Chapter 42

Chapter 42

[Physiological function check completed.]

[Host human body unload completed.]

[Brainwave disconnection in progress.]

...

Countless pieces of information rushed into his mind, and Xi Yu suddenly opened his eyes, tearing the lines and sitting up from the nutrition chamber.

Transparent nutrient liquid slid down his beautiful face and toned body, and his consciousness returned from a deep sleep to reality.

He looked anxiously at the chaotic game room when his arm was suddenly grabbed.

It was Luo Xi, who had already left the nutrition chamber.

Xi Yu looked at that long-missed and familiar face, scarred and with those pitch-black eyes, and his mood finally calmed down. He stood up and said, "Looks like I don't have to stream for a while."

"Yeah, you can rest for about ten days," Luo Xi replied.

Xi Yu climbed out, confused, "What about you?"

Luo Xi said, "The higher the level, the fewer times you need to stream, to prevent high-level androids from being quickly consumed."

Hearing this, Xi Yu didn’t ask more questions, just as the safety personnel pushed a mobile bed over. He quickly stepped aside.

The person on the bed was Wu Junhong, deeply unconscious.

Thick glasses, a funny hairstyle, even when reverted back to an adult, it wasn’t much better.

Xi Yu couldn’t help but take a deep breath.

Luo Xi spoke from the side, "What’s wrong, feeling the saintly illness coming back again?"

Xi Yu glared at him, then turned his head away. "No, on the contrary, my heart has little fluctuation left, so I can't help but wonder if time will erode me and eventually turn me into someone who only cares about their own survival."

"Hey." Luo Xi suddenly held his chin, forcing him to look at him. "In this world, except for heroes, everyone will eventually only care about their own survival. The reason heroes are different is because they dare to sacrifice. Not everyone can do that."

These words left Xi Yu with a complicated mood.At that moment, a tall male streamer passed by and greeted, "Xi Ge!"

Xi Yu was momentarily confused before realizing that he was calling Luo Xi, so he quickly stepped aside.

The streamer had an enthusiastic attitude: "Will you go tomorrow night?"

Luo Xi shrugged: "Not necessarily, depends on my mood."

"I hope to see you there, otherwise, Mu Yuan and the others will be too arrogant. It would be great if you could go up and practice sometime." The male streamer laughed, waved his wristband, and left first.

Xi Yu followed Luo Xi out, quietly asking, "Looking at the uniform style, is that a senior streamer? What are you two meeting for?"

Luo Xi answered, "It's nothing. A bunch of senior-level streamers get bored, so every half month they hold a competition in the training room, fighting for some tokens as prizes. I think it's just to blow off steam."

Xi Yu asked in confusion, "Real person vs. person?"

Luo Xi nodded, "Of course."

Xi Yu was somewhat puzzled but instinctively interested in combat, walking along while thinking deeply.

Luo Xi said, "If you're bored, I can take you to watch the excitement."

"Sure, I'd like to see how the others are performing." Xi Yu immediately agreed, flashing him a smile.

Luo Xi's personality was usually quite quirky. Aside from his past and his freedom, he probably wasn't interested in much. The reason he was willing to keep Xi Yu around was most likely because Xi Yu was involved in some things that caught his attention. Moreover, with the appearance of "A Yu" in his dreams this time, Luo Xi began to care about him more, so he straightforwardly asked, "Have you ever had the feeling that you've known me before?"

Xi Yu had just gotten the wristband and stopped, looking back in confusion in the corridor.

Unfortunately, Luo Xi didn't wait for an answer but was approached by a hurried young lady.

Xi Yu barely turned his head before a pink-haired girl pounced on him. He looked at her delicate face in surprise, asking in a daze, "...Fi Ling?"

This was indeed Fi Ling's normal form, a very pretty girl, rare to see on Yun Tai.

She flashed a sweet smile, standing with her well-shaped body: "Thank you for giving me the gemstone in the end. When I saw Guan Sheng eliminated because of me, I really couldn't focus on the game anymore."

Xi Yu calmly nodded: "No problem, it was just a small favor."

"If I get the chance, I'll repay you." Fi Ling smiled, showing a dimple, then cautiously glanced at Luo Xi. After bowing, she said, "Sorry for the disturbance."Xi Yu couldn't help but feel confused, looking at Luo Xi and saying, "Are all idols so good at managing relationships?"

"Otherwise, where would her tips come from?" Luo Xi scoffed and immediately walked toward the elevator with long strides.

