ISWTDB Ch139

Chapter 139: The BOSS is always acting up (13, 14)

The person with the least contribution value was the female protagonist, so it was not for anyone to question He Yue.

It seemed that the original owner had treated this woman too well in the past, and generally, men didn’t like to argue with women. As a result, the female protagonist acted as if it were natural for all the good things to belong to her.

When He Yue saw that Ying Zhao was ignoring her, she turned around and left, feeling anxious inside. After all, everyone knew how rare top-quality equipment was.

She thought to herself that even if she couldn’t obtain it, she couldn’t let Ying Zhao get it so easily, so her mind raced to find some reasoning.

As soon as He Yue’s eyes fell on Flame Dragon, she seemed to find a new direction.

Immediately, she adopted a look of righteous indignation and said to Ying Zhao, “Zhu Mengshi, how can you be so selfish? The final boss was defeated by your friend Long Yan, yet you directly took the top-quality equipment for yourself. Isn’t what you did too unreasonable? Long Yan, don’t you think so?”

He Yue deliberately walked closer to Flame Dragon, trying to ingratiate herself, acting as if it was all for his sake.

However, Ying Zhao just tossed the dagger in his hand, casually addressing the female protagonist, “Xiao Yue, you also know that the reason we could clear this instance was entirely because of Long Yan. So, the right to distribute the rewards naturally lies with him, don’t you think?”

He Yue nodded in response, feeling somewhat confused as to why Ying Zhao would say that.

Then Ying Zhao smiled and walked up to Long Yan, lifting his chin with an arrogant tone, “Long Yan, who do you want to give this dagger to?”

Seeing Ying Zhao’s smug expression, Long Yan felt quite pleased and couldn’t help but reach out to ruffle his soft hair, smiling as he replied, “Of course, it’s for you. I came here to help you get this equipment!”

When Ying Zhao heard this, a big smile spread across his face. He turned around, leaning against Long Yan with a carefree demeanour, and said to He Yue, “So, do you have any more questions now?”

Seeing this, He Yue bit her lip, completely confused as to why this guy, who used to always listen to her, had suddenly changed like this.

She forced a smile after glancing at the Yin Jiuke not far away, saying, “What could I possibly have to say? As long as Long Yan thinks it’s fine, that’s all that matters. Your relationship really is good!”

He Yue feigned generosity, while Ying Zhao seriously nodded, agreeing with the female protagonist’s statement. After all, his relationship with his man was indeed good.

A sense of losing control spread in He Yue’s heart, making her feel nervous. Watching the closeness between Ying Zhao and Long Yan, a thought gradually formed in her mind, though she found it hard to believe.

Since Long Yan had already expressed his intentions, even though the female protagonist was reluctant, she knew she couldn’t refute it. All she could do was curse Ying Zhao in her heart and walk to the front of the treasure chest to see if there was any other equipment she could use.

As a result, despite defeating the ultimate boss, they had a bountiful haul. Apart from Ying Zhao’s top-quality equipment, there were two other decent pieces of gear.

However, one was a necromancer’s artifact, and the other was armor for the beastmen, with not a single piece of equipment suitable for He Yue, which further infuriated her.

He Yue had initially thought that finally clearing this instance would allow her to obtain one or two pieces of good equipment. Unexpectedly, while many good items dropped, not one was usable for her.

It seemed that reasoning with Zhu Mengshi was futile. Additionally, the equipment from the other two didn’t match her class, and even if they were willing to give it to her, she couldn’t use it.

After wasting several days of effort, the outcome was completely empty, causing the female protagonist to feel a deep sense of frustration. However, she had no way to express her anger.

With the male protagonist, Lu Chenhui, present, she couldn’t just lash out at her suppressed anger, and in the end, she still had to put on a generous front, which truly made her feel suffocated.

Once the secret realm ended, they returned to the wilderness they had just come from. After exiting the secret realm, the small team automatically disbanded.

However, shortly after, Ying Zhao received a friend request from the male protagonist. Turning to look at Long Yan beside him, it seemed he had also received a notification.

Long Yan ignored it, while Ying Zhao accepted the request. They saw the male protagonist glance at both of them, nodding and saying, “You guys are impressive.”

Hearing this, Ying Zhao raised an eyebrow, feeling a bit surprised. He hadn’t expected Lu Chenhui to initiate a conversation.

Since the male protagonist was taking the initiative, Ying Zhao also responded, offering a friendly smile and saying politely, “You’re pretty good too.”

Lu Chenhui was, after all, the top-ranked Yin Jiuke on the PK leaderboard, and his strength was indeed not to be underestimated. However, upon hearing Ying Zhao’s words, despite his expression remaining neutral, he turned to look at Long Yan beside Ying Zhao.

