​​Chapter 17: Exodus from the Newbie Village​

"Bai Er must leave the Newbie Village in 24 hours, but you're still short 100 credits," Sherry said to Zou Yidao.

Zou Yidao flicked ash from his cigarette. "Almost there. Send the villagers to do tasks. They won't dare refuse."

"And after that?" Jason asked.

"Starlight Horse, the free market. Trade weapons there. Safe zone rules—no PvP inside."*

Sherry hesitated. "But we should wait to purify our souls..."

"Safety first," Zou Yidao interrupted. "You're not ready for the real game yet."

​​​Bai Er stood by the window, his black umbrella—a lethal weapon disguised as fashion—glinting in the moonlight. "Testing the waters tonight. See how strong I really am."

Sherry touched her flawless face, healed after Han Bin's death. "I'm reclaiming the city. Join us?"

Bai Er smiled faintly. "Need a ride?"

​In the ​​Void Space​​, Jason wielded his ​​Six-Sided Mace​​ with newfound precision. Time flowed differently here—days compressed into hours.

"Found a bug," he admitted. "Can train for weeks in here without aging."

Outside, he looted ​​Earth Elementals​​ and ​​Goblins​​, pocketing a ​​Hawk-Eye Rune​​ and a crate of live crabs. "Who knew farming bugs could be this lucrative?"

​Under a starlit sky, the team celebrated with stolen wine and stolen laughter. Bai Er, cornered by Jason's drinking challenge, downed shot after shot. "Dad… Dad…" he slurred, collapsing into giggles.

"That's my boy!" Zou Yidao roared, clapping Bai Er's back.

​At the ​​Life Tree​​, Bai Er vanished with a whisper: "Starlight Horse."

Zou Yidao lit a cigarette, gaze distant. "Marked cities are death traps. The real power lies in the unclaimed lands."

"Like the Abyss?" Sherry asked.

"Hell on earth," Zou Yidao growled. "But that's where the real loot is."