Chapter 181: The Netherworld Faction Battle
Translated by Karai of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Addis
ScarletFruit paused while taking screenshots of the live stream and asked, “So, are you two in a real-life relationship now? You and Brother Wanderer?”
Su Mo had just sent out the Half-Life Gift Box and was relieved that there was still one left on the trading platform. He replied, “Yes, why?”
ScarletFruit stammered, “When did this happen…?”
“Several months ago,” Su Mo said.
ScarletFruit responded, “Several months???”
Su Mo looked at him in surprise. “Before the in-game wedding, didn’t you all know?”
ScarletFruit admitted, “…We did know.”
Their thoughts had still been too restrained.
ScarletFruit and others had some psychological preparation, given their daily interactions, the in-game marriage, and real-life acquaintance. It made sense that their relationship had progressed. However, the exploration group was blown away. Although everyone knew that momo and UnchainedWanderer were game partners and had an unusual relationship, they hadn’t realized it had moved beyond being good friends to being in a romantic relationship.
Watermelon: …!
FireworksAndLanterns: Wow!
HealsFor25000: ????? Hello, why didn’t I know about this?
CloudTraveller: …
BrokenOracle: So this was also happening.
Apple: Really? Didn’t they already have an in-game wedding? Couldn’t you tell?
ChatMasterWu: Bro, I thought in-game weddings and real-life relationships were two different things!!
ReturnToSimplicity’s revelation in the live stream was shocking. ClearWind nearly spit out his words. The live stream fell silent for a brief moment, followed by a flood of exclamation marks and question marks.
[Damn.]
[Sorry, I had a narrow view, I apologize.]
[No problem, no problem. I fully support you living together.]
[Didn’t see the drama, but got a clarification and announcement instead. This isn’t a loss.]
The view in the live stream hadn’t been closed yet. ReturnToSimplicity was using the array master account. He immediately equipped the Half-Life outfit, and the appearance of the red-clad array master transformed dramatically. The Half-Life set was a red and black outfit with many intricately designed patterns, making the array master look both fitted and stylish.
Once the outfit was equipped, the array master dragged the most expensive gift package from the store. He took out the other set of Half-Life attire from the package and, in front of everyone, wrapped it up as a trade and gifted it to Momo.
[So, did they go public with their relationship because of the wedding!?]
[I just got a shock.]
[Wait, they knew each other in real life, emmmm]
[Bro, if you have more to say, just say it… we…]
The astonished crowd was still processing the surprising news of their real-life relationship when they were unexpectedly hit with another wave of dog food. Meanwhile, ReturnToSimplicity’s external terminal interface was still active, and the live stream audience could see various messages flashing on the terminal interface.
Having said what he needed to, ReturnToSimplicity left the shared screen, leaving only ClearWind’s live stream view.
[He left!?]
[Fuck!!!!!!!]
[The livestreamer just tricked us again!!]
ClearWind: “Boyfriends are also brothers.”
[You said that with no conviction!]
[Ahhhhh, is that it? Even if Brother Wanderer stays online, let us watch for a bit longer.]
The number of people in the live stream room only increased with the commotion, but ReturnToSimplicity remained in ClearWind’s live stream, not speaking again. He had dropped a bombshell with so many messages and then, just like that, seemed to disregard the situation, as if that statement was all that needed to be said and there was no need to spend more time explaining.
He wasn’t in a hurry, but the audience was.
[ClearWind, open the team mic.]
[I’m dying of anxiety, dying of anxiety—he just left like that, is he going to kick me and not take responsibility?]
[I’m angry; we need a public mic to calm down.]
[I’m now really curious about what ReturnToSimplicity and Momo are discussing; open a public mic to satisfy our curiosity.]
[FireworksAndLanterns gifted livestreamerClearWindIsHere [Deep Water Torpedo x1]]
[WhatAHugeWatermelon gifted livestreamer…]
[CloudTraveller gifted livestreamer…]
ClearWind was speechless.
No, why are these people throwing gifts or messaging him privately? The team mode is open! If you want to watch, just join the team and ask directly!
Others: Oh, if you dare to ask, you come.
ClearWind was speechless.
He said, “They are hanging out at the Glacial Ravenlands stones, lots of opportunities, don’t miss out.”
