The most despicable thing in the whole eternal darkness
[S1: Mysterious Fog]
[Affected Range: Global
Characteristic 1: Suspected source of anomalies
Characteristic 2: Appears to fear sunlight, slowly encroaching on daylight, estimated to fully dominate in two years. (The future will be a world of thick fog and eternal night)
Characteristic 3: Shadows in the fog often observe and follow humans, occasionally attempting to touch those within. Currently shows no aggressive behavior
…]
Yu Yu's face was grim as she turned to the next page.
[S2: Withering Curse]
[Affected Range: Global
Characteristic 1: Numerous plant species are inexplicably wilting, currently unsalvageable
Characteristic 2: Many surviving wild animals exhibit unexplained decay, suspected to be a secondary effect of the Withering Curse
Characteristic 3: Fungi…
…]
[S3: Mysterious Whispers]
[Affected Range: Global
Characteristics: Forbidden to spread, indescribable
(If you hear unexplained whispers in daily life, do not doubt yourself. Do not delay. Immediately call 0000001-222, and professionals will assist you.)]
[S4: Eyelashless Eye]
[Affected Range: Global
Characteristic 1: Abruptly appears in the sky, characterized by an eye without eyelashes. Those who see it vanish on the spot
Characteristic 2: Appears and disappears periodically
Characteristic 3: Suspected to possess sentience
…]
[S5: Phantom of the Sea God]…
[S6: **]
[S7: *****]
[S8: Symphony]
[Affected Range: Global
Characteristic 1: Roams globally without pattern
Characteristic 2: Preceded by a sorrowful symphony that induces sadness in listeners, ignoring distance and physiological impairments, inevitably plunging them into grief
Characteristic 3: During the symphony, listeners must not make [ANY] sound, or they will die instantly. [No exceptions, no exceptions, no exceptions]
Characteristic 4: The symphony's range is vast, once covering over 3 million square kilometers
Characteristic 5: Animals and infants are also subject to its effects
…]
[S9: Dark Torch]…
There were a staggering thirteen global-scale anomalies alone. Yu Yu's heart nearly stopped. This was way too hard, wasn't it?
Living was exhausting.
These were just S-class anomalies—what about A-class? B-class?
Yu Yu took a deep breath and reviewed the classification criteria again.
S-Class Anomalies: Top-tier anomalies.
Affect all humanity, omnipresent, with global-scale destructive potential and vast impact. Each could drive humanity to extinction. The Federation has paid a heavy price, confirming they cannot be eradicated.
A-Class Anomalies: Sub-global impact, less destructive than S-class, with lower frequency of movement or activation. Possess potential to kill millions, generally inextinguishable.
B-Class Anomalies: Regional anomalies with moderate influence and weaker lethality. Eradication is possible.
In the B-class section, Yu Yu spotted many familiar names.
Like Empty City, Mysterious Maiden, Thorn Wall, and… Strangulation Disease.
Surprisingly, Strangulation Disease ranked quite low. The manual noted its slow spread, obvious symptoms, and transmission via contact or exposure to its source—a twisted forest. Those who saw the forest would fall ill. The source had been incinerated, and the anomaly was expected to be fully eradicated soon.
C-Class Anomalies: Local anomalies, also called inter-city anomalies, with small impact and low lethality. Casualties rarely exceed ten thousand. Most can be attacked and eradicated.
D-Class Anomalies: Street-level anomalies with minimal impact and lethality. Casualties rarely exceed a hundred. Once detected, they are swiftly eradicated.
E-Class Anomalies: Anything too weak to qualify as D-class, often highly conspicuous or nearly harmless.
Like a giant flower or a cloud that mimics human shapes.
Weird, but harmless.
But this was just on paper. Many C-class anomalies caused more harm than some B-class ones.
For example, [Eerie Sound] caused fewer casualties than some C-class anomalies, but its transmission method and growth potential earned it a B-class ranking, prioritizing its eradication.
Anomalies, if left unchecked, could escalate.
The manual mentioned an S-class anomaly overseas, initially a D-class, ignored until it became unstoppable.
