Incubation Ground

It must be said that Xia Wen was indeed an excellent wingman.

After getting Lin Xiaoyi's phone from Bai Zhi, she readily and generously transferred 300,000 yuan to Bai Zhi's account.

"Pay for one month now, we've got a monthly subscription!!"

It has to be said, the Boss is incredibly generous. Even the way he walked as Lin Xiaoyi dragged him into the room after he paid was so dashing and charming.

Taking advantage of this time, Bai Zhi asked Mu Qiansè about the results of this drug trial, and at the same time, he also looked at his own.

Although the process of taking the medicine was quite painful, his maximum Spiritual Energy Value not only increased by 300 points, but he also gained a common -Level Skill called [Basic Mental Resistance]... although he felt that this Skill was of little use to him.

"Hmm... My maximum Spiritual Energy Value has increased by 300 points, I've gained a [Basic Mental Resistance] Skill, my Intelligence has increased by 2 points, my Perception by 1 point, Sanity by 5 points..."

Somewhat reluctantly, Mu Qiansè turned her gaze away from that direction and began to report her findings while checking them over. However, as she spoke, she suddenly froze in her tracks.

"No... you've improved this much!?"

In fact, not only him, but even Bai Zhi, who was listening nearby, was stunned.

"That stuff can enhance Intelligence and Perception? And even Sanity?! Why didn't I get that?!"

"Perhaps your potential is higher..."

"It's a very normal thing. It's not difficult to improve from 60 to 80 points, but do you think it would be easy to improve from 80 to 100 points?"

As a wave of heat swept in, the voice of a White-haired loli came from the kitchen.

"But that shouldn't be the case. Even if your Intelligence and Perception haven't improved, your Sanity shouldn't have remained unchanged..."

Qingyi walked out of the kitchen carrying a rice cooker. After placing it on the Coffee Table, she asked Bai Zhi with a slightly puzzled Qingyi.

How many Sanity points do you have right now?

"Uh... I misread it just now, it seems like I did add a few points."

Bai Zhi coughed a few times and nodded.

"By the way, what's in this rice cooker? It's not going to be... again..."

"That kind of Magic Potion cannot be used multiple times in a short period of time, otherwise it will cause corresponding Mental Pollution. That kind of mental pollution is the most difficult to remove, and that requires a different medicine."

Shaking her head, Qingyi reached out and untied the apron tied around her waist.

"However, this is the first time I've made this kind of drug, and there's a high chance of some side effects. It would be great if we could find a few people to test it."

As she spoke, the White-haired loli glanced at Mu Qiansè.

"At the same time, to ensure the specific Special Effect of the drug, it is best to use Player as test subjects; it is not very useful for common."

Mu Qiansè: "..."

... You may say what you mean, but why do you keep glancing in my direction? Do I look like a drug test subject?

"Um... this medicine shouldn't kill Dead Person, right?"

Seemingly recalling the Nightmare experience of swallowing that bowl of emerald green ointment, Mu Qiansè involuntarily shuddered and cautiously pointed to the rice cooker on the table.

Do you think these drugs are common?

Seeing that the medicine she had spent almost the entire morning refining was being questioned, Qingyi seemed inexplicably quite displeased.

"Anyway, Bai Zhi has already told you everything about me, so I'll just be frank. In our original world, each ingredient in these medicines I made would be extremely expensive. These aren't just common roadside wildflowers or weeds. This is the last legacy of a world; once it's used up, it will truly become extinct, you know that?"

"... Feel sorry."

After a moment of silence, Mu Qiansè spoke in a low voice.

"Alright, let's not dwell on the past. I'll test the medicine."

Reaching out, Bai Zhi ruffled the hair of the White-haired loli beside him and began to speak with a smile.

"With [Noah's Ark] around, there are still survivors in your world, so there's no need to be too discouraged."

"No, I am the last survivor. Our [Noah's Ark] actually no longer exists... I'll tell you about that later."

Her expression was slightly complicated, Qingyi shook her head slightly.

"These are the first times I've made these medicines. Although they Dead Person, I don't want you to take any risks, so..."

"I'll be the one to test the drug!!"

Just then, Xia Wen stepped out of the room and, having heard the last part of the sentence, immediately raised his hand high.

"As long as I don't die from eating, I can eat as much as I want, and none of you can take it from me!!"

"A new Player...?"

Turning her head to look at Xia Wen and Lin Xiaoyi, who were walking out of Mu Qiansè's room, the White-haired loli's eyes lit up immediately.

"If you two are willing to come and try the medicine, that would be perfect. This is a [Random Attribute Potion]. After taking it, you will randomly gain three to five attribute points depending on your individual situation. You newbie player are probably most in need of Attribute Point, right?"

"Great, Xiao Yi and I will both take on the task of drug testing."

After listening to what the White-haired loli in front of him said, Xia Wen did not hesitate to raise Lin Xiaoyi's hand as well, his voice firm and resolute.

"Anyone who tries to take it from us, we'll fight them to the death!!"

Lin Xiaoyi: "???"

Five minutes later.

"..."

Looking at the two Young Girl walking so peacefully in front of them, Bai Zhi and Mu Qiansè both fell into silence.

"That's normal. All medicine has side effects. I don't have the Strength of a system... They'll probably wake up around lunchtime."

With a calm expression, Qingyi put the rice cooker away from the table, looked around, and then asked with a slightly puzzled look.

"By the way, where is Anna?"

"Because studying in the living room would be subject to malicious interference from external forces, she went to her room to study... What happened?"

