Chapter 58: The Arrival of the Celestial Emperor Star?!

Wen Nan stared at the skill at the very top—[Diamond]. He gazed at it for quite a while. This skill sounded rather useful, but the problem was, at level 1, the duration was far too short—just three minutes. Before you could even undress, it would be over.

As for X-ray Vision and the Cloak of Invisibility...

Why would a dating sim have skills like these? Was this some kind of risqué little game?

Items like these... next time, he’d really appreciate a dozen at once.

Wen Nan’s finger hovered back and forth between X-ray Vision and Invisibility, but in the end, he restrained himself and didn’t choose either. He was here to conquer hearts, not to play as some lecherous creep. Those two items were probably meant for losers, weren’t they? His very name practically spelled out “guaranteed victory”—with the affection meter high enough, he could achieve the same effect without the need for X-ray Vision or Invisibility.

So, in the end, Wen Nan placed his sole skill point into [Telepathy].

Immediately, the skill and talent module on his attribute panel updated.

He was just about to click in and take a look when the three people beside him simultaneously let out low cries of surprise.

Wen Nan glanced up to see their bodies undergoing dramatic changes before his very eyes. It was similar to the effect after using the attribute trial card at the respawn point in the trial zone. Huang Tao’s frame rapidly grew even more robust than before; Shao Ling had shed the “skinny dog” look entirely and now looked like a gym enthusiast who’d been working out for at least two years.

But the most striking transformation was the chubby one. His already round body became even more so, and at first glance, he resembled a Michelin man, as if he were encased in airbags from head to toe.

Huang Tao stared in disbelief at the “tire man” before him and asked, “Did you put all your points into armor?”

The chubby one patted his bulging belly with satisfaction. “Yep.”

“Impressive,” Huang Tao gave him a thumbs up, then, noticing the white “lv2” floating above the chubby one’s head, added with some envy, “No wonder you leveled up.”

Speaking of leveling up, the three of them all turned toward the “Sword Saint of Ten-Mile Slope.”

Wen Nan couldn’t help but look down at himself. Soon, every inch of his skin tingled and buzzed, his bones and muscles subtly aching with a pleasant soreness.

The transformation he underwent was on a whole different scale from the others.

He’d grown taller, stronger—and crucially, he hadn’t gone bald.

His powerful muscles now strained his clothes to their limit. If he hadn’t been wearing a loose-fitting tracksuit, Wen Nan suspected he’d have burst right out of them already.

He spread his arms, casting a shadow over the entire settlement point.

His arm span, chest, and thighs—honestly, even Ronnie at his prime would have felt humbled at the sight.

But...

He was sure he’d maxed out his charm stat, so was there really no issue with ending up with a bodybuilder’s physique like this? He remembered that girls didn’t like overly muscular men. Back at the hospital, he and the other guys would watch bodybuilding competitions with great interest, while the women nearby would joke, “This makes me hungry—looks like frog legs.”

Thinking of this, Wen Nan worriedly pinched his own face. Could it be that his handsome “Penglai Eddie Peng” looks had been ruined too?

Seeing Wen Nan’s gesture, the chubby one gave him a thumbs up. “Don’t worry, boss, you’re still ridiculously handsome. Even a straight guy like me is a little moved.”

Halfway through his compliment, the chubby one’s gaze shifted to the top of Wen Nan’s head, and he exclaimed, “You’re level 5 already? Straight to Bronze?!”

In this game world’s ranking system, lv1–lv4 were ordinary players, lv5–lv9 were Bronze, lv10–lv15 Silver, and lv16–lv20 Gold.

As for what lay beyond that, no one knew, for none had seen it—perhaps only those nine legendary figures could answer.

And now, after just completing a beginner’s trial map, the man across from them had vaulted straight to Bronze?!

Bear in mind, just leveling up after leaving this map was already a one-in-a-hundred feat—gaining four levels at once was simply unheard of.

The chubby one clicked his tongue and shook his head. “Boss, come clean—are you some pro playing on a smurf to stomp newbies?”