Thirteen S-class anomalies, 121 A-class, over a thousand B-class, and countless C- and D-class anomalies…
Yu Yu suddenly felt the future was bleak. This planet had no room for her anymore. She wanted to move. Anomalies kept spawning and evolving, while humanity?
The population kept shrinking. Resistance was feeble, and hope was distant. Time was too short. The authorities didn't even have the energy to boost morale, only updating the manual repeatedly, each version growing by a few megabytes.
Since announcing anomalies and opening downloads, in just eight hours, the Anomaly Manual had updated three times, growing by 8MB.
Where was the hope?
At that moment, countless people at home flipped through the Anomaly Manual, hearts heavy, unable to see a future.
Good news: If you avoided anomalies and knew their patterns, humanity could scrape by.
Bad news: Anomalies grew, new ones kept emerging, and S-class threats loomed. Humanity couldn't even handle the current crisis—the Withering Curse.
Anyone with a basic education knew what plant die-off meant. How many years of food reserves did the world have left?
Which would run out faster—people or grain?
Yu Yu clicked her mouse, sighing at a bolded, red-highlighted line. This had to be true, right?
It was official messaging to calm the public, after all. They said some root crops and fungi were spared by the anomaly. The authorities were expanding their cultivation. Hold on, endure, and it'd be fine.
Yes, they meant potatoes. Those round little things had luckily dodged the Withering Curse.
Federation experts were frantically trying to save other vital plants, but they'd already begun mass-planting potatoes.
A sliver of luck amid the misfortune. The only good news in a sea of bad made Yu Yu feel a bit better.
Then there was the wildlife anomaly. The Federation was trying to save all untainted wild animals, no longer caring about their "wildness."
If they weren't domesticated, they'd all die.
Save one, count one.
The whole manual boiled down to one thing for Yu Yu. She could get a permit for her big cat.
[Domesticated Big Cat Permit]
The door creaked. Yu Yu glanced at the computer clock, frowned, and checked the curtains.
Huh?
Yu Yu opened the door with Mage Hand.
The big cat strutted in, flopping beside her, its emperor engine purring, "Purr purr purr…"
Yu Yu: "Only you're carefree, eating and drinking without worry."
She vigorously rubbed the cat's round ears, squishing its face.
Shu Tu, hands in her pockets, strolled in leisurely. "How's it feel?"
"Not great. I'm hungry."
Shu Tu headed to the kitchen.
"How'd it go?" Yu Yu leaned against the doorframe. "Was your match tough today?"
Shu Tu glanced at her. "What do you think?"
Yu Yu grinned. "You'll take first in ranger, right?"
Zi Shu walked in from outside. "I'm starving so fast. I feel like I'm eating more and more. I had two breads this morning, and they didn't hold me at all."
Fuyu's voice followed. "Warriors eat a ton. You're done, Zi Shu. You won't be able to afford yourself."
Zi Shu: "Shut up."
She rubbed her stomach. "I can still manage. I exchanged one gold coin, so I've got enough for food for now."
One gold for 100,000—that was the official rate. Player trades inflated it three times over.
"Among all these anomalies, Eternal Darkness is the kindest to us. Not only does it not kill us, it gives us strength to fight monsters. It's so gentle…"
Song Fuyu chipped in for food costs, batting her eyes at Shu Tu. "Shu Shen, Shu Shen, you and Yu were super cool today!"
Yu Yu: "Not necessarily. Who knows what Eternal Darkness wants."
Zi Shu: "What do you think it wants?"
Yu Yu: "Population."
Zi Shu expected more guesses, but Yu Yu stopped at "population."
"…So sure?" Zi Shu tugged her hair. "No other possibilities?"
Yu Yu: "Can't think of any others."
"It's the most likely."
"What else could they need?"
Zi Shu fell into thought. "If they need population, they should open more slots. They're so stingy—how many players are in the Xia region now?"
Yu Yu: "Maybe there's another restriction. Too bad I can't climb high enough to find out."
