A single-player post-apocalyptic game, but with an all-female teammate mod.

Trust value +5%

Trust value +5%

After a three-hour morning exercise session that maxed out General Raiden's trust level for the day, Aono got out of bed satisfied.

It was already broad daylight outside.

As he carried the purple-haired woman toward the bathroom, he heard noises coming from the kitchen.

It seems the young cook woke up early and had already prepared breakfast.

After Aono tidied up the messy bedroom and finished washing up, the beautiful girl with long orange-red hair was already sitting in the living room waiting for him.

"Dudu, good morning."

"Good morning, Aono-nii."

After exchanging greetings, the two sat facing each other, with the dishes carefully prepared by the young cook on the table.

Unlike the usual simple fried eggs and bread, today's breakfast was unexpectedly plentiful.

Steamed buns, fried dough sticks, soy milk, and pan-fried dumplings.

A classic Chinese breakfast set of four, which are also some of Dudu's best dishes.

"Brother Qingye, it's a good thing you put all the ingredients and seasonings in the warehouse, otherwise I would have to ask you to make breakfast."

Taking a bite of the xiaolongbao, Dudu showed a happy expression.

Then she complained to Aono, "Weren't you done last night? I heard strange noises as soon as I walked in today."

After the store opened, ingredients and seasonings were available, and the little cook's skills finally had a chance to be put to use.

This breakfast is not only delicious, but it also has a bonus effect.

As for experience, that's secondary.

Just like the company cafeteria, the limited number of employees means the meager profits are negligible.

Yesterday is yesterday, and today is today; how can you conflate them?

Qingye sipped his soy milk and ate his fried dumplings, closing his eyes contentedly.

Indeed, upgrading the Ark is the right way to survive and thrive in this world.

"Besides, you know my physical condition. I'm naturally very irritable when I wake up in the morning."

"Pah, you lecher."

The girl blushed slightly, rolled her eyes, and spat.

She subconsciously glanced at the purple-haired older woman standing beside them.

At this moment, Aono had already changed General Raiden back into his purple robes.

Even the black thigh-high stockings with diamond-shaped decorations at the top were put back on untouched.

Although she knew that the current Thunder General was just a puppet, Dudu also knew that after becoming a real person, the memories of this period would appear in her mind in the form of dreams.

So the girl promptly changed the subject.

She wasn't as thick-skinned as Aono, who could discuss H-related matters in front of others without batting an eye.

"By the way, Aono-kun, have you checked your own stats?"

Dudu opened her interface. "Now it takes a lot of experience to level up, and there's an extra equipment slot and a skill slot. What does this mean?"

Last night, Qingye was busy increasing her trust value. She was bored in her dormitory and carefully studied her personal panel before falling asleep.

Aono paused in his eating and opened his own panel to check it.

------

Name: Qingye

Occupation: Captain (Unique)

Level: 12 (55/2000)

Talent: Resonance (Unique)

Talent effect: (folded)

Skills: None

Equipment: None

Combat strength: 73

------

The experience gained from the upgrade was indeed much greater, but this was within Aono's expectations.

Whether it's a single-player game or an online game, it's normal for higher levels to require more experience.

The experience gained from the corresponding monsters will also increase.

He had accumulated significantly more experience than Dudu, and leveled up two levels immediately after the cap was unlocked.

结合嘟嘟11级升12级要1000经验来看，10级之后需要的经验是之前的每个等级的10倍。

As always, it's simple and crude.

Aono quickly figured out what was going on with the extra skill and equipment slots below the talent bar.

This skill bar should be called the special moves bar.

Only skills like Thunder General's Unthinking Strike are included, so his masterful Fire Axe Divine Skill was not counted.

The "Natural" column is empty.

The equipment slots are a bit more complex, somewhat similar to the artifacts that are a must-have in the second game.

Also known as Stigmata, Tunnel Relics, Dimensional Ornaments, Memory Fragments...

It doesn't matter what it's called, they're all the same in essence.

Aono reasonably suspects that this equipment slot is the same system used in the sequel.

Because they look so alike.

After opening the equipment menu, a separate page will appear.

It features a nude portrait of him, dynamically displaying his full body, and can be rotated to view specific details.

