Yu Yu instinctively glanced at the trio. "What'd you get?"
Shu Tu, surprised, said, "Base Attribute Point, Passive Point, Skill Point."
"Same!"
"Me too."
"A real-world quest gives Base Attribute Points?" Zi Shu couldn't hide her excitement. "I thought only leveling up did that."
Yu Yu: "After 12, except for advancement points, it takes 2 points to raise an attribute."
"Your Intelligence broke 12?" Zi Shu blurted.
Yu Yu raised an eyebrow.
"Right, you started with 9. Makes sense you'd hit 12."
Zi Shu pondered. "This was a win. Base Attribute Points are rare."
"You guys didn't use your Skill Points?" Yu Yu asked casually.
7788: "I used one on Stealth."
Her tone was regretful. "Then I learned it only boosts skill proficiency one tier. Totally not worth it."
Zi Shu: "I haven't used mine, but Base Attribute Points are clearly more valuable."
Attribute Points carried to reality. Skill Points… not so much, for now.
Shu Tu had already spent hers. "Wonder if we'll get another real-world quest."
Yu Yu allocated hers too: Intelligence, 14.
She'd had one point saved from leveling, and with the new one, she could spend both.
Her mental points jumped to 210.
"I thought we'd get gear or something for real-world use," 7788 said. "No experience points either."
Zi Shu: "Attribute Points aren't enough?"
7788: "More's better, no?"
7788: "If I could pull my inventory gear out, I've got poison I haven't even used yet."
Shu Tu's mouth twitched.
Yu Yu instinctively checked her inventory. Yeah, if only she could grab her Beginner's Ring. Glancing at her inventory, Yu Yu sighed.
Wait.
She stared, fixating on a splash of orange.
Why?
Where'd an orange come from in her inventory?
The game didn't have oranges. Yu Yu's expression grew bizarre. She tried to pull the orange out.
Can't take it out.
Shu Tu: "What's up?"
Yu Yu: "My orange…"
7788: "You're still hung up on that orange? Hmph, you said no identity traces. If they pull fingerprints off it, then—"
"It's in my inventory."
7788 rambled on. "We disguised ourselves for nothing, you—"
Zi Shu cut her off. "What'd you say?"
"My orange's in my inventory. Can't take it out."
The trio was stunned. 7788 grabbed an oar and tried stuffing it into her inventory.
Failed.
She grabbed Zi Shu's clothes, trying again.
Failed.
Seeing their disbelief, Yu Yu lit up her inventory page. "Can you see it?"
"I saw it." Shu Tu glanced at her bag, "Quite rich."
Yu Yu: "?"
That's not what I meant!
Zi Shu: "The game doesn't have our common plants, so…"
"You really got an orange in there, then…"
Yu Yu: "But I tried again, and it didn't work."
"Maybe I accidentally triggered a bug when I stuffed it in."
They sat in stunned silence. After a while, they reached the shore, spotting the big cat prowling the complex.
Shu Tu led them around it. "Let's go."
She'd driven.
Hospital.
They'd changed back to normal clothes, just wearing caps and masks. Yu Yu noticed the fountain at the entrance was gone.
Shu Tu: "Wasn't there a fountain here?"
Zi Shu: "It was gone when I came. They were doing construction."
7788: "Yup."
Shu Tu carried Changyu, 7788 supported Zi Shu, and the five entered under the gatekeeper's gaze.
Yu Yu was miles from the ER. "…If it's not urgent, can we wait at outpatient?"
Shu Tu hesitated, looking at Changyu. "Won't she starve?"
"It's just a few minutes."
Near midnight, the hospital was nearly empty except for staff. Yu Yu subtly observed, catching at least three watchful gazes on them.
Vigilant, scrutinizing, but not hostile.
Yu Yu felt a sense of security. "ER it is."
They headed toward the brightly lit Emergency Department. The shattered glass door had been repaired, still transparent, letting them see inside. Yu Yu paused briefly, then entered.
No sense of danger. Good.
She wondered if that nurse from last time had survived…
The ER was never serene, but as Yu Yu stepped in, she sensed a peculiar atmosphere.
They slept so… peacefully.
Looking closely, Yu Yu noticed most patients shared similar traits. Sunken eye sockets, pale faces, sleeping restlessly. As their group entered, over half stirred, then closed their eyes again in pained irritation.
What was this illness?
