"Mommy, what's that?" Anna tugged at Chu Lian's hand, swinging it back and forth while pointing curiously at an abandoned car by the roadside.
"That's a car," Chu Lian replied with a strained smile. She really wanted to tell the girl that she wasn't her mother—but every time she tried, Anna burst into tears. And every time she cried, Chu Lian had to spend half an hour coaxing her back to happiness, leaving her completely exhausted.
After several rounds of that, she had given up trying. If this continued, by the time they returned to camp, there'd probably be chaos waiting for them.
"Ayase, have you figured out what's going on?" Chu Lian asked, keeping her voice calm as she entertained Anna's endless curiosity.
"My guess," Ayase's voice echoed from within the system space, tinged with faint amusement, "is that her mind was still immature before she was sealed. Being trapped for so long, her mental state barely developed. And since children tend to forget easily, she can't clearly recognize who her real mother is right now."
There was a teasing lilt in Ayase's tone that Chu Lian couldn't miss—but she decided to ignore it. What else could she do?
"So you're saying that after such a long seal, she simply mistook the first person she saw—me—for her real mother? Like an animal imprinting on its parent?" That explanation actually made sense. If that was the case, she could just wait until Anna grew older to correct her.
"Not entirely," Ayase denied her assumption. "Tírnas must have left behind something—a unique imprint, perhaps—that would allow those connected to her to identify you, even making her daughter instinctively recognize you as her mother."
Her words made Chu Lian recall the three items Tírnas had given her. Could one of them be responsible?
"The Lich King's Manual of Cultivation and the Crystal Palace of Tírnas shouldn't be the cause, right? Both of those have existed for eons and carry Tírnas's distinct aura. Anyone familiar with her would recognize them instantly."
"No, no," Ayase corrected. "Those two now belong to you—and in the future, only you will be able to use them. Still, they do retain traces of her aura, so it's possible for someone to mistake you for her."
Indeed, both the Lich King's Manual and Tírnas's Crystal Palace were unique artifacts, registered in the system's archive but impossible to redeem. Their rarity surpassed even what the Spacetime Traveling Merchant could trade. It was perfectly natural for Tírnas to keep them close.
"Then it must be Nina, right? But she's so tiny, how could that be?" Chu Lian glanced down at the small creature in her hands, puzzled.
"Did you already forget what Tírnas said?" Ayase sighed softly. "Though small, she's far more precious than the other two treasures."
"I mean, Nina shouldn't carry anything that would make someone mistake me for Tírnas, right?" Chu Lian frowned, thinking. Maybe Tírnas had tampered with the drop of blood she'd used to form their bond? But that was absurd—if someone like Tírnas wanted her dead, she could have done it effortlessly, without such roundabout tricks.
"Did you forget how Nina was created?" Ayase asked, exasperated.
Chu Lian's eyes widened as realization dawned. "You mean..."
"Exactly," Ayase said. "She spent countless years by Tírnas's side. Even with only a primitive consciousness, she subconsciously absorbed Tírnas's aura and energy, forming a faint imprint within her body—something only those familiar with Tírnas can recognize."
"And after bonding with you, that imprint was transferred, blending Tírnas's aura with yours. It's subtle—nearly undetectable in normal circumstances—but for those who've met Tírnas herself, it's enough to mistake you for her."
"So that's it..." Chu Lian murmured, clenching her fist lightly and feeling the faint energy coursing within. She nodded in understanding.
Before disappearing, Tírnas had gifted Chu Lian a small blessing—her physical endurance had increased dramatically, and her recovery speed was now several times faster than before. Hurting her in the future would come at a much higher price.
"Mommy, mommy, are we there yet?" Anna's cheerful voice and the distant sounds of battle pulled Chu Lian back to focus. She nodded with a faint smile. "Yes, we're here."
Their trip had taken a little over an hour. Now, only about ninety minutes remained of the four-hour defense period. Chu Lian could only hope the others were still holding on.
"Hiru, Hiru, we'll get to see big sisters soon!" Anna said excitedly, speaking to the small serpent coiled around her arm.
The little snake flicked its tongue and affectionately licked the back of Anna's hand, looking completely devoted.
Watching the two, Chu Lian sighed inwardly. "This snake really refuses to leave Anna's side... When I told it to avoid using its giant form and stay hidden, it actually turned into that tiny version and wound itself around her arm—utterly unwilling to separate."
Originally, she had planned to send Hiru to destroy a U.S. military squad and sabotage one of their spacetime portals to ease the front-line pressure. But the snake flat-out refused, giving her an expression that all but screamed, 'Leave her and I'll die!' Chu Lian had no choice but to give up. Honestly, this snake's facial expressions were more human than some people she knew.
Meanwhile, the defense line had already seen several waves of powerful zombies breach the perimeter—but every time, they were swiftly wiped out by the guardian stationed at the center: the transformed Lightning White Tiger, once the spirit cat, now the Underworld Watcher.
As the Underworld Watcher, it had no trouble annihilating zombies whose highest level barely reached early Spirit Rank. Each swipe of its claws shredded them effortlessly, cutting through hordes like slicing paper.
During the fiercest battles, it even took to the air, unleashing showers of spiritual energy bullets in all four directions. Against undead far weaker than itself, its strikes were devastating—ten times the damage for every bit of energy expended.
