Sparkles danced everywhere, and Jian Xingyi instinctively lunged forward to tap them.

But the moment he moved, he suddenly dropped to his knees.

Shuixi: “?”

Shuixi turned his head just in time to see Jian Xingyi kneeling before him.

Jian Xingyi awkwardly rose to his feet in silence.

“Are you okay?”

“…I’m fine! I just need a minute to rest!”

Jian Xingyi thought to himself, his body hadn’t fully recovered yet. After fifteen minutes on that “extreme roller coaster,” his legs had gone completely limp.

Now that he’d caught his breath and calmed down, Jian Xingyi happily began activating skills and checking his interface.

What he saw next was a complete surprise!

He’d been mindlessly tapping plants along the way, and somehow managed to collect 68 points of essence!

Perhaps because they were already very close to the magma, and the motorcycle had been traveling at breakneck speed, allowing him to collect essence from numerous plants along the way.

And… those three Dodo beasts hadn’t been infected!

The essence value of uninfected living creatures wasn’t low either. Not only did they provide essence, but they also gave him breeding material.

Jian Xingyi nervously clicked to open it.

He just wanted a chicken!

This Dodo beast could fly and walk, and it had a bird-like beak—it looked exactly like a chicken!

Jian Xingyi tremblingly opened his backpack and found two new tabs labeled “Livestock.”

Whoa!

Three Dodo beasts gave him two types of livestock animals. System, good!

Jian Xingyi clicked on the first category.

…Cows x30?

System, bad!

Where was his chicken?

Jian Xingyi felt like crying. It’s okay, it’s okay, there’s still another one!

Cows weren’t bad either. Now he had both lamb and beef.

Jian Xingyi took a deep breath, ready to open the second package, silently chanting: “Give me a chicken!”

Shuixi, observing his surroundings, shuddered.

Chickens? What nonsense!

Amid Jian Xingyi’s silent chant and persistent wish, the package opened to reveal…

Dairy cows x30!

Jian Xingyi: “……”

Is the system against cows or something? What’s with these three being Dodo beasts?!

But… cows aren’t bad either. Beef is just as tasty and versatile as lamb. Dairy cows produce milk, which can be drunk straight or used to make all sorts of things.

Jian Xingyi perked up, stood up, and began clicking at the burning trees around him.

[Harvest successful, absorbed [Essence] x9]

[Harvest successful, absorbed [Essence] x11]

[Harvest successful, absorbed [Essence] x14]

…

“…!”

So much!

Jian Xingyi was overjoyed, jumping up and down while spamming.

After this round, he had gathered a total of 62 essence points nearby. Combined with the previous 68, his total now stood at 130.

Gaining so much in an instant from this single trip—truly worthy of the Fire God’s belly, truly worthy of the Fire God!

However, whether upgrading his farmland or breeding area next would require at least 500 points. The essence he’d thought was abundant suddenly felt insufficient.

Seeing Shuixi staring at him curiously, Jian Xingyi, being an NPC after all, didn’t hesitate to share, “I just need to use my skills on living creatures to get materials.”

Shuixi thought to himself, no wonder Jian Xingyi was always staring blankly at certain spots or making grotesque expressions—quite the colorful character.

“So, whenever we encounter monsters, I’ll give you time before we kill them.”

“Thanks! You’re such a good person!”

The two continued forward.

This area was even darker than above, with no light penetrating at all. The only sources of illumination were the fires on the trees and the lava, casting flickering light across the surroundings.

Jian Xingyi spotted an open cave entrance ahead.

“That leads to the Earth’s core and the source of the lava.”

Jian Xingyi nodded, but then he noticed something along the path to the cave… the rock walls were covered in… bats?

These bats, with lava dripping from their wings, glowed blue all over. They clearly had been infected.

Though small, no one dared underestimate their combat prowess. These might prove far more terrifying than the Grade A Dodo beasts outside.

After all, while Dodo beasts were massive, these bats now covered the stone walls by the thousands. A single tiny opening in their defense would mean being bitten and dying from infection.

To enter the cave, they had to pass through the bats. Shuixi pressed her index finger to her lips.

“Shh.”

The pair slowed their pace, cautiously navigating the increasingly narrow path.

