Dinner was a massive feast. Mei was the absolute ruler of the kitchen, and with a single command, the pots, pans, and bowls all bowed to her will.
Cooking for ten people was completely trivial for her. After everyone had eaten their fill, they spent an uneventful evening relaxing, until it was finally late at night.
To be precise, it was only around 11:30 PM. For many night owls, this was barely even the start of their "nightlife."
Some people simply didn't consider staying up late to be staying up late. They were cultivating immortality. Their daily routine was going to bed at nine and waking up at six.
Yes, sleeping at 9:00 AM and waking up at 6:00 PM. Living in the Eastern Hemisphere but strictly adhering to Western Hemisphere time zones.
In the dead of night, the dorm area on Level -10 of the Fire Moth had completely quieted down.
Almost everyone here was a good kid. It was late, which meant it was time to go to sleep.
But Bronya felt it was far too early.
After washing up, she guiltily closed her bedroom door and slipped quietly under the covers.
She waited for a few minutes, listening closely to the sounds coming from the adjacent rooms. Once she confirmed the coast was clear, she carefully pulled the game console she had been longing for out from under her pillow.
The console was supposed to be left on the living room coffee table, but Bronya had stealthily smuggled it in.
The moment the screen lit up, Bronya's usually calm, stoic grey eyes finally sparked with long-suppressed excitement—an excitement befitting a girl her age.
Half a month... an entire half a month!
Do you know how she survived these past two weeks?!
If she were still in a high-stakes, dangerous environment, Bronya obviously wouldn't get her priorities mixed up.
When faced with critical tasks, perilous environments, powerful enemies, and an uncertain future, the importance of video games easily ranked behind even Idiot Kiana.
As for exactly how much more important Idiot Kiana was compared to video games... ahem, that wasn't important right now.
Regardless, Bronya would never admit to Kiana's face that the idiot was important to her.
However, as the old saying goes: Thrive in hardship, perish in comfort.
Under immense pressure, Bronya was the indomitable Silver Wolf of the Urals; no hardship or obstacle could break her.
But in a safe, stable environment, Bronya tended to get a little... well, it wasn't that she slacked off.
It was just that her boundless energy no longer had a desperate outlet. Therefore, that energy naturally transformed into actions fueled by the phrase: I have an idea.
The saintly spirit orb instantly morphed into a demon core.
Even knowing the importance of her coursework, the high-intensity training and studying over the past two weeks had been sheer torture for her soul. Bronya was absolutely sick of living a life without video games!
So, for this holiday, Bronya swore to exact her revenge and reclaim every single second of gaming time she had lost, with interest.
Thanks to the combined efforts of the Fire Moth and Arc City over the past half-month, the local Intranet network in Arc City had finally been established.
Since the Great Eruption, humanity had finally recovered a piece of its precious "digital heritage."
The Intranet was no longer limited to the monotonous "Spark" forum. Basic software applications were springing up like mushrooms after rain.
Instant messaging apps, long- and short-form video platforms, and—most importantly to Bronya—online multiplayer games.
To think achieving this only cost 0.99 Ottos. Human potential truly is overpowered.
With the burning fury of an avenger, Bronya aggressively logged into the game client.
The first thing she saw on her friend's list, aside from the people she had pre-arranged to play with, was a very familiar icon glowing green.
"Kiana?" Bronya raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised.
She hadn't planned anything with Kiana. That meant Kiana's reason for logging on was exactly the same as hers.
A second later, Kiana apparently noticed Bronya was online, and a party invite popped up on screen.
Bronya tapped 'Accept' and immediately invited the other two people she had arranged to play with into the lobby.
She then realized they were short one player.
The three-player dungeon they originally planned to run was off the table, and the loot from the four-player dungeons was useless to all of them. Their only viable option was a five-player raid.
They were missing one. Which meant they either had to find a fifth, or kick someone to go back to a three-player setup.
What a dilemma...
Bronya didn't hesitate for a second. Her finger hovered directly over Kiana's icon, ready to strike.
Meanwhile, in the lobby chat, Kiana was happily typing away, greeting the two players Bronya had invited.
[Lunarsea Fish-Cat]: Bronya! I knew you'd be online!
[World's #1 Idol Ai-chan]: Long time no see, Kiana! How are your studies going?
[Lunarsea Fish-Cat]: Ugh, don't even ask. Class is so exhausting.
[Lunarsea Fish-Cat]: We're only doing theory and foundational stuff. Barely any practical combat classes. It's so boring I could die.
[Bird's Nest Won't Meet Dr. Lobster]: Theoretical and foundational classes are incredibly important. You can only excel in practical applications if you have a solid theoretical foundation.
[Lunarsea Fish-Cat]: I know, I know...
[Lunarsea Fish-Cat]: ? Wait a minute, this ID...
[Lunarsea Fish-Cat]: Are you Dr. Einstein?!
[Bird's Nest Won't Meet Dr. Lobster]: It has been a while, little Kiana.
[Lunarsea Fish-Cat]: You're still alive!
[Bird's Nest Won't Meet Dr. Lobster]: ?
[World's #1 Idol Ai-chan]: That phrasing is completely inappropriate, isn't it?
[Bird's Nest Won't Meet Dr. Lobster]: I apologize for still drawing breath...
[Lunarsea Fish-Cat]: Dr. Einstein, that's not what I meant!!
[World's #1 Idol Ai-chan]: By the way, why hasn't Bronya said anything since she got here? Did she disconnect?
[Bird's Nest Won't Meet Dr. Lobster]: Unlikely. If a network stowaway like me hasn't disconnected, there's no reason why someone physically connected to the Intranet hub would drop.
[Bird's Nest Won't Meet Dr. Lobster]: Most likely, Miss Silver Wolf is currently debating which one of us to kick from the party, seeing as we lack a fifth player to start the raid.
[Lunarsea Fish-Cat]: What a brutal turn of events.
[Lunarsea Fish-Cat]: But Bronya definitely wouldn't kick me, right?
[Lunarsea Fish-Cat]: Right?
[Lunarsea Fish-Cat]: Bronya?
[Ural Silver Wolf]: ...
[Lunarsea Fish-Cat]: ???
[Ural Silver Wolf]: On the internet, you use usernames, Idiot Kiana.