In one of the eight main cities of "Sword Maiden Online," Yuzhang City, inside a certain three-star hotel:
"System Notice: The named sword dungeon 'Qingfeng Mingyue Sword' has been cleared, evaluation score: A-level. Please, all sword holders, continue to strive and achieve an S-level rating."
"Ugh, another A-level. Why do we always get stuck at A-level? I'll never be able to get the token for the Mingyue Sword in my lifetime," a somewhat plump girl pouted, complaining.
"It's okay, Anning. We completed all the side quests this time. We were just five minutes short of getting an S-level rating. Next time, we will definitely get an S," said a woman in her thirties, with a mature figure, a smooth voice, and an elegant demeanor—a beauty that could make any mature woman enthusiast fall head over heels.
"Hey, you dirty pervert, why aren't you saying anything? If it weren't for you not holding up against that guy called Star矢 today, we wouldn't have wasted those five minutes!" The girl named Anning turned her anger on a seemingly innocent, shifty-eyed guy beside her.
"My lady, try defending against two Silver Saints by yourself and see. I did my best, okay?" Toad explained with a pained expression.
"Hmph, you couldn't even handle two Silver Saints. I thought you were so great, the first man to clear the initial dungeon at the SS level. What a scary reputation, making me sacrifice my looks to recruit you into the team. What a waste, you're completely useless."
"Stop it, miss. It's true I was lured in by looks, but you need to understand, the one who sold her looks was not you, but the most respected leader, Mingyue, okay? You're just a washboard, so don't get involved," Toad said indignantly.
"Enough! You two are so talkative!!" Mingyue, the stunning mature beauty, showed a hint of anger and embarrassment on her face. "Anning, stop blaming Toad. He's only a new player who has been in the game for less than a month. To reach the Ancient Sword and hold off two Silver Saints for a month is already impressive. Toad absolutely deserves the title of the first person to clear the 'Yuewang Goujian Sword' dungeon."
"Hehe, leader, you flatter me, you flatter me!!" Toad's face lit up with a smile, but it quickly turned into a bitter expression. "But, leader, after today, the title of the first person won't belong to Toad anymore."
"What do you mean?" Mingyue's hand trembled as she was about to take a sip of tea. "Toad, what do you mean?"
"Leader, I mean that after today, the title of the first person to clear the 'Yuewang Goujian Sword' dungeon will belong to someone else, and it won't be on my head anymore!!" Toad snapped his fingers, and a golden, dazzling title appeared above his head: "First Person to Clear the Yuewang Goujian Sword Dungeon."
"Damn... Where did that blinding light come from?! My eyes are going to be blinded!" A bystander in the hotel was blinded by the light.
"Damn... I'm not seeing things, right? It's actually the title of the first person. I've played games all my life and never seen this title in person!!"
"Damn, damn, damn... This is actually the title of the first person to clear the Yuewang Goujian Sword dungeon. Didn't I hear that the owner of this title died over a hundred years ago?"
"Haven't you been following the forums lately? The dungeon's rating has been refreshed, and a new SS-level player has cleared it. The one who died a hundred years ago was at the S level. The title of the first person to clear the Yuewang Goujian Sword dungeon has naturally reappeared."
"So, that person is the one who refreshed the dungeon this time!! What a beast!! So impressive, I want to find him and get his autograph..."
"You save it... I saw him first, so he should sign for me first!!"
The hotel erupted into chaos as everyone was driven mad by the dazzling title. Countless people wanted to get close to Toad and ask him for an autograph. Within seconds, dozens of posts were made on the official forum, all showing screenshots of themselves with Toad. Within minutes, these posts had hundreds of replies, all filled with envy and curses wishing the original posters would die soon.
The hype was even greater than that for popular young idols.
"Quick, accept the invitation, come to my place!!" The leader's expression changed, and she quickly opened her interface, tapping a few times. The three of them disappeared from the hotel, leaving behind a crowd of disappointed onlookers.
———
"Toad, you were too reckless this time. I've told you so many times not to show your title casually. Can't you remember anything?!" Back at her house, a standard three-story villa with over a dozen rooms, Mingyue began to scold Toad without hesitation.
"Leader, please understand... This is the last time I'll show this title. After today, it won't be mine anymore," Toad said sadly.
"What's going on? How do you know that after today, the title won't be yours anymore?" The leader asked seriously.
"It's simple. Someone will break my record today... That guy has been preparing for twelve years. I'm not his match!" Toad showed a look of admiration. "How can a guy who's been preparing for a month compete with someone who's been preparing for twelve years?!"
"You mean someone has been preparing for twelve years for this title?!" Mingyue was shocked. "That means he started preparing when he was six years old!! That's unbelievable."
"Yes, if I hadn't grown up with that guy, I wouldn't believe it either. To be honest, leader, I owe 90% of my title to his plan. Without his strategy, I couldn't have broken the record and gotten the title."
"Hey, dirty pervert, you're already at the SS level. What can he do? Does he think someone can get an SSS-level rating?!" The girl Anning said disdainfully.
"No, Anning, if I'm not mistaken, Toad's friend is aiming for the SSS-level title!!" Mingyue's voice was low and serious.
"How do you know, leader?" Anning asked, puzzled.
"Didn't Toad just say that the guy prepared for twelve years for one hour? One hour, isn't that the SSS level?" Mingyue turned to Toad. "Am I right, Toad?"
"You're right, leader. My childhood friend is aiming for the SSS level. Today is his 18th birthday. Calculating the time, he should have entered the game by now!!" Toad smiled bitterly. "The title of the first person was just something he lent me to play with for a month. Now that the month is up, it's time to return it to him."
"That's impossible... It's absolutely impossible!!" Anning shook her head vigorously. "No one can complete the task in less than an hour. It's absolutely impossible... It takes twenty minutes just to crawl out of the ruins and another twenty minutes to run to the Honest Man's grocery store... There are so many more challenges after that. How can he finish the task in just one hour?!"
"It's true. If I tell you that it takes only thirty seconds from entering the game to reaching the Honest Man's grocery store, would you believe me?"
"Thirty seconds!!!" Anning fell back onto the sofa, feeling her common sense completely shattered.
"Yes, thirty seconds. He found a way to shorten the time for the first two tasks to thirty seconds. I used this method to break the S-level record and complete the task in less than two hours." Toad looked at Mingyue and smiled helplessly. "When we first met, I refused to tell you why my method worked. The rest of the strategy is the same as the guide, but the only difference is the shortcut for the first two tasks. I promised my friend I would never reveal this shortcut."
"What about the rest?" Mingyue said, emphasizing each word. "Even if the first two tasks take only thirty seconds, delivering the Lianian Calendar to the museum takes at least twenty minutes, and the battles inside the museum take at least an hour and a half. Toad, tell me, how can your friend finish the hour-and-a-half battle in just half an hour?"
"I don't know..." Toad shrugged. "Otherwise, my time wouldn't be one hour and fifty minutes. I asked him, but he wouldn't tell me. He said this method is only for those who are in the dark."