Each character's portrait has a blank slot for their head, hands, upper body, lower body, feet, and waist.

This model, these classic six positions...

No further words are needed.

The skill bar, equipment bar, and even the warehouse building should all be things from the "more features" section that the system prompted yesterday.

Aono realized that this game was not only rudimentary, but its tutorial was also terrible.

With so many system prompts, they just don't explain everything clearly all at once, instead leaving players to figure out "more system functions unlocked" at the end.

Aono tried putting the naginata, fire axe, shoes, clothes, and other items from his backpack into the equipment slots, or carrying or wearing them, but none of it worked.

The six slots in the equipment inventory are always empty.

After realizing that the equipment slots were temporarily useless, Aono decisively gave up on trying to tinker with them.

It's like farming artifacts; you probably only have a way to obtain them once you reach a certain level.

After roughly understanding the situation, Aono gave Dudu a brief explanation.

After breakfast, Aono changed into a black tracksuit, put on his new sneakers, and stepped out of the captain's cabin with the hot-dressed cook, heading towards the outside of the protective shield.

He had just defeated the boss and cleared the level yesterday, and he had planned to take a couple of days off to relax.

But without a cell phone, a computer, or even physical books, there's absolutely no way to pass the time, and I can't stand staying at home at all!

Having just unlocked a lot of new things, Qingye took Dudu out to explore.

As soon as they stepped out of the captain's cabin, the two noticed that the sky seemed much brighter than usual.

Until the two passed through the manufacturing room and stepped outside the boundary of the energy shield...

29. Explore the new map

The sensation underfoot has changed.

No longer is it cracked concrete and weeds, but a cold, smooth ground with a metallic sheen.

"...Where...is this?" The girl stared ahead, her eyes somewhat dazed.

Aono raised his head, his pupils suddenly contracting.

The familiar gray-white ruins, the half-collapsed residential buildings, and the billboards covered with mycelium have all disappeared.

Instead, skyscrapers rise straight up to the dome of the sky.

The wall is made of some kind of silvery-white alloy, with extremely faint blue light patterns flowing across its surface, shimmering and flowing like a circuit board.

There are no streets between the high-rise buildings, only linear passageways suspended in the air, where streamlined vehicles occasionally glide by silently.

The sky was no longer a depressing leaden gray, but a deep, almost virtual azure.

In the distance, you can even see huge holographic projection advertisements.

The air was clean, without the stench of fungal zombies.

But the city was eerily quiet.

"Outside the protective shield... it's turned into a sci-fi city?"

Aono looked down at his sneakers. Where the soles touched the metal floor, a very faint ripple appeared, as if he were walking on water.

Dudu subconsciously took half a step closer to him, her fingers tightening around the stone spear.

"Aono-nii... what exactly is going on?"

Aono was silent for two seconds before opening his personal panel.

The level, experience, and equipment slots remain unchanged.

The answer is quite simple.

They arrived at... a new level.

What you see before you is probably the new map the system was referring to.

Aono looked up at the towering silver buildings, his Adam's apple bobbing as he calmed his racing heart. He then explained in a way that Dudu could understand.

"I see. So where should we go next?"

Faced with a completely new and unfamiliar environment, Dudu said blankly.

Aono, however, had experience with this.

Based on his experience of leaving the Ark alone to explore the ruins, combined with his years of gaming knowledge, the first step is to check the surrounding environment.

If you encounter a monster, fight it if you can; otherwise, hide in the protective shield.

While ensuring maximum safety, gradually expand the exploration area and kill more monsters.

"Come with me."

Aono took out a fire axe and, with Dudu in tow, began patrolling along the Ark's protective shield.

The two walked along the edge of the protective shield for about twenty minutes.

After going around once, neither of them spoke.

It was too quiet.

Even after clearing the previous ruins map several times, you can still hear the rustling sound of fungal mycelium wriggling.

But this technologically advanced city map has no wind, no electrical noise, and not even the sound of those hovering vehicles gliding by.

"It seems there are no monsters..." Dudu lowered her voice, as if afraid of breaking the silence.

Aono didn't reply, her gaze falling on the nearest building.

The building entrance is an automatic sliding door.

The door frame was illuminated by a pale blue breathing light, as if it might be turned on at any moment.