No matter whether it is a real bed or a virtual one, sleeping in it is always incredibly comfortable, and it had been a long time since Number 0 had slept so soundly. She slept until the break of dawn.
She felt an itch beside her ear. Thinking it was her sister Maggie climbing onto her bed again, Number 0 murmured and turned over.
The itching did not go away, followed by the sound of a child's sobs.
"Number 0," the little girl's voice was full of anxiety, it wasn't her sister Maggie, but NPC Maggie.
Number 0 turned over, completely awake, she had almost forgotten that she was currently in "Military Road." She only had a little over fifty days left, she must become a Private First Class within the limited time. She currently had only 70 military merit points, still 930 points away from the 1000 points required for a Private First Class.
"I don't know what to do, Little Bosha has developed many red spots, just like the other children, a lot of red spots." NPC Maggie said, completely tied up, and very different from her previously sharp self. Bosha was the little boy, NPC Maggie's brother. All last night, NPC Maggie was worried about their mother in the Government Army, and in the late night, Little Bosha cried from his bed, when she got up and checked, she saw his arms and abdomen were covered in many red spots.
"Do you have a hospital here? Or an emergency treatment center?" Number 0 asked, NPC Maggie shook her head weakly, "Only the Government Army camp has a medical center with complete medical facilities."
"How far is it from here to the Government Army camp?" NPC Maggie gave a number, Number 0 calculated the procedure between both places, it should be possible to send Bosha there by an adult's walking speed.
"We cannot seek the help of the Government Army, Colonel Washington will not allow us to go there, let's wait for mom to come back and deal with it, Bosha's symptoms are not severe yet," NPC Maggie conflict, ultimately rejecting Number 0's suggestion.
Waiting for NPC Maggie's mother to come back seemed especially long, NPC Maggie prepared breakfast during this period. From the lumpy oatmeal porridge and burnt toast, it was evident she was in a great hurry.
Until the moonlight clock pointed to eight o'clock, the day had completely brightened, the normal working hours had arrived, but NPC Maggie's mother still hadn't come back.
NPC Maggie, while washing dishes, had already accidentally broken three bowls.
Every day at eight thirty, Colonel Washington would send Patrol Soldiers to pick her up for reconnaissance practice, and the fact that her mother hadn't gone to work as usual would soon be discovered. Lies, after all, get exposed.
"Maggie, tell me, what is your mother doing in the Government Army camp?" Number 0 didn't know what NPC Maggie's mother intended to do at the risk of being shot by Colonel Washington at the Government Army camp, but leaving two minors alone was irresponsible.
NPC Maggie lowered her head, and it took a long while before she said, "Last night, mom secretly told me that the Government Army proposed a 'Reconciliation Plan,' claiming from humanitarian considerations, it can provide food and medicine unconditionally to the women and children at the rebel army camp. Colonel Washington doesn't trust the Government Army, she refused the supplies sent by the Government Army. Mom said she wants to negotiate with the Government Army, insisting the camp at least … assures food and medicine for children. Before Bosha, several children in the camp had suffered from similar symptoms, mom wanted to collaborate with the medical staff of the government to thoroughly investigate the causes."
It seems her negotiation didn't work, or perhaps something happened to her on the way to the Government Army camp. Number 0 found it hard to imagine, through the Dinosaur Forest where even soldiers could not pass safely, how NPC Maggie's mother could have made it alone.
Perhaps noticing the doubt in No.0's eyes, NPC Maggie murmured, "Mom knows a secret passage that leads to the Government Army's camp. That area is very safe, with no aggressive creatures."
The clock on the wall had already jumped to a quarter past eight. "Maggie, tell me where that passage is," No.0 emphasized.
NPC Maggie subconsciously wanted to refuse, her first instinct being that No.0 wanted to take this opportunity to return to the camp.
"I swear in the name of a Christian, I will come back with your mother," No.0 said, pointing to a crucifix displayed in Maggie's house.
NPC Maggie hesitated, taking another glance at the crucifix. Returning to the Prehistoric Society meant abandoning the past, and among the few things not abandoned, faith was precisely one of them.
"No.0, you must bring mom back," NPC Maggie seriously stated, imploring hard just before No.0 was about to leave. Just as No.0 was about to agree to her request, Little Eight asked, "Do you accept 'Maggie's Plea'? This mission is not a system mission, it belongs to friendship missions, with a military merit reward of 0."
No.0, who was leading NPC Maggie forward, stumbled, military merits zero?
"No.0, I have repeatedly emphasized to you, to flee from the rebel army camp. You didn't heed the advice and have been wasting time. Your friendship mission is to rescue Maggie's mother and help her escape our camp. There's no deduction in military merits, which was a result of repeated negotiations between me and the system," Little Eight took the opportunity to express her dissatisfaction. No.0, always too late to realize, only indulged in thankless tasks.
It turns out in the Military Road system, there are four types of missions. The first is called main missions, which are the player's main battlefield missions; the second type is side missions, which No.0 was temporarily unable to access due to leaving the main battlefield. The third type is space missions, upon completion of which players can successfully exit the space. The fourth type, which appears randomly in space and main battlefield, is called friendship missions. These tasks automatically appear when the player and NPC form certain emotional ties, the player can choose to undertake them or not, gaining no extra military merits, but possibly unexpected rewards.
No.0 had no choice but to agree. Following NPC Maggie's guidance, they headed toward a secluded jungle.
This jungle, located on the outskirts of Dinosaur Forest, had little animal activity along the way, and even fewer plants. No.0 walked for about two hours and still hadn't seen any buildings that looked like encampments.
After pushing through a few more obstructing branches, the roar of a car engine startled No.0, who instinctively wanted to hide, only to realize that the other party had already noticed their presence: "Who's there? Stop."
The question was asked in a military tone, No.0 recalled the scene of the Patrol Army reporting to Colonel Washington last night, hastily mimicked the tone, replying, "Reporting, Colonel, I am Private 0, got lost while patrolling nearby."
As soon as the words were out, No.0 wanted to slap herself; how could she carelessly announce a Colonel without even seeing who it was, wasn't that suspicious?
The wheels of the vehicle stopped moving, and several swift figures jumped down from an open-top off-road vehicle.
A very mocking male voice answered, "Farmer Soldier No.0, welcome back to the squad."