Xi Yu leisurely followed him, "But your tips are higher."

Luo Xi replied, "I earned all that from the blood and sweat of M-types."

Xi Yu raised an eyebrow, not disagreeing. He could actually understand the audience's mindset. After all, people want to see pleasing visuals, but they also crave a sense of excitement. Strong individuals attract more attention than beautiful, useless ones, right? Xi Yu himself had climbed to the top of Yun Tai through his own strength, not just a specially crafted appearance.

However, everything that had happened in the past was no longer relevant to him now.

If he wanted to live long, to find the key to his lost memories and freedom, the only way was to make peace with the present, not cling to the past.

After a full day of rest, Xi Yu's emotions had completely recovered from the monastery's story.

He even asked Luo Xi for a 3x3 Rubik's Cube and started learning from a tutorial, spending the whole day from morning to night in the corner of his room.

Luo Xi, as usual, did his physical training, and after returning from a shower, he laughed: "Still playing?"

Xi Yu put down the stopwatch, feeling a little frustrated: "It takes at least 4.5 seconds to solve, am I worse than a regular human?"

"You've only practiced for one day. Ordinary humans can't do it either," Luo Xi tossed him a sandwich box. "Just do your best, no need for perfection."

Xi Yu placed the food aside, his long lashes lowered as he continued fiddling with the Rubik's Cube. "You won't think like this when your life is on the line in a dungeon."

"Hurry up and eat. Didn't you say you wanted to go watch the arena?" Luo Xi casually sat on the sofa, picking up a poetry book Xi Yu had left there.

...Oh right.

Xi Yu recalled the matter, picking up his sandwich while pondering: He still didn't know how good his skills were.

Luo Xi suddenly lifted his eyelids. "To avoid any awkward situations, I’ll warn you in advance: no fighting."

Xi Yu blinked.

Luo Xi continued, "Maybe your physical abilities are decent among junior streamers, but compared to those crazy people, you're probably just a porcelain doll."

Xi Yu put down the Rubik's Cube, turned around, and said, "I don't think I'm weak."“That was in a holographic dungeon. Perhaps your mental strength is good enough to simulate a game, but in real life, your muscles and reflexes have gradually degraded over the two years of frozen time,” Luo Xi said bluntly. “It's not something that can be recovered quickly, and maybe it will never recover. Do you understand?”

Xi Yu had no rebuttal to those words, so he slowly took a bite of his sandwich and then responded, “Got it. I’ll just watch, I won’t act.”

Luo Xi seemed satisfied and returned his attention to the book.

Xi Yu gently swallowed the food, then suddenly, without warning, lunged at him!

Unexpectedly, Luo Xi raised his hand instantly, firmly gripping Xi Yu's wrist and dodging both of his punches. He then raised an eyebrow, “Still don’t believe in evil?”

Xi Yu struggled free with force, paused for a moment, and then said, “Starting tomorrow, I’ll also go to the gym to train.”

Luo Xi seemed amused, then looked at Xi Yu seriously: “Every reset is like a rebirth. You were once strong to the top, but it didn’t end well. So this time, there’s no need to push yourself too hard. You should spend more time thinking about what you really want.”

Even in the dormitory, there were hidden cameras installed.

Xi Yu spoke with a deep meaning: “Though I never said it out loud, I thought you understood what I wanted.”

Luo Xi crossed his long legs and, after a long pause, said, “I understand. And soon you will see the light of hope.”

Xi Yu was confused.

Luo Xi sighed silently and softly said, “Wait for the news.”

The training room in the senior streamer living area was also luxurious. Due to the large number of people, the space was particularly spacious.

In the evening, as Xi Yu followed Luo Xi in, he couldn’t help but be amazed at everything he saw: the top streamers of Yun Tai, the most successful and money-making, all looked like carefully crafted beautiful dolls. None of them were ordinary. Some were pure, some were seductive, some were graceful, and some exuded high levels of hormones... when all of them gathered in the small space, it really felt like paradise visually.

However, paradise wouldn’t have so many ill-intentioned people.

Xi Yu met some scrutinizing gazes and tried to maintain a neutral expression.

Luo Xi whispered, “Yun Tai gossip isn’t much, but your ‘comeback’ has really caught their interest. Just ignore it.”

Xi Yu responded with an “Mhm” and said, “Doesn’t matter, I—”

Before he could finish, he was interrupted by Xu Tu, who had come over from the crowd.

