"Ah."
"Ah."
"One round gives you 400 Survival Points. Add that to the points from Zeng Mo's daily tasks, and he'll have 800. If he heads to the zombie martial arts center this afternoon and earns another 1,500 points, he'll only be 100 points short of having enough for twenty consecutive draws!"
Hearing the system's reminder, Zeng Mo couldn't help breaking into a wide grin. This good fortune had come so suddenly.
Right away, he turned and gently lifted Yu Lin's hand from around his waist. Then he strode toward the house without so much as looking back.
Yu Lin watched Zeng Mo leave with her hand in his. A powerful sense of security welled up in her heart, and tears streamed down her cheeks.
Zeng Mo went upstairs and, with Yu Lin's directions, quickly arrived at a restaurant near the zombie breeding ground, close to the seaside.
He had barely sat down when he caught a whiff of the delicious smell of steamed shellfish.
His stomach gave a loud growl.
Yu Lin sat across from Zeng Mo.
The restaurant was crowded. There was a line at the counter, and plenty of people were waiting for their food.
The proprietress seemed to know Yu Lin well. The moment she saw her, she warmly welcomed her upstairs.
"Yu Lin, you're here!"
Yu Lin smiled faintly. "Auntie, I came with a friend. It looks like all the seats are taken today. Do you have anywhere for us to sit?"
"Of course. Yu Lin's friend is here to eat, so there has to be a seat for you." The proprietress smiled and took a key from her pocket. "Yu Lin, that's Room 666."
The guests waiting nearby were stunned.
"Ma'am, didn't you just say there weren't any seats? How come there's suddenly a room available?"
"That room isn't open to the public. If you'd like, you can rent the whole place."
The proprietress waved them off, not bothering to answer, and led Yu Lin and Zeng Mo upstairs.
Following the proprietress, Zeng Mo and Yu Lin entered the private room numbered 666.
It wasn't very large. A square dining table stood in the middle, decorated with many antique paintings. It looked very elegant.
Zeng Mo looked out the window. He could see the sparkling sea, and in the distance, he spotted a neatly arranged expanse of coastal fields.
The proprietress casually asked Yu Lin what she wanted to eat, then left in a hurry.
"That stretch of coastal fields is where my shellfish farm is," Yu Lin explained.
"It's even better than I imagined," Zeng Mo said.
Not long after, a server brought over a large pot of shellfish soup with vegetables.
The pot was full of plump shellfish, their shells slightly open as they steamed. Plenty of vegetables floated on the surface.
"Let it boil for another ten minutes, and it'll be ready." Yu Lin lit the fire beneath the pot, then stood up again. "What kind of dipping sauce do you want? I'll make it for you."
"Sesame sauce. Add garlic and chili oil."
"Sure."
Yu Lin took out the dipping ingredients. Zeng Mo watched her back, lost in thought.
Yu Lin was a third-tier water-type supernatural ability user.
She'd already used the first-draw points from the "Steel Body" and "Spatial Leap" cards.
He still hadn't touched his own.
If he had, he wouldn't have needed to wait until this afternoon to go to the zombie martial arts center. He could've done twenty consecutive draws already.
But he couldn't bring himself to train the way he had during his brawling days, when he'd beaten her mercilessly, knocking her to the ground again and again, then teaching her how to use Steel Body and Spatial Leap.
Zeng Mo rubbed his nose, caught between wanting to and feeling guilty.
After Yu Lin came back with the sauce, she picked up some drinks as well. A few people brought the vegetables over, and the three of them chatted happily.
About ten minutes later.
The shellfish soup had come to a boil. Zeng Mo could barely wait to take a bite.
The shellfish meat was tender and delicious, and the broth was fragrant.
"Ah, it's been so long since I had shellfish soup this good. It's delicious!" Zeng Mo exclaimed.
"It's good, so have some more," Yu Lin said with a smile.
They ate for half an hour.