Thanks to its presence, the front line, though deprived of most firearms and forced to rely on melee weapons, still hadn't fallen.
Of course, Chu Lian's earlier actions also played a huge part. When she killed the colossal zombie, the strengthening aura it had projected over the undead vanished. Hiru, having no allegiance to the zombie horde, offered them no aid either. So, while the undead continued to press forward with overwhelming numbers, they lacked the power to seriously endanger anyone.
Not only were Chu Chu and the others under Tina's personal protection, but Inori and Kurosaki Satsuki were also guarding them closely. Any zombie foolish enough to approach was promptly reduced to a true corpse.
Even the special forces members who had taken the mysterious drug from the boy in white were performing beyond expectations—their physical strength doubled and stamina seemingly limitless for as long as the effect lasted. Clad in full-body armor that left no skin exposed, they were practically impervious to the weaker undead. Ordinary zombies and even non-strength-type evolved ones couldn't penetrate their defenses, making them unstoppable killing machines.
Still, despite these advantages, the situation at the camp was far from optimistic. The growing number of special mutant zombies made it increasingly difficult for everyone to hold the line.
Somehow, it seemed that the group once marked merely as 'targets to eliminate' had now become 'must-destroy-at-all-costs' enemies.
"I wonder how Big Sister's doing right now... She'll be okay, right?" Chu Chu asked softly, worry evident in her trembling voice. Chu Lian had been gone for over an hour, and though Chu Chu knew how dangerous that mission was, there was nothing she could do but pray for her safe return.
"She'll be fine," Inori said gently, shaking her head. She didn't dare tell Chu Chu that the Void Greatsword had returned to her body not long ago. It had frightened her at first—until she sensed the message left inside by Chu Lian assuring that she was safe. Had it not been for that, she would've abandoned everything and rushed off to find her.
Only she knew about it. If the others found out, their morale might crumble, which would only make things worse for the coming battles.
"Chu Lian's blessed by fate," Li Xiu'er said, taking Chu Chu's sweaty hand gently. "She always runs into terrible danger, but she always comes back alive, doesn't she?"
After two hours of relentless combat, Li Xiu'er had finally adapted to the gruesome battlefield. Blood and flesh no longer made her flinch. Though she was fighting zombies, she had come to believe that even if she had to fight humans one day, she wouldn't hesitate.
It wasn't that she had grown cruel—quite the opposite. She had come to understand the value of life, and that mercy toward one's enemies was the greatest foolishness.
"Yes, we must believe in her," Liu Yanran said as she replaced a spent crystal in her gun. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and turned around with a determined gaze.
Her pale yellow dress was torn in several places—marks left from an ambush by a pack of special zombies. During that moment, when Inori and the others were busy protecting others, she had been left to face danger alone. For someone without special powers, it should have been fatal. Yet, to everyone's surprise, it was the zombies that ended up dead. Her calm precision had saved her.
Bad aim can be fixed with practice, she had told herself. Once her stamina recovered, she picked up her spirit gun again. Her shots slowed, but each one struck true—straight through her targets' heads. The zombies had become her live training dummies.
Her quiet determination inspired everyone around her. This was the beginning of their transformation—those who pushed themselves now would be the ones to advance furthest in the future.
"They've all grown," Inori whispered, feeling a rush of pride and warmth. Lowering her gun, she stopped firing and simply watched the girls fight.
A deep, guttural roar shook the air. From the haze emerged a towering figure—three meters tall, with limbs thick as tree trunks. Its face was almost featureless, save for two cloudy white eyes glaring at them.
"Mid-Spirit Rank?" Inori's expression hardened. This was the strongest enemy they'd encountered yet—second only to that terrifying unseen entity whose presence alone had nearly crushed them earlier.
"I'll handle this one," she said firmly. Her eyes sharpened with resolve as she leapt onto a car roof, then vaulted high into the air. As she spun, a flurry of bullets burst forth, striking the creature's hide.
But aside from the rounds imbued with Deathblow, none of them could pierce its skin—not even her spirit bullets.
"Damn it..." she hissed. This was the worst kind of opponent—one she couldn't even wound. The consequence of that was obvious.
In the next instant, the giant zombie hurled a massive boulder straight at her. It had timed its throw perfectly—just as she reached the peak of her jump, when she couldn't dodge or shift momentum.
Her pupils contracted. "It's too late... am I really about to—"
She raised her arms, summoning her Spirit Armor to shield herself. She braced for impact.
But before the blow landed, a deafening explosion echoed through the air—and she found herself caught in someone's arms, safe and unscathed. The familiar, gentle fragrance around her made her smile faintly.
Lifting her head, she found those beloved eyes and pressed her lips against them in a soft, relieved kiss.
"Inori, I'm back," Chu Lian said, her voice light and full of warmth.
"Lian... you're back. That's all that matters," Inori murmured, her eyes shimmering faintly before the tears vanished.
As the two stood there, lost in each other, a small, puzzled voice broke through the moment—sweet, innocent, and utterly disarming.
"Mommy, what are you doing?"
"Pfft—Mommy?" The surrounding girls froze, eyes wide in shock as the entire scene came to an abrupt, stunned halt.