The Return of the God Level Assassin Chapter 1316: I'M ALRIGHT

BAI ZE lay sprawled on his bed, arm cast over his eyes, utterly unwilling to move or do anything. A profound ache permeated his entire being; his body felt heavy, alien. A constant throb echoed in his chest, and his head pounded relentlessly, as if an internal battle raged, one he was powerless to win. He was lost, unsure of his next move.

Flashes of memory surfaced: his grandmother alive, his grandfather lucid and himself. Those cherished moments remained vivid, yet now, both were gone. He was adrift in a sea of grief, unsure of any other emotion.

He was exhausted by the ceaseless tears that had left his eyes swollen and sore with every blink. The weariness was profound – tired of weeping, tired of the pain, tired of existence itself. All he yearned for was respite, a chance to awaken without the crushing weight on his chest. However, the path to such relief remained elusive.

To be clear, the thought of any drastic action never crossed his mind. He would never inflict such agony upon his parents or compound his family's sorrow. He simply craved a brief reprieve, a fleeting moment where the relentless hurt would cease its suffocating embrace.

Bai Ze shifted his arm, revealing his eyes, and surveyed the room. His gaze settled upon the VR pod, a state-of-the-art model from Moonlight Media, released shortly after the Arcadia Cup finals. Currently, it was exclusive to the domestic market. As recipients of the championship win, he and his teammates had each received one as a complimentary gift.

Since his grandfather's passing, he had refrained from entering the game. Perhaps battling digital monsters would offer some solace, a physical outlet for the turmoil within. Heaving himself from the bed, he approached the pod, powered it on, and waited for the system to initialize. With a soft hiss, the lid lifted; he climbed in, settled back, and the lid sealed him within. Moments later, the familiar sights of Arcadia materialized around him.

A notification materialized before his eyes, indicating Rowan's current whereabouts. Rowan, designated as his pet, triggered these alerts whenever Bai Ze was absent from the game for an extended period. The message pinpointed the red dragon within the Kitsune village, likely a visit prompted by Eclipse, with Rowan, ever the devoted companion, inevitably in tow.

Bai Ze dismissed the alert. Just as he prepared to access his map and warp to a high-level monster zone, another notification shimmered into existence. It bore the sender's mark of Catnip, a private message. He promptly opened his inbox.

Catnip: [Ah Ze, I see you're online. Where are you now? Can we meet?]

For reasons unknown, seeing a message from Xia Li felt akin to cool water washing over his chest, subtly easing the oppressive weight that had settled upon him since his grandfather's death.

White Marsh: [Let's meet at Yuexing Pavilion.]

***

Bai Ze lifted his teacup, the warm liquid a small comfort as he awaited Xia Li's arrival in a private chamber at Yuexing Pavilion. Given Luo Yan's ownership, complimentary access to these rooms, along with food and beverages, extended to all members and their guests.

A few minutes later, the chamber door swung open. An NPC attendant held it, allowing Xia Li to enter. Her gaze immediately found him, her face etched with concern. Without a word, she swiftly navigated the room and took a seat beside him.

"Ah Ze," Xia Li began, her voice laced with hesitation. "I don't wish to sound like I'm tempting fate regarding your family, but... are you connected to the former patriarch of the Bai family? The one who recently passed away?"

Her father held a managerial position at a prominent company. The previous night, she had inadvertently overheard her parents discussing the funeral arrangements for the patriarch of the Bai family. Normally, such news would not have warranted her attention. However, the mention of the name 'Bai' immediately brought Bai Ze to mind.

She remained uncertain of Bai Ze's familial ties. She knew of his financial standing, but that did not automatically signify a connection to a prominent Bai family. Directly inquiring about his relation to a deceased individual seemed intrusive and potentially awkward, especially if she were mistaken. Thus, she resorted to an online search, yielding no definitive answers, only speculative comments on Weibo suggesting Bai Ze's lineage from that family—rumors lacking concrete verification.

Despite the inconclusive findings, Xia Li's disquiet persisted. Consequently, upon sighting Bai Ze logged into Arcadia, she had extended an immediate invitation, leading to their current meeting.

Bai Ze's eyes widened. A peculiar sound, a blend of a laugh and an exhale, escaped him. He recognized the impropriety of his reaction, the inappropriate nature of laughter in the face of such gravity. Yet, Xia Li's anxious expression and her carefully chosen words struck him in an odd, perhaps even fitting, way. His emotions were in such a state of flux that he could no longer discern.