Jian Xingyi dared not breathe heavily, watching his feet warily, afraid of crushing a pebble and making a sound.

Perhaps sensing his tension, Shuixi quietly took his hand, guiding him forward.

Jian Xingyi froze, but the warmth in his palm felt reassuring.

Yet upon entering the cave, Jian Xingyi discovered with horror… even more bats!

Not only the walls on either side, but the ceiling above them was densely covered with sleeping bats, hanging like a warning to intruders.

The Fire God’s Belly was no place for casual comings and goings.

But… they were already here.

Cold sweat beaded on Jian Xingyi’s palms as Shuixi gently squeezed his hand. Steeling his nerves, the pair advanced silently, tiptoeing forward.

The cave passages alternated between spacious and narrow. In the tighter sections, Jian Xingyi brushed past walls thick with bats, clearly seeing their furry bodies and fierce features.

This was a real test of nerves.

But…

Why couldn’t bats be living creatures?

Jian Xingyi found humor in the misery.

Great! The more, the better! Bring on the storm!! It was precisely because these bats were so disgustingly numerous that his essence value was rising so rapidly!

These bats were already infected, so their essence values weren’t high. Yet they were covered in magma, and after the positive and negative effects canceled each other out, each one still yielded 0 to 2 points of essence.

Thanks to these bats, Jian Xingyi’s essence value shot up from 130 points to… 700 points!!

This shows just how terrifyingly numerous these bats were… Even though most couldn’t yield essence because they weren’t covered in magma, they still sent his essence value soaring to 755.

In such a short distance, he’d already secured a Grade A plot of land or breeding area!

Jian Xingyi swallowed hard.

High risk, high reward!

However, upon entering a cave, two infected small Dodo beasts charged straight at them.

Jian Xingyi’s eyes widened, cold sweat pouring down his back.

Though only two, if they made any noise and woke the bats, they’d be done for!

Jian Xingyi froze, glancing at Shuixi as he assumed a bow-drawing stance.

Shuixi nodded.

After activating their skill, both drew their bows. Each took down one Dodo beast.

Jian Xingyi was unskilled with the bow, making aiming difficult, but he managed several shots that contributed to the kill.

Jian Xingyi felt a flicker of satisfaction. It seemed that transforming from a Level 6 to a Level 56 did have its perks! At least he now possessed the strength to draw a bow, and his frequent use of guns had slightly honed his accuracy.

The infected Dodo beast was successfully slain, and Jian Xingyi stowed the meat into his backpack.

This trip yielded nine lambs in total. Combined with the thirty at home, it was a decent haul. He also had cattle, dairy cows, and some ordinary-tasting game meat.

Shuixi murmured in a barely audible voice, “There might be more fierce beasts ahead. Be careful.”

Jian Xingyi nodded.

This journey was no easy feat.

They had to be careful not to wake the bats while also guarding against sudden attacks from wild beasts.

After stowing his bow and arrows, Shuixi took Jian Xingyi’s hand. His intention was to prevent him from wandering off or succumbing to fear.

But holding each other’s hands truly brought a sense of security.

They continued onward. The cave held little vegetation, yet Jian Xingyi silently cast his skills at the bats all the way.

As they ventured deeper, the scenery transformed dramatically.

Bats remained plentiful, yet the once-cramped cavern gradually expanded into an immense space stretching beyond sight. Lava pools now outnumbered the passable ground, bubbling and gurgling all around.

“We’ve reached the core region,” Shuixi explained. “The three Dodo beasts must have dropped right here. Only the core has a space large enough for them to land.”

This was essentially a bug—the system automatically filtered suitable landing spots for Dodo beasts to prevent map destruction. That’s why their remains could shatter through the mountain walls and reach such depths.

They’d traveled all this way specifically to harvest the meat of those three Dodo beasts.

But Jian Xingyi noticed the resources along the way were incredibly rich, too. 755… Oh no, it’s already 900 essence points! Shuixi really wasn’t exaggerating!!

After arriving here, Jian Xingyi kept wiping sweat from his brow.

So hot…

It was even hotter here than above.

The core’s area was enormous. The two trudged through the heat for over half a day without seeing an end, though Jian Xingyi’s essence had skyrocketed to 1020.

After walking another half day, Jian Xingyi grew dizzy and lightheaded from exhaustion.

