Chapter Thirty-One: You Are My God

"Game Assistant, what is this map for?"

After the woman left, Liang Yi began to study the map. The top of the map was labeled "Forest Secret Realm," so Liang Yi's first instinct was that it could lead her out. However, after lying on the ground studying it for a long time, she realized it wasn't a standard map, but something akin to a maze—yet, upon further inspection, it didn't seem to be that either. No matter which direction she traveled, Liang Yi found herself ending up back at the finish line. Or perhaps, she simply hadn't found the correct route.

Unable to figure it out, Liang Yi had no choice but to ask the Game Assistant.

[The map is naturally intended to help players exit the forest. As for how to read it, that is for the player to discover on their own.]

[If I were to just tell you, it wouldn't be fair to the other players!]

Liang Yi was speechless. After studying it for a while longer with no success, she tossed it into the carriage. She wasn't in a rush to leave because she had more important matters to attend to.

[Player 2020 initiates a trade: A new van is available for trade. Interested players may comment below. If I see something I need, I will trade directly.]

[FridgeAirConIceCream: ? Are there really fools out there selling their means of transportation? Do you not want to live?]

[Player 321: The person above is the fool. The van the OP is selling must have been snatched from someone else!]

[Xiao Ai Classmate: Exactly. Who doesn't know how important transportation is?]

[Player 8523: Big Boss, I’m willing to trade. I’ll give you all my supplies.]

[Player 7632: Big Boss, I have a blueprint for a crossbow. Once crafted, you’ll be invincible.]

[Player 23698: What use is a crossbow? Big Boss, I have a blueprint for a water purifier. Once you build it, you’ll never run out of water.]

[Player 13698: I have vegetable seeds. Big Boss, they sprout in just three days. You won’t lack vegetables in the future.]

...

Perhaps it was the allure of the van, but even players who rarely spoke or revealed their supplies began to chime in. Watching the endless stream of messages, Liang Yi felt incredibly envious. Why were they able to find so many useful things? Was her own luck truly that bad? There were so many good items that Liang Yi felt dizzy with options.

"Game Assistant, can I store the van in my backpack?"

[The player may try it for themselves.]

Liang Yi looked at the non-stop messages in the trade order, unsure of which supplies she should prioritize. Suddenly, a thought struck her: perhaps she could store the van in her backpack. That way, she wouldn't delay her journey and could take her time selecting what she truly needed.

Liang Yi focused her mind and reached out toward the van. As expected, it was easily stored in her backpack, occupying only a single slot. Given this, Liang Yi decided to push forward a bit further while there was still daylight. She would carefully consider the trade offers when she had time in the evening.

She checked the trike's display and saw the new battery had covered sixty kilometers, while the old one had covered fifty. By her estimation, accounting for some detours, she had only completed about half the journey. This meant there were still about one hundred kilometers to go. After some thought, she decided that another twenty kilometers for today would be sufficient. By then, she could find a safe place to rest and get in some exercise.

Opening the [Channel] interface, Liang Yi was surprised to find that "Game’s Greatest" had accepted her friend request.

[Game’s Greatest: What do you want to learn?]

Liang Yi quickly replied.

[Player 2010: Hello, Brother Qiang. I couldn't even run eight hundred meters before, but now that I've accidentally ended up in this game, I wanted to ask if you have any training for strength or other fitness moves that could keep me safe.]

[Game’s Greatest: If you haven't exercised before, you need to take it step by step. Squats, crunches, planks—all are fine, but be sure to do them in moderation. Remember to stretch after training.]

Seeing the information from "Game’s Greatest," Liang Yi acknowledged she knew these things, but the problem was that she wanted to learn actual combat techniques.

[Player 2010: Brother Qiang, do you have any fighting techniques? I want to learn them for self-defense.]

The message was sent. After two minutes without a reply, Liang Yi began to wonder if "Game’s Greatest" was unwilling to teach for free. She mentally reviewed her stored supplies, finally deciding to offer some as "tuition." Before she could hesitate over what to give without feeling the pinch or looking stingy, "Game’s Greatest" sent a message.

[Game’s Greatest: Video.mp4]

[Game’s Greatest: These are some basic punching combinations. You can practice along with them.]

[Game’s Greatest: Once you’ve practiced enough, I’ll teach you others. Feel free to ask if you have questions.]

Liang Yi rubbed her eyes, unable to believe what she was seeing! *Wuwuwu*, sorry, Brother Qiang, I apologize for my earlier suspicions about you. Brother Qiang, you are the god in my heart!

Once the excitement subsided, Liang Yi couldn't wait to open the video. It wasn't long—only a short dozen minutes. Yet, those few minutes gave Liang Yi a more intuitive understanding of Brother Qiang. In the video, he was about 1.77 meters tall with a sharp buzz cut and well-defined muscles that revealed his strength and health. However, perhaps because he hadn't found a razor in days, he had a layer of messy stubble around his mouth, giving him a rugged look.

Liang Yi nodded slightly; his appearance was much as she had imagined. Brother Qiang was indeed a tough guy through and through. However, the only thing that surprised her slightly was that he seemed a bit shorter than she had envisioned. In her mind, the Brother Qiang who could kill giant apes and was invincible in the game world should have been at least 1.85 meters or perhaps even close to 1.90 meters.

However, this minor height difference didn't affect his image in her heart. On the contrary, it made him seem more real. The video tutorial was very detailed, and Liang Yi felt that learning it wouldn't be too difficult. At the end, he even suggested how many sets of squats and push-ups she should start with, and explained exactly how to perform planks to avoid injury.

Liang Yi was moved beyond words.

[Player 2010: Brother Qiang, you are my god.]

[Player 2010: Thank you, Brother Qiang. Thank you so much. You are like a brother reborn to me.]

[Game’s Greatest: ?]

Seeing the question mark from Brother Qiang, Liang Yi simply ignored it.