Chapter 5: Mission Overtime
[Notification—]
[You have a new delivery order. Please check promptly.]
Upon hearing about the new order, Ying Shu quickly opened her phone to check. The Multiverse Errand Platform had once again forcibly assigned her a task.
[Please purchase three boxes of instant noodles in cups and ten pots of hot water within three hours, and deliver them to No. 999 Ginkgo Alley, Hope Base Wanxi Villa. Recipient: Su Xining.]
Ying Shu read the message over ten times but found no pickup address.
In other words—
She was expected to pay out of pocket to buy the items herself!?
Had the errand platform mistaken itself for a zero-cost trial service like Pinduoduo?
Thinking about the system’s rewards, Ying Shu hesitated not at all, though she found it odd that the order required ten pots of hot water—was it really for making instant noodles?
Lost in thought, Ying Shu bought all the items and returned home to boil the water.
Ying Xing came in and asked, “Sister, aren’t you opening the shop today?”
Usually, when Qi Zhen went out, Ying Shu would look after the store.
While boiling the water, Ying Shu said, “I have an important delivery to make today. I’ll open the store when I get back. If I’m not back by noon, you guys can order takeout.”
Ying Xing cheered happily, “Sister, can I order barbecue and milk tea?”
Since falling ill, he hadn’t eaten those things because outside food was unhygienic and unhealthy, and could worsen their conditions. Therefore, Ying Shu and Qi Zhen forbade them from eating such food.
Seeing his joy, Ying Shu smiled too. “You can, but don’t eat too much.”
“Thank you, Sister.”
Ying Xing hugged her neck like a child, then picked up his phone to browse barbecue shops.
“Hey, sister, brother, why are you so happy? What happened?”
Ying Yu, just waking up, heard their laughter and curiously walked into the kitchen.
Ying Xing happily said, “Sister said we can have barbecue and milk tea for lunch.”
Ying Yu looked at Ying Shu in surprise.
Ying Shu asked, “Did you sleep well last night?”
Ying Yu smiled brightly, “I slept soundly till dawn and haven’t felt any pain since. Sister, will you massage me again tonight?”
She clung to Ying Shu’s arm, acting sweet.
“Of course,” Ying Shu said happily, glad she could help ease her pain.
Ying Xing asked in wonder, “Slept till dawn?”
Ying Yu told him about the massage last night.
Ying Xing immediately said, “Sister, I want a massage too.”
“Alright, I have to get busy with work now.”
Ying Shu packed the ten bottles of hot water into a storage box, strapped it to the back of her electric scooter, and placed the three boxes of instant noodles on the footrest, then set off for Ginkgo Alley.
As with yesterday, the alley was deserted.
About five minutes in, she suddenly felt dizzy again.
To avoid ending up near a cliff or other dangers, she braked quickly.
Her view opened up to a luxurious villa.
Under the scorching sun, everything was tinged red as if she had stepped into a crimson world; even the wind was hot, suffocatingly hot.
“Ow, ow, ow…”
Ying Shu had stood under the sun for merely two seconds before her skin started peeling, and even her clothes seemed to catch fire.
At that moment, someone opened the villa gate, urgently calling out, “Quick, come inside!”
Ying Shu hurriedly rode the scooter indoors, where a blast of cold air brought her great relief.
“What kind of weather is this? Is the temperature over a hundred degrees?”
She felt incredibly unlucky—both times she had crossed worlds, she’d encountered extreme weather.
Yesterday, she was nearly frozen stiff in the cultivation realm; today, she felt like she was being roasted alive.
“More than a hundred degrees,” said a young woman who had opened the door, hastily closing it behind Ying Shu before casting an ice spell.
In an instant, Ying Shu and her scooter were encased in ice, frozen solid like an ice sculpture, unable to move.
Seconds later, the ice melted from her body, and the burning sensation in her skin lessened.
The young woman’s face turned stern. “This is the World of Natural Disasters. Why are you still outside?”
Ying Shu looked particularly innocent. “I don’t know which world I’ll end up in, nor can I control where I appear.”
Hearing this, the woman’s expression softened. “There are no medicines or medical devices here to treat you. You can only return to your world for hospital treatment—if you survive.”
Ying Shu’s face changed slightly. “What do you mean by that?”
“You’re Ying Shu, the Multiverse Errand employee, right? I’m Su Xining, the one who placed this order. Listen carefully to what I’m about to say: anyone exposed to the natural disaster sunlight will fall into a coma within ten minutes. During the coma, you may awaken supernatural powers—or you may die in agony. You must endure.”
“No way. I’m not from this world; this shouldn’t happen to me.”
No sooner had she spoken than the world began to spin wildly.
Seeing her falter, Su Xining quickly helped her off the scooter. “You must wake up as soon as possible. The sooner you awaken, the more and stronger abilities you gain.”
After hearing this, Ying Shu completely lost consciousness.
Though plunged into darkness, she still felt intense heat, as if burning alive—every bone, organ, and muscle seethed; even her cells boiled. Then sudden cold pierced her like tens of thousands of blades slicing through her body, no different from facing a mountain of blades and a sea of fire.
[Notification—]
[Employee, your task will timeout in one minute.]
[Notification—]
[Employee, your task will timeout in one minute.]
What?
Timeout?
This is unacceptable.
Worried about punishment, Ying Shu struggled desperately.
Then she found herself in a verdant space where the ground was covered in flowers, grass, and trees. The moment she stepped forward, all the plants blossomed brilliantly, their colors vivid and stunning.
[Task has timed out. Please prepare to accept punishment.]
[Task has timed out. Please prepare to accept punishment.]
[Task has timed out. Please prepare to accept punishment.]
Damn it, there really is a punishment.
But she refused to accept it.
She had failed to deliver the goods on time because she fainted.
That was understandable.
About ten seconds later, the system’s cold voice rang out again.
[Task timed out. All employee currency will be deducted.]
[Task timed out. All employee currency will be deducted.]
[Task timed out. All employee currency will be deducted.]
What the hell, how dare it deduct my money? I’ll fight you.
Ying Shu suddenly opened her eyes to meet Su Xining’s delighted gaze.
“We usually take half a day to wake up, but you woke in just half an hour. You’re amazing.”
Ying Shu ignored her words, anxiously pulling out her phone to check her WeChat and bank account.
“Zero, zero, zero… everything’s zeroed out, completely wiped clean…”
Su Xining noticed her distress and asked with concern, “What’s wrong? Something’s off? You didn’t awaken any powers? That can’t be. Your injuries are completely healed—that means you did awaken powers.”
Ying Shu was not happy; instead, she raised her head and shouted angrily, “Damn system, give me back my money.”
Su Xining was speechless…