No one escaped the law of "so good"

Chen Zihan's appearance and departure were like a ladle of ice water poured into a boiling oil pan, instantly freezing all the noise at the edge of the Rotting Swamp.

Only when that dark green figure completely disappeared into the twisted, withered forest did everyone seem to be released from their spell, letting out a long, unison sigh of relief.

"I... I'll go collect the spoils!" Qingqiu Ze was the first to jump up, rushing almost as if fleeing towards the unrecognizable remains of the "Venom Queen," trying to use his busyness to cover up his inner shock and... the embarrassment of being described as "noisy."

Yang Shan wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead, unsure whether they were from cold sweat or condensation from the poisonous fog, his voice still slightly unsteady. "Commander-in-Chief... so this is what you look like... so... young!"

"Young?"

Kong Yan'er chuckled, reverting to her usual nonchalant tone, but the deep-seated apprehension in her eyes remained. "When you see him dismantle an S-class vampire fortress with his bare hands, you won't think he's young anymore; you'll just feel like a baby who hasn't been weaned yet."

His gaze shifted to the silent Murong Xue squad beside him. "Can you still move? If you can, hurry up and pack up; this godforsaken place is no place to linger."

Murong Xue's face was still pale. She avoided Kong Yan'er's gaze and dared not look at Luo Li. She just gave a soft "hmm" and directed the few remaining team members to help each other to their feet and deal with the bodies of their fallen teammates. The atmosphere was heavy and oppressive.

Ignoring the oppressive atmosphere, Luo Li walked to the lump of flesh. With a flick of his Bloodblade Enma, he precisely scooped out a dark green crystal that was still pulsating slightly and radiating intense toxic energy—the energy core of a B+ grade mutant.

It felt icy to the touch and had a strong corrosive effect, but the flowing blood light of Enma steadily suppressed it.

[Xiao Hong, it's time for a snack.]

Luo Li silently recited in her heart.

The chibi-style energy ball excitedly emerged from his shadow, swallowed the core whole, and let out a satisfied burp, its shape seemingly solidifying.

[Master, master! This is a great boost! So many Remembrance fragments! This giant spider seems to have been created by some kind of higher-level energy pollution!]

A more advanced form of energy pollution? Luo Li's heart stirred slightly. He recalled the anomalies in the underground research institute that Castorice had mentioned, as well as Lu Jingheng's warning about the "Harvester." He vaguely felt that the waters on the front lines were deeper than he had imagined.

"Let's go back to base."

Kong Yan'er called out and turned around first.

The return journey was much quieter than the way there.

On the armored vehicle, Qingqiu Ze unusually didn't start his live stream. Instead, he huddled in a corner, clutching his equipment, looking melancholic and as if to say, "I've been hit hard."

Yang Shan and Kong Yan'er whispered among themselves about some rumors about Chen Zihan and the "Ironwall" fortress.

Murong Xue and her team members squeezed to the other side, keeping their heads down and remaining silent the entire time, a stark contrast to their demeanor upon arrival.

Luo Li leaned against the carriage wall, closing her eyes to rest, but in reality, she was digesting the fragmented Remembrance fragments about the "Venom Queen" that Xiao Hong had read.

Twisted whispers, crimson visions, fear and submission to some existence... these fragments cannot piece together a complete picture, but they are enough to make one wary.

Back at the "Ironwall" fortress, the mission was handed over, and 8,000 contribution points were successfully credited to everyone's account, resulting in a substantial reward when divided equally among all members.

But there was little joy on the faces of the people present.

Murong Xue's team parted ways with Luo Li and the others at the entrance of the mission hall. From beginning to end, she did not look at Luo Li again. Only her slightly hunched back revealed an indescribable loneliness and... change.

"Tsk, after this incident, this young lady will probably have to behave herself for a while."

Kong Yan'er stared in the direction where Murong Xue had disappeared, and clicked her tongue.

"I hope so."

Luo Li remained noncommittal.

He didn't care whether Murong Xue had changed, as long as she stopped bothering him.

In the following days, the front lines seemed to return to their usual "calm".

Training, patrolling, and receiving relatively routine tasks.

Luo Li's team gradually gained fame in Zone C due to their outstanding completion of the "Rotting Swamp" mission. With Kong Yan'er's skillful maneuvering, Qingqiu Ze's live streaming traffic, and Yang Shan's solid city defense connections, no one dared to cause trouble for them.

