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

The next moment, Qingye looked at his combat power, which was exactly 20 points higher than Dudu's, and was completely relieved.

His combat power increased from 58 to 59. Although it was only a 1-point change, the increase meant that the bonus also had an effect on him.

"By the way, these should be stackable, right?"

Thinking of the enchanting moments of the previous night, Aono subconsciously muttered, "If every teammate with 100% trust can provide a 15% constitution bonus... wouldn't the more people there be, the stronger my body would become?"

These percentage increases are calculated independently, and the effect becomes stronger as you go further down the scale.

"So that means... there's absolutely no need to worry about too many people causing exhaustion; all you need to worry about is the time?"

This speculation excited Aono even more than the increase in combat power.

If it can be stacked infinitely, no matter how basic the ability is, it can eventually reach a terrifying level.

That's the power of numbers.

But Aono forgot something very important.

The number of survivor NPCs in this world is not infinite.

Trying to become a god through infinite stacking is pure wishful thinking—like looking at stars in the sun.

A cheerful Qingye suddenly looked up and said seriously, "Dudu."

The young cook, who was ladling ham and fried eggs onto a plate, instinctively shuddered. "W-What's wrong? Brother Aono..."

Seeing the slightly nervous young cook, Aono smiled.

"Add an extra fried egg to my breakfast today!"

"Oh, alright."

Dudu quickly cracked more eggs, secretly relieved.

It's fine if we don't discuss the issue of trust values.

Seeing the little cook's flustered and disorganized movements, Aono couldn't help but laugh.

But for a good night's sleep, I have to hold it in.

After breakfast, the two left the ark.

They walked side by side through the ruined streets, keeping an eye on their surroundings to avoid being ambushed by the mycelium zombies hiding in the shadows.

Perhaps because the cleanup was so thorough, we didn't encounter a single mycelium zombie along the way.

It took the two of them more than 20 minutes to get back to the vicinity of the subway entrance.

The tall figure in the purple gown remained standing quietly in place, as if she had never moved an inch.

Aono stepped forward and asked with practiced ease, "We have a base here. Do you want to come back with us?"

The purple-haired, long-legged, busty mature woman's violet eyes remained completely calm as she said emotionlessly, "I am stationed here. Those who are not involved, please leave immediately."

Yes, as always.

There was a response, but it was clearly not very intelligent.

Undeterred, Aono continued, "In the apocalypse, we should help each other. Why don't we try forming a team first?"

"This body is eternal, step back."

The response remained cold and formulaic, without even the slightest variation in tone.

Dudu, who was standing next to her, frowned and whispered something.

"Um...we really didn't mean any harm."

General Thunder's gaze didn't even shift in her direction, remaining fixed on what lay ahead.

"Disgusted by the fleeting nature of this world, I yearn for the pure land and the eternal way."

This response was completely irrelevant; it was just reading lines.

It seems that Dudu's remarks touched on a blind spot in the knowledge about General Thunder as an NPC.

Aono waved his hand, indicating that the emotional route with Dudu was definitely useless.

The purple-haired mature woman in front of you looks just like a normal person, but in reality, she is just an NPC who follows fixed rules.

He quickly calculated all the possible triggering mechanisms in his mind, intending to try them all.

Anyway, we have enough time today.

20. Source

Looking at the subway entrance that reeked of a fishy stench, Aono suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

General Thunder's sudden change of action and his stubborn guarding of the subway entrance must have a different meaning.

The only difference compared to the past is probably the boss in the deepest part of the subway.

Aono stared at the purple-haired mature woman in front of him and said, word by word, "Deep inside the subway, there is a very powerful giant mycelium zombie. I suspect that it is the culprit that caused the apocalypse. Would you like to come with me to eliminate it?"

Deep inside the subway

Giant Zombie

The culprit

When these words appeared, General Thunder, who had been like a sculpture, finally reacted.

As Aono finished speaking, she slowly turned her head, her crystal-like purple eyes focusing on Aono for the first time.

His expression remained as cold as ice.

"The purpose of this body is to eliminate all evil spirits."

As soon as she finished speaking, without waiting for Aono, she turned around and walked into the dimly lit subway entrance.

Seeing this, Qingye was overjoyed and quickly called Dudu to follow.

Inside the tunnel, Dudu walked beside Qingye, curiously watching the purple-haired older woman leading the way.

The monsters inside the tunnel were more numerous than I had imagined.

I almost finished cleaning it yesterday. At the normal pace, even if new ones appear, there would only be two or three big cats and small cats at most.

In reality, the three of them kept encountering groups of mycelium zombies along the way.

