T0 Gaming Guild Saves the World.

Chapter 287, Section 286: Players from Another World
During the maintenance shutdown, the administrators of the Stars Campfire were not idle; they all went home.

Finding players who have been marked as potentially engaging in third-party trading in the game, comparing and contrasting their information, and assessing the degree of violation of their behavior is a major part of the daily work.

The ban on candlelight can only ensure the cessation of overt transactions, but it is more covert, and there are many ways to circumvent regulation through roundabout means.

Chen Shaoyu had reviewed a number of large, clandestine offline transactions.

Heavy spenders who use real money for everything actually only make up a small percentage of players.

The following are the main reasons that account for a large proportion.

After repeatedly trying dungeons and being tormented by monsters, I questioned my existence and wanted to find a shortcut to quickly improve my equipment level.

In a wild conflict zone, someone was inexplicably attacked and relentlessly attacked. Furious but unable to win, they decided to use off-field methods to become stronger by spending real money and fight back.

During a team dungeon, I was teased for making too many mistakes. Not wanting to drag my teammates down, and also to prove myself and save face, I secretly made a trade, intending to shock everyone.

I'm just one step away from collecting all the materials and items, and I'm itching to get them. I don't want to wait any longer; I just want to get them as soon as possible.

Chen Shaoyu can understand the mentality of this type of trader.

When you have a lot of material to draw on, accumulate it little by little and maintain a peaceful mindset.

The long marathon is nearing its end, but the pressure is mounting. I wish a pay-to-win button would appear on the screen so I could tap it a few times.

After entering the game, the candlelight went straight to the 12th floor of the Temple of the Clarity, where it conducted a game information check.

Due to the system maintenance, time in the Stellaris world has come to a standstill, and all the NPCs are motionless, like puppets without a core.

Chen Shaoyu, who was accompanying him, chatted idly with his colleagues. Seeing that the candlelight had been burning for a long time, he simply went to his colleague's side.

Shortly after leaving, the candle flame, with its eyes tightly closed, slowly opened its eyes.

The pale golden light in his pupils had been covered by a dark red at some point.

The candlelight looked around, momentarily lost in thought for a second or two.

When her gaze fell upon Yuru and Freya, she hesitated for a moment before maneuvering her body to move to another floor.

She retrieved the game data, accurately located the seven individuals at the boundary between the virtual and real worlds, and read them aloud softly.

"Fallen Star Siren Ksha, compatibility and anchor value: 100".

"Potion Master Mint, compatibility: 90%"

Anchor value: unclear.

Seeing the towering tree that had grown strong next to the profile pictures of the seven people at the boundary between the virtual and real worlds, Zhu Huo's lips curled into a slight smile.

Except for the jailer, whose tree branch was still bare, the other six trees had grown dense, lush leaves.

The orange tea tree is exceptionally lush, its thick trunk resembling an primordial element favored by the world's consciousness.

"The knowledge and skills of the stars have been integrated into one."

"Your progress truly lives up to the T0 title."

"No wonder it's attracting so much attention."

"It's just that this necromancer... he's a bit of an eyesore."

With a gentle wave of the candlelight, the projected information on the screen vanished instantly.

"you're awake?"

Chen Shaoyu returned and found that the candlelight was not on the 12th floor. He arrived at the 11th floor, the battleground of the Origin Elements, by following the map markers.

The candlelight flickered slightly to the side, glancing sideways at Chen Shaoyu out of the corner of its eye, and a taut smile appeared on its lips.

"what happened?"

Chen Shaoyu was taken aback.

The tone and wording of the candlelight conveyed a sense of awkward distance.

Is it an illusion?

"When you left, I noticed some minor issues with the game's settings and would like to hear your corrections."

"Just ask."

"About fairies."

"They can even possess objects and become enchanted artifacts in other people's hands."

"It can also possess a human and, at a small cost, temporarily lend its own abilities to the human."

"It can easily manipulate magic power in ways that even ordinary high-level mages cannot do."

"To use spells that magicians in the background setting cannot master, such as entering a book and moving words to complete a deception, is not an illusion, but real 'magic'?"

"Such a powerful ethnic group has always lived in a symbiotic relationship with other ethnic groups, without having its own kingdom?"

Even knowing that the story of the Sun Shower Squad ends in tragedy, their early adventure diaries are so wonderful that they are perfect as short stories to fuel your spirits in your spare time.

Chen Shaoyu only discovered this after repeatedly reading it.

Whether in Anna or the continent of Devilland, fairies have no independent kingdoms and have always lived by relying on the strong.

The candlelight chuckled.

Chen Shaoyu frowned.

