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

Haste makes waste. Anyway, Ying will be his sooner or later, so there's no need to rush.

He reached out and gently patted Ying's shoulder, his tone relaxed and slightly teasing.

"If you're so nervous, you definitely won't be able to give me a good experience."

Ying remained silent for a moment, the tension in her eyes slowly dissipating.

Even though she accepted Aono and chose him as her husband, the two had only known each other for a few days.

This still includes the memories obtained through the doll.

The purple-haired, mature woman, who was cold on the outside but warm on the inside and not good at expressing her emotions, breathed a sigh of relief at this moment.

She returned to her usual aloof demeanor, except that the tips of her ears were subtly tinged with a faint blush.

On the other side, Dudu had witnessed the entire scene.

She looked at Qingye, then at Ying, and a thought suddenly came to her mind.

They had only just met and needed time to get to know each other, but she didn't seem to need that.

Based on my experience sleeping with Aono last time, it should go very smoothly as long as she's willing...

So, are you willing to do that?

The young cook silently reflected on the day's events, secretly asking herself questions.

It seems there's no need to answer anymore.

A bold idea slowly emerged in the young cook's mind.

First come, first served!

She wasn't capable of securing the position of the empress, but being the first to enjoy the soup wasn't out of the question!

Dudu secretly glanced at Qingye's back, her cheeks slightly flushed, but she couldn't hide the eagerness in her eyes.

It's a pity that Aono can't read minds, otherwise Dudu wouldn't have had to keep trying to figure it out.

Aono promised to fulfill her wish immediately.

His polite refusal of the purple-haired older woman's offer to sleep with him was for the sake of long-term development, not because he didn't want to now.

"Alright, everyone, you can all leave now."

He waved his hand, yawned, and walked towards the bedroom. "We have to get up early tomorrow. Dudu, you take Ying to the dormitory."

Behind him, the purple-haired mature woman watched him leave, her eyes deep and unfathomable.

The red-haired girl clenched her small fists, her eyes filled with eager anticipation.

37. Rolling

The next day, at eight o'clock in the morning.

Aono woke up from her sleep.

I slept two hours later than usual, but my total sleep time was still six hours.

Today we're officially exploring the new map, so we must be in top condition.

As his level increased, his body's recovery ability was no longer what it used to be. Six hours of sleep was enough to keep him full of energy and vitality.

As I pushed open the door, a faint aroma of wheat wafted out.

In the living room, Dudu was placing freshly baked bread slices on the table, while Ying sat quietly to the side, holding a steaming cup of milk.

"Awake?" the young cook greeted with a smile. "Come and eat, while it's hot."

The three sat around the table, eating and chatting.

After taking a sip of warm milk, Aono spoke first: "Kage, how did you sleep last night? After we finish eating, I'll take you to browse the shops and other facilities."

The purple-haired mature woman gently shook her head. "I've already been there."

"Did Dudu take you there this morning?"

"Brother Qingye, you guessed half right."

Dudu said with a grin, "I took Sister Ying there, but not this morning."

"Huh?" Aono realized, "You guys went there last night?"

Ying nodded. "Yes."

After Qingye returned to his room to rest last night, Dudu and Ying did not immediately return to their dormitory.

Instead, they went to the shops first, followed by the cafeteria, the warehouse...

After walking around for a while, the two finally returned to their dormitory to rest.

Dudu doesn't need to go out to fight today, so staying up late is fine.

Ying arrived at night, just like Dudu had been, in top mental and physical condition, showing no signs of fatigue whatsoever.

She only took a short nap after returning to her dormitory.

"By the way, Brother Qingye, Sister Ying can join the training grounds." The little cook swallowed the bread in her mouth and said to Qingye.

"Oh?" Aono looked at the purple-haired woman with surprise. "What effect does it have?"

Ying put down her cup and replied, "After entering the training ground, a notification popped up in front of me, indicating that I could start work."

She paused, looked at Dudu beside her, and continued, "The requirements and compensation for joining the company are similar to those in the cafeteria."

Ying and Dudu spent nearly an hour at the training ground last night, and basically figured out the effects and functions of the training ground.

First, a martial artist must join the training ground for it to be effective.

With martial artists, the residents of the Ark can spend gold coins to train and hone their combat skills in the training grounds.

Currently, it costs 100 gold coins per hour, with a daily limit of 3 hours.

The newly hired martial artists will provide guidance to the trainees within a specified timeframe.

But how much experience will you gain and how much will improve your combat skills...?

It depends on the individual's training results.

The training effect will be enhanced depending on the martial artist who provides the guidance.

The bonus provided by Shadow is +20% to Swordsmanship Skill and +20% to Lightning Mastery.

When practicing Kendo and lightning-related skills, students gain an additional 20% experience and skill points.

A very powerful boost.

