[Wait, what did I just see? When did those two get so close?]
[I don't want them together. The trio with Mu-ge never turns off their live stream, but those two? They've kept it off the whole time except for an hour—and they didn't even run into any virtual beasts then. I saw nothing.]
[Same here, same here.]
[Against this pairing +1]
…
"Alright then, get some rest," Mu Qingyun said, glancing at the two, who now seemed inseparable. She had no choice but to agree.
As she stood up and turned around, she noticed that Fan Xuanye and Xiong Ruoyou had fallen asleep, leaning on each other.
"Go sleep in the room," she murmured, pulling out their sleeping bags and covering them with warm blankets she had taken from inside.
"Okay," Su and Kazel replied in unison. They exchanged a quick smile and nodded at each other.
After making sure everyone had gone to rest, Mu Qingyun turned off her live stream and walked out of the house.
She had suddenly remembered something—something that might help her.
There was still a trace of power left in her body. She moved that energy to her left hand, and her plant ability began to glow with a green light. Closing her eyes, she silently called out, transmitting her thoughts outward.
Sure enough, a faint rustling sound reached her ears not long after.
She opened her eyes. A swarm of snakes—varied in color and species—was slithering toward her, tightly packed together in a sight that made one's hair stand on end.
Once they reached her, they halted all at once. The front portions of their bodies lifted off the ground, standing upright and aligning their cold, vertical pupils with her gaze. The sensation was undeniably strange.
Just as she was unsure how to respond, the snakes parted in the middle, forming a path.
A massive Crimson King Snake slowly emerged from the darkness, slithering up to her. It was much larger than a typical snake and had what looked like a ruby embedded between its eyes.
"Honored warrior, were you the one who summoned us?"
A hoarse voice echoed in her mind. Mu Qingyun recognized it as the Crimson King Snake speaking. She didn't bother correcting its mistaken title for her.
"I need your help," she said silently, her left hand still glowing. "I have to kill seven hundred virtual beasts in the next nine days."
"Kill virtual beasts?" The Crimson King Snake narrowed its red eyes thoughtfully before nodding. "Understood. You must deliver the final blow yourself, correct?"
"Yes."
The snake glanced at the group behind it and hesitated.
"We can assist. Each evening, wait for us here. We'll bring you as many virtual beasts as we can catch. However, we can only handle creatures within our ability. Would that be acceptable, warrior? Is there a specific species you must target?"
"No particular species. Just do what you can," she replied gratefully, offering a smile. "Thank you."
"There's no need to thank us," the Crimson King Snake responded, shaking its head. "We were late in paying respects to you, and that was our failing. From now on, if you ever need us, we will do our best to aid you."
"Thank you."
For the first time in a long while, Mu Qingyun felt truly at ease. With such a powerful force assisting her, her anxiety faded.
The Crimson King Snake nodded again, its red eyes flashing. It hissed softly, and the snake swarm responded in unison, nodding to Mu Qingyun before following their leader away.
It no longer felt like a wild snake swarm—it was more like a trained battalion.
Mu Qingyun nodded in satisfaction. With that problem settled, a weight finally lifted from her chest.
She returned to the house, resisting sleep to focus on guiding the energy in her dantian through her body. After several cycles, her energy reserves were full once more.
She spent the entire night in silent meditation. By dawn, her abilities were almost completely restored.
The next day began as usual—but this time, Die Wu accompanied her. With Die Wu in her arms, combat became much easier.
They hadn't encountered any flying-type virtual beasts, so having aerial mobility gave them a clear advantage.
That night, after everyone had gone to sleep, Mu Qingyun returned to the same spot as the night before. Just as she expected, the snake swarm had dragged a host of virtual beasts to her feet.
Some of the creatures were unconscious, some paralyzed from venom, and others clinging weakly to life.
She deliberately kept her live stream on this time—she wanted the viewers to see her kill these beasts, or they would become suspicious.
Sure enough, the viewers exploded in reaction.
[What the hell am I seeing?! This is disgusting—I can't, I have trypophobia.][Oh my god, this is horrifying. Why are there so many snakes?! And they're coiled around virtual beasts… What are they planning?][Just a hunch… but I think it's related to Mu-ge.]
…
Mu Qingyun stepped forward, pulled a laser gun from her storage pouch, and walked from one beast to the next, finishing them off one by one.
It was incredibly satisfying to rack up points without even fighting—especially with the snake army capturing such large numbers of creatures for her.
She swung her arm over and over again until it ached, yet the virtual beasts kept coming, still being dragged over by the snakes.
Some were already on the brink of death. Because she didn't kill them in time, they dissolved into golden sand before her eyes.
"Crimson King Snake, how did you manage to catch so many virtual beasts? Where are they coming from?" she asked in her mind as she continued her work.
"I don't know either," the Crimson King Snake replied, slithering beside her. "Honestly, I'm curious too. Since yesterday, the number of virtual beasts on this island has suddenly increased."
Increased?
Mu Qingyun's eyes narrowed with suspicion. That should not have been possible. Mu Jingfeng wouldn't help her—he'd be more likely to sabotage her, not provide extra prey.
So who was responsible for the increase?
It was past midnight when Mu Qingyun finally finished harvesting the last beast. She rubbed her aching wrist and gave a grateful nod to the Crimson King Snake.
[Wow, I can't believe I stayed up to watch this. But… this doesn't feel fair. Using snakes to catch virtual beasts? Isn't that cheating?][Yeah, it feels a bit shady… but technically, she's not breaking any rules. The military academy never said you couldn't do that.][Ughhh… I wanted to see Mu-ge create a miracle in ten days. But now? I'm not so sure anymore.]