Ling Cage, pick up Lu Mingfei at the start.

Morning light streamed through the window, casting warm, dappled patterns of light into the room.

"Why isn't he awake yet? He's been sleeping all day!"

"Shanshili, keep your voice down! What's wrong with a hero getting a little more sleep?"

"I was just worried..."

The cacophony of voices seemed to come through a veil of water, muffled and indistinct. Lu Mingfei struggled to open his heavy eyelids, feeling as if his bones had been disassembled and reassembled, aching and aching all over. He subconsciously raised his hand to rub his eyes, and blurry figures flickered in his vision.

"Is this dream... still not over?" he mumbled indistinctly, eliciting a few suppressed chuckles.

He rubbed his eyes hard again, and his vision finally cleared—there was a large group of people gathered around the bed, all eyes on him.

"Wow!"

Startled, Lu Mingfei jerked the blanket over his head and hissed, "Why...why are you all surrounding me like this?!"

"You're awake, our great hero?" Xu Tong's cheeky face moved closer, his tone full of teasing. "You were really something yesterday, saving all of us."

Memories of yesterday flooded his mind like a tidal wave: the Devouring Beast, the bloodbath, the golden pupils… His last impression was of collapsing, exhausted, into a cold embrace. He abruptly threw back the covers, urgently asking, “Where’s Maiduo? How’s Fang Yuan? And Boss Bai, are they alright?”

At this moment, a burly old man with red-rimmed eyes pulled a bald man to the bedside. The old man, Ulan Aodeng, grabbed Lu Mingfei's hand, his calloused hands trembling slightly: "Child, thank you, thank you so much! If it weren't for you, my Maiduo would have... I don't know how I would have survived with these old bones..." His voice choked with emotion. Last night, upon learning that his daughter had almost lost her life, this strong old man burst into tears on the spot.

"Uncle Ao Deng, please don't do this!" Lu Mingfei hurriedly sat up straight. "This is what I should do. Mai Duo is so good to me, how could I just stand by and watch something happen to her?"

"Lu Mingfei," Wulan Haisang stepped forward, his face filled with gratitude and a hint of barely perceptible guilt, "Thank you for saving my sister. If you ever need anything in the future, just let me know." Recalling his previous attitude towards Lu Mingfei, he felt a mix of emotions.

"Lu Mingfei, how are you feeling? Are you alright?" Mai Duo's voice finally broke through. She wanted to be the first to thank him, but her father and brother beat her to it, leaving her feeling both warm and anxious.

Ulan Aodeng and Haisang tacitly made way for each other. Maiduo walked to the bedside and carefully examined Lu Mingfei.

"It's alright, just a little sore all over." Lu Mingfei scratched his head, trying to cover up his embarrassment with a dry laugh.

"Thank you," Maido's voice was soft but trembling slightly, "It's alright... you're alright too." Before she finished speaking, she suddenly leaned down and gently hugged Lu Mingfei.

A soft, warm touch wafted through the thin fabric of her clothes, and the faint scent of the girl, like sun-dried grass, filled his nostrils. Lu Mingfei's face flushed crimson, even his ears burning. He stood there, frozen, completely at a loss.

He could feel the body in his arms trembling slightly, the fear of surviving a near-death experience. A soft spot softened in his heart, and he hesitantly raised his hand, awkwardly yet incredibly gently patting her back.

"It's alright, it's alright..." he awkwardly comforted her. "Look, everyone came back safe and sound, and I'm fine too."

As he spoke, he glanced discreetly at Ulan Aodeng and Haisang. The old man looked pleased, while Haisang, watching the two embracing, had a complex expression, but in the end, he could only shake his head helplessly and reveal a relieved smile.

Maido released him, her face breaking into that familiar, bright smile like the rising sun: "My dad, brother, and I have discussed it and decided to ask Uncle Belikov to make a gun specially for you to thank you for saving my life."

"Is he handsome?" Lu Mingfei's eyes lit up and he blurted out.

Maiduo paused, turned to look at her father and brothers, and couldn't help but laugh: "Guaranteed to be handsome!"

"Then I... will gladly accept your offer!" Lu Mingfei rubbed his hands together, overjoyed. He was finally going to have a weapon of his own!

At this moment, You Feng and Fang Yuan also walked in together. As soon as You Feng saw Lu Mingfei, he rushed forward and wrapped his strong arms tightly around him: "Lu Mingfei! Good brother! Thank you for saving my wife and children!"

"Cough, cough... loosen, loosen your grip... I can't breathe..." Lu Mingfei's eyes rolled back as he was being strangled, feeling like he was about to suffocate.

