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

"Shadow, are you alright?"

"It's nothing... I'm just exhausted."

Ying shook her head, indicating that Qingye didn't need to worry.

The two looked up and saw that the blue energy was still repairing Icarus's almost severed body.

However, the speed has slowed down a bit.

It seems that the severity of the injury can also affect the speed of recovery.

The more severe the injury, the slower the regression speed.

Judging from the timing, by the time Icarus regains his mobility, the progress bar should already be full.

However, just to be on the safe side, Aono still held the alloy battle axe, ready to attack at any moment.

Time passed by, and the task progressed steadily.

[91.55%]

[93.65%]

……

[99.99%]

Aono's gaze unconsciously drifted to the progress bar on the blank stone tablet.

[100%]

[Core procedures have been compromised, and control has been transferred.]

Challenge Completed

He finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that it wasn't stuck at 99.99%.

At the same time, with the system notification that the challenge was successful, the tense atmosphere that had enveloped the entire square instantly dissipated.

At the edge of the square, Icarus's chilling crimson eyes slowly lost their blood color, returning to their clear emerald green.

She swayed and fell from mid-air, the blue energy that had been healing her injuries slowly dissipating.

Along with it, the bright red BOSS tag above her head also disappeared.

After landing, the pink-haired beauty with faint knife marks from her shoulder to her hip did not make any move.

He just stood there quietly.

Seeing this, Aono felt a weight lifted from his shoulders.

He slowly walked forward, carrying the alloy battle axe, but Icarus did not react at all.

He boldly reached out and touched it, successfully opening her personal panel.

------

Name: Icarus

Class: Battle Angel

Trust rating: 0%

【recruit】

------

Looking at the word "recruitment" at the end, Aono tried to hold back, but in the end, he couldn't resist.

A smile crept onto his face as he thought that Icarus had become a recruitable unit, making today's battle worthwhile.

Icarus is not only a powerful combat specialist, but he can also make up for the team's weakness in aerial combat.

"Tsunade, come and treat Ika."

Seeing his battle angel injured, Aono felt a pang of heartache and quickly carried Ikaros to Tsunade for treatment.

The women all curled their lips in disapproval at the speed at which he changed his expression.

Even the most composed Ying couldn't help but shake her head with a chuckle.

Speechless as she was, Tsunade didn't dawdle.

Under the healing power of the blue energy flow, the pink-haired angel girl's more serious injuries have almost completely healed.

Aono also helped wipe away the bloodstains; she only needed to fulfill the role of a medical ninja.

While Tsunade was treating Ikaros, Aono asked about the current situation of Aiba, Asagi, and the other two girls.

Logically, the BOSS battle should have ended, and even if Icarus replaced the materials and gold, there should still be a Mechanical Heart left.

Without this crucial item, the Ark cannot complete its upgrade.

Naturally, this prevents the player from unlocking the next level.

"Brother Qingye, the mechanical heart you mentioned needs to have its core program detonated."

After listening to Aono's question, Asagi Aiba typed on the virtual keyboard and brought up a complex control panel.

The complex C language gave Aono a headache.

He couldn't understand it either.

However, he understood the words "self-destruct" in the lower right corner of the screen.

Aono stroked his chin, a bold plan forming in his mind.

He looked up and asked, "Blue Feather, Early Spring, Nymph, are you sure you can keep control of this core program?"

The three women looked at each other and nodded in tacit agreement.

"Brother Aono, at least for now, we have complete control over this program."

Shiori Haruhi's soft, cute voice rang out, adding, "However, this program is constantly evolving, and we have to check it every day. If we find any uncontrollable phenomena, we must destroy it immediately."

"Yes, half of the reason we were able to successfully infiltrate and control the game system this time is thanks to the challenge it presented."

Lan Yu Qiancong rubbed her slightly sore shoulders and said helplessly, "If we lose control, even if we have the ability to regain control next time, there will be no way for us to invade."

"Understood. Then I'll trouble you to come and check every day for the next few days."

Aono hesitated for only a second before making a decisive decision.

Just like the previous level, defeat all the monsters and collect all the resources in this level, then detonate the core program to obtain the Mechanical Heart to upgrade the Ark and advance to the next level.

The potential gains far outweigh the risks; how can you expect to snowball your fortunes without taking a gamble?

