CH 4

In the silent mountains and forests, the sound of Hao Jian’s footsteps echoed in the desolate woodland along with the spanning sounds of dead branches being stepped on.

“The Doomsday Survival System is a system that provides a certain survival convenience for the host when the apocalypse comes. For the sake of individuality, first, the system cannot interfere with the host’s way of thinking and behavior, second, the system cannot interfere with the outside world. It can only be used by the host in the form of transactions and use the host as a medium. This mutual relationship is built in order to achieve sustainable development of the system.”

The voice of system version2018 kept echoing in Hao Jian’s mind. She did not reply but listened quietly. But upon hearing the last sentence, she couldn’t help herself and open her mouth.

“Sustainable development? Does your system have that kind of strategy?”

“The world has adopted numerous documents and strategies revolving around sustainable development. Naturally, the system cannot fall behind.”

Hao Jian nodded clearly, “By form of transaction, you mean the ‘open survival mission and level up’ thing you mentioned earlier? That is, you give me some task and I complete said task and I get a reward? And this reward, its convenient that it will allow me to survive in this apocalypse?”

“The host is so smart and this system is very pleased. How about it, are you ready host?”

Hao Jian struck the shovel in the mud, took a break and said, “You have forcefully bound me, what else do you want me to do?”

The system seemed to compromise and replied, “Although the system is bound to the host, it can’t forcibly start the survival mission. Only the host can start the said survival mission and complete its assigned tasks.”

“Designated tasks that are locked right? And the only way to unlock them is to complete the mission and finish each task in a certain order.”

“Affirmative.”

Hao Jian pondered for a moment before continuing to head up the mountain. After a short while, she placed her mountain bag in front of her. She came to her mother’s grave like she always does and looked around before sitting down on the side after making sure that there was no danger.

She had cleaned her mother’s grave a few days ago. The tombstone still had paper money on it that would slightly break free from the stones that held them in place whenever the wind blew, attempting to fly out.

In the hot summer, when wind blows in the mountains, they’re supposed to be refreshing but Hao Jian smelled a stench faintly. She frowned upon smelling the faint stench and picked up a broken plank of 30 centimeters long and 10 centimeters wide she found nearby. She then slowly engraved words on it.

“The host is going to set up a monument for herself so soon?” The system’s words made Hao Jian doubt on whether it was speaking its virtual mind or just interpreting a bunch of data.

“The programmer who developed you must really have a bad mouth.” Hao Jian responded as she rolled her eyes. “I’m setting up a monument for my mother so that she won’t be forgotten in the future. And if I can come back in the future, I won’t forget that my mother was where my mother was buried.

Although she’s not sure whether she’ll be able to survive the apocalypse or not, she knew it didn’t matter if she can find her way back to her mother when she’s dead. And even if the simple monument was discovered, no one would know who her mother is. Her mother wasn’t a great person and no one would remember her for it. The monument was erected in vain, but she just wanted to do something for her mother in the end.

“The system strongly recommends that the host complete the specified tasks, turn on the survival system and upgrade the host’s level!” The system’s voice rang once again.

Hao Jian kept working on the monument, but she noticed the slight difference in the system’s words from its usual reminders. She squinted her eyes, “You changed your wording. Does that mean that the deadline of the designated task I’m suppose to complete is close?”

If the system was a person, it would probably answer ‘yes’ happily, but it only replied in its usual mechanical voice, “The host is so smart, this system is very pleased.”

“What’s the designated task?” Hao Jian had to admit that she was a little curious, but that didn’t mean that she’ll admit or accept it.

“Binding your soul mate.”

Hao Jian almost choked to death with her own saliva, “Bind what?”

The system suddenly realized that Hao Jian asked on purpose. After she knew what the assigned task was, she would develop some resistance that would not be conducive to her when deciding to open the survival task, so the system simply stopped answering.

“Did your system have any indescribable transactions with Theros1, or know where soul mates are?” As a professional gamer, Hao Jian naturally knows what ‘soul mates’ are.

“What is Theros? The system has no information on ‘Theros'” The system replied.

This time, it was Hao Jian’s turn to be silent. She didn’t know what the system’s purpose was. After carving the tombstone, she dug a pit in front of the grave and buried the tombstone halfway. While she was tapping the soil to secure the tombstone. the head of the shovel suddenly broke.

“. . .” Hao Jian looked at the decayed wood and the shovel head lying on the ground, reluctant to re-attach them. Since she has no nails, she knew the shovel will soon separate from its body again.

Throwing away the shovel, Hao Jian paid respects to her mother again before heading back down the mountain. The road she took wasn’t the one she used when she hiked up, but a mountain road on the other side with less vegetation and some serious soil erosion.

It was impossible for her to go back to the village. There were already infected neighbors that turned to zombies. and it wasn’t clear if there has been other people who have been infected. It will only be more dangerous for her to go back, especially without weapons. And there is an abandoned factory building down to the southwest, Hao Jian could try her luck to see if there was any suitable weapons for her to use.

