“Please take care of Qianqian during this time.”
Ning Yu led Ji Mengyao into her apartment and handed her the keys along with a stack of Ark exchange coupons.
“You two...”
Ji Mengyao looked Ning Yu and Shen Yiyue up and down.
“Are you going on some dangerous mission?”
She took the keys and coupons but secretly tried to hand the coupons back to Ning Yu, who refused.
“Yes, we’ll be away for a few days to deal with a small issue.”
Ning Yu packed a few stacks of clothes into her bag, while Shen Yiyue behind her was fully equipped with grappling hooks and weapon cases.
“If there’s something going on, why not take us along?!”
Ji Mengyao couldn’t help but nudge Ning Yu’s shoulder with her elbow, her expression saying, ‘If it’s fun, take me with you!’
Behind her, Wu Di peeked out, looking clueless but staying silent.
“It’s just a private matter, nothing to worry about. Besides, we need you to take care of Qianqian.”
Ning Yu looked at Ji Mengyao’s playful demeanor, which made it seem like they were going on a spring outing rather than a serious task.
“Got it...”
Ji Mengyao pouted, feeling a bit deflated. She had only mentioned it casually since she had to take care of her friend’s younger sister.
Meanwhile, Shen Qianqian suddenly pulled her sister aside.
Her eyes darting around, she tugged on Shen Yiyue’s sleeve and dragged her to a corner.
“Sis, are you and Ning Yu eloping... Ouch!!”
Before Shen Qianqian could finish, Shen Yiyue bonked her on the head.
“I told you, we’re going to fight some little monsters.”
“So you believe in the light too!”
Shen Qianqian’s eyes sparkled with righteous energy.
“You little rascal, aren’t you always picking on me? Why are you so clingy now?”
Shen Yiyue reached out to pinch her sister’s cheek.
“I’m not! I’m just happy you won’t be around to steal my snacks anymore, hmph!”
Shen Qianqian turned her head away, her cheeks still squished, trying to act tough.
“Oh—really? Then I’ll just leave now...”
Shen Yiyue drew out her words, turning as if she were about to walk away.
She had only taken one step when she felt a small hand grab the hem of her skirt. She turned to see Shen Qianqian holding on, silent but refusing to let go, trying to act cool.
“Hehe, I knew my little Qianqian would miss me!”
Shen Yiyue immediately turned back and hugged her sister, rubbing her face against Shen Qianqian’s cheek.
“Eww, get off me!! I just washed my face, you stinky sister!!!”
Shen Qianqian pushed Shen Yiyue with all her might, but it was no use—her little face was squished out of shape.
At the doorway, Ji Mengyao and Ning Yu watched the two of them, their faces full of exasperation.
......
T City.
In the nearly deserted urban area, a few ordinary zombies wandered aimlessly.
In the heart of T City stood a grand domed building, its architecture starkly different from the surrounding structures.
If one looked closely, faint patterns occasionally lit up on the building’s exterior, like it was breathing, before vanishing again.
Around the building, soldiers armed with advanced equipment patrolled. Each squad was led by a fully cybernetically enhanced individual, distinct from the regular soldiers, who carried no firearms.
In the square before the building’s entrance, a strong black light flashed, distorting and destabilizing the space.
However, the disturbance didn’t cause any panic among the soldiers; their patrol continued as usual.
Only the leader of one squad seemed to receive a command, raising his hand to his ear to listen to the transmitted message.
The squad then moved to the center of the square, where the distorted black light had already disappeared.
Ning Xuan’s figure emerged from the center; she had just used her awakened ability to perform a spatial jump.
She arrived earlier than planned.
This time, she hadn’t brought anyone else along, which seemed to make the jump easier. After resting on the ground for a moment, she stood up.
Her mechanical wings had retracted, and the cybernetic devices on her limbs had returned to normal arms and legs.
“Please present your identification.”
The leader of the approaching squad stepped forward to Ning Xuan.
Ning Xuan took out a small gold-edged card from her pocket and tossed it to him.
The man caught it, and his arm transformed into a device with a slot, into which he inserted the card.
“Miss Ning Xuan, you are still under the sub-mission of task number XS-1001. Why have you come to ‘Eden’?”
He returned the card to Ning Xuan and began questioning her. The soldiers behind him remained alert, their guns held at a uniform angle.
“I have urgent intelligence that needs to be reported to the organization and... that person.”
The leader was about to say something when a beeping sound came from the device behind his ear.
He waved his hand, and the soldiers immediately turned and resumed their patrol.
“Your father happens to be inside ‘Eden.’ He has issued a clearance order. You may enter.”
He spoke in a monotone, like an electronic broadcast, before returning to the patrol.
Hearing this, Ning Xuan began walking toward the entrance of the domed building, ‘Eden.’
The interior of Eden was surprisingly simple, almost austere, except for the intricate religious patterns and decorations on the ceiling. The rest was just some basic European-style decor and rooms.
But this was only the surface.
Beneath Eden lay an extensive research and testing facility, spanning an unknown number of levels, which also served as the organization’s headquarters.
Ning Xuan herself had never ventured to the lower levels.
But this time, she didn’t head downstairs. Instead, she went to the meeting room on the second floor of Eden.
The room’s decor was plain, a stark contrast to the heavily guarded exterior, making it hard to feel any sense of anticipation.
“Come in.”
After knocking, Ning Xuan heard the permission to enter and stepped inside.
“What’s the situation? Why have you returned?”
A stern middle-aged man stood in the room, draped in a white robe with a dark red vortex emblem on the back, surrounded by various other symbols.
“Commander, I must report an urgent matter to... that person.”
The man looked up and noticed the wounds on Ning Xuan’s body.
“What happened? Did you clash with your sister? There’s no one else here; you can call me father.”
“Commander.”
Ning Xuan kept her head lowered, refusing to look up.
“Chen Xing is trying to kill the mission target.”
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