The meaning he wanted to convey was quite clear: a boss that even the top-ranked person couldn’t handle was instantly killed by Long Yan in one hit.

And this person had not appeared on any leaderboard, which naturally piqued others’ curiosity about him.

Noticing the Yin Jiuke’s gaze, Ying Zhao casually explained, “My friend doesn’t like to draw attention, so he’s never challenged any of these leaderboards, and his power has always remained hidden.”

In today’s world, the lives of gamers and the game itself were closely intertwined. Naturally, the protection of player privacy was also getting better and better.

Some players didn’t want to expose their information or chose to hide their power, which meant they wouldn’t appear on these leaderboards.

However, it was rare for a strong player to really do that. Lu Chenhui nodded in agreement, accepting Ying Zhao’s explanation.

Moreover, after showcasing his strength, Wang Qi also seemed to have a better opinion of the man. Although his expression toward Long Yan still wasn’t very good, it was no longer as hostile as it had been at the start.

While the male protagonist praised Long Yan, Wang Qi nodded along, which made Ying Zhao feel that Wang Qi was somewhat interesting. He wondered if the previous incident had truly just been an accident.

Seeing that the secret realm had been cleared and having not obtained any good equipment, the female protagonist thought about leaving with the male protagonist. After all, continuing their time alone together would be beneficial for her to enhance her presence.

Ying Zhao had no intention of acting with them. After receiving a message from Xiao Bai, he planned to return to Sias City with his man.

However, it was unexpected that the male lead actually took the initiative to request to follow along, saying he also had some equipment that needed to be forged in the central city. Ying Zhao saw that it was indeed on the way, so he naturally did not refuse.

Lu Chenhui chose to follow Ying Zhao and the others, so He Yue wouldn’t leave alone either. Wang Qi, who was always eager to be part of the action, joined in, and the group boldly opened the teleportation array together.

Ying Zhao noticed the dark expression on Flame Dragon’s face as he saw these people following them.

Knowing that his man found these people troublesome and wanted to be alone with him, he secretly hooked his pinky finger at Flame Dragon. He whispered, “Your Highness, I have my reasons for agreeing to them, so please bear with me for a while.”

Flame Dragon looked at Ying Zhao with a somewhat sulky expression, but his mood lightened a bit. His face, however, remained gloomy until Ying Zhao leaned in and whispered a few words in his ear, at which point his expression brightened.

Fixating on Ying Zhao’s lips, he spoke in a low, hoarse voice, “Yingying, remember what you said; otherwise, I won’t let you off easily!”

Seeing Flame Dragon’s demeanor, Ying Zhao couldn’t help but feel amused. He had merely suggested giving Flame Dragon a kiss, yet Flame Dragon made it seem like it was a major event. It was charming to see a man who had not experienced much of the world being so easy to please.

However, thinking about meeting Xiao Bai soon, Ying Zhao decided to give his man a heads-up. He nodded at Flame Dragon and chuckled, “Don’t worry, I will keep my word! I will let you meet my true friend soon.”

“True friend,” Flame Dragon muttered, dissatisfied. He was already annoyed at forming a team with these people he barely knew, and now there was supposedly another friend to deal with.

Hmph, was he too indulgent with this little one, letting him feel so self-assured? Even if he wanted to scold Ying Zhao, he couldn’t bring himself to do it when he saw Ying Zhao’s little face.

He could only sulk and make wild guesses, wondering if this so-called friend was very important to his little servant.

Was he less important than that person? Did Yingying think that person was more important than him?

Thinking of this, the man’s heart was suddenly filled with jealousy. With a dark expression, he grabbed Ying Zhao’s wrist and glared at him, looking rather gnashing.

Ying Zhao felt the weight on his wrist, turned to see Flame Dragon’s expression, and blinked. He didn’t know what the man had imagined, but judging by his usual demeanor, it should be related to what he just said about his friend.

Rolling his eyes, Ying Zhao took Flame Dragon’s palm in his hand, then, while Flame Dragon was still in a daze, flashed him a bright smile.

He said to Flame Dragon, “Your Highness, I am very happy! You are the most important person to me. I have long wanted to introduce you to my friends. If they knew you were my support, they would be so happy for me!”

Hearing Ying Zhao say this, Flame Dragon’s mood shifted from gloomy to sunny, and he curved his lips, returning the grip on Ying Zhao’s hand. He even rubbed it slightly, feeling pleased with how it felt.

However, he did not notice that the female lead had been watching Flame Dragon closely and now looked shocked upon seeing their clasped hands.