Too hot…

His legs ached too.

Jian Xingyi was physically drained. Shuixi checked the terminal and realized they’d been walking for a full day. He casually suggested, “Let’s rest first.”

He didn’t need rest, but Jian Xingyi was human.

“Oh…”

Jian Xingyi sat down right where he stood.

Even after drinking water, Jian Xingyi remained unsatisfied. Exhausted, he kept gasping for breath.

The bats were still around, but the area was vast. As long as they avoided loud noises or fighting, they wouldn’t disturb the bats.

Jian Xingyi had even grown somewhat accustomed to the bats’ presence.

Jian Xingyi pulled out a watermelon. “Shuixi, eating this will restore your stamina!”

Shuixi shook his head. “You keep it for yourself.”

If he remembered correctly, Jian Xingyi could sell this watermelon for a good price in the marketplace. He didn’t desperately need it, so why waste it?

Jian Xingyi blinked. “It’s fine. I have plenty more. Let’s share.”

Shuixi: “I’m an NPC. Feeding me is just a waste.”

Jian Xingyi froze.

Somehow, he suddenly felt a pang of sadness.

He wished Shuixi were an NPC because he feared deep connections with people. Yet at the same time, he suddenly wished Shuixi weren’t an NPC.

“Then you have no sense of taste?”

Having no sense of taste would be too sad!

“…Well, I do have that.” The character design was too extreme; he couldn’t afford inconsistencies.

“Ah!” Jian Xingyi’s eyes lit up again. “Then eating still makes you happy! How is that a waste? Eating isn’t just about filling your stomach—it’s about joy too.”

“Eating for joy?” Shuixi was both amused and exasperated.

“Then doesn’t eating bring you joy?”

Jian Xingyi handed the watermelon to Shuixi.

Shuixi took a bite. The sweet flavor exploded in her mouth—refreshing and thirst-quenching, instantly washing away a day’s fatigue.

Well… it really is enjoyable.

The two sat by the lava, eating watermelon.

Jian Xingyi sighed, “Too bad all the meat we encountered along the way was infected. It needs purification by a synthesizer, but there isn’t one here.”

Before setting out, Jian Xingyi hadn’t known he’d meet Shuixi or end up spending the night so far from civilization. He’d only packed one lunchbox, which he’d eaten after chopping down a tree.

After all, lunchboxes cost money! Jian Xingyi wasn’t about to buy a bunch for no reason.

Jian Xingyi muttered to himself, “Ah, besides hunting, I still need to chop down trees… I haven’t chopped any yet…”

His hunting KPI would be exceeded if he found the fallen Dodo beast, especially since he’d already gathered some meat—several lambs and calves.

But he hadn’t gotten around to chopping trees yet.

“There aren’t many plants here either… But even if there were, I probably couldn’t cut them down. It’s so hot, and chopping trees makes too much noise—it’ll wake the bats…”

Jian Xingyi—a guy who mumbles to himself whenever he gets the chance because he’s such a social anxiety case otherwise.

Shuixi started to feel concerned too.

Animals were largely a matter of luck, but plants weren’t. Last time he’d come, there had been plenty of rare and exotic flora. Why did it look so barren now?

Something felt off.

And it hadn’t been this hot last time either?

The air around them was stifling, making exhaustion set in easily.

As the two rested, Jian Xingyi’s eyes lit up. She whispered excitedly, “A rabbit…!”

A snow-white rabbit flashed past not far away.

In this subterranean realm filled with lava, bats, and unknown beasts, the rabbit seemed so ethereal and adorable.

For a rabbit to survive in this harsh, treacherous environment was truly remarkable.

Jian Xingyi gazed at it with adoration. “So cute…”

Activating his skill hadn’t yielded much, but…

Jian Xingyi excitedly patted Shuixi’s shoulder.

Shuixi was puzzled. Was Jian Xingyi trying to explain how adorable the rabbit was?

He’d originally intended to hunt the rabbit for food, but seeing Jian Xingyi’s affection now, he hesitated, worried he might scare him.

Jian Xingyi patted Shuixi for a while, but Shuixi remained motionless.

Hm…?

Jian Xingyi had no choice but to pull out his bow and arrow himself… “Thwack!” With a sound, he shot the rabbit dead.

