Chapter 8: Rescue Mission

Ning Yun's parents had sacrificed themselves when she was very young.

In her memory, the person who stayed by her side the longest was her grandfather.

Her grandfather was a professor at a renowned university; when he taught classes, he always kept little her by his side.

But most of the time, she preferred to run wild and play with the other children.

Xiao Qichen was a neighbor who moved in when she was seven, and he was always alone.

As a child, she was warm and cheerful, loving nothing more than making friends. Xiao Qichen was the first friend she actively sought out, and the one who left the deepest impression on her.

Back then, his speech was stiff, and his entire demeanor was rigid; he was either in class or on his way to class.

Yet, she was always the one pulling him away to skip school.

When climbing trees, he would stand below to keep watch.

When slacking off, he would stand on the bank to watch her shoes.

She had always believed they were best friends, and they lived like that for nearly seven years.

But then, one day, Xiao Qichen vanished without leaving a single trace.

The next time Ning Yun reconnected with him was the day before yesterday.

A message had suddenly appeared on her phone, containing many precautions regarding the survival game.

The signature was Xiao Qichen.

"You actually got selected too!"

Back then, Xiao Qichen had told her to leave a code in the chat channel, saying it was just in case—so that if they both entered the game, they could look after each other.

But she truly hadn't expected that he would actually show up.

Could it be that there were more than a thousand players participating in the beta test?

Xiao Qichen stared intently at her, his throat tightening involuntarily. It took a long while before he replied with a single word, "Yeah."

He clearly had so much to say, but seeing Ning Yun standing before him, he couldn't utter a single word.

A gust of wind blew through the cave, bringing a chill that made Ning Yun shrink her neck.

She put away her dagger and couldn't help but rub her arms.

"It's so cold here. Let's find somewhere else to talk."

But Xiao Qichen's response was to take off his windbreaker and drape it over her.

"Put it on."

Ning Yun froze. "Your voice..."

Even though Xiao Qichen was only a year older than her, his voice sounded like sandpaper rubbing against the ground, even raspier than an old man's.

It was as if he hadn't spoken for a very long time.

But now was not the time to ask about his well-being. The two walked out of the cave and faced a vast expanse of grassland.

Yellow sand, withered grass, and dead wood made one's heart feel heavy. It felt as if, in this massive grassland, they were the only two living beings, and everything else was dead matter.

"What exactly is this dungeon for? I don't think I received any missions."

Ning Yun put on the windbreaker, and her body immediately warmed up.

The man also took a black jacket from his backpack and put it on, which made his aura appear even more grim and lethal.

"Missions... Captain has... I... share... with you."

Xiao Qichen seemed to be gradually regaining his ability to speak, but long sentences were still a struggle for him.

Ning Yun, however, acted as if she hadn't noticed. "Great! Then hurry up and share them with me!"

For some reason, despite not seeing him for six or seven years, Ning Yun felt no stranger to him, nor was she afraid that he had changed or would turn against her.

She believed that the quiet boy who always protected her would never harm her.

"By the way," she said, pulling a silk quilt and a lighter from her backpack.

"I got these from opening chests. You take them. It's still a bit cold at night; start a fire to stay warm, and you can spread the quilt on the ground to sleep more comfortably."

Fortunately, she had the Critical Hit talent; otherwise, she wouldn't be this wealthy.

Xiao Qichen's gaze softened, and the piercing aura around him mellowed slightly.

"No need. I have them."

Not only did he refuse Ning Yun's items, but he also handed her a large pile of his own in return.

Just that one set of kitchen utensils made Ning Yun's eyes light up.

Not to mention the various foods, drinks, and even equipment that boosted attributes.

"Enough, enough! My backpack won't be able to hold it all!" Only then did Ning Yun realize what "the troubles of happiness" meant.

"With so many things, is your backpack big enough? I have expansion vouchers here, do you want them?" These were specifically saved for him.

Instead of accepting, Xiao Qichen pulled out two vouchers that were identical to the ones in Ning Yun's hand.

"Did you... rob the system?" Otherwise, how could he have so many good things!

Ning Yun's exaggerated expression made him chuckle.

"At night... can kill monsters." As for what kind of monsters or how dangerous they were, he didn't say.

But remembering the eerie sounds from the night before, Ning Yun knew that killing monsters certainly wouldn't be easy.

"Forget it, you risked getting these, so keep them for yourself. My backpack is at 25 slots now, which is enough."

"You just gave me a blueprint; once I build a storage cabinet, I won't need to keep so many things in my backpack."

While items could be placed in a player's cottage, it lacked insulation.

If left for too long, food would rot.

However, system-issued storage cabinets and various furniture pieces had storage functions that could ensure food did not spoil.

But Xiao Qichen's temperament was much more stubborn than Ning Yun's.

In the end, Ning Yun accepted them and even expanded her backpack to 40 slots, so she would never have to worry about it being full again.

They had both eaten lunch, so they didn't need to supplement their food at the moment.

Seeing that they could only stay in this dungeon for four hours, and with three and a half hours remaining, Ning Yun urged him to complete the mission quickly.

Their mission was actually quite simple: to revive the "Jade Purple Tree," which was the tree Ning Yun had seen upon entering the dungeon.

"That tree looks quite lush to me."

Its branches were thick and its leaves were abundant, looking full of life.

Xiao Qichen's speaking speed gradually returned to normal.

"What you see is only the surface. I'll take you to the back to see."

The two re-entered the cave. The closer they got to the Jade Purple Tree, the more a sense of strangeness washed over Ning Yun.

When they reached the back of the tree, Ning Yun was shocked.

The trunk, which had originally looked like jade, was almost hollowed out. Black smoke rose from the large wounds, giving off an eerie feeling.

Suddenly, an image flashed before Ning Yun's eyes.

On the once-vibrant grassland, fireballs fell from the sky, burning almost all the vegetation. Animals scrambled to hide in caves seeking refuge.

But those fireballs seemed to have eyes; one after another, they slammed into the small hill, forcefully smashing out a hole!

She was inside the cave, unable to move, forced to watch helplessly as everything around her was destroyed.

Until a fireball headed straight for her.

"Ah!" Ning Yun seemed to be startled, waking from the hallucination.

"Is this... the memory of the Jade Purple Tree?"

Just now, she seemed to have become the Jade Purple Tree, witnessing the tragedy on the grassland.

Xiao Qichen's large, heavy hand supported her back, the warmth transferring through her skin and giving Ning Yun a sense of security.

"Yes." He had seen that memory as well.

"Thank you," Ning Yun said, steadying herself and thanking him.

"So this big hole was burned by the fireballs. But how are we supposed to save it? By watering it?"

She took a bottle of water from her backpack and tried to pour it at the base of the tree.

Unfortunately, there was no reaction at all.