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

There are no monsters outside, but there are also no supplies.

Aono gripped the fire axe tightly and voiced his thoughts.

"So this level will definitely require us to explore these steel buildings..."

"Aono-nii, shall we go in?"

The overly quiet environment made the girl very uneasy, and her tone unconsciously revealed a sense of retreat.

Aono didn't want to rashly barge into the steel building that looked unusual. Since there was no immediate danger outside, he decided to run a map first.

"No rush, let's explore this sci-fi city first."

Looking at the wide, clean, and unobstructed metal road, Aono said with some regret, "If only I had a car, driving on a road like this would be so much fun."

"A car?" Dudu looked at Qingye with some confusion. "Do you mean the two-wheeled kind that came from the West?"

“That’s a bicycle, I’m talking about a car.”

Aono was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and talked to Dudu about more modern knowledge.

"Cars are...and washing machines, air conditioners..."

The two chatted as they walked along the metal road, passing one metal building after another.

While teaching Dudu modern knowledge, Aono subconsciously thought of a question.

As more and more teammates are recruited, people from different eras and even different worlds come together, and it's impossible to explain such common-sense knowledge to each and every one of them.

I wonder if the school feature will be unlocked in future upgrades to Ark?

If there were a facility like a school or library, this problem would be much easier to solve.

Despite chatting, Qingye and Dudu remained vigilant.

They gripped their weapons tightly, ready to retreat at any moment.

Therefore, the two continued to move faster, and the journey of about 10 kilometers took them nearly three hours.

It takes about the same amount of time as an average person to walk ten kilometers.

After passing the last metal building that resembled a factory, what appeared before Aono and Dudu was the familiar Chaos.

The dark chaos was like mist, constantly churning.

It seems like it could engulf everything at any moment.

"It seems the map size hasn't changed."

"Hmm, this invisible wall is still as reliable as ever."

Dudu touched the invisible wall in front of her and made a joke.

This wasn't the first time she'd seen a boundary.

She had already become aware of the existence of boundaries and chaos when she was clearing out the mycelium zombies with Aono.

But every time she saw the pitch-black chaos outside, the girl couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

At this moment, the air wall that had been firmly separating them from the metal city seemed particularly welcoming and reliable.

"really."

Aono also smiled.

After resting for a while, he called Dudu to set off again.

"Let's go. We can be fairly certain that there's no danger outside. We can take a good look around and figure out the exact boundaries of this world."

With the remaining half-day, Qingye took Dudu and explored the entire city.

Without worrying about danger or monsters blocking their way, the two traveled at a speed no slower than a car.

At 5 p.m., the two returned to the ark.

Although we didn't fight any monsters or collect any supplies today, the harvest was still very significant.

The biggest gain was information about the current world.

Intelligence is crucial at all times.

As the old saying goes, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated."

The afternoon's map exploration was not without its rewards.

"Aono-nii, what do you want to eat tonight?"

Back in the captain's cabin, Dudu skillfully tied on the pink floral apron she had bought from the store yesterday and began preparing dinner.

"Mmm... Shredded pork with garlic sauce!"

Aono thought for a few seconds and then decisively ordered the food.

It wasn't that he particularly liked the dish, but rather that he still vividly remembered the incident with the NPC little cook.

It's not too late to make up for not getting to eat it then.

"it is good."

As Dudu tied her long, orange-red hair into a high ponytail, she asked, "Isn't there anything else?"

"That's all. You can handle the rest as you see fit."

Aono shook his head. "I'll go to the living room first and refine the map a bit more."

After the store was unlocked, more tools became available.

While exploring the map today, he obtained a lot of useful information using the tools and created a simple map.

Although it's simple, it contains all the essential information.

It's many times better than the maps I drew on the spot before.

Aono took a sheet of A4 sketch paper out of his backpack and laid it flat on the table.

In the center of the paper is a square, and in the center of the square is a small circle with the words "Ark" written inside.

At this moment, Aono is using a pen to label the side length of the square with numbers.

The previous ruins map was chaotic and disorganized, with broken walls and ruins that had no discernible pattern, and there was also a lot of fog that severely limited visibility.