Correspondingly, newly hired martial artists can receive 50% of the gold coins spent by the students, as well as a small amount of experience.

The maximum daily working hours are 9 hours.

In other words, if everyone trains for the full duration, a martial artist can only instruct 3 students a day.

Even at most, it's only nine a day.

Aono nodded thoughtfully.

It seems that the training ground feature is deeply integrated with the martial artists who join the company.

Not only are there bonuses, but the gold coins required per hour of training are also estimated to be related to the martial artist chosen.

As for the criteria for martial artists, it can be basically determined that they are combat professionals.

Since there is currently only one combat class, Shadow, the relevant rules are not 100% certain, but they are pretty close to being finalized.

"In that case, let's head to the building from yesterday after breakfast."

After a simple breakfast, Aono neatly stuffed the freshly made rifles and pistols from the manufacturing workshop, along with the carefully prepared ammunition, into his backpack, and then checked the supplies.

Ying had already been standing quietly to the side, her purple hair tied up, exuding an aura of being ready to strike.

"Dudu, I'm leaving the house to you."

"Don't worry, Aono-nii."

With a powerful shadow accompanying Aono to fight monsters, the little cook felt much more at ease.

She used to feel somewhat dissatisfied and uneasy about having to stay at home to handle logistics, but now she is full of enthusiasm.

Stepping out of the Ark's energy shield, you're still in the nearest cold, metallic building.

Stepping through the automatically opening sliding door, the hum of mechanical operation once again filled my ears.

The white shadowless lamps switched to black, and a familiar army of machines swarmed in from all directions.

Aono's gaze swept over them.

The twenty mechanical dogs that he and Dudu killed yesterday have reappeared.

"Tsk..."

Aono drew his alloy battle axe from his back. "It seems that although you can quit halfway, the progress will be reset. If you want to clear the game, you have to kill all the mechanical monsters in one go."

"Shadow, do you remember the information I gave you?"

"Ah."

"Then let's go."

"Yes, my husband."

Ying's voice was calm, and then her tall figure transformed into a streak of purple lightning and shot out.

Aono followed closely behind, fiercely swinging his massive alloy battle axe.

The two were like tigers among sheep; the mechanical dog that had caused some trouble yesterday had now become a walking source of experience.

The long-handled naginata, which was as heavy as a fire poker in Aono's hands, seemed to come alive in the hands of the purple-haired older sister, becoming as easy to wield as an extension of her own arm.

With just a slight flick of the wrist, the blade flowed out an arc of light like mercury spilling onto the ground.

The heavy, long-handled naginata in the shadow's hand was like a light reed, tracing a full moon's trajectory with the twisting of his waist.

The sound of the blade cutting through the air was no longer a muffled whistle, but a sharp, shrill chirping sound carrying purple lightning.

Compared to when he was an NPC, Shadow was now fully displaying his martial arts skills, no longer just using rigid routines.

The purple-haired mature woman moved with light steps, occasionally sweeping to the side or flicking her wrist upwards.

The blade flashed like a bolt of lightning, each slicing precisely across the mechanical dog's neck.

The hem of her purple kimono fluttered, as if she were about to take flight.

She didn't seem to be fighting; it was more like she was performing a beautiful dance.

Compared to the elegance and composure of the purple-haired mature woman, Aono's approach was simple and direct.

The arrival of Shadow, along with his increased trust value and the talent [Resonance], greatly enhanced his combat power.

The fire axe was replaced with a more combat-ready, double-edged alloy battle axe.

His partner, the little cook, was replaced by Ying, allowing Aono to unleash his full power and unleash his sweeping, pure strength-based fighting style without any worries.

Each swing of the alloy battle axe carried terrifying force, the axe blade forcefully piercing through the metal shell, smashing the mechanical dogs along with their cores into scrap metal fragments.

The battle ended faster than expected.

Until the last mechanical dog collapsed to the ground, scattering a few sparks, Aono didn't even need to use his rifle or pistol.

Aono swung his alloy battle axe, watched the figure sheathing the sword, and laughed, "These mechanical monsters aren't without their merits; at least they're clean."

Ying nodded slightly, recalling the battle with the mycelium zombies.

Even though the attacks were always accompanied by lightning, they were still inevitably stained with mycelium and thick, greenish blood.

After resting for a while and putting all the spoils into their backpacks, Aono and Kage stood side by side and simultaneously selected the "Forward" option.

The next moment, the mechanical spider hanging from the ceiling came to life.

Ten mechanical spiders slowly descended under the scarlet light, their massive bodies making no sound whatsoever.

Its eight long legs were like sharp scythes, with a chilling glint at their joints.

"It's not hanging in the sky."

Aono looked at the approaching mechanical spider with a delighted rather than alarmed expression.

If these ten mechanical spiders keep hanging from the ceiling, it's really going to be a headache.