As Kong Yan'er had predicted, Murong Xue became unusually low-key.

She was no longer as domineering as before, and rarely appeared in public. When she was occasionally encountered in the training ground or mission hall, she was always in a hurry, with her head down, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone.

Many of her former teammates seemed to have left, leaving only two of her closest friends still with her.

That day, Luo Li's team accepted a Class B mission to clear out a "Shadow Bat" nest inside an abandoned radar station on the outskirts of the fortress.

This kind of task is not difficult for the current squad, mainly because there are many "Shadow Bat" and clearing them out is quite tedious.

The mission went smoothly. Kong Yan'er's Clone the monsters, Qingqiu Ze controlled the field with sound waves, Yang Shan defended head-on, and Luo Li was responsible for precise kills and finishing off the remaining monsters. Their teamwork became increasingly seamless.

Just as the cleanup was nearing its end, Luo Li's [Remembrance Perception] detected subtle energy fluctuations and... suppressed groans coming from the upper level of the radar station.

Is anyone there?

He gave a hand signal, and the team immediately stopped and quietly crept up to the next level.

In the dusty, cobweb-covered radar control room, they witnessed an unexpected scene.

Murong Xue, alone.

She was kneeling on the ground, her left sleeve torn, revealing a deep wound that exposed bone, from which dark red blood was seeping out, staining a small patch of the ground red.

Before her lay two mutated individuals, noticeably larger than the other "Shadow Bat" and possessing an aura approaching B-rank.

Clearly, she came here alone to train or complete a mission, but she underestimated the elite monsters hidden in the lair and suffered a great loss.

Hearing footsteps, Murong Xue abruptly raised her head, her face drained of color, her eyes filled with vigilance and... a hint of barely perceptible panic.

When she saw that the people who came were from Luo Li's team, her tense body stiffened slightly. She subconsciously tried to stand up, but the movement aggravated her wound, causing her to gasp in pain and fall back down.

Kong Yan'er whistled and teased, "Oh, isn't this Miss Murong? What are you doing here all alone, self-harming?"

Murong Xue bit her lower lip, turned her head away, and didn't say anything. She just pressed her uninjured hand tightly against the wound, her knuckles turning white from the pressure.

Luo Li frowned.

He could sense that Murong Xue's aura was very weak, and faint dark energy still lingered around her wounds. Clearly, the attacks from the two elite Shadow Bat had corrosive or curse effects, and it would be troublesome if not treated in time.

Do you need any help?

Yang Shan, being kind-hearted, stepped forward and asked.

"Need not!"

Murong Xue refused almost immediately, her voice trembling with pain and a stubbornness. "I... I can handle it myself!"

Qingqiu Ze muttered under his breath, "Stubborn to the end, suffering for it..."

Kong Yan'er crossed her arms, watching the show with amusement. "Alright, then you can take your time, we won't bother you."

As he spoke, he made a move to lead his people away.

"Etc!"

Murong Xue suddenly cried out, her voice carrying a hint of urgency and... helplessness that she herself was unaware of.

She looked at Luo Li, her eyes filled with an extreme complexity—struggle, shame, humiliation, and finally, a compromise overwhelmed by the will to survive. Her lips trembled a few times, and she squeezed out a barely audible sentence. "... Help... help me."

Kong Yan'er and Qingqiu Ze exchanged a glance, their faces showing an "I knew it" expression.

Looking at Murong Xue's disheveled yet stubbornly proud appearance, Luo Li felt nothing, only a sense of... trouble.

He stepped forward, ignoring Murong Xue's sudden tense body, and knelt down to examine her wound.

The erosion is indeed quite severe.

He thought for a moment, then took out a valuable general-purpose, highly effective detoxifying and wound-cleaning medicine that he had redeemed with contribution points at the research institute from his Portable Space, along with some clean bandages.

"Bear with it."

He spoke calmly as he unscrewed the medicine bottle.

Murong Xue closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly from tension and pain.

The cool medicine was poured onto the wound, causing a stinging sensation followed by a refreshing coolness, and the lingering dark energy seemed to be suppressed.

Luo Li's movements weren't exactly gentle, but they were efficient; she cleaned, applied medicine, and bandaged the wound all in one smooth motion.

Throughout the entire process, Murong Xue gritted her teeth and didn't utter a single cry of pain; only the fine beads of cold sweat on her forehead betrayed her agony.

