7: Chapter 7 Playing Hard to Get

"Awesome, simply awesome!"

Meanwhile, the roars of the army of Strange Monsters behind her grew closer and closer.

The howls of the Iron-Spine Wolves were particularly piercing; they cut through the blood mist, drilling into her ears and making her eardrums ache.

They were less than 50 meters away from the Villa!

Take her in, or not?

However, this time, he hardly hesitated and made a decision in his heart immediately.

"A goddess has arrived, so of course, I'll take her in."

Even though the risk is high, the potential gains are substantial if successful.

Watching the valiant soldier fighting on the monitor, her movements were crisp and decisive, every move carrying the sharpness of a soldier.

The military dagger seemed to have a life of its own in her hands, slicing through the bodies of the Rotten Claw Monsters time and again.

Even when facing three Rotten Claw Monsters, she didn't lose the upper hand, though she was outnumbered and gradually running out of stamina.

A valiant royal sister delivered to his doorstep, possessing a B-rank Strength Talent and expertise in combat and firearms.

She was practically a melee powerhouse tailor-made for his Villa; how could he not take her in?

Moreover, his "More Children, More Blessings" talent was all about prosperity and being surrounded by beauties!

The more people there were, the more fortune coins he would earn, the stronger the talent sharing would be, and the more powerful the Villa would become—this was the true secret to lying back and winning in the apocalypse!

"Professor Su, provide me with cover!"

For the sake of safety, Lin Zhou said this to the two women.

He then immediately said to the system, "System, activate the main gate's temporary energy shield for 3 minutes! I'm going to go get her!"

Jiang Wanxing and Professor Su Qinghan nodded simultaneously. After learning about Lin Zhou's skill attributes, they understood that the more goddesses there were, the higher their chances of survival.

Although they felt a tiny bit unhappy, they had no other choice in the current situation.

The main gate's pale blue temporary energy shield unfolded on command. Lin Zhou gripped his military bayonet, his figure shooting out suddenly thanks to the shared Speed Talent, and in the blink of an eye, he rushed into the blood mist outside the gate.

The valiant soldier on the monitor was currently being forced into a corner, the sleeve of her camouflage uniform torn apart by a Rotten Claw Monster.

A wound deep enough to see bone had been cut into her arm, dripping with blood.

Yet she still gritted her teeth, holding her military dagger horizontally in front of her chest.

Her eyes were as sharp as knives, staring fixedly at the three Rotten Claw Monsters in front of her without the slightest hint of retreat.

This was the demeanor of a soldier.

And she was Qin Lan, a retired female soldier from the Hangzhou Military Region.

The three Rotten Claw Monsters surrounded her in a triangular formation, roaring as they pressed in step by step.

Their foul-smelling saliva dripped onto the ground, making a "sizzling" sound as it corroded small pits into the floor.

Qin Lan's breathing grew more and more rapid, and her stamina was failing. The wound on her arm made her gasp in pain, yet she still gripped her dagger tightly, preparing for a final stand.

Just then, a figure rushed over like lightning.

A flash of cold light from a military bayonet pierced directly through the throat of the Rotten Claw Monster closest to Qin Lan.

Black blood sprayed out, and the Rotten Claw Monster collapsed straight to the ground before it could even let out a roar.

This sudden scene caused the other two Rotten Claw Monsters to react instantly, and they hurriedly attacked Lin Zhou.

Lin Zhou snorted coldly, his figure flickering to dodge the pounce of another Rotten Claw Monster.

With a backhanded strike, he sliced open its abdomen, causing yellow pus and black blood to spill all over the ground. The Rotten Claw Monster let out a shrill roar and collapsed on the ground, twitching incessantly.

With Jiang Wanxing's shared Speed and Professor Su Qinghan's Ice Spike attacks, as well as the enhancement to his body from his own attributes.

Dealing with a few low-tier Rotten Claw Monsters by himself was absolutely no problem now.

Seeing its companions killed one after another, the remaining Rotten Claw Monster flashed a hint of fear in its eyes, but still stimulated by the smell of blood, it bared its fangs and brandished its claws as it pounced toward Lin Zhou.

Lin Zhou curled his lips into a cold smile, and the shared Micro-Ice Condensation talent within him activated.

A tiny Ice Spike condensed at his fingertip, which he shot out with a flick of his hand, hitting the Rotten Claw Monster's eye with precision.

"Awoo!"

The Rotten Claw Monster let out a miserable shriek, clutching its eye and rolling wildly on the ground.

Lin Zhou took the opportunity to rush forward, driving his military bayonet fiercely into its head to end its life.

[Congratulations to the Host for killing low-tier Strange Monsters [Rotten Claw Monster] × 3, gaining 45 fortune coins!]

Hearing the system's notification, Lin Zhou felt a slight sense of relief.

"Th-thank you!"

Qin Lan endured the pain of her wound and spoke to the young man in front of her with a face full of gratitude.

She was somewhat shocked inside, as she hadn't expected to find such a formidable young man in this apocalypse.

His movements were fast as lightning, his strikes ruthless and decisive, and he had dealt with the three Rotten Claw Monsters that had left her helpless in just a few moves.

"It's nothing. Standing by and watching someone die is not my style! Alright, the crisis is resolved, you should hurry and find a place to treat your wounds. Otherwise... with that wound on you, I'm afraid you won't last long."

Seeing the wound on Qin Lan, as well as the slight hint of snow-white skin revealed by the injury.

More importantly, that camouflage uniform accentuated Qin Lan's demeanor, giving her a unique style.

He did not offer an invitation.

This female soldier must have a very cold and aloof personality; if he offered an invitation proactively, she might instead think he had some ulterior motives.

What he needed to do was let Qin Lan come to him voluntarily.

After speaking, Lin Zhou turned and walked toward the Villa.

"Also, the blood mist is coming soon, you... should hurry and escape!"

Having said that, he strode to the door.

Just as he opened the door and prepared to step inside, Qin Lan, who was behind him, spoke up, causing the corners of Lin Zhou's mouth to lift slightly.

"Please, bring me inside, will you?"

Lin Zhou stopped in his tracks. Seeing the blood mist getting closer and closer, his heart tightened as well.

"I can bring you in, but my talent attributes are related to the Villa. If you want to go in, you must sign a contract with me. Otherwise, I have no way to bring you in!"

Lin Zhou said in a very helpless tone.

As if... this wasn't what he wanted either.

"Lin Zhou is really good at playing hard to get! He knew that female soldier, Qin Lan, wouldn't easily yield, and if he had offered an invitation proactively, it might have had the opposite effect. Instead, by playing hard to get, he made Qin Lan speak up herself."

Jiang Wanxing, inside the Villa, couldn't help but say.

"Actually, Lin Zhou didn't need to do that; eventually, Qin Lan definitely would have stepped forward on her own. The blood mist is about to descend, and right now, only Lin Zhou can save her."

"Lin Zhou doing this is entirely because he doesn't want to feel uncomfortable in his own heart. This also shows that Lin Zhou is a good person at heart."

Professor Su Qinghan nodded and spoke.

Once these words were spoken, the gazes the two women cast toward Lin Zhou were filled with a bit more affection.

[Detected that Jiang Wanxing and Professor Su Qinghan's favorability toward the Host has increased by 5 points each. Current total favorability: Jiang Wanxing 70, Professor Su Qinghan 20.]