Virtual Idol in the Beast World: Five Clans Fight Over Me

Seeing how heated the comments section was, Gu Ning worried it might spark another pointless flame war. After a moment’s thought, she added the sentence to her account’s bio and changed the font to an eye-catching color.

"Looking for current prices in Zone 5. DM me."

Not even two minutes later, her inbox was flooded with private messages.

Confidently, Gu Ning opened her inbox to read the messages:

"What’s this? Gu Demiao, you’re going to Zone 5?"

"Hey poster, what zone are you from? Zone 5 is an Upper District; you can’t get in just by having money."

"I’m from Zone 5. Are you coming to visit or to settle down? I wouldn’t recommend coming now. The Wolf Clan in Zone 5 is in the middle of a vicious internal power struggle; they’re fighting every single day."

"Bro, don’t be crazy and go to Zone 5. They’re really hostile to outsiders. Those wolves are fighting over territory every day. If you’re from a Lower or Middle Lower District, I’d suggest coming to Zone 10 instead. It’s super chill here. (Image of Zone 10 prices) (Image of scenery)"

"Don’t come to Zone 5... These wolves have gone nuts fighting. They’ve got a death grip on the zone’s control and make up all kinds of ridiculous rules every day just to mess with people. Even the Tiger Clan steers clear of them. As an outsider wolf, you’ll definitely be ostracized."

"Bro, you tired of the good life or something? Why are you dead set on Zone 5? I’ll be blunt: if you don’t have some serious strength, don’t even think about going to any Upper District. Even if you get in, you won’t last long before you’re forced to tuck your tail between your legs and scurry back where you came from. If you’ve got money, Zones 10 through 15 are all good options."

"You’re from a Lower District, right? I’m from Zone 5, and I already took my two brothers and fled. There’s no place left for the Dog Clan in Zone 5. Oh, wait, you’re Wolf Clan. Why aren’t you with your own pack? It’s really hard for an outsider wolf to get into Zone 5. Even if you join a pack, the other packs will try to get you killed. I’m not exaggerating. Seriously, bro, listen to me."

"Don’t come to Zone 5! That damn Alihot is running a dictatorship. If you can’t join his wolf pack, you’ll just be waiting to get killed. For the sake of the awesome Yuanbao videos you make, I’m giving you my honest advice: don’t come here to die. I want to see more Yuanbao videos!"

Gu Ning read dozens of private messages in a row, growing more silent and alarmed with each one.

’Why is everyone telling me not to go to Zone 5? From the sound of it, it’s even more dangerous than Zone 19.’

’Am I, a monkey, not going to be able to pull this off?’

She kept reading.

"Are you coming to Zone 5 to visit friends or to live here? I don’t recommend settling down; this place is no good for lone wolves. If you want to join a pack, try pledging allegiance to Alihot’s. Good luck to you."

"Before you go off to die, can you please post more Yuanbao videos? I’m begging you." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Why are you so bent on going to Zone 5... The Inhibitors are being monopolized by those wolves. If you’re not a pack leader, you’ll just be cannon fodder for them."

"Coming to Zone 5?! Yeah, come on over! Here’s my private contact code. I’ll provide you with a full-service package deal."

"Zone 5 prices? Let me look them up for you." -- "(Image of fruit & vegetable prices) (Image of meat prices) (Image of prices for daily necessities)" -- "The price of Inhibitors has shot up recently. If you come, make sure to bring plenty of Crystal Stones and extra Inhibitors."

Gu Ning finally saw a price list for Zone 5. Surprisingly, the cost of living was even lower than in Zone 19.

But this didn’t bring Gu Ning any relief. These were just daily necessities. The money she had on hand was enough to cover living expenses, but she still needed to buy Inhibitors for Cook on a regular basis. That was the real major expense.

Gu Ning messaged the Beastman who had sent her the Zone 5 price list:

"What’s the price for Inhibitors in Zone 5?"

The Beastman replied quickly:

"An Advanced Inhibitor from a private seller has already gone up to almost 600,000 per dose."

Gu Ning froze. ’What? That expensive?!’