Of course, they didn’t stay long at the Glacial Ravenlands teleport point and quickly went off to compete in quest speed runs, with ReturnToSimplicity leading the way. The big boss was really focused on grinding quest points, and Momo and ReturnToSimplicity worked very well together in the quest speed runs. The five-person group completed three runs, winning all three. After they finished, the two main players logged off simultaneously, leaving behind the audience who had followed the whole process and the public mic that hadn’t been turned on again.
[Where did they go?!]
ClearWind said, “It’s almost 11 o’clock, my brother’s bedtime. They logged off to rest… er, they logged off to take a break.”
Audience: ……!
***
Su Mo and Yu Zhen logged off together. When they returned to the real world from HolographicGlobal, the earlier sense of detachment seemed to have lessened significantly. The body still felt heavy, but the discomfort was not as intense as before.
“What are you thinking about?” Yu Zhen asked.
Su Mo replied, “Thinking about things.”
“You haven’t showered yet,” Yu Zhen said, reaching over to smooth out Su Mo’s hair, which had been disheveled by the loading device. He added, “The water temperature in the bathroom should be set by now. You go shower, and I’ll prepare the foot-soaking herbs for you.”
As he got up and took a few steps, he turned around and said, “I’ve also got your clothes ready. They’re outside the bathroom.”
Just as Su Mo was about to respond, he saw Yu Zhen head toward the kitchen, followed by an intelligent robot. His gaze fell slightly, and he noticed the two loading devices on the side. His mood suddenly brightened. The water temperature and clothes had probably been prepared by Yu Zhen before he entered the game. When Su Mo came out of the shower, the robot from Yu Zhen’s house was carrying a smart foot-soaking tub.
“When did you buy this?” Su Mo asked, looking down at Yu Zhen, who was pouring traditional Chinese medicine into the tub.
“Been preparing for a long time,” Yu Zhen replied. “Waiting for my boyfriend to come stay.”
“Brother, look up,” Su Mo said.
As Yu Zhen raised his head, he was suddenly met with a cold sensation on his lips. Su Mo’s hand rested on his shoulder, and the kiss, though clumsy in technique, was full of lingering passion.
The kiss didn’t last long before the initiative shifted to Yu Zhen. He took charge, kissing Su Mo until he became docile, then finally pulled away.
“I’m going to take a shower,” Yu Zhen said.
“Okay,” Su Mo replied.
Yu Zhen almost laughed at his nonchalant attitude. He leaned in and gave Su Mo a quick kiss on the side of his face. “Take your medicine while I’m in the shower. I’ll be back once I’m done.”
While Yu Zhen was speaking, the robot had already brought over the warm water and medicine. Yu Zhen went to the bathroom, and Su Mo, after taking his medicine, leaned back on the sofa and started scrolling through the messages on his terminal.
Chen Shanxue had messaged him to ask if he had taken his medicine and rested. Su Mo replied, telling her to rest early and not to worry.
After replying to Chen Shanxue, Su Mo checked the game group chat. He used to keep an eye on game groups hoping for a quick fortune, and now he had another exploration group. Usually, he would only check the exploration group when someone @ed him, but this time he opened it up and found several thousand messages, with @ mentions too numerous to count. Most of the messages were from the time he was playing the game, mostly asking about his relationship with Yu Zhen.
Su Mo had looked at the screenshots sent by ScarletFruit and understood the information that Yu Zhen had conveyed in the livestream through ScarletFruit. Initially, he hadn’t paid much attention to these matters, and with his recent limited online time, he hadn’t anticipated how the situation had evolved in corners he wasn’t monitoring.
Over the years, he had grown accustomed to handling things on his own and finding solutions by himself. This was the first time someone had cleared up all the issues so cleanly and efficiently before he had a chance to address them himself. The only regret he had was not hearing Yu Zhen speak directly in the livestream.
ChatMasterWu: @ReturnToSimplicity@Momo, so when did this happen???
Apple: You just don’t get it, do you? You lack the eyes to see the beauty in things.
Su Mo had read most of the messages and replied to ChatMasterWu’s question with an answer he had already given.
Momo: Dating? That was before the game marriage.
Seeing Momo’s reply, the people online in the group began to react.
ChatMasterWu: Well, well!
Apple: Oh, come on, you still have time to chat on a good evening.
Momo: ?
Momo: He went to take a shower.
Apple: I see, got it now.
Momo: ?
Outstanding livestreamer ClearWind: Apple, if you’re going to talk, say more [thumbs up].
