After eight in the evening, the game’s sudden update caused an uproar. Players panic-posted countless threads on the forum, with many breaking down and demanding to know, “Didn’t it just finish updating? This damn event isn’t even over yet—why is there another one?”
But once they actually heard the update details, the players realized, uncertainly, that this update… seemed to be entirely beneficial to them?
After a brief silence, the forum exploded with activity again.
“Did I misunderstand this game? Does it actually not want us to die?”
“Wait—shouldn’t we focus on the part where Blue Star players cleared the dungeon objectives? While I was shivering and waiting for the apocalypse, the big shots were casually heading out and wrecking dungeons? That’s insane!”
“I bet fifty cents this was done by the Zone A bigwigs. Every other zone got blown to hell today, and only we were under the glass shield. We’re the only ones who had the spare capacity to act!”
“Guys, didn’t you check your inbox? The new event is amazing! No death penalty during the event! Sign up to fight dungeons—this is our chance to turn things around!”
“Wake up, bro. There are only 100 slots. Those will definitely all go to elite combat teams.”
“If I can’t get into the hundred-man group, can’t I at least pick up twigs? I’m heading out to fight monsters—punch slimes, kick mudmen!”
The official response came quickly. Xue Xun issued an announcement, listing the materials currently needed and providing the official team’s planned routes.
With the danger level outside the safe zone fluctuating, the authorities required players going out to hunt monsters to form parties and to follow the main official hunting forces as much as possible, so they could look out for one another.
“Slime-hunting squad assemble! Anyone going monster-hunting tonight? I’m not sleeping—don’t stop me, I want to contribute to Blue Star!”
“Life-skill players want to help too! I’ll deliver late-night snacks to the official teams!”
“So even monsters have their day—what a satisfying moment!”
“Help! My eighty-year-old grandpa grabbed his taiji sword and insisted on going out. My dad stopped him and threw out his back. Now Grandpa’s being carried to the treatment center, and I am inheriting his taiji sword and heading out to hunt! Brothers and sisters, wait for me!”
The forum was buzzing with excitement. Xue Xun looked helplessly at the rapidly refreshing messages and glanced outside the service hall.
Tonight’s City A seemed brighter than usual. Many players were fully geared up, carrying lanterns and glow sticks, quietly following behind the official teams. The atmosphere made it hard not to feel fired up.
He Wuning and Yi Luo didn’t set out with the main force. Instead, they brought along Commander Ji Ou and his deputy Tang Yu, as well as a special player—team member Xiao Jie.
They planned to test a new combat method.
Xue Xun had long grown accustomed to their wild ideas. After approving it with a nod, he let them run free.
Otherwise, if those two went out with the main force, they were likely to dampen other players’ enthusiasm—or worse, encourage everyone to ignore commands altogether.
Originally, Xing Yue wanted to come along as Xiao Jie’s guardian, but Yi Luo said he might affect Ji Ou’s luck, and mercilessly shoved him back into the main force.
The wilderness near Zone A was left to ordinary players. They drove toward Zone C instead.
Zone C had very few players, and the wild areas were wide and empty. After the milk tea car crashed through and created a safe area, it came to a steady stop, and the window slowly rolled down.
All around them were wobbling slimes. This kind of monster died with almost a single touch, but respawned very quickly.
Xiao Jie’s face appeared at the window. She held a loudspeaker, her finger hovering over the button, and hesitantly looked back. “R-really… is this really okay?”
He Wuning nodded and looked at Ji Ou, who was pinned in the driver’s seat of the milk tea car. “Are you ready?”
Ji Ou sniffed. “If I say no, will you let me off?”
He Wuning answered mercilessly, “No.”
Ji Ou looked like he was about to cry. “Then… okay. I’m ready.”
He Wuning nodded to Xiao Jie.
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Jie shouted loudly, “Come on! Come and hit me!”
The loudspeaker, specially modified by the technical department, had incredible penetration. That clear, forceful shout—“Come on! Come and hit me!”—echoed across the open space, layer upon layer, spreading through the skies of Zone C until it rang over the entire area.
Xiao Jie herself hadn’t expected it to be that loud. She stared back in shock.
He Wuning nodded in satisfaction. Yi Luo gave her a thumbs-up.
Tang Yu smiled as she looked outside. “Um… don’t you feel like the ground is shaking?”
“Yeah,” Yi Luo laughed, looking completely unconcerned. “Probably because almost every slime in the area is rushing over.”
Xiao Jie nearly dropped to her knees. “Brother Yi! It’s all slimes out there! One glance and my trypophobia is acting up! Can this really work? We’re not going to die, right? There are so many slimes—one spit from each of them could drown us!”
“The milk tea car can’t take that many hits either! Once its durability drops to zero, they’ll be able to get in, right?!”
Q-chan nodded. “Theoretically, yes! Once durability hits zero, it loses its protective function! Oh, and by the way, it already lost 30 durability when it rammed through earlier!”
Xiao Jie’s lips trembled. “I feel like I’ve taken another step closer to death.”
He Wuning reminded her, “Close the window, or they’ll jump in.”
Xiao Jie hurriedly turned around and shut it.
