Magic Farm 181

Chapter 181: An Elven Treasure Emerges in the Black Resource Zone

In Dan Xingyu’s mind, only the words “I like you too” remained.

Super-sized font! Playing in rotation! Flooding the screen endlessly!

But in the next instant, a blast of icy snow magic crashed down on him, snapping him back to his senses.

Qi Yu saw that his face was still flushed, but with the experience from last time, he managed not to panic as much.

He poked Dan Xingyu’s arm. “Hurry and confirm! The countdown’s almost over!”

Resource zone, resource zone.

Dan Xingyu snapped out of it and quickly confirmed on the survival panel. The familiar path gradually appeared before him.

Qi Yu took a step forward, only to have his wrist suddenly seized.

Qi Yu: ?

Dan Xingyu caught up, walking shoulder to shoulder with him, but he didn’t let go of his hand.

His ears were so red they looked as if they might bleed, and his heart was pounding wildly.

Qi Yu could only feel the searing heat radiating from the palm gripping his own.

He felt a little uneasy. “Dan Xingyu, are you sure you don’t have a fever?”

Dan Xingyu skillfully ignored the question and said seriously, “Qi Yu, you just committed a crime!”

“……”

Qi Yu glanced at him in confusion, speaking bluntly, “Dan Xingyu, you look more like you’re having an episode.”

“I don’t care.”

Dan Xingyu raised his voice. “Back in my hometown, words like ‘I like you’ are absolutely not to be said lightly. Qi Yu, since you’ve said it, you have to take responsibility!”

This really did touch upon a gap in Qi Yu’s knowledge.

There was such a saying on Blue Star?

He hesitated for a moment, a little conflicted. “But I say that to the survival game every day.”

Dan Xingyu: “……”

“That’s different,” he declared decisively. “The survival game isn’t a Blue Star person.”

Qi Yu thought, I’m not a Blue Star person either.

But he couldn’t say that.

He could only murmur, “All right, then how should I take responsibility?”

The corners of Dan Xingyu’s mouth curled up for a fleeting second.

“You have to mean what you say.” He was dead serious. “We have to stay together for a long, long time.”

“And you said you like me.” He drew a quiet breath. “Qi Yu, do you really know what ‘I like you’ means?”

As they spoke, the two of them had already walked out of the small path and emerged onto the plaza outside the resource zone.

Qi Yu looked at him, thoughtful. “I think I know. But the way you’re acting makes me feel like my understanding and yours are probably not the same.”

He liked Dan Xingyu, liked the survival game, liked the Star Forest, liked the territory, liked the treehouse… There were so many things he liked.

But clearly, Dan Xingyu wasn’t this ecstatic because of that kind of “like.”

So what did he mean by “like”?

There were already quite a few people in the plaza. Seeing newcomers arrive, those around them all turned to size them up.

Dan Xingyu didn’t want Qi Yu and himself to become fodder for others’ gossip. He gently let go and whispered, “I’ll tell you next time.”

Qi Yu nodded. “Okay.”

Once he left the resource zone, he could just ask his other Blue Star friends for advice.

This time, perhaps because the resource zone opened at such an inopportune moment, the number of players in the crowd was visibly small—just from their clothing, it was obvious.

Then again, maybe after last time, the players had finally learned to dress more normally.

A magician’s insignia was certainly useful, and a four-star magician was considered decent combat power outside.

Before long, someone came over to strike up a conversation, but Qi Yu refused them all.

He hadn’t needed teammates when he was on his own, let alone now that Dan Xingyu was by his side.

This time, the inspector wasn’t as visually intimidating as last time, but an ordinary-looking middle-aged woman. She floated in midair, announced the precautions in a flat tone, then turned into a streak of light and departed.

Soon, three different portals of light appeared before the crowd.

Qi Yu said, “Dan Xingyu, shall we go?”

He turned his head, only to find Dan Xingyu staring straight in a certain direction.

He followed his gaze and smiled. “Last time, it was right over there that we first met.”

Dan Xingyu said, “Yeah, but back then I didn’t know you, and you didn’t recognize me either.”

How strange.

He withdrew his gaze, looking at Qi Yu with gentle eyes. “It’s almost unbelievable—we’ve only known each other for two months.”

Qi Yu’s thoughts were completely different from his. “We’ve already known each other for two months. That’s great.”

He said happily, “We’ve already been good friends for so long, and there will be many more two months to come.”

He and Dan Xingyu would definitely keep surviving together in the game for a long, long time.

“Qi Yu, there you go again,” Dan Xingyu muttered softly.

He suspected the little magician was the reincarnation of a honey spirit—how else could he be so good at sweet talk?

His voice was too low for Qi Yu to catch.

Qi Yu was observing the people in the plaza and soon realized something was off.

“Dan Xingyu,” he said quietly, “something’s not right. Why are there so many people going to the black resource zone?”

Last time, he’d noticed that the number of people entering the red and green portals was visibly higher than those heading for the black one.

After learning the differences between the zones, he’d thought that was perfectly normal.

But this time, what was going on?

With business at hand, Dan Xingyu put away all his chaotic thoughts.

He said in a low voice, “Let’s go in first and see if I can pick up any information.”

