Chen Du and Xie Li returned to the villa district. Beneath the gaze of numerous eyes—some openly watching, others secretly observing—the Fortress Wall gradually opened its electric gate.
The two calmly drove through. Despite Chen Du's earlier bloody tactics having intimidated many, with those who harbored ill intentions now strung up as corpses on the public flower beds in the villa district, it did nothing to diminish some survivors' lingering lust for Chen Du's supplies and the Fortress Wall.
A survivor drew the curtains shut, withdrawing his prying gaze from Chen Du, and sighed, "I still can't figure out where 1945 gets all these supplies from—hell, he even has electricity."
His teammate could only offer consolation: "Be grateful. At least we have a place to rest." The prying survivor muttered under his breath, "Damn it, one day when I gather enough battle supplies, I'll storm right into 1945's base!"
The teammate laughed mockingly, "If you're so eager, why don't you go? Haven't you had your fill of staring at bodies strung up on the park flower beds? Want to hang there yourself? Stop dreaming about nonsense. Tomorrow, when we go scavenging, focus on killing more zombies."
The survivor teased by his teammate wasn't angry; instead, he scratched his head and said, "Damn it, I know full well that 1945's stash is bottomless. Provoking him would be suicide…"
Chen Du parked the car in the garage and lowered the electric shutter. As Xie Li walked alongside him, she counted off on her fingers, "Chen Du, we got quite a haul this time—several boxes of bread, plus towels, clothes… Hmm, Chen Du? Where'd you go?" While Xie Li was talking to herself, tallying their spoils, she turned to look at Chen Du, only to realize he was no longer beside her. The area around her was empty.
Suddenly, Xie Li felt a slap on her rear end. She spun around but saw no one there. Then, her cheek was pinched. "A—a ghost?" Startled, Xie Li immediately pulled out her crossbow and held it close to her chest, glancing around nervously at the empty air.
"Haha, scared you, didn't I?" Chen Du suddenly materialized in front of her. Only then did Xie Li realize it had all been Chen Du's prank. But how had he done it? "You scared me again! Aren't you afraid I might shoot you with an arrow? And what just happened? Did you gain some new ability or something? You don't understand—when you suddenly appeared, you nearly gave me a heart attack…" Xie Li bombarded him with questions.
Chen Du patted Xie Li's head, feigning a pitiful expression. "I just wanted to surprise you, but I didn't mean to scare you. Ah, this hurts my feelings…" Seeing Chen Du's seemingly aggrieved face, Xie Li softened. "Chen Du, that's not what I meant—I was just really startled, not blaming you…"
Chen Du didn't respond but pointed to his cheek. Hesitantly yet affectionately, Xie Li tiptoed and planted a kiss on his cheek. Satisfied, Chen Du nodded. "Hmm, now that's better. I forgive you."
Xie Li froze. Wait a minute—wasn't she the one who'd been frightened by Chen Du? Why was she apologizing? Realizing Chen Du had tricked her into conceding, Xie Li flushed with embarrassment and frustration. "Ugh, you jerk! You tricked me again! I'm ignoring you!!" Chen Du burst into laughter and pulled her into a hug.
The two sat down on the living room sofa. Smiling at the sulking Xie Li, Chen Du teased, "Who told you to fall for my tricks so easily? Admit it—you're such a gullible little dolt, aren't you?"
Blushing furiously, Xie Li reached out to pinch Chen Du's thigh—but found it unyielding. "Huh?" she murmured, puzzled. Previously, even though Chen Du had low body fat, his muscles hadn't been this taut and firm. It wasn't the firmness of muscle but rather the resilience of his skin's surface.
"Noticed something?" Chen Du chuckled. Being a doctor, Xie Li quickly identified the change. The elasticity of Chen Du's skin remained intact, but it felt as if an invisible protective film now coated his entire body. Intrigued, she asked, "Is this the physical augmentation granted after reaching level ten?"
Chen Du shrugged. He wasn't sure either. The system had merely hinted that reaching level ten would bring bodily enhancements, but the specifics were left vague. "For now, I feel like my defense capabilities have drastically improved," Chen Du explained. He pulled out a dagger and ran it across his arm. It left only a faint red mark; the skin didn't break.
Xie Li gasped at Chen Du's self-inflicted test. She grabbed his arm and inspected it closely, relieved to find no injury. Amazed, she exclaimed, "You didn't get hurt at all! This is incredible!"
Chen Du put the dagger away. "Unless I apply significant force, a blade won't cut my skin. But in combat, enemies will aim to kill, so injuries are still possible. Still, being able to mitigate damage like this is pretty useful." With that, Chen Du vanished before Xie Li's eyes—but she could still feel his hand in hers. A moment later, he reappeared.
"This is the second change I've discovered," Chen Du announced.
"This whole invisibility thing—it's so beyond science!" Xie Li marveled, laughing at her own words. Waking up to find herself in a post-apocalyptic world filled with zombies and game-like interfaces already defied logic. Yet here she was, marveling at invisibility as 'unscientific.' It was almost laughably redundant.
Chen Du grinned. "Seems like a skill. No restrictions that I've noticed—I can use it whenever I want. This is a godsend for stealth missions. Imagine sneaking behind enemy lines and setting off a massive explosion!" Xie Li covered her mouth, giggling at the image. Then she asked, "Does this invisibility have any drawbacks? And what about your stats—have they changed much?"
Chen Du opened his personal information panel. "Not significantly, but they feel sufficient. They're basically the peak limits for ordinary humans, right?"
ID 1945:
Level: 10 (0/1000)
Strength: 20
Agility: 20
Stamina: High
Skill: Concealment
Xie Li studied Chen Du's data and pondered for a moment. "I think the system intentionally capped the stats at twenty. Once everyone's levels increase, it ensures no one gets eliminated purely due to physical fitness issues, forcing us to rely more on resources to handle zombies and other dangerous survivors. Of course, it's also possible these stats will serve another purpose later on. In the end, it's all up to the system."