Chapter 449
Chapter 450 Familiar Names
feels like all these activities are pretty much the same. I’m kind of tired of them p>
+5 Ped
Specter hated seeing her unhappy and quickly offered an idea. “Then let’s rest for a bit, and then/head somewhere else for something different, okay p>
Lyra turned and sat down at a random spot.
She propped her cheek on one hand and typed, “What’s there to do in other places p>
Specter walked over and squatted down in front of her.
“Other planets besides the Core Prime are built to look just as they were before the invasion and Occupation.
“Each one has native inhabitants with their own local customs p>
Lyra blinked.
She glanced around before typing, “So the third- and fourth–tier planets are modeled after how you used to live p>
Specter smiled at her cautious glance.
“Yeah. At first they were built from my memories. Later we added details from Jessa and Wren’s accounts, plus descriptions from other former residents, until everything felt right p>
Lyra lifted her eyebrows with interest.
Then she gave his arm a light, playful swat.
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner p>
Specter didn’t dodge the tap. “It’s my fault. I saw how much fun you were having, so I planned to mention it once you got bored of this area p>
Lyra stood up at once. “I’m already bored. Let’s go right now p>
Specter held out his hand. Lyra placed hers in it, and the two ran off into the distance.
The observers watching from the shadows immediately sent word to the others.
On the way, Lyra typed, “I should have changed into that nicer bird costume. We could fly over there”
Specter said, “It’s fine There are trading posts of similar scale in the other zones too p>
For now he paused, slipped an arm gently around Lyra’s waist, and used his character’s high agility to dart between the towering buildings with her, “we’ll just have to hop and leap our way there p>
Lyra laughed at his wording
They reached the starport terminal, and Specter went to buy tickets from the NPC
09:01 Wed, Oct 14
Chapter 450 Familiar Names
Lyra sat in the waiting area.
While she waited, she scanned her surroundings, pretending to examine the unfamiliar scenery.
Suddenly, her gaze locked on a group of players sitting nearby.
The IDs floating above their heads caught her eye: “BigChubbyFishNotFat“, “LongEaredCatWhoLoves Books“, “TankOfLittleRedFish“, “L.K.Cookie“, “NewHatFinishedWeaving“, “SnowBraidingHair“, “ThreeTails“, “WastelandSilent Wanderer p>
Lyra’s throat tightened.
They were all here.
Specter returned and noticed her mood had shifted. He asked quickly, “What’s wrong p>
Lyra forced a faint smile and typed, “Just feeling a little emotional p>
ཎཾ རེ ཛ ཞེ དེ ཞེའྀ་དེའོ་ཧོའི་ཚ་
Specter studied her face carefully.
+5 Pearls
Lyra continued, “I suddenly wondered what would’ve happened if, back then, I could’ve left Core Prime as freely in real life as I can here. Maybe everything would’ve turned out differently p>
She wouldn’t have carried so much resentment, the kind that had felt like a mire, nearly swallowing her whole.
Hearing the sadness in her tone, Specter suspected nothing.
He fell quiet for a moment, guilt flickering across his face, and whispered, “…I’m sorry p>
He lifted his hand, wanting to brush her cheek.
Lyra pulled away again and changed the subject.
“Did you get the tickets? ”
Specter’s hand froze mid–air, then slowly dropped to his side.
“Yep p>
Her hot–and–cold behavior left Specter constantly unsure how she truly felt about him.
“Then let’s hurry p>
Lyra acted as if she hadn’t noticed his disappointment and walked toward the boarding gate first.
Specter glanced after her, then hurried to catch up.
This terminal was a replica of the real starport hub on Core Prime At the broadcast announcement, the other players rose and headed for their boarding gates.
Once they boarded the spacecraft, the interior layout was nearly identical to the ship Jessa had first taken
her to Core Prime.
09:01 Wed, Oct 14
Chapter 450 Familiar Names
+5 Pearls
Lyra looked around with apparent curiosity.
Secretly, she counted how many of their watchers had boarded.
Specter sat beside her and suggested, “It’ll take a while to get there. Want to close your eyes and rest p>
Lyra blinked.
Wait …
“Does this part also mirror reality p>
Specter spoke softly. “Yeah. It’s meant to drain their time and energy p>
Lyra typed, “But they could just leave their avatars on AFK, right p>
Specter’s smile turned a little cunning.
“No logging out, no AFK. They have to stay online the whole time p>
Lyra stared.
“Hasn’t your backend gotten flooded with complaints p>
Specter shrugged. “I don’t read them p>
If he didn’t look, those hateful messages couldn’t reach him.
Lyra silently gave him a thumbs–up.
“So then we’re stuck waiting this out too p>
Specter looked cheerful.
“I don’t see it as waiting. Time never feels long when I’m with you p>
He said it sincerely, looking straight at her.
Lyra lowered her gaze and smiled, typing no reply.
That unshakable, slippery unease stirred in Specter again.
He cautiously reached out and laced his fingers with hers.
This time, Lyra only glanced at him and didn’t pull away.
Specter’s heart settled, if only a little.
The others sat far enough away that they could only see the tops of their heads sitting side by side.
They could not hear a single word Specter said.
But Lyra’s chat box kept refreshing above her avatar
09:01 Wed, Oct 14
Chapter 450 Familiar Names
From her text messages, they could roughly follow their conversation.
temed there was no privacy at all.
But the public chat was originally designed for players who weren’t friends.
friends used direct team voice chat.
yra, though, had no choice but to rely on text.
she still needed to pass information to the watchers.
+5 Pearls
So she asked casually, “Aren’t you leaving tomorrow morning? Won’t playing in the game cut into your rest ”
Specter replied, “It’s fine. I can sleep right inside the game if I
get
tired p>
yra typed, “Won’t that hurt your body p>
Specter shook his head. “You might just get sore from the immersion headset pressing against you. Nothing
¡ erious p>
Ruby Walker
Ruby Walker is a rising voice in the world of romance and spicy fiction. With a gift for weaving deep emotions, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected twists, her stories are a blend of passion and drama that captivate readers from start to finish. Ruby’s writing style is bold and irresistible—perfect for those who crave intense, addictive love stories.