Chapter 110: Return to the Base
She could feel the faint glow of his healing energy even in sleep; it was purer, stronger than before. She opened her status window and checked.
[Companion Progress – Xian Yu]
Healing Potency: 32% → 46%Progress to S-Class: 46% / 100%
It had risen noticeably from the battle earlier. If he continued to heal her and others during fights, it wouldn’t be long before he broke through.
That was all the more reason she couldn’t let these scavengers leech off him. During the fight with the apes, those men had tried to drag him away, shouting for him to heal them instead of supporting her. If he had obeyed, Ling Yu might have fallen to a fatal blow.
Her jaw tightened. Xian Yu’s kindness was dangerous; it put him at risk. He needed training, discipline, and boundaries. Song could give him that. Once they regrouped, she would hand Xian Yu over to Song for physical and combat basics. At the very least, he had to be able to fend off a sneak attack or defend himself when she wasn’t right by his side.
[System]: Host, you are considering leaving Shen Ming’s base immediately after returning. Strategic evaluation: wise. The current risk of betrayal within Shen Ming’s faction is high. Estimated risk of direct assault: 63% within one week if remaining.
Ling Yu’s lips curved in a humorless smile. "Only sixty-three? You’re being generous."
[Fluffy]: Hmph, they’re weak anyway. Even if they tried, Master, you’d crush them like bugs. But... I still don’t like how they look at you. Not even that Shen Ming with his fake smile. Especially him. He thinks he’s a wolf in sheep’s skin, but he’s just a dog sniffing after meat."
Ling Yu’s eyes flicked to Shen Ming across the fire. His posture was relaxed, his expression one of gentle concern as he shared water with his teammates. But his gaze, which was hungry and persistent, kept returning to her.
Yes. Fluffy wasn’t wrong.
She didn’t intend to give him the chance to bare his teeth.
The night stretched on. One by one, the scavengers succumbed to exhaustion and sleep. Shen Ming was among the last to lie down, though Ling Yu could feel his eyes on her even when he pretended to sleep. She stayed awake, letting her sharpened senses sweep over every creak of the broken building, every whisper of the wind outside.
The scavenging teams moved together, their steps heavy, clothes torn, and weapons chipped from the battle with the ape horde. The air reeked of dried blood and iron, mixed with the stench of monster carcasses left unharvested in their hasty retreat.
For most, the path back to Shen Ming’s base was grueling. They jumped at every rustle in the bushes, flinched at the echo of distant howls, and cursed under their breath whenever a shadow stretched too long across the cracked asphalt.
But Ling Yu was calm as she walked in the center of the formation, with Xian Yu beside her. The boy’s complexion was better after her care, his face still pale but with a touch of warmth in his cheeks now, though his mana had yet to recover fully. She carried his staff for him, letting him save what little strength he had left.
The scavengers noticed her casualness, and more than one man sneered inwardly. She thinks she’s untouchable, doesn’t she? Though none dared speak aloud, not with Shen Ming hovering near her like a protective shadow.
What they didn’t see was the small ball of white fur poking its head out of Ling Yu’s bag.
Fluffy yawned widely, flashing its tiny, sharp teeth, before padding onto Ling Yu’s shoulder. Its big tail curled lazily around her neck like a living scarf.
[Those guys keep staring at you like hungry wolves. Should I scratch their faces? Just a little—! No one will notice if their eyes suddenly swell shut!]
Ling Yu’s lips curved ever so slightly. She reached up and tapped the mischievous fox’s forehead, as though chastising it for mischief.
"Ignore them," she murmured under her breath, voice low enough that only Fluffy and the system could catch it.
[Host’s current composure: optimal. Reminder: Do not squander attention on unworthy variables. Focus instead on maximizing coin usage. The shop refresh is active.]
’This damn apocalypse system is at it again...’ Ling Yu creased her brows in annoyance.
Her ink black eyes flickered, and in the privacy of her mind, the sleek interface of the system’s store appeared. The assortment of goods gleamed enticingly with all kinds of potions, talismans, skill scrolls, and rare equipment. She scrolled through calmly, as if browsing a market stall, her fingers twitching slightly with every purchase command.
[System Notification]: Transaction complete.
[-500 Coins. High-Grade Mana Potion x10 acquired.]
[-1,200 Coins. Defensive Amulet of Minor Repulsion acquired.]
[-2,000 Coins. Temporary Shelter Formation Disk acquired.]
Her coin balance remained high. Between the coins she had meticulously hoarded and the flood of new earnings pouring in from the divine being’s stream, where gods and entities alike had eagerly watched her battle against the ape horde, she was wealthier than most high-ranking Awakeners at this stage.
Above, in the divine observatory where countless beings watched mortal struggles unfold like a theater, commentary poured in.
[War God of Iron Chains sneers at the Streamer.]
[Hah! She spends without hesitation, but every purchase is practical. This woman has the instincts of a general.]
[War God of Iron Chains gifted 500 gold coins.]
[Goddess of Spring Blossoms admires the Streamer.]
[Look at how tenderly she cares for that boy... so soft and gentle despite her ruthless efficiency. Hmmm... it makes me want to bless them both.]
[Goddess of Spring Blossoms gifted the Streamer 200 gold coins.]
[God of Silent Depths plots.]
[...She noticed the atmosphere earlier than Shen Ming, who boasts of my rival’s blessing. Interesting. His sponsor is either incompetent or is sabotaging him.]
Coins clinked into Ling Yu’s account as the divine stream showered her with small donations of favor, appreciation, and curiosity.