"Master, let's go catch that kind of fish again today!"
Daniela quickly regained her energy.
"That fish yesterday was so delicious!"
Just thinking about the tender, flavorful fish made her heart fill with anticipation.
Not only was it tasty—it also increased her speed.
Truly miraculous.
In her mind, eating that kind of fish had already become the second most anticipated thing in her day.
As for the first—
Of course, it was eating Master's candy.
Or doing those… slightly embarrassing things with Master.
"Sure," Ma Jun nodded in agreement.
[Charcoal-Grilled Dragonfish], as a reusable epic-tier item, was honestly rare.
Even though it only added one point of Agility, small gains added up. Its overall value was extremely high.
"It's very cold outside. I'll find you something to wear, Master."
Daniela rummaged through a chest and eventually pulled out a silk velvet cloak.
After carefully helping Ma Jun put it on, her cheeks flushed red again.
"Master, you really are exceptionally handsome."
"Let's go."
Ma Jun smiled. With his Charm stat, even if he were wrapped in a burlap sack, he'd still dominate the mature-woman demographic effortlessly.
The two walked side by side through the castle gates.
The moment they stepped outside, they saw that group of unlucky players again.
They were shoveling snow outside the castle.
In their hands were massive snow shovels taller than their own bodies.
Using them was exhausting.
And if they slowed down even a little, the ferocious servants would whip them mercilessly.
"Hurry up! Stop slacking!"
"If you don't want to be turned into blood sausages, work faster!"
The servants cracked their whips violently.
Those thick black leather whips—if they landed on a body, the consequences were obvious.
The players trembled with fear and could only drag their shovels forward, working desperately.
The snow on the ground was frozen solid, making the work especially grueling.
It was worst for Mu Chen, who was already injured.
Yesterday he had eaten nothing but spoiled beans and slept on icy, rock-hard ground. His whole body ached.
Luckily, he had trained since childhood and could barely endure it.
He gritted his teeth, raised his head—and froze.
Ma Jun?!
He saw Ma Jun wearing a luxurious black velvet cloak, strolling gracefully out of the castle.
His noble bearing was unmistakable, his posture relaxed.
Like a prince stepping out of his own castle.
Behind him walked the tall vampire girl, gazing at him with eyes full of admiration and affection.
Like a devoted maid.
Golden sunlight spilled over Ma Jun's body, dazzling Mu Chen so badly he could barely keep his eyes open.
The other players quickly noticed as well.
"Ma Jun!"
"It's Ma Jun…"
"What the hell—why is he dressed like that?!"
"Did he buy his way in or something?!"
"Buy my ass—don't you see the female ghost following him?!"
"How is that even fair?!"
The players cried out in disbelief.
The servants' whips, however, didn't slow down for them.
Several players were lashed repeatedly, screaming in agony, tears streaming down their faces.
But when Ma Jun and Daniela passed by, the servants who had been so arrogant moments earlier immediately bent at the waist respectfully.
"Young Lady."
"Honored guest."
Daniela had already given orders—Ma Jun was the most distinguished guest in the castle.
"Mhm."
She nodded lightly and followed Ma Jun out of the castle grounds.
The players shoveling snow nearly ground their teeth to dust.
Damn it—everyone here was a player!
Why him?!
Mu Chen and Jiang Han stared at Ma Jun's retreating figure, their expressions complicated.
Jiang Han clenched the shovel in her hands tighter and tighter.
She had always believed that, as an elite cultivated by the military district, she stood above her peers.
Growing up, she had barely known failure, and her confidence had grown accordingly.
She believed that even compared to heirs of powerful families, she was not inferior.
Yet her very first dungeon was a nightmare-tier instance.
And it shattered her confidence completely.
After meeting Ma Jun, she finally understood—
There was always someone better.
And beyond the sky, there was always another sky.
"So this… is what a true genius looks like?"
She murmured softly, her eyes clouded with confusion.
But soon, her gaze steadied once more.
"Even if he's a genius, I believe I can catch up!"
"I'll prove it to my family—I'm not inferior to anyone!"
A servant cracked his whip and shouted loudly.
"What are you staring at?! Get back to work!"
"You trash—if the Young Lady hadn't been in a good mood yesterday, you'd already be blood sausages!"
"If you don't perform properly, when the Lady and the other two young ladies return, not a single one of you will survive!"
The players' hearts jolted in unison.
So that's how it was.
No wonder there were no casualties on the first day—aside from Juanmao's accident.
It turned out that vampire woman had been restrained by Ma Jun!
Ma Jun had saved their lives…
The players' emotions shifted rapidly—from jealousy and resentment to pure gratitude.
...
Ma Jun naturally didn't care what the other players thought.
All of his attention was drawn to the shimmering golden dragonfish.
By the hidden pond, Daniela stared at the dragonfish swimming beneath the water, nearly drooling.
"Master, should we start catching them?"
"Catch them!"
What were they waiting for?
These weren't fish—these were mobile epic-tier items.
A cold flash of silver—Daniela instantly skewered one.
Ma Jun didn't waste any time either. He gathered some firewood and directly set up a fire pit.
Today—
He was going to push his Agility stat to the limit.