But this sci-fi city is different.

The sky was azure, and all the streets were laid out in a standard checkerboard pattern, with almost every building being the same size.

They were arranged with such precision that it looked as if they had been measured with a ruler.

Thanks to this, Aono finally determined the appearance, layout, and specific size of this world.

"The side length is 20 kilometers... so the area is a little more than the originally estimated 300 square kilometers, it is 400 square kilometers."

"Well, not much difference. It's still a tiny county-level city."

After marking the side lengths, Aono wrote four large characters in the blank space next to them.

"Heaven is round and earth is square."

On this square metal land, the sky and the ground meet in an arc.

There's no way to go up in the air to check it yet, but this can be confirmed by the curvature of the invisible wall.

This world is exactly the same as the world that Qingye knows and that the ancients described as a flat earth with a round sky.

30. New monsters

After finishing the overall task, Aono began marking the directions.

Finally, his gaze settled on the four other marked buildings on the map besides the Ark.

Among the city's silver buildings, these four are the most distinctive.

These are the central squares located directly north of the Ark, where a strange, wordless monument stands.

Located on the east side, the building's exterior features a red cross-shaped pattern, designated as the "General Hospital."

Located on the west side, the main gate of this [comprehensive school] is shaped like an open book.

Located on the south side, it is a huge shopping mall, about the size of several football fields.

Aono put down his pen, his eyes becoming deep.

Without a doubt, these four buildings are key to this level, and the boss might even be among them.

But precisely because of this, it must be left until the end.

You should at least upgrade to the level cap before going.

"I'll go check out the nearest building tomorrow... hopefully it won't be too difficult."

Although the outside world was confirmed to be temporarily safe, the overly orderly silence made Aono feel even more pressured.

A perfectly square city, towering steel skyscrapers awaiting opening, and an ark at the very center.

All of this suggests that the challenges ahead will not be as simple as the mycelium zombies wandering the roadside.

Moreover, all single-player games become increasingly difficult as you progress.

If you find it difficult in the early stages, you are very likely to get stuck in the later stages, and you can only die or restart.

Conversely, if the snowball is successfully started, it can lead to absolute domination.

However, nothing is absolute.

The game has become reality, so it's unacceptable to use the same logic to judge it.

However, it is perfectly acceptable to draw on some experience.

In the previous level, Aono cleared the entire map, partly to snowball his advantage.

After dinner, Aono and Dudu discussed their plans for tomorrow.

The young cook readily accepted good advice.

……

The next morning, Aono successfully raised Raiden General's favorability to 60%, and the dim recruitment option lit up.

However, he didn't rush to recruit, but wanted to wait another day to see if he could continue to increase the trust value.

In response, the young cook squinted and asked suspiciously, "Brother Qingye, are you sure you don't want to continue doing H things?"

"Of course not!"

Aono spoke with righteous indignation and stern words, without the slightest hint of falsehood.

No matter how beautiful a doll is, it's still a doll. After a while, you'll get tired of it.

Moreover, barring any unforeseen circumstances, this new map will feature many new NPCs.

There's absolutely no need to fight a Thunder General to the death.

After laughing and joking through breakfast, the two packed up their weapons and props and entered the nearest metal building.

When Qingye and Dudu came within a meter of each other, the automatic door of the metal building slid open silently.

The two exchanged a glance, and as the ripples spread beneath their feet, they walked side by side into the ripples.

Behind the door was not a dark corridor, but a completely white hall with soft lighting and a floor so clean that you could see your reflection.

Aono leaned against the wall and observed for a full minute.

There were no unusual changes.

He gestured to Dudu, and the two slowly moved into the hall.

As soon as she stepped inside, the sight around her made Dudu's eyes widen slightly.

The walls are transparent displays, scrolling with incomprehensible data and charts.

Several shadowless lamps are suspended from the ceiling, and the angle of the light automatically adjusts to follow their movement.

There was a faint smell of disinfectant in the air, as if the cleaning had just finished.

"There doesn't seem to be any danger here," Dudu whispered.

Aono, however, did not relax.

His gaze swept across the corridor deep in the hall, where it was pitch black except for the faint flickering of the emergency light at the end.