**Chapter 49: Breakthrough! It’s All Exposed!**
Xu Xiaofeng got out of bed and headed for a snack.
He carefully assessed his body, and the strange feeling had mostly vanished; he seemed to be back to normal.
But then he caught sight of his nearly shoulder-length hair, shimmering with hints of gold at the tips.
Maybe I should chop it off this afternoon…
But… it feels too precious to part with!
The longer the hair grew, the more attached Xu Xiaofeng became.
It was a weird sensation, and yet he didn’t find it abnormal at all.
Forget it, I’ll deal with it tomorrow.
During lunch, Xu Xiaoyue called in and gave him a rundown on school.
The teacher didn’t even bother to take attendance. But she was about ready to pull her hair out over her big brother’s roommate and that Fat Wang.
Especially Fat Wang.
That guy knew Xu Xiaofeng’s game ID and, upon discovering that his bro had leveled up by 10, was itching to celebrate ASAP.
So, naturally, he was lurking at the school entrance bright and early.
But he only managed to catch Xu Xiaoyue.
Ha! Little did he know, I didn’t even go to school!
Xu Xiaofeng knew Fat Wang all too well. What did “celebrate” really mean? It definitely translated to “reward me for carrying you along.”
Dodging that b*llet felt pretty sweet.
“Sis, you’ve worked hard. If you have any requests, just let me know, and I’ll try my best.”
“Big Bro, are you really okay? You looked like a wilted flower this morning.”
“Really, I’m fine. Just might have caught a little cold.”
Cold my foot!
But since he said he was fine, Xu Xiaoyue figured she might as well lay down some terms.
“Big Brother, you’re heading to the main city soon, right? You better do your best for me over there! I mean, it’ll be your little world, right? So…”
“Stop right there! My silly sister, don’t forget NPCs aren’t exactly people. Here’s a thought: why not take the chance and handle it yourself?”
“You said it! But you better keep an eye on things. If someone snatches my opportunity away, don’t be sleeping too soundly at night.”
“Sure, sure, I’ll watch over it.”
As if! I’m a grown-up now; I’m clever and resourceful! Who’d dare steal from me?
“Alright, tonight I’ll pull an all-nighter to grind some levels. You just make sure to help me take a day off tomorrow morning.”
“Uh… isn’t that a bit much? All-nighters are bad for your health, and you’re supposed to be a good student.”
“Are you serious? Don’t worry! There’s a thread online cooking up an all-nighter event, and a ton of people will be joining in.”
Oh no, this sounds bad!!!
What on earth is wrong with the youth today? Encouraging all-nighters?
All-nighter vibes are great until you have to catch up on sleep like a zombie!
Who’s spreading this terrible trend?
Let’s just rule out myself, and it can only be… Fiery Conflict Across the Sky!
That guy was the first to publicly announce an all-nighter online!
The source of all evil!
After finishing lunch, Xu Xiaofeng pondered, eh, why not skip school again this afternoon?
And evening? No way that’s happening.
So… game time, woohoo!
As he logged back in, he was immediately bombarded with messages from Wang Xinghao.
That dude can’t sit still for even the tiniest thing.
“The youth today is so tireless and reckless. Can’t they be a bit more mature, like me?”
Xu Luoli, hands on hips, chimed in from her cocoon.
Then she sent a “TD” and muted message notifications.
She stood up, but as soon as she did, she sensed something was off in her body.
It felt like hallucinations were dancing in front of her, while some force inside was ramming at her insides.
It was a familiar feeling from reality, but much stronger.
“What’s going on… feeling a bit off here…”
Even though it was intense, she didn’t feel as sluggish as she did last time.
She pondered a plan, but couldn’t even pinpoint the problem, let alone figure out a strategy.
In the end, she bravely endured the discomfort and stepped outside.
After walking a bit, she found herself at Edward’s door. She knocked.
Surprisingly, Edward appeared promptly and opened the door. “Hey, kiddo, how are you doing?”
“Feeling a bit… unwell. It’s like there’s a force inside me that wants to burst out.”
“I got it. Don’t panic; that’s normal.”
He hesitated for just a second before scooping her up and heading inside.
“Frieda, I need your help, keep an eye on her.”
Suddenly, the place was buzzing with activity.
Frieda checked out Xu Xiaofeng’s state and then stepped out to consult Edward. “Hmm, no doubt, she’s on the brink of a breakthrough.”
“But she just showed signs six hours ago, how’s she nearing a breakthrough already?”
“Not sure, but the state is definitely correct.”
“Fine, make sure she eats this, good thing I prepared it.”
Frieda gasped at the fruit in her hand. “Is this… Fiery Sunfruit?”
“Yep.”
The Sunfruit was a breakthrough material, but it wasn’t the only option. To be precise, it was the most basic level of material.
The Fiery Sunfruit was a higher-tier good, and not just one tier up; it had a Profound Firefruit in between.
So basically, the Sunfruit was green quality, while the Profound Firefruit was blue, and the Fiery Sunfruit was purple.
And the value of the Fiery Sunfruit was at least a thousand times that of the Sunfruit, plus it was rare and hard to find.
Frieda considered it and pushed the fruit toward Edward. “How about you do it? You specifically prepared this for her.”
“Me? A big guy like me? Is that appropriate?”
In the end, Frieda couldn’t win and ended up feeding Xu Xiaofeng anyway.
This time, Xu Xiaofeng was clear-headed, just a bit uncomfortable.
She obediently followed Frieda’s instructions, and after eating the fruit, rested for a while.
Then, at a certain moment, she felt the force within her surging upward like a raging flood crashing against a dam.
The flood breached the dam, inundating her whole being.
Yet at that moment, she felt an unparalleled refreshing sensation.
An invisible wave began to radiate outward.
Edward sensed the wave, and the creases on his forehead quickly smoothed out, replaced by joy and excitement.
“This feeling… this doesn’t seem like your average Bronze Level! And the wave is formless; it’s a spatial attribute of power!”
“So turns out this girl not only has exceptional sword talent but her magic talent is quite astonishing too!”
Meanwhile, feeling completely relaxed, Xu Xiaofeng suddenly heard a system notification dinging in her mind:
Ding! Congratulations, Player has broken through to Bronze Level; all attributes increased!
Huh? A breakthrough?
What the heck! So this is what breaking through feels like!
This is way too real! I thought I had caught some terminal illness!
But I didn’t even prep any breakthrough materials!
Thinking this way, Xu Xiaofeng glanced at the fruit remnants nearby.
This thing doesn’t look like a Sunfruit at all…
After a moment, she asked in her mind, “Sister Tong, do you think this is also…”
“Yes.”
“And what quality is this?”
“Purple Epic.”
Gasp! I’m broke now! A purple breakthrough material! How much is this worth?
I wonder if selling myself could cover the cost!