Cat: Reported you for inappropriate content @Apple.
Server-wide Purchaser ScarletFruit: ??? Are there minors involved? Get them out.
ChatMasterWu: [Ears perked up]
Cat: @FireworksAndLanterns.
FireworksAndLanterns: I’m an adult!!!
Server-wide Purchaser ScarletFruit: @Momo, what are you doing?
Momo: Soaking my feet.
The members of the exploration group fell into a brief silence upon seeing this reply, and then a flurry of question marks appeared.
FireworksAndLanterns: Do you still need to soak your feet before that?
Server-wide Purchaser ScarletFruit: What? Bro? Is that all?
Outstanding livestreamer ClearWind: Shouldn’t it be more intense?
Momo: ?
Apple: [Store link][Store link][Store link] Don’t mention it.
The group was quiet for a moment.
CloudTraveller: ……?
Outstanding livestreamer ClearWind: Thanks, I’ll get ready.
Server-wide Purchaser ScarletFruit: Thanks, I shared it with my cousin.
Haitang: Saved it, thanks.
Apple: My friend shared this with me before. Capital Planet is a global chain store with locations in every region. They offer a 30-minute rapid delivery right to your door. No need to be polite.
BitterMelon: Ahem!
Out of curiosity, when Su Mo clicked the link, he discovered that it wasn’t a StarNet store but a terminal store. As soon as he saw the strange items on the shelves with elegant names, he instantly realized what the group chat had been discussing.
Su Mo quickly exited the store, but after a short while, he clicked back in.
The smart robot, standing not far away, had a new task in its list: “Care for the master’s boyfriend.” It observed Su Mo, who was soaking his feet on the sofa, and noticed that his ears were slightly red.
Robot: !
When Yu Zhen came out of the bathroom, he saw the robot using his newly bought medical device to measure Su Mo’s body data. “What’s wrong?”
The robot said, “Body data is normal.”
After finishing his foot soak and drying off, Su Mo sat cross-legged on the sofa, looking at Yu Zhen. Yu Zhen, wearing only a bathrobe, had droplets of water still on his neck. The winter temperature didn’t affect Yu Zhen much. In the warmer indoor environment, he appeared more relaxed compared to the more bundled-up Su Mo.
Su Mo suddenly felt a bit warm as well and asked, “Shall we go to sleep?”
“Sure.”
The two of them returned to the bedroom. Yu Zhen had just picked up some documents to review before bed, but after only a short while, he noticed Su Mo’s gaze lingering behind him. Ever since Yu Zhen changed into his sleepwear, the gaze hadn’t faltered.
Normally, Su Mo would be already sleepy at this time, but now he seemed fully awake, his eyes fixed on Yu Zhen.
Yu Zhen’s gaze deepened slightly, and he set the documents aside.
“Momo, come here.”
As soon as Su Mo approached, Yu Zhen picked him up. After a brief moment of being airborne, Su Mo felt himself settle onto the soft bed, immediately sensing Yu Zhen’s different kind of warmth.
Yu Zhen was kissing him. Su Mo found himself unable to calm down, struggling to control his racing heart.
The goodnight kiss lasted until Yu Zhen released him, covering him with a soft blanket. Yu Zhen’s hoarse voice whispered in his ear, “You go to sleep first. I’ll take a shower.”
Su Mo almost blurted out, “Didn’t you just shower…?”
Realizing his own discomfort, Su Mo understood that he was feeling a bit warm too.
“……”
Yu Zhen’s eyes darkened slightly as he chuckled and asked, “Haven’t I kissed you enough?”
Su Mo grew bolder and said, “… I also want to shower.”
The playful exchange ended with both of them taking a shower together in the bathroom, using hot water since Su Mo couldn’t handle cold water.
After the shower, Su Mo felt drowsy and stared at Yu Zhen. Yu Zhen tucked him in, asking, “Still staying?”
Su Mo replied, “… Not staying.”
Yu Zhen made another trip to the bathroom. When he came back, it took a bit longer, and by then, Su Mo was already wrapped up in the blanket and asleep. Yu Zhen quietly got into bed, pulling Su Mo into his arms and gently kissing the corners of his eyes.
When he kissed Su Mo’s face, the sleepy youth murmured in his dreams, “… It tickles… don’t bite.”