Zi Shu: "…"
Fuyu turned. "I think you're flexing!"
Yu Yu coughed, changing the subject. "Today felt a little different."
Zi Shu, concerned: "What's different?"
"My perception got stronger."
Yu Yu added, "And it's not an illusion."
The three looked puzzled. Yu Yu projected her stats. Aside from the unchanged 5 Pollution, her attributes were unrecognizable.
[Yu]
Identity: Magic Circle Member / Third-Class Baronet / Silver Moon Mage / Glitch
Class: Low-Tier Spellcaster
Level: 8 (2500/50000)
Reputation: 1
Wealth: 198 Gold, 140 Silver, Copper / Glitch
Points: 490
Magic Circle Affinity: 0.0001
Attributes—
Spirit: 15
Will: 7
Perception: 6 → 8
Strength: 4
Agility: 6 (7)
Constitution: 5 (6)
Skill Points: 7
A long list of passive skills followed, but that was beside the point.
Yu Yu pointed at her Perception. "After my Spirit hit 15, my Perception suddenly jumped two points."
"It's just 2 points, but it feels completely different," she said. "I didn't open the door, but when Er Er was pushing it, I could almost see its cat face."
"It's a strange feeling."
"And Shu Tu too. I didn't look up, but it was like I saw her walk in behind the cat."
"Hiss," Fuyu gasped. "Is 15 a threshold?"
Yu Yu pondered. "Maybe 14 is too. Don't forget, when my Spirit hit 14, I suddenly could bring items into the game."
Zi Shu's eyes lit up. "Then check what you can bring in now!"
"Can you bring a phone?!"
Yu Yu: "…I'll try tonight when I log in."
Zi Shu: "I'll help test your new skill."
She went to the first-floor bathroom, about seven or eight meters from Yu Yu in the dining room.
"Can you sense what I'm doing?"
Yu Yu thought. "Not sure. Come closer."
"Now?"
Yu Yu closed her eyes. "Brushing your teeth?"
"Why're you using my toothpaste?!"
Zi Shu was stunned. "You actually sensed it?"
"What's that?" Chang Yu bounced in. "What's for breakfast?"
Shu Tu, without looking back: "Porridge."
"I'll help!!!" She darted into the kitchen eagerly.
Zi Shu emerged. "Can I still switch to spellcaster?"
Yu Yu stroked her chin. "You might need to reroll and reallocate points."
"So, raising Spirit can boost Perception," Zi Shu mused. "Could other attributes have similar effects?"
"Like, if I pump Strength, could it affect Constitution…"
"No!"
Zi Shu froze.
Chang Yu chirped, "My teacher said Strength and Agility are limited by Constitution. If Constitution doesn't keep up, attributes besides Spirit and Will get capped and can't be raised."
Zi Shu was shocked. "That's a thing?"
Chang Yu scratched her head. "Oh, I forgot to tell everyone."
"My Constitution's at 6 now," she giggled, bouncing in place. "Haven't you noticed anything different about me?"
Fuyu studied her. "You seem healthier."
Yu Yu offered a precise description. "Brighter eyes, glossier skin, steadier steps… hm, you couldn't bounce like that before."
Chang Yu's situation was complex. Strictly speaking, she was born frail. She'd said she weighed under three pounds at birth and suffered multiple serious illnesses early on, leaving her body severely weakened. Surviving this long was thanks to wealth.
Her life was mostly home-to-hospital, attending school for a week before taking a semester off. Her world was limited, her knowledge gleaned from tutors, books, and the internet. But even computers were too much—she could faint from prolonged screen time.
So Chang Yu often seemed naively cheerful, her body fragile like a porcelain doll, shattering at a touch. When she got Eternal Darkness's invitation, she was over the moon.
Zi Shu nodded. "Yeah, before, I could lift you with one hand like a kitten."
Fuyu teased, "You still can."
She'd been yanked by the collar by Zi Shu during an argument, feet dangling as she was hauled downstairs.
Zi Shu glared at her, pressing Chang Yu. "What else did your mentor say?"