After bandaging her up, Luo Li stood up and stuffed the remaining medicine and bandages into her uninjured hand. "Change the dressing once a day, and don't use your left arm's special ability for three days."

Murong Xue looked at her neatly bandaged arm, then at the expensive medicine in her hand, and stared blankly at Luo Li.

His face was expressionless, showing neither condescending pity nor gloating mockery; he was as calm as if he had simply dealt with a trivial matter.

At this moment, the high wall in Murong Xue's heart, built by Pride, hatred, and prejudice, seemed to be hit hard by something, and a tiny crack appeared.

An unprecedented and unfamiliar emotion began to grow in her heart.

It's not gratitude.

It's more like a sense of bewilderment and helplessness after one's understanding has been overturned.

She had always thought that Luo Li was an arrogant, domineering, and rude bastard who relied on his strength.

Yet he appeared time and again when she was at her most vulnerable and desperate.

The first time, in the Withered Bone Forest, he slapped her, but also "saved" her in a way that was almost humiliating, making her experience true fear and... a kind of indescribable tremor for the first time.

The second time, in the Rotting Swamp, when she thought she was doomed, he killed the Boneblade Hunter and said, "From a human perspective, I can't stand idly by."

The third time is now.

He could have laughed at her like Kong Yan'er did, or even kicked her when she was down.

But he didn't.

He gave her the help she needed most, without saying a word, asking for nothing in return, and not even... giving her a second glance.

Why?

What kind of person is he exactly?

Murong Xue realized that she seemed to have never truly understood this man she hated to the core.

"Can you walk?"

Luo Li's voice interrupted her thoughts.

Murong Xue came to her senses and tried to move. Although the wound still hurt a lot, at least the bleeding had stopped and the erosion of the dark energy had been suppressed.

"... able."

She whispered, gripping the control panel beside her, and tried with some difficulty to stand up.

A hand with distinct knuckles and a warm body temperature was extended in front of her.

It's Luo Li.

His face remained expressionless, seemingly out of basic politeness.

Murong Xue looked at the hand and hesitated.

Her pride screamed at her to refuse.

But her physical weakness and a secret longing deep within her heart compelled her to slowly extend her uninjured right hand and gently place it on that warm and steady palm.

Luo Li pulled her up with a little effort.

The instant their fingertips touched, Murong Xue felt as if she had been struck by a weak electric current. Her body trembled almost imperceptibly, and two faint blushes rose on her face. She quickly lowered her head, not daring to meet his gaze.

"... Thank you." Her voice was barely audible, but this time, her thanks seemed a little more sincere than ever before.

Kong Yan'er watched with great interest, nudging Qingqiu Ze beside her with her elbow and whispering, "See that? The 'it's actually good' law, though late, it arrives..."

Qingqiu Ze nodded in deep agreement and whispered, "Brother Li, this move really showed a grand vision! It's a fatal blow to the spirit!"

Yang Shan scratched his head, feeling that the atmosphere was a bit strange, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why.

Luo Li released her hand, as if she had just helped up an ordinary wounded person.

"Let's go, mission accomplished, time to head back."

He walked downstairs first, without glancing at Murong Xue again.

Murong Xue stood there, looking at Luo Li's tall and indifferent back, then looked down at her hand that he had just held, where a trace of heat still seemed to remain.

My heart was filled with mixed feelings, a complete mess.

The hatred seems to still be there, but it doesn't seem... as pure anymore.

There were some things that she couldn't understand, and didn't want to delve into...

She shook her head vigorously, banishing those chaotic thoughts, gritted her teeth, and took her still somewhat unsteady steps to catch up with the team.

But his eyes no longer held the sharp hostility they once had; instead, they had become somewhat... confused and complicated.

Kong Yan'er glanced back at her, a meaningful smile playing on her lips.

"No one can escape the 'it's actually pretty good' phenomenon..."

He hummed softly and followed Luo Li in a cheerful mood.

(PS: Anyone else have trouble sleeping last night like me? I woke up suddenly at 3 a. m. and couldn't fall back asleep, so I just went for it and started coding—it's almost time for work, I wonder if I'll fall asleep in the office this time.)

Hopefully I won't get caught slacking off today.

I've already written two chapters for everyone... Please rate it, please urge me to update, and I'd also like some free gifts—thank you all!