246: I want to eat a big chicken leg.

Ai Yue felt a bit disappointed; she still hadn't reached the criteria for the space to upgrade.

She then gave a carefree smile, thinking she was being too greedy. The space had already expanded so much that if the family ever moved in to live, it wouldn't feel cramped.

The fact that the space could upgrade to this extent was already incredible.

She couldn't have everything. Even if the space couldn't bring people in, she should still be full of gratitude—especially since there was still a possibility for it to upgrade further.

Ai Yue exhaled the frustration in her chest and flashed out of the space.

Seeing her emerge, Ye Rui hopped in front of Ai Yue and asked curiously, "How was it?"

Ai Yue shook her head. "We still need to work harder!"

"It's fine. There are zombies everywhere there. We can just pile up crystal cores until it upgrades," Ye Rui said with a grand wave of her hand and bold words.

Ai Yue let out a chuckle. "I'm afraid that won't work!"

"Why?"

"Low-level crystal cores are useless to the space now. It seems we'll have to go hunting for High-level Zombies," Ai Yue said.

"Are we leaving this place?" Ye Rui asked.

"Yes, but before we leave, we'll stay here for three more days to collect more crystal cores. We might not have time to come back later. Besides, if the Nameless Monsters are completely wiped out, I think the zombies here will only become fewer and fewer as we kill them."

Ai Yue explained her plan.

"Good, Yueyue is right. There's no harm in collecting more crystal cores. They can be used as currency and for cultivation," Ai Guosheng nodded in agreement.

The other two had no objections either, especially Ye Rui, who didn't want to leave just yet—particularly because she still harbored a tiny sliver of hope in her heart.

Once the family had decided, they each went to rest, waiting for tomorrow to continue killing zombies.

The night was as cool as water, the moon bright and the stars sparse. Ai Yue held a crystal core in her hand, looking at the moon on the horizon while absorbing energy.

Her expression was somewhat dazed as she thought back to her previous life. Jing Xi had been as gentle as an older sister; ever since the two of them met and teamed up to survive the Apocalypse, it was mostly Jing Xi who looked after Ai Yue.

She knew everything. Thinking about it now, she was truly mysterious—astronomy, geography, the I Ching, and the Eight Trigrams; she could even talk casually about some very esoteric things.

Before, Ai Yue didn't understand and just thought she was amazing. But looking back now, it seemed like everything she did was deliberate. Her meticulous care for Ai Yue also felt like a facade, as if it were meant to earn Ai Yue's gratitude, or rather, to make Ai Yue trust her unconditionally.

Thinking of this, Ai Yue shook her head again. How could that be? What did she have that Jing Xi would want? Her kindness was real, but her cruelty was also real.

As for why, only Jing Xi could tell her.

The stars on the horizon twinkled like mischievous children who knew nothing of the world.

Watching the scattered stars, the level-three crystal core in Ai Yue's hand shattered into ash with a 'pop.' Ai Yue loosened her hand, and it scattered, vanishing into the air.

Clenching her hand again, another level-three crystal core appeared in her palm.

Ai Yue spent the night like this. Just as the sky was beginning to brighten, Ai Guosheng and the other two walked out of their tents simultaneously.

"Sister, can I have a big chicken leg?" Ye Rui said with sleepy eyes. "I just dreamed of a huge chicken leg, golden and dripping with oil. Sadly, just as I was about to taste it, it vanished, and then I woke up."

Ai Yue found it funny. "Alright, how is one enough? I'll give you two. They were fresh off the grill when I put them in the space."

Ye Rui gave a silly grin. "Sister is still the best, much more reliable than a dream."

Ai Yue handed Ye Rui a plate, which indeed held two large chicken legs, still sizzling and dripping with oil.

Ye Rui wasn't sleepy anymore; she took the plate with an excited face and started eating.

Ai Guosheng and his wife couldn't handle such greasy food so early in the morning.

They just ate some porridge, eggs, steamed buns, and pickles.

After finishing the meal, Ai Yue waved her hand to put away the tents, and the four of them began their day's 'work.'

When Ai Yue and the others arrived outside the tower, many adventuring teams had already arrived.

Seeing Ai Yue and her group charge into the zombie tide without a word, the people in these adventuring teams gave them thumbs up and began to gossip.

"That's really badass. They don't even look for a good position or set up defenses, they just dive right in?"

"Hmph, your team must have just arrived today, right? Just watch, they'll absolutely shock you."

"Oh? Are they that strong?"

"Not just strong, they're incredibly strong. They crush everyone here!"

"Brother, you're joking, right? How is that possible? I'm someone who can take down a Third-Tier Zombie solo. Are they stronger than me?"

"Tch, who among the people coming here to collect crystal cores can't take down a Third-Tier Zombie? Just watch, you little frog at the bottom of a well."

Ai Yue's family was completely unaware of the others' discussions; even if they knew, they wouldn't have reacted. Their enemies were the Nameless Monsters, not these small fries.

"Sister, I want to go to the side to practice my actual combat skills," Ye Rui shouted to Ai Yue.

Ai Yue thought for a moment and said, "Fine, but only right next to us. You can't go where I can't see you."

"Got it, don't worry, Sister. I won't go far. If I get trapped in a zombie pile and run into a powerful one, I won't be able to win," Ye Rui said in a lighthearted tone.

With Ai Yue's permission, Ye Rui held a knife in one hand and lightning in the other, hacking and blasting away. For a while, she wasn't struggling at all.

After an unknown amount of time, Ye Rui, who was cutting down zombies in circles around Ai Yue, suddenly widened her indifferent eyes and looked at a Third-Tier Zombie pouncing toward her.

This zombie's movements were agile, and most importantly, it didn't have a foul stench. Its eyes were lively, though its face was filthy, making its features hard to see.

Seeing him, Ye Rui opened her mouth in shock. The lightning she was about to strike him with forcefully changed direction, killing three level-two zombies instead.

That zombie didn't care about Ye Rui's mercy and clawed at her fiercely.

Ye Rui didn't have time to deal with the other zombies; she stared fixedly at that Third-Tier Zombie while nimbly dodging the others.

Suddenly, her gaze shook, and tears instantly flowed from her eyes as she cried out in pain to that Third-Tier Zombie, "Brother Mo Li!"

The Third-Tier Zombie she called Brother Mo Li had a fierce light in its eyes, attacking Ye Rui strike after strike.

Ye Rui didn't dare to hurt him and could only dodge pathetically through the zombie crowd.

Ai Yue, who had been keeping an eye on Ye Rui, was confused by the situation. What was she doing? How could she let a zombie get so close? What if she got hurt?

Ai Yue's eyebrows sharpened. With a flip of her hand, she threw a head-sized Lightning Orb over Ye Rui's head, accurately striking the zombies around her.

Seeing the 'Big Brother Mo Li' she spoke of being struck until he was smoking, Ye Rui's heart skipped a beat, and her voice trembled as she rushed forward to check. "Brother Mo Li, are you okay?"