Following a small path, the two of them walked towards Lin Hao's house.
Lin Hao led the way, and although he was carrying many things, he was still constantly observing the situation to protect Ning Yu.
They avoided as many zombies as they could along the way.
It was clear that this wasn't Lin Hao's first time taking this route.
Ning Yu followed closely behind him, carrying a backpack full of meat and vegetables.
She casually opened her system panel and went to the "Weekly Special Deals" section.
She had wanted to exchange for the Crimson War Blade earlier in the store but was interrupted by Lin Hao.
Ning Yu immediately clicked to exchange.
Her points dropped from 3120 to just 120.
A new item appeared in her inventory: [Crimson War Blade (Enchanted)].
Ning Yu lightly summoned it and felt a weight in her hand.
The Crimson War Blade had appeared in her grasp.
This Tang sword looked even better in her hand than it did in the system preview.
Its entire body was crimson red as if dyed with fresh blood, making one wonder how many had died beneath this blade.
Its size seemed to have been scaled to some degree, apparently automatically adapting to her body type.
Ning Yu found it just right for wielding comfortably.
More importantly, Ning Yu could feel the effects of the enchantment: Battle Spirit (Stamina +1, Mental Power +1).
Not only did she feel her stamina had improved, but the Mental Power +1 effect was also quite noticeable:
A cool sensation transmitted through the sword hilt into Ning Yu's body.
She felt her mind become clear, with an indescribable sense of lucidity.
It was like having a very satisfying sleep and then waking up to drink a glass of iced mint water - extremely refreshing.
She hadn't expected the mental power increase to feel so good.
Her five senses seemed sharper than before; she could see farther and hear more clearly.
Moreover, every inch of length adds strength.
The longer blade compared to a dagger meant she could gain a distance advantage in close-quarter combat.
It would make killing zombies much easier.
It truly was an excellent weapon, worth its original price of 15,000 points.
"It's just ahead, my home is on the fifth floor," Lin Hao said, pointing to a residential building ahead and seeming about to turn back to explain the direction to her.
With a thought from Ning Yu, the Crimson War Blade in her hand vanished, stored away in her system space.
Following the direction of Lin Hao's finger, Ning Yu saw a six-story residential building.
That must be Lin Hao's home.
Ning Yu nodded and kept close to him.
After entering the residential complex, they could see many slain zombie corpses piled together.
It seemed the people inside had some level of organization.
However, why hadn't they gone out together to explore and find supplies?
Ning Yu was puzzled by Lin Hao's solitary meat-hunting behavior.
Arriving on the fifth floor, Lin Hao opened his door and invited Ning Yu in.
The entire apartment wasn't large, probably less than 100 square meters.
The decor was quite new, looking a bit like a freshly delivered new house, with cream-colored wallpaper giving a very cozy feeling.
Telling Ning Yu to make herself at home, Lin Hao started rummaging around the house for food.
He first put all the fresh ingredients he had found on the dining table.
Ning Yu found a stool and sat down next to the dining table.
Before long, several bags of snacks were brought out, and Lin Hao said:
"You must be starving. Help yourself to these; I still have some stock left."
However, Ning Yu actually saw that Lin Hao's so-called stock might just be one cardboard box.
He probably didn't even dare to eat much himself, yet he brought out so much for her at once.
Ning Yu sweetly said thank you, but didn't eat the snacks Lin Hao passed to her.
He didn't show any unusual reaction, probably just being a nice guy.
But this didn't mean she would let down her guard.
Ning Yu looked around the surroundings.
In the center of the living room hung a wedding photo with an ornate metal frame.
The groom was Lin Hao, and the bride was a beautiful girl who looked very well-matched with Lin Hao, probably his wife.
Both were smiling very happily, cuddling close together.
The photo also looked very new, likely taken not long after their wedding.
Seeing that Lin Hao was about to ask why she wasn't eating, Ning Yu directly changed the subject:
"Big brother, where's the pretty big sister from that photo?"
Suddenly asked this, Lin Hao was stunned for a moment, then showed an awkward and bitter smile:
"She's dead. She was bitten by a monster the day the apocalypse broke out."
Lin Hao didn't use any childish lies like 'sister went to a faraway place' to brush off Ning Yu.
After all, Ning Yu looked to be at least a middle school student.
Ning Yu immediately put on an expression full of apology:
"Ah... I'm sorry..."
Lin Hao just shook his head dismissively and said:
"It's alright, it's in the past."
"In a world like this, perhaps being alive is actually a kind of torment."
Then he suddenly realized he shouldn't be saying such things to a young girl and hurriedly added:
"Ah... brother said some strange things, don't mind me."
Of course, Ning Yu understood what it meant for 'being alive to be torment'.
But on the surface, she only showed a half-understanding expression without speaking.