Yu Zhen playfully nibbled lightly on his ear in response. Finally, he said, “Good night.”
Su Mo slept until late morning. In his dreams, he kept feeling like someone was nibbling on him. Upon waking, he noticed his lips were slightly swollen. He remembered how Yu Zhen had kissed him forcefully in the bathroom the previous day and occasionally liked to nibble.
Although this was a bit different from what Su Mo had understood about relationships with boyfriends, and Yu Zhen hadn’t done anything, Su Mo still felt his heart racing as he recalled the experience. He didn’t dislike that feeling.
Yu Zhen hadn’t noticed it yesterday, but Su Mo’s pale skin easily showed marks. Besides the corners of his lips, there were also a few marks on his neck. Fortunately, it was winter, so Su Mo wore a high-neck sweater and a scarf.
In the “Get Rich Early” group—
ScarletFruit: Bro, how was last night?
ClearWind: It cracked me up. This morning, Brother Wanderer tagged Apple with a question mark in the big group, and now no one is saying anything.
ScarletFruit: Don’t mention it, Apple hasn’t logged in today.
ClearWind: Give him a chance; he might have fled Capital Planet.
Su Mo checked the exploration group and indeed saw that Yu Zhen had posted a question mark in the group.
He looked down at the group chat and glanced sideways at Yu Zhen, who was focused on operating the hovercar.
Momo: Pretty good.
The two of them went out again and spent the whole day together. In the evening, they returned to the dormitory to have dinner. After dinner, Yu Zhen was about to leave, and Su Mo saw him off.
“Have to wait until school starts.”
Yu Zhen had stolen a kiss from him and then said, “When school starts, come stay with me. I’ll pick you up and drop you off.”
Su Mo suddenly felt that Capital University’s vacation seemed a bit too long.
During this period, Su Mo’s relationship with his parents had gradually improved. Although they hadn’t met for a long time, it seemed that getting familiar with each other only took a few days. Chen Shanxue would come to ask him about things she didn’t understand, and his life wasn’t interfered with by his parents. The home wasn’t as cold as before; whenever he came home, he could always hear Lele and his mother talking, and occasionally his father.
It wasn’t just a simple Global connection with Lele; the home had become lively. Su Mo didn’t say anything, but he liked the liveliness.
“Why is your ear a bit red?”
Chen Shanxue had noticed something different about her son. On closer inspection, it was only one ear that was red. “Did something bite you? Is it itchy? Mom will get you some ointment.”
“It’s strange; there should be very few bugs in winter.” She said as she walked away, “Where did you go today?”
“Nowhere.” Su Mo, a bit nervous from the question, asked, “What about Dad?”
Chen Shanxue smiled. “Your dad has been browsing StarNet recently and likes playing games. He just finished working, so he should be in the study playing games now. Don’t worry about him.”
Su Mo knew about this; a few days ago, he had seen his dad sneakily enter the study with a loading device.
During this period, Su Mo spent his free time going out with his parents, playing chess with his dad, and chatting with his mom. He generally played games in the afternoon or evening and would join ScarletFruit and the others to run quests.
One day, after finishing a quest dungeon with his teammates, he received a message from Bittermelon, followed by a group invite notification.
“Finally out,” Bittermelon said, “I’ve been waiting here for half an hour.”
ScarletFruit asked, “What’s Bittermelon up to?”
Su Mo inquired, “Is there something going on?”
“If it’s something important, it needs to be discussed in person,” Bittermelon replied, “I had him invite you to the group, so let him in.”
Bittermelon continued, “He’s not on your friends list. After some discussion, we thought it would be better to talk in person.”
Su Mo, puzzled, soon received a group invite from [BrokenOracle].
Since the Grand Debate of the Realm last year, Su Mo has had little interaction with BrokenOracle. They occasionally crossed paths on quest battlegrounds, but otherwise had zero interaction, and they weren’t even game friends.
Yu Zhen was a bit surprised. “BrokenOracle?”
“It’s me,” BrokenOracle said. “Hello, everyone.”
ScarletFruit responded, “Top-tier player!”
ClearWind added, “What brings the big shot here?”
Once in the group, BrokenOracle appeared.
Dressed in white robes, the Daoist priest still had the same ethereal appearance, with a weapon on his back gleaming with a cold light. After greeting everyone, he directly stated—
“There is something I need your help with, regarding the Abyss faction battle.”
