Nightmare difficulty is still quite challenging for Ding Shuang at his current level. However, the main reason he dares to choose Nightmare difficulty is that he’s not fighting alone; he has Ding Shuang with him. With the two of them together, the difficulty is greatly reduced.

Ding Shuang summoned Ding Shuang, but didn’t summon her directly. Instead, Ding Shuang entered the character selection screen, where she could choose from a mage, assassin, or Amazon. Ding Shuang chose the Amazon, a good choice for a combination of ranged and melee attacks. Moreover, she possessed shooting and telekinesis skills, making her a perfect match for the Amazon!

After Ding Shuang appeared, the two of them wandered around the Rogue Encampment. It was larger than they had imagined, and there were more people than expected. After meeting a few NPCs, Ding Shuang gained a general understanding of the current situation of this subworld.

The game’s storyline remains unchanged, but it feels more like a realistic world now, with more NPCs not only from the main story but also from random passersby. Buying items involves selecting them from street stalls and paying immediately upon purchase. Repairing equipment isn’t as simple as clicking a button; you have to wait for Charity to arrive and fix it.

Ding Shuang and her companion left the camp and tested the strength of a few lone monsters. They found it manageable; the smaller monsters were manageable, but the elite monsters were a different story. The smaller monsters didn’t drop anything; they had to loot the corpses themselves. This is where Ding Shuang’s appraisal skill and infinite inventory came in handy, ensuring that no good items escaped her grasp.

After spending half a year at the Rogue Encampment, Ding Shuang and his companion reached level 50 before tackling their first quest. They also upgraded their equipment.

Ding Shuang’s sword is the Golden Jade Sword, which is of quite high quality in this world. Her shield is a top-tier shield obtained through gambling with Kid. Ding Shuang’s weapon is the Rapid Piercing Crossbow, also a top-tier weapon. Their other equipment is all usable items obtained from looting corpses.

Six months later, the two finally completed Act One, accompanied by two female mercenaries. During these six months, Ding Shuang hadn’t been womanizing; she had focused solely on honing her combat skills. Since she lacked any martial arts skills, she had practically become Ding Shuang’s personal tank. Most of the missions in Act One were completed thanks to Ding Shuang’s archery (crossbow) and object manipulation (javelin). Several times Ding Shuang nearly died, only surviving thanks to full recovery potions! It was only thanks to the money she won gambling at Geed’s place that she was able to afford the full recovery potions!

Ding Shuang encountered a wandering swordsman at the Rogue Encampment and traded gold coins and wine for a one-handed sword manual. Under the wandering swordsman’s guidance, he began to learn how to use a one-handed sword. After completing the first world, Ding Shuang’s skill bar gained an E-rank one-handed sword technique.

Both of them were already level 70, and there were even more people in Lut Gholein than in the Rogue Encampment! Ding Shuang even considered having Ding Shuang sacrifice herself to level them both up to the maximum. She rejected this suggestion. It wasn’t time to resort to such tactics yet.

Six months later, the two painstakingly completed the second act, reaching level 85. Ding Shuang ultimately didn’t resort to prostitution; after all, Ding Shuang was a man, and he couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be fucked by another man. Self-pleasure wasn’t an option, at most it was masturbation. But this bug had been fixed by the system! Damn it!

Ding Shuang and her companion had been stuck in the third act for a year and a half, still without completing the final mission. By this time, their levels had reached 101! Ding Shuang was thrilled to discover that there was no level cap in this world! Did that mean they could level up infinitely? Grind up their levels, equip themselves well, and crush everything in their path!

Four years later, the two finally reached the fifth act. By then, they had both reached level 150, and their one-handed swordsmanship had reached C-level. Indeed, real combat is the best teacher. Ding Shuang had been teetering on the brink of death for years, honing his combat skills to a high degree. He felt that he might not necessarily lose to Xiao Ma in a fight now.

In the fifth act, Ding Shuang plans to complete the game within three years. She’s been gone for seven years, and many things from the real world have faded from her memory. She needs to rest well when she gets back and won’t travel through time again until her limited-time return card expires.

In the ninth year since Ding Shuang arrived here, he finally cooperated with Ding Shuang to kill Baal and return to the real world! After the white light faded, Ding Shuang returned to the mall’s restroom. Without lingering, he walked straight out of the mall towards the Ba Liu Feng Xue Bar. He wanted to see someone he knew from the real world. He would go find Ding Fei tomorrow and take her out for a stroll.

As Ding Shuang walked, she tallied up the rewards she had received from this transmigration. Aside from the ultimate reward, she hadn’t received any other missions. She had gained 100,000 experience points, 100,000 transmigration points, and ten platinum lottery draws. This was a windfall! If she hadn’t leveled up so quickly by exploiting a bug, this 100,000 experience points would have been quite a substantial reward.

I’ll do the ten lottery draws when I get back. First, I’ll go see if the proprietress is there and have a good chat with her. I’ll also let her taste the drinks I made with my A-level training techniques. Ding Shuang had just arrived at the bar entrance when he stared blankly at the tightly closed door! He wasn’t frozen because the bar was closed, but because of the system’s voice echoing in his mind.