After a while, she continued to ask:
"Were the monsters in this residential area cleared out by everyone working together?"
Ning Yu felt something was off.
Hearing this question, Lin Hao's expression became a bit strange, and he slowly said:
"Mm, there's a group of very capable people, with weapons and quite a few members."
"They cleared out all the monsters in the entire residential area."
"But, if you happen to run into them by accident, you must avoid them at all costs. They're not good people."
He didn't continue, but Ning Yu vaguely guessed.
Living in a residential area controlled by someone probably required paying some kind of price.
"Have some snacks, don't be polite. Brother still has a lot."
Lin Hao showed another friendly smile and stopped paying attention to Ning Yu.
He got up to sort out the bags of ingredients he had just brought back.
Ning Yu pretended to eat the snacks but actually secretly moved them to a hidden place.
Just then, there was a violent knocking sound from outside.
"Open up! Open the damn door!"
It was the voice of a rough man.
Lin Hao's brows furrowed tightly, and he urgently said to Ning Yu with a serious expression:
"Little sister, go hide in the study first. No matter what happens or what sounds you hear, don't come out."
Ning Yu nodded seriously and walked towards the study.
The visitors were probably some unwelcome guests.
She quickly entered the study and glanced at the books on the shelves.
There were many specialized books on biology and medicine, as well as some abstruse books on humanities and philosophy.
It seemed Lin Hao had a high level of education, matching his bespectacled, refined appearance.
Meanwhile, Lin Hao had already walked to the entrance.
He slowly opened his front door.
villain is the number one simp for the book's leading female protagonist, Shen Wan'er. As expected, he later becomes a tool for the main character to show off and slap faces, ultimately meeting a tragic end with his family ruined and his life in shambles. Fortunately, he awakens the [Universal Pure Love System], which allows him to earn points by performing acts of pure love. To change his fate, Gu Yan makes a decisive choice to seek warmth and companionship with the book's biggest villain—Cold Qingqiu. ........... My name is Leng Qingqiu. To find the murderer who killed my parents years ago, I deliberately blinded myself so that everyone would lower their guard around me. Just as I was secretly accumulating power and capital according to my initial plan, a man walked into my world. "Lengleng, Qingqing, Qiuqiu, which nickname do you prefer?" I don't like any of them. You'd better leave quickly! "Why aren't you saying anything? How about I call you my baby wife?" Leng Qingqiu thinks to herself, this man is truly annoying! (Stubborn pure love warrior + single female lead + true pure love + 1v1)
ial death, also known as "shè sǐ" in Chinese, generally refers to... well, never mind, it's not important. My name is Ye Cheng, and I'm about to experience social death firsthand. ... 【Host, your mission is to confess your love to the young lady of the Dongfang family, the current student council president, in a way that will be unforgettable for everyone at the freshman ceremony!】 【Host, assist the girl with a sprained ankle in front of you to reach the infirmary, and fulfill the wicked thoughts in your heart!】 【Host, act on your desires and punish the arrogant young lady before you mercilessly!】 【Host, follow your instincts—abandon shameful surrender, begging, or groveling, and ruthlessly criticize the domineering, ill-mannered young lady in front of you!】 【Host...】 Ye Cheng: "Here, here, you take this host role—I quit!" Wait, why is the girl with a sprained ankle the daughter of a mafia boss? And what kind of punishment method is this for the arrogant young lady? Also, who the heck said anything about wicked thoughts in my heart? Come out here, let’s settle this one-on-one!!! ... The haughty student council president, the scheming mafia princess, the fragile yandere young lady, the airheaded maid-in-waiting, the mixed-blood loli/...
shall grant"] ["Inscribing the glory of our race upon tombstones"] ["All that is threatened, I shall protect"] How his younger sister sees her brother: A brother who only makes eye contact once a day, mostly fading into the background as he tinkers with who-knows-what in his room all day. Their life paths should have remained largely separate. Until one day. Su Qi created an equipment card for his never-met "online girlfriend." His sister fell into silent contemplation upon receiving the "white stockings." [Card can be upgraded] [Upgrade by fulfilling any of the following conditions] [Condition ①: Consume one hundred higher-tier cards] [Condition ②: Complete one 'Heart-Pounding Adventure'] What constitutes a Heart-Pounding Adventure? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Beginner Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to admire it.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Easy Level): Equip the card, invite 'Su Qi' to touch it, and analyze the equipment's texture.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Entry Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to...] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Challenge Level): Freely combine the words 'Brother' 'Out' 'Brother' 'Me' 'Please' into a complete sentence...] "Please help me analyze both teams' mistakes in this match, brother..." His sister exhaled in relief—surely... surely there couldn't be anything more difficult? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Suicide Mission Level): Sneak a peek at the names of the galgames in 'Su Qi's' hidden E-drive folder]
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