Wen Nan naturally denied it outright, but it was clear that no one present believed him.

Standing silently in the corner all along, Yu Shujun tilted his head slightly to look at Wen Nan, lost in thought.

Above them, the light screen’s prompt changed—

[This temporary respawn point will soon close.]

[All participants, please enter the game lobby to rest and prepare.]

Immediately, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble, and their bodies plummeted downward once more.

After a dizzying spin, Wen Nan found himself in an expansive hall.

The ceiling soared nearly twenty meters high, covered by a glass dome. Below, various booths of different sizes and styles were arranged—a bit reminiscent of a convention center.

Looking up, he saw a line of text suspended beneath the dome—

[Game Lobby No. 36792 welcomes you!]

Beneath that greeting, another line of small text appeared—

[Time remaining until the next instance opens: 12:00:00—]

Wen Nan furrowed his brow and looked away, but the countdown remained floating before his eyes. It seemed this timer was visible only to each player individually.

He now had twelve hours to rest and prepare.

Glancing around, he saw that he was standing at one of the lobby’s entrances, with no sign of the chubby one, Huang Tao, or Shao Ling. The corridor was bustling, filled with hurried passersby—some with their levels displayed above their heads, others choosing to hide their information.

Wen Nan took a rough look around. All he saw were white lv1–lv4s.

It seemed this was a resting lobby exclusively for newcomers.

“Bronze?”

“Level 5, that high?”

“He must be in the wrong place.”

“Hard to say—could be a merchant here for some wheeling and dealing.”

Wen Nan: ...

Standing out in a crowd of white ranks with a bronze badge overhead was indeed a bit too conspicuous.

Wen Nan: [9527, how do I hide my level?]

9527: [Player level information now hidden for you.]

Glancing up at his now-empty overhead space, Wen Nan tucked his hands into his pockets, satisfied, and stepped into the lobby.

He’d barely taken two steps when a figure shadowed him from behind, following at a measured distance.

Wen Nan paused and turned to see Yu Shujun watching him expressionlessly, still wearing the same blue-and-white school uniform from before.

“You’re still here?”

Yu Shujun replied coolly, “If you don’t want to see me, you can remove the control glyph, master.”

Wen Nan thought it was a rather poor joke, but he smiled anyway, then continued into the lobby.

The booths in the hall resembled exhibition stands, most of them retail shops for various goods, with some offering food and beverage services, and a few whose purposes were unclear from the outside.

Overall, these booths fell into two categories—game-operated public shops, and player-run private shops.

The public shops were all understated, each a black, boxy hut with a sign overhead, neatly labeled [Public] followed by the type of goods sold, such as daily necessities, clothing and bags, tobacco and snacks.

The private shops, on the other hand, came in all shapes and sizes and sold anything imaginable. Every sign bore the name of its affiliated guild, and these names were often quite eccentric: [Wild Sadako Research Institute], [Green Guardians Alliance], [Suicide Squad], and so on.

Some had blatantly copied or spoofed names, like [Frostwind], [Phoenixwater], [Windwater Swap], [Phoenixfrost]...

Wen Nan thought about it and decided it would be safest to visit a public shop first—they were bound to have clear prices and honest dealings.

He glanced down at his clothes. This loose tracksuit now fit him like a second skin, and he had the distinct impression that a few more steps would see it rip at the back or the crotch.

So he made his way to the black box labeled [Public: Clothing and Bags] and stepped inside.

The place was pitifully sparse—no shelving, just a few outfits embedded in the wall, with a backpack in the corner.

It was even more bare than Wen Nan’s own wardrobe during his years in the hospital.

Behind the checkout counter stood a man in a suit with slicked-back hair—presumably an NPC clerk.

Wen Nan approached one of the casual outfits. “May I try this on?”

“No.”

“Do you have a larger size in this style?”

“No.”

Wen Nan raised a hand, intending to feel the fabric and see if he could trigger the system’s item description.

But before he could touch it, the clerk shrilled, “If you’re not buying, don’t touch!”

