The nine who entered in the end decided to split into three groups: Chu Lian, Inori, and Chu Chu in one team; Li Xiu'er, Liu Yanran, and Cai Ya in another; and Lux Lyle, Ruriko Nana, and Kurosaki Satsuki in the last.
The girls looked at each other, then nodded slightly, silently conveying encouragement to one another.
"Welcome to the Infinite World." As soon as they entered the tunnel leading to the mission space, a beautiful, ethereal female voice echoed in their ears. Her message reminded them that this was still just a game.
Although they all knew that, in a few moments, what they would experience would completely shatter that notion, at least the calm tone of the system helped them relax a little—reminding them this wasn't reality, and keeping them from losing composure too soon.
A flash of light enveloped them, and the three appeared inside a dilapidated house. A white barrier surrounded them, shielding them from the outside. They couldn't see what lay beyond the walls, but they could faintly sense that things weren't looking good.
A constant tremor shook the door of the building. Even though the barrier blocked the sound, they could still feel the force behind each impact.
"Alright, Inori and I will hold the position here. Chu Chu, take the katana and clear out the scattered zombies in the alley. Try to find any item that can help us complete the last part of the mission." Chu Lian retrieved four katanas from her system inventory—two for herself, one for Inori, and one for Chu Chu. Then she accepted the handgun Inori passed her and spoke in a firm tone.
"Big Sis, don't worry! With Chu Chu here, I'll never let those stray zombies get through. And that item—you can bet Chu Chu will find it!" Chu Chu gripped the katana tightly, her voice full of confidence.
Hearing her words, Chu Lian exhaled in relief. She knew Chu Chu could be unreliable at times, but when it came to serious matters, she never joked. If she said she'd do something, she would see it through.
"Then, let's move." Watching the countdown timer that only she could see, Chu Lian raised three fingers—then folded them down one by one.
When the last finger curled in, she grabbed her other katana and charged forward.
Inori followed closely behind, carrying her sword on her back and holding a gun in each hand, her calm eyes scanning every corner.
Chu Chu brought up the rear, one hand on her katana and the other on her gun, moving carefully, alert to any movement.
They all understood that a solo mission and a three-person mission were entirely different. The more people involved, the greater the difficulty. This wasn't the same as when they fought alone. They had to stay vigilant—utterly cautious.
Clang! As the girls rushed forward, something slammed into the front door, bursting it open. A horde of grotesque zombies poured in, their twisted faces lunging toward them.
"Out of the way!" Chu Lian stepped forward, both hands gripping her katanas. She leapt up and, in an instant, decapitated every zombie crowding the doorway.
Light, agile, and deadly sharp—able to slash or thrust with precision. That was why she preferred the katana as her close-combat weapon.
Other battlefield weapons weren't suited for a modern city's tight, maze-like streets. And considering that their Strength and Agility stats were both only fifteen, using heavier weapons would drain more stamina.
Lighter weapons, on the other hand, wouldn't let her unleash her full power—a waste in its own right. Only the katana struck the perfect balance.
Of course, she would never admit that the real reason she chose it was because Kurosaki Satsuki had once asked her to teach her swordsmanship. Since they didn't use the same style, Chu Lian had been frustrated—and so she'd decided to master the art of the katana herself.
That definitely wasn't why. Absolutely not. And even if it was, she'd never admit it.
"Chu Chu, take that path. When we ran solo missions, there weren't many zombies down that alley. We cleared it all the way to the end but found nothing—it's probably hidden somewhere. Search carefully. As for the main road, where the zombies are thickest, Inori and I will handle that. Remember—half an hour at most. If you don't find anything by then, retreat." Chu Lian cleaved through several zombies, their heads rolling as she turned and called out to Chu Chu.
"Got it, Big Sis. Be careful! I have a bad feeling this won't be so simple." Chu Chu nodded without hesitation, then dashed off toward the alley. She was sure that whatever they needed—it had to be there.
"Inori, I'm counting on you to cover the spots I can't keep an eye on." Chu Lian watched Chu Chu leave, then turned to Inori with a serious look.
Even though death here wasn't real death, she refused to fail. More than that, she didn't want the others to see her fail. This time—she had to succeed.
"Lian, as long as you remember that you're never alone, that's enough." Inori's voice was soft but steady. She would absolutely protect the girl standing before her—because Chu Lian had already become her faith.
"I've always known that you're all behind me. That's why I must stand here and never fall." Chu Lian smiled faintly, stepping forward. Her small hands rose and fell, cutting down the zombies that rushed toward her.
The katana wasn't her usual weapon, but since entering the game, she had used it exclusively—wielding two blades at once. By now, she was already extremely skilled.
Gifted by nature and strong in ability, coupled with the awakening of the Divine Spirit Art, her mastery of weapons improved rapidly—her growth advancing at a rate unimaginable to others.
Each mission was another step forward, each battle another chance to refine her control. She learned faster than anyone could believe.
Even if Chu Lian wasn't as ferocious with a katana as Kurosaki Satsuki, she certainly wasn't any weaker than veterans who had practiced swordsmanship for over a decade.
