Mutated Pheromones

Editor: DarkSapphire, Sahloknir

Yue Shizhong thought it was a system error. 

So after searching the name two more times, both with the same system message, he tried to relog his account and restarted his client next. All with the same results. He finally gave up and called the customer service line.

The voice on the other end was very sweet. “Hello, sir. There are two possibilities with the issue you described. One is that the player deleted his account forever, and the other is that he changed his character ID with a name change coupon.”

Yue Shizhong: “…”

The customer service asked, “Sir?” 

Yue Shizhong replied, “Oh, that would be all. Thank you.”

When he hung up, he suddenly had an impulse to light another cigarette. He didn’t get this game. Could he continue playing?

A false alarm.

He poured himself a cup of chrysanthemum tea with wolfberries to ease his mood and began to concentrate on levelling.

At the moment, in the other room. Qin Xiujie was in an instance dungeon with Dying Star. 

In this party of five, everyone was from the number one guild except for Qin Xiujie. He cooperated well with others as they finished the dungeon before the ink was dry.

[(Party) Wailing Wall: Great Dying Star, thank you so much.]

[(Party) Dying Star: No need to thank me. Have you beaten a ten member? Let me take you?] 

[(Party) Wailing Wall: I have not, and won’t it be too much trouble for you?]

[(Party) Dying Star: No trouble at all. Let’s go.]

Qin Xiujie didn’t turn down Dying Star’s good will and followed him to the ten man instance dungeon entrance.

Yue Ran quietly watched the whole show. Feeling slightly bored, he went back to his computer and just happened to see a notification in the corner: [‘>Smashing Vault of Heaven’ (Friend) has logged in.] 

So far, he had only sent or accepted four friend requests on this account: His older cousin, Jiang Xiao, that Phoenix Rune spy, and Dying Star.

The first two were aware of his details. He deleted the random last night, and Dying Star he accepted today. Although he was reluctant about that last one, one benefit of this identity was to accept friend requests without restraint. 

He was happier when he thought he would see more ‘friend online’ notifications in the future.

On the spur of the moment, he sent a friend request to his cousin’s alt account. 

The first thing Jiang Xiao did online was look through his friend list.

After a quick scan, his eyes landed on an unfamiliar ID—A- – – – Killer. He right-clicked on the name and saw a summoner job class on the character menu.

He studied the ‘A’, remained silent for two seconds, and left clicked on the player’s name.

[(Private) >Smashing Vault of Heaven: New character ID?] 

[(Private) A- – – – Killer: Yep.]

[(Private) >Smashing Vault of Heaven: Where are you?]

[(Private) A- – – – Killer: Finishing outside the main city.]

[(Private) >Smashing Vault of Heaven: Instance dungeon?] 

[(Private) A- – – – Killer: No.]

[(Private) >Smashing Vault of Heaven: Arena?]

[(Private) A- – – – Killer: No.]

[(Private) >Smashing Vault of Heaven: Open egg?] 

[(Private) A- – – – Killer: No. It’s best we don’t stay in contact for the next few days.]

Aljcu Wljb ecvfgrabbv lcrajcais jr tf gjlrfv jc fsfygbk.

Cc ecxcbkc reqqbga rewwbcfg jqqfjglcu klat tlw atf vjs joafg Tef Ejc ifoa kbeiv vfolclafis mjerf rerqlmlbc. 

[(Private) >Smashing Vault of Heaven: Then add my other account, ‘Formless Slash’. I haven’t been playing on that account recently.] 

[(Private) A- – – – Killer: ‘Kay.]

[(Private) >Smashing Vault of Heaven: Are you playing with anyone?]

[(Private) A- – – – Killer: Soon.]

[(Private) >Smashing Vault of Heaven: ?] 

[(Private) A- – – – Killer: Since rejoining your guild would cause suspicion, I’ll check on the university’s discussion boards. There should be a guild built for first-year students. I’ll play with them.]

Aljcu Wljb: “…”

Tef Ejc’r kbgv kjr yjrfv bc gewbeg. Dea ktfc tf rfjgmtfv atgbeut atf eclnfgrlas’r vlrmerrlbc ybjgv jcv rjk atfgf gfjiis kfgf wjcs gfmgelawfca qbrar.

This game was very popular. Whether it be new players jumping into the game pit for summer vacation or returning players, quite a few of the posts were centred around the newest server. There were recruitment posts for first-year students like himself. He opened one of the posts: [The ‘Cabbage Alliance’ Welcomes All Players for Some Fun!] 

