CHAPTER 65: 065 THE MOST MISERABLE PLAYER IN HISTORY

"Are you a carpenter? Such simple lyrics actually make me think of sawing wood..."

"You were singing just now? If I hadn’t opened my eyes, I’d have thought a duck had waddled in!"

"Even a pig’s oink sounds better than your singing!"

...

His master stood at the shop’s entrance first thing in the morning, mocking people. After humiliating someone, he’d shoot Dumbelldore a look. Dumbelldore finally understood why he was told to bravely step forward and intervene when encountering injustice.

This guy is doing it on purpose!

What, the Black Clan’s Five Bears triggered Lin Bai’s pleasure in mocking others? Bullshit! Lin Bai had this planned even before the Black Clan’s Five Bears showed up. He’s simply enjoying the process, and perhaps even using the opportunity to test himself... Who knows which dumbass came up with such a ruthless, utterly brain-damaged AI!

But for the Dragonfall Palm, the Flight technique, Palm Thunder, and other Skills far beyond those in the Novice Village, Dumbelldore could only force a smile and approach each customer individually to apologize and calm their emotions, "Please, don’t be angry. My master is in a bad mood today. It was all my fault; I was the one who upset him this morning. Vent your anger on me..."

"...If you’re still not appeased, you can slap me. A disciple should honor his master and endure punishment on his behalf."

"’How about this? I’ll give you a complimentary cold dish as a peace offering. Please, can you find it in your heart to forgive my master?"

"I bow to you, I sincerely apologize..."

...

Only by enduring the bitterest hardships can one rise above others.

For these Skills, I can take a little humiliation!

That being said, after Dumbelldore had spoken kindly, put on a smile, or even paid money out of his own pocket to pacify the customers, Lin Bai would still, from time to time, add a parting shot,

"Pah, such insincere apologies. Do you even know how to be a disciple?"

"If you’re going to give something, make it a main dish. Offering just a cold dish is stingy. Show some masculine spirit."

This made him feel doubly tormented.

Were he to show even a hint of dissatisfaction, Lin Bai would simply say, "Damn, you dare to glare at your master?"

Then, a Palm Thunder would be hurled his way.

Although it didn’t drain much Health, he felt so utterly wronged!

No one in this game has ever had it this bad!

This bastard is doing it on purpose! He must still be pissed because I swore at him and is now looking for a chance to cripple my Martial Arts...

Dumbelldore could still stomach all of that; after all, he knew what kind of person Lin Bai was!

What he couldn’t stand was that idiot, Lady of L, constantly live-streaming nearby.

Is that live-streaming? No, it’s a direct assault on my sanity! She’s even more detestable than the paparazzi... This game is truly wild; it attracts all sorts of people...

Whenever Lin Bai provoked Dumbelldore to the point where he wanted to delete his account, switch characters, grind his skills, and come back to kill Lin Bai, his master would say, "If you can’t even handle this little bit of pressure, you’re just dreaming if you think you can master more advanced Martial Arts."

A single sentence would always pull him back from the brink.

Yes! I’ve invested so much already; it’s not worth deleting the account and starting over, is it? If I did that, my progress would be even slower than the second batch of Players. Moreover, once an account is created, you can’t change your Novice Village. Everyone in Jiamucheng is struggling. By the time I get through the novice period, go to a higher-level city to train, and return, what if Lin Bai has already been killed by someone else? NPCs only have one life. If that happened, Lin Bai would become a lifelong stain on my honor! There would be no way to wash it away! The sunk cost is too high! Only by enduring the bitterest hardships can one rise above others! I shall endure!

...

It has to be said, life always finds a way. When Lin Bai had pushed his endurance to the limit, Dumbelldore gritted his teeth and, in a bold move, started live-streaming too.

You stream, I stream! What’s so interesting about a bystander’s view? If you’re going to watch, watch the main perspective... As long as I dare to mock myself, no one else can bring me down!

...

