Chapter One Hundred: Latest Updates (Part One)

The newborn sun rose, casting its slanting rays upon Orchid Isle. Even the sunlight was tinted purple by the island’s violet-hued vegetation. From a bird’s-eye view, the entire island was blanketed by the roots of the Tree of Life, and the surrounding flora seemed to have been transformed—lush, teeming with blossoms of every shade of purple and crimson.

Though it could not compare to Teldrassil, the island now bore the distinct character of the elven race: splendid, vibrant, and full of life. The people on the island had become more spirited and enthusiastic than ever before. Though their numbers were few, there was no lack of vitality.

Of course, not everyone was so affected. Take Alice, for instance. She had been listless of late. After finishing the breakfast Laura had prepared for her early that morning, she retreated to her usual perch high in a large tree, gazing distantly toward the professional hall.

Guo Lang had been inside for two months now. The tasks he’d set—clearing the island and training level-three archers—had been completed half a month ago, yet he had not emerged.

Alice, who had always appeared calm, began to show signs of restlessness and anxiety. These past few days, her listlessness was even more pronounced. Every day she sprawled atop this tree, unmoving until dinnertime, when Laura would come and gently coax her down to return home.

“Oh, our little princess is waiting for daddy here again, is she?” The voice belonged to Jiang Liuying, dressed in a violet skirt. Her spatial ring seemed to hold an endless supply of ancient costumes, but those in the know understood: apart from the Night Elves, the other ten races’ spatial pouches were quite limited in space, reserved only for their most precious belongings. For this woman, perhaps costumes were the most important things of all.

“Mm.” Alice replied dully without even turning her head. She had always been this way; aside from Laura and herself, she was cold to everyone else. As a child, she’d at least feigned politeness—for example, greeting Old Weike—but now, she couldn’t even be bothered to pretend around these people.

Yet Jiang Liuying’s mischievous nature was different. Alice’s aloof, loli charm only made her want to tease the girl more. Whenever she was free, she delighted in pestering Alice.

She lifted the basket in her hand. “I picked some mushrooms, you know. For lunch, I’ll make a delicious mushroom soup. Would you like to have some?”

“No, thanks…” Alice paused, then finally said, “Your cooking is terrible!” Yet she instantly regretted her words. After the past few days, she knew that with someone as clingy as this, ignoring her would only make her talk more. If you responded, even a little, things would only get worse.

Sure enough, Jiang Liuying’s eyes sparkled. She leaped up to sit beside Alice on the branch, chattering animatedly, “You know, you really shouldn’t underestimate me after just three days apart. My cooking skills have improved so much—why, compared to Brother Xie…”

Alice listened with visible distress as the woman rambled on. Cheek in hand, she wore a clear expression of distaste, but nothing could stem the tide of words; Jiang Liuying’s energy was inexhaustible.

Seeing Alice’s helpless look only made Jiang Liuying more delighted. Inwardly, she thought, “Ah, I adore her! How can there be such an adorable little loli?”

Meanwhile, Alice let out a silent sigh. “How can anyone be so infuriating?” Just then, her weary expression suddenly froze, then transformed into one of wild joy. Jiang Liuying, noticing this, covered her chin anxiously. “Did I hit her soft spot? After all this effort, did I finally succeed? Now, where was I—what exactly did I say to make her so excited?”

While she was puzzling over this, Alice’s figure flickered and vanished from sight. Jiang Liuying felt as if her vision blurred, and when she looked again, the girl was already ten meters away.

“Tsk, tsk!” Jiang Liuying shook her head at herself. “I knew it—I was just being delusional. Still, her speed is something else. I wonder how she compares to Sister Cang?”

“She’s a bit faster,” came a sudden, chilly female voice from nearby, almost making Jiang Liuying drop her basket of mushrooms. She steadied herself and turned to see Cang Mingyue, clad in gray, her hair a tangled mess. Jiang Liuying sighed, “Sister Cang, you really shouldn’t sneak up on people like that. And look at you, you’re like a ghost! Isn’t Brother Xie supposed to help you brush your hair every day?”

“He does,” came the calm reply. “But I followed her out early this morning. We moved fast. The wind mussed my hair. It’s nothing. When I go back, he’ll brush it again.”

“Spreading dog food so early, huh?” Jiang Liuying rolled her eyes, then frowned. “You were tailing her since morning? Isn’t that a bit stalkerish? Better think twice—three years minimum, death penalty at most!”

“I want her,” Cang Mingyue said bluntly.

Jiang Liuying rolled her eyes skyward. “If you want her, just go for it. How will she know otherwise?”

“I’m not confident,” Cang replied, filtering out the innuendo from Jiang Liuying’s words.

This made Jiang Liuying narrow her eyes. She rarely saw this woman so cautious. When they’d first met, Cang had charged at her and her friends without hesitation, yet now, facing this little loli, she’d hesitated for days, clearly wanting to act but not daring to.

“We’re both highly sensitive types,” Cang, usually taciturn, surprisingly took the initiative to explain. “If it came to a fight, it’d be over in just a few moves—life or death. I’ve observed for two months now. Unless the opportunity is perfect, if I tried to act by force, my chances of survival wouldn’t top thirty percent.”

“She’s that formidable?” Jiang Liuying was genuinely startled.

“If she made the first move, it’d be the same,” Cang replied coolly. “People like us—the one who acts first is more likely to expose a weakness. Do you think she doesn’t want to move against me?”

“Don’t project your beastly ideas onto my princess!” Jiang Liuying protested, then frowned again. “Her excitement just now—was it because that guy came back?”

“Mm. I saw him, too.”

“Tsk… That guy’s got all the luck. Even in another realm, he picks up such a treasure. Why can’t I find one? Does he have the protagonist’s plot armor?” She shook her head. “Never mind, I’d better get going. He’s back, so things will get busy. I need to put these mushrooms away and change clothes.”

“Hey, you…” Jiang Liuying began, but when she turned around, Cang Mingyue was already gone. The area was empty, leaving her muttering to herself. A cold wind blew by. She stood for a long moment, then curled her lip. “So rude!”

Inside the base:

“The leader is back!” someone shouted. The base, which had seemed eerily quiet due to its sparse population, suddenly came alive. The response was enthusiastic: though it was rumored the leader had gone off on business, his prolonged absence had left people uneasy. Everyone was shrewd—they knew that everything they enjoyed now was thanks to their young leader. As long as he remained, their fortunes would only improve.

His teammates all exchanged glances, thinking, “He’s finally back!”

A few days earlier, shocking news had come from the front, but with Guo Lang absent, many matters couldn’t be discussed. If he didn’t return soon, this mission might truly have been in jeopardy.