Her terrifying potential and talent made her progress nearly unhindered. More importantly, her environment was unlike anyone else's.
Those who cultivated or were connected to the cultivation world had likely killed before, but most who trained in swordsmanship only swung their blades, chopped at wooden posts, or sparred with wooden swords.
How could that compare to Chu Lian, who had slaughtered her way out of seas of corpses? Who understood more than anyone how a weapon truly killed?
Gunfire echoed repeatedly—special-type zombies were gunned down before they could even approach, thanks to Inori's precise marksmanship from above. Chu Lian was completely immersed in the rhythm of dual-blade slaughter.
In previous missions, when she had been alone, she had to keep her guard up constantly—never daring to lose focus before reaching the final target. Because of that, she could never fully sink into the feeling of sword practice.
But now—with Inori at her back, clearing away every unnecessary threat—she could finally free her mind, letting every thought move in harmony with the swing of her blades.
"Rising Wind…" The words slipped from her lips instinctively, as though inspiration itself had ignited within her. Both blades spun rapidly in her hands as she struck the same point ten times in quick succession. Invisible blades of wind tore forward, slicing the zombies in their path cleanly in half, their rotting blood splattering the ground before sinking away.
"She actually triggered a sword technique… So that's the difference when the heart is fully immersed." Chu Lian exhaled, panting lightly. That one attack had already drained nearly thirty percent of her stamina. Combined with ten minutes of non-stop fighting, she was reaching her limit.
"Too bad. Without Spiritual Power to enhance it, the attack's force is limited, and it's too draining. Two uses at most, then I'm out. Its power isn't even higher than what I could achieve using the same stamina on raw combat." Despite the exhaustion, Chu Lian's expression remained calm as still water.
In solo missions, she never had to stay in one place this long. Usually, she'd dash through before the zombies could form a swarm, cutting them down as she went—consuming far less stamina.
But this time, they had to find that item—the key to clearing the mission. No matter how much energy it cost, retreating wasn't an option.
Her gaze stayed firm, unwavering as ever. She didn't care about her condition—her movements had become almost mechanical, her arms swinging her blades with machine-like precision as she continued to slaughter the undead.
Another ten minutes passed. Chu Lian's breathing had grown heavy, and Inori's chest rose and fell rapidly—they were both reaching their limits. If Chu Chu didn't return soon, there was no way they could last the full thirty minutes.
"We miscalculated… underestimated how terrifying the zombie horde really is—and overestimated our stamina." Chu Lian kicked a zombie away, leaning against the hood of a car with a bitter smile.
"It's fine. If we fail, we'll just restart. Next time, the three of us will go together and ignore the zombies chasing us." Inori said between breaths, her cold gaze sweeping over the piles of corpses stacked in front of them.
"I don't want to fail." Chu Lian's voice was stubborn. Just like in the real world, she had never once failed in front of them. Now, even in a virtual world—would she really lose? No, she wouldn't allow that.
"Big Sis, I found it! But… there's also a big guy I can't beat!" came Chu Chu's voice from behind.
At first, hearing the good news, Chu Lian's eyes lit up—but the second half of the sentence made her heart sink. She turned back instinctively. "What the hell, Chu Chu, how did you provoke that thing?!"
"Because it was guarding the item we needed! I broke down a wall and saw it there. I grabbed it and hadn't even started running when the thing burst through the door! I didn't have a choice!" Chu Chu looked like she was about to cry. She hadn't wanted to provoke it either—but since it was guarding their objective, she had no choice but to fight it.
"What are you waiting for, let's run!" Chu Lian didn't have time to worry about her drained stamina. She grabbed Inori's hand and dashed forward. "Chu Chu, throw the item to us! We'll distract it while you get away. Once you're far enough, we'll toss it back to you—confuse it that way!"
"Okay!" Chu Chu replied quickly. It sounded like a good plan, so she immediately threw over the object she was holding—it looked like a flat dish.
Chu Lian leapt up and caught it midair. Without even checking what it was, she bolted toward the main street, ignoring the scattered zombies still wandering nearby.
Grrrraaahhh~ A low snarl echoed. Standing under the sunlight was a three-meter-tall beast, shaped like a monstrous wolfhound, its belly half-rotten with chunks of dark red flesh hanging loose. Its glowing green eyes glared murderously at Chu Lian—the thief who had stolen what it used to eat from.
"So that's why… you took its food bowl." Chu Lian glanced at the dish in her hand mid-sprint and couldn't help but laugh bitterly.
"Ah! Big Sis!" But before she could say more, Chu Chu screamed—and then vanished from sight, falling straight into a pit. A moment later, the system notification sounded: "Your teammate Chu Chu has died. Mission failed. Players returning to city."
Chu Lian stopped in her tracks and sighed. "It's not that I can't finish the mission… it's that my teammate's an idiot."
Moments later, as the system's three-second countdown ended, Chu Lian and Inori's figures disappeared from the road. The dish tumbled to the ground, only for the zombie wolf to catch it in its jaws before turning back toward its lair.
"Chu Chu, how did you die?" Back in the hub space, Chu Lian glared at her terrified teammate. She truly couldn't figure it out—everything had gone so well. How did it fall apart?