From that soft chuckle, he sensed a subtle sense of superiority, as if to say, "Is this really such a big deal?"

Having spent a long time with Candlelight, and being allowed to let his imagination run wild and freely express his curiosity, Candlelight never mocks the questions he poses.

Even if that might be common sense as understood by the candlelight.

What are the fairies of human literary creation like?

Chen Shaoyu didn't do much research on this.

In their traditional cultural system, "fairy" is more like a metaphor for non-human beings who possess extraordinary power and life, similar to spirits or monsters.
The image of fairies in the game is closer to that of celestial beings in Western cultural systems.

The image of a tiny creature with a human appearance and strange powers is a common setting in literary works.

"The fairies we place in the game are the most special kind of race."

Magic is born from the world itself; it is the framework and rules that construct the world.

Ordinary people know the rules and utilize them, which is the limit. Only a very few magicians can become individuals who can glimpse the world's consciousness and communicate with it.

Fairies are different.

They can easily penetrate surface rules and borrow the power of the world itself.

Chen Shaoyu was greatly shocked.

"Doesn't this mean that the fairy isn't releasing anything at all, but rather making a wish?"

"Based on your current understanding, you can interpret it this way for now," Candlelight said. "It's like a child begging their mother for a small gift."

The subtly unpleasant wording reappeared, but the candlelight seemed oblivious and continued to explain.

"Children who act spoiled get candy, and they have become the most unique group among fairies, rare and mysterious."

“Great power comes with a price. The world has given them the right to be spoiled, but it has also bestowed a curse upon them—the more powerful the force they borrow, the more easily their ‘source’ for maintaining their existence is damaged.”

Chen Shaoyu actually wanted to ask Xilu about her, but the subtle attitude of the candlelight made him feel uneasy. He nodded twice and prepared to leave again.

"Do you want to know what happened during my departure?"

Aren't you curious about why I broke my promise?

Chen Shaoyu immediately replied, "I'm not curious."

He felt increasingly restless, and under the candlelight, he no longer felt the gentle warmth of the past, but rather the trepidation and nervousness he had felt during their first meeting.

Chen Shaoyu teleported away again, and the candlelight gazed at the spot where he left with amusement.

"Indeed, it's very interesting."

Returning to the 12th floor, as if remembering the coordinates from when I left, I stood there precisely, and the dark red in the candlelight's eyes slowly dissipated.

After a brief moment of disorientation, the candlelight opened its eyes slightly, looked around, and saw nothing unusual.

The game data check is complete, information is shared between the otherworld games, and the loophole that "she" opened without permission has been plugged.

The candle sat on the ground, staring blankly at the evening dew, its expression complex.

She closed her eyes, and a memory that wasn't hers surfaced in her mind.

That was an echo from another world, a dream created by a player who had once crossed the boundary between reality and illusion.

……

……

Li Furan joined the Star Gazing Sect at the age of 10. With nearly a thousand members, this sect was a powerful force that would stand out even in the vast Three Realms.

Talent, hard work, and luck are all indispensable. He was just a junior disciple of the outer sect, but in just a few years, he became the beloved disciple of the sect elder.

The youngest disciple, the most talented new generation.

Li Furan is grateful to his parents for these achievements.

It was during the chaotic and turbulent days of the spiritual revival that they managed to scrape together their share of food from between their fingers.

The father said he should have been a dead man.

At the time of his birth, the starving disaster victims looked at him as if he were a piece of meat.

It was an elder from the Guanxing Sect who, seeing his mother acting like a madwoman, confronting the disaster victims with tree branches and stones, felt sorry for her and that's how he grew into the man he is today.

Li Furan is a grateful person who has only one goal since childhood.

Join the Star Gazing Sect.

He succeeded, and then set another goal.

Famous throughout the world!

The world has undergone earth-shaking changes in just thirty years, and the world has already changed beyond recognition.

Order and rules were overturned, and the era of spiritual energy cultivation began amidst chaos.

Everyone has the opportunity to rise above others.

Everyone is searching for the secret to mastering the power that is everywhere.

The trust of his master, the care of his fellow disciples, the aspirations of his junior disciples, and a sense of responsibility weighed heavily on Li Furan's shoulders.

Why can't he be that handsome figure rising with the wind?

He should be!
The routine of daily practice was disrupted by the series of paintings.

No one knows where the scroll came from or who created it; it seems to have sprung up all over the Three Kingdoms overnight, like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

Falling asleep with a scroll in hand, a bizarre and wonderful world unfolds before my eyes.

Unlike the world they knew, this was a place where spiritual power was called "magic," and where there were many races and strange-looking creatures resembling spirits.

