Return

Once out of Lin Mei's sight, Xiao Hen stopped in a secluded spot and turned his gaze toward the Great Wall, the graceful figure still lingering in his mind.

"Am I in love?" He shook his head. "No, that can't be. Everyone admires beauty. A stunning woman like Lin Mei leaving a mark on my heart is only natural."

"But that won't stop me from moving forward. This is just one dimensional world. My world is vast—places like this can't hold me back."

Xiao Hen murmured, "Return."

The Shuttle's mechanical voice rang out: "Please confirm once more, Host. Do you wish to return?"

"Confirmed."

As his words fell, the space around him twisted. A faint glimmer of light flashed, and he vanished from the world of The Great Wall.

After a brief moment of mild disorientation, Xiao Hen found himself back in the house he had purchased on the outskirts. Everything was just as he had left it, save for a thin layer of dust on the table and floor, marking the passage of time.

"At a ten-to-one ratio, I spent over nine months in the Great Wall world. That means nearly a month should have passed here... twenty-seven days?"

Xiao Hen began tidying up the house. After a quick clean, he boiled some water, brewed a cup of tea, and stepped onto the balcony. Sipping quietly, he gazed at the distant neon lights of the night cityscape, but an image of a certain woman surfaced unbidden in his mind.

Heh...

He let out a self-deprecating laugh, then thought of something and asked, "Shuttle, I completed both the main and side quests in the Great Wall world. Isn't there a reward? Also, how much of the damage has been repaired?"

"Of course there are rewards. Does the Host wish to claim them now?"

"Claim them now, of course!" Xiao Hen affirmed.

"Main quest of the Great Wall world: Obtain the mysterious crystal within the Skyfall Meteorite. Quest complete. Reward: One bottle of Level 1 Enhancement Potion."

"Side quest of the Great Wall world: Help the Shadowless Imperial Army defeat the Taotie. Quest complete. Reward: One Silver Light Sword."

"Shuttle damage level: fifty-eight percent."

Xiao Hen's eyes lit up. The damage had dropped from seventy-three percent to fifty-eight—meaning that mysterious crystal had repaired a full fifteen percent of the Shuttle. That was excellent.

"Fifty-eight percent. One more repair like that, and it should drop to fifty percent." What Xiao Hen looked forward to was that once the damage fell below fifty percent, he would be able to see the next world he was entering in advance. That would be a massive advantage—giving him ample time to prepare and a much higher chance of completing his missions.

Right, there were also two rewards. This time, instead of expanding the Storage Space, he had received actual items. That was rare. Xiao Hen set down his teacup and reached out with a hand, summoning a slender, long sword that emitted a faint silver glow from his Storage Space. This was the treasured blade the Shuttle had rewarded him. He could sense its extraordinary quality—far beyond anything modern technology could forge. Sharp, perfectly balanced, and light—every virtue was embodied in this sword.

"Not bad, not bad. This sword suits me."

Xiao Hen put the sword away, then turned his hand over. A bottle of green liquid appeared in his palm. He frowned slightly, reminded of the green blood of the Taotie he had slaughtered in the Great Wall world. Having seen so much of that color, seeing a similarly hued potion now instinctively repulsed him.

"So this is the Enhancement Potion? And it's only Level 1?" Xiao Hen asked.

"Correct. After consuming this bottle of Level 1 Enhancement Potion, the Host's Combat Power will increase by ten points." The Shuttle's mechanical voice was flat and emotionless, but its words sent a surge of excitement through Xiao Hen.

"Ten points of Combat Power? That's insane!"

No wonder Xiao Hen was tempted. An entire dose of G-Virus had only boosted him to twenty points of Combat Power. Yet this unassuming bottle of Enhancement Potion could add ten points on its own—truly unbelievable.

"Are there any side effects to taking this potion?" Xiao Hen asked cautiously.

"None."

"Then here goes!" Without another word, Xiao Hen lay down on the bed and downed the green liquid in one gulp, ignoring its color. The allure of ten extra Combat Power points was far more compelling.

This time, the enhancement brought none of the pain he had experienced with the G-Virus. The green liquid turned into a cool sensation, spreading from his stomach throughout his body. Then the coolness transformed into a warm, soothing current, completely merging into his organs, muscles, bones, and even his skin.

Languid and relaxed, Xiao Hen drifted off to sleep. The fierce battles in the Great Wall world had been a trial, and his powerful physique had borne the pressure. Now, back in the Real World and finally able to unwind, he could sleep soundly at last.

The next morning, Xiao Hen opened his eyes and stretched comfortably. After washing up and getting ready, he set off for the city center. Most of the supplies he had carried with him were used up—especially ammunition, which he couldn't replenish. For now, he could only restock basic necessities like food and water.

Riding his battered electric scooter to the largest supermarket in the city center, Xiao Hen began browsing. Before long, his cart was piled high with goods: bagged rice, large jugs of oil, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, and even big bottles of mineral water.

One cart wasn't enough, so he grabbed a second. In the end, with the help of a store employee, he purchased a full six carts' worth of supplies.

The supermarket's delivery service would bring everything to his home. The total cost had set him back over ten thousand yuan. Xiao Hen clicked his tongue as he felt the dwindling balance on his bank card. At this rate, one more trip like this and his card would be empty.

"I can't keep this up. I need to find a way to make some money. I get plenty of downtime between returns, and while it's meant for rest, I can't just sleep all day every day."

Muttering to himself, Xiao Hen hopped back on his electric scooter and led the way, guiding the delivery truck driver to Mingyue Residential Area—the name of his suburban neighborhood.

When they arrived at his house, Xiao Hen casually grabbed the large bags and carried them upstairs. The delivery driver stared in disbelief. "Is he for real? Are these bags stuffed with cotton or something?"

Curious, the driver tried to lift one of the remaining bags. He strained with all his might but couldn't budge it.

Just as he caught his breath, Xiao Hen came back down.

"That fast?" The driver was stunned. Hadn't he just gone up? Carrying such heavy loads up the stairs—how could he be back so quickly? It didn't make sense!

"Yeah, thanks for the help. These aren't heavy at all." Xiao Hen smiled, then casually grabbed a few more bags and headed back upstairs with ease.

"This guy... he's a real strongman!" The driver didn't need to lean on the wall for support—he just leaned on his awe of Xiao Hen.

After three trips, all the bags of supplies were inside the house. The driver waved goodbye and drove off, but before leaving, he noticed Xiao Hen wasn't even breathing hard. The driver's mouth twitched as he swallowed hard and drove away.

It's over, it's over... I've caught a disease where I'll die if I don't get recommendation tickets... Please save me!!!