Jian Xingyi grew even more entranced. “So adorable… it must taste amazing…”

Shuixi: “…………”

Ten minutes later.

The rabbit was roasting on the grill as the two waited silently for the meat to cook.

Without a synthesis machine while traveling, this primitive method was their only option.

Once the meat was done, Jian Xingyi took a bite of the rabbit leg, his eyes squinting in pure bliss.

“So delicious…”

Jian Xingyi ate with such earnestness, and the way he ate always made others hungry.

After Jian Xingyi and Shuixi finished sharing the rabbit, Jian Xingyi glanced around. “Should we take turns keeping watch? I want to sleep first—I’m so tired. Wake me up later.”

“Mm.”

“Alright, good night.”

Surrounded by bats and steaming magma, Jian Xingyi extinguished the campfire after roasting the rabbit because the heat was too intense. Keeping a distance between them, the two rested separately.

Now, only two days remained until the zombie tide.

In two days, many would die. Perhaps the frail Jian Xingyi would perish, or even the formidable Shanhai might fall. After all, the zombie tide’s difficulty scaled with guild rank—stronger guilds faced higher-tier undead.

But for now, they sat here in quiet stillness.

Shuixi thought to himself, Jian Xingyi was peculiar.

He was fragile and timid, fiercely protective of his own life, yet possessed a peculiar kind of serenity.

Being with Jian Xingyi did indeed feel relaxing, making one unconsciously lower their guard. But Shuixi couldn’t pinpoint the source of this ease; he simply felt that even in this environment, his spirit could unwind.

Shuixi didn’t wake Jian Xingyi; keeping watch was no hardship for him.

At dawn, Jian Xingyi stirred groggily to find Shuixi resting with eyes closed.

Jian Xingyi glanced at the system interface and froze in shock.

Shuixi opened his eyes. “Had enough rest? Let’s get moving.”

Jian Xingyi felt a pang of guilt. “I’m sorry…”

“It’s fine. NPCs don’t need sleep.” Being an NPC sure had its perks.

“…”

They continued onward. Jian Xingyi’s essence points had reached 1350.

He felt like he’d hit the peak of his life, so happy he felt light as a feather.

Even better, after walking for half a day, they finally spotted their target—three Dodo beasts.

Meanwhile, Jian Xingyi’s essence points reached 1552.

Jian Xingyi covered her mouth excitedly. “We really found them…!”

After the Dodo beast landed, its wings were so vast they nearly obscured the entire sky. The two began tapping to process it.

The Dodo beast’s meat remained uninfected. Jian Xingyi and Shuixi split it evenly, stuffing the meat into their backpacks. As he packed, Jian Xingyi felt grateful he’d come down.

Holy crap.

This is paradise.

With this haul, he could supply not just Grapevine Peak—he could supply three!

Woo-hoo, Mom and Dad, I’m rich!

Meat! That’s what life’s all about—eating meat!

After packing the meat, Shuixi said, “Let’s head back.”

The heat around them was intensifying. He decided to bring Jian Xingyi back first; he’d explore further on his own next time.

“Huh?” Jian Xingyi had assumed they’d keep going down.

Because the zombie tide was due in two days. Three hours before the tide, the system would automatically transport players back home. Many players wanted to take advantage of this, deliberately venturing far from home to adventure, then hitching a ride back on the system’s shuttle.

Jian Xingyi had planned the same, taking advantage of the opportunity to explore areas she normally wouldn’t venture into.

But Shuixi said, “Something feels increasingly off about this place.”

Jian Xingyi froze.

Huh?

Shuixi said solemnly, “If anything dangerous happens, I brought you down here. I’ll take responsibility.”

Jian Xingyi swallowed hard. “Don’t scare me… What’s really going on?“

The surroundings looked no different—bats, lava, rock walls. They were simply descending deeper into the earth’s core.

Shuixi said, ”The temperature is too high.”

When Shuixi had come here before, there weren’t this many bats, and the area was filled with those flaming fire trees like outside.

Could it be that this place, like the Nectar of Immortality, had its own time flow?

He never heard of that.

But very few people ever explored this area, so there wasn’t much reference material. Shuixi had come on these two trips partly to complete the Grapevine Peak summit guide.

