential at most."

"What's wrong with being able to perform at your best?"

"Well... for people with a very high potential, there's really nothing wrong with it."

"Do you believe that the day I'm completely disillusioned and give up being a professional gamer, the first thing I'll do is get some shares from my dad and then make you a doorman?"

"Oh, so you mean you don't want to know how to break through your limits and make everyone... especially Bloodstained Girl, look at you with new respect?"

"..."

"Listen, you lucky young master who was born after the finish line for countless others, do you know where the best place for those born in heaven to grow is?"

"I don't know, but judging from the context, I guess you mean 'hell'."

"So, do you have the resolve and courage to leave heaven and plunge into hell?"

"I……"

"If you have it, then after you get everything you want, are you sure you can still go back and rediscover your original passion for picking up girls?"

"What the heck is the original intention of picking up girls...?"

"Alright, break time is over, let's get back to work."

"You haven't finished speaking yet!"

"I have said all."

"what?!"

……

Real time AM 07:00
S City, Crimson Constellation Club, Li Lei's Room

"call."

Just moments ago, Li Lei was battling it out in the timed dungeon, but after leaving the game, he was full of energy, as if he had just had a good night's sleep. He nimbly left the game pod, went straight into the washroom, took a quick shower in about fifteen minutes, then put his team uniform that he had changed out of in a basket by the door. He went to the wardrobe and found a relatively loose red tracksuit, along with a knitted beanie and a pair of plain glasses for purely decorative purposes.

Clearly, he was about to go out.

The reason is simple: the club's focus has recently shifted to the "Innocent Realm," and core members like Li Lei naturally need to adjust their "working hours." Correspondingly, their daytime rest time will be relatively longer. Under normal circumstances, 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM is the rest time for members of the "Innocent Realm" within the club.

Admittedly, this rest period seems somewhat inhumane. After all, the game time each day translates to a full twelve hours of real time. Add to that the two hours from five to seven o'clock, and even if you deduct meal time, everyone would be working thirteen hours a day in principle. It does sound a bit excessive at first glance.

Luo Ou thought the same way, so he originally planned to let each member of the club only need to play for seven to eight hours a day, and the remaining fourteen or fifteen hours of game time and all real time would be considered as rest, but all the players refused.

The reason is simple: they feel a bit guilty. After all, the "Innocent Realm" is not only fun for them, but it also ensures a good quality of sleep. So after some back and forth, the final conclusion is that they will work at least ten hours of game time and two hours of real time every day. However, most of the players, including Li Lei, will be online every day and devote most of their online time to things that are beneficial to the club.

In short, at least when busy with [The Realm of Innocence], everyone is relatively free during the day. Although most people gather in twos and threes in the common room to talk about work after lunch, the time from morning to noon is still free to use.

And this means—

Yesterday, Han Gang said that the old man had taken some unsettling things to the kitchen. In short, at least breakfast can't be eaten in the cafeteria.

With lingering fear, Li Lei glanced through the large floor-to-ceiling window toward the club's cafeteria, instinctively shuddering. He then took a deep breath, put on his hat, glasses, and mask, and left the room, deliberately avoiding routes that might lead past the cafeteria. He took the freight elevator to the underground parking lot, then returned to the surface, and finally made a long detour before leaving through the back door of the base.

"let me see--"

Li Lei strolled discreetly along the bustling Ningjing Road, taking out his phone and opening a recently popular app to search for food. He eventually found a breakfast shop that looked pretty good among a huge array of restaurants and decided to get himself two baskets of xiaolongbao (soup dumplings).

Without hesitation, Li Lei didn't even turn on the navigation. He simply glanced at the address and sprinted towards the small shop like he was going for a morning run, arriving at his destination a minute later.

Good news, the store is full, so the reputation must be good.

Bad news, the store is full, and it looks like there will be a long queue.

Good news! The boss said we can share a table, and the other person is a beautiful woman.

Bad news, the beautiful woman looks familiar, and it seems like she knows me.

Chapter 2829: The End