307: Chapter 307 Growth

The first ray of morning sunlight pierced through the clouds and spilled onto the chimney of the boiler room in the base's logistics area.

"Clang!"

The heavy iron door was kicked open, emitting an unbearable groan.

A pitch-black figure walked out from inside.

If you didn't look closely, you wouldn't recognize this as the goddess who was once as pristine as white snow and as arrogant as a celestial maiden—Ji Wushuang.

At this moment, her hair was as messy as a bird's nest, with two half-burnt pieces of charcoal stuck in it.

Her originally exquisite face looked like that of a refugee right now.

Only her two eyes appeared exceptionally bright against the backdrop of black soot.

That ancient-style dress she used to show off was now a beggar's outfit, full of holes and grease stains.

"Three days... three whole days!"

Ji Wushuang took a deep breath of the fresh air outside.

Although it carried a hint of the Apocalypse's dust, it was practically heaven compared to the coal ash smell inside the boiler room.

She raised her hands, trembling.

Looking at those hands that once only held swords but were now covered in black soot, she was filled with grief and indignation.

"Hubby! You big villain! I was just a bit impulsive on the battlefield, wasn't I? Was it necessary to make me shovel coal for three days?!"

Ji Wushuang let out a long howl to the sky, her voice shrill and piercing, startling a passing mutated rat so much that it twitched and fell to the ground on the spot.

"Yo, isn't this our Boiler Beauty? Out of seclusion?"

An annoying voice rang out at just the right moment.

Ji Wushuang turned her head abruptly.

She saw Lin Yuan sitting in a flashy convertible off-road vehicle.

He was holding a cup of freshly ground hot coffee, looking at her with a playful expression.

Sitting next to him was the troublemaker Ye Qingyue, who was busy snapping photos of her with her phone.

"Click! Click!"

"Wow! The angle on this one is great!!" Ye Qingyue shouted excitedly.

Ji Wushuang was shaking with anger.

"Lin Yuan! I want to duel you!"

Ji Wushuang roared through gritted teeth, casually picking up a piece of coal slag from the ground, ready to throw it at him.

But halfway through, her courage failed her.

"Spare yourself."

Lin Yuan took a sip of coffee and said slowly.

Ji Wushuang froze instantly.

She suddenly remembered that she was no match for Lin Yuan at all.

"Hmph!"

Ji Wushuang threw down the coal slag resentfully, though she was very unwilling.

But her body was very honest, and she backed down.

"Fine, fine, I know you're doing this for my own good. Tell me, how else are you going to torture me next?"

Lin Yuan looked at her "do whatever you want" attitude and couldn't help but laugh.

"Get in the car." Lin Yuan patted the back seat.

"Where to?"

Ji Wushuang looked at him warily, "You aren't going to come up with some new trick to torture me, are you?"

"What are you thinking?"

Lin Yuan looked at her amusedly, "I'm taking you to wash up, and then... there's a training session you need to complete."

"An... exam?" Ji Wushuang was stunned.

...

An hour later.

Ji Wushuang, now cleaned up and wearing a crisp tactical camouflage uniform, stood in the base's "Virtual Reality Training Room."

This was developed by the base's talent using the technological materials Lin Yuan unlocked.

It was achieved by combining powerful Spiritual Power with corresponding mental Superpowers.

It could simulate 100% realistic combat scenarios; although the pain sensation was only 10%, the sense of immersion was enough to make anyone wet their pants.

"Where is this?"

Ji Wushuang curiously examined the silver-white walls around her, which were full of sci-fi vibes.

"This is your exam room."

Lin Yuan's voice came over the broadcast.

"Wushuang, I have never doubted your combat power. However, in the Apocalypse, personal bravery is just the foundation; brains are the key to survival."

"You were too impulsive before. I didn't make you burn coal as a punishment, but to let you calm down and think."

Ji Wushuang wanted to retort, but thought about the battle that day.

She had rushed in like a hot-headed novice and was played by Lin Yuan in the palm of his hand, so her face couldn't help but flush red.

"Don't be unconvinced. Today, I'll give you a chance to prove yourself."

As soon as Lin Yuan finished speaking, the surrounding scenery instantly changed.

The original silver-white room disappeared.

It was replaced by a dilapidated street.

The sky was dim, and the sound of dense zombie roars came from afar.

"Mission Objective: Lead this survivor squad to break out to the safe zone. Time limit: 30 minutes. If everyone survives, you get extra points; if one person dies, you lose 10 points; if you die, you fail immediately and go back to the boiler room for further training."

Following Lin Yuan's explanation, five "people" suddenly appeared beside Ji Wushuang.

These five NPCs were made extremely realistically.

There were old and young, all of them shivering, which made one's head ache just looking at them.

"Tch, isn't it just leading people to run away?"

