Chapter 5: Should we team up or just sit back?

Hearing the system prompt, Ying Ye froze momentarily.

Huh?

Stunned status? 

Was that a mistake?

For some reason, she suddenly felt much lighter, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her chest.

Ying Ye exhaled softly, her usual pressure easing, replaced by a strange sense of relief. 

She didn’t overthink like Bai Yue Ling; she simply found this little Priest adorable.

“You okay? Be careful not to trip,” 

Ying Ye said, gently steadying Bai Yue Ling’s shoulders, her gaze roaming over the pure-white priest robe.

Silver hair, red eyes, delicate frame, and the weakest class, Priest. 

In the perilous world of World of Fate, a Priest couldn’t survive alone.

Ying Ye ruffled Bai Yue Ling’s hair, smiling warmly.

“Since we spawned together, why not team up?”

“T-Team up? I… I…” 

Bai Yue Ling stepped back, her face paling. 

“I’m used to playing solo…”

She wanted to stay as far from this older sister as possible.

“A Priest playing solo? That’s too dangerous,” 

Ying Ye grabbed her hand. 

“Don’t be shy—let’s go together.”

“No, I’d just hold you back…”

“I can carry you. I’m a pro assassin in MMOs—my skills are top-notch,” 

Ying Ye tilted her head. 

“Don’t you trust me?”

“I-I didn’t mean…”

Bai Yue Ling was on the verge of tears.

Teaming with Ying Ye would surely lead to some mishap that’d get her killed!

But rejecting her might anger the assassin, who could kill her right now!

She felt like a helpless bunny in the clutches of a predatory older sister, easily pinned down, her fate entirely at Ying Ye’s whim.

Her 9 Intelligence wasn’t cutting it. 

Think, think!

Wait—Dark Fall! 

Didn’t I use it on her?

Bai Yue Ling opened her panel, spotting a new notification.

[Current Dark Fall progress on Ying Ye: 1%.]

A new quest also appeared in her list.

[Quest Name: Path of the Fallen for Ying Ye (1)]  

[Difficulty: Hard]  

[Description: Make the vulnerable Ying Ye feel awe toward you.]  

[Reward: Increases Ying Ye’s Dark Fall progress by 20%.]  

[Note: This is a small step in resisting older sisters, but a giant leap toward avoiding death!]

“So… she’s already at 1% Dark Fall?” 

Bai Yue Ling relaxed slightly, sneaking a glance at Ying Ye. 

“But she doesn’t seem any different…”

Dark Lisa had said those under Dark Fall would fully submit, becoming loyal slaves and devotees.

But Ying Ye…

Bai Yue Ling’s eyes scanned her. 

Short, wavy black hair, a pure-black cloak, her full chest outlined perfectly by a tight top. 

Lace-trimmed thigh-high boots and low-rise shorts accentuated her snowy legs. 

A dagger hung at her waist, and her eyes held a steely resolve, like a blade hidden in the night.

Hmm, nothing obvious from her appearance. 

Let’s test this 1% Dark Fall with a question.

After a moment’s thought, Bai Yue Ling asked, 

“Miss Ying Ye, what’s your real height?”

Ying Ye paused, silent for a long moment.

“…About 1.7 meters.”

“Oh, I see~” 

Bai Yue Ling smirked triumphantly.

Such a prideful older sister~

In truth, Ying Ye was barely over 1.6 meters but cared deeply about her height, padding her boots to appear taller.

This was her biggest secret, known only to Bai Yue Ling from their… intimate moments in past loops.

If Ying Ye were truly devoted, she’d have told the truth. 

Her lie proved the 1% Dark Fall was useless—100% was the goal.

But this Dark Fall quest was odd. 

Make Ying Ye feel awe? 

How exactly?

Ying Ye ruffled Bai Yue Ling’s hair again. 

“Priest Hero sounds weird. Got a cuter nickname?”

Bai Yue Ling flinched.

“Just call me ‘Little White’…”

“Got it, Little White~”

Ying Ye took her hand, beaming.

“Looking forward to working together.”

[Player Ying Ye has sent you a party invite. Accept?]

Bai Yue Ling hesitated. 

Ying Ye still posed a death risk.

But if she kept fearing death, she’d never achieve anything.

Risk often came with opportunity. 

Teaming up and completing the Dark Fall quest was her best shot.

After a moment, Bai Yue Ling nodded. “Looking forward to it, Miss Ying Ye.”

[You have accepted Ying Ye’s party invite.]

***

After a brief rest, they spotted a massive chasm ahead, its depths unfathomable, stretching to the horizon.

A colossal stone pillar rose from the chasm’s center, crowned by a Western-style castle emanating an unsettling, sinister aura, warning off uninvited guests.

“That castle looks dangerous,” 

Ying Ye said, eyeing it warily.

Bai Yue Ling muttered, 

“A castle on a chasm? Ten loops, and I’ve never heard of this place.”

She wasn’t one for forums or lore, so even after ten loops, much of World of Fate remained a mystery.

Maybe it’s time to break that habit and check the forums after logging out… 

Bai Yue Ling thought, pointing ahead. 

“There’s a suspension bridge over there.”

Ying Ye frowned. 

“Sure we should cross?”

Noticing Ying Ye’s hesitation, Bai Yue Ling recalled her slight fear of heights.

Heh, scared of a little height? 

What a useless older sister.

If I act brave now, maybe I’ll earn her awe and progress the Dark Fall quest?

With that, Bai Yue Ling stepped onto the bridge.

“I’m not some weakling who freezes at danger~”

Her only fear was getting killed by older sisters.

On anything else, she was fearless.

Creak—

The bridge groaned like a dying elder, its dusty planks swaying, threatening to snap.

Gazing into the bottomless abyss below, feeling the cold wind, Bai Yue Ling exhaled.

When she first started the game, she dreamed of wielding a sword and roaming the world. 

But her nature led her to flirt endlessly, provoking countless older sisters and triggering her deadly loop nightmare.

That was the past.

Now, with Dark Fall’s power, she had a chance to turn the tables.

Ying Ye was just an innocent girl now. 

If Bai Yue Ling played carefully and progressed the Dark Fall quest, she’d eventually make Ying Ye hers.

Then Xueyu (Blood Rain), Jin Litui (Golden Thighs), Liming Huaji (Dawn Flower Princess)… and all those other older sisters would fall to her…

As Bai Yue Ling dreamed of her future conquests, a pair of hands suddenly gripped her slender waist, and a soft breath tickled her ear.

“Little White…”