The abandoned factory had an aqueduct that the government built for workers to live in. Later, after its construction was complete, the economy boomed that caused the rapid development in the mountains. The successive factories being built piled up debris that caused severe soil erosion. Because of this, a natural disaster occurred and destroyed the aqueduct. The excavation on the mountain disappeared and the factory was eventually abandoned.

However, Hao Jian hadn’t been there for many years and she didn’t know if the plant still existed.

The southwest side of the mountain had been dug a bit and the original natural curvature of the mountain had turned into a steep and rugged cliff. Even though it’s steep, it wasn’t a high-hanging cliff but had stones and sand where one can easily slip and injure themselves.

Hao Jian wouldn’t usually use this road but when she was walking along the cliff to the gentle mountain road, she spotted a figure on a small road more than two meters wide below.

From a distance, Hao Jian could only see that the person was wearing a yellow sun protection suit, a pair of sports pants and athletic shoes. Only when she was closer did she realize that the person had a slender figure of a girl. Her long black hair was tied into a bun, and she was carrying a travel backpack on her back.

She looked like she was in a hurry. Her balance was unstable and she had to support herself using the wall from time to time, like she had lost her strength but she needed to continue running. Unfortunately, she looked like she had expended all of her energy at that point. She looked back one last time before collapsing on the ground to rest.

Hao Jian looked at her in confusion but said nothing. The system couldn’t help it anymore and quickly reminded her, “Congratulations host! Your soul mate Lian Ru Ning has appeared! Please complete the task of binding your love as soon as possible.”

Hao Jian staggered and almost slipped from where she was at. Fortunately, she quickly held on to a tree beside her. Her eyes stared on her trembling hands and her voice carried a bit of sharpness, “Female?!”

The system pondered for a moment before promptly responding, “There is no distinction between men and women in love, and Lian Ru Ning is the best match for the host based on the host’s information.”

“What do you mean?”

“Although the host doubts our doomsday survival system, the system is still very humane. Considering the host’s situation, for the host to experience better convenience and help complete the task, the system will choose the most suitable person to be the host’s partner.”

“Hao Jian calmed herself down and criticized, “In ancient times, parents order matchmakers to arrange their children and both families had to agree. Now, where one is free to love who they want and marry who they want, you decide unilaterally without asking me. Is asking for my opinion too much?”

The system dropped its overbearing president act and changed its words “Taking into account the host’s unpredictable mood swings, the system can provide the opportunity to change the selected partner into a male.”

“This is not a problem of whether they’re a man or a woman at all, but-” Hao Jian paused, “Did I fall into your trap? I had no intention to start any survival mission so naturally, I won’t be able to complete this so-called bondage. The task of making love, it doesn’t matter who it is isn’t it?”

“Binding your love2 won’t force you to marry.” The system grumbled.

Hao Jian wasn’t really listening but she was already curious on what the system said. According to the system, the criteria wasn’t based on talent but those who matched the conditions, and only the girl was the best fit for Hao Jian.

She knew what was happening to her and she couldn’t help but mumble, “Is it possible that the system can also analyze sexual orientation?”

Considering that even her thoughts can be interpreted and analyzed by the system, it wouldn’t be impossible for the system to figure out her sexual orientation from it. It’s just that, it wasn’t bound to Lian Ru Ning, so how does the system know that Lian Ru Ning is available or anyone for that matter.

It’s no wonder Hao Jian thinks this way. She spends most of her time playing games, and when something abnormal like the system appears in her body, she could more or less relate her situation about games. Naturally, professional gamers are the best not because of what they see, but because they are good at discovering and analyzing hidden pieces of the game. Whether it’s a bug or a hidden plot, it is a sign of taking the game seriously.

The appearance of the system is too strange and there are too many unknown points, Hao Jian still couldn’t dare to go too aggressively.

Despite knowing Hao Jian’s thoughts, the system did not interrupt this time.

Hao Jian stared at Lian Ru Ning for a long time and suddenly found another figure rushing towards her. The figure’s speed isn’t really fast but it was constant. Its route was too straight, causing a lot of doubts.

Lian Ru Ning seemed to have noticed that she hurriedly got up and continued to run forward, as if hiding from the figure. Hao Jian quickly realized that the one chasing Lian Ru Ning seemed to be a zombie who had lost its consciousness as a human being.

Thinking that zombies could still chase people so far, Hao Jian suddenly wondered if her zombie neighbors was already chasing her when she was resting. She looked around and found that there were no other zombies that made her slightly relieved.

Seeing Lian Ru Ning’s figure disappear before her eyes, she thought about what the system said. She was the ‘soul mate’ that the system matched for her. Although Hao Jian didn’t know the specific role of ‘soul mate’, she could still get to know the other party. Having reached a decision, she grabbed the stick that no longer held the shovel head and went to the direction of Lian Ru Ning.