Shuixi crouched down and touched one of the stones. “Look, there was once a living thing here.”

Only then did Jian Xingyi notice the spot Shuixi pointed to—the charred remains of an unidentifiable plant, blackened beyond recognition.

Jian Xingyi frowned. “Could this place have suffered some catastrophe? Is there some terrifying monster here? After all, you said there are many high-level monsters around.”

“Perhaps.”

But the mystery was soon solved. As the two retraced their steps, the system’s voice echoed around them.

[Universal Revival System Activating! After the Fire God’s first blessing drenched the earth, all things were destroyed—living and dead, polluted and untainted—all became sacrifices. But when the Fire God’s second blessing once more drenches the land, the destroyed will revive, shedding pollution, overcoming death, transcending all!]

【The second wave of universal revival will descend in thirty seconds. 30, 29…】

The countdown began.

Jian Xingyi froze.

Holy… holy crap!

The mystery was finally solved!

Why were there so many rare plants and herbs here when Shuixi came last time, yet now they’re gone? Thus, the Fire God’s first blessing… the two speculated it was something like a great fire that burned everything to ashes.

Now the second great fire—or whatever it is—is about to come…!

This is the system’s self-repair…!

Jian Xingyi had heard that pollution levels were a game mechanic—everything was being corrupted. To maintain the rarity of resources in certain areas, the system implemented a “reset” function.

This place, the Fire God’s Belly, was a renowned hub for rare resources. To restore it, the system had initiated this action. After the great fire, high-level rare materials would regrow here.

Meaning after this catastrophe, the surrounding resources would be unimaginably abundant.

But… they were all doomed! What resources were they even talking about?!

This made no sense! Didn’t these repairs… always happen silently?!

Why was this one so spectacular?

And had he and Shuixi violated some divine law to deserve this?!

【20, 19, 18…】

“So… are we screwed?” Jian Xingyi stammered. “Everything destroyed…”

Was that charred clump of unknown plant their fate?

Shuixi frowned slightly.

He could handle any dangerous beast or environment, but he never expected to encounter… a natural disaster here.

Shuixi had no natural enemies in the game, but the system’s purge… that was another matter.

【15, 14…】

Gurgle, gurgle…

The surrounding lava grew increasingly active. The mountain walls began to tremble. All the bats awoke, but none attacked them—because… they were all busy evacuating.

Shuixi now understood what the “Gift of the Fire God” truly meant.

He pulled out his motorcycle. “Hop on! The volcano’s about to erupt!”

Jian Xingyi jumped aboard, and the two sped toward the exit.

Shuixi steered the bike with one hand while opening the marketplace with the other, purchasing every usable item available.

“Xinghe, buy an umbrella.”

【6, 5, 4…】

The mountains roared all around them, one thunderous beat after another, rhythmic and relentless. It must be the flowing magma squeezing the rock walls. Earthquakes began shaking the area, rattling Shuixi’s motorcycle to a halt.

But escaping now was unrealistic—they’d spent nearly two days reaching this spot. So after pulling away from the terrain, Shuixi found a sheltering cave and shoved Jian Xingyi inside.

【3…】

Bats darted everywhere, their squeaking cries unsettling. Jian Xingyi was wedged in the tiny cave. Shuixi opened her umbrella and unpacked her backpack, preparing all their gear. Finally, she shielded him with her body, her back facing outward, trapping Jian Xingyi securely between her frame and the cave wall.

【2…】

The heat was now so intense it stung their skin. They could hear the roaring of the molten lava.

The surroundings turned hazy gray, like the apocalypse had arrived.

【1!】

BOOM————

The entire mountain wall shook.

Lava erupted violently.

Jian Xingyi mustered every ounce of strength to pull the unprepared Shuixi into his arms, swapping their positions.

Choking on the smoke, Jian Xingyi gasped, “Did you forget? I’m not afraid… of lava!”

Jian Xingyi thought to himself, He can protect people after all. After all this time, it’s finally his turn!

Shuixi frowned slightly.

He knew. But still, lava in this situation was still impossible, right!? He did have another way, though…

As the lava surged toward them, Jian Xingyi held Shuixi down tightly and said, “You, you, you listen to me! I have a way!”

Huh?