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

Three days later at noon, Qingye took Dudu to the subway entrance.

After searching all morning, the two of them didn't encounter a single mycelium zombie, so they could basically confirm that the cleanup was complete.

All that's left is...

However, when Aono reached the subway entrance, she stopped in her tracks.

He stopped in front of the subway entrance, not because of the dangers it posed, but because of the figure standing quietly ahead of him.

A mature woman with long purple hair stood there.

She had her back to them, purple lightning swirling slightly around her and the scabbard, her long hair fluttering gently in the non-existent air currents.

Strangely, instead of moving around while clearing monsters as usual, she remained rooted to the spot like a statue.

With his head slightly tilted back, he seemed to be gazing into the thick darkness deep within the tunnel.

"What's wrong with her?" Dudu asked in a low voice, her expression puzzled.

Aono raised his hand to signal her to calm down.

He took two steps forward until he could see General Thunder's profile clearly.

Those eyes, which were always cold and sharp, were now unusually empty, as if their gaze had pierced through the wall and landed on some distant place.

"Unlike before, this is the first time she has stayed still... Come to think of it, she also stayed still when she met Dudu."

Aono's mind raced. In the past, she was always in motion, and it was difficult for her to capture such a still moment.

"General Thunder," he called out tentatively.

no respond.

Aono recalled his several attempts over the past few days and boldly stepped forward again.

The purple-haired mature woman still didn't react.

No reaction is the best reaction.

Because before, she would just draw her sword and slash at me!

It's confirmed now; it's probably because clearing out the mycelium zombies triggered her fixed logic as an NPC.

"Try again."

Aono planned to take matters into her own hands, just like when she carried Dudu home.

"Dudu, let's try to bring her back first. If we can recruit her as a teammate, the exploration will be much safer later on."

Dudu nodded, gripping the stone spear in her hand tightly, ready to support Qingye as soon as possible.

She hadn't forgotten the dangerous scene when the two of them tried to capture this powerful female swordsman together, only to have her fight back desperately.

If it weren't for Aono's timely rescue, she would still be alive, but she would have lost an arm.

This purple-haired mature woman looks exactly like a real person, but in reality, she is a cold-blooded and ruthless puppet who acts according to fixed logic.

Just as Aono's hand touched Raiden General's shoulder, the purple-haired older sister who had been standing there moved.

In that instant, Aono knew the plan had failed.

The air suddenly became sharp.

The purple-haired woman drew her sword with lightning speed, the blade grazing Aono's shoulder before striking the concrete and exploding into a shower of sparks.

Aono gradually got used to these sudden attacks.

Or perhaps it was anticipated.

He released his grip, calmly sidestepped, and then habitually retreated half a meter.

Maintain distance, but not too much.

Facing the Raiden General wielding a naginata that is nearly 1.8 meters long, half a meter is a more comfortable distance.

Too far and you'll be vulnerable to attack; too close and you'll struggle to react.

Unlike before, this time the purple-haired older sister did not pursue. Seeing that Aono had retreated, she sheathed her sword.

Looking at the magnificent naginata on General Raiden's back, Aono's eyes revealed a hint of envy.

He wants such a cool weapon too.

Why didn't he come with a special weapon...?

Once we recruit them as teammates, we must find a chance to borrow them and have some fun!

Aono initially thought that the naginata was the same as the katana.

As time went by, he became so focused on the white rabbit and the long legs that he completely forgot about this.

It was only after several later encounters and careful observation during the battles that I recalled it.

Actually, there's quite a difference between a naginata and a katana; it's just that lust has clouded my judgment!

I will abstain from alcohol starting today!

What? There's no alcohol at all right now?

Oh, that's okay.

Seeing that General Thunder and Lightning had no intention of pursuing, Dudu, who was about to step forward, also stopped.

Aono also shifted his gaze from the naginata and began to ponder again.

"It seems that forcibly taking her back won't work; it will still trigger the combat mechanics. So what is her purpose in standing here? It can't be just guarding the gate, can it?"

He roused himself, gripped the fire axe, and tentatively walked towards the subway entrance.

He walked along, observing the purple-haired older woman's reaction.

Even after he was fully inside, he could already hear the roars of the mycelium zombies in the subway, but the other party still did not react.

"Okay, as long as it's not a goalkeeper."

Qingye breathed a sigh of relief and called Dudu over.

This is probably the nest of the mycelium zombies, and the key to upgrading the Ark, the [Heart of Symbiosis], must be inside.