Yue Ran’s main goal was to find a temporary guild, so the name wasn’t important.

Probably as a result of his horrible experiences on day one, he wanted a smooth journey in this rebirth.

He switched back to the client and entered ‘Cabbage Alliance’ in the guild search on the guild window. To his surprise, his guild application was accepted right away.

[(Guild) The Past: Holy fuck! Everyone, please welcome the big shot!] 

[(Guild) Doughnut: Big shot?]

[(Guild) The Past: Yeah, the support that defeated Star of Jupiter this morning. I was one of the spectators.]

[(Guild) Doughnut; Woah! I heard about that. So he goes to our university!]

[(Guild) Vegetable Flowers: Let me hug your thigh.] 

[(Guild) A- – – – Killer: I was just lucky.]

[(Guild) The Past: Don’t be modest. I have eyes, you know. Even if Star of Jupiter was at a slight disadvantage, your skills are definitely on master level!]

[(Guild) Vegetable Flowers: Is the master planning to do an instance dungeon? Let me beg in all the positions for a carry!]

[(Guild) A- – – – Killer: Sure.] 

As Yue Ran clicked ‘enter’, he saw a new message from Jiang Xiao, trying to persuade him. He quickly entered a reply.

[(Private) A- – – – Killer: I already joined a new guild and will be doing an instance dungeon with them. Let’s talk later.]

Jiang Xiao: “…”

More and more White Koi members came online, and their YY voice chat gradually became lively. 

Someone saw that the leader was also online and in the room. He poked, asking a question, “Leader, how’s everything going? Did you manage to persuade him to come back?”

Jiang Xiao didn’t reply.

The guild member’s hairs stood up from the deathly stillness. Not daring to step on another minefield, he stammered a new question, “Let’s…go do an instance dungeon?” 

Jiang Xiao lightly said, “En.” Picked a few members randomly for the dungeon. 

But as they arrived at the dungeon entrance, he saw a familiar character ID in front of him. Followed by the new guildmates accompanying the little summoner as they entered the dungeon in his face.

Jiang Xiao: “…”

Super unhappy.

The result of the leader’s displeasure was that in this instance dungeon they completed several times, he didn’t speak a single word. The only time he uttered a word was when one of the members made a mistake. An attentive guild member noticed that the number of times their leader spoke could be counted with only two hands. He was clearly in a bad mood. 

The party members imagined Jiang Xiao’s cold expression and immediately avoided making any more mistakes, as the negative aura spread throughout the voice chat.

Qin Xiujie had no idea about the pain his guildmates were dealing with.

Dying Star took him to the other instance dungeons with max level requirement after the ten members one. He even received three materials. It felt like he had hired a dungeon party for free.

[(Party) Dying Star: I’ve already completed the fifteen and twenty men instance dungeons this week. I’ll help you next week.] 

[(Party) Wailing Wall: Okay! I’m so happy!]

[(Party) Wailing Wall: Great Dying Star, you’re so nice!]

[(Party) Dying Star: (head pat)]

[(Party) Dying Star: I think your playing style is a bit frontal. Have you ever thought about changing to a close combat job class?] 

[(Party) Wailing Wall: Ah? You think I am more suited to play close combat?]

[(Party) Dying Star: Doesn’t hurt to try.]

Qin Xiujie’s eyes curved like two crescent moons.

He didn’t even need to find a way to get close to the imposter. The other served it on a silver platter for him to take. 

[(Party) Wailing Wall: But I’m not familiar with any of the close combat job classes, and no one to teach me.]

[(Party) Dying Star: I’ve time to teach you.]

[(Party) Wailing Wall: Really?]

[(Party) Dying Star: Really. In fact, your style is more melee-like, but you choose summoner. Let’s give the offensive department a try.] 

Qin Xiujie was surprised. This fake was really something.

His main account, Attired Guqin, was the same job class as Jiang Xiao. Close combat swordsman.

So he hadn’t cared what job class his alt account had. After discussing with Dying Star, he went straight to the main city to change his subclass to offensive summoner. Then he went into the arena room link sent by Dying Star and began earnestly learning under the Star God. Throwing out compliments from time to time.

[(All) Wailing Wall: Great Dying Star, you’re really amazing. You know so much about offensive summoners.] 

Pure White Sun replied only with a smile emoji.

It was rare to encounter a support summoner in the arena and it was more often to match against an attack summoner. Although support was his shortcoming, he played very well as an attack summoner, which showed in his teaching. Sunken Moon was offline anyway, so he was free to act as a teacher.