Ji Wushuang snorted disdainfully, and a standard long sword simulated by the system appeared in her hand.

"Let's go! Follow me closely!"

Ji Wushuang took the lead and rushed out with great momentum.

However, she couldn't look cool for more than three seconds.

"Ouch! My dentures fell out!"

An elderly NPC suddenly stopped and lay on the ground looking for his dentures.

"Wuwuwu... I want my mommy..."

A chubby little NPC sat on the ground wailing, his voice as loud as an air-raid siren.

"Stop crying! If you keep crying, you'll attract zombies!"

Ji Wushuang turned back and shouted anxiously.

It was too late.

Roar—!

Two lightning-fast Lickers leaped out from the nearby window.

With a flick of their tongues, they dragged the old man looking for his dentures away.

"What the f*ck?!"

Ji Wushuang cursed.

She raised her sword to save him, but as soon as she turned, the chubby kid was tackled by another zombie.

"Help! Big sister, save me!"

"Don't run around! Stand there and don't move!"

Ji Wushuang completely lost her composure, unable to handle everything at once.

She swung her sword with great force, cutting down a few zombies, but when she looked back—

That middle-aged female NPC who had been relatively calm.

Because she was too scared, she screamed and rushed into the pile of zombies, throwing her life away.

The two remaining young and strong male NPCs.

Seeing that the situation was bad, they betrayed Ji Wushuang immediately.

They turned and ran, but before they could run two steps, they were torn apart by a group of zombies.

In less than five minutes.

The entire team was wiped out.

Only Ji Wushuang was left, standing in the middle of a mess, feeling completely bewildered.

"Beep! Mission failed. Survivors: 0. Score: -50. Evaluation: Are you an undercover agent sent by the zombies? Even food delivery people aren't as fast as you at delivering kills."

The system's annoying robotic voice rang out again.

Subsequently, the scene dissipated, and Ji Wushuang returned to the silver-white room.

Outside the glass wall, Lin Yuan was laughing so hard he was slapping his thigh.

The coffee in his hand spilled out.

Ji Wushuang's face turned beet red, and she was so ashamed and angry she wanted to crawl into a crack in the ground.

Her hand holding the sword was shaking:

"This... this isn't fair! Those people were too stupid! They wouldn't listen to commands at all!"

"Stupid?"

Lin Yuan stopped smiling, his eyes becoming sharp.

"In the real Apocalypse, survivors are even more stupid and uncontrollable than this. Fear will make people run around like headless chickens. As a commander, if you cannot intimidate them immediately and establish absolute authority, then no matter how strong your power is, you cannot save anyone."

"Do you think you're a savior? In the scene just now, you were just a brute who only knew how to swing a sword."

Lin Yuan's words made Ji Wushuang fall into deep thought.

She lowered her head, seriously recalling her performance on the battlefield.

Indeed.

Before, in her family, she was a goddess surrounded by everyone like stars around the moon.

Everyone revolved around her and cooperated with her.

She only needed to be responsible for wielding her sword, and the rest would naturally be handled by others.

But now, she couldn't just recklessly charge.

"Again!"

Ji Wushuang looked up abruptly, the arrogance in her eyes fading away.

Replaced by a burning flame.

"Yo, still not giving up? Fine, I'll satisfy you."

Lin Yuan snapped his fingers, "Reset."

...

The second time.

This time, Ji Wushuang learned to be smart.

As soon as the scene started, the chubby kid started to cry again.

Ji Wushuang didn't say a word.

She rushed over and covered his mouth, glaring fiercely at everyone:

"Whoever dares to make a sound, I'll chop them down first! Zombies have to chew twice to eat you, but I only need a second to chop you!"

This ruthlessness instantly intimidated all the NPCs.

Although the method was a bit rough, the effect was significant.

However, when passing a crossroads.

She was too cautious, constantly observing the terrain, which caused the team to stay too long and be surrounded by a zombie horde.

Dead.

"Again!"

...

The third time.

She learned to use the terrain.

She learned to assign tasks, letting the strong NPCs protect the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled.

But when facing a mutated Tyrant, she chose to fight head-on to protect the NPCs, resulting in mutual destruction.

"Again!!"

...

The tenth time.

Ji Wushuang was already drenched in sweat, her mind highly tense.

This time, she was terrifyingly calm.

"Old Wang, carry the chubby kid! Sister Zhang, shut up and stay in the middle! You two men, take the sticks and guard the flanks! If you don't want to die, listen to my commands!"

When encountering zombies, she no longer blindly charged.

Instead, she used the abandoned vehicles on the street as cover.

She commanded the NPCs to carry out simple resistance, while she herself was responsible for pinpointing and eliminating high-threat targets.