In Zone 19, the most expensive Inhibitors were only 300,000 a dose. Zone 5’s were double that...

Gu Ning glanced at her account balance. It was only enough to buy a single dose...

Suddenly, the snack in her hand lost all its flavor.

Gu Ning put down her snack and quickly opened her messages to ask Barto:

"How many Inhibitors did you buy?"

After a moment, Barto replied:

"30 doses. All Advanced Inhibitors. It should be enough for him for a while."

Gu Ning felt a bit relieved and asked, "Is there any money left over?"

Barto: "Two million left. I converted it all into Crystal Stones. Are you short on cash?"

Gu Ning: "Can you use it all to buy more Inhibitors?"

Barto: "What do you need so many for? Inhibitors lose their potency if you store them too long; they’re not as stable as Crystal Stones. This batch is enough to last him a month or two, which is fine."

Gu Ning stared at the chat window with Barto for a moment, then typed: "Barto, I’m going to Zone 5. Do you want to come with me?"

She’d wanted to ask him ever since she’d revealed her identity to Alex, but Barto had seemed reluctant to leave Zone 19 these past few days. He had asked for his wages for taking care of Cook and even mentioned that once winter passed, he wanted to move his stall to a more prominent location.

Everything he said, both directly and indirectly, pointed to him wanting to stay in Zone 19.

Two or three minutes passed before Barto replied:

"What would I do in Zone 5? It’s not like I’m a Beastman who grew up there."

Gu Ning started typing in the chat box: "I’m taking Cook to Zone 5. If you come too,"

Halfway through, Gu Ning deleted the message.

’My ability to get into Zone 5 is entirely dependent on Alex right now. I can’t make easy promises to Barto. I have to ask Alex first if I can bring two Mixed Breeds with me.’

Besides, Zone 5 wasn’t shaping up to be the great place she had imagined.

She needed to think this through more carefully.

Private messages continued to pour in. Gu Ning scrolled through them casually. Most were advising her not to go to Zone 5, while a smaller number were from brokers or people sincerely offering price lists and suggestions.

As Gu Ning scrolled through the messages on her projected screen, she suddenly spotted a familiar profile picture and name.

Her finger paused. She tapped open the private message from the Beastman pictured grinning foolishly while hugging a honey pot.

Kloer (Zone 5):

"Miao Dengning, you’re going to Zone 5?! When? Are you going alone or with your pack?"

"The situation in Zone 5 isn’t great right now, and since you’re Wolf Clan, it’s a bit dangerous to head over."

"If you’re not in a hurry, you should wait another half-month or so. I’m from Zone 5, so I can set you up with a place to stay. Our Bear Clan still has some pull there."

"And if you want to join a wolf pack, you’re welcome to join our leader’s."

Gu Ning paused for a moment before asking:

"Who’s your leader?"

Kloer:

"My leader’s name is Alex. You probably haven’t heard of him, but he’s a good guy and super strong. Once we get back from Zone 19, we’re gonna take down Alihot!"

Gu Ning suppressed a smile. ’Well, isn’t that a coincidence?’

A sly glint flashed in her eyes as she replied, "Alright then, I’ll wait for you to come back."

Kloer: "Really?!"

Gu Ning popped a potato chip into her mouth. "Of course."

After sending that, she immediately added, "Keep it a secret, though. Otherwise, I’m not joining."

Kloer: "(Bear thumps chest) Don’t worry! I absolutely won’t tell a soul! Bro, you won’t regret joining us! Just make sure you don’t join Alihot’s pack!"

Gu Ning replied with a smiley-face emoji.

...

"Boss!!!"

Kloer excitedly grabbed Alex’s arm.

Alex pulled his hand away. "What is it?"

Kloer said, "I recruited a new wolf for your pack!"

Alex glanced at him, took their takeout order from the window, and started walking away. "Where’d you find them?"

Kloer shoved his terminal in front of Alex’s face. "It’s him! Gu Demiao Ning! Boss, you have to take him!"

Alex’s gaze fell on the chat screen. "..."