Chapter 20: Chapter 20: It’s Unfair(1)
Deimos did not flinch.
The warning settled over him without reaction, as though he had expected it. He lowered his head fully this time, not in fear, but in acknowledgment.
"I have no interest in destruction." he said. "If I did, I would not have entered openly."
Numa watched him for a long moment. Even now, with his massive coils covering the bedding and his presence filling the cave, the young snake did not tremble.
That, more than anything, confirmed that allowing him to stay was a risk.
"See that your actions match your words," Numa replied. "I have a son that can take you on anytime."
Deimos inclined his head once more and said nothing further. He settled where he was, he had a feeling tomorrow was going to be a long day so best to get some sleep.
Numa watched him for a second before closing his eyes.
Morning came quietly.
Ningning woke expecting pain.
She had gone to sleep on what was essentially stone and animal hide, with no mattress, no padding, nothing that resembled comfort by modern standards.
Her mind braced itself for the familiar ache of stiff joints and sore muscles.
But when she stirred, what she felt instead was... warmth.
A steady, enveloping warmth that held her close.
She blinked, momentarily confused, then looked down.
Weijie was wrapped around her.
Not tightly enough to trap her, but close, protective, his coils forming a natural barrier between her body and the cold ground beneath.
His breathing was slow and even, his face relaxed in sleep in a way she had never seen while he was awake.
Memory surfaced.
The cold that had crept into her bones during the night.
The shivering she couldn’t stop.
The sudden warmth that followed, deep and soothing, pulling her back into sleep.
So that was it.
Her lips curved into a soft smile.
She leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of his head, careful not to wake him.
"Thank you for keeping me warm," she whispered.
Weijie stirred slightly, his grip tightening for just a second before loosening again.
That was enough for Ningning to carefully pry herself free, inch by inch, until she could slip out of his coils without disturbing him further.
She stood, stretched slowly, and only then noticed how surprisingly fine her body felt.
"Huh." she muttered. "This snake heater really is premium."
She padded toward the stone table just as a familiar presence stirred in her mind.
[Good morning, Dumpling.]
Ningning paused mid-stretch. "...You’re cheerful."
[I always am. Especially when I have work for you.]
She sighed. "Of course you do."
[As you know, you were supposed to receive a task yesterday. I postponed it. New day, new energy.]
That did not reassure her.
[I have prepared three tasks for you. They are... relatively simple. And generous.]
Ningning narrowed her eyes. "Whenever you say that, something goes wrong."
[You will be given twenty-four hours per task. That is seventy-two hours total.]
She folded her arms. "Fine. Let’s hear them."
A translucent screen flickered into view.
[Task One: Locate and collect a specific herb.]
A name appeared beneath it.
Silvervein
Difficulty Level: 72%
"That doesn’t sound too bad," Ningning said cautiously.
[Task Two: Become acquainted with the women of the snake tribe. Priority focus on Weijie’s childhood friend, Una.]
Difficulty Level: 90%
Ningning blinked. "...Why is socializing harder than foraging?"
[Because social structures are more dangerous than wild plants.]
She opened her mouth to argue, then closed it again. Unfortunately, that made sense.
[Task Three: Locate Deimos.]
The name made her pause.
Who even was Deimos and why did she have to find him?
What use did he have to her?
[You will be placed in a constrained situation. This task will proceed through multiple-choice decisions. Your choices will determine the outcome.]
Difficulty Level: 101%
"...Excuse me?" Ningning stared at the number. "One hundred and one percent? How is that even a thing?"
[It exceeds normal difficulty parameters.]
"So why does it exist?"
[Because the situation itself does not follow normal parameters.]
Ningning rubbed her temples. "These tasks sound simple. Why are the difficulty levels insane?"
[Because failure does not come from effort alone. It comes from consequence.]
That answer made her uneasy.
She exhaled slowly and summoned the world book, flipping directly to the first task. The herb’s description appeared almost instantly.
Her eyes widened.
"...You’ve got to be kidding me."
The illustration showed a pale-stemmed plant with thin, translucent veins running through its leaves like threads of moonlight.
According to the description, it only grew in damp lowlands or near underground springs, places where moisture lingered year-round and sunlight barely touched the soil.
Definitely not high mountain terrain.
Definitely not anywhere near the snake tribe.
She slowly lifted her head. "This herb doesn’t grow here. How the heck am I supposed to find it."
[Correct.] Doudou stated then continued [The silvervein is very crucial to the mating season. You should read the entire description, you’ll understand..]
Ningning sighed and looked at the book again.
Once used by ancient tribes to stabilize mating cycles, nourish females during pregnancy, and cleanse corrupted qi from the land.
Considered extinct in most mountain regions.
Her grip tightened on the book.
"...Extinct.." she echoed.
[Officially and that’s why the task difficulty level is 72%.]
Ningning let out a short, humorless laugh. "Hah. Aren’t you being unreasonable? Without a map how am I supposed to search for the herb in under 24 hours? Since it would require me to leave the settlement then I’d like the task duration to be extended. It’s too unfair.."
[...]
Doudou paused for a short second, Ningning kept the book back while she waited for Doudou to reply.
[Very well. 8 hours will be taken from the time duration of your second and third tasks. Meaning you’ll be left with 16 hours for your second and third tasks and you’ll have 40 hours for your first task. How does that sound? Don’t tell me you’re too dumb to understand simple mathematics.]