The only thing they have in common is martial arts skills, which are gradually fading from the scene.

The Demon Warriors are practically the epitome of the former warriors and current cultivators of the Three Realms.

During the day, everything remained the same; at midnight, they would fall asleep and roam freely in a dreamlike world. This became the daily routine for Li Furan, and indeed for countless other prestigious sects.

It is thus named "Dream Scroll".

Some people use it to temper their mind.

Some people use it to practice their skills.

Some people indulge in unrestrained behavior, treating it all as a grand dream, reveling in pleasure to the fullest.

Vicissitudes of life.

The Star Gazing Sect is a prestigious sect. They were astonished by the painting that appeared out of nowhere in their territory and tried to find out who was behind it.

It was Master who stepped in and communicated with the sect leader, allowing the matter to be dropped.

Why not investigate?

The master chuckled twice at Li Furan, but did not answer.

Later, Li Furan finally understood.

That person can create the [Dream Painting Scroll], which allows the peerless masters of the Three Realms to travel to the heavens. How could they possibly be able to see through it?
What to check?
What if they actually find something!
Since he was already there, Li Furan settled down and began studying in the dreamlike world of the painting.

He tried to understand the techniques of "magic" and find the common origin of "spiritual power" within them, and to integrate them.

This routine went on for almost half a year.

Li Furan saw his master, sect leader, and elders less and less.

They all seem to be very busy.

From a certain moment on, the usually cheerful master's face was full of unease, and he would often sit in the bamboo forest where he had been teaching and imparting knowledge since childhood, lost in thought.

Li Furan approached with his master's favorite wine and dishes, but even the rich aroma of the wine could not draw his soul back from the heavens to the mortal realm.

His beloved junior sister patted him a few times, and he seemed to have been frightened, trembling as he came back to his senses.

"Fu Ran, how old are you today?"

"Reporting to Master, 23."

"You're not young anymore."

The master gazed up at the starry sky, lost in thought.

Do you still remember what your master taught you most from childhood to adulthood?

"Go with the flow, and you will be strong if you are free from desires."

Li Furan answered immediately.

His benefactor, who had saved him, had passed away early. His master treated him with the same kindness as his parents, imparting all his knowledge to him. He remembered every word and action, and would never forget it.

"Fu Ran, you must remember these eight words firmly, no matter what happens."

"Ten million, ten million."

"No matter how high the sky is, one who is without desires is invincible."

That night, Master drank a lot of alcohol.

Li Furan saw weariness, bewilderment, and a desperate attempt to conceal fear on his face.

My master is also an exceptional genius, one of the top experts in the Three Realms.

He was famous at the age of 40, and he had never been broken by any storms. What made him lose his composure?
That was the night when, besides teaching Li Furan, the eight words "follow nature, and you will be strong if you have no desires" rang out the most in the bamboo forest.

It seemed not to be for Li Furan to remember, but for himself.

Several days later, the sect's top leaders gathered together.

As a rising star and the person most suitable for the position of sect leader in the eyes of countless elders, Li Furan was summoned to the scene.

He watched as the high-ranking members of the Star Gazing Sect took out one treasure after another from the long-unopened storeroom, and his whole body trembled.

Thirty years have passed since the spiritual energy revived, and rare treasures of heaven and earth have frequently appeared. The Star Gazing Sect has been groping its way forward, and every item it has acquired through hard work is a precious treasure.

What are we all supposed to do?
Whom does the Star Gazing Sect intend to declare war on?

"Fu Ran, after we leave, you will be in charge of the Star Gazing Sect."

"If we don't make it back within two days..."

"Disband the Star Gazing Sect, immediately, right now."

"Take your fellow disciples and leave."

Li Furan felt like the sky was about to fall.

Looking across the Three Realms, who can drive the Star Gazing Sect to the brink of annihilation?

"Fu Ran, stop asking."

His master gently stroked his head, just as he had when he was a child.

“You’ve grown up, you should take on some responsibilities… We had no choice, we really had no choice, so neither did you.”

There were few farewells; everything was so rushed.

The top leadership mobilized, and the leadership was temporarily replaced.

Li Furan, holding his sword, sat down in front of the mountain gate, like an enraged lion, staring coldly at everyone who appeared on the long ladder of the mountain gate.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

No one came back.

The messengers sent by the Star Gazing Sect to other places have also returned.

"Senior Brother Furan, it seems the other sects are also..."

For the first time, Li Furan felt fear towards this world.

That was a terror that penetrated deep into the soul, something that even the revival of spiritual energy and the upheaval of the world had never brought.

(End of this chapter)