Xu Tu always had a quirky appearance, casually draping her arm around Xi Yu’s shoulder. “I heard you duo-queued with the boss? Was it smooth?”Xi Yu moved his body aside. "Hmm... Thanks for getting me the gift earlier."

Xu Tu chuckled, "I only did it for the boss. By the way—"

She suddenly became serious and quietly said to Luo Xi, "Mu Yuan really came."

Luo Xi instantly clicked his tongue.

Xi Yu's memory was very reliable. He had once looked at the streamer rankings, and he remembered the name Mu Yuan, because he was the number one expert, the pride of the heavens.

Unfortunately, Luo Xi obviously didn’t think much of him and even warned, "That guy's got problems. Stay away from him."

"That's true," Xu Tu laughed, her voice quivering. She nudged Xi Yu with her elbow. "He’s always trying to convince the boss to team up with him, but the boss doesn’t even care about him."

"And Mu Yuan's really bored; he recruited four expert streamers to form a team, and gave it a ridiculously stupid name. Can you believe it?"

Xi Yu was speechless. "A team? A name?"

Xu Tu burst into laughter. "Yeah, it’s called 'Will.' Oh my god, it’s so cringe-worthy. I really hope to hear about them resetting their accounts."

Just then, Luo Xi suddenly cleared his throat.

Xi Yu turned his head and noticed a man, over 1.9 meters tall with long hair, staring intently at Xu Tu.

He was incredibly attractive, with sharp phoenix eyes and a delicate teardrop-shaped mole.

But the tight streamer outfit wrapped around his lean muscles didn't seem like a joke. As he slightly leaned forward, his presence became overwhelming.

Xu Tu sensed danger and froze mid-laughter, then awkwardly turned around, "…Yuan Ge, long time no see."

So this was Mu Yuan, the number one ranked streamer?

Xi Yu quietly observed.

Mu Yuan's thin lips curved into an unpleasant arc, and he roughly grabbed Xu Tu's beautiful gray hair. "Little rabbit, are you waiting to die?"

To Xi Yu's surprise, before Luo Xi could step in, he pushed him aside and pulled Xu Tu away, saying, "Why are you being rough with a girl?"

Xu Tu's big eyes darted around nervously.

Mu Yuan glanced at Xi Yu, a smug smile spreading across his face. "So you’re the legendary... has-been star?"Xi Yu's basic streamer outfit already stood out here, and his unexpected confrontation with Mu Yuan naturally attracted the attention of the surrounding artificial beings.

Xi Yu kept a neutral expression. "We're all just human playthings, and you're busy thinking you're superior—it's just an ant fight."

Mu Yuan paused for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, you can explain that to the security department."

Luo Xi had been watching for a while and finally let out a laugh. "What, planning to go report to the teacher again today? Why not call the security department over right now and have some fun?"

From the crowd behind Mu Yuan, a baby-faced expert streamer squeezed out and grabbed his arm. "Yuan Ge, forget it, it’s about to start."

"Wait, if you have the guts, don’t leave," Mu Yuan tossed the words over his shoulder before walking toward the training stage, surrounded by other artificial beings.

From a distance, Bai Qi hurried over, speaking in a panicked tone. "What happened? Did Mu Yuan bully you?"

"Why are you being a backseat driver now!" Xu Tu clung to Xi Yu's shoulder, whining, "Good thing little Xi Yu is protecting me, I feel so safe."

Xi Yu: "..."

Bai Qi: "..."

Luo Xi wiped the expression off his face. "Forget it, let's go."

Xu Tu straightened up. "Why? He can't even beat you in the game. He wouldn’t dare target you here."

Luo Xi looked at Xi Yu.

Xu Tu suddenly had a bad feeling. "Hey, don't tell me they're bullying you like this? Xi Yu’s just—"

Before she could finish, a cheer erupted from the crowd around the training ring, and a huge muscular man, looking like a small mountain of muscle, jumped onto the fight stage. He shouted loudly, "I heard a once unbeatable streamer has reset and returned. I’m sure everyone’s curious, and now he’s here at our gathering. How about making an appearance and greeting your juniors?"

The lights in the training room dimmed, and a spotlight suddenly shone down on Xi Yu.

Xu Tu immediately stepped in front of him. "Hey, resetting has nothing to do with the past. What are you babbling about?"

The muscular man cracked his knuckles. "The brain resets, but does the body get weaker?"