"Let him go!" Fang Yuan quickly patted You Feng's back.

You Feng then realized what had happened, sheepishly letting go and scratching his bald head, repeatedly apologizing, "I'm so sorry, I was too excited, too excited!"

Lu Mingfei gasped for breath, and after catching his breath, he hurriedly asked, "Sister Fang Yuan, how are you feeling? And..." His gaze fell on Fang Yuan's still flat stomach.

"I just escaped death," Fang Yuan said gently, stroking her belly with maternal warmth in her eyes. "If it weren't for you, I really don't know what would have happened to You Feng."

Mentioning this, You Feng's eyes reddened again, and the big man almost cried: "Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant! If it weren't for Lu Mingfei... I... I feel like I wouldn't be able to go on living!"

"I wanted to give you a surprise..." Fang Yuan said apologetically, his expression somber, "I didn't expect it would implicate everyone..."

"Fang Yuan is perfectly fine!" Lu Mingfei quickly broke the somber mood. "You'll be busy enough after the baby is born, so don't complain about being tired!"

"Anyway, I'll remember this favor!" You Feng patted his chest vigorously. "Didn't you say you wanted to have some clothes custom-made? Once you've rested up, come to the shop, and I'll personally take your measurements. I'll definitely make you the most stylish outfit ever!"

"How can this be!" Lu Mingfei quickly waved his hand. "The cost of milk powder and diapers is so high. You should keep them." He always felt that since Dragon Bone Village had taken him in, it was only right that he did these things.

"No way!" You Feng and Fang Yuan said in unison, their attitudes resolute.

Lu Mingfei was stunned by this situation and had no choice but to nod: "Okay, okay, I'll go, I'll go, alright?" He felt that if he didn't agree, these two could keep dragging this out indefinitely.

"Let him rest well," a cool voice came from the doorway. Bai Yuekui was leaning against the doorframe at some point. "There will be plenty of time to express your gratitude another day."

"Boss Bai," everyone greeted him.

"We'll be going now, remember to come!" You Feng said, supporting Fang Yuan and turning back every few steps to remind him.

"Definitely!" Lu Mingfei replied.

"Get some rest, goodbye!" Maido left the room with her family.

The others tactfully withdrew, leaving the space to Bai Yuekui and Lu Mingfei.

"Boss Bai." Lu Mingfei was about to get up again when he saw this.

"Lie down," Bai Yuekui walked to the bedside, casually picked up an apple and a fruit knife from the bedside table, and began to peel it with elegant movements. "Yesterday, it was all thanks to someone who turned the tide."

"No, that's not true," Lu Mingfei said, lowering his head sheepishly. "It's the result of everyone's hard work."

The apple peel hung down in a continuous spiral. Bai Yuekui handed over the peeled apple, and Lu Mingfei accepted it with a flattered expression. Although he had been eating at restaurants for so long, this was the first time the boss had personally peeled an apple for him.

"You did a great job yesterday." Bai Yuekui's voice was calm, but carried a hint of barely perceptible lingering fear. "If it weren't for you, our losses would have been immeasurable. At the very least, we certainly wouldn't have been able to keep Fang Yuan and Mai Duo."

"I'm just... terrified they'll die." Lu Mingfei lowered his head, his fingers unconsciously stroking the smooth apple, without eating it.

Bai Yuekui watched him quietly, without urging him. She reached out and took the apple back, neatly cut it in half, put one half into Hui Lumingfei's hand, and took a small bite of the other half herself.

"Your state yesterday..." She finally got to the point, her gaze calm yet profound, as if she could see right through people's hearts.

Lu Mingfei's heart skipped a beat. What was bound to happen had finally happened. How could he explain it? The mysterious voice that called him "brother"? The bizarre conversation about exchanging lives? And the power he had gained out of nowhere? It was all too strange; even he himself couldn't make sense of it.

Seeing Lu Mingfei purse his lips and fall silent, Bai Yuekui did not press him, but simply said calmly, "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it. Everyone has their own secrets."

"It's not that I don't want to talk about it!" Lu Mingfei hurriedly looked up to explain, "It's...it's that I can't explain it clearly either. It just feels...very inexplicable, like...like I suddenly got a power spike in the game..."

Bai Yuekui nodded slightly, chewing on an apple, and pondered, "That should be a power unique to you. But I'm quite certain that it's not the awakening of Origin Essence."

Lu Mingfei was stunned. He had originally thought that his strong will at the time met the conditions for awakening the Source Essence, and that the voice might just be an illusion. But now Bai Yuekui denied this guess.

