Everywhere it passed, changes appeared one after another.
Grasses and trees began growing from the ground, carpeting every inch of the floor with a verdant green shade.
Small flower buds appeared like dots blooming open, blossoming into flowers of various colors.
The residual stardust falling from the passing curtain of light formed butterflies, birds, and all kinds of small animals.
They flew in the air, hid behind the bushes and tree branches, and some tiny animals scampered on the ground, running to the tree trunks and standing on top of the branches while looking at the humans in the distance.
Alice saw various wooden houses materialize from golden dust, followed by courtyards, and moss-covered caves grew from the ground.
These buildings and shelters covered various zones in the rehabilitation hall.
Pebbled pathways appeared between the buildings and trees, winding across the ground.
Then low wooden fences appeared one after another like a domino in reverse, going around a large circle to envelop the rustic village inside it.
In one corner of the gym’s walls, a large boulder appeared, with a small spring cascading down from it.
Alice heard the sound of splashing water, suggesting that there must be a pond or small stream nearby.
When the curtains of shimmering light reached the bare walls of the underground gym, they began traveling upward until the entire ceiling was covered with a golden aurora.
The ceiling transformed into a clear blue sky, with fluffy white clouds slowly drifting overhead.
The blue sky was vast, and silhouettes of birds in flight appeared faintly above the clouds.
Beyond what had once been the bare white walls were grassy plains stretching as far as the eyes could see, with the grassy blades swinging in waves with the blowing wind.
A faint silhouette of mountains was visible in the far, far distance.
Alice’s mind went blank.
What was the desolate era like?
It was a stretch of bare dark earth, with scattered ruins and sand being swept up in the air.
There were small patches of gnarled woodlands and bushes here and there, but they housed mutated plants and ferocious animals that were also fighting for their survival.
The sky was scorching hot under the sun during the day, and at night, the clear night sky was filled with stars, along with freezing cold temperatures.
That was the desolate era, the era after the apocalypse.
Why did Alice forget that the world before the apocalypse was supposed to have such scenery?
No, I did not forget.
I simply cannot really imagine it, because I have never seen it.
Alice’s blue eyes were shining as they looked up at the sky in wonder.
Her small mouth parted open unconsciously, making her look a little silly.
So this is beauty.
This is the beautiful Earth, before it was destroyed.
The elegantly framed window popped up in Alice’s vision once again, accompanied by the soft and cool female voice.
[You are about to arrive at the Hero’s Starting Village.
This village will serve as your training ground.
Once you raise your level to that of an Adventurer Hero, you may embark on an adventure into the world beyond the village.]
[Training to become a Hero is no easy task, but persistence will be rewarded.
Please ensure that you complete all your daily quests in order to claim your rewards.]
[If you wish to identify unknown objects, simply call out ‘identify’ in your mind.]
[If you have more questions or requests, simply call out ‘system’ in your mind, and I shall respond.]
[May the heavens bless you on your adventures, young hero.]
Alice finally calmed down from her stupor.
She looked behind her.
The group who had been following her seemed to have disappeared into thin air.
Everything behind her was replaced by towering trees clustered closely together, lining a path leading to the depths of a lush forest.
Alice’s wheelchair also transformed.
Right now, she saw herself sitting on a broken carriage.
Ahead of her were the tall wooden walls of the village.
Everyone else had disappeared; only Alice remained.
Ding!
[First Quest]
[You have finally reached the outskirts of the Hero’s Starting Village.
However, a group of monsters has discovered your presence.
Your legs have been injured, making it difficult to move on your own.
Fortunately, the village guards have noticed you and are rushing to your aid.]
[Mission:
□ Accept assistance from the village guards.
□ Move toward the village gate without being carried.
□ Successfully enter the Hero’s Starting Village.]
[Rewards: Beginner’s Starter Pack, ✓ Wooden Crutches ×1 pair, ✓ Copper Coins ×10]
[Failure: The guards will carry you to safety, and the rewards will be reduced.]
Growl–
Roar–
Alice’s life in augmented reality began with a group of growling monsters suddenly appearing a few meters away, surrounding the little girl from behind.
In front of her, the thick wooden gates of the village entrance sprang open, and two men in leather armor ran towards her while holding weapons.
Alice was still surprised, but the battle reflexes had long been engraved in her mind.
She instinctively grabbed the sides of the carriage, pushed herself up, and instantly bolted forward—at least, that was the intention, but the little girl failed.
Alice ended up falling forward due to her weak legs.
Fortunately, the ground was padded with soft grass, so the little girl’s fall was not painful at all.
The next moment, Alice felt a pair of hands helping her sit up from the ground.
She looked up and saw that the pair of guards had already arrived by her side.
One guard was assisting Alice, while the other stood in front of the monsters to hold them off.
Seeing the utterly ugly movements of the person who looked immersed in fighting, Alice finally came to her senses. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
Her eyes twitched, and she looked away to avoid hurting her eyes.
This rehabilitation program was much more amazing than Alice had thought.
Like Dr.
Mark said, it indeed brought her so many surprises.
Never in her imagination did Alice realize that the peaceful world once possessed such amazing technology; it was simply fantastic!
She clearly knew that it was fake, yet…
Feeling the blood pumping in her veins, her heartbeat accelerating, and her senses becoming heightened, Alice could not clearly describe her feelings.
She gritted her teeth, forced herself up by gripping tightly around the guard’s arm, and began taking wobbly steps towards the gate.
It felt as if her legs were made of jelly.
Alice knew her legs had already healed.
Her body and brain were simply too unfamiliar with the action of walking.
What she was doing now was simply to re-establish the familiarity and stimulate the muscles, bones, and tendons.
In turn, the process would essentially spur the nanofluid back into action in order to heal the new microtears, strain, and inflammation in the muscles and tendons caused by her actions.
One…
Two—
The second step failed, and Alice’s legs almost tangled themselves, but she held onto the guard, took a deep breath again, and slowly moved her short legs forward one by one.
Alice knew that, in fact, she could not be said to be walking, because the guard was carefully dragging her along with every jelly-like step she took, but whatever—
She knew that it was only a matter of time before she could walk on her own two feet again!
The little girl’s eyes were lit up brightly, and her cheeks were flushed red.
The guard looked down at the little girl, feeling a little surprised in his heart.
The entire medical staff had actually anticipated what the child’s reaction would be, and they all agreed that it would most likely be shock and fear, and the little girl might even cry because of the monsters’ sudden appearance.
They initially worried that this was too much for a child, but they needed to find a compelling fuse that would force the child to move on her own, so in the end, they still decided to include it.
Unexpectedly, the little girl did not cry.
She did not even look afraid.
Look at those flushed cheeks and those burning eyes; the little girl was clearly more excited than the rest of them!
This was a much better result.
It showed that the child was very eager to start the rehabilitation game they painstakingly prepared.
Time passed, and the group moved slower than the speed of a turtle, which was quite torturous to watch for the others.
Alice’s tiny face was already dripping in sweat, and she could almost feel the steam coming out of her body.
She had lost track of time.
Every split second felt magnified to her, as if she had been struggling for a long time.
The jelly-like legs were becoming even heavier, as if they were filled with lead and refused to move, causing the progress to halt.
But Alice was already almost inside the gate!
The group was at a standstill right by the entrance of the already opened gates, and everyone was watching nervously.
It helps me a lot.