“Congratulations, host, on clearing three sub-worlds! The shop function is now unlocked! You can now use travel points to shop in the shop! Enjoy your shopping!”

Ding Shuang stood at the bar entrance and started browsing the system shop. He found that the system sold a lot of things, but it was also really expensive! He felt that he had become rich by earning 100,000 transmigration points this time, but when he saw what the shop had to offer, he realized he was still a poor guy! Damn it, an F-level skill costs 100,000 points, and the cheapest item costs 10,000! He had worked so hard and had only saved up less than 140,000 transmigration points.

Ding Shuang sorted the items by price in ascending order and found a few that looked good. A smart communication device that could replace all the functions of a mobile phone, requiring no phone bills, and impossible to track, locate, or eavesdrop on, priced at only 39,998. A real-world identity, providing a perfect and legal real-world identity with complete documentation, making it impossible to trace, priced at 15,000 each.

Just as Ding Shuang was about to buy a smart communication device, she suddenly felt someone tap her on the shoulder. Ding Shuang almost turned around and killed someone! This was a conditioned reflex honed from ten years of military service. Fortunately, Ding Shuang was home and stopped Ding Shuang in time.

Ding Shuang turned around and saw it was the proprietress. She smiled and said, “Sister Liu, why are you here so early today?”

The moment Ding Shuang turned around, Qiu Xueliu saw Ding Shuang’s cold eyes, and her whole body went cold, as if she were about to die. Ding Shuang’s expression suddenly changed, her face warm and gentle, dispelling the chill around her. Qiu Xueliu thought she had imagined it, shook her head, and said, “You’re here early! Don’t you usually only come when the door is open? Why are you here so early today? Don’t you have a key? Where’s Ding Shuang?”

Ding Shuang said awkwardly, “I had some errands to run around here, and I came to work early after I finished. Ding Shuang is at home; she’ll be at work on time soon.”

Qiu Xueliu rolled her eyes and said, “Arrive at work on time? Just barely make it! Did you teach that?”

Ding Shuang quickly changed the subject, saying, “I came early today because I feel my bartending skills have improved recently, and I’d like to try a few new recipes. Sister Liu, you can give me some advice.”

Upon hearing that Ding Shuang had a new recipe, Qiu Xueliu’s eyes lit up. She quickly took out her keys, opened the door, and said to Ding Shuang, “Come in quickly, I’ll be waiting for you at the bar.”

Ding Shuang followed Qiu Xueliu into the bar. Ding Shuang first went to the staff changing room to change clothes. While changing, Ding Shuang purchased a smart communication device from the system store. The smart communication device that appeared in Ding Shuang’s hand was a liquid metal sphere. After scanning Ding Shuang, it directly merged into Ding Shuang’s body.

Ding Shuang was startled and asked the system, “With such a large amount of mercury entering my body, won’t I die from poisoning?”

“Host, that’s liquid alloy, not mercury. It’s harmless to the human body and can be transformed into various communication devices according to your will.”

“Does that mean you’re carrying every brand of phone with you? Can you conjure up an iPad and a laptop?”

“A suitable host.”

After changing her clothes, Ding Shuang walked towards the bar, flipping through several different phones in her hands, thoroughly enjoying herself. When she reached the bar, she saw that Qiu Xueliu seemed impatiently waiting. Sure enough, Qiu Xueliu said, “Why are you so slow? Changing clothes takes longer than me!”

Ding Shuang said, “You are a man of unwavering loyalty and integrity, a true hero. How could I possibly compare to you!”

Qiu Xueliu’s eyebrows furrowed, and she snapped, “What did you just say, brat?”

Ding Shuang quickly apologized, “I’m sorry, Sister Liu, I shouldn’t have called you a real man.”

Qiu Xueliu became even angrier and shouted, “That’s not it!”

After pondering for a while, Ding Shuang said, “Could it be an elderly person?”

Qiu Xueliu picked up Ding Shuang’s cocktail fork, stabbed it at Ding Shuang, and yelled, “Ding Shuang! Are you looking for death?”

Ding Shuang quickly dodged the thrust and apologized, “I’m sorry, Sister Liu, you… can’t possibly be old! You’re at most eighteen! This first glass of wine is dedicated to you at eighteen!”

Hearing that there was alcohol, Qiu Xueliu stopped attacking Ding Shuang and sat back down, watching him mix the drink. She thought to herself, “If this kid doesn’t mix this drink well, I’ll have to teach him a lesson. He’s getting more and more disrespectful!”

Ding Shuang quickly prepared the first drink and handed it to Qiu Xueliu. Qiu Xueliu frowned slightly and asked, “A soft drink?”

Ding Shuang smiled and said, “Yes and no, Sister Liu, you’ll know once you try it.”