When encountering a Tyrant she couldn't defeat, she decisively ordered:

"Throw the Molotov cocktails! Run to the alley on the left! I'll cover the rear... screw that! Let's run together! Use that sewer cover!"

She learned trade-offs and how to utilize the environment.

She even learned to use the NPCs' fear to stimulate their desire for survival.

Finally.

"Safe zone reached."

When she saw the gate of the safe house flickering with green light.

Ji Wushuang's legs went soft, and she collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.

Although those five NPCs were slightly injured and shaken, they were... all alive.

"Beep! Mission completed. Survivors: 5. Score: 95. Evaluation: Although your command style is like a bandit, I have to admit, you are a qualified bandit leader."

The scene dissipated.

The glass door opened, and Lin Yuan walked in, holding a towel.

"Well done."

Lin Yuan walked over and gently handed her the towel.

"You caught on a bit faster than I expected."

Ji Wushuang took the towel and wiped the sweat off her face.

Although she was disheveled at this moment, her eyes were brighter than ever before.

"Hubby, I understand."

Ji Wushuang looked at Lin Yuan and said earnestly.

"I used to think that the sword was everything, and as long as I was strong enough, I could cut through all obstacles. But now I know that sometimes, brains are more useful than swords."

"And..."

She paused, a soft smile appearing on her face.

"That feeling after protecting others... isn't bad. I want to become someone who can truly help you."

Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow:

"What? Is my female War God planning to transform into a saint?"

"That's not it!"

Ji Wushuang blushed.

"I just think that since I possess power, if I don't do something, what's the difference between me and those walking corpses?"

"Very good." Lin Yuan snapped his fingers.

Hum—

A golden light condensed in the air.

Finally transforming into a cool-looking long sword, hovering in front of Ji Wushuang.

The blade was long and slender, with a dark red appearance throughout.

It was engraved with complex and mysterious golden patterns, as if magma were flowing.

The hilt was shaped like a Vermilion Bird about to take flight, emitting a scorching aura.

"This is..."

Ji Wushuang's eyes went straight instantly; as an Ability User.

She could feel the terrifying power contained within this sword; it was countless times stronger than her family's heirloom sword!

Lin Yuan introduced, "This comes with three attributes: Fire, Sharpness, and Energy Recovery. Moreover, it can perfectly match your Nanming Li Fire, amplifying your combat power by at least three times."

"I originally planned to give it to you after you fully mastered tactical thinking, but seeing your good performance today, I'm rewarding you with it early."

Ji Wushuang reached out with trembling hands and gripped the hilt.

Boom!

A wave of heat instantly swept through her whole body.

The Nanming Li Fire within her seemed to have met a long-lost relative.

It cheered and leaped, resonating with the divine patterns on the sword.

Ji Wushuang swung it casually.

Swish!

A flame blade aura several meters long roared out.

It directly sliced a deep crack into the training room's alloy floor, which was claimed to be able to withstand tank shelling.

The cut was still melting, dripping molten iron drop by drop.

"Holy crap! My floor!"

Lin Yuan shouted, pretending to be heartbroken.

"This costs points to repair! I'm deducting it from your salary!"

Ji Wushuang ignored his wailing completely.

She stroked the blade, unable to put it down.

Suddenly, she turned around and looked at Lin Yuan.

She took a deep breath, stepped forward, and took the initiative to hug Lin Yuan.

"I really like this sword."

Ji Wushuang said softly in his arms, "But... I like your thoughtfulness towards me even more."

"You know, this 'sword' of mine, Ji Wushuang, has long been yours."

Lin Yuan held her and kissed her forehead gently:

"I know."

Ji Wushuang raised her head, a resolute light shining in her eyes:

"In the future, when there's a fight, I want to go first! Those women who only know how to whine, don't even think about stealing my kills!"

Lin Yuan smiled.

"Okay."

He lowered his head and kissed her lips gently.

Ji Wushuang blushed, but still stood on her tiptoes to respond to him.

Sure enough, sometimes changing the way of training yields better results.

Growth plan, a huge success!

"Alright, since you've received your gift, let's get to work."

Lin Yuan checked the time.

"The logistics department just said that the meat cleaver in the cafeteria has dulled. Since you have a new sword..."

Ji Wushuang's smile froze on her face:

"Hubby!!! If you dare to make me use a divine artifact to chop meat, I won't talk to you tonight!!!"

"Hahahaha! Just kidding, don't get so excited! Let's go, I'll treat you to braised pork, eat as much as you want! Tonight... I'll reward you well."

Hearing the last sentence, Ji Wushuang's face turned red instantly.

The two walked out of the training room, one after the other.

Accompanied by Ji Wushuang's angry roar and Lin Yuan's hearty laughter.

The sun was just right, the breeze was gentle.

Although the Apocalypse was still cruel.

But at least here, someone was slowly learning to shine in the darkness.