Zeng Mo left the restaurant with his stomach full and Yu Lin, flushed with heat, and stopped in front of the grassy plot of land nearby.
At the same time.
His mouth was full of shellfish, and he was still praising the soup.
"Yu Lin, your shellfish are so good. They're delicious."
"I'm glad you like them. Come by another day, and I'll make them for you again." Yu Lin beamed.
"Haha, sure."
"By the way, what are you planning to do next?"
"I'm going to the zombie martial arts center. I spend every afternoon there learning some moves," Zeng Mo said.
"No wonder you were so impressive today. That explains it. If I have time, I'll go there with you and learn some moves too," Yu Lin said.
He smiled, his thoughts drifting elsewhere.
At Yu Lin's words, Zeng Mo suddenly felt his heart skip a beat. His chest stirred with excitement.
If Yu Lin learned martial arts too, wouldn't they be able to spar? Then he could complete his first draw and earn another 100 Survival Points.
At the thought, Zeng Mo grinned. "Yu Lin, if you want to learn martial arts, you don't have to go to the center. I can come by every day and teach you a move or two."
Yu Lin hadn't given it much thought. She'd only made an offhand remark, but Zeng Mo had taken it seriously and offered to teach her every day. A little surprised, she asked, "All right, but will I be taking up too much of your time?"
"No."
"Then that's good."
"Then I'll be off to Auntie's now."
"Ah, already?" Yu Lin blinked.
"Yeah. While I'm here, I'll teach you a move that's easy to pick up and very useful for grappling."
Zeng Mo said nothing.
Yu Lin glanced at the grassy ground around them and thought for a moment. "Should we find somewhere else?"
"No need. We'll be done soon."
Zeng Mo took her arm and suddenly swept her off her feet. He spun her through the air and, amid Yu Lin's startled cry, tossed her down onto the ground.
[The host displayed wisdom and courage, and overpowered a third-tier water-type supernatural ability user. Survival Points +1000.]
"Haha, I got my first draw!"
Zeng Mo's heart leapt with joy. He felt a soft, springy sensation in his arms.
He lowered his head to look. His arm had accidentally pressed against a soft place, sinking into it. Yu Lin's cheeks were flushed, her breathing a little uneven, and her slightly parted lips looked alluring.
Anyone would have found the sight hard to resist.
Even he couldn't help feeling stirred.
Zeng Mo took a deep breath, suppressing his impulses. He helped Yu Lin up and explained, "This move is called a shoulder throw. You can use it to knock down an opponent who's taller and stronger than you, or throw them through the air. I was afraid you'd get hurt, so I used a shoulder throw to bring you down gently."
"Oh." Yu Lin's cheeks turned even redder.
"Want to try it?"
"Mm, all right." Yu Lin nodded, then reached out to grab Zeng Mo's arm. His muscular arm gave her an immediate sense of safety and made her feel a little more confident. She tried to pull him over her body to complete a shoulder throw.
But it didn't work.
She couldn't help feeling doubtful, so she imitated Zeng Mo and asked, "When I grab your arm, do I have to pause for a while to build momentum? Should I use my hips to add strength, or will it be really difficult to throw you otherwise?"
"Oh, give it another try," Yu Lin said with a slight smile.
Five minutes passed.
Zeng Mo watched Yu Lin fail to throw him even once and said, "Isn't it getting late? I'll teach you again another time. You can head back now."
"I know."
Zeng Mo grabbed Yu Lin's arm, swept her off her feet again, and quickly rose to his feet. "Go back and practice."
"Oh," Yu Lin replied, her cheeks flushed.
"Practice hard. I'll come find you tomorrow," Zeng Mo said.
"Okay."
Yu Lin turned and walked toward the main road. Zeng Mo stood where he was, when another system notification rang in his ears.
[The host displayed wisdom and courage, overpowered a third-tier water-type supernatural ability user, and used Spatial Leap. Survival Points +1000.]
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