A thought suddenly flashed through his mind, and he remembered that Bai Yuekui had mentioned during the previous genetic testing that he had a unique gene.

He looked at Bai Yuekui, who seemed to understand his gaze and nodded slightly: "So, perhaps it can be understood as... you were born with some kind of 'superpower'."

"So... I'm actually a superman?" Lu Mingfei's mouth dropped open, as if he were listening to a fairy tale.

"That's one way to put it. The world you came from is probably not so simple either." Bai Yuekui's tone carried a hint of inquiry.

Lu Mingfei quickly accepted this premise, shrugging indifferently: "Anyway, I can't go back. What happens in that world is none of my business." He was more concerned about the present than the past.

He looked down at his hands, trying to concentrate and recall the feeling of his blood boiling and his energy surging yesterday.

A faint yet incredibly real warmth, like a dormant ember being awakened, quietly flowed through the depths of my blood.

Still there!

A surge of indescribable joy welled up in Lu Mingfei's heart. But this power... seemed different now. If yesterday was a raging river, then now it was a trickle, weak yet tenacious. If he had to describe it, it was probably like... "Something for nothing, 1%"?

Although he didn't understand why the power had diminished, it still truly existed within him, which put his mind at ease. In any case, he was no longer that helpless burden who could only passively wait for rescue.

"You... can you still use your 'don't die' ability now?" Bai Yuekui asked, carefully choosing her words. In fact, she didn't have much hope. After all, the miraculous power to reverse life and death and even repair her cell deterioration didn't seem like an ordinary means that could be used at will.

"I'll give it a try."

Lu Mingfei took a deep breath, focused his gaze on Bai Yuekui, and softly recited the incantation that sounded like a decree:

"Don't die."

In an instant, time and space seemed to freeze for a moment. An invisible, gentle yet undeniable domain quietly expanded from Lu Mingfei's center, enveloping Bai Yuekui within it.

Bai Yuekui clearly felt that the process of cell deterioration in her body, which was like a bone-deep infection, had been reversed once again! Although the effect was not as earth-shattering as yesterday, the undeniable sense of repair made her cold eyes widen instantly.

Her gaze as she looked at Lu Mingfei was as if she were examining a rare treasure. If this ability could be used reliably, even if its effects diminished, it would mean that Dragonbone Village would have near-impossible logistical and medical support!

This will be a crucial trump card in the fight against the Mana ecosystem and in surviving in the post-apocalyptic wasteland.

"What price will you have to pay to use this ability?" Bai Yuekui's tone became more solemn than ever before.

Lu Mingfei scratched his head, carefully assessing his physical condition. Apart from a slight mental fatigue, similar to the exhaustion after prolonged concentration, he seemed to have no other discomfort.

"It doesn't feel like... anything special. If I had to say, I'm a little tired, like I've been running for a while," he answered truthfully.

Bai Yuekui fell silent.

Such a healing effect can be achieved with just a little physical exertion? Her gaze was intense, as if trying to pierce through Lu Mingfei's body and see the true nature of his power. To heal injuries with a single word—this near-rule-based ability was simply too heaven-defying.

This means that as long as Lu Mingfei is around, her worries about cell depletion when using her potential will be greatly reduced.

More importantly, he hasn't even undergone a formal awakening of his source essence! If his potential awakens in the future, what terrifying abilities will be born from the potential of his mysterious genes? Perhaps the plan to counterattack the Mana ecosystem will truly see the light at the end of the tunnel…

So, what exactly is the source of this power? Considering Lu Mingfei's unique genes, a word came to mind: bloodline.

Since it's an ability bestowed by genes, it must be inherited. In Lu Mingfei's original world, he couldn't possibly be the only one possessing this trait. However, since the path back is blocked, delving into these matters is pointless.

"Coo-coo~~"

A sudden rumbling sound broke the silence of the room.

Bai Yuekui's gaze shifted downwards, landing on Lu Mingfei's stomach. Even though Lu Mingfei considered himself much thicker-skinned than before, his cheeks quickly flushed red.

A barely perceptible smile curved Bai Yuekui's lips. She stood up, walked to the door, and turned back to say:

"Great hero, come and eat in a bit."

Just as Lu Mingfei was nodding hurriedly, she, who had already turned and left, added lightly:

"Let's eat hot pot."

"Boss Bai, you're so kind!"

Lu Mingfei practically leaped out of bed, excitedly pumping his fist. Hot pot! What a distant yet familiar delicious memory!

Just hearing those two words made him feel as if he could smell the tempting aroma of spicy and savory food, and his mouth watered uncontrollably.