If there is a BOSS, it will definitely be down there.

If General Thunder guards the gate and refuses to let him in, even if he's reluctant, he'll have no choice but to cruelly destroy the flower with tears in his eyes.

Even without Raiden General, there's still Saeko Busujima, Saber, Asuna, Ais Wallenstein...

But you can't fight the BOSS, or you'll lose everything!

The subway tunnel is deeper than I imagined.

As expected, the monsters along the way were generally stronger than those outside.

It is faster, has a thicker shell, and even takes several seconds longer to burn through a flamethrower.

Qingye and Dudu worked together seamlessly, and their monster-killing speed wasn't much slower.

However, the obstructed view and unfamiliarity with the terrain caused some delays.

About an hour later, the two arrived at a place that looked like a platform.

“There’s no road ahead.” Dudu looked around and leaned close to Qingye and said.

"It's not that there's no road, it's that it's blocked."

Aono looked serious and gestured for Dudu to step back and look at it from a different angle.

The girl was a little confused, but she obediently stepped back a little and looked again.

Her pupils widened suddenly, and in her shock, her pale throat bobbed, but no sound came out.

Crouching on the platform ahead was a mycelium zombie as tall as a two-story building.

Its trunk is covered with pulsating blue-purple mycelium, and several thick tentacles extend from its back.

The giant mycelium zombie lay there quietly, filling the entire tunnel completely.

The light was too dim before, and she was so close that she thought it was a wall.

"Brother Qingye..." Dudu swallowed hard, "Should we fight?"

"Since we're already here, we might as well give it a try."

Aono guessed that this was the gatekeeper boss.

Whether the Symbiotic Heart is a dropped item or something you need to search for yourself in the back, this giant zombie must be killed.

17. Beasts and worse than beasts

Battle broke out.

The tentacles behind the giant mycelium zombie swept, slammed, and pierced the ground, each attack accompanied by low-frequency vibrations that made people's eardrums ache.

Aono used his speed and agile turning to constantly change position and slash at close range.

Dudu maintained distance and attacked from the flank.

The flames from the flamethrower continuously scorched and carbonized the mycelial tentacles.

However, those injured areas regenerate at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The charred wound turned over, and new mycelia immediately emerged to fill the gap.

"This recovery ability is just too outrageous..."

The girl gritted her teeth and picked up a new flamethrower.

Mycelium zombies do have regenerative abilities, and can even regenerate severed limbs, but that takes a very long time.

In short, it doesn't have a particularly significant role in combat.

But this giant mycelium zombie in front of us is different.

No matter what kind of injury it is, it can almost always recover immediately.

Aono also realized the seriousness of the problem.

This is no longer simply a matter of strong resilience.

This giant mycelium zombie looks terrifying, but its combat power is actually not particularly outrageous.

At least in his opinion, she was far inferior to the purple-haired mature woman guarding the subway entrance.

During the fight, he seized an opportunity to strike the enemy's head and neck, in which he also lost two stone spears.

Despite it being a vital area, the mycelium zombie's movements were not affected in the slightest.

The mycelium surged and squeezed out the stone spear in less than a second, and then the wound healed.

"withdraw!"

Ten minutes or so passed, and Qingye's breathing gradually became heavy, but the giant mycelium zombie remained in the same perfect condition as at the beginning.

Seeing this, he decisively retreated, grabbed Dudu, and pulled her back towards the ground.

The giant mycelium zombie didn't chase it too far, stopping near the platform and letting out a low growl.

The tentacles waved in mid-air, as if declaring ownership of this territory.

Looking at this scene, Aono's eyes narrowed, and a thought flashed into his mind like lightning.

This giant mycelium zombie, suspected to be the BOSS, remained lurking on the platform throughout, neither launching an attack nor pursuing its advantage...

What is it guarding?

Or rather, it was pinned there by something?

Back on the ground, Aono was still pondering this question.

Unfortunately, the clues were too sparse, like trying to piece together a jigsaw puzzle that was 90% missing, making it impossible to know where to begin.

The setting sun dyed the ruins orange-red, and the purple-haired mature woman still stood quietly.

Aono turned to look at the deep, dark subway entrance.

"Let's go home first, rest and recuperate before coming back. This giant mycelium zombie can't possibly be truly immortal; there must be something we haven't noticed."

The girl following closely beside Aono nodded silently, gripping the already hot flamethrower tightly.

Back on the Ark, the alloy gate slowly closed behind them, completely isolating them from the ruins and roars of the outside world.