Chapter 77: Uninvited Guests at the Villa!

An elderly woman, her body frail and weary, savored the sweetness of the watermelon. The juicy fruit nourished her, as if rekindling the vitality within her.

“So this is watermelon… Even an old woman like me can eat something this delicious… Savior, oh, Savior, thank you… thank you…”

She had spent most of her life surviving on nutrient fluids. In the darkest times, she had even eaten dirt just to fill her stomach and ease the unbearable hunger.

Her only wish had been to survive.

But now, not only had she survived—she had eaten rice, meat, instant noodles, and sausages.

And now, she was eating fresh watermelon.

A silent father took two bites of his share before handing the rest to his child.

His wife shook her head, signaling for the child to take it.

Unlike adults, the child lacked the same level of self-restraint, and soon, the single portion of watermelon was gone.

But it wasn’t enough.

A growing body required far more nutrients.

After eating, the child noticed his father watching him with a smile, swallowing his saliva repeatedly.

Realizing that the watermelon had been saved from his father’s portion, the child handed it back.

“Dad, eat some.”

The man smiled warmly and told the same gentle lie that every father tells:

“I already ate. You eat it, my little one.”

The child hesitated but ultimately obeyed after his father insisted.

Rubbing his round belly, the child said, “Dad, I feel all cool inside… like there’s a lot of water flowing through me.”

The father’s expression changed instantly—joy lighting up his face.

Was his child about to awaken an ability?

“Let’s go! We need to get you checked!”

His wife was just as thrilled. She had already saved half of her watermelon to nourish the child once the awakening was complete.

They had long since learned to save the best for their child.

When they arrived at the ability examination room, they found a long line—many others were also showing signs of awakening.

The testing personnel could barely contain their excitement.

This was incredible! The more ability users the base had, the stronger they would become, and the greater their chances of survival in the apocalypse.

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Elsewhere, Cheng Fang carried a round watermelon home.

“Daddy, you’re back!”

His daughter greeted him at the door, her rosy cheeks beaming with joy.

She wore a red cotton jacket—her favorite color.

Red was vibrant. It gave people hope.

“Yes, sweetheart, I’m home.”

Inside, their home was clean and bright. The warm glow of the “nuclear sun” lamps dispelled the gloom.

A cozy bed was neatly made, and colorful drawings covered the walls—art drawn by Cheng Lin.

On the table were instant noodles, sausages, and other food.

The little girl had secretly opened a bottle of yogurt but had only taken a small sip—saving the rest for her father.

Cheng Fang felt incredibly blessed.

“Daddy, what’s that—ah! A watermelon!”

Cheng Lin jumped with excitement.

Ever since she recovered from her illness, her memory had become exceptionally sharp. After reading about the Golden Age, her little mind had been filled with endless fantasies.

And of course, the juicy, sweet fruit known as watermelon had been one of them.

“Yes, it’s a watermelon! Come on, let’s taste it together.”

Calling her over, Cheng Fang swiftly sliced the watermelon into sixteen even pieces with his knife.

A sweet fragrance filled the air, and fresh juice dripped down.

The little girl quickly grabbed a plate to catch the juice.

“Oh no! The watermelon juice is spilling—such a waste!”

Cheng Fang hesitated, realizing his mistake.

“Oops, I got too excited.”

Cheng Lin giggled.

“It’s okay, Daddy! Back in the Golden Age, they had a drink called ‘watermelon juice.’ Let’s see what it tastes like!”

She took a sip and smiled even brighter.

“So sweet! Daddy, the juice is so sweet!”

“I got to drink watermelon juice!”

Cheng Fang’s heart melted.

This was his daughter—his pride and joy.

He picked up a slice and handed it to her.

“Go on, taste the watermelon itself.”

Cheng Lin took the piece but looked at him with her big, round eyes.

He chose a smaller slice for himself.

“I’ll eat this one.”

The little girl solemnly switched the slices, handing him the bigger one.

“Grown-ups eat big pieces. Kids eat small ones.”

Cheng Fang couldn’t argue with her and ate his piece in a few quick bites.

Cheng Lin, on the other hand, ate slowly and elegantly, savoring every bite.

The sweet watermelon filled her heart with warmth.

As she ate, she made a silent wish:

Savior, please be well. Be the best, the strongest, the most powerful!

She closed her eyes, full of devotion.

Suddenly, a strange energy filled the room.

The drawings on the walls—most of which depicted Gu Man—seemed to come to life.

Cheng Lin didn’t know what Gu Man looked like, but that didn’t stop her from imagining.

A fairy holding the moon…

An angel with white wings protecting the blue Earth…

A goddess of life, making all things flourish…

A war goddess, defeating countless monsters…

Cheng Fang sensed the unusual energy and saw the movement in the drawings.

But he didn’t say anything.

Instead, he waited for his daughter to finish her prayer and watermelon before storing the rest in the refrigerator.

“Sweetheart, let’s go check your abilities.”

Cheng Lin nodded eagerly.

An ability!

She hoped she had one—she wanted to be useful, not a burden!

After getting tested at the ability center, the results came in.

Cheng Lin was about to awaken an S-Class ability.

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That night, Gu Man returned home.

Her mother was already asleep.

She checked on her, tucking the blanket in gently, then washed up and went to bed.

Song Lufeng had sent over another pendant—this one shining even brighter than before.

There were also a pile of perfectly cut energy crystals, gleaming like diamonds.

She replaced the old crystals in the energy array and drifted off to sleep.

As the energy from the crystals surrounded her, she once again floated mid-air…

This time, her dreams were filled with wonders.

She was a fairy.

A goddess of life.

A warrior goddess.

Dreams so vivid, so fun.

And of course, at the end of every dream, there was always that pair of long, slender hands… massaging her endlessly…

It was terribly embarrassing.

But what she didn’t know was…

Outside, a group of uninvited guests had arrived at the villa district.

Two men and one woman, dressed in black night gear, their equipment top-tier.

They glided in silently from the air, undetected.

They moved with expert agility—not ordinary thieves.

Because they weren’t ordinary thieves.

They were professional burglars.

And every time they struck, they only targeted treasures of immense value—priceless artifacts and ancient relics.

Many museum heists and missing luxury items from the homes of the wealthy… were all their doing.