An hour later, the sky hung low, painted in warm golden light stretching across the horizon.
Wang Ziqing stirred.
Her eyelids fluttered open, the first thing she felt was warmth on her palm. Sothing small, soft, and moving.
A faint, fragile cry brushed her ears.
Her eyes snapped open.
Beside her, wrapped in clean cloth, lay a tiny baby. His face was red, wrinkled, and scrunched in sleep.
For a mont, Wang Ziqing could not react.
"Daughter-in-law, thank goodness, you're finally awake," Uncle Wang said, his voice trembling with relief. "This is your child. When I held him, he wouldn't stop crying. But he's smart. He recognized his mother. He stopped crying once I placed him beside you."
The realization hit Wang Ziqing all at once.
"My child…" she whispered, her voice trembling, barely louder than a breath.
Her hands shook as they reached out. When her fingers brushed the baby's cheek, the warmth was undeniable.
Tears welled instantly.
"You're here… you're really here…" she murmured, tears soaking the pillow beneath her.
Uncle Wang's eyes reddened as well.
Nanzhi had remained in the room the entire ti, monitoring Wang Ziqing's health. Seeing her awake, she rose gracefully. "Uncle Wang, there should be no problems. As long as Madam Wang avoids sudden movents, stress, and excessive exertion, stays hydrated, and eats properly, she'll recover quickly."
Hearing Nanzhi's voice, Wang Ziqing lifted her head. Her gaze t Nanzhi's. Wanting to express gratitude properly, she struggled to prop herself but a firm hand gently fell on her shoulder, stopping her.
"Madam Wang, don't move. You just gave birth."
Wang Ziqing shook her head, tears flowing freely. She gently nestled the baby beside her and untied the string bracelet on her wrist.
"This… this is all I have," she said, holding it out. "My mother gave it to when I married into the Wang family. She said it would protect and my child." Her voice cracked. "Thank you for not giving up and keeping my child safe. Please… take it."
Nanzhi hesitated. "No need," she replied simply.
But Wang Ziqing pressed the bracelet into her hand, gripping Nanzhi's fingers with surprising strength. "If you don't take it, I won't sleep peacefully," she said through tears.
Uncle Wang's eyes glistened. "Xiao Nan, please accept it. From today onward, our Wang family owes you two lives. Uncle Wang knows this is not enough, but if there's ever a chance, we will repay you for this favor."
Eventually, Nanzhi relented. She left the room with the string bracelet on her wrist. She gave it a lingering glance before carefully placing it inside her space.
[Aren't you converting it for ga lobby ti?]
"No," she replied in a low voice.
In the multipurpose hall on the second floor, Nanzhi rested briefly, sipping a cup of coffee to stay awake.
Baoyin hovered nearby, worried about Nanzhi's slightly pale complexion. "You look tired, Sister Nan. Why don't you rest for a bit?"
Nanzhi shook her head. "I'll wait until Weihao returns with the vehicles. I'll rest during the escort. I can't be at ease while we are here."
Seeing that her persuasion had no effect, Baoyin gave up.
"By the way, Sister Nan, what you did was incredible! You can fight, make potions, and even deliver babies! Sister Nan, you're truly amazing!" Her eyes sparkled with admiration.
Nanzhi smiled faintly. "It's just coincidence. By the way, has Lin Weihao arrived yet?"
"While you were in the room, I called Feng Ran. They should be here any mont now."
"I'll see if they're at the gates already. I'll let you know right away." Baoyin hurried off.
Nanzhi inspected her own body. Aside from the two unlocked monoliths in her Mind Palace, her ntal power had reached a bottleneck. One last push, and she could step into Tier 4.
[Congratulations for completing a hidden task: Performing a ntal Diagnosis on a patient!]
[You are rewarded 30,000 EXP]
30,000 EXP!
"That much?!" Nanzhi exclaid. This was even better than finishing a dungeon!
[ntal Diagnosis is a high-level skill requiring precise control of one's ntal power. The EXP reward is high once you master it.]
Indeed, it had been difficult. One ntal Diagnosis had already drained her considerably. She would need at least half a day of rest to recover.
But…
"Why only EXP? Can you give an upgrade card or a function card too?" Nanzhi took advantage of its sudden generosity. "Ugh, my head is throbbing and my body is weak. I can't move very well," she complained with one eye closed.
[We're bound together so I can monitor your health whenever I want. Don't try to fool .]
Nanzhi snorted and dropped the thought. She shifted focus. "Then how about this—can you elaborate on the Safe Zone clue?"
In her mobile ga, safe zones were scattered across the map. They acted as rest stops. Within a safe zone, alien plants and creatures avoided the area, unless lured by prey.
If safe zones existed in reality, it would be incredible.
However, these safe zones were not permanent. Each ti she ventured out, so previously marked safe zones could beco resource areas or danger zones.
The rules behind these zones eluded her, fueling her obsession. If she could discover them, it would be a huge boon to humanity.
[You will discover it eventually. It's only a matter of ti.]
Nanzhi frowned. The system was not giving in easily.
"Sister Nan, they're here! They're here!" Baoyin burst into the room, followed by Weihao and the others.
Seeing her pale complexion, Weihao quickened his pace. "I was only gone a few hours! What happened, Zhi Zhi? Did you go out alone to search and fight another group of alien beasts? Why didn't you wait for ? This girl can't do much!"
"Eh?" Baoyin clutched her fists in indignation. Hey, I'm not that weak! Grrr!
Am I really that deprived of EXP? Nanzhi's lips twitched. "You guessed wrong," she said, quickly changing the subject.
A mont later, Weihao's eyes darkened. "I'll arrange it imdiately."
Bingwen, Feng Ran, and Hei Qian also hurried out.
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