Scarce resources, collapsed order, and constant survival anxiety—in such a world, trust was a luxury. Recalling the force that had shoved her from behind just before her death, Bai Ning lost control for a moment, a trace of murderous intent flickering in her eyes.
Hong Ye was startled by Bai Ning’s gaze. Thinking she had inadvertently reminded the “little female” of something traumatic, she stammered hurriedly, “Li—little female, don’t be sad! I’ll go find the Witch Doctor right now. Our tribe’s Witch Doctor is amazing; she’ll definitely be able to heal you!”
With that, Hong Ye turned and scrambled out of the cave. Waaa… Mother, that little female’s eyes were so scary!
Coming back to her senses, Bai Ning saw Hong Ye’s retreating figure. Once she was gone, the vast cave felt empty. After scanning the area and finding nothing unusual, Bai Ning tried to move. The wounds on her body didn’t hurt as much, but her arm and leg felt worse.
Propping herself up with her left elbow, she struggled to lift her torso. She noticed the wooden splints tied to her leg had been removed. And her pants were gone!
Startled, she looked down to find she had been changed into a beast-hide skirt, just like the one the young girl was wearing. She had no idea who had changed her or where her original clothes were.
Bai Ning listened intently; aside from the chirping of birds outside, there was silence. She called out twice, but there was no response. Her brow furrowed. Are these beastmen so trusting? They didn’t even leave a guard?
She wondered when the girl would return. She couldn’t just lie here forever. Her arm and leg needed to be set; if left like this, she’d likely end up a cripple even if she healed. Now alone, she let her guard down slightly and stared at the bare cave ceiling, feeling a sense of loss.
“Ding-dong, ding-dong, clang…”
A sound suddenly echoed in her mind, much like a computer booting up. Bai Ning froze and looked around sharply. Everything was normal, yet the sound persisted. She shook her head vigorously, but the noise remained. Did I sustain brain damage? Am I hallucinating?
The sound lasted for about ten seconds before stopping. Before she could breathe a sigh of relief, a crisp, childlike voice made her break into a cold sweat.
“Oh! You woke up so quickly this time! The energy in this world really is abundant! Hahaha…”
Having survived the apocalypse, Bai Ning’s mental fortitude was much stronger than before. She calmed down quickly. Combining this with the novels she used to read, she realized this was likely her “Golden Finger.”
I have one too? But why didn’t it show up during the apocalypse?
Suppressing her doubts, she spoke up to interrupt the “Hahaha.”
“Who are you?”
The laughter—a mix of joy and smugness—stopped abruptly. After a short silence, the childlike voice cleared its throat and took on a serious tone.
“Ahem. Hello, Host. I am Collection System No. 0227, code-named Tongtong. You may call me Tongtong.”
“…”
“A Collection System?”
“Correct. I was created by Academician An Nan of the advanced Kalu Civilization. My purpose is to collect extinct flora and fauna so that advanced science and technology can bring them back to life and reintroduce them to the world!”
“So, you chose me?”
“Yes, Host.”
“Does your planet have no plants or animals?”
“That is correct. Due to rapid technological development, 99% of flora and fauna have gone extinct. Not a single trace of green remains on Kalu, nor can the song of birds be heard. People can only witness scenes of flowers blooming and birds singing through the Star-Brain’s historical records.”
“Is my transmigration because of you?” Bai Ning finally asked the question that had been weighing on her.
Tongtong paused, its tone sounding a bit dejected. “Yes. When I arrived at Ancient Blue Planet, you were the first human I encountered whose energy field perfectly matched mine. However, just as I was about to bind with you, you were hit by a car. I had exhausted most of my energy just reaching your planet, so I could only find a physically compatible body for you on the nearest available world. I didn’t realize that world had entered an apocalyptic era with depleted energy. I had no strength left to take you away, so I fell into a deep sleep to recover. Then, just as I finally woke up, you were about to die again… Fortunately, my energy had recovered enough to take your physical body with me this time. This planet has rich energy and a vast variety of biological species—it’s a perfect collection site.”
So, her crossing really was because of it. Bai Ning felt a complex mix of emotions, but since it had already happened, there was no use dwelling on it. Besides, without the system, she would have died in that car accident long ago.
However…
“Tongtong, right? I have one more question.”
“Please speak, Host.”
“I want to know… can I still go back?”
A glimmer of hope unconsciously appeared in Bai Ning’s eyes, only to be crushed by Tongtong’s next words.
“I’m very sorry, Host. When I brought you here, I was in too much of a hurry to notice that this planet has a mysterious energy layer surrounding it. I can leave on my own, but I have no way to take you with me.”
“Then how did we get in?” Bai Ning was baffled. Why was it “easy in, no out”?
“When we entered, a rift had appeared in the energy layer for some reason. That’s when I discovered how abundant the energy here was and brought you in. But when I woke up, the rift had repaired itself.”
Hearing this, Bai Ning gave up all hope.
“However…”
Bai Ning jerked her head up, pulling her wounds and wincing in pain. Ignoring the sting, she pressed, “However what?”
“Host, there is an item in the system that might help you, but it requires many points to exchange.”
“An item? What item?”
“In the System Store, there is an item called ‘The Yellow Millet Dream.’ It’s a small gadget invented by Academician An Nan, named after a story found in ancient documents. It allows a person to see whoever they want in a dream. If you exchange for this, you can see your family in your dreams and tell them about your situation. However, it is a one-time use item; you’ll have to exchange for it again if you want to use it more than once.”
“The Yellow Millet Dream?”