Tang Yu smiled at the driver’s seat, where the captain’s finger hovered over a button. “Captain, how are you holding up?”
“To be honest,” Ji Ou said with a numb expression, “I’m so nervous that half my body has gone numb. I don’t think I can even make a facial expression anymore.”
Tang Yu asked curiously, “Half? Which half?”
“That’s what you’re worried about?!” Ji Ou wailed. “I—”
He Wu Ning suddenly gave the order. “Press it.”
Ji Ou jumped in fright and slammed the button down with a loud ‘pop’.
Silver-blue lightning exploded around the milk tea car. A burst of light flared in front of the windows, bright as day for an instant.
When the white light faded, slimes were strewn across the ground. Before Ji Ou could even check what they’d dropped, another massive wave of slimes surged forward.
Yi Luo reminded him calmly, “Time to press it again.”
Ji Ou hurriedly pressed the button again.
He Wuning stood calmly by the window. “That’s about it—just count to three and press once. You can handle it yourself.”
Ji Ou spoke while trembling. “Are you really that at ease about this? Could you at least care a little more about me?!”
Q-chan clenched both fists and encouraged him. “You can do it, Commander! Everyone has moments when they have to throw themselves in without hesitation—maybe this is yours!”
Yi Luo smiled and mirrored Q-chan’s gesture, copying their tone. “You can do it, Commander!”
“It’s just pressing a button,” Tang Yu said helplessly as she looked at her pitiful captain and sighed. “Alright, alright, I’ll help you count to three.”
“Wuwuwu, Tang Yu!” Ji Ou was so moved he nearly burst into tears.
Yi Luo smiled at Xiao Jie. “When did your ability get stronger again? It feels like it’s lasting especially long this time.”
“I’ve been max level for ages—how could my ability get stronger?” Xiao Jie cast a complicated look outside and lifted the loudspeaker in her hand. “It has to be because of this!”
“This thing was made by the technical department, right? Stuff they make sometimes has the problem of being way too powerful. That’s why people say the tech department is dangerous…”
She gave Yi Luo a long look. “Now I finally understand why the captain followed you guys for half a day and said not just anyone can act alongside He Wuning.”
Looking at the slimes plastered against the window, sizzling as they slowly slid down, she took a deep breath. “You really have to be incredibly thick-skinned for this.”
He Wuning turned his head to glance at Yi Luo. Yi Luo broke into a grin. “Sounds like she’s saying, in a roundabout way, that we’re well matched.”
Q-chan protested loudly, “That’s definitely not what she meant!”
After enduring about ten waves of slime attacks, the assault finally stopped. The surrounding slimes had been completely cleared out, revealing the wilderness’s original appearance.
He Wuning opened the car door and got out to inspect their haul.
For a moment, he was nearly stunned by the drops in front of him. He blinked in disbelief. “I knew slimes can drop just about anything, but…”
Looking at the astonishing quantities of ‘Quality Timber,’ ‘Clear Stream Water,’ and ‘Sturdy Stone,’ he silently glanced back at the nearly collapsed Ji Ou. “Is this the power of a true luck god?”
Yi Luo scanned the pile. “This much… is probably enough for about half a card draw.”
Tang Yu patted Ji Ou on the shoulder with relief. “See? Your hard work paid off.”
“Wuwuwu.” Ji Ou covered his face. “As long as I’m useful…”
“I—I can still hold on!”
He Wuning shrugged. “Let’s repair the vehicle first, then do it again.”
Xiao Jie had already raised the loudspeaker. “I’m ready anytime. The monsters here seem a bit sparse—should we change locations?”
He Wuning looked surprised. “You were terrified just now.”
“But this is half a card draw’s worth of materials!” Xiao Jie’s eyes sparkled. “It’s fine—Ji Ou said he can handle it!”
Ji Ou: “……”
Yi Luo chuckled and was about to reply when he suddenly snapped his head around. A gun was already in his hand, its muzzle aimed at rustling grass as a group of half-grown children emerged.
They wore grass wreaths on their heads, like crude camouflage.
They gestured animatedly while speaking. Q-chan immediately flew out. “My turn again! Let me hear what they’re saying!”
“Oh—they’re saying they saw there was a new quest today, so they wanted to help gather materials too. They’re asking if we’re from another zone, and how things are outside… They’re kids from Zone C.”
He Wuning couldn’t help but look at them a few more times.
The leading boy stepped forward and placed the materials he was carrying in front of him.
Xiao Jie spoke up softly, “You should go to Zone A. Register there—there’ll be food and a place to stay.”
Q-chan obediently translated for her, but the boy shook his head slightly.
Q-chan sniffed lightly. “Ah… he says they have food, and they can take care of themselves. They…”
“They can’t leave. They will protect their home.”
The boys who had emerged from the grass quickly disappeared back into the night. Q-chan stared blankly at their retreating figures, looking unusually unsettled.
He Wuning gently tapped Q-chan on the head. “What’s wrong?”
Q-chan shook their head, hugging it with both hands, looking confused. “I—I don’t know. It feels strange… I—I feel like I’ve had thoughts like that before too…But I’m clearly just a system, right?”
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