The word “hero” made both Gu Han and Lu Xiao freeze for a moment.
Gu Han hadn’t expected her to use such a… straightforward word to describe them. His ears flushed slightly, but he quickly masked it with his usual icy expression.
Lu Xiao, on the other hand, grinned broadly, clearly enjoying the compliment immensely.
“Of course!” he said proudly, tilting his chin. “Do you even know who you’re talking to?”
Jiang Lingyue couldn’t help but chuckle at their completely different reactions.
She didn’t have time to care about their little egos right now; all her attention was captured by the enormous S-class crystal core before her.
This was an S-class crystal core!
The energy within it was overwhelmingly vast terrifyingly powerful.
“System, can this… be stored in my account?” she asked excitedly in her mind.
S-class fire-attribute crystal core detected. Energy too immense to store directly in a basic account. Recommended: use it to complete the current hotel upgrade mission.
“Use it for the upgrade mission?” Jiang Lingyue blinked. “How?”
Please merge the “Seed of Life” mission scroll with the S-class crystal core.
Ah, that made sense.
Without hesitation, Jiang Lingyue retrieved the ancient scroll labeled “Seed of Life” from her system backpack.
Then, in front of Gu Han and Lu Xiao’s astonished eyes, she gently pressed the scroll against the massive S-class crystal core.
The next moment, a miraculous scene unfolded.
The scroll and crystal core simultaneously emitted blinding light.
The violent fire energy of the S-class core, as if seeking release, surged crazily into the scroll.
The ancient scroll absorbed it like a sponge, taking in every bit of energy.
Soon, the light faded.
The S-class crystal core had vanished, replaced by a fist-sized seed, glowing emerald green, radiating vibrant life.
Golden veins ran across its surface, giving it a sacred, extraordinary appearance.
“This… is the Seed of Life?”
Jiang Lingyue carefully cupped the seed, clearly feeling a warm, pure life force flowing within.
Gu Han and Lu Xiao also leaned closer, curious. They too could sense the seed’s extraordinary nature.
“Let’s go to the rooftop!”
Jiang Lingyue couldn’t wait any longer.
She led the two of them to the hotel’s rooftop for the first time via the elevator.
The rooftop, originally an open-air bar, had been transformed by the system into a massive glass greenhouse.
At the center of the greenhouse lay a neatly arranged plot of black soil roughly half the size of a football field.
Beside it was a sophisticated, fully automated irrigation and lighting system.
Seed of Life detected. Please plant it in the central soil of the farm.
Following the system’s instructions, Jiang Lingyue dug a small hole at the center of the black soil, carefully placed the Seed of Life inside, and covered it.
After completing this, the three of them stood at the edge of the plot, staring wide-eyed.
“That’s it…?” Lu Xiao scratched his head, a bit disappointed. “I thought there’d be some earth-shattering change.”
No sooner had he spoken than.
“Buzz ”
The entire glass greenhouse trembled slightly.
The black soil beneath their feet began to glow with a soft green light.
The buried Seed of Life, like a heartbeat, began to pulse rhythmically.
Each pulse sent ripples of green life energy outward.
The soil touched by this energy visibly grew more fertile and full of vitality.
Then something even more miraculous happened.
A tender green sprout broke through the soil!
It grew as if on fast-forward, rapidly stretching stems, leaves, flowering, and bearing fruit…
The whole process took just a few minutes.
A small, tree-like plant, about half a meter tall, appeared before the three of them.
Its branches were emerald, its leaves golden, and it bore a dozen or so multicolored, gem-like fruits.
Red like apples, yellow like lemons, purple like grapes…
An indescribably fresh fruity aroma filled the greenhouse instantly.
Just inhaling it lifted the spirit, dissipating much of the fatigue from their earlier battle.
“I… I… holy ”
Lu Xiao was too stunned to speak, completely in awe of this divine plant.
Even Gu Han’s usually stoic face showed unprecedented shock.
Jiang Lingyue, meanwhile, was so excited she almost jumped for joy.
Hotel farm successfully activated!
Mission “Fields of Hope” completed.
Congratulations, host: System store Seed Section unlocked. Farm gift pack delivered to system backpack.
Eagerly, Jiang Lingyue opened the system store.
Sure enough, the Seed Section was now active.
Inside, countless seeds, both familiar and strange, were displayed.
High-Yield Cabbage Seed: 0.1 D-class crystal core per pack.
Mutant-Resistant Potato Seed: 0.2 D-class crystal core per pack.
Energy Red Tomato Seed: 0.5 D-class crystal core per pack.
These seeds included both pre-apocalypse ordinary varieties and system-enhanced types with special effects.
For example, the Energy Red Tomato could restore a small amount of a user’s power when eaten.
A true godsend!
Jiang Lingyue then opened the Farm Gift Pack, containing dozens of common vegetable and fruit seeds large packs of each, enough to fill the entire plot.
Without hesitation, she scattered all the seeds into the magical black soil.
Then came the moment of witnessing a miracle.
The seeds immediately took root and sprouted, growing at an unnatural speed.
Rows of vibrant cabbages, plump cucumbers, bright red tomatoes…
In just half an hour, the previously empty land became a flourishing, fruit-laden vegetable garden!
The fresh scent of soil mixed with the sweetness of fruits and vegetables, forming an irresistible aroma of hope for any apocalypse survivor.
Gu Han and Lu Xiao, two top-tier S-class experts, now stood like children seeing the world for the first time, staring in awe at the garden.
They carefully touched the dew-covered cucumbers and plump tomatoes, feeling their ripeness.
Everything seemed almost unreal.
“Th… these… can actually be eaten?” Lu Xiao’s voice trembled.
“Of course.”
Jiang Lingyue smiled, plucked the largest, reddest tomato, wiped it on her clothes, and handed it to him.
“Try it?”
Lu Xiao hesitated for a moment, then accepted the glowing, fragrant tomato.
He bit cautiously.
“Snap.”
Juicy sweetness exploded in his mouth.
The tangy-sweet, sun-kissed flavor instantly overwhelmed his taste buds.
Delicious!
Absolutely amazing!
Lu Xiao’s eyes welled up.
He hadn’t tasted anything this fresh and natural in five years.
He couldn’t resist and quickly devoured the entire tomato, not wasting a single drop of juice.
Then he licked his fingers in satisfaction.
Jiang Lingyue picked a cucumber and handed it to Gu Han.
He silently took a bite.
“Crunch.”
The crisp sound echoed through the greenhouse.
Though his expression remained calm, his slightly gleaming eyes betrayed the stirrings of excitement inside.
Watching these two, overwhelmed by the simple pleasure of fresh food, Jiang Lingyue felt a deep sense of fulfillment and pride.
From this day forward, she was the only woman in the apocalypse capable of achieving true vegetable and fruit freedom!
Looking at this thriving farm, an even grander and bolder plan quietly began to take shape in her mind.