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Frustration is a silent killer of focus. Ke Qing, having ascended to the prestigious position of the Liyue Qixing at such a remarkably young age, could truly be called a favored daughter of the heavens. She was naturally proud, driven, and possessed a near-obsessive need to prove her efficiency.
With a personality like that, every time she was sent back to her "happy home" at the bottom of the mountain, her irritation grew like a gathering storm.
The pressure only mounted as a large group of spectators hovered behind her. Their presence made her movements stiff, and her once-precise mouse clicks became clumsy and erratic.
After an agonizing struggle, she finally managed to wedge the bald man through the narrow stone gap. Ke Qing let out a small sigh of relief, but Li Mo, watching from the counter, knew the real nightmare was just beginning.
Back in his world, he had seen countless streamers lose their sanity at this exact spot, transforming from calm gamers into screaming baboons. Our dear Yuheng, however, was blissfully unaware of the trap ahead. She steeled her nerves, determined to push forward with everything she had.
The next section of the climb was a psychological minefield. To continue upward toward the right, one first had to clear a precarious stone ledge on the left. This stone was notorious; it was smooth, slanted, and offered a tiny foothold that felt more like a suggestion than a platform.
Ke Qing's sharp intuition screamed at her that this was a trap. She slowed down, her eyes narrowing as she calculated the trajectory. But in a game like "Digging the Ground for Ascension," caution isn't always a shield. For someone who had only just learned how to hold a mouse, a single pixel of error was all it took.
Under Ke Qing's trembling control, the bald man, Wu Ke, lunged upward with his hammer. He actually managed to land on the left-hand rock, but in her panic to stabilize him, Ke Qing accidentally pushed the hammer against the stone again instead of hooking it.
"No! Wait!"
Under Ke Qing's horrified gaze, the character on the screen slid off the left side of the ledge. With a sickening slide and a final, mocking thud, he fell through the air.
Paji. Back to the happy home. Ke Qing stared blankly at the screen, her eyes fixed on the same old tree she had seen at the start of the hour. She felt a strange sense of daze. She had climbed so high, endured so much, only for one tiny slip of the hand to reset all her progress?
"I don't believe this! This can't be right!"
Her fury was finally ignited. She shook the mouse with renewed vigor and set off again. She was genuinely angry now. This was just a small game from another world; she refused to believe that the mighty Yuheng Star could be defeated by a bald man in a pot.
However, playing this game while angry is a recipe for disaster. When your heart is racing and your teeth are clenched, your coordination falls apart. The "old family tree" that she used to clear in two seconds suddenly became an insurmountable obstacle. She got stuck. She swung her hammer in the wrong direction multiple times. She hooked a paddle only to launch herself backward into the dirt.
After what felt like an eternity, she finally scrambled through the stone gap again, only to overcompensate with her strength on the upper ledge.
Paji. Back home again.
As if the game itself were mocking her, the background music suddenly shifted into a familiar, cheerful tune about "Coming home often to see the family, helping mom and dad wash the dishes." The song was lovely in any other context, but hearing it now felt like a direct insult to her dignity. It was the final straw.
"I'm done! I'm not playing this anymore!"
The cat-eared Yuheng dropped the mouse, slumped back into the sofa, and kicked her legs in a fit of pure pique. She squeezed her eyes shut, looking like a defeated kitten. This "ghost game" truly required a person with a heart of iron and the patience of a saint. If your mind wasn't perfectly calm, the game would simply eat your soul.
Ke Qing stood up, turned toward the counter, and pointed an accusing finger at Li Mo. "What is wrong with this game? Is the entire purpose just to torment people on purpose?"
The surrounding onlookers nodded in fervent agreement, especially those who had already tried their hand at the mountain. Challenges were one thing, but this felt like a personal vendetta against the player's sanity.
Li Mo simply spread his hands, offering a relaxed smile. "I did warn you, Lady Keqing. This is a game of perseverance. You didn't expect to conquer a mountain that has stumped thousands in just a few hours, did you?"
He leaned forward, lowering his voice slightly. "To be honest, your progress is actually incredible. Most people don't even make it past the first few rocks on their first try. Once you're more familiar with the controls, I have no doubt you'll be the one to clear it."
Hearing this, Ke Qing and the crowd felt a small wave of comfort. It was true—this was alien technology. It was only natural to be unskilled at first.
"Exactly," Li Mo continued. "There's no need to be angry. Just take your time. Think of the glory! The first person to clear this game will have a massive sense of accomplishment. I might even prepare a special reward for the first champion of the cafe."
The mention of a reward didn't interest the crowd as much as the idea of being "the first." Humans are competitive by nature, and Liyue's citizens loved to save face. If someone could conquer a game this difficult before anyone else, they would be the talk of the harbor.
Ke Qing, whose competitive fire was now fully stoked, was ready to dive back in for the top spot. But as she glanced at the clock, her eyes went wide.
Two hours? She had been playing for nearly two hours?
"Work! I forgot about my afternoon briefings!"
She had become so engrossed in the mountain that her duties had completely slipped her mind.
"I have to go! I'll be back to finish this later!"
Ke Qing hurriedly logged off and rushed out the door. Li Mo watched her go, shaking his head with a chuckle. Our dear Yuheng was far too busy for her own good. While her sense of responsibility was admirable, he hoped she would eventually learn that some things—like climbing a mountain in a pot—couldn't be rushed.
As the door swung shut, the shop remained as lively as ever, with more customers lining up to test their own perseverance against the digital heights.