“Ah… I’m very sorry. The charging felt so comfortable that I forgot about the main issue.”
By the time Vera came back to her senses, she had already been charging for ten minutes.
Lin Ran withdrew his hand.
Only a faint trace of lingering current remained at his fingertips.
It seemed he had been drained dry by these puppets.
He truly had no idea what powered this group of puppets—was it electricity, steam, or clockwork?
Vera straightened up again, regaining her usual calm and composed demeanor.
“I have something to report. It’s about that human woman. I hope you can come with me.”
Lin Ran nodded, even though the woman named Zhou Qingqing didn’t weigh heavily in his plans.
Moreover, leaving now might cause trouble if the Mimic Chest couldn’t see [Mommy].
Still, she was a fish he had personally hooked, an essential part of his farming plan.
“An Mengyue, let her sleep for a while. I have something to take care of.”
An Mengyue didn’t even look up, simply raising three fingers.
“Three crystal cores.”
“Tsk… Scammer. Put it on my tab.”
Lin Ran spat in annoyance.
Only after seeing the Mimic Chest settle down did he turn to follow Vera.
He had a bad feeling about this.
Along the way, Vera didn’t say a word.
Her silence was a signal in itself.
Before long, the two passed through the teleportation gate and entered the Storefront.
The place was almost empty; most of the supplies had already been moved.
Only a few heavy items remained on the shelves, which were originally assigned for Lim to transport.
The Storefront was deserted, save for a single figure lying on the ground.
It was Zhou Qingqing.
Her eyes were tightly closed, and her chest showed not the slightest rise or fall.
“Dead… dead?!”
Lin Ran looked at Vera in disbelief, his voice tinged with doubt.
But she quickly shook her head and explained:
“She was already like this when I found her. I had An Mengyue check; she’s not completely dead.”
“She was affected by something that took away her ability to breathe.”
Vera’s explanation was precise, ensuring Lin Ran understood the situation at once.
“Her life is being sustained by a small slime that entered her trachea to assist with respiration, but it may need to remain there for an extended period to keep her alive.”
She paused and added,
“If you mind, you can choose to give up on her life.”
Lin Ran shook his head.
There was no way he could agree.
This woman was a hard-won propaganda machine, one he intended to use—dead, just like that?
He couldn’t accept it.
More importantly, there was the hidden threat behind this.
Who could guarantee that the next to lose the ability to breathe wouldn’t be Lim? Vera? Or himself?
This type of attack had already crossed his bottom line.
Keeping her alive was no longer just because she was a propaganda tool.
It was also to investigate the enemy lurking in the shadows.
Any threat to those around him, he had to pursue to the end.
“It’s not over yet.”
Vera continued.
“This isn’t the original scene. The actual location is inside the Warehouse. A small puppet found her, then dragged her in front of me.”
As she spoke, Vera led Lin Ran into the Storefront’s Warehouse.
Lin Ran followed, and what entered his vision… was a Mimic Chest.
A brand-new chest, identical in every way to the one he’d encountered before—even the patterns matched perfectly.
Only, this chest’s lid was already open.
Inside, it was completely empty.
“The area in front of this chest was where the human woman was found unable to breathe. And the chest has been empty from the start, which means…”
Before Vera could finish, Lin Ran was already on the same wavelength.
“It’s a frame-up, isn’t it?”
“Also, the other party knows [we have a Mimic Chest here], but not that [the chest has been moved] or that [the chest contains a Mimic Chest monster].”
Lin Ran’s analysis left even Vera a little shocked—she subconsciously clapped her hands.
Meanwhile, his fists were clenched tightly.
To have such an enemy.
One who could kill his subordinates right under the eyes of countless puppets, slimes, and Vera, a master of mind reading.
Such an enemy had to be placed at the highest level of importance.
“Prepare a defense plan. Summon all slimes and puppets to me at once. I need…”
Lin Ran’s intended words were [I need to appraise your abilities].
That is, to use the Talent Appraisal Eye to strengthen everyone.
However, before he could finish speaking,
The entire world suddenly shook violently.
Lin Ran staggered, nearly losing his balance.
Vera, on the other hand, remained graceful, even using silk threads to steady him.
Then, that familiar prompt sounded in the minds of all humans—
[Attention, please——]
[21% of humans remain unawakened in the second wave, exceeding the limit. The second wave is forcibly terminated.]
[Those still asleep will remain in eternal dreams until physical death.]
Lin Ran’s heart sank.
The brutality of the apocalypse was finally manifesting.
21% of humanity had fallen into permanent sleep.
And this was only the second wave.
Moreover…
[The third wave is about to begin!]
[This wave: Thief Frenzy!]
[The enemies this round are of the ‘thief’ class, encompassing many species. The common trait is—they steal your belongings!]
[Failure condition for this round: Having your life stolen by thieves.]
[This wave employs a special combat mechanism—five-person team survival!]
[Teams are divided into five positions—Output Role, Support Role, Logistics Role, Control Role, and Auxiliary Role.]
[Each role follows different strategies. The system will automatically match teammates whose abilities align with the strategy.]
[Role assignment is at your discretion. After the third wave, corresponding rewards will be given based on positions.]
[Example: Assigning the Output Role yields a reward that boosts output ability at the end of the third wave.]
[Randomly matching teammates…]
[Matching complete!]
[Connecting to Rest Area…]
[Connection established!]
Before the words even faded, Lin Ran realized his feet were now on solid wooden flooring.
He was already back inside his own Wooden House, as if instantly teleported.
The slimes and puppets were all still present, including Lim, who had accompanied him, and Zhou Qingqing, still lying in the Storefront.
Meanwhile, the scene outside the Wooden House underwent a radical transformation.
Four other Wooden Houses of different styles appeared out of thin air around his own.
The five Wooden Houses formed a ring.
[Now, please begin your team formation.]
[No matter if the others are friend or foe, strong or weak, no matter what grudges may exist.]
[From now on, they are your most vital allies.]
[Even if they once tried to harm you.]