Only after stepping out did Xu Shi realize his room was on the second floor. He closed the door, which had a number 11 taped to its back.
Xu Shi walked down the corridor. All the other room doors along the way were tightly shut, though he'd had no plans to knock anyway.
Descending the stairs to the first floor, a burst of laughter drifted over.
Xu Shi followed the sound to the living room door, glanced inside, and found nine people had already gathered there.
To his surprise, the group seemed to get along quite harmoniously—at least for now.
In the scene before him, two women sat cross-legged in front of the TV, watching a variety show and chatting merrily. Nearby, three men huddled together, apparently playing cards. On the sofa lay a tall, slender man with a face mask on. Behind the sofa, a muscular man in a black tank top was working out with weights.
On the edge of the other sofa, facing Xu Shi, a woman in tight yoga clothes—with a curvy figure—practiced yoga, drawing a few extra glances from him. Another man sat in an armchair, wearing headphones and playing on his phone, with long bangs falling over his forehead.
Just as he was about to step forward to greet them, the scent of fried eggs wafted over. Though it was a smell most people were used to, it made him—a man who'd long lost his sense of smell in reality—involuntarily swallow hard.
Moments later, Xu Shi saw a woman wearing a pink apron, with a generous bust, emerge from the other side of the living room. He looked over, and their eyes met.
Upon seeing Xu Shi, the woman, who'd been wearing a faint smile, smiled even wider and waved him over.
"Oh, Roommate Eleven, right? I was just about to come get you. Perfect timing—we just finished making breakfast. Come on over and join us~"
Her words made the others in the living room glance over at him in unison.
Though he had no idea how he'd become "Little Eleven," Xu Shi gave the group a faint nod as a greeting.
Among the three card players, the man in the yellow T-shirt was the first to toss his cards down, standing up decisively.
"Yay, breakfast time!"
"Hey, you little cheat! I was almost winning this round!" grumbled the man sitting on the floor.
The yellow-shirted man waved without looking back. "Relax—we'll finish after breakfast."
With him leading the way, the others rose one after another. Xu Shi followed them into the kitchen, only then noticing a man in a black chef's uniform inside.
Counting him, all 12 players had now arrived.
"Everyone's here, right? Take a seat, take a seat—make yourselves at home. Breakfast is grilled meat and egg sandwiches, plus milk. Hope you like it," the chef said warmly, gesturing for them to sit.
On the long table, twelve elaborate breakfasts were neatly arranged, stunning everyone.
"Whoa, that smells amazing! Dude, you're a pro!" The yellow-shirted man chuckled as he took the first seat, couldn't wait to pick up the milk on the table and take a sip, then bit into a sandwich. His eyes lit up, and he gave the chef a thumbs-up with his other hand.
Seeing his reaction, the others took their seats one after another.
The moment Xu Shi sat down, he used his Perceptive Vision to analyze the composition of the breakfast in front of him. Only after confirming it was safe did he pick up the sandwich and take a bite. After all, he couldn't yet rule out the possibility that the yellow-shirted man, who'd eaten first, and the chef might be colluding.
Having polished off his sandwich in a flash, Xu Shi and the yellow-shirted man, in unison, gave the chef a thumbs-up and asked for another serving. The chef smiled, quickly bringing them two fresh portions.
The others, still not halfway through their own meals, watched as the two—like starving ghosts—grabbed their second sandwiches and began gobbling them down.
By the time most were full and satisfied, save for the two still wolfing down their food, the chef spoke up at the right moment: "Since we're all meeting for the first time, and everyone's here, how about a quick round of introductions? I'll start since I brought it up."
"I'm Tosin Edson, 34. As you can see, my job is a chef."
Hardly had Edson finished his brief introduction when the long-haired man, who'd been wearing headphones not far away, looked up and blurted out a question: "Is your in-game class also a chef?"
At that, Edson's smile froze for a split second, but soon blossomed into an even brighter one.
"Of course. Same in the game—I'm just a chef."
With such a definite reply, the long-haired man saw no need to press further. After all, everyone knew no one could lie today.
After the long-haired man finished speaking, the busty woman who'd first called everyone to breakfast took up the thread.
"Me next, me next! I'm Tajima Mieko. My in-game class is Potion Brewer~ I've got all sorts—beauty tonics, vitality supplements, you name it~" She paused, as if remembering something, and added, "Oh right, I'm 18 years old~"
Xu Shi, still wolfing down his food, glanced at her at that. Beneath her ample bust, every gesture exuded the poise of a mature woman. His cheeks puffed like a hamster's as he shook his head slightly.
After that, he ate in silence, listening quietly to the others introduce themselves.
"Han Zhiqing. In-game class: High-Rank Fighter. Real job: yoga instructor. Pleased to meet you all."
"A first meeting. Your humble servant is Levin Mays. In-game class: Healer. Delighted to make your acquaintance."
As the words fell, Xu Shi looked up to study the man—a blond, bespectacled fellow with elegant manners. No doubt about it, this was the same man who'd been lying on the living room sofa with a face mask earlier.
"Hi everyone, I'm Guo Gang. In-game class is also High-Rank Fighter, heh heh."
"I'm Zhan Zhicheng. Class: Blacksmith."
"Leo Stanley. In-game class: Scholar." With that, the muscular man sat back slowly.
For a moment, a hush fell over the kitchen...
Even Xu Shi and the yellow-shirted man, mid-feast, paused their chewing.
Xu Shi stared at the man's arms—bigger than his own head—and for a second, couldn't find the words to say...
The yellow-shirted man stood up. "A scholar! Nice, nice. Then it's my turn. I'm Ji Lang—you can call me Langjun, except for the guys. Though if any guys do call me that, I won't mind. My in-game class is Windrunner. Also, Mr. Edson, these sandwiches are awesome! Hope tomorrow's even better. Oh right, my room number's 9."
Xu Shi glanced lightly at this frivolous fellow, resolving to stay as far away from him as possible over these three days.
Ji Lang, who had just sat down, as if sensing something, turned his head and smiled at Xu Shi, whose mouth was stuffed full of food.
The youth replied with a simple, honest smile—though when he parted his lips, the food scraps inside easily fell out.
The woman sitting nearby, seeing the scraps drop from the boy's mouth onto the table, a flicker of disgust crossed her eyes before she stood up to introduce herself.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Bai Ke, and my in-game class is Psychic."
"Hello, everyone. I'm Wu Qiulin, with the in-game class of Fire Mage."
After the last two girls finished their introductions, a trace of gravity flickered in Xu Shi's downcast eyes.
Two rare-class players?
The long-haired guy, still wearing headphones, had no intention of standing. From his seat, he said lightly, "Qiu Fan. In-game class: Analyzer."
With that, he bowed his head again to play on his phone.
After Qiu Fan's turn, only Xu Shi—still wolfing down food—remained unintroduced, and five plates had already stacked up beside him.
Xu Shi wanted to keep pace, to stand and introduce himself quickly, but his mouth, crammed full of food, wouldn't let him.
Edson, sitting across from the boy, merely smiled warmly at the sight. "No rush. Eat slowly—swallow first, then speak."
Ji Lang, not far off, couldn't resist a tease: "Kid, looks like you're even more of a starving ghost than me."
Xu Shi, who had just swallowed his food, gave a simple, naive smile. He then picked up his milk, took a sip, and stood up slowly. "Hello everyone, my name is Xu Shi. My in-game class is Novice Fighter, and I'm an honest person. Please take care of me."