CHAPTER 78: ABANDONED FACTORY (2)

She checked the corners, the shadows, every doorframe and stairwell, her senses sharp.

But light flickered faintly from inside, a firelight. The unmistakable sound of voices carried out into the night.

Ling Yu approached silently, her steps cautious but steady. She stopped just short of the entrance, observing.

Through the gap in the rusted doorway, she saw them: survivors. Roughly twenty or so, huddled in loose clusters around makeshift fires. Most were young men and women, though a handful of older figures lingered on the edges. Their clothes were tattered, their faces grim, but they were alive.

Some clutched pipes or knives, others bore the faint glow of awakened abilities flickering in their hands. They weren’t organized, but they were wary enough to keep a watch near the doorway, a lanky boy gripping a steel rod, his eyes darting nervously into the darkness.

Ling Yu stepped forward, making her presence known.

The boy stiffened instantly, raising his weapon. "Who’s there?"

Ling Yu lifted her hands slightly, showing no hostility. Her voice was calm, steady, the kind that cut through panic without effort. "A survivor. Like you."

Murmurs rippled through the group inside. Some of them were tensed up, while the others looked at her with suspicion.

A burly man stood, his face half-covered by a torn scarf. "We’re not taking in strays," he growled. "Too many mouths already."

Ling Yu met his gaze evenly. "I don’t need your food. I have my own. I only seek shelter for the night. In return, I can defend the group if monsters come."

Her words carried a quiet certainty, the kind that left little room for doubt.

The man hesitated as he looked back at his group. Around him, others whispered silently. A young woman spoke up timidly, "She... looks strong. Maybe we could use someone like her..."

The burly man scowled, but after a moment, he spat to the side. "Fine. But you pull your weight. No deadweight freeloaders here."

Ling Yu inclined her head slightly. "Understood."

Inside, she chose a spot near the far wall, away from the main group but close enough to remain part of their formation. She unstrapped her pack, pulling out a small ration bar and eating it quietly, letting the others see she wasn’t lying about having her own supplies, at the same time, showing that she barely had food to live on.

Because if she were to eat something too flashy, people might have some other thoughts.

The fluffy creature immediately wriggled free from her cloak, plopping onto the blanket with a soft ’thud’.

It rolled once, then sat upright, blinking curiously at the world.

Ling Yu arched a brow. "So bold now?"

The fluff waddled closer to her hand, rubbing its head against her fingers like a cat seeking affection. Its fur was impossibly soft, warm against her skin.

Against her better judgment, she let her hand linger for a moment before pulling away. "I hope you can eat dust and remain silent," she muttered. "Because I won’t be wasting food on you unless you prove useful."

The fluff let out a plaintive coo, but instead of sulking, it began to bounce in small circles, exploring the blanket as if declaring its new territory.

[Of course, you have to. If it’s really a dungeon monster or something similar, you have to feed it the mana stones that you got from the first wave.]

"Mana stones? You mean the ones I got from killing those sea monsters?" Ling Yu didn’t show much interest because these low-class mana stones weren’t very valuable.

If it can eat them, she has no problem feeding it. Raising it like a chick wouldn’t be that bad either, even though it may be a small burden when fighting.

’I wish I could put it inside my space. That way I can move a little freely.’ Ling Yu thought as she let out a little sigh, since her space was limited only to non-living things.

The tension around her eased slightly. People returned to their fires, their hushed conversations resuming.

But Ling Yu remained watchful.

She listened as they spoke of the System’s announcement, their words filled with fear and confusion.

"What did he mean by the sponsors?"

"Did you see what happened to those people who protested?"

"We have to gather food... but where? Everything’s already looted!"

"If we can’t, does that mean we’re all just... thrown into dungeons?"

Ling Yu’s lips curved faintly, though her eyes stayed cold. Exactly as she remembered.

She let them talk, let them scheme and worry. Her presence here was not to lead, not yet. It was to remain unnoticed, to watch, to wait.

As the night deepened, the factory filled with uneasy silence broken only by the crackle of fire and the occasional cough.

Ling Yu leaned back against the wall, her gaze flicking once to the night sky through a shattered window. The stars were dim, their light veiled by a strange, oppressive haze.

Her hand brushed against the hidden weapon at her side.

Survive. Gather resources. Clear the dungeons.

The rules of the System were cruel, but predictable. And because she had lived them once already, she would not stumble blindly like the others.

Her path was set.

As she was lounging around, staring down at the fluffy thing rolling by her feet as if playing by itself, the familiar cold chime of the system echoed in her mind.

[System Notification]

[Current Global Task: Resource Accumulation Phase

Time Remaining: 6 Days until Third Wave Initiation.

Required Conditions for Survival:

– Minimum Resource Quota (per individual): 30 units of food, 20 units of water, 10 miscellaneous survival supplies.

– Failure to meet quota will result in erasure.]

Ling Yu’s silver eyes flickered as she bit into the cracker. "As expected."

The system continued, its voice devoid of warmth.

[System Advisory]

[Multiple factions are forming within your vicinity. Survivors prioritizing group survival are raiding outer districts. Aggression levels are predicted to increase by 73% within 48 hours.]

[Recommend: Securing allies or eliminating competitors.]