8: Back on the spaceship, the intelligent female butler

"Pshhh—"

The sound of a pressure valve venting rang out.

The heavy hatch slowly opened, and a gust of warm air smelling of engine oil blew toward them.

Although the air inside the spaceship was still stale, to the group who had just trekked through a mine filled with rot and toxic gas, this place was practically paradise.

"I... I survived..."

The moment Liu Ruyan entered, she collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air and not caring how dirty the ground was.

The other girls weren't doing much better.

Every one of them was covered in dust, grime, and blood; some were even still shaking.

Only Gu Pingsheng stood apart.

His nano-combat suit remained as pristine as new, without a single wrinkle.

He took off his tactical goggles, hung them casually on his collar, and swept his gaze over the disheveled women.

"Rest for ten minutes."

"In ten minutes, Zhao Min will be responsible for tallying the casualties and resource consumption."

"Lin Qinghan, arrange for a night watch rotation."

After speaking, he walked straight toward the Captain's Quarters.

"Bang."

The hatch closed.

Isolating all the noise and stares from outside... the Captain's Quarters.

Gu Pingsheng took off his combat suit and tossed it onto the sofa.

He walked to the workbench and dumped everything from his backpack out at once.

[Zombie Core (Tier 2) x5]

[Mechanical Parts (Scrap) x1 pile]

[Electronic Components (Damaged) x1 box]

[Unknown Metal Plate x3]

These were all things he had scavenged in the mine along the way.

To others, these might just be trash.

But in his eyes, they were treasures.

Gu Pingsheng picked up a grayish-white Zombie Core.

Although this thing contained energy, it had too many impurities; using it directly would have severe side effects.

"Hand of God, activate."

He muttered in his mind.

"Hum—"

Golden light blossomed at his fingertips, instantly enveloping the core.

The originally dull crystal was rapidly purified, restructured, and sublimated within the golden light.

A few seconds later.

The light faded.

A crystal, deep blue and emitting a chilling aura, appeared in his hand.

[undead crystal (Blue · Rare)]

[Description: A pure crystal of undead energy. Can be used to strengthen mental power or as a core material for undead-type equipment.]

[Effect: Wearing it increases mental power by 10 points and slightly increases deterrence against undead creatures.]

"Not bad."

Gu Pingsheng nodded in satisfaction.

He picked up the other materials and "sublimated" them one by one.

Scrap parts became precision gears, damaged components became high-energy chips, and unknown metal plates became memory alloys.

Looking at the pile of brand-new, high-grade materials on the table, Gu Pingsheng rubbed his chin.

The spaceship was upgraded, and he had supplies.

But it still felt like something was missing.

Right.

Quality of life.

As a captain, how could he do everything himself?

Cooking, cleaning, organizing supplies... these trifles were too much of a time-waster.

He needed a housekeeper.

A housekeeper who was absolutely loyal, versatile, and easy on the eyes.

Gu Pingsheng's gaze fell on the pile of materials, and a bold idea surfaced in his mind.

He used the [undead crystal] as the core power source, combined it with those [High-Energy Chips] and [Memory Alloys], and began tinkering at the workbench.

An ordinary person wouldn't be able to build anything even with the materials.

But he had the [Hand of God].

It could not only sublimate items but also perform "directional mutations" during the manufacturing process.

"System, I want to create an Intelligent Housekeeper."

"Appearance... reference a 2D maid."

"Personality... gentle, obedient, all-purpose."

"Begin!"

Gu Pingsheng pressed his hands onto the workbench, and golden light erupted instantly, swallowing all the materials.

"Ding! High-tier material [undead crystal] detected..."

[Fusing...]

[Restructuring...]

[Hand of God Critical Hit! Quality improved!]

The light grew brighter and brighter, eventually becoming somewhat blinding.

Gu Pingsheng subconsciously narrowed his eyes.

When the light finally dissipated.

A figure stood quietly before the workbench.

Silver-white hair cascaded down to her waist, and she wore a black-and-white Gothic maid outfit with white garter stockings covering her slender legs.

Her features were as exquisite as a porcelain doll's, and her skin was as white as snow, without a single blemish.

She slowly opened her eyes.

They were ruby-like eyes—deep, calm, yet carrying a hint of eerie allure.

[Intelligent Maid · Alice (Purple · Epic)]

[Level: LV1]

[Core: undead crystal (Grants her a certain special soul quality)]

[Ability 1: All-purpose Housekeeper (Proficient in all domestic skills such as cooking, cleaning, massage, and combat)]

[Ability 2: Absolute Loyalty (Only obeys the creator's commands)]

[Ability 3: Undead Perception (Can sense life fluctuations within a 500-meter radius)]

"Master."

Alice lightly lifted her skirt and performed an elegant curtsy.

Her voice was cool with a hint of softness, so pleasant it made one's bones feel weak.

"Alice is at your service."

Gu Pingsheng looked her up and down.

Perfect.

She was practically a work of art.

"Can you do massages?" Gu Pingsheng sat back on the sofa and pointed to his shoulders.

"Of course, Master."

