Guinelia began to tell Bai Qiu an old story.
Although she had only heard it from her elders, that magic merchant outside seemed to have quite the background.
"So then, you didn't come here just to tease me, right? You can trade those Dragon Fangs for a lot of stuff now — potions, materials, even deals with that old mage are pretty worthwhile," Guinelia said.
Recalling the past seemed to make her a little downcast.
"Actually, I was hoping to find a place to rest. Around midnight, the number of Dragonfang Soldiers spikes — I plan to go hunting then," Bai Qiu said as he stretched and prepared to leave.
"Eh? Resting, you say? I've got just the thing!" Guinelia instantly perked up, her long ears twitching with excitement.
"Sleeping Potion, only ten Sanctum Coins! I'll even let you stay the night here for free!" she said, eagerly promoting her brew.
Bai Qiu gave her a skeptical look. "Are you sure this potion works as advertised? No side effects?"
"Of course! Look, here it is!" Guinelia proudly reached inside her clothes, pulling out a small oval bottle from between her soft, ample chest.
Even Bai Qiu couldn't help but glance twice.
Sleeping Potion (Grade D)
Description: A special potion improved and developed by the Alchemist Guinelia. After drinking, the user will quickly fall into a deep sleep for six hours. During sleep, recovery speed of all attributes increases by 50%, and no nightmares will occur.
Side Effects: None.
Price: 10 Sanctum Coins.
Bai Qiu took the potion; it felt warm to the touch, and his nose tingled as if something was about to start dripping out...
He shook his head, pushing away distracting thoughts.
He really did need this — after all, he hadn't slept all night.
Even if he wanted to keep going, it didn't align with his usual rhythm, and he wasn't sure he could sleep at this hour anyway.
Plus, it would save him both time and money on lodging.
"Uh, by the way — have you already unlocked your Noble Phantasm?" Guinelia suddenly asked.
"I have. Why?" Bai Qiu replied, sensing that her tone had turned oddly cautious.
"Then… have you met the Sage Onipur yet?" she continued.
"No, I haven't. Why do you ask?" Bai Qiu said, setting the potion down as he noticed her hesitance.
Her ears drooped slightly, twitching a few times.
Then she suddenly grabbed his hand — without any sense of personal space — and smiled playfully.
"Hehe, it's nothing important! Come on, I'll take you to your room!"
Bai Qiu found her behavior strange, but since she didn't want to explain, he didn't press further.
He simply followed quietly behind her.
She led him into a small room that looked like a storage area.
The air was filled with the faint fragrance of herbs.
Though the space was cramped — with a wooden bed and piles of miscellaneous items — it was surprisingly neat and dust-free.
After he paid for the Sleeping Potion, Guinelia poked her head through the doorway and said, "Alright then, rest well! I'll be heading out now!"
Then she closed the door and left.
Bai Qiu removed his armor, drank the potion, and immediately felt a wave of deep drowsiness and fatigue wash over him.
Even climbing into bed felt sluggish — the moment his head touched the pillow, he was fast asleep.
The Safe Zone truly lived up to its name — a place where one could rest without worry.
Especially with a bed to sleep in; after all, most players were still sleeping rough on the streets.
.............
Outside the door, Guinelia perked up her long ears and listened for a while.
Once she confirmed that Bai Qiu had already drunk the Sleeping Potion, her face lit up with satisfaction, and she happily dashed off toward the residence of [The Sage] Onipur.
"What? Someone has already unlocked their Noble Phantasm? Then why didn't you bring them to me?" Onipur asked in confusion.
"Well, he said he wanted to sleep, so I sold him a Sleeping Potion, hehe," Guinelia replied with a mischievous grin.
Since she had already acted first and reported later, there was no point going back to wake Bai Qiu now—it was impossible anyway.
"You… Do you have any idea what kind of opportunity the first person to unlock a Noble Phantasm could receive from me?" Onipur sighed in frustration.
"The world changes in the blink of an eye—you might've just caused someone to miss their chance to grow stronger."
"Anyway, when he wakes up, make sure he comes to find me!" he added after a pause, waving her off impatiently after giving her a few words of advice.
"Hmph, what's so great about getting stronger anyway? I'm leaving! See you later, Uncle Onipur!" Guinelia called out cheerfully as she hopped away.
"I've told you a thousand times, don't call me 'uncle'! I'm only thirty-seven!" Onipur shouted after her, but she was already gone in the blink of an eye.
After a long silence, Onipur sighed softly.
"She's still holding on to what happened with the [Guardian], isn't she…? Forget it. I just hope she can come out of that shadow someday…"
.........
"Ding! Successfully defeated a Dragonfang Soldier! EXP +15."
"Ding! Level up!"
Zhang Shiyao — Level 7
Strength: E+
Magic: D−
Endurance: E+
Agility: D−
Luck: D
Class: Archer
Magic Enhancement (Medium)
Agility Enhancement (Small)
Noble Phantasm: Unlocked — No
Weapon: Steel Bow (E−)
Equipment: None
Items: Enhancement Card (D+)
Skill: Gathering (D)
Status: Malnourished (Severe), Hungry
By now, night had fully fallen.
Zhang Shiyao glanced over her progress for the day and murmured to herself,
"That's enough for today. I'll go to the magic merchant for some food first, then head into the Black Tower to craft my gear and arrows."
Time passed slowly.
Bai Qiu was still deep in sleep when the door to the small storage room quietly opened.
A figure with rabbit ears tiptoed inside, moving so silently that not a sound could be heard.
Normally, Bai Qiu would have woken up even from the creak of a door—but after drinking the Sleeping Potion, not even an earthquake could rouse him.
"Let me give you a blessing," whispered the rabbit-eared girl as she climbed onto the bed.
Then, hugging him gently as if embracing a giant pillow, she smiled and closed her eyes.
Six hours later—midnight had arrived.
Bai Qiu slowly opened his eyes, feeling completely refreshed.
His entire body was brimming with energy—every stat fully recovered.
But when he glanced at his status window, he noticed something new:
[Blessing of Love] — Duration: 24 hours.
Effect: All attributes +10%; Mana recovery rate +10%.
Leaving the room, he found Guinelia curled up on the sofa, fast asleep, with a blanket that had slipped off onto the floor.
He suddenly remembered he still had lots of materials in his inventory—thousands of Redstem grass and plenty of chicken meat among them.
"…Forget it. I'll ask her about it tomorrow," he muttered.
Bai Qiu picked up the fallen blanket and carefully draped it back over her.
After thinking for a moment, he went back to the storage room and brought another blanket to cover her with an extra layer.
She's really working hard just to earn a few Sanctum Coins…