Fortunately, we have General Thunder clearing the way today.

With a gentle swing of the long-handled naginata crackling with lightning, the mycelium zombies blocking the way fell one after another.

Qingye and Dudu barely made a move.

The only downside is that the monsters killed by General Thunder do not drop gold coins or materials.

After an hour of exploration, the deep tunnel suddenly opened up.

The empty platform and the enormous structure that occupied the area reappeared in Aono and Dudu's sight.

Under the special lighting, the scene was much clearer than yesterday, and the two of them saw it.

The two-story-sized body looked as if it were stitched together from countless human limbs and mycelium, with a huge fleshy tumor throbbing on its chest.

Each pulse sprays out a pale yellow cloud of spores.

Dudu quietly moved closer to Qingye and whispered, "Qingye-ge... I feel like the temperature is a bit colder today..."

Aono narrowed his eyes, his voice serious.

"Yes, we must deal with this big guy as soon as possible and get through this hurdle. I have a feeling that dragging it out any longer is definitely not a good idea."

During their conversation, a fight suddenly broke out.

The Thunder General, who would slash at any monster he saw, didn't think twice and immediately charged in with his naginata.

With all the top-notch fighters they had managed to recruit coming up, Aono and Dudu naturally wouldn't just sit on the sidelines and watch.

According to yesterday's plan, Aono was responsible for drawing aggro at close range, but his main focus was on dodging.

Dudu provides remote support, using a flamethrower and flashlight to gather intelligence.

The Thunder General, who had always slain monsters with ease, had finally met his match.

No matter how she attacks, the giant zombie will recover within seconds.

Even if each strike is accompanied by purple lightning, it only increases the recovery time from a few seconds to more than ten seconds.

A few minutes later, under the cover of Aono and General Raiden, Dudu made a discovery.

"Aono-kun, there's more space behind the platform. I just saw it, right behind this monster."

Following the direction indicated by Dudu, Qingye focused his attention on observing.

With General Thunder facing off against the giant zombie head-on, he has basically no pressure today.

Soon, he found the space that Dudu had mentioned.

The truth is clear: this giant zombie is guarding this place to block the road and prevent others from discovering the area behind it.

But no matter how large it is, it can never completely seal off the space.

Especially during intense battles, gaps will occasionally appear.

It's called a gap, but that's in comparison to the size of the giant zombie.

For Aono, as long as he finds the right opportunity, he can enter very easily.

He looked at the purple-haired mature woman who was already panting, and made a decision in his heart.

With General Thunder, a top-tier fighter, leading the charge, our side's combat strength has reached its current peak.

If we don't seize this opportunity, and if General Thunder doesn't come next time, the conquest will only become more difficult.

Aono held his breath and concentrated.

The next moment, taking advantage of the gap when the giant zombie raised its hand to attack, he suddenly ran forward.

"Success..."

Aono stepped into the shadowy area behind the platform, feeling a sticky sensation under his feet, as if he had stepped into some kind of living flesh.

Almost at the same instant, a scream that seemed to shatter eardrums echoed through the tunnel.

"Roar--!!!"

The giant zombie, two stories high, suddenly turned around, its already ferocious face completely distorted.

The tumor on his chest throbbed wildly, spewing out a cloud of spores as thick as solidified yellow smoke.

"Aono-nii! Watch out!"

Dudu's exclamation came from behind.

Before Aono could even get a clear look at his surroundings, a terrifying sense of oppression was already approaching from behind.

He turned around abruptly, his pupils shrinking sharply.

The purple-haired mature woman stood there, her deep purple dress mostly soaked in blood, her left arm hanging limply at her side.

Faced with the suddenly enraged giant mycelium zombie, General Thunder, who was already at a disadvantage, was seriously injured.

But instead of retreating, she stepped forward and stood between Aono and the giant zombie.

The purple lightning no longer coiled around the naginata, but exploded from within her body.

Like a purple sun, it forcefully tore through the surrounding darkness.

"This body... has slain all evil throughout countless lifetimes and worlds."

Her voice was soft, yet it drowned out the roar of the giant zombie and the rumble of the subway station.

"You filthy creatures, how dare you act so presumptuously here—"

"Without thought, one strike!"

Before she finished speaking, her fingertips had already reached into her chest.

Lightning burst forth from the deep, white ravine, and with a long metallic groan, she slowly pulled the katana, crackling with purple lightning, from its shell.

Wherever the blade passed, even the air was ionized into tiny electric arcs.

The next moment, the blade flashed.

The moment the purple light exploded, the giant zombie's roar abruptly ceased.