"I followed Big Sis's orders and ran farther ahead. I thought that spot was safe, but as soon as I stopped, the ground collapsed beneath me—I fell right through…" Chu Chu's whole body trembled as she spoke, as though remembering something horrifying.
Her eyes darted around, pupils shrinking, the fear still vivid within them.
"And then?" Chu Lian, realizing it wasn't entirely Chu Chu's fault, was simply curious how things went so wrong.
"Then I got a system message saying I'd fallen into a tentacle zombie's nest…" Chu Chu's voice quivered, her tone filled with dread.
"After that… this monster covered entirely in tentacles appeared. Just looking at it made me want to throw up. I didn't even want it to touch me, so I chose to self-destruct. That thing was just too disgusting! Not only was it gross, but all its stats were above thirty—I couldn't win against it at all." Chu Chu flopped onto the floor, looking utterly defeated.
"Ayase really has some twisted tastes… A tentacle zombie? Isn't she afraid of scaring away all the female players? Even the male ones would run for the hills! Tentacles like that would try to crawl into any hole they can find!" Chu Lian sighed helplessly. She didn't even want to imagine that scene. Ayase's sense of 'fun' was still as terrifying as ever.
"This isn't my fault. I just designed a hidden, powerful zombie. Unless someone happens to stand right above its nest, there's no way to fall in and encounter it. They live underground and don't eat flesh—at most, they just do some… strange things to players."
Ayase crossed her legs elegantly, swirling the wine in her glass. When she heard Chu Lian's complaint, she merely raised a brow and smirked—a look that clearly said, 'Yes, I designed it that way. What are you going to do about it?' For some reason, that smug face made Chu Lian want to punch her.
"Fine, fine, I won't blame you…" Chu Lian sighed helplessly and, together with Inori, went to comfort the still-shaken Chu Chu.
Not long after, the others were transported back as well. One look at their gloomy faces, and it was obvious—they hadn't completed the mission either.
That was that, though. The game's notification soon appeared, reminding them that it was already close to four in the afternoon in the real world. Even if being inside the game felt like resting, they still needed actual sleep.
"Alright, that's enough for today. Everyone, log off and get some rest," Ayase said, waving her hand lazily. She didn't give them any chance to linger or discuss—one by one, the girls were logged out and returned to reality.
Opening her eyes, Chu Lian removed her gaming helmet and exhaled softly. They hadn't succeeded—but it wasn't exactly a failure either.
"Lian, don't overthink it. Get some sleep," Inori said gently from beside her, reaching over to take her hand.
"Mm… good night…" Chu Lian leaned forward, kissed the girl's forehead softly, and interlocked her fingers with Inori's.
From outside the door came Chu Chu's voice. "Big Sis, can I sleep with you tonight?"
Chu Lian gave a quiet "Mm," and that was all it took for the eager girl to push the door open. Dressed only in her nightclothes, she ran over and climbed into bed, wrapping her arms tightly around Chu Lian from behind.
"Big Sis… we'll succeed, right?" After holding her for a while, Chu Chu whispered softly.
"We will. Definitely. As long as we keep working hard, we can do it. When has your big sister ever failed? Even that last mission—our loss wasn't because of something we could've changed. So it doesn't count as failure." Chu Lian paused for a moment before answering. Even if it sounded prideful, that was simply her nature—she refused to see herself as defeated.
"Of course Big Sis can do it. I'm just… worried I won't be good enough." Chu Chu buried her face into her sister's back, her voice faint and melancholy.
"Didn't you say you wanted to be my strongest right-hand girl? You have confidence in your strength—so why not in everything else?" Chu Lian tapped her forehead gently, her tone soft but firm. Being her most capable ally wasn't just about power.
"I really am trying, Big Sis… I just don't want to hold you back. It's not just me—everyone feels the same. Your plan depends so much on this working out. We all want to help, so we're pushing ourselves—but we can't find the right direction." Chu Chu's voice trembled slightly. It wasn't only fear from the tentacle horror that shook her—but the worry of disappointing Chu Lian's expectations.
"Not everyone. At least Inori never doubted." Inori's calm voice drifted in, her eyes half-open as she looked at the sisters in front of her.
"Why doesn't Inori worry? Is it still the same reason as before?" Chu Chu sniffled, curiosity replacing some of her sadness.
"I just believe that if I trust her—and keep helping her—then we'll succeed. It's not blind faith. It's because having that goal lets me believe in myself too." Inori smiled faintly, then closed her eyes again, clearly done with the conversation.
Mulling over her words, Chu Chu murmured softly, "Believe in her and help her… then we'll succeed? Chu Chu wants to try that too…" Her voice faded as she drifted off to sleep.
Only when both girls were sound asleep did Chu Lian finally relax her mind and let herself rest as well.
Three petite girls sharing one small bed—it was surprisingly just right.
As for Anna—she was sound asleep beside her "Mommy's mommy" tonight. For once, she was being perfectly obedient.
The night was cool as water, the moon slowly sinking westward. Time passed gently in the quiet, peaceful dark…