(Silently looking forward to every subscription, every vote, every review, and the first reward, it’s my motivation to write. It’s a new month again, with trepidation.)
Maggie’s NPC mother is thinking of defecting? When Xia You heard the news, the first person she thought of was Colonel Washington. Then there was that soldier who had been executed before; if news of Maggie’s mother’s defection leaked out, her fate would surely be the same as that soldier’s.
The sound of rustling clothes filled Xia You’s ears. Wary, she looked to the other side of the small house where Mrs. Misi came holding an empty bowl, approaching Maggie’s NPC family’s door, asking for food. Mrs. Misi must have also heard the conversation between Maggie’s NPC mother and daughter; she didn’t notice Xia You on the other side of the house, listened for a few more seconds, then hurriedly ran away.
Xia You looked inside the house; NPC Maggie and her mother were still discussing. Right now, Xia You had no mind to eavesdrop further about their plans to go out tonight.
One ought to meticulously remember both favors and grudges; NPC Maggie was the first person to genuinely care for Xia You after she arrived in the "Military Road" system. What’s more, NPC Maggie was Xia You’s umbrella of protection in her survival within the rebel army; she had to ensure this umbrella remained intact to the very end.
Xia You went around to the back of the house. Bosha, Maggie’s NPC little brother, was dragging a half bucket of water to wash dishes.
Xia You called the little boy by his name, and helped him with the water, "Do you know where neighbor Mrs. Misi lives? I want to go over and say hello." After Xia You learned of Misi’s residence and complimented Bosha a few times, she headed towards Misi’s home.
The living conditions in the rebel camp were truly not that great, and NPC Maggie’s home was already considered one of the better environments in the camp. Mrs. Misi’s family lived in a small wooden hut that was dark and sunless. There wasn’t even a door at the front, and before approaching closer to the little wooden hut, Xia You could hear a burst of children’s crying.
The Misi family had been out of food for several days; adults might be able to endure, but the children couldn’t hold back. Without food to feed the children, Mrs. Misi was frustrated and in disarray.
"Stop crying," came a man’s slap followed by a woman’s dry sobs.
After some cursing and swearing, a dirty and unkempt man came out, "You ask for food but never get any, you’re afraid to go snitch, and expect me to handle everything. I’m going to tell Colonel Washington right now, such a huge opportunity falls into our lap, and yet we’re hesitating."
Xia You hid herself in a cluster of dense ferns. The plants around the living area of the rebel residents were not as harmful as those encountered before.
The man who came out was about 1.75 meters tall, short and chubby. A lazy and gluttonous Caucasian man, the flesh on his belly and face sagged, and his walking gait was weak and feeble.
As the man passed by the ferns, Xia You held her breath, watching the man. After a few seconds, her focus intensified; sweat slid from her temples - this was her first time using Reconnaissance Skill on a person.
Half a minute later, the following information appeared in Xia You’s mind: Anke, male, Physical Strength: 150. Spiritual power: 10. Personality analysis: short-tempered, advantage, strong right hand. Disadvantage, sluggish reactions after drinking.
After the reconnaissance was complete, her Reconnaissance Skill showed: 52/100. When she received Maggie’s sharing power, Xia You’s proficiency in reconnaissance permanently increased by 50 points, and including this time, it was her second use of Reconnaissance Skill.
With improved reconnaissance abilities, the information Xia You received was much more detailed compared to when she first learned "Loli Investigation Skill." Even the strengths and weaknesses of lower-class NPCs like Anke were displayed.
Little Eight’s voice came in time, (With NPC Maggie’s sharing power, your chances of escaping from the rebel camp are higher now. This man called Anke is her neighbor and has been thoroughly investigated by NPC Maggie. You can’t go on like this.)
Listening to her tone, Xia You could sense Little Eight’s displeasure at the moment. In the picky Little Eight’s mind, "Military Road" values true talent and genuine effort, and those like Xia You who gained advantages for no apparent reason were not to be encouraged.
"Do you know who Newton is?" Xia You replied with an indifferent tone: "Even he wasn’t concerned about standing on the shoulders of giants in his dealings. I’m just a lowly soldier, without background, without ability, and also encountering a System BUG, how could I control that big guy if I don’t leverage what I can?"
After hearing about the System BUG, Little Eight, knowing its argument was weaker, was about to quiet down, but caught onto the last sentence of Number 0: "Control?"
"In real society, a man like him," Xia You pointed at the scoundrel who beat his wife and was going to snitch, "should be castrated and then chopped up to feed the dogs. If he’s left to snitch, NPC Maggie’s family will never have peace."
After hearing this, Little Eight realized that this low-class soldier who was clueless when he first arrived, had gradually developed his own approach. From the seventy-two dark hours to the present, it was less than five days since Number 0 entered the system. Had it not been for the episode with NPC Maggie, Number 0 should be following Little Eight’s guidance and returning to the Government Army’s camp by now.
Unlike the rebel army’s camp where supplies were scarce and one might be killed at any moment, the environment in the Government Army is a thousand times better. In the following fifty-plus days, Number 0 only needs to participate in the Government Army’s training, do some exercises, eradicate a few Mutated Dinosaurs that accidentally invade the Government Army camp, and 1000 Merit Points could be achieved.
"How do you plan to subdue him? Wait, why are you turning back?" The man wasn’t walking fast, and there was still some distance to Colonel Washington’s residence.
Xia You turned back into Mrs. Misi’s wooden hut, and Little Eight didn’t understand why Number 0 was returning to Misi’s cabin.
Inside, a woman was consoling her child; both mother and son were drowsy with hunger.
In the empty kitchen with no sign of food, Xia You picked a boning knife used for cutting meat and stuffed it into her military boot. The cold blade pressed against her trousers, and her eyes were deep with gloom – three days of darkness had left a shadow over her gaze.
"In Military Road, NPCs and players are not allowed to engage in groundless melee combat. If there are casualties, you will directly lose half of your military merit," Little Eight warned. Without certain game rules to constrain, the entire "Military Road" would descend into chaos.
To leave "Military Road," one must accumulate 1000 points in military merit. Right now, Number 0 only had 10 points of military merit.
Xia You was not generous; even if it was only 10 points, she didn’t want to lose half because of someone like Anke. Penny-pinching was a tradition of the Xia Family.
"What if I’m acting in self-defense?" Colonel Washington had to follow the law, which meant the system must have a set of comprehensive legal systems or rules.
"If it is not dictated by the system and the other party provocatively challenges you, your retaliation counts as legitimate self-defense. Whether it’s a system NPC or other players, everyone must abide by the same rules." After finishing, Xia You revealed a smile.
Now adapted to the "Military Road’s" operating model, Xia You felt that she could no longer simply follow Little Eight’s guidance. "Then let him come and attack me," she said, turning her gaze toward a few bottles and jars in the kitchen.
Humming a tune, Anke thought about the generous reward Colonel Washington would surely give after his snitching. Perhaps even the confiscation of Maggie’s family’s nice little house would result in it being allocated to him. This lazy glutton, faced with the potential disaster for his neighbors, felt not a shred of guilt.
"Just over the next hill I’ll reach the Colonel’s house, but before that, I need to rest and catch my breath. That woman Washington is fierce. Every time she glares at me, my legs turn to jelly," Anke looked around and chose a clean patch of grass to sit down on, closed his eyes, and rested his right hand over his chest.