Looking at the White-haired loli holding his hand, Bai Zhi couldn't help but feel slightly puzzled.

"Go to the Shadow World, I have something to tell you."

While pulling Bai Zhi's hand and walking towards Bai Zhi's room, Qingyi spoke to Mu Qiansè, who was sitting beside her.

"I'll leave lunch to you. Bai Zhi and I should be back around noon."

"Oh..."

Watching the two figures walk away, Mu Qiansè's lips twitched slightly.

Although he didn't know what Qingyi wanted to say to him specifically, or why she had to make a special trip to the Shadow World, Bai Zhi still managed to come here using the Shadow World 'Shadow Realm Permanent Pass.

Although such a major event occurred in the Real World Binhai City, things remained lively in the Shadow World.

Avoiding the bustling crowds, Bai Zhi and Qingyi Yi arrived at a Ruined building.

"... There are some things I wasn't planning to tell you so soon, but since you've already come into contact with this area, I think it's better for me to tell you these things than to let you spend time thinking about them yourself."

After standing on the badly damaged balcony and gazing into the distance for a while, Qingyi began to speak.

Why do you think my world has become the way it is now?

"Does 'the way it is now' mean 'lifeless'?"

Walking up to the other person, Bai Zhi looked up at the Tian Kong.

In the Shadow World, a world that has been completely destroyed, the Tian Kong is always a pure gray.

"To be honest, I do find it strange. Your world was destroyed by Anomaly, everyone died, except for you... But I have seen what a world destroyed by Anomaly looks like."

"Yes, in a world completely overrun by Anomaly and where humanity has been utterly wiped out, that world will become a [Incubation Ground]. On the ruins of the World Destruction, unprecedentedly terrifying Monster will be born..."

Qingyi let out a soft sigh.

"Once that terrifying Monster is fully formed, the world itself ceases to exist. The utterly drained world will plunge into the deepest Abyss, the [World Tomb], the most terrifying and despairing place. No one knows exactly where that place is... This is the ultimate fate of a world."

"And what about [Noah's Ark]?"

Bai Zhi frowned slightly.

"That was the [Seed of Fire], the last remnant of the world itself, fleeing desperately through endless worlds, because as long as the [Seed of Fire] doesn't die out, the flame will eventually reignite... It was a faint, almost impossible hope."

She also looked up at the Tian Kong and spoke Qingyi.

"But even so, they still have hope, while my world is completely hopeless, because the last Seed of Fire has been extinguished."

"... So that's why your world is the way it is now, right?"

Bai Zhi quickly organized and categorized the information in his mind, then let out a heavy breath.

"Your world also once gave birth to [Noah's Ark], and then the chosen one took [Noah's Ark] and escaped your world, but in the end, he returned, bringing these invaluable messages. The reason your world became what it is today, instead of becoming [the Incubation Ground], is it because of [Noah's Ark] and the system itself?"

"That's right, my Big Brother, the future king of the Shadow Realm, he was the Chosen One of the [Noah's Ark]. He could have lived on forever, though he was constantly running away and wandering... but in the end, he still brought the Noah's Ark back to our world."

The sound coming from Qingyi's mouth was extremely soft.

"Our final plan was that he knew about my existence and that of the 326 people, but because of the existence of the so-called [Incubation Ground], this plan was actually impossible to succeed, because in the end, we would all become nourishment for that Terrifying Existence that was about to be born... He brought this information back, and then made a deal with the system at the cost of himself, the [Noah's Ark], and this world itself."

What are the details of the transaction?

Looking at the Player Plaza and the Auction House in the center from afar, and then glancing up at the gray Tian Kong, Bai Zhi narrowed his eyes slightly.

"I don't know, or rather, nobody knows."

Qingyi shook her head.

"It was as if something extremely important had completely vanished from this world. The world rapidly decayed and became lifeless. The Anomaly that existed in the world inexplicably descended into a frenzied riot... When I awoke from my long slumber, the entire world was utterly dead."

She turned to look at Bai Zhi.

"There are no Anomaly in the world, but there is also no Life. The Tian Kong has turned into a deathly blackish-gray, and the earth has become a gray desert. In this utterly dead world, not even a drop of water can be found."

"Because this world is completely dead, all the Anomaly in the world left this world or disappeared... Was this world sold to the system in a package deal? No, it shouldn't be the world..."

Bai Zhi reached out and gently pressed his forehead, a wry smile appearing on his face.

"So, your Big Brother sold the [Noah's Ark] to the system, perhaps even sacrificing himself in the process. And the price he paid was for the system to preserve this dead world, and to preserve you all who still exist within it..."

"That's right, that [World Contract] was left behind by my Big Brother. He gave up his own hope and placed all his hopes on us 327 people... But now, only I am left."

As she spoke these words, Qingyi's expression appeared rather somber.

"So I've always wanted to know, what is the true nature of the system, where do those Anomaly that have plagued one world after another come from, and why do such things happen..."

"Don't worry, I'll help you find the answers to all of this."

With a slight smile, Bai Zhi reached out and patted the other person's head.

"I'm far more curious about these things than you are... Why did you suddenly decide to tell me these things?"

"... because you came into contact with it."

Looking up at the boy in front of her, Qingyi's expression was quite complicated.

"Logically speaking, you shouldn't be exposed to these things at this Level, whether it's terrifying beings like the [Lord of Flesh and Blood] or the [Doll Princess], or the [Noah's Ark] drifting and fleeing in various worlds..."

She looked up at Bai Zhi and spoke earnestly.

"Contact with these things is very dangerous; it can kill you."