Naming Technique of the Night

Chapter 359: 276, The Path to Ascension (10,000 Words for Minimum Monthly Tickets)_3

However, this time after entering the Mysterious World, Qing Chen didn’t practice sniping.

With a mere thought, the topography of the entire Mysterious World suddenly changed.

The wilderness began to sink, forming a lake, and above the lake, a platform rose from the ground, exactly 70 meters high.

It was a place in his memory, where he would challenge the second life-and-death trial.

Last time he returned, Qing Chen watched many live streams of tourist attractions, taking the opportunity to replicate the terrain directly in the Mysterious World.

Others, when training, usually start from a 1-meter diving platform, progress to 3 meters, then to 10 meters, step by step.

...
But not Qing Chen, he started from 70 meters right from the beginning.

The youth stood on the platform, slowly closing his eyes; he spread his arms, trying to grasp balance in the wind.

The next second, his body leaned slightly backwards.

Like an arrow, he plunged fiercely toward the surface of the lake.

3.78 seconds later, the Mysterious World grew dark, and Qing Chen felt death.

As he fell, due to air resistance, his body began to drift off course.

In the end, Qing Chen entered the lake at a tilted angle.

This Mysterious World was too realistic; he could even feel the process of his bones being crushed inch by inch from the collision with the water.

That was real death.

In the darkness, Qing Chen waited, and a few seconds later, the Mysterious World lit up again.

The youth stood back on the platform and closed his eyes again.

Outside the Luo Shen Building, snow fluttered down, while inside, Qing Chen died over and over again in the Mysterious World, tireless.

After an unknown amount of time, strange noises came from outside the bedroom door.

Qing Chen ended his training, pulled a pistol from under his pillow, and switched off the safety of the weapon.

He walked out of the door noiselessly, only to find a figure with their back to him, busying themselves with something at the dining table in the dimly lit living room.

“Cough cough,” the figure started coughing, “Don’t turn on the lights, or you’ll be in great danger.”

“You really don’t consider yourself an outsider,” Qing Chen said calmly.

Qing’s shadow, a visitor both expected and surprising.

Earlier, Qing Chen had detected traces of someone’s presence in the house. What he hadn’t expected was that, even after he moved back in, this Qing’s shadow still came over nonchalantly to brew tea.

Just then, the shadow had brought water to a boil; the kettle made a gurgling sound, with steaming vapours spurting from the spout.

That was a kettle bought on loan in the name of Qing Chen by Uncle Li Dong…

To be fair, consumer debt was rampant across the Federation, with companies from various financial groups going to great lengths to burden the citizens of the Federation with all kinds of debt, making it difficult for them to consider more long-term issues.

A person burdened with a mortgage has neither poetry nor the distant horizon.

At that moment, Qing’s shadow took a small bag of tea leaves out of his pocket and sprinkled them into the kettle.

Then he surprisingly continued to cover the kettle, steaming it with boiling water.

“They say you shouldn’t boil tea with boiling water; it makes it bitter,” Qing Chen remarked.

“This is spring tea from Taboo Land No. 010—it’s poisonous if not boiled for at least 10 minutes,” Qing’s shadow chuckled.

“If it’s poisonous, why take the risk and drink it?” Qing Chen didn’t understand.

“Many people in City No. 8 know mushrooms are poisonous, but they still eat them because they’re delicious enough,” Qing’s shadow replied casually: “Life is as fleeting as a White Steed flying past a gap. Naturally, you need to find more interesting things to do to make it worthwhile.”

A bitter taste suddenly filled the room, but by the ten-minute mark, the bitterness had transformed into a wonderful tea fragrance.

“Care for a cup?” Qing’s shadow asked.

“I don’t drink tea, only plain water,” Qing Chen answered.

“This stuff can sharpen your vision. With prolonged consumption, your eyesight will far surpass that of an ordinary person,” Qing’s shadow said slowly and methodically.

“Give it here,” Qing Chen said, “How much more of that tea do you have? Save some for me.”

“You’re quite pragmatic,” Qing’s shadow grabbed a cup and poured one for Qing Chen as if he were in his own home, “Life is like tea, bitter before it’s sweet. I sought you out once before, but after such a long time, you still haven’t made a move against any other Shadow Candidate, which is somewhat disappointing to me.”

“Your disappointment is of no importance,” Qing Chen said earnestly, “In the battle of shadows, surviving to the end is what matters. So, have you come to see me today just to urge me to take action?”

“I’m not the kind to force an unwilling hand, I prefer transactions of mutual consent,” Qing’s shadow stated, “Since you refuse to risk sticking your neck out and revealing yourself, how about we switch to a different deal?”

“What kind of deal?” Qing Chen inquired.

“First option, after the situation in City No. 18 concludes, you join the Federal Group’s army,” Qing’s shadow said evenly.

“War is heartless; I decline,” Qing Chen said calmly.

“Hmm, then the second option: join the Spy Bureau under my command, Qing’s shadow. Your identity will be kept secret,” Qing’s shadow offered.

“What’s in it for me?” Qing Chen asked.

“A path to ascend to the heavens?”

…

Countdown 135:00:00.

9 o’clock in the morning.

Like the last time, the Li Family Hovering Car that came to pick up Qing Chen was already waiting on the 67th floor of the Luo Shen Building.

This time, leaving the house, Qing Chen did not run into the silver-haired girl, Zheng Yi; to his surprise, the person who came to receive him turned out to be Xiao Ying from Kunlun.

And he had been waiting at the elevator entrance early on.

“Good morning, Student Qing Chen. Boss Chang Qing asked me to pick you up,” Xiao Ying said at the elevator entrance, taking advantage of a moment when no one was around, “How is it going, has your injury healed?”

“Not yet,” Qing Chen shook his head.

“Right, about my proposal last time, have you mentioned it to your boss? About me joining you guys!” Xiao Ying stated.

“No,” Qing Chen shook his head again, “With so much happening last week on Xingshu Road, who had time to worry about that?”

“All right then, but make sure you talk about it when we get back… Let’s not dwell on this for now, there are others waiting in the car,” Xiao Ying whispered, then walked Qing Chen out of the elevator towards the parking lot.

Qing Chen paused for a moment when he pulled open the car door; seeing Li Changqing in the back seat of the hover car, he was taken aback, “Why have you come in person?”

“To take you home, of course I’d come myself,” Li Changqing said with a smile, “Don’t you want to try out sniper rifles? I’ll take you to the sniper range today.”

…

A chapter of 5000 words, and another update owed to the Golden League driver—this debt to the Golden League still has three more updates…

Let me explain again, my daily updates are genuinely 6000 words, and for the 10,000-word updates, I don’t split chapters anymore, it counts as another update, everyone, look at the word count, not the number of chapters… During August, I’m aiming for daily updates of 10,000 words to clear my debts as soon as possible…

Although it’s difficult…

Thank you to Student Hu for becoming part of this book’s Golden League.

Thank you to “This user has not logged in” for joining the Silver City Alliance as part of this book.

Thank you to Viola0205 and “Top Level Lu Set” for becoming part of this book as new allies.

The bosses are generous, the speed at which the bosses donate surpasses the speed at which I repay my debts by a lot…