Love at First Game

Episode 6 Vivian, the Sidekick

Although they were married, Vivian defined her role in the relationship with Nathan very clearly: she was the sidekick. Daniel Thorne was the hero, and she was the loyal companion who fought monsters, scouted ahead, and carried out tasks. She joked with herself that it was all to pay off her "debt" for accepting Nathan’s extravagant bridal gifts.

Most days, life after marriage was business as usual. Vivian continued leveling up and questing with George, Max, and the gang. Occasionally, Nathan would suggest they separate from the group to complete couple quests, which helps boost their intimacy points and upgrade their shared skills. These couple of quests were hilariously easy for two high-level players. Vivian often charged ahead, hacking and slashing with her massive sword, while Nathan sat by the stream, leisurely playing his flute. The scene was undeniably romantic, much to Vivian’s exasperation.

The Encounter with Blaze

One day, Vivian and Nathan headed to the Snow Pool on the mountain at Nathan's request. The location was a high-level area where only the most skilled players ventured, given the strength of the monsters there. When Vivian arrived, she found Nathan standing near the west side of the pool, accompanied by another male player. The other player was glowing green, frozen in place by a paralysis spell.

Nathan gestured toward the immobilized player and said, “I’ll keep him paralyzed with my pet. You can attack him… slowly.”

Vivian frowned. “Slowly?”

Nathan elaborated, “Use your worst weapon. Chip away at him bit by bit.”

Vivian sweatdropped. Does Daniel Thorne have a personal vendetta against this guy? She glanced at the player’s ID: Blaze. The name felt oddly familiar.

Before she could ask, Blaze began shouting, “Nathan, you scumbag! Is this because I called you a scumbag on the world channel? And what am I to your woman? A punching bag for her entertainment?”

Ah, Vivian thought, the pieces clicking into place. Blaze was the same player who had mocked Nathan for marrying her on the world channel during their wedding. Vivian had even written down his ID, intending to confront him someday, but she’d gotten too busy with quests to follow through. Clearly, Nathan hadn’t forgotten—and he was far more thorough in his revenge.

While Blaze cursed loudly, Vivian rummaged through her inventory. Finally, she found her old, broken newbie sword and announced with a cheerful emoji, “Found it! Good thing I didn’t throw this away!”

Blaze’s curses turned into despair as the red-clad warrior approached with his rusty sword. Each swing chipped away at his health, dealing only 1 piece of damage at a time.

The Never-Ending Ordeal

As Blaze continued cursing, Nathan chimed in, “Don’t worry, you won’t die. When your health gets too low, I’ll heal you.”

Vivian couldn’t help but wonder why Blaze didn’t simply log off. If a player disconnects during a fight, the system will determine whether they flee or die based on the situation. Blaze wasn’t even trying to escape.

Confused, Vivian messaged Nathan privately: “Why isn’t he logging off? Is he just being stubborn?”

Nathan replied coolly: “He’s in the middle of a serial quest.”

Vivian froze. Serial quests?!

Serial quests in Dreaming of Jianghu were notorious for their difficulty and unforgiving mechanics. Players could complete dozens of stages, but if they failed the final stage, they wouldn’t receive any rewards or experience points. Worse, they weren’t allowed to log off during the quest, or they’d have to start over from the beginning.

Recalling the location, Vivian realized which quest Blaze was on. Snow Pool was the final stage of the 99-stage Ultimate Consecutive Mission—a notoriously brutal questline.

She gawked at the screen in disbelief. Daniel Thorne, you are absolutely ruthless!

A Slow, Painful Revenge

With her rusty sword, Vivian continued whittling away at Blaze’s health. The process was mind-numbing slow, and Blaze’s stream of curses never ceased. Occasionally, Nathan’s pet would purr contentedly, adding insult to injury.

At one point, Blaze snapped, “I have a big mouth, okay? Just kill me already and be done with it!”

Nathan responded with an infuriating calm, “Why rush? I’ll heal you if your health gets too low. No need to worry.”

Vivian chuckled to herself. She was impressed, in a twisted way, by Nathan’s ability to maintain such an elegant demeanor while exacting such petty vengeance.

A Sidekick’s Revelation

As the ordeal dragged on, Vivian’s thoughts wandered. Nathan wasn’t just cunning—he was meticulous, patient, and quietly vindictive. She made a mental note to never cross him.

“Daniel Thorne,” she muttered under her breath, “you’re absolutely terrifying.”

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Blaze’s health bar dwindled to a sliver. Vivian glanced at Nathan, who looked entirely unbothered, as if this were just another ordinary day.

With a flourish, Nathan gestured toward Blaze’s immobilized figure. “Now, my dear sidekick, finish him off.”

Vivian delivered the final blow, sending Blaze into a dramatic death animation.

Lessons Learned

As they left the Snow Pool, Vivian couldn’t help but laugh. She messaged Nathan: “Remind me never to upset you.”

Nathan replied: “Don’t worry, you’re my wife. I only exact revenge on others.”

Vivian rolled her eyes but felt a warmth in his words. While their relationship might have started as a practical arrangement, it was becoming something far more intriguing—and unpredictable.