The King's Avatar Chapter 4 – Mysterious Expert

“Sister Chen, midnight snacks again...”

Chen Guo had purchased the late-night eats and gathered every Internet Cafe worker to dig in together. The dishes' aroma boldly wafted through the cafe, sparking instant groans and complaints from the patrons. Dinner hour was past, but the tempting scents tormented them. It brought no joy—pure agony.

“Queue up neatly if you want instant noodles,” Chen Guo announced.

“Sister Chen ought to savor restaurant grub daily. We'll settle for instant noodles.” No one resisted the lure. They grabbed the cafe's instant noodles, chowing down while enviously eyeing the staff's feast of six dishes and soup.

“If you wanna eat out too, quit sending my staff on fetch quests for you,” Chen Guo declared.

“Next time, warn us ahead? Can't you get it delivered here?” someone suggested.

“We've only got so many hands at the cafe. How could we haul it all? Cut the chatter—if you're dying to eat but too idle to shop, snag their number. They'd deliver for you, no?” Chen Guo shot back.

“Sister Chen, you got their digits? Let me scribble 'em down,” a patron pleaded.

“Why'd I want their number? I've got runners for that. No point bugging the eatery,” Chen Guo replied.

Now, customers and staff alike wailed in chorus, tears streaking their faces. Ye Xiu seized the chance to inquire: “Boss, surname Chen, yeah?”

“Yep, Chen Guo. Checked your ID—you're younger, so sis is fine. You come out ahead,” Chen Guo affirmed.

“Suit yourself...” Ye Xiu managed a wry grin.

“This shredded pork in chili sauce is blazing hot. Kiddo, polish it off.” Chen Guo scarcely nibbled, one bite sending her chopsticks flying as she dashed for water. Glass in hand, she nudged Ye Xiu's stool: “Done yet? Speed it up.”

“Why the hurry?” Ye Xiu queried.

“Clock's ticking.” Chen Guo flashed her wristwatch for Ye Xiu. 11:53 PM—mere 7 minutes to Glory's tenth server debut.

“You're diving in too?” Ye Xiu sounded mildly shocked. From handling Chen Guo's Chasing Haze, a fifth-server toon—if launched at server start, it'd be five years strong. True, it paled against his pro-grade peak account, yet shone among casuals. Ditching it casually? Tough call.

“Gonna peep the buzz,” Chen Guo said.

A fresh server's kickoff buzzed with thrill. A dull day flipped to peak hours at Happy Internet Cafe, swarming with gamers. Every corner brimmed with folks, login screens up, cursors locked on the dim tenth server icon.

Folks surged in to dominate boards, pioneer dungeons, claim first boss kills, and beyond. Goals overflowed for players. New territory's dawn set pulses racing. Chen Guo eyed the crowd, swept into the fervor. Turning to Ye Xiu, still nibbling away, she marveled at his cool detachment, missing that trailblazer's fire.

“What're you dawdling for?” Chen Guo fidgeted more than the players.

“Why rush?” Ye Xiu stayed utterly chill, no act. Glory's promo wizardry was undeniable though. Its player rivalries crushed every metric, forged in pure skill—untouchable by cash or chance. Yet for a battle-hardened pro legend, such hype rang commonplace.

Spotting Chen Guo's glare turning lethal, Ye Xiu figured humoring the boss mattered. At length, he grudgingly ditched his bowl and snagged a machine.

“Damn, it's like I'm shoving him into it. What sort of weirdo is he?” Chen Guo muttered after Ye Xiu. Staff bit back chuckles. This night admin proved no pushover—goading their tough boss so offhandedly? Not your average feat.

Chen Guo settled into the seat next to Ye Xiu and logged into her Chasing Haze account. The buzz on the first nine servers barely dipped with the tenth server's debut. Veteran servers held steady even more. Kicking off in Glory from scratch with a new character was no simple task. Chen Guo had nurtured Chasing Haze over five years, turning it into a decent account by regular player measures. Tossing it aside casually? Impossible. Plus, down the line, everyone hustled toward the cross-server Heavenly Domain.

This Heavenly Domain went beyond just one map. It formed a whole new realm. Its scale matched the fusion of five regular server worlds. Tough instance dungeons, top-tier gear, rare materials, and pure freedom filled it. Every top player gathered there. The Heavenly Domain stood as the ultimate goal for players.