After the group passed through the teleportation array and arrived in Sais City, Ying Zhao finally let go of Flame Dragon’s hand.

Just after stepping through the teleportation array, he spotted Xiao Bai’s figure not far away.

At this time, Xiao Bai had completely changed into a new set of gear, and although it had only been two days since they last met, this glamorous high-quality equipment was enough to catch anyone’s eye.

Indeed, for Xiao Bai, navigating this virtual world was effortless, and he quickly mastered its intricacies. In such a short time, he had leveled up significantly; the system truly lived up to its name.

Xiao Bai also saw Ying Zhao and waved vigorously at him and the others, a bright smile on his face. He quickly ran over and gave Ying Zhao a big hug, and the two looked quite enthusiastic.

However, upon seeing Flame Dragon’s terrifying expression, Xiao Bai, with a strong instinct for self-preservation, quickly released his hold.

As a system, Xiao Bai naturally recognized Flame Dragon. He was very familiar with this target who helped Ying Zhao in every world.

However, seeing the target from an external perspective rather than from the sea of consciousness was a novel experience for Xiao Bai. Therefore, he curiously glanced at Flame Dragon.

Then, he gently bowed to the man and respectfully said, “Hello, I am Bai Mangmang. I’m finally meeting you! I’ve heard Zixi mention you before, saying you took great care of him.”

For Xiao Bai, Ying Zhao was his host, and in some ways, he regarded him as his master. Since the target was the lover and partner of his host, he naturally needed to show respect.

After greeting Flame Dragon, Xiao Bai nodded politely to the three people behind Ying Zhao, and they briefly exchanged their in-game names.

The male lead, Lu Chenhui, still wore a blank expression, but he was somewhat polite. Wang Qi was curious about Xiao Bai, inwardly marveling at how good-looking his friend was.

Meanwhile, the female lead, He Yue, noted Xiao Bai’s attitude towards Flame Dragon. Seeing Xiao Bai like this, she felt even more convinced that Flame Dragon was not an ordinary man.

Flame Dragon observed Xiao Bai’s respectful attitude and reflected on what the latter had just said, finally managing to contain his irritation. Especially considering that his little sprite had somehow established contact with this Bai Mangmang, and he was speaking highly of him.

It indicated that his status in Ying Ying’s heart was quite high. With this in mind, Flame Dragon’s expression improved considerably, and he unprecedentedly nodded at Xiao Bai.

Xiao Bai felt somewhat flattered when Flame Dragon acknowledged him. Upon hearing Ying Zhao express his desire to explore Sais City and find a blacksmith to embed a gem into the exquisite dagger he had just obtained, he decided to follow their lead.

Unbeknownst to him, a certain man behind him was staring at him with an icy gaze, as if a blazing fire was burning in his usually indifferent eyes.

Xiao Bai sensed something and turned around, but saw that the three people behind him were all calm, with nothing unusual happening.

He could only scratch his head and turn back, wondering if perhaps he had misjudged his instincts.

In Sais City, finding a blacksmith was quite easy. Ying Zhao took the exquisite gem that Flame Dragon had previously given him from his clothes and had the blacksmith directly fuse it into the dagger.

Although he could also do the embedding himself, equipment processed by a blacksmith would directly bind to his account, increasing its combat power by about twenty percent.

However, once bound, the item could no longer be traded to others and could only be used by the account owner.

He Yue watched Ying Zhao as he held the exquisite dagger embedded with the gem, and the gem was actually the finest quality, making her eyes turn red with jealousy.

She thought to herself, this person had clearly been saying he liked her before and would bring all his treasures to her. How could he suddenly act indifferent towards her, being all intimate with this man beside him?

Could it be that he was doing this on purpose to make her jealous?

The more He Yue thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. She hadn’t realized it before, but now it seemed that this Dream Builder had more skills in the game than she had imagined. Such a person not being held in her grasp was truly a loss for her.

After all, these pieces of equipment were very valuable. Even if she didn’t use them herself, auctioning them online would earn a substantial profit.

He Yue couldn’t believe that a man who had just recently shown her goodwill would suddenly like men. As for the man beside him, Flame Dragon, the female lead hadn’t entirely given up her thoughts.

She just thought that she should find an opportunity to have a good talk with this Dream Builder, to make him change his mind. Once he completely separated from that Flame Dragon, she could then find a chance to comfort Flame Dragon, killing two birds with one stone.

Originally, these exquisite men should be chosen by her!

Thinking of this, He Yue subtly glanced at Flame Dragon. The greed mixed in her gaze was noticed by Ying Zhao, who narrowed his eyes in displeasure.

Ying Zhao moved his pinky and sent a strand of his soul to invade the female lead’s sea of consciousness.

