A single-player post-apocalyptic game, but with an all-female teammate mod.

After resting for half an hour and regaining his mobility, Aono returned directly to the Ark.

The directions were different, but the time spent was about the same as when we came.

Back in the captain's cabin, the moment the hatch closed, Aono relaxed completely, his back pressed against the cold, hard metal door, as he slowly slid down to sit on the floor.

There's no way to upgrade now; the fatigue and injuries from the battle can only be slowly recovered.

Having already cleared out the monsters around him, Duduli, who had just returned home and taken a bath, immediately jumped up wrapped in a sheet and ran anxiously to his side.

The girl looked up at his dark skin with her beautiful blue eyes and asked worriedly, "Brother Qingye, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, I'm just a little tired."

Aono twitched the corner of his mouth and briefly recounted what had happened that day.

The border issue was not fully resolved yet, so it was only mentioned briefly. The focus was on General Thunder and how he acquired his injuries.

He leaned against the door panel, staring at the dim light on the cabin ceiling, and slowly recounted his findings for the day, while also organizing his thoughts.

"That invisible wall not only blocked the way, but it also seemed to be 'filtering' something—the chaos outside the wall..."

"As for General Thunder..."

He paused, recalling those calm, purple eyes and the lightning crackling on the blade.

"He is a powerful force. Even if there is danger, we must try to bring him back."

A beautiful girl with long red hair, wrapped in a bed sheet, squatted down next to Aono, resting her chin on her arm. Her gaze moved from Aono's charred skin to his slightly furrowed brows, which were furrowed with exhaustion.

Dudu didn't say anything, just listened quietly.

After Qingye finished speaking, he regained some of his energy and was about to get up when she reached out her hand.

Looking at the girl's slender, jade-like hands, Aono raised an eyebrow.

He was injured and tired, but not to the point where he needed help with such a small thing.

However, faced with the kindness of a beautiful girl, or rather, the kindness of a companion, there seems to be no reason to refuse.

Aono is not the kind of person who would rather suffer than save face.

Especially after coming into this world.

After that, Dudu still didn't say anything, but just kept helping to handle various chores.

For example, helping to organize various resources, helping to replenish materials in the manufacturing room...

And help Aono take a bath.

……

The steam in the bathroom billowed into a hazy white mist. It seemed that Qingye's injuries had aroused Dudu, who no longer cared about the little bit of skin that was exposed.

Although you can wash it without help, as I said before, there's no reason to refuse.

Dudu hadn't expected to be so open with Qingye so soon; she had only intended to support Qingye to prevent him from slipping due to exhaustion.

Then I'll help you do the laundry.

She wanted to do everything within her power to help Aono share some of the burden.

But when Qingye took off his shirt and then his pants, her gaze snapped away as if she'd been burned, and her ears turned bright red.

The small hand resting on Qingye's waist was loosely supporting him, the fingertips even hesitant to exert force, afraid of touching his burning skin.

I've actually caught a glimpse of it several times, but every time I see it, the innocent and pure young girl still can't help but feel shy and shocked.

Moreover, she felt that Xiao Qingye seemed even more robust today, with a faint tendency to rise.

Aono also noticed Dudu's strange behavior and looked down at his good brother who wanted to rebel.

It's normal to feel hot and bothered if you haven't eaten meat for two days.

His gaze shifted to the shy girl's face, and he found it somewhat amusing. He then offered, "Dudu, I'll do it myself from now on."

"Okay... Brother Aono, be careful."

The shy yet curious girl lowered her head, her voice as soft as a mosquito's hum, but she didn't continue to try to be brave.

If Aono is really so badly injured that she can't move, she can still continue.

Now...

Continuing further would be no different from actively inviting Aono.

Don't underestimate a man's patience, but don't overestimate it either.

A ruthless person who can undergo bone-scraping surgery may find himself unable to restrain himself when faced with a stunningly beautiful woman who can take anything he wants.

"Brother Qingye, I'll take your clothes out to wash them for you."

"Then trouble you."

Before Aono could finish speaking, the beautiful girl with long orange-red hair had already wrapped herself tightly in the bed sheet and slipped out of the bathroom.

She leaned against the cold glass door, her pretty face flushed.

After taking a shower and having dinner, the exhausted Aono quickly fell into a deep sleep.

After helping with the laundry and tidying up the resources and props, Dudu quickly fell asleep.

She wasn't very sleepy, but she still forced herself to sleep.

She decided that she wouldn't stay in bed tomorrow and would go out with Aono.

The next morning, Aono got up on time as usual.

Overnight, his injuries had mostly healed, and his fatigue had almost completely disappeared.

The improvement in combat power is an all-round improvement, which naturally includes recovery ability.