Chang Yu's eyes curved into crescents. "I focus on Constitution, eat more, and it strengthens my body."
"Higher Constitution naturally boosts Strength and Agility," she said. "And Perception too."
"My teacher said Constitution is the foundation. Legendary warriors prioritize superhuman Constitution before other attributes."
Zi Shu's pupils quaked. "That's a thing?!"
Yu Yu mused, "Should I put points in Constitution too?"
She eyed her pitiful Constitution, lost in thought.
Chang Yu scratched her head. "I… I don't know. Should I ask my teacher?"
Yu Yu frowned. "I'll ask Senior."
Zi Shu: "Ask, ask, ask. Did I allocate wrong?"
She was internally wounded.
Shu Tu was equally shocked. "Did we misallocate?"
Fuyu pondered. "Now that you mention it, I kinda felt it."
"Sometimes on a rooftop, I feel I could jump across easily, but when I try, I faceplant," she rubbed her chin. "Is my Constitution holding back my Agility?"
They exchanged glances, speechless.
Finally, they turned to Yu Yu. "Ask your senior when you log in."
"The magic circle's so powerful—they must know, right?"
Yu Yu nodded. "Don't worry, I'll ask."
Chang Yu, delighted, added, "My Constitution was 2, Agility 2, Strength 1. Now my Constitutions 6, Strength 4, Agility 4, and even Perception went up a point."
"But I only put points in Constitution—nothing else."
Zi Shu eyed her own Constitution, tempted. "Should I try?"
Yu Yu: "Hold off. Let me ask first."
Shu Tu and the others were intrigued. Besides Agility, their other attributes were weak. If Constitution was that useful…
Chang Yu: "Only downside is, Constitution makes you eat more."
She gestured. "I used to eat a tiny bit. Now I can eat two bowls!"
"Two bowls!" She held up two fingers for emphasis.
Yu Yu mused, "That's because your appetite was tiny before."
Chang Yu's digestion was poor, previously relying on drugs and IVs for nutrition.
Not a fair comparison.
Chang Yu wolfed down two bites. "I've never felt this good. When Mom comes back, she'll be thrilled!"
Shu Tu patted her head. "She definitely will."
Chang Yu: "Hehe…"
Zi Shu: "Shoveling the hill again today?"
Yu Yu: "Yep."
Their neighborhood's location was tricky, with a small hill nearby creating a defensive blind spot.
Yu Yu's team decided to flatten it.
They'd already cleared half.
Notably, while spellcasters couldn't do heavy labor, their spells were highly productive. Zi Shu worked herself to death but couldn't match Yu Yu's Earth Tremor.
So Zi Shu was slowly turning into a spellcaster's shadow. If given another chance, she probably wouldn't choose warrior. Fuyu and Shu Tu likely felt the same. Combat aside, spellcasters' spells were just too versatile. Yu Yu even summoned a bear to dig alongside Zi Shu.
Zi Shu couldn't outdig the bear.
So frustrating.
~
Log in!
Yu Yu reviewed today's plan. First, find Senior to ask about Constitution. Then deliver a meal to the Grand Archon and ask about other classes' rewards. If there's time, watch Shu Tu's match, plus Zi Shu and Fuyu's—they were competing today too.
"Boss, can I go watch the matches?"
"Go, go, we're going too," the boss lazily adjusted her hood, stretched, and called to Big Wave and American Shorthair. "Heard the outsiders' matches are lively. Everyone's going, so we are too."
"We saw Yu's performance," Big Wave said.
Yu Yu scratched her head. "Haha, really? I might've been a bit arrogant…"
"No, it was awesome!"
Boss: "Shame there're so few spellcasters. They're done. What's next?"
"Any suggestions, Yu?"
Yu Yu: "Ranger. Warrior and rogue are in preliminaries today—mixed quality. Rangers had their first cuts yesterday, so it should be more interesting."
"Then rangers it is!"
They acted like tourists, utterly relaxed.
Of course, Yu Yu was too.
Paid leave without deductions—what a dream job!