Alice walked behind the sofa, extended her slender, white hands, and gently placed them on Gu Pingsheng's shoulders.

The pressure was just right, and her technique was professional.

With every press, she precisely found the pressure points, kneading away the fatigue Gu Pingsheng had accumulated during the battle bit by bit.

"Mmm..."

Gu Pingsheng comfortably closed his eyes, letting out a relaxed hum.

"Is the pressure alright?" Alice asked softly, leaning forward slightly as a faint, ethereal fragrance drifted into Gu Pingsheng's nose.

"Very good."

The corners of Gu Pingsheng's mouth curled up.

This is the life... Meanwhile.

Outside the Captain's Quarters.

The atmosphere was one of grim tension.

"Why do you get two pieces?!"

Liu Ruyan's sharp voice broke the silence.

She stared fixedly at the compressed biscuits in Zhao Min's hand, her eyes red.

"I'm injured! I inhaled toxic gas just now! My throat still hurts!"

"You're injured?"

Zhao Min gave a cold laugh and pushed up her glasses.

"You hid the furthest away when we were fighting zombies; you didn't even get a scratch. Inhaling toxic gas was your own stupidity for rushing forward."

"These biscuits were distributed by Captain Gu; everyone only gets half a piece. This extra half-piece I have is for Hongyu. She was thrown by a zombie earlier and suffered internal injuries."

Nearby, Ye Hongyu leaned against the wall, her face pale, with a trace of blood still on the corner of her mouth.

"You..."

Liu Ruyan was choked with anger and turned to the others, trying to find an ally.

But no one paid her any mind.

Everyone was so hungry their stomachs were touching their backs; they were carefully nibbling on the rock-hard biscuits, not wanting to drop even a single crumb on the floor.

"I won't accept this! I'm going to find Gu Pingsheng to settle this!"

Liu Ruyan slammed her half-biscuit onto the floor, turned, and rushed toward the Captain's Quarters.

"Stop!"

Lin Qinghan blocked her path, her ice sword held horizontally across her chest.

"The Captain is resting. No one is allowed to disturb him."

"Who do you think you are? You're just one of his dogs too!" Liu Ruyan cursed recklessly.

Lin Qinghan's eyes turned cold, and she was just about to strike.

Just then.

Some sounds faintly drifted out from the crack of the Captain's Quarters' door.

"Mmm... there... a bit harder..."

It was Gu Pingsheng's voice.

It carried a hint of laziness and enjoyment.

Immediately following that.

A woman's voice rang out.

"Yes, Master. Is this pressure suitable?"

Gentle, obedient, and even carrying a hint of... allure.

Silence.

A deathly silence.

Everyone was stunned.

Liu Ruyan's mouth hung open, her previous momentum vanishing instantly.

Lin Qinghan's hand holding the sword froze in mid-air, a flash of astonishment in her eyes.

The biscuit in Zhao Min's hand fell to the floor, breaking in two.

A woman?

There was a woman in the Captain's Quarters?

And... she even called him "Master"?

"Who... who is that?"

Su Ruan asked in a small voice, clutching her doll, her tone carrying an imperceptible tremble.

"We're all out here... how can there be a woman inside?"

A sense of absurdity, shock, and even a bit of breakdown spread through the group.

They were out here fighting tooth and nail for half a moldy biscuit, living as miserably as dogs just to survive.

And that man.

Was inside enjoying a woman's service?

Even... doing that kind of thing?

"Bastard..."

Liu Ruyan bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes.

Not because of grievance.

But because of jealousy.

Why?

Why could he live like an emperor while they could only be beggars?

That massive sense of disparity was like a hammer, ruthlessly shattering their last psychological defenses.

Lin Qinghan took a deep breath and retracted her ice sword.

She turned around, her back to the door of the Captain's Quarters.

"Everyone, disperse."

Her voice was very calm, but anyone could hear the turbulence beneath that calm.

"Do your own jobs. Don't forget, our lives are still on a countdown."

The group silently dispersed.

Only this time, the look in everyone's eyes had changed.

Amidst the awe, there was an extra hint of indescribable longing... In a corner.

A short-haired girl wearing black-rimmed glasses had remained silent the whole time.

Her name was Gu Nian.

She was the most inconspicuous existence in the class, usually a loner, always with a book in her hand.

At this moment.

She held a piece of black ore in her hand.

It was something she had picked up in the mine, which Gu Pingsheng hadn't noticed at the time.

She pushed up her glasses, a reflection flashing across the lenses.

"This kind of energy fluctuation..."

She whispered to herself, her fingers gently stroking the eerie patterns on the ore's surface.

"It's very similar... to that 'Alice's' aura."

She looked up at the tightly closed door of the Captain's Quarters.

There was no jealousy in her eyes, only an investigative fervor.

Just then.

"Woo—!!!"

A piercing alarm suddenly blared through the spaceship's main hall.

Red warning lights flashed frantically, casting a blood-red glow on everyone's faces.

[Warning! Warning!]

[Unknown biological intrusion detected!]

[Quantity: Massive!]

[Distance: 1000 meters!]

Gu Nian stood up abruptly, the ore in her hand rolling to the floor.

"They're here."