Xu Tu rolled her eyes. "Try freezing for two years! Let’s go!"

But to her surprise, Xi Yu, who had been grabbed by her, didn’t move.The muscular man laughed loudly. "That’s true, frozen into rotten meat, the only option is to stick with someone heartless like Luo Xi to get some scraps! Hey, Xi Yu, your interest is pretty unique, watch out, you might end up being played out by him and sacrificed to the heavens! Luo Xi's not some good guy!"

Hearing this, Xi Yu suddenly pushed Xu Tu aside and quickly made his way through the crowd. He nimbly jumped onto the training stage, speaking in a calm tone. "You’ve been making noise for so long, and I still don’t know what you are."

The surrounding streamers responded with scattered applause.

Xu Tu felt uneasy.

Luo Xi frowned slightly. "Go get the security department, now."

Xu Tu immediately ran towards the door.

Bai Qi adjusted his glasses, curiously watching the scene.

Meanwhile, the muscular man in the senior streamer outfit sneered. "Are you blind? My name tag’s clear as day."

"I usually don't bother with useless information," Xi Yu coldly glanced at him. "Calling me up here, is it to fight me?"

The muscular man grinned. "Looks like you’ve accepted the challenge."

Xi Yu replied, "Sure, tell me the rules."

Unexpectedly, the muscular man immediately rushed forward, swinging his fist. "Rules? Go die!"

Xi Yu leaned back with incredible flexibility, skillfully dodging his attack, then nimbly stepped back, making the man’s punch miss entirely.

The muscular man was furious, charging at him with even more force and momentum!

Under the spotlight on the training stage, the two figures chased each other.

Luo Xi stood in the shadows, arms crossed, frowning but not too worried about Xi Yu’s safety.

Because the streamer had sheer strength, but lacked speed, at best, he and Xi Yu would just tire each other out, with neither of them getting hurt.

However...

On the other side of the ring, Mu Yuan, surrounded by stars, was watching intently with a keen gaze.

Luo Xi touched his chin, his face serious.Xi Yu, who was currently circling around with the muscular man, also understood very well that if this continued, both sides would just end up exhausting themselves, leading to a ridiculous conclusion. Therefore, he kept looking for an opportunity to counterattack.

This kind of nonsense, where a strong fool jumps out to target a "newcomer," was obviously not out of good intentions.

Xi Yu was somewhat surprised by his own impulsive charge earlier.

But since he was already here, he had to find a way to handle it!

Xi Yu dodged the muscular man’s flurry of punches again, and was soon forced into the corner of the training stage.

He quickly flipped and jumped out of the range of the ropes, but before his feet even touched the ground, he swung his body and jumped directly onto the muscular man's back, elbowing him sharply in the neck while whispering, "I suggest you give up!"

The crackling sound of bones and the faint sound of his windpipe came from the muscular man's throat. He had no idea where Xi Yu got his strength and ferocity from, as if Xi Yu wanted to take his life. In his struggle, he suddenly slammed backward!

Xi Yu had already anticipated this. The moment the man hit the ground, he jumped onto the muscular man’s chest, kneeing him in the neck, and threw a punch straight at his eyes with all his might!

Two artificial humans quickly appeared in the crowd and pulled Xi Yu away. "Hey, this is just a friendly sparring match, stop making trouble!"

Xi Yu, panting heavily, glared at the muscular man. "Is that so? Why didn’t you want to discuss the rules with me earlier?"

At that moment, Mu Yuan suddenly jumped onto the training stage and said with a smile, "Not blaming you, but you're really being a bit rude. How about a fight with me? I heard that in the past... no one in the cloud platform could beat you."

Just as Xi Yu was about to respond, he heard Luo Xi’s displeased shout from behind. "Get down! Have you forgotten what I said?"

He turned around and saw that Luo Xi had already pushed through the crowd and was nearby, which made him regain his sense of reason.

However, contrary to expectations, Mu Yuan didn’t give Xi Yu a chance to retreat. Without warning, he pushed aside the two artificial humans in the way and grabbed Xi Yu, aiming a brutal punch at his stomach!

The speed of the attack was so fast it was barely visible to the naked eye. In the instant Xi Yu reacted, he was struck by two powerful punches, and immediately understood why Luo Xi had warned him: because this couldn't possibly be the strength of a human! It felt as though his body had been punched with arms made of steel, and the impact caused excruciating pain throughout his body, leaving him crumpled against the training stage’s protective barrier. He was forced to kneel on one knee, disoriented and in pain.