"Brother Dumbelldore is awesome!" "Dumbelldore is a real man!" "Front-row seat to watch the most miserable Player in gaming history!" "Patting Dumbelldore’s head, sending comfort." "Hang in there, I’ll gift you some stuff!" "This NPC might as well be killed." "Could Dumbelldore be an M?" "Anyone else want to become Lin Bai’s disciple?" "Dumbelldore, the undisputed king of masochists; no one dares claim second place!" "Who wants to get their hair ’permed’ by Lin, the Storekeeper?"

...

Warmed by the flood of encouraging messages on the screen, Dumbelldore felt his spirits lift. His follower count swelled by 300,000 in half a day, and after the company took its cut, he had earned 20,000 coins...

What do you call a pleasant surprise? This is it. Absolutely worth it!

At this moment, the resentment in Dumbelldore’s heart vanished. He had discovered a new and promising path.

Being tormented by Lin Bai earns me money. In the future, when I finally get my revenge on Lin Bai, I’ll clear my name in one fell swoop! This is a perfect marketing strategy, a win-win situation... Master, please, torment me to your heart’s content!

...

[Joy from Lady of L: +1+1]

[Resentment from Dumbelldore: +1+1]

[Joy from Dumbelldore: +1+1+1]

When Lin Bai berated others, he could clearly perceive the emotions of those around him. The emotions of the natives were a given.

What puzzled him was Dumbelldore’s change of heart. This morning, the guy was full of complaints, but by the afternoon, he was taking it all in stride.

No matter how harsh Lin Bai’s words or actions, Dumbelldore only emitted positive emotions.

This isn’t normal, is it? Stockholm Syndrome? Or has my torment driven him mad?

It wasn’t until Lady of L argued with Dumbelldore, furious that her audience was being poached, that Lin Bai’s confusion was cleared.

So, this fellow live-streamed his own abuse. Truly playing the victim! He must have gotten a taste of the benefits to switch from negative to positive emotions!

Lin Bai had originally worried that if he pushed his disciple too hard, the kid might delete his account and start over, refusing to play along anymore.

After all, fewer people came in the afternoon, and to complete his tasks, Lin Bai had focused all his firepower on Dumbelldore...

"Abusive language can chill the heart even in June"—that’s no empty saying.

Though my disciple’s virtue points were deducted, I still get a daily 10% feedback. Even a mosquito’s leg is still meat! This time, I can finally relax. Though my disciple took a beating from me, he found his reward elsewhere, giving him the motivation to continue! With my current fame, finding another Player like Dumbelldore—willing to be tormented and still diligently cultivate Inner Strength—would be truly difficult.

...

「Night fell.」

Not long after the Jimmy Navada family left, Lin Bai finally received a mission accomplished notification in his mind.

And he got the chance to set the second activation phrase for the Palm Thunder spell.

This time, having learned his lesson, Lin Bai kept his mouth tightly shut, no longer speaking rashly.

He glanced at Lady of L and Dumbelldore, then used several Curve Body Single Shadow techniques to vanish into the vast night.

The Palm Thunder Skill is voice-activated; anyone who knows the spell can invoke its power from me. It’s a double-edged sword and could even backfire on me. Therefore, the activation phrase must be set carefully. After all, I have basically no privacy now. Most Players livestream their gameplay. With a crowd watching me, they’d discover the secret of the spell too easily. My Inner Strength isn’t deep enough yet; if the spell got leaked, I could be easily killed by Players. That "Oh shit" is fine; the power it invokes is minuscule. But the Palm Thunder must at least be able to kill a mosquito, right? So, the second phrase must be long. It must have significant power, enough to kill someone. Otherwise, what was all this effort for? The most crucial point is, even if Players discover the phrase, they shouldn’t be able to chant it easily. It doesn’t matter if it’s a bit difficult for me to say. I’ve been thinking about this phrase all day.

Having ditched his pursuers, Lin Bai found a quiet place and recited the phrase he’d been pondering all day, "There is a Cui Thick Leg in front of the mountain and a Cui Leg Thick behind it. The two came to the front of the mountain to compare legs. I don’t know if Cui Thick Leg’s leg is thicker than Cui Leg Thick’s, or if Cui Leg Thick’s leg is thicker than Cui Thick Leg’s?"