And the boss led the slacking. Bidding her colleagues farewell, Yu Yu agreed to meet them after visiting her senior and the Grand Archon to watch the matches together. She decided to bring popcorn and cola to treat her colleagues.
When logging in, Zi Shu urged her to experiment. She found that with Spirit at 15, her success rate for bringing food skyrocketed. Before, it was one or two successes in a hundred tries. Now, it was eight or nine out of ten—a huge leap.
Yu Yu's bag was stuffed with oddities again. Last time's slippers were unused, and the baby cream was still there. Now, she added more weird stuff. Nail clippers, cat scratching post, bookmarks, lint roller, fur-enhancing shampoo…
She hadn't realized she owned so much random junk.
…Mostly cat-related.
It shed long fur like crazy—no helping it.
Shu Tu, ever refined, bought heaps of fur-enhancing shampoo for the cat, unpacking them for ages. Countless little toys and trinkets, one set per household, since the cat roamed everywhere.
Speaking of, did Senior shed?
The sudden thought startled Yu Yu. If Senior knew, she'd probably get skewered by an Ice Spear from behind.
"Something up?"
Felix didn't look up, her desk scattered with yesterday's snacks, engrossed in the daily report.
Yu Yu: "Senior, like reading? Next time, I'll try bringing some books."
Felix glanced up. "I don't know your script."
Yu Yu: "Oh, right."
Felix: "But I could learn it casually."
Yu Yu: "By the way, Senior, do you wash your hair?"
Felix: "?"
Yu Yu rummaged through her oddities, asking, "Senior, like baby cream? It hydrates and smells nice."
Felix: "?"
"Take it away," she said coldly. "I don't need that stuff."
Yu Yu tucked it away regretfully. Useless junk, as expected.
Without dwelling, she asked, "Senior, know how to allocate attribute points?"
"It's like…"
She babbled her questions.
Felix tossed a nut into her mouth, listening before saying, "Yeah, that's a thing."
"But it affects spellcasters least, so I didn't mention it."
Felix, breezy: "Legendary warriors, Of course they max Constitution. Who maxes Strength?"
She scoffed, "No Constitution, where's the Strength? Watch out for bodily backlash."
"Same for Agility," her expression eerily Grand Archon-like. "Strength and Agility depend on the body. No Constitution? What're you thinking?"
Yu Yu got it. "What about Spirit?"
"Can't Constitution boost Spirit?"
Felix: "Dream on."
Having known Yu Yu longer, Felix dropped the aloof politeness.
She crunched another nut. "Spirit is Spirit, unrelated to other attributes."
"Otherwise, those barbarians could cast spells too."
Yu Yu sweated.
Felix added abruptly, "Not entirely unrelated."
Yu Yu looked eagerly.
Felix mused, "If the body dies, it does affect Spirit."
Yu Yu leaned back.
Felix, satisfied: "Your stuff's here. Check it."
She pointed at the couch. "Dress, wear it or not, up to you."
"Baronet token and patent."
"Deed."
"Ceremonial sword."
Felix tilted her head. "That's it, I think?"
Yu Yu was surprised. "The Duchess works fast."
Felix smirked disdainfully. Yu Yu opened the box, first spotting neatly pressed clothes. White with gold trim, and a beautiful longsword. A closer look, and Yu Yu's eyes widened. The sword was excellent-grade?
[Baronet Ceremonial Sword]
Quality: Excellent
Weight: 8
Attack: 50-50
Attribute: Agility -1
Trait: Grace
Description: A baronet's essential, embodying noble poise
Yu Yu mused, "Can I sell this sword?"
Felix: "…Best not."
Yu Yu skimmed the token and patent, setting them aside.
She stared at the deed, eyes gleaming.
[Dandelion District, Roland Street No. 2]
Where was Dandelion District?
Yu Yu flipped open her pricey map. After searching, she found it was quite remote, in the north city. Good grief, the deed didn't even specify size—just a location. Such a fancy deed for nothing.
Gold-trimmed, scented paper, elegant script, and the Duchess's seal. But no mention of the house's size, the one thing Yu Yu wanted!
