Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

["Teaching" concluded. Through the feedback from the "teaching," you have obtained a total of 600 universal experience points.]

Mission accomplished.

Bai E wrapped the bandages around Dai Lian, seated nearby, with a sense of relief. This was a great warrior who had sacrificed himself for the truth, suffering knife wounds, gunshot wounds, blunt trauma, burns... almost exhausted all his life points, hanging by a thread.

Gamers are gamers, their ferocity goes without saying.

"All done," Bai E said as he patted his hands and stood up, "Today's teaching is limited to this, as I don't have much time. In fact, I came today to bid you farewell once again."

"Farewell?"

The word left the three gamers momentarily stunned.

Bai E chuckled softly, "What? As a soldier, I must frequently carry out military missions."

Bai E was only making preparations in advance, not just for now but possibly for many more missions in the future.

He hadn't dismissed the idea of leaving the military camp, but now was certainly not the time.

In close combat, he couldn't even beat an ordinary soldier in the camp, let alone those who had used Gene Optimization Solution or those who possessed the innate ability of Spiritual Energy.

The selection for this secret military operation made Bai E realize his own weaknesses. No matter how rapidly he grew, there was a considerable gap between him and the veterans in the camp, to say nothing of the vast world beyond.

Moreover, the military camp was not a dangerous place for him currently. His superiors took good care of him, his comrades were kind and close, even the Scientific Research Institute wouldn't casually slice him up for samples. He hadn't found a better environment for growth yet, one so good he wouldn't want to leave even if prompted.

"Sir, how many days will you be away this time?"

"Hmm," Bai E's eyes slightly out of focus, as if contemplating the specific arrangements, "It's uncertain. This operation is covert; I shouldn't be revealing it to you, so the specifics are even harder to pin down, and it's uncertain whether I'll go at all. I'm just giving you a heads-up. If I do go, I'll leave tomorrow, and it's very likely that you won't see me at noon."

"Oh~"

All three showed clear reluctance.

Putting aside the affection that had developed over a short association, a day without him was a day without missions.

Bai E's generosity made other NPCs pale in comparison; a few more days away could well leave them at a total loss.

Bai E laughed heartily, "While I'm gone, you could interact more with the other residents here. Everyone's very nice... Of course, you should always be cautious; there are always some bad people who hide their true faces."

It was like the earnest teaching of a wise elder, imparting life experiences with great care on the eve of departure.

This attitude of treating them as one of his own moved the three gamers. The game was too real, and emotions like being moved or recognized came on even stronger.

"Of course, I'd like you to continue with the task I've troubled you with before. As long as those risks are not eliminated, I will always feel uneasy."

[Quest description auto-generating...]

[...]

[Release this quest?]

Release.

The mission remained the same as before; the only difference was that one mission became two, and the rewards for the circuit task continued to accumulate.

The quest description was clearly displayed.

Two mission quotas!

The bond increased! Indeed, consistently developing a relationship with an NPC did have unexpected benefits.

Dai Lian, who was initially worried about a loss in mission rewards, felt a surge of excitement—some had been recouped.

"I have been delayed here long enough; I need to head back. Tomorrow at this time, you might not see me, and I won't be able to bid you farewell. Goodbye... I hope when I return, I'll see a better version of you all."

Bai E waved his hand with ease and turned away with a carefree air.

Every day, they discovered a new aspect of him...

Once sure Bai E had departed, Dai Lian began to ponder while stroking his chin, "The boss seems to know we're not locals, doesn't he?"

The way he had just told them to get to know the locals clearly held an implication; he considered the locals and the three of them as separate groups.

Was he suspicious of their player identities, or did he think they were outsiders, migrants perhaps?

Kuang Xin felt it was only natural, "Makes sense... The boss is so powerful, he must have his own intelligence network. We appeared out of nowhere, and even though it's difficult to investigate identities in this era, at minimum he knows we're definitely not locals."

"Right..." Dai Lian nodded in agreement, what did it matter if suspicions were raised?

In fact, he was just curious to see what kind of actions an NPC would take in such a realistic game if they truly knew they were "players." But as far as he knew, not many players revealed their identities to NPCs, most reveled in this deceit, and even players pretending to be NPCs to deceive other players were not uncommon.

Werewolf Among the Stars...

Never mind whether NPCs could differentiate between players and non-players, even the players themselves might not always recognize whether someone they met was a friend or a foe.

There might be some who divulged their identities for fun, but at least he currently did not know what became of them... perhaps they had already restarted.

"Then... let's continue digging our pit."

Kuang Xin cheerfully showed off his bandages, saying, "Wrapped up like a mummy, I can't move at all."

Dai Lian was exasperated, "Are you out of your mind?"

Kuang Xin's tone was carefree, "Isn't it all for Yanzi? There are no resurrection opportunities in the early stages of this game, no life-saving means to turn to in a critical moment. If we lose now, won't all our hard work go to waste?"

"..." Dai Lian hesitated, realizing the gorilla had a point.

What was more important... was that he had made the decision to cut himself as soon as he'd realized this.

Even in a game, that took an enormous amount of courage.

Was this determination... really a breakthrough after taking down his enemy last night?

Kuang Xin rambled on with his thoughts, "The boss's time is limited, and we can't always wait until later, right? If there aren't conditions, we'll create them. Since it doesn't hurt and we won't die, why not let Yanzi practice on us?"

"Got it, got it," Dai Lian conceded reluctantly, "Smart move this time."

Kuang Xin's expression fell, "Even when you're complimenting me, I feel like you're insulting me."

"No, I'm really complimenting you."

Gong Yan watched the two bicker with a grin and stayed silent.

...

When Bai E returned to the military camp, he immediately bumped into Carlos waiting right at the entrance.

"What have you been up to again?" Carlos asked offhandedly, but he clearly wasn't concerned with the answer and excitedly shared the good news with Bai E, "Passed! We set off early tomorrow morning, the commanding officer responsible for this military operation will give you basic training for the upcoming mission—make sure you don't miss it!"