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In a certain wilderness near a Novice Village within the game, a young man let out a sharp “Ha!” With a powerful stomp of his right foot, he delivered an impressive shoulder bump. The impact sent a giant Storm Wolf flying through the air, spewing blood as it went, as if it had been hit by a speeding bulldozer.

The young man didn’t pause; he leapt up, his toes barely touching the ground, and followed the airborne wolf. With another sharp move, a series of explosive crackles echoed through the air as he continued his attack. The nearby players watching the scene were utterly shocked. They were witnessing a golden elite monster being completely dominated by a Level 10 Warrior, who was even unarmed. It was a display so overpowering it defied belief.

Loud, earth-shattering sounds filled the air as the battle between the man and the wolf raged on, sending powerful vibrations that still reached the spectators.

“Interesting. As expected of a Level twenty elite monster!” The young man was brimming with energy and excitement. If Mylene or Yaeger were present, they would instantly recognize him. Yes, it was Ronald Tian—Old Man Tian, to be precise—a twenty-five-year-old Ronald Tian. Not particularly handsome or tall, but with an imposing demeanor that filled the air around him.

At this prime age of twenty-five, Ronald had entered the game to continue his martial arts journey. His potential had been crippled in his youth, effectively ending his martial arts future. But in this miraculous game, he found a way to reconnect with the path he thought permanently severed. Engrossed in his battle, he tested his martial theories, growing stronger with each passing second and minute. He was like a pupa on the verge of breaking out as a butterfly.

A thunderous “Boom!” reverberated as the Storm Wolf crashed into the ground at high speeds. Emerging from the settling dust cloud, Ronald exclaimed, “The strength of a young body is amazing!” Like a demon king who had regained his youth, he couldn’t contain his ecstasy.

Suddenly, his eyes widened and his body trembled as he sneezed abruptly. “Achoo!”

“Strange, how can I sneeze in a game?” Old Man Tian pondered momentarily. “No matter. This game has its own mysterious rules. Catching a cold here would be too unrealistic. I should keep myself warm.”

With that, he made his way back to the Novice Village, setting his sights on his next destination: Jade City!

The streets of Jade City were bathed in the glow of the night lights, bustling with life as always. After saying her goodbyes to Kastina, Yaeger headed back to Layna’s Item Shop. Inside, Layna and Yunuen were occupied with refining medicine, while Little Fairy was the only one left unoccupied.

Yaeger engaged them in small talk and suggested that Little Fairy temporarily stay at the Rosen Hotel for safety reasons, considering Yunuen’s recent kidnapping. However, Little Fairy declined, citing her discomfort with unfamiliar surroundings and her current emotional turbulence. Respecting her choice, Yaeger spoke with Mylene and Nangong, asking them to discreetly look after Little Fairy.

With many tasks still pending in the game, Yaeger nonetheless decided to prioritize her real-life issues for the time being.

In the Jade Flower Garden, Yaeger slowly opened her eyes. The ground below her stirred as a worm let out a bizarre noise, almost as if it were complaining of hunger. “Hungry?” Yaeger questioned as she removed the cloth gagging Vera 17’s mouth.

“Sob, I’m so hungry!” Vera 17 lamented the moment the cloth was removed from her mouth.

“Fine, fine. I’ll handle it. But all I have are some cans of food,” Yaeger assured her.

“I want to eat!” Eagerly responding, Vera 17 made it clear that at this point, she would eat just about anything—even dozens of steamed buns if she had them.

Yaeger then spread out her stockpile of food on the ground: canned braised fish, various types of luncheon meat, candied fruits, and canned porridge. Vera 17’s stomach rumbled audibly as she swallowed her saliva, displaying just how hungry she was.

“Here.” Yaeger picked up a piece of luncheon meat with her chopsticks and offered it.

Chomping down without hesitation, Vera 17 devoured the meat. “Eat slowly; there’s more,” Yaeger softly advised as she withdrew her chopsticks.

Eager eyes locked onto Yaeger; if Vera 17 had a tail, it would be wagging with anticipation. Yet Yaeger paused, asking, “Want to eat more?”

“Mm-hmm!” Vera 17 eagerly nodded.

“What other abilities does the original Vera have?” Yaeger inquired, shaking the chopsticks in her hand.

Caught off guard, Vera 17 hesitated before answering, “Aside from [Split], the original body has three other abilities: [Mimicry], [Rejuvenate], and [Consume].”

Due to her internals now being fused with [Princess], Vera 17 found herself with no option but to betray her original self, both to preserve her own life and fend off hunger. Indeed, her loyalty had shifted significantly since her internal life energy was replaced by Yaeger’s. Given enough time, she would readily betray her original body.

“[Consume]?” Yaeger’s curiosity was piqued. She found this ability particularly intriguing, given she had something similar. “Sounds like Vera herself isn’t proficient in combat.”

“That’s right. The original body isn’t,” Vera 17 confirmed.

“You’re honest; you deserve praise for that,” Yaeger acknowledged, picking up a piece of braised fish with her chopsticks and feeding it to Vera 17.

“Nom!” Vera 17 exclaimed, eating with evident joy.

Yaeger mused internally, ‘It’s like keeping a small pet. Surprisingly interesting.’

“Do you know where your original body is?” Yaeger asked, continuing the impromptu meal.

“About that, I really don’t. Among us [Doppelgängers], only numbers one, two, and three interact with her the most,” Vera 17 admitted.

“Really? Well, forget it then.” Yaeger concluded that even if she did know Vera’s whereabouts, pursuing her wasn’t an option. ‘The game servers haven’t merged yet; I can’t log in from another country. Besides, I’ve got too much on my plate right now.’

After some consideration, Yaeger decided to temporarily leave Vera alone. Satisfied that Vera 17 was half-full, Yaeger exited her home and made her way to the rooftop. There, she found a giant worm wriggling in the stairwell. It was none other than Jordan of the Ye Family, not so much her next target as her next experimental subject.