Qi Yu thought for a moment. “If we can’t, maybe we can pay one of the alchemical puppet staff for news.”

Last time, that staff member in green had left a deep impression on him.

They merged into the crowd. Dan Xingyu adjusted his gait, making himself look like a wide-eyed youth out to see the world.

He raised his voice a bit, making sure those nearby could hear. “Bro, isn’t the black resource zone supposed to be the most dangerous? Why are there so many people here?”

Quite a few people turned to look at once.

The one dressed as a martial artist was visibly young, high-spirited, his expression brash and unrestrained—clearly a greenhorn who hadn’t suffered any real setbacks in life.

The one at his side was even more striking: a mage’s robe that looked low-key but utterly blocked all prying eyes, and a four-star badge from the Magicians’ Association pinned to his chest.

They looked like two young noblemen out to broaden their horizons.

Someone laughed. “Young masters, what brings you to the black resource zone for fun?”

Dan Xingyu put on a tone of complaint. “I said we could just take a green card, but the family insisted this time the black resource zone was special, gave us each a card, and threw us in here.”

At that, more than a few people grimaced as if with a toothache.

Someone in the crowd cursed, “I nearly killed myself for a card, spent so many extra gold coins, and you brats don’t even know how good you have it.”

Someone else invited warmly, “The black resource zone isn’t simple. Want to team up, you two? It’s safer together.”

But there were cold eyes as well. “You two, out here, it’s not like being at home. Talk less, keep a low profile, and don’t mix with people. Otherwise, you might not even know when you’ve lost your lives.”

“……”

Dan Xingyu swiftly analyzed the information in all these remarks.

He’d deliberately said the black resource zone was unusual this time, and not a single person contradicted him.

It seemed they really had stumbled onto something good.

Why call it something good? Obviously, if it weren’t, how could it draw so many people here?

All sorts of thoughts flashed through his mind, but on the surface he wore a look of dissatisfaction, turning to say, “Bro, the old man didn’t say anything. I heard the black resource zone is dangerous—if something happens, you have to protect me.”

Qi Yu: “……”

He replied coolly, “Mm.”

Dan Xingyu immediately put on a smug expression. “My bro is already a four-star magician at such a young age. Even if it’s dangerous, I’m not afraid.”

Qi Yu: “……Mm.”

Someone sneered at once. “So what if you’re a four-star magician? There’s a rumor a treasure’s appeared in the black resource zone this time—who knows how many old monsters have been drawn here. You two snot-nosed brats had better go home and drink your milk.”

Dan Xingyu planted his hands on his hips and glared. “How dare you! Do you know who we are? I—”

He was grabbed by the arm.

A cold voice whispered in his ear, “Shut up. Let’s go.”

Qi Yu was afraid Dan Xingyu would keep acting and he wouldn’t be able to keep up. He pulled him along, and the two of them stepped through the portal at that moment.

The bustling crowd vanished in an instant.

Dan Xingyu dropped his cocky grin and said with a laugh, “How was that, Brother Qi Yu? Not bad, right? I was even thinking, if I have time during the holidays, maybe I should try being an extra.”

Qi Yu didn’t know what being an extra meant, so he just gave a quiet “Mm.” “Very impressive.”

Satisfied with the praise, Dan Xingyu reined it in. “But this black resource zone really does have something going on—a treasure’s appeared?”

He hissed, “We arrive and immediately run into a treasure event—what kind of classic protagonist setup is this?”

As they spoke, they saw a staff member in a black robe.

“Welcome, you two. Please hand me your resource cards.”

They handed over their cards. The staffer asked as usual, “Would you like to enter the left or right resource zone?”

Qi Yu knew this time. “The right one is the premium zone, and you have to pay extra, right?”

The smile on the staffer’s lips grew even wider. Qi Yu suspected they’d been programmed with some kind of ‘love of gold coins’ setting.

It nodded enthusiastically. “I can tell you’re one of our valued customers.”

It asked expectantly, “Will you be entering the premium resource zone again this time?”

Dan Xingyu stopped Qi Yu, who was about to nod, and asked, “If we enter the premium resource zone, can we get any information? For example, what’s the situation with the treasure this time?”

Qi Yu: Ugh, so you can just ask without paying?

The staffer looked troubled. “That’s internal information.”

Dan Xingyu said, “That’s perfect, then. We’re your valued customers—it’s only reasonable for us to get a little inside info, isn’t it?”

He took a storage pouch from his backpack and gave it a shake. “Look, ten thousand gold coins right here. Just answer a few questions, and it’s yours.”

The staffer’s eyes lit up with a “biu,” following the pouch back and forth.

At last it said, “You two must first confirm you want to enter the premium resource zone.”

“Deal.”

Qi Yu stared, dumbfounded, as Dan Xingyu effortlessly coaxed out the information.

He felt like he’d been tricked.

So much for “answering questions isn’t part of my job, you’ll have to pay extra.”

Soon, two black cards edged with gold were handed back to them.

The staffer spoke quickly, “The inside info this time is: somewhere in the black resource zone, a treasure related to elves has appeared.”

Elves?

Dan Xingyu instinctively glanced at Qi Yu.

[Author’s Note]

[Drumstick][Drumstick][Drumstick]

Debt repayment progress: 370,000/760,000 [Let me take a look]