chapter 20

Cold sweat rose across Bai Jiang’s back. He swallowed, belatedly afraid. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go inside and plan our next move.”

But Cheng Miao’s gaze drifted toward the vegetable plot. “Not yet. Find two shovels.”

“Shovels?” Bai Jiang followed her gaze toward the mounds and disagreed. “That soil clearly isn’t normal. Shouldn’t we leave it alone for now?”

Cheng Miao did not answer. She stood there, staring at the mounds. Seeing her determination and remembering her cautious nature, Bai Jiang stopped questioning her and hurried inside.

Cheng Miao approached the fertile earth and lowered her eyes in thought.

Judging by the Game’s current structure, the players’ best chance to clear the instance would end at dawn. Once day broke, endless tasks would consume all their energy.

Then what purpose did this plot of earth serve? Surely it was not meant to let players who failed to clear the instance stay behind and farm.

Its seemingly useless yet deliberately discoverable presence reminded Cheng Miao of another place: Doctor Xu’s hidden room.

This could be the hidden plot of the current instance. Doctor Xu’s secret chamber had completed the main story and rewarded Cheng Miao with an Item photograph of unknown function.

What might be buried beneath this earth…?

Approaching footsteps startled her from her thoughts. She raised her head and saw Bai Jiang and Qi Jiajia supporting Tong Qian, who still staggered as she walked.

“We heard it was safe outside, so Tong Qian and I came for some air.” Qi Jiajia’s face was blank, but her eyes remained fixed on Cheng Miao.

Cheng Miao did not expose their reluctance to remain alone with the three bears. She nodded and accepted a shovel with a blade as large as a washbasin, only to stagger beneath its weight.

Cheng Miao fell silent.

Bai Jiang suppressed a laugh and took it back. “Tell me where. I’ll dig.”

Keeping a straight face, Cheng Miao pointed at one mound. Bai Jiang immediately drove the shovel into a crack.

Clang!

The blade could not penetrate. It had struck something like marble.

Bai Jiang crouched and felt the surface. “It’s hard. Like an iron plate.”

Qi Jiajia helped Tong Qian closer. Though the bleeding had slowed, her arm was only crudely bound with cloth, and blood still trickled from it. Her face was nearly as white as paper.

Cheng Miao looked worriedly at Tong Qian’s deformed arm, then noticed something unexpected. Blood dripping from Tong Qian’s fingertips vanished the instant it touched the soil, as though absorbed.

Cheng Miao crouched and touched the spot. It was damp and soft. Pressing one finger down produced a small hole.

Bai Jiang stared.

“Huh? How did you do that?” Qi Jiajia had noticed too. Curious, she extended a finger and poked another hole.

Only now did she resemble a child her own age.

Cheng Miao regarded the holes with complicated feelings. The Game truly had a twisted sense of humor.

“Tong Qian, please come closer.” Though blood loss had left her dazed, Tong Qian obediently approached.

“Put your injured arm over the mound.”

The earth absorbed the blood flowing from Tong Qian. The soil rose and fell like something breathing, greedily devouring each drop.

The sight nauseated everyone. Once enough blood had been absorbed, Cheng Miao had Qi Jiajia help Tong Qian aside to rest. Without waiting for instructions, Bai Jiang began digging into the visibly softened mound.

Before long, a spot of white appeared in the shallow hole. Cheng Miao told Bai Jiang to stop, removed her outer shirt, wrapped it around her hands, and began scooping away the soil herself.

Digging graves became easier with experience. It did not take long for Cheng Miao to uncover the object hidden below.

“Is that… ginseng?” Bai Jiang stared uncertainly at the human-shaped plant in Cheng Miao’s hands.

She held it close and sniffed. There was no strange odor, only the fresh scent of an herb.

“Ginseng? What does that have to do with the three bears? Is Baby Bear’s toy ginseng?” Qi Jiajia’s thoughts raced ahead. Believing they might clear the Game immediately, she grew visibly excited.

“Impossible. If clearing were that easy, why would the hint mention Mama Bear?” Cheng Miao rejected the idea, though a faint possibility flashed through her own mind.

Qi Jiajia played with her fingers but did not argue.

After calming down, she understood that the instance would not let them clear so easily.

Cheng Miao turned and offered the plant to Tong Qian. “I’m not certain, but this may be medicinal. Whether you eat it is your decision.”

Tong Qian froze and studied the plump, pale, ginseng-shaped object in Cheng Miao’s hand.

Bai Jiang’s eyes lit up when he heard it might be a healing Item. He had never obtained one. He had only watched the veteran who guided him purchase one, and the Grocery Store price had been beyond anything he dared imagine.

But Cheng Miao had discovered it and chosen to offer it to Tong Qian. Bai Jiang could hardly claim it for himself, so he could only watch her eagerly.

Uncomfortable under everyone’s gaze, Tong Qian looked into Cheng Miao’s eyes. Her brown irises were clear and clean, like a still spring.

Gritting her teeth, Tong Qian accepted the ginseng. She nibbled off a tiny piece of skin and waited. When nothing bad happened, she steeled herself, closed her eyes, and took a large bite.

As she swallowed, her arm gradually stopped bleeding and color visibly returned to her face.

Tong Qian stared in astonishment. She still had no feeling in the arm, but the bleeding had stopped, and the piercing pain was gone.

Gratefully, she wiped the part she had bitten against her clothes and offered it back. “Thank you.”

Cheng Miao did not take it. “Finish it. Maybe your arm will recover.”

Tong Qian hesitated. Bai Jiang’s expression alone proved how rare the Item was. Cheng Miao’s willingness to give her a bite was already extraordinarily generous. If she consumed all of it…

“It’s fine. As long as you survive and clear the instance, all injuries will recover. Even your right hand will grow back.” Bai Jiang provided the timely explanation. Tong Qian relaxed, and a smile returned to her lovely face.

“Then I need it even less. Please keep it.” Tong Qian pushed the ginseng into Cheng Miao’s arms. Cheng Miao stopped insisting. A slight movement of her fingers stored it inside her Space Backpack.

The action stunned everyone, including Bai Jiang.

He knew Space Backpacks existed but could not afford one. Every Inn stay emptied his wallet. He never had money for such a luxury.

Yet Cheng Miao owned a Space Backpack after clearing only one Game. Bai Jiang belatedly felt fortunate that he had never entertained malicious thoughts about her.

Qi Jiajia’s eyes overflowed with curiosity. Her savings were limited, and the cockroach brothers disgusted her, so she had never approached the Grocery Store and did not know Space Backpacks existed.

Cheng Miao looked at her. Considering the girl’s decent behavior over the last several hours, the strain of entering the Game at such a young age, and the fact that they came from the same Dormitory, her voice softened for once. “After we get out, I’ll take you to the Grocery Store and explain.”

Qi Jiajia froze for a moment, murmured, “Mm,” and lowered her head so no one would see the faint blush coloring her otherwise expressionless face.