Adjustment

Besides, their purpose was to explore the world, and if they found out about Wen Xiang Yuan's situation, there was no telling what they would do.

Wen Xiang Yuan was different from her; she had no combat abilities after all, and even an immortal body couldn't protect her.

This special bug might even make things worse for her.

Nan Yue tapped on Wen Xiang Yuan's avatar again, but it was still gray.

Zhu Xi Ning and Gu Xiang Kai had gone to see a movie and then to the library.

Initially, both of them intended to take advantage of the high-level city state's benefits to learn more.

Seeing Wen Xiang Yuan this time had taught them how important cultural knowledge was.

The two of them had grabbed a stack of books and found a place that was sunny but not too hot, sitting down with high spirits, ready to work hard.

By the time Nan Yue found them, Gu Xiang Kai was sleeping so soundly he was nearly drooling.

Zhu Xi Ning, on the other hand, had finished several books, though their titles didn't seem very serious.

《Husband Cheated on Our Wedding Night, Six Years Later I Return with Triplets》

《Be Sad, My Youth》

Nan Yue: ...

Zhu Xi Ning was reading with a mix of anger and amusement, not even noticing when Nan Yue sat down beside her.

"A-Nan! When did you get here?"

Nan Yue was flipping through the book 《My Five Campus Heartthrob Boyfriends》, saying absentmindedly, "Just now. What is this? A new type of mental pollution?"

Zhu Xi Ning gave an "Oh you" and said, "This is also a way to understand the preferences of people in the mission worlds."

Nan Yue didn't respond; she was thinking that the villagers of Antswamp Village probably wouldn't like these.

"How did it go with Sharp Blade?"

Nan Yue woke Gu Xiang Kai and told them about the situation she had gathered.

"...I didn't expect things to turn out like that."

Zhu Xi Ning didn't know much about the past, and neither did Gu Xiang Kai; in this world, people only looked out for themselves.

Moreover, powerful people emerged one after another, and if not for Shen Nian's uniqueness, she would have long been forgotten in the long river of history.

Human nature was essentially selfish; no matter how great a contribution someone made, the initial touch of emotion would eventually fade.

"Forget it, that's not something we should be worrying about right now."

Nan Yue tapped her finger on the table. "Wenwen hasn't come online yet, and her situation is special. Let's plan our next move first."

Should they continue forward, or... stop here?

The Color City State was clearly a good place, not as conspicuous as Eden, and the living environment was decent.

Furthermore, Shen Nian's experience today made Nan Yue hesitate; she had to keep moving forward because of the things inside her, but the others were different.

If the truth was really as Shen Nian said, and hope and resistance were both meaningless, then why not stop in the safest and most comfortable place?

Zhu Xi Ning didn't speak, but Gu Xiang Kai spoke up first.

He rubbed his eyes and let out a yawn. "I want to keep going."

"Well, mainly because I always want to see places I haven't been to, and I don't like being told what to think. I want to see it for myself."

Gu Xiang Kai had an indifferent look on his face. "People die one way or another. Personally, I think Shen Nian and the others did well, dying on the path to seeking freedom."

"Oh, that doesn't sound like something you'd say."

Zhu Xi Ning rested her chin on her book, looking surprised. "That sounds like a line from the movie we just watched."

Gu Xiang Kai turned red with embarrassment. "At least it's better than those groveling-for-the-wife tropes you read. If you ask me, if that man cheated, he should just be chopped up and sent straight to the crematorium."

Nan Yue had a headache; these two were exceptionally close, but they were also exceptionally good at bickering.

"Xi Ning, what about you?"

Seeing the sparks flying, Nan Yue quickly shifted the focus.

"Hmm... me? I'm coming along too."

Zhu Xi Ning smoothed her straight bangs and gave a harmless smile. "I also don't like having my fate dictated by others."

Zhu Xi Ning's ability was foresight; she certainly wanted to see the so-called future for herself.

"But Lan Jing Shui reminded me today that our mission difficulty has always been very high. I think it might be related to the thing inside me."

If the thing inside her was truly pollution, it would naturally attract things from the mission worlds that had been twisted by pollution.

They feared Nan Yue, yet they also wanted to devour her to obtain the pollution she carried.

Just like how Li Xue'er from Zhengmiao School had even tried to keep Nan Yue there against the rules.

Nan Yue felt it might be her fault that their missions were so difficult.

This time was even more extreme, as they had directly encountered an extreme mission.

"I..."

Before Nan Yue could finish, Gu Xiang Kai interrupted her. "If you're suggesting we part ways, then don't bother."

"No matter how difficult the mission is, there's always a risk of death. Our survival rate is higher when we're together."

"Besides, it's not necessarily you who's attracting them. I'm not exactly weak either!"

Zhu Xi Ning rolled her eyes at Gu Xiang Kai and leaned affectionately against Nan Yue's shoulder. "A-Nan, I told you before. I wanted to team up with you back then because I felt like I saw hope in you."

"I trust my intuition, and I trust you even more."

Zhu Xi Ning smiled like a clever fox. "Besides, you wouldn't have made it out of this mission without us. We're very capable!"

Nan Yue couldn't deny that; in this mission, they couldn't have succeeded without Gu Xiang Kai, Zhu Xi Ning, Huo Fuyu, or Wen Xiang Yuan.

Nan Yue bumped her forehead against Zhu Xi Ning's. "Alright! We won't say such depressing things anymore. We'll head to Eden first and see."

The three of them spent a few days wandering around the Green City State while waiting for Wen Xiang Yuan to appear. Eventually, they went to the psychological clinic on their own.

The person who received Nan Yue was still Jiang Siyan. As a top 10 player, he didn't seem aggressive at all.

In fact, just seeing him gave Nan Yue a sense of peace.

"Did you use your ability?"

Nan Yue tilted her head to look at him in the elevator. Jiang Siyan's gaze behind his glasses was very gentle.

"Yes, I felt that you were a bit mentally restless."

"Don't worry, my ability has no side effects."

Nan Yue was a bit curious. "Aren't there restrictions on using abilities? And doesn't it put a heavy burden on the body?"

Jiang Siyan explained patiently, "Abilities also require a period of getting in sync. Once you're familiar enough with it, you can master it."

"An ability is like a friend. If you trust it, it will protect you."

Nan Yue thought about the thing inside her. How should she put it... it was very hard to turn that enemy into a friend.

Jiang Siyan led Nan Yue to the treatment room. "You've made it onto the Top Rankings. Judging by the reactions on the forums, you probably haven't completed many missions, making you a highly talented newcomer."

"So, it's normal not to be familiar with your ability."

Jiang Siyan's tone was as relaxing as his gaze. "There's no need to worry about me. I'm very clear about my limits."

Nan Yue entered Jiang Siyan's office again. She didn't sit down but stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the lush, towering tree.

"Was your mission very difficult this time?"

Jiang Siyan was an extremely intelligent man; even though Nan Yue hadn't said anything, he seemed to know everything.

Nan Yue gave a soft affirmation without turning around. "I entered an extreme mission."