Chapter 15: 50% Progress

Forget it for now—2,000 points should be enough to do plenty, right?

First, unveil the mystery of that question mark tag.

With no new tags available, it was the only option to explore.

200 tag energy points, invested!

Xu Lin watched the question mark tag with anticipation.

…

What the heck?!

After investing 200 points, the expected unveiling didn’t happen.

[<?> Progress: 5%]

It only showed this.

A progress bar? And 200 points only got him 5%?

At this rate, his 2,000+ points could only get him to about 50% progress.

But soon, he realized it wasn’t that simple.

[<?> Requires 400 <Heavy Girl> tag energy to craft]

Why did the cost go up?

Should he stop?

He worried it might be a bottomless pit.

But the problem was, this was the only new thing to explore right now.

If he gave up, his tag energy could only be used to make <Positive Role> tags.

And <Positive Role> was starting to look insufficient.

He had no choice but to continue.

While keeping up the small talk with Lin Shen Xue, Xu Lin invested 400 energy points into the question mark tag.

[<?> Progress: 15%]

As expected, it only increased progress, but this time it doubled the previous amount.

Not a total loss, then.

Xu Lin gained some confidence.

How much energy would it need next?

800 points.

Still enough.

He invested again.

[<?> Progress: 30%]

This time, it jumped 15%, confirming the increase scaled with investment.

He checked the next required amount.

1,600 points.

Alright, he was out of energy for now.

But based on this pattern, the total energy needed didn’t seem astronomical.

Plus…

Xu Lin looked at the question mark tag.

It was glowing now.

It wasn’t obvious at first, but at 30%, the glow was unmistakable.

And it was golden!

Golden already?

In games, gold meant something special—no explanation needed. His system used colors to denote grades too.

What kind of effect would a golden tag have?

Now he understood why it required so much energy.

The only odd thing was why this tag was so unique, unlocking in stages rather than showing the total energy needed upfront.

No matter!

Since it was gold-grade, he had to get it.

“Young hero, what’s going on? Why’d you zone out?”

Li Zhi Ran’s questioning voice came through.

“Xu Lin, are you okay?”

Even Lin Shen Xue looked at him with concern.

He’d been dazed too long, noticed by both.

“I’m fine.”

His response was for both her and Li Zhi Ran elsewhere.

Refocusing on Lin Shen Xue, he saw no major changes in her state.

Xu Lin relaxed slightly.

Keep going.

To increase the question mark tag’s progress, he needed more energy, meaning more interaction with Lin Shen Xue.

But…

Ugh…

A dull pain hit his head, and he clutched his forehead.

The mineral water’s effect had worn off.

He checked his status bar—the two negative statuses were now vivid, and he felt the discomfort of facing the <Heavy Girl> tag head-on.

“It’s so hot, all sweaty.”

Xu Lin smiled, using wiping sweat to mask his pained gesture.

He drank the last bit of his water.

“Out of water.”

He stood.

“Lin, wait a sec, I’ll grab another bottle.”

He went to the vending machine and bought another bottle.

Before returning, he took a big gulp.

Much better now.

Sitting back down, his expression shifted slightly.

“Xu Lin, are you really okay?”

Lin Shen Xue noticed, her face showing worry.

“This morning, you looked unwell too. Is it…”

“I’m fine.”

Xu Lin flashed a healthy smile.

“This morning? Just sleep deprivation. Stayed up too late playing the new storyline. Napped at noon, and I’m good now.”

He wasn’t forcing himself.

It wasn’t Lin Shen Xue’s gravity field this time—it was the water.

After sitting, maybe from pressure or something, his bladder felt odd.

From morning till now, he’d drunk several bottles of water and plenty of cola without a single bathroom break.

Feeling it now, he thanked the hot weather.

It was just a slight urge—he could hold it.

And this was a critical moment; he couldn’t drop the ball.

After some reassurance, Lin Shen Xue relaxed.

Xu Lin resumed talking about games.

“Speaking of last night’s new storyline, Yuki Hongye…”

He didn’t know how he’d gotten those 2,000+ points, but since he hadn’t done much, he decided to test each action.

Giving water or tissues again felt out of place—she hadn’t touched the ones in her bag.

So he stuck with game talk.

Lin Shen Xue listened as he spoke, her chibi figure never frowning, so he kept going.

After a bit, her mood didn’t dip—in fact, she got happier.

But Xu Lin noticed the tag energy was increasing slowly.

Only tens of points at a time.

It was close to covering the 1,600-point shortfall.

But at this rate, what about the next step?

Game talk wasn’t cutting it.

Time to switch topics.

They’d also discussed cosplay before.

But that topic was nearly exhausted, and he couldn’t find a good re-entry point.

Tricky. He took a sip of water, lowering his head to think.

Then he glanced at his own clothes.

Right, there’s me!

He gradually steered the conversation from games back to cosplay.

“Lin, what do you think of me?”

Lin Shen Xue, immersed in the chat, froze, her face flushing as she stammered.

“I used to think cosplay was embarrassing. But your cosplay looks so natural. I’m thinking of trying it. Can you give me some pointers?”

Hearing the second half, Lin Shen Xue seemed relieved but also faintly disappointed.

Then her eyes lit up, and she leaned closer, gazing at him.

Xu Lin stiffened but let her pressure wash over him without moving.

“Xu Lin, you’d be perfect as the ‘Crosser’!”

Her face reddened again.

“Th-the male version, of course.”

She quickly clarified.

The ‘Crosser’ was the player’s identity in the game, with a choice of gender.

Really?

Her confidence made Xu Lin doubt.

But he was grateful she didn’t suggest cross-dressing.

“If you cosplayed, it’d be…”

Lin Shen Xue grew animated, sharing her ideas.

She started with the game’s original design, then tailored it to Xu Lin’s traits—sketching, choosing fabrics, measuring, sewing, and final makeup.

Every step was practical.

She was articulate on this topic, and Xu Lin learned a lot.

But it was just theory—his hands couldn’t keep up.

Lin Shen Xue was enthusiastic, and Xu Lin took more sips of water.

He had to, or he couldn’t handle it.

But his efforts paid off.

2,000 points!

His <Heavy Girl> tag energy jumped another 2,000 points.

Was the key topic cosplay—or her love for making clothes?

Enough for 1,600 now.

He’d had enough earlier, but Lin Shen Xue was so engaged he hadn’t diverted attention.

Now, with a brief pause, he checked while sipping water.

Alright, time to unlock more of the question mark tag.

1,600 points invested!

[<?> Progress: 50%]

Halfway there!

Victory in sight!

He checked the next energy requirement.

But the new note on <?> left him stunned.