"We..."
Ning Yu wanted to refuse, as the task sounded potentially dangerous.
She hadn't fully nurtured her Crimson War Blade yet, and she planned to wait until the blade was properly cultivated before taking on such risky missions.
[Required Charm Value: 10, Host's Charm Value: 11, Qualified.]
[Ding! Task triggered: Near Yet Far (1/?) - Joint operation with Ji Mengyao to search for Wan Heng]
[Series Task Rewards: Random Attribute Points *5, Points *20000, ???]
However, the system didn't care about her hesitation and simply dropped the task right in Ning Yu's face.
When she heard these prompts, her jaw nearly hit the floor - the rewards were incredibly generous: 5 attribute points and 20,000 points.
Plus, there was that mysterious question mark reward. Though it wasn't revealed, it had to be something good.
With such excellent rewards, how could Ning Yu possibly refuse?
"Of course we'll go together."
Ning Yu agreed immediately without any hesitation.
"Since this isn't a pre-arranged base mission, the compensation might be modest, especially split between four people. Are you sure about this?"
Ji Mengyao kindly reminded Ning Yu.
For her, this wasn't about the base's compensation but about saving a comrade.
She worried that Ning Yu might lose her enthusiasm once she realized they were going to rescue someone for minimal reward.
"When it comes to saving someone, none of that matters."
Ning Yu responded with noble conviction.
Just then, Wu Di seemed to have finished reporting in and was running back towards them.
"He's back, let's go."
Ning Yu noticed Wu Di returning and said to Ji Mengyao.
Ji Mengyao stared at Ning Yu somewhat dazedly, surprised by her willingness to help. Her eyes sparkled with emotion.
Without hesitation, she immediately said:
"Thank you."
Though there was no system prompt, Ning Yu could clearly sense that Ji Mengyao's favorability towards her had increased.
This was definitely a win-win situation.
Shen Yiyue looked at Ning Yu suspiciously: Since when did Little Yu become so eager to help others?
Shortly after.
An SUV drove out of the Ark Base with all four of them inside.
Since there was no need to transport people or supplies today, and there were four people who needed seats, they didn't take the pickup truck that Ji Mengyao and Wu Di usually drove.
This SUV had been reinforced and armed, capable of navigating through urban obstacles and effectively repelling approaching zombies.
Ji Mengyao didn't seem in the mood to play music, just driving silently, probably worried about her possibly endangered companion.
Wu Di sat in the passenger seat, looking at a map:
"It should take about an hour to get there, roughly two hours round trip. He should have been back last night theoretically."
"I hope nothing's wrong."
Ji Mengyao sighed quietly.
"What's Wan Heng's awakened ability?"
Ning Yu asked from the back seat.
She remembered that Ji Mengyao and Wu Di seemed quite confident in Wan Heng's abilities earlier.
"He can interfere with zombies' perception. You could say he can make zombies think he's one of them."
Ji Mengyao explained while leaning back in the driver's seat.
Wouldn't that mean he could move freely among zombie hordes?
"Does this ability work on mutated zombies too?"
Ning Yu immediately thought of a possibility.
"We're not sure, but he's never had any problems during missions."
Wu Di added, then continued:
"Besides interference, he can even control the movements of a small number of zombies."
"He also has solid combat experience - I've sparred with him before."
Hearing this, it did seem unlikely for him to die. Perhaps he'd encountered some predicament or got held up by something.
The SUV passed under an overpass, and Ji Mengyao suddenly turned the steering wheel, pulling under the bridge.
There weren't many zombies here as the area was sparsely populated.
"What's wrong, Mengyao..."
Wu Di asked, looking at Ji Mengyao who had suddenly changed direction.
Ning Yu also opened her eyes from her rest, joining Shen Yiyue in looking toward the driver's seat.
Just after stopping the car, Ji Mengyao started trembling slightly, clutching her forehead in pain as she lay back in the driver's seat:
"Damn, those hallucinations are back."
She held her forehead with one hand while struggling to open the front storage compartment with the other.
However, it was completely empty.
"Great, we changed cars today, and I didn't bring my cigarettes."
She punched the steering wheel in frustration before closing the compartment again.
"What's going on?"
Shen Yiyue asked confusedly.
"Mengyao's ability has side effects - she's often plagued by hallucinations, especially if she's had to resurrect multiple times in a short period."
"Cigarettes help her ease these hallucinations."
Wu Di explained, noticing that Ji Mengyao's pain seemed to be intensifying as she rested her head on the steering wheel, clearly suffering.
He gently rubbed her back, trying to make her feel better.
Though his face remained expressionless, both passengers in the back could see his concern.
"Hey, are you taking advantage of me right now?"
Ji Mengyao frowned, turning her head from the steering wheel to glare at Wu Di.
Wu Di's hand froze immediately, and he timidly said:
"Sorry."
However, both Ning Yu and Shen Yiyue could see the obvious embarrassment on her face.
She turned her head back to the steering wheel and mumbled:
"Continue."
Wu Di was stunned, not quite understanding Ji Mengyao's meaning, but reluctantly continued rubbing her back with his warm palm.
What a tsundere, Ning Yu thought to herself with exasperation.
Suddenly inspired, she seemed to think of something and started searching through the system's store.
[Ladies' Cigarettes (Watermelon Menthol Flavor 1 pack): Points *800]
[Ladies' Cigarettes (Double Pop Bubble Wine Flavor 1 pack): Points *1000]
....
Wow, there were so many flavors - the system was surprisingly detailed in strange ways.
Ning Yu had over 10,000 points now, so this wasn't much, plus she had a little ulterior motive.
She immediately exchanged points for two packs.
"Here, I have some."
She rummaged through her backpack for a moment, pretending to pull out two packs of ladies' cigarettes, and reached forward to hand them over.
Ji Mengyao heard Ning Yu's voice from behind and felt something being passed forward, immediately turning her head with effort.
Her eyes lit up with surprise, not expecting Ning Yu to have cigarettes with her.
She had almost considered making a temporary trip back to base for cigarettes, as her hallucination-riddled state was quite dangerous.
After taking the cigarettes, she examined the two packs:
"Hmm... Double Pop Bubble Wine flavor, you've got good taste."
She eagerly took one out and lit it, taking a deep drag before opening the window to exhale the mysteriously fragrant smoke.
Her expression relaxed considerably, clearly finding relief.
"So this is what you meant by 'smoking is harmful to health'? And yet you're carrying such nice cigarettes?"
Ji Mengyao gestured toward Ning Yu while leaning back in the driver's seat.
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
