As Xian Yu’s mana slowly replenished, he stirred, eyelids fluttering. He blinked up at her with those luminous, almost glassy eyes. Ling Yu crouched beside him.
"You’re going to be fine," she murmured, tilting his chin gently. "Drink slowly... let your body stabilize."
[System Notification: Target Condition Stabilized. Healing Buff Duration: 10 minutes. Mana Recovery Continuous.]
[System Notification: Unknown Cosmic Entity: "Your decisions in care reflect your growing strategic intelligence. We observe with delight."]
Ling Yu’s movents were smooth, deliberate. Each vial she poured, each healing instruction she gave, each assessnt of monster cores was calculated, not a single motion wasted. It was a rhythm of battle and recovery, strategy and precision, which made even Shen Ming’s jaw tighten in awe.
He was used to control, used to being the center of attention. But here was a girl who could not only dominate a battlefield, annihilate an Alpha-class threat, and manage her own companions, but also orchestrate post-battle recovery with absolute authority. He was impressed—but more than that, cautious.
Fluffy hopped onto her shoulder again, purring contentedly.
[Fluffy: MASTER... he tastes like mana. I LIKE THIS. Also... I LIKE YOU.]
Ling Yu let the small creature nuzzle her neck, ignoring the odd comnt. Fluffy’s instinctive behavior, however, provided her with a tiny buffer of divine scrutiny; the Unknown Cosmic Entity’s favor was clearly heightened by her careful handling of its charge.
[System Notification: Fluffy Happiness 20. Unknown Cosmic Entity: "Your nurturing does not go unnoticed. Stream observers are increasing. 10 new beings joining observation."]
The other teams finished looting food, rations, and salvageable weapons, their hands full. Ling Yu finally stood, inventory now heavy with monster cores, mana potions, and collected rare materials. She glanced at the Alpha Ape core in her grasp.
"Worth a fortune," she muttered.
[System Notification: Alpha Ape Core can be exchanged for 300 gold coins or used in crafting elite-grade items.]
One of the bronze-class survivors took a step forward, emboldened.
"You... you’re not going to share that either, huh?"
Ling Yu’s gaze hardened. A single motion of her finger toward him caused him to falter.
Ling Yu’s eyes swept over the bronze-class survivors, lingering on the ones who had attempted to intervene with Xian Yu during the fight. Their expressions were a mixture of awe, fear, and most importantly: greed. She took a slow, deliberate breath, letting the tension stretch long enough to make every muscle in their bodies tighten reflexively.
"None of this is yours," she said finally, voice low, calm, but cutting through the air like a knife. Her gaze, icy and unreadable, swept across the crowd once more. "Firstly, because you’ve earned none of it. Secondly... because I won’t reward people who almost sabotaged at a critical mont."
A shiver ran down their spines. So tried to protest, opening their mouths to argue, but the words died before they left their throats. Ling Yu didn’t need to raise her voice; the authority emanating from her presence, the faint red stain of battle still lingering on her skin, and the weight of divine sponsorship visible in Fluffy’s tiny posture were more than enough to silence them.
[System Notification: Observer Beings registering dominant behavior. Stream audience 5%.]
[Unknown Cosmic Entity expresses admiration: "Master asserts proper hierarchy. Correctly judges contributions."]
Ling Yu’s mind went back to the battle just monts ago. The mory of the Alpha-class Ape slamming its massive fists into her path, tearing through the air with a deafening roar, replayed vividly. Xian Yu had been her lifeline, casting heal after heal, barrier after barrier, even while gasping and trembling under the strain. Every ounce of mana, every second of concentration he had poured into keeping her alive had allowed her to dispatch the monster with surgical precision.
If he had hesitated, even for a heartbeat, to heed the demands of those greedy survivors, she would have suffered a fatal blow. That realization burned in her chest as much as the heat of exertion still lingering in her muscles. She could not, and would not, reward people who had almost caused her death out of petty greed.
Fluffy, perched again on her shoulder, let out a soft, approving coo. Its ears twitched, tail flicking.
[Fluffy: MASTER!!! YES! THESE FOOLS DON’T DESERVE ANYTHING! THEY NEARLY KILLED YOU!]
Ling Yu gently patted the small creature’s head, acknowledging its sentint without breaking her composed deanor. "Exactly. You understand perfectly."
The divine entities in her stream reacted as well. Notifications flashed one after another, so resonating like celestial chis, others like faint echoes of distant galaxies.
[Unknown Cosmic Entity: "Master’s judgnt is precise. Those who do not contribute are not rewarded. Stream observes with approval."]
[Unknown Celestial Entity: "Affird. Prudence in resource allocation strengthens potential and discourages recklessness."]
The bronze-class survivors exchanged glances, their greed curdling into fear. None dared step forward again. Even Shen Ming, who had been trying to maintain his charming, manipulative facade, could not hide the twitch of discomfort in his jaw. Ling Yu’s aura, already terrifying from the sheer force she had unleashed monts ago, was now reinforced by her strategic reasoning. Her every action sent an unmistakable ssage: she judged contributions accurately, and she did not tolerate near-fatal negligence.
Ling Yu began collecting the remaining monster cores, systematically cataloging them in her inventory. Each core pulsed faintly, humming with residual energy. The Alpha Ape’s core, larger than any other, glowed with a faint golden hue, a promise of incredible power and value. She carefully sealed it inside her storage, the magical wards humming as if acknowledging her authority.
anwhile, Xian Yu, still on his knees, had begun to regain color. The mana potions Ling Yu had administered were taking effect, and a faint aura of residual healing lingered around him. His fingers twitched as he tested the limits of his renewed energy, a smile breaking across his face.
"Thank you... Master," he whispered, voice still fragile, almost trembling from exertion. "I... I’m fine now."
Fluffy chirped happily, hopping to his lap.
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