Qiu Xueliu picked up her glass and took a sip. A strong flavor filled her mouth, sweet with a hint of sourness and a subtle bitterness. Qiu Xueliu’s eyes lit up; it was as if she had truly returned to her 18-year-old self, experiencing that sweet and sour taste, along with the powerful kick of strong liquor!

Qiu Xueliu put down her wine glass and said loudly, “Wow! This is really good wine! It makes me feel like I’m 18 again.”

Ding Shuang chuckled and said, “Sister Liu, what nonsense are you talking about? You’re clearly 18 years old.”

Qiu Xueliu glared at Ding Shuang, then took another sip and said, “I didn’t see you put in much alcohol just now, why does it smell so strong?”

Ding Shuang said, “This is a recipe my master taught me, so that even people with a low alcohol tolerance can taste the Daojiu.”

Qiu Xueliu nodded, not asking Ding Shuang’s recipe, and continued drinking her glass. After finishing the glass, Qiu Xueliu commented, “It’s really a good wine, but I don’t like the very faint bitterness. Everything else is very good.”

Ding Shuang was taken aback and said, “Uh, maybe it’s because your age is different from ours, Sister Liu. You’ve never experienced hardship, have you?”

Qiu Xueliu was taken aback by Ding Shuang’s question. Yes, this young man in front of her had certainly endured a lot of hardship. However, he didn’t emphasize the bitterness, but rather treated it as a faint memory. Thinking about it that way, this glass of wine was truly perfect.

Seeing that the proprietress didn’t speak, Ding Shuang smiled and said, “I’ll make you another drink later, Sister Liu, and I’ll remove the bitterness.”

Qiu Xueliu shook her head and said, “No, if I haven’t tasted the bitterness of life, can’t I at least try the bitterness of wine?”

Ding Shuang clutched her heart and said, “Sister, please stop talking! It hurts so much to feel this pain!”

Qiu Xueliu laughed and playfully slapped Ding Shuang, saying, “Enough talk! Second cup!”

The second, the third, the fourth… all the way to the tenth, Qiu Xueliu finished them all. Qiu Xueliu really liked Ding Shuang’s idea. It was flavorful, yet not intoxicating. While Ding Shuang was mixing drinks for the boss’s wife, the employees gradually arrived. Seeing the boss’s wife sitting at the bar, Ding Shuang mixing one drink after another, they knew the two were developing a new drink menu. That makes sense; with such fierce competition from the other side, how could they attract customers without offering something good?

In the end, Ding Shuang mixed 15 different drinks for the proprietress. Qiu Xueliu also called Xiao Fang over and updated the drink menu with the latest drinks, including labels on alcohol content and different prices. Ding Shuang said, “Proprietress, you’re going to go bankrupt running this business. With prices so clearly marked, where’s the profit margin?”

Qiu Xueliu laughed and said, “Hahaha, I didn’t open this bar to make money, I just wanted to be able to drink good drinks. Alright, these 15 kinds of drinks will be the main focus of the bar recently. You’ll work hard, but your salary and commission will be substantial.”

Ding Shuang smiled too; the proprietress was quite generous to her employees. As a bartender, she not only had a fixed salary, but also received a commission on every drink ordered. And any tips from customers were all hers.

Ding Shuang approached the bar and greeted the proprietress. Qiu Xueliu returned the greeting and then left. Back in her office, Qiu Xueliu’s face was flushed. It wasn’t that she couldn’t hold her liquor, but rather that she had been momentarily smitten while watching Ding Shuang mix drinks.

I’m almost 30! Even though I’ve never been in a relationship, I wouldn’t be interested in such a young guy! Am I just too old to be thinking of getting a younger woman? Sigh, better not. Xiao Ding already has a girlfriend, and she’s pretty good-looking. If I were 10 years younger, maybe I’d give it a shot.

Ding Shuang hadn’t expected Qiu Xueliu to have such emotions. He deeply respected the proprietress and would never harbor any improper thoughts towards her. The reason Qiu Xueliu was affected was those 15 drinks. After reaching A-level bartending skills, Ding Shuang infused each drink with emotion. These 15 drinks contained Ding Shuang’s nostalgia for the past, his longing for Ding Fei whom he hadn’t seen for ten years, his love for Rong Bing, and his gratitude towards the proprietress… Fifteen drinks in a row, especially while drinking them in front of Ding Shuang, it would be strange if he wasn’t affected by Ding Shuang’s emotions.

That night, business at the bar was dismal. Wan Xialiu’s people from across the street were already vying for customers at the bar’s entrance. Qiu Xueliu didn’t let her employees chase people away; if there were no customers, so be it. Wan Xialiu’s price war wouldn’t last long. They’d done this countless times before.

With fewer people, Ding Shuang had some free time. A few scattered customers sampled the new wine and all praised Ding Shuang’s cooking skills! One of the women even slipped Ding Shuang a little note, which Ding Shuang smiled and put in the bar drawer. This drawer was specifically for collecting notes; once a certain number were accumulated, they would all be disposed of at once.

Business was slow, so Qiu Xueliu closed the shop early and sent her employees home.