By this time, Tsunade had finished treating Ikaros, and his injuries had almost completely disappeared, leaving only faint white marks from the exaggerated wounds.

It will fully recover in time.

With good physical condition and the availability of treatment options, it is now entirely possible to avoid leaving scars.

The scars that Ying and Dudu had in the early stages have now all disappeared.

The scar on Aono's chest was too deep and had been there for the longest time; he needed to improve his physique further before it could disappear completely.

Aono nodded to Tsunade, then waved to the other women.

That's all for today, let's go home.

He bent down and gently lifted the exhausted Ying into his arms.

The purple-haired mature woman felt weak all over, and she didn't even have the strength to lift her hand. Her delicate and aloof face showed a rare hint of tired laziness, and she leaned her head against his shoulder.

"I'll guide Senior Icarus."

Nymph flapped her wings and flew to Icarus's side, who was in NPC form.

On the way back, the women couldn't help but glance at the two angelic girls.

Nymph's wings are translucent, cicada-wing-shaped, and emit a rainbow of light; they can also become invisible when not in use.

Icarus's wings, on the other hand, were a soft pink, with a faint halo flowing around their edges.

Although there are differences, they give the impression of being the same product.

Considering Nymph's previous title, the answer is pretty much obvious.

"Nymph".

Finally unable to contain her curiosity, Aiba Asagi asked, "You and Icarus... are from the same world, right?"

Nymph, holding Icarus, continued walking, nodding and explaining simply, "Yes, we are both artificial angels. I am the second generation, and Icarus is the first generation."

Upon hearing Nymph confirm their relationship, the goddesses following behind reacted with varying expressions.

Before this, they had a vague premonition that they might encounter acquaintances or even friends from the same world.

But seeing two girls from the same world meet here still left everyone with mixed feelings.

Back in the captain's cabin, Aono handed over Kage, who had regained some strength, to Dudu.

Then he looked at the women and waved his hand, saying, "Go and rest, I'll call you for dinner. Coco, stay behind."

Dudu helped Ying leave first, followed by Nymph carrying Icarus, with Aoba Asagi and Uiharu Kazari close behind.

Tsunade, who always slacked off, was the last to leave.

Her lips twitched, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she left silently.

"Why didn't you keep Tsunade here? You should have figured out what she meant, right?"

Aono shook his head. "As long as her hemophobia isn't cured, there's no point in saying anything more."

"Even my value as a medical professional has been greatly diminished, so I might as well continue being a full-time chakra coach."

The silver-haired woman shrugged and said nothing more.

"Koko, next we need to take down the remaining metal buildings as quickly as possible, ideally clearing the map before the core program goes out of control."

Aono got straight to the point, "I need you to develop the most efficient action plan while ensuring safety, and then pass it on during dinner. We'll start implementing it tomorrow."

The silver-haired woman rolled her eyes upon hearing this. "If you want safety, you can't be efficient. If you want efficiency, you have to take some risks."

"According to your idea, there's nothing to consider at all. It's just you, Tsunade, and the Kage, each leading a team."

"The rest are all support roles. They join the team according to their own wishes and help out with odd jobs, such as scavenging and transporting supplies."

"There are still too few people... especially combat professionals. Even with Icarus included, there are only four."

Aono frowned.

At this moment, I understand once again the meaning of population as a resource.

"I plan to recruit Icarus as soon as possible."

After a pause, he added, "We can split into four teams to speed up the map clearing process."

There are still two teammate slots available, and Aono originally planned to recruit Icarus to increase combat power and fill the gaps.

Now there's another reason to recruit Icarus.

Coco gave an OK sign. "Understood. I'll pass on the message in a bit. The teams should be divided up before dinner."

Before leaving, she thought for a moment and asked, "By the way, should I have Nymph bring Icarus over? We have plenty of time today, so we can complete the trust level increase."

Aono waved his hand, "Never mind, let's start tomorrow."

He has expended a lot of energy and physical strength today and needs to rest well.

Moreover, after the help from Dudu and Coco, it's really not very motivating for him to raise trust points on his own now.

64. Map Clearing Plan & Start Increasing Trust Level

After it got completely dark, Aono got out of bed.

He stretched, his bones cracking softly, and the aches and pains throughout his body reminded him to get some rest that night.

Stepping into the living room, the dining table was already laden with delicious-looking and fragrant dishes.

The sweet aroma of rice wafted from the kitchen, making one's mouth water.