Yulia woke up and checked the time—only a short while had passed.
Her conversation with Aelius had answered many of her questions, but it also raised new ones.
“This place is far from Aelius? And what’s this ‘barrier’ hiding us?”
The event dungeon—the Kingdom of Ruins—should be in the same location as the Golden Kingdom.
During the last event, the system’s teleportation had taken a noticeably long time.
Meaning, the Golden Kingdom was very far away.
Yet traces of the Golden Kingdom existed here, as well as its Heroic Spirits.
This doesn’t make sense.
After some thought, Yulia tucked these questions away.
These matters were still too distant for her. Overthinking them now would only lead to unnecessary worry.
Her main goals remained the same—growing stronger and completing her personal quest.
For a while after that, Yulia stuck to her daily routine, avoiding any major incidents.
Meanwhile, Xu Xiaoyue diligently attended classes and played the game.
After some adjustment, the gaming majors at various universities had settled into a steady rhythm.
One day, after finishing her classes and completing her daily quota, Xu Xiaoyue logged off and prepared to head home.
Currently, their program had undergone a schedule adjustment. Classes start at 1 PM, starting with theory lectures, then in-game practice.
There were also regular gaming sessions in the evening—equivalent to self-study, with classes going until 11 PM or later.
Despite the late hours, Xu Xiaoyue insisted on going home every night.
Classmates tried to convince her to stay on campus. “It’s not safe for a girl to walk alone at night.”
But she just shook her head. “There’s a little one waiting at home. Leaving her alone is risky.”
“Your little sister? You really dote on her.”
Xu Xiaoyue smiled faintly.
Doting was one thing—but the real issue was that leaving Yulia alone could lead to property damage.
She could literally dismantle the house. That’s not a joke.
Just as Xu Xiaoyue was about to leave, someone called out to her.
“Classmate Yue.”
She glanced at the speaker but didn’t respond.
It was a male classmate named Chen Hongyi.
Thanks to his well-connected family, he had a small following—two lackeys always trailing him.
But Xu Xiaoyue didn’t care. She barely knew him.
Unfazed, Chen Hongyi grinned. “I’ve got a favor to ask.”
“I don’t have time. I’m going home.”
Around outsiders, Xu Xiaoyue maintained a stoic demeanor—it saved her from unnecessary trouble.
But today, the guy wasn’t taking the hint.
“Don’t reject me so fast. Help me out, and I’ll make it worth your while. We’re classmates, after all.”
Xu Xiaoyue sighed internally.
“What is it?”
Might as well hear him out before shutting him down harder.
Chen Hongyi’s eyes lit up.
“It’s nothing big. I just want you to introduce me to Nuke Girl in-game.”
“Huh?” Xu Xiaoyue tilted her head. “She doesn’t need introductions. Just find her during her streams.”
Yulia wasn’t some elusive celebrity. She interacted with fans daily.
“True, but that’s not enough. I want to get closer.”
“Not my problem. Talk to her yourself.”
On the surface, I’m just an employee—just one with higher favorability.
She turned to leave again.
“Wait! Fine, I’ll be straight—I want access to the Tower of Heroic Trials. Put in a word for me.”
Hearing this, Xu Xiaoyue’s patience flatlined.
Are you serious?!
If you want to climb the tower, just go. She opens five slots daily—fight for one like everyone else.
If you can’t even secure a spot, that’s your own problem.
Don’t dream big if you can’t back it up.
“She hosts public slots at the end of every stream. Figure it out yourself.”
This time, Xu Xiaoyue actually walked away, done with the conversation.
This guy’s delusional. Even if I got him in, who knows if he can even pass the first two floors.
College students were the game’s core demographic, and gaming majors were the elite among them.
But the true top-tier players weren’t in universities—they either had private connections or were scouted early.
Chen Hongyi, however, refused to take no for an answer.
“Classmate Yue, you have to help me. I’m stuck on leveling.”
“Just talk to her for me. I know you can do it. I’ll make it worth your while.”
In his mind, Xu Xiaoyue’s success had to be tied to Nuke Girl’s favoritism.
She probably already entered the Tower through connections.
In fact, he wasn’t entirely wrong—Xu Xiaoyue had entered the Tower for free at every opportunity.
But that was none of his business.
Xu Xiaoyue’s assessment of him was simple—a certified moron.
She quickened her pace.
“Stop! Don’t walk away!”
His lackeys moved to block her path—while Chen Hongyi reached for her arm.
Xu Xiaoyue’s eyes sharpened.
In one fluid motion, she grabbed his wrist, planted one foot forward in a stance, then twisted violently.
The next moment, Chen Hongyi’s world spun.
Before he could process it, his body slammed heavily into the ground.
“Ack—?!”
Dazed and struggling to process what happened, the first thing he registered was the searing pain from his tailbone.
“OUCH—!!”
A guy nearly 1.8 meters tall, floored by a girl barely 1.7 meters tall.
Xu Xiaoyue spared him a glance, then turned to the two lackeys.
“Is there a problem?”
They froze, then shrank back under her icy stare.
“Then move.”
She was genuinely annoyed now. She had a home to get back to.
The lackeys immediately parted, watching her helplessly as she left.
Only once Xu Xiaoyue was gone did they rush to help Chen Hongyi up.
“Brother Yi, are you okay?!”
“Brother Yi, need a hospital?!”
“Piss off!”
Chen Hongyi shoved them away, limping as he stood up.
Xu Xiaoyue had made sure he landed on his butt—maximum pain, minimal injury.
The initial agony had faded, and he was barely able to move.
“F*ck!”
He spat, then glared at the gawking classmates.
“The hell are you staring at?! Scram! And if I hear one word about this, you’re dead!”
After saying that, he cursed and wobbled away, the two lackeys following behind.
The spectators finally exhaled.
“Damn… since when was Xiaoyue this ruthless?”
“Not ruthless enough. If he’s still barking, she went too easy.”
“Since when was our Classmate Yue a fighter? That takedown was clean!”
“Let’s report this. The camera footage will prove he started it.”