Chapter 26: The Fruits of Labor and a Playful Embrace

“Hmph, it’s nothing but a mere monster, a creature defined by code. What’s there to be so arrogant about? Does it really think itself a divine Azure Dragon?”

While riding her small donkey back to the village, Xue Hu incessantly grumbled about the Azure Dragon.

Since no one nearby could hear her voice, she felt no need to hold back.

This was a welcome relief; having been silent all day, not speaking during non-interactive moments was one thing, but being forced to write so much on a wooden board when she had so much to say was truly stifling her.

Xue Hu returned to the village, their designated safe zone, and found everyone already gathered in the plaza.

It was now daytime, and players, freed from the need for sleep or sustenance, naturally ceased their activities.

They arrived at the plaza, eager and excited, carrying the fruits of their arduous night’s labor.

“Oh, Xue Hu, you’re back! Come on over; let’s share the spoils of our night’s work!”

Upon seeing Xue Hu leisurely ride her small donkey into the village, Hank immediately waved her over to the center of the plaza, placing a few pieces of equipment onto a makeshift stall as he did so.

“I managed to craft a few pieces of Level 100 green-tier equipment.

While they’re only green, given the materials I could purchase from the shop, crafting even blue-tier gear would have been sheer luck!”

“Don’t worry, I have the materials you need.

Once you’re able to craft blue-tier gear, we might just be ready to confront the Azure Dragon.”

Kabasiji, too, pulled out a stack of colorful, glittering ores from his inventory, extending a ‘trade request’ to Hank.

In moments, all the ores had been transferred into Hank’s possession.

“You wouldn’t secretly hoard all these ores and craft equipment only for yourself, would you? I truly hope you wouldn’t do such a thing!”

“My dear Kabasiji, what nonsense are you spouting? We’re a team, after all! How could one person possibly hope to defeat the Azure Dragon alone?”

Hank accepted the pile of ores, then began to examine them closely.

“Oh, isn’t this the malachite I was just missing? And this? It’s tin ore! Heh heh, Kabasiji, if you keep mining like this, by the day after tomorrow at the latest, we’ll all be decked out in blue-tier equipment!”

“Oh, really? That’s wonderful! Brother Hank, aren’t you going to distribute this equipment among us first? Even if it’s just green-tier, something is better than nothing!”

Kabasiji responded with a smile, yet from her vantage point, Xue Hu watched, unsure how much genuine intent or feigned politeness lay between the two men.

“Hey, you two, don’t forget about me! My harvest was quite bountiful as well! I caught three hundred fish!”

Xingxing, seeing the two men chatting jovially while completely ignoring her, couldn’t help but feel a surge of annoyance, prompting her to shout loudly.

“I’ve turned all of them into dishes! While these only add 1000 health and 120 attack power, they’re just the lowest-tier dishes; the higher-tier ones add much more.”

“Oh, now that’s excellent! Come, come, these are the pieces I crafted last night.

One set for each of you, take them!”

Hank, smiling, handed Xingxing a set of equipment, but she couldn’t take it.

Only after Kabasiji’s reminder did Hank remember that he needed to send a ‘trade request’ first.

Ultimately, all four characters present—two men and two women—each donned a set of green-tier equipment.

“Ugh, it’s so ugly! These clothes are so garishly green, they look incredibly cheap.”

Xingxing looked down at the equipment she was wearing, speaking with profound disdain.

“This game’s design is truly awful.

In other games, the outfits are vibrant and stylish; why do these look like something from a street vendor’s stall?”

“It is an old game, after all, from over a decade ago.

Even with a remaster, we have to make do a little!”

Kabasiji glanced at Xingxing, then remarked.

“Higher-tier equipment should look better in the future, I imagine.

By the way, Xue Hu, how was your night’s haul? Did you find the Azure Dragon?”

“The Azure Dragon isn’t easy to find; I haven’t located it yet.

However, I did discover a few convenient spots for grinding monsters, so we could check those out during the day.”

Xue Hu shook her head, choosing not to disclose her entire journey to the others just yet, wary of being discarded once her usefulness ran out.

“The forest at night is genuinely terrifying.

While life-skill professions aren’t typically attacked, it’s inevitable that some frightening monsters will suddenly pop out and startle you.”

“Oh? Is that so? You truly went through a lot, Xue Hu~”

The moment Xingxing heard that terrifying monsters could suddenly appear in the forest at night, she instantly felt relieved that it hadn’t been her exploring it.

To encourage Xue Hu to continue her reconnaissance, she walked up to Xue Hu, embraced her tightly, gave her a ‘face wash’ (TL Note: A playful gesture where one person rubs their face against another’s, often implying affection or teasing), and consoled her.

“Come here, let big sis give you a hug.

Don’t be scared, don’t be scared~”

Xue Hu was at a loss for how to describe her inner feelings.

She had more or less guessed Xingxing’s underlying reasons for such an action, but since she was the one benefiting from it, she decided to let it slide.

Rather than calling Xingxing out, she might as well just enjoy the moment.

Xue Hu even took the opportunity to pat Xingxing’s backside.

This wasn’t an attempt to take advantage; typically, when someone is hugged, they might pat the other person’s back to signal they’re alright.

However, Xue Hu was too short, and that was simply as high as she could reach.

Xingxing was utterly mortified by Xue Hu’s reaction, yet at that moment, she couldn’t openly show her displeasure, so she simply endured it with a forced smile.

This scene, however, left the two men nearby feeling a little restless and envious.

Still, it was just a game, and some things, even if desired, simply couldn’t be done.

The two burly men had no choice but to give up on such thoughts.

And so, the four individuals—two men and two women—formed a team.

During the day, they hunted monsters at the spots Xue Hu had recommended.

At night, Hank crafted equipment using the ores Kabasiji had provided the previous day, while Kabasiji ventured to the mines to dig for new, higher-grade ores.

Xingxing, meanwhile, fished in the fishing village, transforming her catches into prepared dishes.

It wasn’t until the evening of the fourth day that things suddenly took a turn.