The virtual network was connected to the real brain domain, so whether in the game or reality, He Yue would be affected.

Since you had the guts to covet someone else’s man, I will give you a few months of nightmares; please accept it graciously.

After doing this, Ying Zhao curled the corners of his lips. After the weapon was forged, he pulled Flame Dragon away from the blacksmith’s shop. Shortly after, they heard the server-wide announcement outside.

Red text illuminated the sky, playing back and forth. It announced that the official group season of “Journey” was going to start early, just two days later.

The rules for this season required teams of four to six people, divided into two formats: clearing secret realms and team PK. The winning team would receive very generous rewards.

Among these rewards were some very rare and exquisite equipment.

After seeing the announcement, Ying Zhao couldn’t help but be stunned. As the creator of “Journey,” he usually received prior notifications for such matters, and they would be released after evaluation by his team.

However, the early arrival of this season was unexpected, indicating it should have been a direct order from the headquarters of Shengheng Group.

Thinking of this, Ying Zhao’s gaze unconsciously drifted to the male lead, the Yin Jiuke, feeling that this matter should be related to him.

He just didn’t know what had happened that would prompt the male lead to issue such an order and suddenly start the team season early. However, looking at the generous reward equipment for the victors, Ying Zhao thought this might not be a bad thing.

Since player information could be anonymous, Flame Dragon could participate in this season with Ying Zhao. As long as he hid his information, no one would know he was an NPC.

Moreover, considering Flame Dragon’s special identity as the male lead Lu Chenhui’s brother, Lu Yan, his authority in the game was actually the highest in all of “Journey.”

After his memory awakened, he would even find that his authority far exceeded that of Ying Zhao as the creator. This was because the game “Journey” was essentially a world designed for him.

Thus, Flame Dragon was treated as a human by Lu Chenhui, rather than merely a game character. Who would have thought that the male lead’s hope for his brother to enjoy himself here would conveniently facilitate their current actions?

After the season announcement concluded, the Yin Jiuke walked directly to Ying Zhao and asked, “The season is about to start; do you have a fixed team?”

Ying Zhao shook his head at the question, not expecting Lu Chenhui to take the initiative to invite them. It seemed that the male lead had a very good impression of them after the previous battle.

Hearing Ying Zhao’s affirmative answer, Yin Jiuke’s gaze turned to Flame Dragon, then seemingly casually glanced at Xiao Bai. He said to them, “Then the four of us can just team up together for this team season.”

Ying Zhao raised his eyebrows at this. Although he wasn’t surprised that the male lead would invite them, he didn’t expect the other to exclude the female lead.

He Yue’s face immediately turned ugly when she heard the male lead say this. Pretending to be calm, she approached Lu Chenhui and said, “Hey, Yin Jiuke, did you forget something? Didn’t we always team up together before?”

However, the male lead frowned upon hearing He Yue’s words and coldly replied, “It’s just a side note.”

Hearing the Yin Jiuke say this, the female lead’s expression turned somewhat awkward, but she was unwilling to back down. She could only continue, “But if there are only you four, there won’t be a healer in the team. How can a team possibly function without a support healer?”

However, just as He Yue finished speaking, the Yin Jiuke directly looked at Xiao Bai and said to him, “Isn’t that okay? You’re also an elf, so you should be able to do support healing, right?”

Aside from the Dark Elf of the assassin profession, other elf races indeed had healing support skills. Even if Xiao Bai’s chosen profession was an archer, he could still switch to a healer.

Xiao Bai was stunned when he heard the Yin Jiukes words and nodded. He didn’t know why, but when the Yin Jiuke spoke to him, he always felt an oddly familiar sensation.

But then he remembered that since entering the game, he had always developed his profession as an archer, and he hadn’t fully equipped the healing gear.

So he honestly told the Yin Jiuke, “But my healer’s equipment isn’t complete, and I prefer being an archer.”

Hearing Xiao Bai say this, the Yin Jiuke turned his head and agreed with the female lead, “Alright then, we’ll add you too.”

“And me! How could you forget me?! I’ve always teamed up with the guild leader to take on seasons!” Wang Qi also chimed in, unwilling to be left out.

As a tank from the orc race, he was generally an important presence for every team. Since the requirement for this team was four to six people, adding Wang Qi would make a total of six people, which was just right.

Ying Zhao agreed to Wang Qi’s request without a second thought. Although He Yue was pleased to have joined the team, she felt very dissatisfied in her heart.

If it were said that the Yin Jiuke had wanted to invite them to form a team after seeing Ying Zhao and Flame Dragon’s good skills in the secret realm, she could still somewhat understand his actions. But what about that Bai Mangmang?