What a face-saving project!
Yu Yu leaned back.
Felix, now beside her, asked casually, "Not satisfied?"
Yu Yu: "Satisfied, super satisfied, but why's the deed so vague?"
Felix frowned. "The Duchess's seal—how's that vague?"
She stressed, "Unless the Silver Moon Duchy falls, the Duchess's grant is the most precious. No one can challenge it."
"How's it vague?"
Yu Yu paused. Right, forgot.
The Duchess was like a feudal lord, supreme above and below… except maybe the magic circle?
Yu Yu scratched her head. "My bad, I thought it'd describe the layout or size."
Property rights, sales, ahem.
Yu Yu's words circled her throat, but she didn't dare ask if she could sell the house if she didn't like it.
Felix, as if reading her, gave her a ghostly stare. "Go on, ask?"
Yu Yu: "Ask what? No questions! None, absolutely none, I'm thrilled!"
She hugged the deed. "I love the Duchess so much!"
Felix: "…"
Heh.
Yu Yu sneezed, rubbing her nose. "Does Senior know the rewards for other classes?"
Felix, back in her seat, munched snacks. "Don't know, don't care."
"Scram if you're done."
Yu Yu: "Kneeling and retreating. See you tomorrow, Senior!"
"Or this afternoon, or noon… ouch."
The door slammed shut.
Yu Yu held the box and shrugged helplessly. Senior was great, just not always tease-proof. Speaking of, who to give the shampoo to?
Besides the little puppy, anyone else need it?
The Wind Singer?
If not, maybe let Shu Tu release Ban Ban, and they'd bathe Banban.
Great idea!
Settled!
She'd bring the cat's food bowl in later. Banban worked so hard but got worse treatment than the big cat!
Mulling it over, Yu Yu rubbed her nose again. Still itchy—what gives?
Who's talking about her?
Yu Yu paused, touching her face, finding the culprit on her cheek. Holding it to the light.
Oh, wow, hair.
Silver-white fur, nearly transparent in the light, short, not like hair…
Yu Yu pondered.
Was this the Duchess's fur or Senior's?
Senior's hair was black, right?
So, the little puppy?
Come to think of it, her nose often itched in Senior's office.
Could it be…
Senior sheds?
Do wolves shed too?
Does she need a lint roller?
Yu Yu pondered long, then reluctantly dropped the idea. She feared Senior would secretly shank her!
Clutching her little box, Yu Yu went to find the Grand Archon, then planned to check out her new house.
Shu Tu would understand, right?
A new house!
After seeing it, she'd definitely watch Shu Tu's match!
Go, go, go!
Yu Yu cast Grease on her feet, zooming toward the ducal castle.
So fast…
To the ducal guards, she was a crawling snail.
"I'm here for the Grand Archon!"
The silver-armored guard eyed her box and opened the gate.
No words needed—Yu Yu breezed into the castle.
Some players tried sneaking into the Duchess's castle, only to be jailed for ages, unable to escape even by suicide.
Yu Yu could strike a scissor-hand pose, but Eternal Darkness didn't allow photos.
If she could bring her phone in later…
She could download games for Senior and the Duchess?
My bad, my bad—big shots like Senior and the Duchess wouldn't play games!
Yu Yu's mind wandered as she hugged her precious box, sprinting like lightning to where she last saw the Grand Archon.
No one stopped her.
She entered smoothly and found the Grand Archon napping.
She seemed half-asleep.
Yu Yu: "Grand Archon?"
No response.
Yu Yu: "?"
Was the Grand Archon assassinated? Lock down the scene?
Yu Yu raised her voice. "Grand Archon?!"
Still nothing.
Yu Yu shouted, "Grand Archon!"
No reaction.
"Grand! Archon!" Super loud.
Moments later, Yu Yu spotted a figure flash by outside and grabbed her. "Was the Grand Archon assassinated? Shouldn't you check?"
High-Tier Spellcaster: "?"
Assassinated? Assas?! Sinated?! :,,.