Qin Xiujie spent his morning training and chatting using in-game chat.

He worked hard to strive to be a good student and was very satisfied with their closer relationship. 

While Yue Ran passed his morning playing with his new guildmates.

They were all freshmen. The Past, Cabbage Alliance’s leader, was in the same major as him. They had scheduled a time to have dinner together once university started. Yue Ran was very content.

On the other side with at the White Koi guild…the atmosphere continued to worsen. 

Once noon approached, the first thing Sunken Moon did when he logged in was to find A- – – – Killer. 

Under his older cousin’s order, Yue Ran arranged a time to run an instance dungeon with Sunken Moon; it was set in three days. Once it was noon, he happily goofed around with his new friends. Deep down, he knew this was what it meant to play games.

Three days passed in a flash.

During this period, Star of Jupiter joined the server’s number one guild and politely greeted several people, including Dying Star and Sunken Moon, every day. Then, he ran instance dungeons with his new guildmates to collect materials to refine his sixth spirit beast.

For Yue Ran, without needing to worry about any disturbance from others, his game life was very simple and relaxing. 

As he became more acquainted with his friends he was soon promoted to guild officer. Although this was only a forty-six member guild, the advantage of being in a small guild was the freedom and the laid-back atmosphere.

While Qiu Xiujie had been busy for these three days.

Besides Dying Star, he also got close to Sunken Moon several times, and now even his side account was in the two gods’ guild.

And last but not least, White Koi guild suffered for three days. It was really unbearable. 

Under many desperate requests from the guild members, guild officer Ashen Inner Thoughts finally messaged Qin Xiujie on WeChat: [Buddy, I know you might be sulking and avoiding the game these days. But I’m really at my wits end. I really need you to do me a favour.]

Qin Xiujie being in a cheerful mood: [Sure.]

[The other side asked: Can you contact our former sister-in-law? Can you persuade him to come back?]

[Qin Xiujie: What do you mean?] 

[The other side cried: These three days, Jiang Xiao was either afk fishing or spectating in the arena. He doesn’t run dungeons or do quests, and won’t talk unless needed. My heart can’t take it! I told him to take a short vacation from the game, but he refused. He insisted on staying in the game, everyone could tell he was depressed.]

“…” Qin Xiujie, who was still staying at his uncle’s place. He put down his phone and looked at Yue Ran. “Has Jiang Xiao been contacting you?”

Yue Ran nodded. “Yes, he occasionally asks what I’m doing.”

Qin Xiujie asked, “Then?” 

Yue Ran replied, “Nothing else. I can’t play with him this soon anyway. Why?”

“Nothing.” Qin Xiujie ended his short questionnaire. He clicked his and Jiang Xiao’s conversation on WeChat and went straight to the point: [Did you fall for my cousin?]

Jiang Xiao reread the new message three times before calmly responding with a single word: [Yes.]

He realized this just recently. 

At first, he just felt a connection with the little summoner from their pleasant first meeting. Later, he saw that the other’s strength was very good, and wanted to have the younger man as his duo partner. It was not until the aftermath that he was getting more and more frustrated when the realisation finally sunk in.

Qin Xiujie regretted introducing his friend to his cousin.

He held some hope that Jiang Xiao and his cousin would get together, but he didn’t expect his cousin to have mutated pheromones. [He typed guilty: Listen to my advice and let it go. There is no chance with him.]

[Jiang Xiao: Reason.] 

[Qin Xiujie: Ran Ran doesn’t like alphas.]

[Jiang Xiao: As long as he likes no one, everything else is not a problem.]

Qin Xiujie pondered a bit and sent a simple message: [Let’s talk more once university starts.]

They would see each other once the fall semester started anyway, then Jiang Xiao would be on the same page as him. 

He glanced at the time and called out to his cousin, “It’s almost time, they created a party for the instance dungeon.”

Yue Ran obediently went to the gathering spot and asked, “How should I play? What have you found out in the past three days?”

Qin Xiujie suggested, “Fight as you always do.”

Yue Ran questioned, “What if I expose myself?” 

“Then you expose yourself,” Qin Xiujie said. “I have a strange feeling, but no evidence to back it up yet. I want to see their reaction when we spill the beans.”

Yue Ran asked, “You sure?”

Qin Xiujie confirmed, “Yes. Follow my command. Since I’m also in the party, I’ll back you up if needed.”

Alright. 

Without objecting, Yue Ran accepted the party invite and the party quickly entered the instance dungeon.