Wen Nan looked at the man and suddenly understood why there wasn’t a single other player in the public shop.

Still, if the price was right, Wen Nan didn’t mind a bit of rudeness. After all, good service costs extra; the worse the attitude, the fairer the price.

“How much for this set?”

“Pants, 3,600; top, 5,900.”

For two flimsy pieces of fabric, nearly ten thousand in all?

“Why not just rob me?!”

“If you can’t afford it, get out of—mmph, mmph!”

Halfway through his retort, the clerk suddenly fell silent, his lips snapping shut as if sewn together. He stammered and struggled, but not a word emerged.

Panic-stricken, he scurried back behind the counter, rummaging for anything that might pry his mouth open.

Wen Nan, hands in pockets, turned and left.

Yu Shujun, who had been leaning against the doorframe, now straightened and followed Wen Nan out.

Once outside, Wen Nan turned and asked, “Was that your doing?”

Yu Shujun’s face remained impassive. “He was noisy, master.”

Wen Nan shook his head, saying nothing more.

But he’d lost interest in the public shops. Wandering aimlessly, he summoned the system marketplace in his mind.

The entire interface was locked, a message floating at the top:

[To prevent unnecessary conflict between players, the system marketplace is closed while in the game lobby. Equipment or items purchased in other maps are also locked during this time. Please be aware.]

Well, it seemed all he could do was check out the private shops on site.

“Sir, is there anything I can help you with?” At the entrance to a shop labeled [Phoenixfrost], a man in a retro Chinese robe greeted him with a smile.

Wen Nan glanced at the shop behind him, unable to tell what was being sold. “Do you have men’s clothing?”

The man smiled. “We do, sir. Please, come in.”

Inside, the place was set up like a traditional tea house. The attendant gestured to the central table and chairs. “Please, gentlemen, have some tea while I fetch the clothes.”

Yu Shujun remained at the door, not coming in.

Wen Nan sat at the table and sipped some tea. The attendant soon returned with several sets of clothing, all in a style matching his own.

“These come in various sizes. I brought a few extra sets. Would you and your friend like to try them on?” The attendant’s manner was so warm and gentle, it made one feel at ease.

Wen Nan, however, was wary. “How much?”

The attendant beamed. “No charge.”

“Free?!”

“You only need to join our Phoenixfrost Guild. The outfit is a complimentary membership gift.”

Wen Nan narrowed his eyes, oddly reminded of those missionary types one sometimes encountered on the street.

“No, thank you,” he said, rising with a polite smile and heading for the door.

The attendant followed, still trying to persuade him. “We’re a mid-sized guild with over a hundred members. You can find detailed info on us in the system community. As a new player who’s just cleared two maps, with your experience and level, the six major guilds in the community definitely won’t accept you. As for the super-guilds with thousands or tens of thousands of members, you’d have a hard time getting in. Even the thousand-member large guilds would be difficult. We’re the largest guild available to someone at your level—so why bother seeking out those big guilds only to be turned away? Why not just choose us from the start?”

Wen Nan walked a dozen meters, the attendant trailing him all the way. At last, Wen Nan stopped and asked, “The six major guilds—which are they?”

Anyone who’d ask a question like that was clearly a true newcomer fresh from the trial zone. Such greenhorns were probably not even lv2—below the entry requirement for his own guild.

With that in mind, the attendant’s attitude cooled. He smiled and said, “There’s no point asking about that. The six major guilds only accept players who’ve cleared advanced maps. Besides, this is a lobby for new players—the six majors don’t even have offices here. You couldn’t apply even if you wanted to.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than, not far away, a previously shrouded building was unveiled, revealing its true appearance—an exquisitely constructed traditional teahouse, with a sign overhead reading [Windwater Swap].

The attendant was stunned. “One of the six major guilds?! Why would they show up in such a remote lobby?”

Recalling his own experience, the attendant remembered only one reason the six major guilds would bother to set up a temporary office in a newbie lobby—

“Could it be that among this batch of newcomers, a one-in-ten-thousand prodigy has emerged?”