Midnight approached fast. In the last ten seconds, Internet Cafe patrons couldn't resist starting the countdown. As the chants swelled and the final “ZERO” exploded, the grayed-out tenth server login screen brightened. The whole cafe surged as one. Hands darted out, account cards slid into devices, and mice slammed the tenth server button.

Chen Guo glanced at Ye Xiu and almost choked on her blood. While others dove in, this fellow casually pulled up a webpage. Eyebrows shooting up, she spotted a newbie guide outlining mission order.

“F*ck, you don’t even know how to do this? You even need a guide?” Without that authentic first-edition card, she'd never buy his claim of a decade in gaming, even on pain of death.

“Haven’t done this in ages, no chance I’d recall it!” Ye Xiu replied calmly and steadily.

“You’ve never guided someone through it?” Chen Guo asked.

“That kind of know-how... I truly lack it.” Ye Xiu said.

“No team spirit.” Chen Guo scoffed.

“No time for that.” Ye Xiu said.

“Busy folks don’t game. Gamers have free time.” Chen Guo said.

“I was occupied gaming.” Ye Xiu stated earnestly.

“So what’s your profession?” Chen Guo probed.

“Gaming!” Ye Xiu declared.

“Oh, pro gamer?” Chen Guo said.

Ye Xiu chuckled: “A top-tier one at that.”

“Top-tier? Pro player?” Chen Guo blinked in surprise.

Ye Xiu nodded proudly.

“So you’ve retired!” Chen Guo said.

“How’d you guess?”

“Obvious—you’re way too old already.” Chen Guo said.

Ye Xiu gave a wry smile.

“No wonder you crushed that guy in 40 seconds. Turns out you’re a pro, even if washed-up.” Chen Guo said.

“Washed-up?”

“I know every pro star. Ye Xiu? Never heard it. Not washed-up, then what?” Chen Guo challenged.

“Ha ha, got it.” Ye Xiu laughed.

“Don’t pretend. You didn’t retire—you just lost your spot and got booted, right?” Chen Guo said.

Ye Xiu fell silent.

“No offense... ” Chen Guo caught on that she'd hit a nerve.

“No big deal.” Ye Xiu sighed.

“Don’t lose heart. Twenty-five isn’t ancient. Keep grinding, you might claw back in.” Chen Guo encouraged.

“That’s my aim.” Ye Xiu grinned.

“If that day comes, I’ve got a favor to ask.” Chen Guo said.

“Shoot.”

“Signature.” Chen Guo said.

“Why wait? Here’s mine now!”

“So cheeky! Who wants yours? Get your idols to sign for me.” Chen Guo said.

“Oh? Who’re they?”

“Su MuCheng and Ye Qiu. Ye Qiu’s tricky—that guy loves hiding.” Chen Guo said.

“Ah, I see?” Tears welled in Ye Xiu’s eyes. Ye Qiu was right there talking to you, sis.

“Yeah. He barely shows publicly. Even as a has-been pro, you’re clueless? Didn’t know that?” Chen Guo said.

“I know, sure I do. Secret time: I’m actually Ye Qiu.” Ye Xiu said.

“For real? My secret: I’m Su MuCheng.” Chen Guo said.

“I really am Ye Qiu.” Ye Xiu wailed.

“I really am Su MuCheng.” Chen Guo said.

“I... ”

“Enough fooling. Show me your strategy!” Chen Guo waved it off. Ye Xiu’s laid-back pace no longer irked her.

Yet when her eyes flicked back to the monitor, Chen Guo added: “Unsure about anything? Just ask me.”

“Gonna study it first. Only chasing attribute or skill quests. For XP or gear rewards, dungeons are quicker.” Ye Xiu said.

“Right. This is the type of thinking a veteran should have. Only, you don’t need to research it by yourself. Flip to the last page of that guide!”

“Oh?” As Ye Xiu turned to the last page and glanced over it, a sudden surge of shame washed over him. Reflecting on it, this guide hadn’t seen much change across more than ten years. Players simply couldn’t refine it any further. For quests that veterans might pick, surely someone had already devised such a strategy? This was exactly the approach he required right then. The moment Ye Xiu prepared to adopt this strategy for choosing quests, tears started streaming down his cheeks. Once hailed as a textbook-level icon! Now holding a beginner’s guide, how could he possibly bear the humiliation?