Chapter 9: Each Their Own Misery

A new day—Duoduo’s knife skills practice day. And it was far worse than she had imagined. From her grip on the knife to the force of her cuts, everything was wrong.

She chopped basket after basket of radishes. The master always said she clearly had talent—so why was her practical skill so terrible? Sigh.

As for Su Ning, she tidied up her backpack and unexpectedly discovered a forgotten promotion gift pack. She opened it:

“Beep! Congratulations, player! You have received: Healing Pills ×10, Qi Pills ×10, Silver Coins ×10.”

So much money! Ten silver coins—but besides money, it was a very ordinary gift pack.

Originally, she had 258 copper coins—or more accurately, 12 silver 58 copper coins. After paying the inn fee, with a discount, it was 21 copper coins. Subtracting the 18 coins leftover from two days ago, she had 219 copper coins. She sent 1 silver 9 copper coins to Duoduo, with a message: sharing the coins from rabbit hunting, six-tenths of the inn fee, and a single coin kept as her “cut.”

In truth, Duoduo wouldn’t mind a coin here or there, but Su Ning liked to keep accounts clear among close friends to avoid resentment from unfair distribution.

Next were the 108 rabbit cards: 66 white, 42 green. Since 18 rabbit meat cards were mailed to Duoduo, the white cards now seemed fewer. Perhaps the rabbits were higher level, as the proportion of green cards seemed larger.

Because of the rabbits, many drops were food: steamed buns, flower rolls, rabbit meat buns, and even one little rabbit bento.

The rabbit meat bun was solid: +20 satiety, +10 HP. That healing rivaled a small steamed bun—small buns even lost to green cards. Excellent.

The little rabbit bento was cute, looking like rice and vegetables: +10 satiety, +5 HP. Its stats were weaker than a large plain bun, but it suited kids—cute and refined.

Out of the 47 white food cards, Su Ning split them into two piles, keeping the little rabbit bento aside. After a quick chat with Duoduo, she sent it to her uncle’s five-year-old daughter.

Only nine cleaning cards—all rabbit soap—each +30 cleanliness.

Two cards were oil, salt, and vinegar sets. Three were simple sewing kits. Five were complete rabbit pelts.

That was all the white cards.

As for the green cards: 12 were exquisite little steamed buns. Su Ning didn’t know if they contained rabbit meat.

A new type appeared: rabbit bento, +30 satiety, +20 HP, with 10 cards. Slightly better than the little buns. No blue food cards yet, but Su Ning had enough for now.

Other green items:

• Green-grade thermal underwear set, 5 cards, +2 constitution, usable as sleepwear, accelerates sleep, not for summer use.
• Green-grade rabbit wool blanket, 3 cards, attributes: warmth, faster sleep.
• Green-grade rabbit wool quilt, 2 cards, same attributes.
• Green-grade sewing kit, 2 cards, +5% sewing success rate.
• Green-grade household knives, 3 cards, sharp—handle with care.
• Green-grade bottled mineral water, 2 cards, one-ton pack.
• Green-grade stylish rabbit wool shoulder bag, 1 card, stores items, +1 backpack slot when equipped.
• Green-grade rabbit wool neck warmer, 1 card, +3 constitution, made of pure black rabbit fur, fashionable.
• Green-grade rabbit wool wrist guards, 1 card, +3 strength, made from brown rabbit fur, elegant.

Su Ning sent the attributes of the last three to Duoduo, mentioning that she herself was too weak and hoped for the wrist guards.

Duoduo happily responded that she already had the Moonshadow Bow, and just wanted the rabbit wool neck warmer for constitution. The rest could stay with Su Ning.

Su Ning split the backpack cards in half, sending unused personal cards to her mother, organizing the rest in her double-strap backpack, which only took up one slot.

She reopened her character panel and allocated +2 constitution, +2 intelligence, +1 strength. Su Ning had considered trying an extreme healer build, but survival mattered more—better a balanced approach.

Player: Su Ning
ID: xxxxxIDxxxxx
Level: 5
Experience: 4/200
Class: Night Priest
Bloodline: Demon
HP: 220/220
MP: 100/100
Cleanliness: 98/100
Satiety: 82/100
Constitution: 8 (+4)
Intelligence: 10 (+3)
Strength: 4 (+3)
Agility: 4 (+3)
Available Points: 0
Bloodline Concentration: 5%

Equipment:

• Weapon: All the Way (Int +3, Con +2)
• Outfit: Women’s sportswear (+3 Agility)
• Thermal underwear (+2 Constitution)
• Accessory: Rabbit wool wrist guards (+3 Strength)

Skills:

• Night Priest (Demon Bloodline), starting skill: Mana Blessing, heals selected target for (Int ×5) HP, costs 5 MP.
• Moonlit Curse, deals (Int ×3) damage to selected target, 20% chance to inflict Corrosion (loses Int ×1 HP per second), costs 3 MP.

Su Ning controlled her excitement and headed west to gather cotton.

A lonely healer is humble; a lonely healer who refuses to team with strangers is both humble and timid.

West of the safe zone were patchwork farmlands. Su Ning recognized some crops: sweet potatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, tomatoes—everyday vegetables. She assumed this area was the system’s last refuge for weaker players.

Strangely, although many were harvesting, no elderly or children were present.

After wandering, Su Ning finally found a secluded patch of cotton, white balls blossoming like little flowers. She stepped into the field, delighted.

“Beep! Player has entered Level 5 harvesting zone. Harvestable species: Cotton. Guardian Warrior: Level 5 Skeleton Soldier. Upon successful challenge, harvesting begins. Start challenge?”

“…”

Su Ning was speechless. No wonder there were no elderly or children, no crops trampled. She had naively thought this was the system’s mercy—turns out it was a challenge.

“Confirm start.”

Whatever the case, Su Ning needed to survey the situation. Promotion tasks couldn’t be skipped.

A flash of light surrounded her. When she opened her eyes, she was on a circular challenge platform the size of a basketball court. In the center stood a skeleton over two meters tall, pale bones from head to toe, eyes burning with dark green flames.

“Beep! Player, prepare. Challenge begins.”

Su Ning immediately found the virtual “Exit Challenge” button and hid at a distance, watching the skeleton approach. She thought: there’s no avoiding it.

She cast Moonlit Curse—less than a tenth of the skeleton’s health was reduced. Its pace didn’t quicken, suggesting skeletons’ weakness was slow movement.

As the skeleton drew closer, Su Ning ran sideways, cast a skill when safe, then ran further—repeating this “kiting” tactic elegantly.

Fortunately, the skeleton had no ranged attacks. Within three to five minutes, it crumbled to the ground.

“Beep! Challenge complete. Congratulations, player! You have gained today’s cotton harvesting rights: 0/100.”

Harvesting was limited. Just as Su Ning was about to complain, another alert rang:

“Beep! Congratulations, player! You are the first in the game to successfully defeat a Level 5 Guardian Warrior. System rewards: 1 pack cotton seeds, 1 simple spinning machine, certificate to purchase 2 acres of fertile land. Wishing the player success!”