Chapter 58: This Isn't Friendship? It's Enslavement!

Meanwhile, after repeated verification, the backend of the Virtual Realm confirmed that there were no errors in the combat data and began broadcasting Wang Chen’s achievement in the hall. Those who had just entered the Virtual Realm’s lobby, and those emerging from their pods, all stopped in their tracks, astonished as they looked at the scrolling messages on the giant screen.

“My god! Seven minutes and twenty-one seconds! Defeating the Flame Rock Monster! That’s got to be a cheat!”

“I remember the last record holder finished in just over ten minutes, and now the record’s been shattered by this much?”

“This is terrifying! Who is this person? Someone has to introduce me—he’s bound to become a legendary powerhouse!”

“Wang Chen? Never heard of him.”

“No wonder he’s a master—even his name has such elegance, like a hidden dragon among us.”

The crowd buzzed with discussion; the previously calm and orderly hall was now boiling over like a pot of water.

Tang Ruotong and her friends were among the onlookers. They had just exited the Virtual Realm—or to be more precise, had been forced out. The glamorous girl who had enabled the others to experience the Virtual Realm had thrown a tantrum and abruptly left the group, compelling the rest to exit as well.

Here’s what happened: Five girls had teamed up for a group dungeon, set to normal difficulty, to tackle five beasts barely at the Silver level. It should have been manageable, following standard tactics. Tang Ruotong, as a Holy Shield Knight, was both the primary tank and a frontline fighter, drawing the monsters’ attention.

The glamorous girl played a mage, responsible for casting spells from the rear and dealing most of the damage. Yet her spell proficiency was abysmal; every cast barely grazed its target. Unless someone tied the beasts down and pinned them to the ground, she simply couldn’t hit.

The beasts, repeatedly startled by her spell effects, all turned their aggression towards her. Ignoring Tang Ruotong and the two main fighters in the mid-line, they charged straight for the mage, intent on trampling her to death.

She was knocked down by one beast, her arm crushed beneath its foot—though inside the Virtual Realm, the pain felt all too real. Furious, she quit on the spot.

She then threw a tantrum, berating the girls assigned to protect her, especially Tang Ruotong, who bore the brunt of her rage. The glamorous girl blamed Tang Ruotong for not being quick or clever enough to shield her from the beasts’ charge.

Tang Ruotong, thick-skinned as ever, simply bowed her head and stayed silent, letting the other girl vent her anger.

Seeing her like this only made the glamorous girl angrier. She sneered, “You need to know your place. Aren’t you just a leech, hoping to use my family’s influence to breeze through your career?”

Her finger jabbed so close it nearly poked Tang Ruotong’s eye. “You’d better protect me properly, or if I’m unhappy, you can pack your bags and leave!”

The other girls, hearing this, lowered their heads anxiously, their expressions dark. The glamorous girl had laid bare the unspoken truths among them.

Just then, news broke in the hall: Wang Chen had completed the Silver Peak full-map dungeon at record speed, shattering the provincial record. The glamorous girl finally stopped her tirade and, like everyone else, stared in shock at the big screen.

“How is that possible? That lucky nobody actually managed this in a solo dungeon?” she muttered.

“Well, maybe it’s worth getting acquainted with him. Xiaoxin, go talk to Wang Chen soon, get his contact info, and be extra attentive,” she ordered the round-faced girl.

“I can go, but I still have to carry your bag, Meng,” the round-faced girl replied, fully aware of what “extra attentive” meant. For now, it might just mean sidling up to Wang Chen, holding his arm close, but deepening the relationship could mean much more.

If Wang Chen proved valuable, it’d be worth it; if it was just luck, she’d lose out. After all, Wang Chen’s profession was a Life Shaman, and that wouldn’t change.

She continued, “Anyone who’s wronged Meng should know where they stand. Now that Meng needs someone, step up.” Her gaze slid subtly toward Tang Ruotong.

“Hmph, I’m just afraid some people won’t have that awareness,” the glamorous girl added, pleased by the support.

The remaining two girls immediately understood, and their silent, pointed looks pressed Tang Ruotong.

Seeing this, Tang Ruotong’s lips curved in a silent, self-deprecating smile.

She was a child from an ordinary family, who had fought her way into Luzhou First High School, believing her life would shine from there, leading to a bright future. Never did she expect to face such complex social webs.

Compared to her junior high days, when grades alone spoke, the privileged children at Luzhou First High were far more scheming, forming cliques and factions. She could only join one small group—these girls here.

She always occupied the fringe of the group, running errands and fetching water, but she kept telling herself this was caring for them, a form of friendship.

After being grouped with them, the rest of the class actually became friendlier, so Tang Ruotong endured in silence.

Until luck propelled her to level seven, making her third in the grade—since Lu Shiyu and Wang Chen had left and were nowhere to be found. Suddenly, she became the group’s darling; even the other girls treated her warmly and stopped making her run errands.

But the glamorous girl was displeased, feeling her authority threatened. No longer the unquestioned center, she deliberately began picking on Tang Ruotong, insinuating that she was nothing but lucky.

The other girls, intimidated, didn’t dare offend her, and half-isolated Tang Ruotong.

Tang Ruotong thought if she just endured, it would eventually pass—soon the university entrance competition would come, and she’d leave for college.

But when the glamorous girl insulted her to her face, and the others pushed her to be the one to “attend” Wang Chen, she could no longer pretend nothing had happened.

She was forced to recall all the subtle cruelty, the soft bullying, the accumulated grievances.

This wasn’t friendship—it was servitude!

Tang Ruotong lifted her head and stared directly at the glamorous girl, who grew irritated under her gaze.

“Why are you glaring at me?” the girl mocked. “Little Tong-tong’s been pushed too far and wants to bite someone—so scary!”