Mu Yuan casually tied his long hair into a ponytail, stretched his neck, and said, "Is that all?"

Xi Yu painfully propped himself up, and the brief moment of clarity he had was quickly engulfed by the flames of unwillingness.

Maybe it's just in men’s genes to be so combative, he thought. Unable to accept a humiliating defeat, he gritted his teeth and charged forward, landing several punches to force Mu Yuan back. Finally, he kicked Mu Yuan in the waist, causing him to stagger backward.

But Mu Yuan didn’t seem to feel much pain. He squinted and curiously observed Xi Yu.

Xi Yu had used all his strength, yet Mu Yuan stood firm like a mountain, and an unsettling feeling of anxiety and confusion welled up inside him.Mu Yuan brushed the hair from his face, letting out a low growl. At the same time, he kicked Xi Yu into the ground, then grabbed his slender neck and aimed a punch straight at his face!

Fortunately, at this critical moment, Luo Xi, unable to tolerate any longer, leaped onto the training stage and caught Mu Yuan's raised fist with his palm. "That's enough," he said.

Xi Yu, in that instant, almost thought he was going to die, gasping for breath and staring at the LED lights on the ceiling, unable to snap out of it.

Mu Yuan broke free from Luo Xi's grip. "Didn't you say you weren't going to fight? Why is the sun rising from the west today? Are you going to fight me?"

Luo Xi replied, "I'm just taking him back."

Mu Yuan raised his phoenix-like eyes in displeasure. "Oh, looks like you’ve developed feelings for him?"

Luo Xi raised an eyebrow.

"Who doesn’t know that he’s living in your dorm? You really have some skill. No wonder you’re licking up to the security department every day," Mu Yuan spat, lowering his voice as he provocatively added, "You didn't want to ally with me, and now you're just a dog for humanity. No matter how much you lick, they'll only see you as a tool!"

These words were meaningless, and their only purpose was to provoke Luo Xi.

However, Luo Xi didn’t react, but Xi Yu, suddenly having a burst of energy, pushed Luo Xi aside and grabbed Mu Yuan’s training suit, swinging him forcefully!

No one knew where Xi Yu’s strength had come from.

Mu Yuan lost his balance, and while trying to dodge, he was forced back by Xi Yu. They both tumbled off the training stage together!

But even after hitting the ground, Xi Yu didn’t give up. Without hesitation, he grabbed Mu Yuan's neck, as if he wanted to strangle him without mercy!

Luckily, amidst the chaos and the shouts of artificial humans, security personnel armed with weapons had already stormed into the training room.

Qin Yunshen angrily fired a shot and shouted, "What are you doing? Retreat now! Lock up the troublemakers!"

Luo Xi, stunned, held onto the ropes around the training stage, unsure whether to take further action.

He watched as the fully armed security personnel hauled Xi Yu away, choosing to remain silent. If he made the situation more complicated now, it would be even harder for Xi Yu to walk away unscathed.

At that moment, Xi Yu was completely different from before. His eyes were bloodshot, filled with hostility, still glaring at Mu Yuan, whose face was now covered in blood.

...What was wrong with him?

...Had the fight in real life triggered him?...Could this be the real Xi Yu?

Luo Xi had a hundred questions in his mind.

Bai Qi, who quietly approached to offer comfort, seemed to be deep in thought and suddenly spoke up, "Boss, I find it really strange."

Luo Xi turned his head.

"Xi Yu usually seems pretty chill," Bai Qi said. "Don't you think every time he loses control, it's when someone hurts you with their words?"

Luo Xi furrowed his brows.

"Ahem, I'm not saying anything about you two," Bai Qi adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses. "What I mean is, it’s like there's a simple, unsolvable program in his mind. As long as the condition of you being in an unfavorable situation is met, he’ll take action. He doesn’t act like that even with Rabbit, right?"

Before Luo Xi could respond, Xu Tu hurriedly jumped beside him, saying, "What happened? Boss, didn't you stop it? Now Xi Yu is going to be punished."

Then, she burst into laughter. "But, it looks like Mu Yuan's face is swollen and his teeth are broken. Now he's going to have to spend a fortune on plastic surgery!"

Luo Xi looked at her speechlessly.

Xu Tu returned to her usual innocent expression, no longer chattering. Instead, she obediently asked, "How are we going to help Xi Yu... You’re not going to leave him hanging, are you?"