VRMMORPG: The Other World Online

Cheng Xiu dodged to the side as another Fire ball made its way towards her as she made her way to San Zhe.

As she reached San Zhe's position, she manipulated the swords flying around her so that they would be able to circle around the blue-robed man.

"Sword Shield!" Cheng Xiu shouted as she used the sword in her hand to fight off the talons that the Earth Rat tried to tear her apart with when she got too close to it.

A blue shield appeared around San Zhe.

The rat on the wall, recognising that the man was protected by the shield turned to attack Cheng Xiu instead.

Between the two of them, it perceived that Cheng Xiu was the more dangerous one. And that was the biggest difference between a human and an animal. The later knew how to recognise danger.

The Earth Rat sent out Spears made of Earth and rocks at her wave after wave.

Cheng Xiu dodged the incoming attacks with practiced ease.

Even though it was an NPC, it was still below Level 5. Which meant that its accuracy was a bit off and the timing of its attacks were rather slow.

Cheng Xiu, who had experience fighting with a Level suppressed Level 70 expert who was known for his Spear attacks, found the NPC's attacks rather predictable. It always threw the spear at the same angle with the same speed and always aimed for her head.

San Zhe blinked in surprise at the speed at which Cheng Xiu reached him.

Before he could get over the fact that he was once again saved by his junior instead of the other way around, Cheng Xiu grabbed him by the collar and dragged him towards where Yaksha stood.

She had the swords circle around them vigorously to prevent the few rock spears that were thrown her way.

After some time, seeing that its attacks were not hitting the target and that its actions were basically useless, the rat went back to climbing the wall again, ignoring the human cultivators.

Finally, seeing that the rats were not going to attack them, the blue shield around them disappeared.

Cheng Xiu panted as she felt like she had used too much energy. She bent forwards slightly and held her waist as she heaved in breaths. Her phoenix eyes looked towards San Zhe with swirling emotions in them.

San Zhe looked towards her in concern. "Sister Xiu, are you okay?"

Cheng Xiu frowned. "What were you thinking? Why did you simply rush in? Didn't he tell you observe for a while?"

San Zhe ducked his head in embarrassment. "I thought I could handle it."

Cheng Xiu took deep breaths. "Handle it?...You could, but instead of handling it, you acted rashly."

San Zhe nodded, his head still bowed.

"What would have happened if the attack of that NPC was not Earth Spears, but Fire Balls? What would you have done then?"

San Zhe pursed his lips in frustration.

"Well?"

Cheng Xiu was about to continue her scolding when she felt a weight on her shoulder.

She looked up to find that it was Yaksha.

"What?"

"Don't you think you are being too anxious?" Yaksha asked.

Cheng Xiu scoffed in disbelief. "What do you mean by that?"

"He is an old player," Yaksha said to her. "He knows what to do and what not to do in such situations, even if he has only experienced Quests up to Level 10. You should not treat him like he is a complete newbie like you are."

Cheng Xiu scowled. "I am not-"

Yaksha raised his hand to indicate for her to stop talking. "And if he dies despite that experience then let him."

Cheng Xiu glared at him for his uncaring words.

"In the end, this is a game, Little Sela," Yaksha said to her patiently. "Death in the game is normal. He can reload the character after it. You are treating this like it is the real world. Don't become so immersive."

Cheng Xiu bowed her head in thought. She knew that this was a game. She was not preventing death because she forgot that it was not reality. How could she forget? Her reality did not have powers after all. She was a Qiless.

Cheng Xiu stopped that train of thought before it could gain steam. She was not going down that route again.

"I know that this is a game," Cheng Xiu said to Yaksha. "I know that the death in the game is not real death. But he will still feel that pain. He will still be dead…if only virtually for a few seconds. If I can prevent my friends from experiencing something so unpleasant why shouldn't I?"

Yaksha rolled his eyes. Why did he think this girl would be Less emotional after so many years? She still held onto that silly notion of morality in the game as well.

Yaksha was about to try to explain to the girl what he meant but someone else beat him to it for the first time.

"It is the same reason that parents let their babies try to walk and crawl," San Zhe said. Cheng Xiu looked at him in disapproval. "It is. Parents might be afraid that their kid would get hurt and don't want to see them in pain but that does not mean that the parents should just prevent the kids from even trying to crawl or walk. If they do that, the child will not be able to walk or crawl properly."

