Chapter Forty-Four: Supreme Player

After training in the headquarters' gym of the Sunwalkers Association, Chen Qi managed to digest 25% of the Bloodblade Fruit, then rose to seek out Chen Shi. He was genuinely curious about what this good and bad news might be.

Hearing the knock at the door, Chen Shi guessed who it was and joked, "Don’t kick down the door. The lock is tough—it won’t break easily."

Chen Qi paused, abandoning his fleeting urge to kick the door, and turned the handle. "Hmm... That was a minor accident," he replied.

Chen Shi sat in his chair, clad in concise black attire with red gloves, his buzz-cut hair framing eyes shadowed by deepening dark circles.

Chen Qi closed the door behind him, placing the fire crossbow and a silver coin on the table. "Captain Chen Shi, what’s the matter? And thanks for the crossbow—here’s the money for the bolts."

Chen Shi waved his hand dismissively. "I bought that fire crossbow for five silver coins. If you want it, you can have it for four—I don’t need it anymore."

In the game, Chen Shi chose to cast Fire Arrow; in real life, he preferred firearms.

Four silver coins—Chen Qi pondered. That wasn’t expensive. His Ravenstaff, though equipped with a powerful group skill, was more of a control tool. Having a crossbow for ranged attacks would be a solid transition. Especially now, with the Bloodblade Fruit enhancing his dynamic vision and bodily control, he was practically a sharpshooter.

"Deal," said Chen Qi, taking the fire crossbow and completing the transaction. "So, Captain Chen Shi, may I ask—what did you need me for?"

It was clear it wasn’t about the door. Chen Qi could see that.

Chen Shi’s eyes flickered with humor. "One piece of good news to delight you, and one of confusion and fear for us."

"Enough with the riddles," Chen Qi responded coldly. "Just say it."

"Ha, I’ve noticed other captains in rival organizations speak in riddles and dress flamboyantly. Without mystique, subordinates look down on them..."

Chen Qi was speechless. From his observations, aside from Old Yu, Chen Shi was the highest-ranking member in the Baihe branch, but his presence was rather weak. The branch itself was loose, everyone dressed normally, lacking the aura of an extraordinary organization.

Chen Shi took out a white coin from the game and handed it to Chen Qi.

"The good news is the reward for killing the Umbrella Holder has arrived. Money, plus a hundred points. On the forum, points are mainly used to exchange for guides and tutorials, and some basic potions—like the crucial Spirit Enlightenment potion, which costs two hundred points. Also, there’s a guide called the Reflection Principle I’ll send you later—it’s important."

"Thank you," Chen Qi replied, pleasantly surprised. He accepted the coin, its slight warmth soothing to the touch.

Everyone knew about the Reflection Principle? Chen Qi frowned. Had he gotten the short end of the knowledge exchange with Luo Qing? Next time, he’d make a bigger trade.

One white coin? Chen Qi considered, "Wasn’t the Umbrella Holder’s bounty on the Sunwalkers’ forum fifty silver coins?"

A criminal worth only fifty silver coins—was the poster stingy, the target weak, or did he misunderstand the game’s economy?

Chen Shi explained, "The Umbrella Holder committed frequent crimes in our region. Our branch offered an extra fifty silver coins as a reward."

So that was the good news.

Chen Qi happily pocketed the money, then asked, "What about the bad news?"

Chen Shi’s eyes flashed as he posed a question first. "Before that, Chen Qi, I want you to tell me honestly—are you a Night Watcher? Did you venture into the Abyss of Darkness?"

In New Sun, some characters start with godlike stats. But Chen Qi’s stats were beyond anything a level four player should possess—spirit, strength, inspiration, and agility all remarkably high.

All these signs led Chen Shi to a bold, wild guess: Chen Qi was the Night Watcher under special scrutiny by the Dogmaster, the one who challenged the Decaying Elder in the Abyss of Darkness!

It was a crazy thought, but given Chen Qi’s temperament—taking out the Umbrella Holder half a day into the game—it was entirely possible.

A spark seemed to ignite in Chen Shi’s gaze, his suspicion now almost certainty. "You borrowed that fire crossbow to draw out the Shadow of the Abyss and ultimately perish with the Decaying Elder."

Both from District 8 of New Capital, Chen Qi could deduce Chen Shi’s game identity from his equipment; naturally, the reverse was true.

Perishing together... Chen Qi recalled that, in the New Sun game support group, thanks to the invitation code, the unfathomable Luo Qing had already revealed his in-game identity.

His cover had been blown.

This happened because the game progressed too rapidly, drawing attention from all sides and leaving him no time to prepare fire weapons himself.

Still, it wasn’t so bad; soon he’d change class and no longer be a Night Watcher.

There was no hiding it now. Chen Qi nodded slowly, following Chen Shi’s reasoning. "I found the Decaying Elder irritating, had no way out, so I lit a fire and faced him in the abyss. Lost a life."

It was true.

With confirmation, Chen Shi felt as if a boulder had struck his heart; his expression barely contained.

Perishing together—worthy of the Blade and Lamp aspect! Daring to enter the Abyss of Darkness and fight the Decaying Elder!

Under this double buff, he’d lost a life in a short span. But to kill the Decaying Elder at the cost of a life was nothing short of miraculous.

He’d thought the Catastrophe Messenger’s academic approach was fast, but this was even fiercer!

If he told Old Yu about this, the veteran would surely think he was fishing for information! Chen Shi covered his face with his hand, slumping in his chair.

Joy, self-reflection, a hint of envy—a rush of complex emotions flooded his mind.

Should he advise Chen Qi? No, everyone has their own playstyle; he couldn’t impose his cautious approach on others.

Both in New Sun and in the real world, Chen Shi’s style was steady development. Even with Old Yu’s help, he’d been stuck at level eleven and the Tracker class for far too long.

Maybe it was time to push harder, he thought, shaking his head.

After a long pause, Chen Shi removed his hand from his face and spoke quietly, "This is your second-to-last life, Chen Qi. Guard it carefully. If you can keep this life intact, you might become the last batch of beta testers’ only special-grade player."

Special-grade player—Chen Qi remembered this was the title given to the most powerful players, according to legends on the Sunwalkers’ forum. They were mostly launch-day veterans; becoming one granted the highest intelligence access and the greatest protection.

Organizations no longer commanded them—they depended on them.

Special-grade players were the pinnacle of the Wanderers, nearly a hundred in all, many eccentric and infamous, with countless rumors swirling about them on the forums.

Chen Shi pressed his hands together and exhaled deeply. "There are many benefits, but there’s still a long way to go. My second piece of good news is that, in about a week, a special-grade player will visit our Baihe branch. Among the many, her temperament is quite agreeable."

He took a drink of water.

"And the reason a special-grade player is coming—that’s the first piece of bad news I need to tell you."