Chapter 123: The Snow Lion King

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The morning sunlight drew back the curtains on a new day. The routine remained unchanged: getting up, dressing, folding the quilt, washing the face, brushing the teeth—an eternal natural order. But this time, there was a slight difference—I had to wait to use the restroom because someone was inside, and it was a woman.

“Hey, hey, how long are you going to be in there?” I knocked frantically on the door, desperate as I could no longer hold it in.

“Wait! Wait! What’s the rush?” came the voice from inside.

“Not rushing? That's impossible!” I exclaimed loudly.

After enduring another minute, Huanyue finally emerged. I rushed in eagerly, and relief flooded over me like an endless river.

Coming out, I noticed Huanyue had changed into a new outfit—a white top and skirt, accented with red and black details. It looked quite innovative overall. I asked, “What are you wearing?”

“Uniform,” Huanyue replied.

Uniform? This school uniform was interesting—much more appealing than those dull ones outside. But I wondered why I didn’t have one. Just then, Huanyue pulled out a boy’s uniform and said, “Yours. It was delivered during the summer. They said you forgot it.”

“Th-thank you,” I stammered.

“No problem. You should thank Summer, actually. Now hurry up and get changed; we’re going to have breakfast together.”

“Together?”

“Is there something wrong with that?”

“No, nothing,” I answered and quickly changed in the restroom, then went downstairs. Finally, I could truly attend school! Once classes officially started, we were assigned to groups, and there was no doubt I would be with Long Xin and the others. Since Huanyue was also with me—and most importantly, sitting right beside me—her presence terrified Long Xin and the others.

The teaching system here was quite peculiar. Mornings were basic classes—Chinese, math, English, biology, and chemistry—with two physical education sessions each week. Afternoons were game time; everyone returned to their dorms to play games. Within the game, there was a place called the “Virtual Classroom,” which served as another workplace for the academy’s teachers. Everyone here had an account. The “Virtual Classroom” was where teachers led students in leveling up and completing quests. Teachers’ levels were all very high—none below level forty—while most students ranged between levels thirty and forty-two, representing the mainstream stage.

Teachers allowed students to gain experience by following closely behind them. The teachers’ role was to protect students, especially girls, from the chaos caused by free players. Sometimes, they also explained skills, combos, positioning, and other common game knowledge. However, attendance at this class was optional, considered an “elective.”

After lunch, while others hurried to the cafeteria or went to find their girlfriends, I was pulled by Long Xin and others to a secluded spot, where a group of them gazed at me with strange expressions.

“Long Ling, what’s the girl’s name?” Feng Xiaoyue was the first to ask.

“Bro, the girl you're pursuing is the most beautiful I've ever seen in my life; you’re really lucky!” Ye Shuang’s eyes gleamed with envy and admiration.

“She’s Huanyue,” I replied.

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“Unexpected! Huanyue is really that beautiful in real life? I thought her appearance was modified in the game,” Long Xin said.

“Long Ling, you’re one lucky guy!” Xiao Ai added.

“Go, Long Ge, I support you!” Xiao Xi chimed in.

“Brother, work hard and win her over soon, then sweep her off her feet,” Long Xin laughed.

“Are you just hoping I’ll sweep her off her feet?” I said with a bitter smile.

“Long Ling! You should head back soon, or people will start disliking you!” Feng Xiaoyue said.

“Disliking?” I was completely confused.

“Long Ling, you’re an idiot!” Xiao Ai said bluntly.

“Damn! Is that… a fairy?” Suddenly, Ye Shuang’s mouth dropped open, his eyes nearly popping out, and drool flowed like a faucet—enough to take a bath.

“Yezi, what did you see?” Xiao Ai asked.

“Yezi, close your mouth or you’ll dry out,” Xiao Xi said, covering Ye Shuang’s mouth. We all turned to look where Ye Shuang was staring.

“Hehe! That beauty—isn’t she Lan Xue from the Academy?” someone nearby recognized her, chuckling like a seasoned insider.

I recognized her too—she was the girl who had returned to the dorm with Summer last night, though I hadn’t known her name until now.

“Hehe, hehehehe, hehehehe… Shall we go check it out?” Ye Shuang’s bad habit kicked in again. Whenever he saw a beauty, he couldn’t help but want to approach and chat. But he wasn’t the only one watching, and he was being held by Xiao Xi, so he couldn’t embarrass himself by going forward.

“I’ve decided—I want to find someone here too,” Ye Shuang said confidently.

“Good luck, hope you really succeed,” Xiao Ai said calmly. Ye Shuang was quite a heartbreaker; he’d had many girlfriends, none lasting more than forty-eight hours. His flirtatious nature was the root of it all.

Just then, Huanyue came over and said, “Long Ling, let’s head back together.”

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I was momentarily stunned, but Feng Xiaoyue suddenly pushed me and said, “Go on, pursue your happiness.” I glanced back and saw them all waving at me. Blushing, I followed Huanyue back to the dorm.

Once back in the dorm, I finally logged into the game. I hadn’t been online for several days, so my level was probably far behind others. But no matter—I needed to get to the quests quickly. The quest hall was packed with people. I carefully examined each quest until I found a promising one and accepted it. After buying all the necessary supplies, I set off.

—

Snowflakes swirled thickly over the Ten Thousand Year Snow Mountains west of Dragon City. Few had ventured here before, but now many people were exploring. Not all had delved deeply yet.

A team of six trudged through the blizzard. “Boss, with no bosses around, who’d want to stay in this godforsaken place?” asked a player clad in chainmail with a red katana on his back, walking at the front.

“Who knows? Yesterday I got caught alone and was killed by that guy! Today, I’m getting revenge!” growled a gray-armored player behind him, carrying a huge iron shield and a one-handed battle axe, cursing under his breath.

“Roar!” Suddenly, a roar cut through the wind, and the six tensed immediately.

“Move! Dodge!” the axe-wielding man shouted. The six began repositioning. Three archers quickly retreated to a small, slightly elevated but concealed spot to ambush. The axe man and katana man moved up front, while a male cleric prepared at their side. The six scanned their surroundings warily. Despite the biting cold, three of them were sweating nervously.

“Howl!” Another roar came. From a small hill, a massive white figure leapt down before them. The huge claws swiped violently. The katana man staggered and fell, eyes wide with shock and fear, then was crushed.

After several pounces and slashes, the white beast killed them all. It struck the ground with both paws and howled triumphantly to the sky, celebrating its great victory!

Watching the cannon fodder fall, my sharp eyes caught the creature’s data: Snow Lion King, level 58 boss. Description: A beast seen only in the snowy mountains—covered in snow-white fur with a mane resembling a lion’s, hence the name “Snow Lion.” The Snow Lion King is ten times stronger than an ordinary Snow Lion and can call reinforcements to hunt collectively. This tactic traps prey with coordinated ambushes, leaving them no escape. Snow Lions use this strategy even against adventurers; the sudden ambush startles hunters, causing distraction, then the pack unleashes relentless attacks. They understand how advantageous the snowy mountain terrain is, indicating high intelligence.

I leapt into the air and landed before the Snow Lion King on a small snow slope.

“Roar!” The Snow Lion instinctively roared, preparing to tear apart the figure before it.

“Long Zhan, Amaterasu, Sonic Wolf—attack!” I shouted. Three summoned beasts appeared at once. Together, we charged, roaring, ready to tear the Snow Lion King apart.