Cheng Xiu frowned. "But-"

"That being said…thank you for your help," San Zhe said with a laugh. "I would have died because of that small negligence of mine if you weren't there."

Cheng Xiu fidgeted, unsure of how to respond. This was the first time that someone was saying thanks for her interference. She was used to Gu Shu's rants about her being overprotective.

Yaksha observed her slight movements and chuckled. "It would seem that that was cleared. Now…there is something that we should all discuss."

The two Qiless looked over at him in confusion.

He pointed to the two wall climbing rats.

"Oh yeah," San Zhe exclaimed. "Why are they not attacking us?"

"Probably because we are no longer disturbing them," Cheng Xiu said to him.

San Zhe's mind worked her words out. "You mean that…these NPCs would not attack us unless we attack them."

Cheng Xiu nodded. "At least, that is my conjecture."

San Zhe hmmed. "That would make sense….these creatures are trying so hard to reach the next floor of the game. If we interfere with that goal of theirs, they will attack us. Otherwise, they will ignore us. So these NPCs only attack who attack them first? So if I use an Insta kill skill, wouldn't that just kill them?"

Cheng Xiu rolled her eyes. "The minute we attack, they will retaliate."

San Zhe frowned. "That means we have to-"

There was a sudden blaring siren in the white room.

Cheng Xiu looked at the walls in confusion. "What just happened?"

"Sister Xiu! Look over there!" San Zhe screamed at her.

Cheng Xiu looked to where he was pointing.

The fire-based rat that Cheng Xiu had chosen to attack had scaled the wall a lot. A blue line became visible after it had crawled past it.

Cheng Xiu had a bad feeling all of a sudden.

[Warning: Counsellor Rat Flamer has crossed the Blue Border. Counsellor Flamer's rank has Upgraded from Rank B to Rank A.

Mission Level has reached: Danger Zone.

All Players of the Rat Quest, please annihilate the Rat that Climbs the wall before the Counsellors and the Queens pass the Red Border.]

Cheng Xiu stared at those words in confusion for a moment. "Did the system just say that the NPC just Upgraded?"

San Zhe gulped. "Yeah."

"They can do that?"

"Yeah."

"And we are unlucky enough to encounter that on our first Quest?"

"Yeah."

"Is this because the whole continent is going through that war?"

"Yeah, probably."

Cheng Xiu blinked. "Huh. A slightly different answer."

San Zhe blinked at her in confusion. "What?"

Cheng Xiu shook her head. "Nothing."

As they watched on, border lines of different colours became visible on the walls.

It started with Grey, and was very close to the ground.

Next was Green, and it was in the middle of the wall.

Then was blue, which was towards the Mid-high range.

After that was Yellow.

Above that was the colour Orange.

And finally there was red.

Cheng Xiu frowned. "What will happen if the creatures keep crossing the borders? I mean, other than the fact that they will upgrade in power and they will be close to reaching the next floor."

San Zhe shrugged.

Cheng Xiu turned to Yaksha with hopeful eyes.

Yaksha stared at her glittering eyes, unmoved.

The light in Cheng Xiu's eyes dimmed a bit as she realised that Yaksha was not going to explain it to them.

Yaksha sighed. "The Tower will start to retaliate."

Cheng Xiu's eyes basically sparkled. She leaned forwards to hear more.

Seeing this scene, San Zhe suppressed a snort. All she had to was stare at him intently and the so called Great God of the game easily relented. He couldn't believe that even a person of Yaksha's status could fall for that technique.

"What do you mean the Tower will retaliate?" Cheng Xiu asked. "Who will it retaliate against? The NPC who decided to challenge its authority? Or is the Players who were unable to fulfill the deal?"

Yaksha chuckled. "Smart Little Sela. But you had it a bit confused. There is no need to add an 'Or' to it."

Cheng Xiu blinked, and then her eyes widened. "Don't tell me…both the NPC and the Players would be punished together?"

"So smart," Yaksha cooed.

Cheng Xiu suddenly wanted to punch and beat someone into a pulp. And that someone seemed to know what she was thinking as the person chuckled even more.

San Zhe was too busy worrying over the news that the Great God just gave them.