Yu Yu, wary, exchanged a glance with Shu Tu. Shu Tu held Changyu tighter, weaving through the crowd. Zi Shu, catching on, followed suit. The doctor looked anything but serene—drowsy, with dark eye bags and a red, peeling nose, like he was overheated. He seemed to be the only staff present. Maybe the others were resting—or gone for other reasons.
Shu Tu approached with Changyu. "She fainted from hunger…"
The doctor frowned instantly. "Critical?"
Shu Tu: "…No, just fainted from hunger."
After a tedious Q&A, they finally clarified Changyu's condition.
The doctor scribbled on his notepad. "Another new anomaly. Reported it?"
Yu Yu: "Yes."
He dropped his pen. "Good enough."
He dashed off a prescription, and Shu Tu, ever the saint, went to pay. Zi Shu stepped up.
Doctor: "What's your issue?"
Zi Shu: "Wound cleaning?"
Doctor: "???"
Zi Shu hesitated. "…Can't you do it?"
Her ankle wasn't just scraped—it was gouged by nails. She feared infection. The doctor racked his brain. They did handle this, didn't they? But after days of chaos, a normal patient was rare.
"No other issues? Like wires growing in flesh? Maggots in veins? Melting muscles?…"
He rattled off a horrifying list…
Zi Shu was dumbfounded.
Yu Yu: "…Just some crazies who scraped her skin off with their hands. No… wires or anything."
She started sounding unsure. Zi Shu tensed, nervously eyeing the doctor.
Doctor: "Oh."
The rest was straightforward. The fog had rolled in, but the hospital miraculously had empty rooms—cause for celebration. They carried Changyu in, settled down, and passed the night quietly.
#Rongcity#
#FarmlandWitheringAnomaly#
#ResourceControlDebunked#
Yu Yu's heart sank. Withering?
Was something really wrong?
Clicking the image, she saw rice stalks dotted with black spots, wilted and decayed, stretching across fields. Yu Yu had been calm, but this trend shook her. Checking her balance, she headed to the farmers' market.
Changyu hadn't woken, but Yu Yu used her phone to send her hospital bed details to her parents, left a [Ward] spell, enabled location tracking, tucked a phone number into her pocket, and buttoned it up. Of course, it wasn't Yu Yu's number.
It was Shu Tu's. After a morning of chatting, they'd exchanged contacts. Zi Shu and 7788 were Rong City University students, sneaking out over the wall. Yu Yu said goodbye to Shu Tu's group and biked home. She passed several ambulances speeding toward the hospital.
Spending a fortune on sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, pumpkins, green onions, garlic, rice, and flour, Yu Yu rushed home. Farming is freaking hard!
Yu Yu, hands on hips, panted, too exhausted to move. After pausing to watch more videos, she was on the verge of collapse.
Why flip the soil?
Why's it so hard?
Could she just cover seeds with fertilizer?
Oh, she couldn't afford fertilizer. Next.
Following the videos, Yu Yu buried her potatoes, then couldn't muster another ounce of energy. So tired. The big cat napped soundly in the distance. Yu Yu was mentally drained. She'd never done such intense physical labor.
Could the big cat plow fields?
The complex was calm today, except for Yu Yu patching gaps with [Stone Wall] and…
A massive sea turtle by the river… probably a sea turtle?
Huge, anyway.
It lounged near that old broken boat, dead or alive unclear. Also, the complex's animal population seemed richer. Last night, Yu Yu faintly heard wolf howls. The big cat chased birds and chickens daily, yet the animals didn't dwindle. Had the whole zoo escaped?
Yu Yu chuckled. Her smile faded. Why the hell hadn't anyone taken that big cat?
Yu Yu wanted to raise piglets and chicks for meat—she'd even checked prices—but the cat's presence stopped her. She could fence a plot with [Stone Wall], but who knew what that cat was capable of?
If it stole her chickens, she'd be livid. No way. She had to get rid of it. If no one would take it, she'd deliver it herself. Resolved, Yu Yu eyed the big cat with a scheming glint.
She mentally listed targets. Opening her phone, she texted: [Shu Tu, lend me your car.]
Shu Tu: [I'll drive it over this afternoon?]
Yu Yu: [No need, I'll prep.]
She'd grind a few more spells in-game. After farming, Yu Yu was convinced: spells were the ultimate productivity tool. Casting [Summon Rain] to water the field, she had a whim. She cast another [Summon Rain] on the river's big turtle.
The turtle didn't budge. Satisfied, Yu Yu headed home, glaring at the big cat and refining her plan.
Fat cat, your good days are over!
Screeching and leaping every night—Yu Yu was done!
Unless that tiger could plow, she wouldn't spare it!