He went straight to the kitchen and saw the red-haired beauty sleeping peacefully wrapped in a sheet. A smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

Having someone by my side, and a sweet and caring girl at that, makes me so much happier than when I'm alone.

Seeing that Dudu was still fast asleep, he subconsciously moved more gently.

Yesterday's plan for the two to split up went smoothly, and he intends to maintain this pace until any new discoveries are made.

After washing up and checking the weapons and supplies again, Aono planned to go to the kitchen for breakfast, leaving some weapons and supplies for Dudu as well.

He pushed open the kitchen hatch and saw Dudu sitting up from under the sheets.

The girl looked dazed, as if she hadn't woken up yet.

The sheet slipped down, revealing her dazzlingly white, beautifully curved upper body to Aono.

Aono wanted to enjoy the view a little longer, but his best friend disagreed.

Are you going to look again?

If you keep looking, don't blame me for standing up and making it hard for you to walk!

"Dudu, why are you up so early today?"

As they spoke, Aono turned his back to her and said, "I'll go get you some clothes, just a moment."

The sleepy girl nodded subconsciously, but after Aono walked away, she gradually came to her senses and realized that she had been seen naked.

Actually, it's not really that bad; it's just that her upper body was exposed.

Watching Qingye's hurried departure, the shyness that had just surfaced in the little cook's heart dissipated, and she couldn't help but chuckle.

Soon, Aono returned with Dudu's clothes.

This time, he reached out and knocked on the door.

"Dudu, I'm coming in."

"Ah."

Having received permission, Aono pushed open the door and entered.

A beautiful girl wrapped in a bed sheet sat on a chair with her back to the door.

Her long, bright orange hair was casually tied up, revealing a section of her fair nape, making her both cute and alluring.

"Give."

Aono put the clothes he was carrying on the table and casually asked, "Why are you up so early today?"

"I'll go with you today."

Dudu didn't turn around, picked up her clothes and prepared to put them on, without mentioning that Qingye should avoid her.

Aono raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised that the girl hadn't told him to move away.

But he didn't ask, he just asked, "Why do you want to come with me? Are there too few monsters around the Ark?"

That's one reason.

After getting dressed, Dudu finally turned around, her azure eyes looking directly at him. "But more importantly, I hope I can help you."

"Just like you said, Aono-ge, it's just the two of us now. Although my talent isn't suited for combat, it's not the time for me to just stay at the base and cook."

Aono did not refute.

As the saying goes, three cobblers are equal to one Zhuge Liang.

More people mean more strength. After his battle with General Thunder yesterday, he understood that reaching the level cap did not mean he was out of danger.

And barring any unforeseen circumstances, the maximum distance on the map is only 100 kilometers, so there's not much difference between going slower or faster.

There's plenty of time anyway.

16. The Changes of General Thunder

“Okay.” Qingye nodded. “Then, just like last time, stick close to me and level up first.”

"Ah."

Dudu stood up and said seriously, "Don't worry, I killed a lot of monsters yesterday and I'll be level 8 soon. I can handle some ordinary monsters on my own."

Aono smiled but didn't answer directly. Instead, he pulled out a brand-new flamethrower and gave it to her.

Half an hour later, the two stepped out of the ark.

The morning mist hung low, obscuring the outlines of the distant ruins. Only the wind swirled fine dust particles through the empty streets.

Aono walked ahead, while Dudu lagged half a step behind, her gaze always fixed on his back.

Everything was almost exactly the same as before, the only difference being that the direction was completely reversed.

……

For the next three days, the two went out early and returned late, clearing monsters in circles in different directions.

By noon the next day, Dudu had already reached level 10.

Like Aono, she couldn't level up any further after reaching level 10.

Although both are at level 10, Dudu's combat power did not increase as dramatically as Qingye's.

This had been hinted at before, but the gap widened significantly after reaching level 10.

During this period, through continuous exploration, the two basically determined that the current map was only about 100 square kilometers, and the Ark was located in the center of the map.

When they tried to dig tunnels or walk through sewers, they encountered invisible walls after only going 10 meters.

The only place we can go deeper is the subway entrance where a suspected mycelium zombie nest was previously discovered.

As for the heavens...

Aono wanted to explore, but unfortunately there was no way to go to the sky at the moment.

In addition, they encountered General Thunder three more times.

Aono tried several different methods to lure her home.

Dudu also tried it a few times.

But no matter how they change the method or the person, the result is always the same.

General Thunder only cared about clearing out the monsters, and left after he finished.

When faced with the interaction between Aono and the other person, she would occasionally reply with a couple of formulaic words if it didn't bother her.

If you get in the way, you'll be met with a cold, piercing gaze and an even more ferocious slash.