TSA Chapter 81

Bonus for Labour Day~

No matter what, after gaining three new skills, both Ran Qi and Night Owl had seen a significant boost in combat power.

Night Owl was already like a mobile turret in battle, but with these new skills, he had practically become a mobile bomber. Out in the wild, he could clear monsters in one sweep, making farming incredibly efficient.

Ran Qi, on the other hand, had transformed from a pure support healer into a powerful priest with offensive skills. Thanks to his high intelligence stat, his attack power was even comparable to that of an average mage of the same level. Against undead and dark-type monsters, his light magic dealt double damage, making him a legitimate DPS.

As a result, their dungeon-clearing efficiency skyrocketed, allowing them to crush even challenge dungeons of their level with ease.

Seeing this, Sword at Fleeting Time suggested, “Why don’t we try the Level 45 Abyss Dungeon tomorrow?”

After Level 45, leveling up would become significantly slower, with experience requirements multiplying several times over. Gone were the days of leveling up multiple times in a single day. The gear obtained from the Level 45 Abyss Dungeon would remain useful for a long time.

Unlike the Level 30 Abyss Dungeon, the Level 45 version was on an entirely different scale. It dropped tradeable purple gear sets and materials for crafting orange gear. Once the set pieces were fully equipped, the activated attributes would be extremely useful, rivaling even custom-made equipment.

This was the perfect opportunity. Before other players caught up in levels, they could farm the Abyss Dungeon in advance to stockpile gear and materials. Not only would they strengthen themselves, but the surplus materials could also be stored in the guild warehouse to enhance the overall strength of their guild.

After a brief consideration, Night Owl agreed. “Alright, contact the admin while you’re at it.”

“Got it, no problem!” Sword at Fleeting Time immediately understood. Live streaming Abyss Dungeon runs had become one of their best ways to earn Physical Exchange Coupons. In just a few runs, they could gather enough ingredients for a hotpot meal. “By the way, boss, our guild contribution points are almost enough to upgrade to Level 3. When do you think we should upgrade the guild?”

With a sigh, Sword at Fleeting Time added, “I get private messages every day from people asking when they can join our guild.”

“No rush. Let’s upgrade after we clear the Abyss Dungeon this time.”

At present, there were only two guilds in the game: their [Unrivaled] and the wealthy-backed [Glazed Moon].

For a while now, no new Guild Summoning Orders had dropped, proving how rare they were. [Glazed Moon] had acquired their order from the disbanded Moon Shadow Guild.

Moon Shadow Guild had completely collapsed after the Black Token incident, with its reputation in ruins and its leadership hunted down through bounties. Ultimately, the guild disbanded, and their Guild Summoning Order was sold to [Glazed Moon].

The leader of [Glazed Moon] was financially well-off, so their guild reached full capacity immediately after its creation. Most of its members were top-tier players recruited through expensive contracts. While the guild was strong, it still couldn’t compare to [Unrivaled].

Moreover, [Glazed Moon] didn’t have a Guild Upgrade Token, so they were stuck at Level 1 with a maximum of 30 members. Upgrading to Level 2 would take them quite a while.

That was why Night Owl wasn’t in a hurry to recruit new members. There were no competing guilds to steal potential recruits, so he preferred to develop their strength and resources before expanding.

“Understood.”

By this time, it was about time for Ran Qi and Gu Le to log off and rest. After saying their goodbyes to Night Owl and the others, they went offline.

This time, they didn’t bother making up an excuse about attending classes. During their in-person meetup a few days ago, they had already mentioned being in the service department and had openly admitted that their lower physical stat required them to log off for rest. There was no need to hide it anymore.

Climbing out of the gaming pod, Ran Qi took a quick shower before opening his optical computer to browse the marketplace for some food ingredients. These items were beneficial to the body, so he made it a habit to eat them regularly.

Just as he was browsing, a video call request popped up on his screen.

Ran Qi checked the caller ID—it was Qu Qing. Without hesitation, he answered the call.

“Little Dad!” Ran Qi greeted excitedly.

“How did you sleep last night?” Qu Qing asked with concern the moment he saw his son. He was genuinely happy to see Ran Qi, but he also knew that after just returning from the Central District, his son’s physical condition might leave him exhausted.

“I slept well,” Ran Qi replied with a smile.

He wasn’t exactly lying. Even though he had played games all night, lying in the gaming pod wasn’t much different from sleeping in bed. He still felt quite refreshed.

“That’s good,” Qu Qing finally relaxed. “Did you have fun watching the tournament?”

“It was fun! I got to see a lot of really skilled players!” Ran Qi didn’t dare to mention that he was actually there for a meetup, so he played along, acting as if he had only gone to watch the matches.

“Glad to hear that. The semester is almost over, right? When do you go on break?” Qu Qing asked again.

“Ah, right! But they haven’t announced the vacation dates yet. I’ll let you know once they do.” Ran Qi hadn’t forgotten about the upcoming final exams, but the school typically announced the break schedule only after exams were finished, so he wasn’t sure of the exact date yet.

“When the holiday schedule is confirmed, let me know. I’ll arrange for Xiao Kai and Xiao Hui to take time off too. It’s been so long since our family had a proper gathering,” Qu Qing said with a sigh.

Hearing this, Ran Qi felt a sudden ache in his heart. Without hesitation, he quickly replied, “Got it! As soon as I know, I’ll tell you right away!”

“Good.” Qu Qing finally showed a hint of a smile, thinking about how he’d soon be able to see his youngest son.

“Oh, by the way, Xiao Ba, I’m planning to cook today. Once I’m done, I’ll send some over to you, so make sure to check for the delivery!”

“Alright!” Qu Qing’s smile deepened, clearly pleased by his son’s thoughtfulness.

After ending the call with Qu Qing, Ran Qi immediately placed an order at the online marketplace. He bought flour, pork, leafy greens, and mushrooms—ingredients for making steamed buns.

He found steamed buns not too complicated to make, and he could prepare a large batch at once. They were tasty, filling, and came in a variety of flavors. Stored in a freshness-preserving container, they would last for days. He planned to make extra so he could send some home to his dad, hoping it would lift his spirits a little.

Today, Ran Qi decided to make two flavors: fresh pork filling and a vegetarian mix of mushrooms and leafy greens. This way, there was a balance of meat and vegetables—nutritious and not overly greasy.

He was generous with the filling, making each bun plump and round, with thin skin and a hearty stuffing. Once steamed in the multi-functional cooker, the result was a full tray of fluffy, white buns that looked incredibly adorable.

He picked up a fresh pork bun and took a bite. The taste exceeded his expectations. He had specifically chosen pork belly for the filling—just the right mix of fat and lean meat. When steamed at high temperatures, the meat released rich juices, and the dough absorbed the flavorful oils, blending the sweetness of wheat with the savory taste of the meat. Every bite was incredibly satisfying.

Then, he tried a bite of the mushroom and vegetable bun. It was just as delicious.

In one go, Ran Qi made fifty buns, steaming them all at once. After eating two, he set aside eight to share with Gu Le. The remaining forty buns were split into two portions—half sent home to his dad and the other half shipped to Imperial Star for Han Xiao and the others to enjoy.