Saving System: Calm Down, My Fleeing Host!

Chapter 372 - 364: Initiating the Instance Quest

The distance here and her Underground City is just a few thousand miles apart.

In the eyes of a cultivator, this distance means nothing at all.

"Host, what do you want?"

"Forget it, the tasks are more important."

After over a month of recuperation, the system tasks have urged several times, as outside, the situation becomes increasingly dire, with more people dying gradually from unbearable starvation and cold.

Although it’s not necessary to complete the monthly tasks now, the replica tasks are urgent, having changed from the initial yellow alert to a red warning. If she doesn’t act soon, punishment will follow.

Opening the virtual screen map, chaotic red dots flicker continuously in all corners of the map, some fast and some slow.

"Host, the red dots that flicker rapidly should be the most urgent ones currently."

"There are quite a few!" The rapidly flickering red dots, not to mention those at far distances, there are a dozen or so within Tianqi Country itself.

Fortunately, there’s the Healing Light; her severe injuries have healed after more than a month of recuperation.

This time, the rewards are quite ample; her Strength Value has directly increased to 558, sensitivity 100, Five Senses 100, considerably enhancing her overall abilities, comparable to a Ming Strength expert on this continent.

Entering this realm has significantly altered her aura and skills, giving her more confidence to travel the world.

Now that the catastrophe is severe, it’s time to earn more System Coins, as a city’s people are waiting for her to sustain them and enhance her combat power, only by pushing herself further.

"Let’s start rescuing from the nearest location!" Cheng Xiaoxiao points to Yanwu County, adjacent to Yuan Yang City.

"But, before we go, I need to visit home."

Having left for so long, her family must be worried sick; visiting them would ease their hearts and also check on the situation in the Underground City. She doesn’t know if any uncontrollable issues have arisen during her absence.

Zhou Yanlan’s injuries are too severe; he must stay in the Underground City for proper medical treatment, and the children need to be sent back to be cared for properly; they can’t remain in her space indefinitely.

Cheng Xiaoxiao returned to the Underground City without informing anyone, only sending a message for her second brother to pick them up.

She dared not leave people directly outside or put them directly into the Underground City, as the city now has many people and spies around. Such ability is safer the fewer people know.

Then, she gently placed the people onto the passageway leading to the Underground City.

She also got a stretcher for Zhou Yanlan, infused saline solution, administered antibiotics, and sprinkled specially made Nine Stopping Powder on the wounds.

Overall, the temperature here is slightly better than outside, and with the Energy Bar heating energy, ordinary people can barely withstand it.

Cheng Hao rushed forward, quickly scanning his safely returned sister, breathing a big sigh of relief.

Before he could understand the situation’s ins and outs, he was entrusted with heavy responsibilities. Looking at the severely injured Zhou Yanlan and a group of helpless children, Cheng Hao couldn’t help but feel a headache.

Cheng Xiaoxiao briefly explained, exchanged messages between them, left some supplies, and then hurriedly departed.

By the time everyone received the news of Cheng Xiaoxiao’s return and arrived at the passageway, she was already gone.

There were only crying children and the injured unconscious Zhou Yanlan left behind, so everyone worked together to quickly arrange rescue and placement for the children.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to reunite with her family; the situation was urgent and couldn’t afford delay. Starting earlier meant saving more lives.

At this moment, Yanwu County was covered in vast white snow, with incidents of looting and bloodshed happening frequently in the city. Despite the severe cold, many aristocratic family experts were out looting resources, killing for coal, and robbing food, afterward hiding in expanded cellars, burning remaining resources, gnawing on unpalatable food, barely surviving.

Families with slightly poorer conditions mostly struggled at home, with beams and wooden objects that could be burned all dismantled completely.

The snowfall was bizarre, the temperature suddenly dropped inexplicably, leading to many people dying of cold and hunger at home, or perishing directly in their sleep.

The survival rate for the common folk was even less than one in ten.

Thirty miles outside the city is Wolf Tooth Mountain; Wolf Tooth Mountain is rich in copper ore, with mining rights always held by the Prefectural Governor, making it an essential fiscal income for Yanwu County, most miners being villagers at the mountain’s foot.

The discovery of copper ore created a sensation back then, boosting the economy of several nearby villages around Wolf Tooth Mountain.

Though mining carried high risks, with frequent injuries or fatalities, the wages offered by the court were much better than farming, and with families having multiple siblings, the high-risk came with high rewards, attracting many miners continuously.

Over the decades, village life gradually improved, moving from subsisting on wild vegetables during lean times to having food surplus and building green brick tile houses, experiencing community harmony, brotherly love, and gradually finding hope for life, only for a natural disaster to wipe it all away.

Most elderly people over fifty did not survive, and over half of the children under three were dead. Now, people from the villages have collectively hidden in several underground mines, preserving most lives.

However, as resources dwindle, and dwindling wood to burn, various conflicts gradually surface, escalating more violently.

No mine is peaceful, and each family’s remaining food and water are nearly exhausted.

"Third Uncle, it’s not that we’re heartless towards little sister, but seeing her condition, it’s unlikely she can live for many more days; why waste food?" said a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth leisurely.

Turning to look at a long-faced elderly woman, "Grandmother, wouldn’t you agree? Our family has little food left now."

The elderly woman naturally disliked the third household, found the eldest grandson’s words reasonable; considering they wouldn’t survive, why waste food.

"Old Third, Darlang is right; Ugly Duckling seems to have only a few days left, better to..."

Before the elderly woman finished speaking, the youth called Old Third, with a simple and honest face, showed a sorrowful and unwilling expression, shouting loudly, "No way, Ma, Ugly Duckling is your legit granddaughter, how can you abandon her, you are all her relatives!"

The young man’s helpless gaze swept over the people from the first, second, and fourth houses, none stood to plead, all coldly indifferent.

Great, this is his filial mother and a bunch of beloved siblings; they are forcing Ugly Duckling to death!

"Third Brother, you can’t blame the elder brother for being heartless; there’s scant food left, holding out a few more days might mean everyone starves to death under this mine; death sooner or later, makes no difference."

The woman holding Ugly Duckling was sobbing softly, lifted her head, swollen eyes filled with tears, spoke with a hoarse voice, "Elder brother, I’ll give Ugly Duckling my share of food, I won’t eat."

"But that’s not possible; you’re already weak, further deprivation can’t be endured." The young man felt immense guilt, it was due to his ineffectiveness.

"I, I can hold out." The woman’s hand instinctively touched her abdomen, a speculation she kept to herself, knowing or confirming it mattered little now.