Wu Yue took a deep breath. "So, what *do* you have?"
The System replied coolly, "Nothing at all."
Wu Yue eyed it skeptically. "Then what good are you to me?"
The System exploded. "I told you, I'm a Life System! A Life System! You won't even lift a finger, just sitting there demanding food. In your dreams!!!"
The System had an outburst, and Wu Yue backed down...
'That's true,' she thought. 'In novels, systems always seem to require you to exchange energy for things, or complete quests to get what you want...'
"DING~ Host has adopted a proper attitude. Issuing long-term quest: Find food."
Wu Yue's eyes lit up instantly. After a moment...
"And then?" 'Aren't you being a bit careless, System? That's it? Just "find food"?'
System: "Then? There is no 'then'."
"What about the reward?" Wu Yue ran a hand through her filthy hair, getting a little irritable.
"You haven't even started the quest. How could there be a reward?" the System said matter-of-factly.
Wu Yue looked skeptical. "...No way. As a newbie, don't I deserve a starter pack?"
The System replied, deadpan, "At the critical moment when you almost croaked last night, I consumed a great deal of energy to repair your body. Due to insufficient energy, my current functions are limited to communicating with you."
Wu Yue moved her sore, weak body. It was indeed a lot better than yesterday. She was touched. "System, you really are a good system."
System: "As long as you're aware. Please complete quests and collect energy as soon as possible."
Wu Yue: "After I've collected enough energy, will I still get my starter pack?"
System: "..."
'I can't believe she's such a shameless woman, only caring about the starter pack!'
"No." 'She owes so much energy, she should be thinking about how to pay off her debt.'
"Can you at least give me a sneak peek of the reward to give me some motivation?" Wu Yue asked cheekily.
The System huffed coolly. "Your greatest motivation right now is staying alive."
Wu Yue: "..."
'Why would a kind, cute, and wonderful girl like me get stuck with such a cold-blooded, nitpicky system?'
System: "..."
'She must have some serious misconceptions about herself...'
"Due to insufficient energy, I will now enter sleep mode and run only basic functions. Please complete more quests to accumulate energy."
The crisp, mechanical voice vanished after a single BEEP.
Hearing this, Wu Yue quickly swallowed the retort she had for the System.
The sound of footsteps came from outside the cave, followed by two women's voices.
"I wonder if that woman is still alive."
"She was on her last breath yesterday. She's probably dead."
"Well, let's go in and check. If she's dead, we'll just call the men to take care of it."
"Here's the food... ugh!"
The two women walked to the entrance of the cave. What they saw wasn't a lifeless corpse on the dry grass, but a gaunt female leaning against the wall, her face obscured.
The woman holding a black, lumpy ball of food gave an awkward laugh. "Oh, you're better now?"
The woman behind her was also a bit awkward. Just moments ago, they had been discussing how to dispose of her body, only to find her awake.
Wu Yue pushed aside the tangled hair on her face, revealing a small, gaunt, and filthy face. "Thank you for bringing me food. I've regained some strength after resting all night."
After speaking, she panted weakly, looking as if the very act of living was an unbearable burden.
Seeing this, the woman in front stepped forward and placed the black lump in her hand on the dry grass beside Wu Yue. "This is today's morning meal. You should lie down since you're not well. We have things to do, so we'll be going now."