16. Main Quest

Lin Shuangshuang pointed toward the high-rise building not far away. That was a clothing mall, filled with all kinds of apparel—both in-season and out-of-season—definitely worth a sweep.

Li Xiaoxiao nodded and led the two women toward the clothing mall, collecting every truck they passed along the way into her spatial dimension. Most of these trucks were fully loaded, and it would be a waste not to take them. Besides, vehicles were always useful.

The clothing mall was deserted, save for a few stray zombies. Lin Qiu and Lin Shuangshuang focused on gathering dark-colored casual wear, while Li Xiaoxiao took everything in sight. Her spatial dimension automatically sorted the items, saving her the trouble of organizing them herself.

The building stood five stories tall. She had initially planned to go up alone while her mother and Lin Shuangshuang waited below, but reconsidered—if they encountered any unexpected danger, the two might not be able to handle it. She decided to bring them along after all. Fortunately, Li Xiaoxiao was fast; it took only about half an hour to clear all five floors.

The three did not rush to leave, as the precious baby needed to be fed. After the chaotic flurry of tending to the infant and grabbing a quick bite to eat, they finally set off together.

They followed the street until they reached an auto mall, situated right next to a gas station.

"Host, Host, the main quest has arrived."

Just as Li Xiaoxiao was about to enter the auto mall, the system suddenly sprang to life.

'A main quest? You're a child-rearing system; isn't the main quest supposed to be raising a child?'

"That's correct, but the main quest is right here at the neighboring gas station: rescue a six-year-old boy."

It was finally here. Li Xiaoxiao knew the child-rearing system wouldn't make earning rewards that easy. As expected, it wasn't just about raising her own child.

'System, what happens if I don't complete the main quest? Will you delete me?'

"Yes, Host. Failure to complete a main quest results in erasure. This is mandated by the main system; I cannot change it."

'Fine. I accept.'

"Ding! Target locked. Xu Zixuan, male, six years old. His mother was pushed into a horde of zombies by relatives to protect him. After his mother's death, he was abandoned in the gas station's storage room, where he starved to death. In his previous life, he mutated into a sentient zombie with his memories intact. To avenge his mother, he led a horde to slaughter the Liaocheng shelter."

So, the Liaocheng shelter had been wiped out by this little one in the previous life. Li Xiaoxiao turned and headed straight for the gas station.

To her surprise, thirty-some zombies were standing in perfect formation outside the station. They stood as still and disciplined as soldiers awaiting orders.

'He hasn't already turned into a zombie, has he?'

"Rest assured, he hasn't. He is currently awakening his ability: Corpse Control."

'You've got to be kidding. He can control thirty-some zombies just after awakening?'

'No, he can only control one. See that one at the very front? That is his mother. Those who mutate into zombies out of pure obsession often evolve into special variants.'

"Host, the boy is reaching his limit. You have ten minutes. Countdown starting."

What? There was a time limit! Li Xiaoxiao cursed inwardly.

Following the system’s guidance, she spotted the unique zombie at the head of the group. Its skin was completely ravaged, covered in bite marks and lacerations that spoke of the horrific violence it endured before death.

Lin Qiu and Lin Shuangshuang followed behind, confused, and were startled when they saw the zombies ahead. They were now capable of handling two or three zombies by working together, but thirty-some at once was a daunting prospect. They exchanged anxious glances, feeling a sense of helplessness. Although they knew Li Xiaoxiao could likely handle it alone, they hated feeling like dead weight. They weren't strong enough yet!

'Has it evolved already?' Li Xiaoxiao didn't have time to worry about their thoughts. A countdown appeared before her eyes; if she didn't rescue the boy within ten minutes, she would fail the mission and lose her life as well. No, she couldn't die—if she died, her daughter and mother wouldn't survive. She couldn't afford to die!

Li Xiaoxiao shifted her position, found the right angle, and threw her boomerang. "Swish, swish, swish!" The zombies were lined up perfectly, making them easy targets; one sweep of the boomerang took off several heads.

"Not yet. It's on the verge of evolution; it needs a catalyst."

The commotion of Li Xiaoxiao killing the zombies drew the attention of the others. The zombies turned in unison and surrounded her. She stopped Lin Qiu and Lin Shuangshuang from interfering, signaling them to hide; she would handle this herself.

Drawing the dual blades from her waist, Li Xiaoxiao charged into the fray. With both hands working in tandem, she slashed at their heads. Fortunately, her strength was high and her blades were sharp; she cut through them like cabbage. A thin vine sprouted from the ground, wrapping around one zombie’s leg and tripping it. Li Xiaoxiao was slightly disappointed—the mutation seed had only produced this? What could such a thin vine do?

The vine seemed to sense her disdain; it writhed, elongated, and crawled onto the head of the fallen zombie, its tip piercing the skull and churning violently. Li Xiaoxiao raised an eyebrow; it was actually useful. Sensing her approval, the little vine wriggled even more enthusiastically. It retracted from the skull and attacked another, and Li Xiaoxiao noticed it had grown slightly thicker.

Li Xiaoxiao didn't stop, and soon, all thirty-some zombies were dead.

Wait—there was one left. The female zombie, the boy's mother. It remained standing, head unmoving. Even though its eyes were dead and sightless, it stood facing the gas station, a mother driven by pure obsession.

Li Xiaoxiao didn't intend to kill it, but as she walked past it, the female zombie moved. It was incredibly fast, lunging at her in the blink of an eye. Li Xiaoxiao prepared to strike, but the zombie stopped short. It remained facing the gas station, blocking her path with its back turned to her. It turned its head and snarled at her, a clear threat.

'It doesn't want me to pass?'

"Yes, Host."

The countdown continued—only six minutes remained. She was a tragic figure, and Li Xiaoxiao didn't want to hurt her. She would have to restrain her instead. She channeled her wood-element energy into the vine, which had grown noticeably thicker, and commanded it to bind the female zombie.

Li Xiaoxiao stepped over the writhing mass of the female zombie and headed inside.

"Hrrgh... hrrgh!"

The female zombie let out a low, guttural roar and struggled harder, causing fine cracks to appear in the thinner parts of the vine.

'Waaaah, Master, it hurts! Can Little Vine eat it?'

After growing thicker, the vine had established a mental connection with Li Xiaoxiao, allowing them to communicate.

'No. You can eat the others, but not this one.'

'Waaaah...' Little Vine whined.

'Shut up. Keep it bound and don't let it go.'

When Li Xiaoxiao found the boy, the little one was curled up inside a cardboard box, shivering with fever—he was in the middle of awakening his ability. There was a zombie bite on his arm. She raised her hand and released her healing energy; the wound on his arm closed at a visible rate until it was as good as new.

"Mommy..."