Whether for Yu Qi and Ya Tong or to earn star coins, Yu Xi couldn’t leave now.

She straightforwardly said, “I won’t leave.”

【World Mission has been refreshed!】

【World Mission: 1. Rescue 0/20 humans in the mission world (Completion rewards 200 star coins), 2. Assist the character in the mission world to obtain an underground shelter residence certificate (Completion rewards 50 star coins). Failure will not result in death and you may leave the apocalyptic world at any time when not in combat.】

The first refreshed world mission surprised Yu Xi. She remembered in the zombie world, she had to kill 1000 zombies to earn 100 star coins, averaging 0.1 star coins per zombie. But now, rescuing one person in this mission world would earn her 10 star coins, a hundredfold difference!

“Only 20? That’s underestimating me. I can save 200! Even 2000! Can I get 10 star coins for each one?”

【……】

【Host, once the world mission is refreshed, it cannot be changed—】

“Oh, forget I asked.”

The system seemed to be “stuck” for a while, surprised by her quick change of tone.

Yu Xi did it on purpose to throw the system off. Since she figured out that the Star House system leaned towards good rather than evil, her apprehension had dissipated.

No matter why the Star House appeared in her small apartment’s storage room or why she had to travel to apocalyptic worlds monthly to complete missions, the safety and future of her family were now inseparable from the Star House.

They were bound together, and the binding couldn’t be undone. Even if this situation had two sides, from her perspective, she had to weigh the pros and cons.

Traversing apocalyptic worlds and completing missions was indeed dangerous, but the dangers were not insurmountable. In fact, these experiences had led to her rapid growth.

More importantly, she now had the Star House warehouse for instant access and a place to completely protect her parents. In the impending apocalypse of her original world, the Star House would be her most reliable support.

She had a premonition that when the apocalypse officially arrived, her stockpiling efforts would pay off greatly.

At that time, the mission worlds with low difficulty would take on a different significance for her.

And her original world… who knew if it might become another mission world for other taskers?

She wasn’t sure if there were other Star House binders, but there were numerous System Tower binders. In the four apocalyptic worlds she had experienced, she had always encountered people from the System Tower.

The first three times were fine, but this time she encountered a sadistic maniac… If such a maniac were to come to her original world—thinking of this, she felt a surge of urgency.

Yu Xi knew the system might not answer, but she couldn’t help but ask, “When the apocalypse arrives in my original world, will it become another mission world for other taskers?”

To her surprise, the system answered this time.

【No.】

Yu Xi: …!!

【As long as the host is alive, the original world will not fall into a mission world.】

Yu Xi noticed the system’s wording: “Fall into?”

However, the system provided no further answers. Regardless of her subsequent questions, the system remained silent. But this was already enough.

As long as she was alive, she could prevent her original world from becoming a mission world. The apocalypse was bad enough, but at least avoiding becoming a mission world meant that her world wouldn’t turn into a killing playground for those twisted taskers.

**

After that, Yu Xi continued to attend classes with Yu Qi and Ya Tong every day.

In this apocalypse, many things didn’t need her to worry about because of their help, such as the underground shelter residence certificate. That was originally the goal of Yu Qi and Ya Tong.

Both were skilled in socializing, and over time, they got to know many people in the capital—the teacher who taught their training class, the captain of another nearby air-raid shelter construction team…

Combining information from various sources, they pieced together that although the construction of the underground shelters would eventually allow all citizens to have beds, cafeterias, activity rooms, and other more livable underground spaces, most of these would still be dormitory-style.

At the same time, the shelters were constructing the first batch of small residential units, which would be given priority to outstanding contributors.

This outstanding contribution could be summarized from various perspectives, with the main goal being to encourage talented people to excel in their respective fields.

To Yu Xi, these small residential units likely aligned with Mission 2, and even if she didn’t say anything, Yu Qi and Ya Tong would have their own plans.

After the third meteor shower ended, experts worldwide used various data from previous meteor predictions and actual occurrences to derive more accurate relative safety period data.

Although there was still a gap from an absolutely safe period, this safety period could now be adjusted according to real-time astronomical conditions, significantly improving accuracy.

During the relative safety period between the third and fourth meteor showers, J country began a large-scale evacuation of its citizens. The first batch of countries to be evacuated included M Country. Even within the same country, evacuation had to be done in batches.

M Country would start with students and nationals who had gone abroad for work, as these people did not have fixed residences in M Country and had been living on various supports in extreme hardship.

J country dispatched several large passenger planes, with the pilots and accompanying crew carrying out the mission, fully prepared to sacrifice themselves.

No one could guarantee absolute safety during such long-distance flights. The meteors had altered many things: temperature, air quality, magnetic fields…

The evacuation flights would involve several short flights within M Country, as many nationals were scattered and couldn’t reach a city quickly.

J country arranged multiple boarding locations, and after several meetings to address route and airport issues, the first evacuation mission was set in motion.

The day the news was announced, Ya Tong called the fellow countryman she met at the ticket office in W City, M Country. Although he wasn’t on the first evacuation list, he was still happy for his compatriots.

Before the fifth meteor shower fell, most J country citizens had their own fixed beds in underground shelters.

Many people started moving between underground and above-ground living. If their homes were not destroyed in previous meteor showers, many would leave the shelters during relative safety periods to live on the surface.

Yu Xi and her companions did the same. They were lucky; the house they rented had avoided damage from the meteor showers.

Every time the meteor shower and the ensuing ash passed, they would return from the shelter to clean their dust-covered house and start another period of surface living.

They were much luckier than others, as they had space capabilities. Whenever they evacuated, they could instantly store all their furniture, appliances, and daily items, carrying all their possessions with them.

During their time in the shelter, although they ate the same rations as everyone else, once back in their own home, they could enjoy freshly cooked meals: burgers with large fried chicken thighs, various pizzas topped with savory cheese, grilled, braised, or steamed squid, oysters, abalone, scallops, lobster, king crab, tender and fresh salmon sashimi, crispy and fresh vegetables, main dishes like rice, noodles, dumplings, and pancakes, along with an assortment of desserts, ice cream, and beverages…

Occasionally, they would nail thick plastic film over all doors and windows, then set up a hot pot in a windowless storage room, enjoying a cozy meal.

Yu Xi personally tested this double isolation method and found that whether they were eating hot pot or barbecue, not a hint of the aroma would escape.

A delicious meal at the end of a busy day kept them motivated and energized every day.

During the sixth meteor shower, Yu Qi and Ya Tong both earned relevant technical certificates and secured important positions in two underground shelters.

At the same time, J country implemented deployable ground-to-air defense missiles in several densely populated and built-up cities. These defense missiles could be deployed to intercept large meteors before they fell, breaking them into smaller fragments and slowing their descent, thus minimizing the destructive impact of what would otherwise be large-scale explosions. The initial attempts had mixed results, with both successes and failures, but the people of J country remained optimistic. They believed that as long as they worked together, they could find a solution to any disaster.

Around this period, the construction of interconnected underground tunnels began between air-raid shelters in all cities across the country. This development, later recorded in history, marked a significant beginning—it was the inception of the underground city concept.

Life for the people of J country gradually stabilized. Yu Qi and Ya Tong still needed a few more contributions to obtain the small residential unit certificate in the underground shelters. This gave Yu Xi the perfect opportunity to plan her quiet departure.

**

“You want to join the army?”

“Yeah, I want to learn more things, and joining the army will help us earn contribution points faster.”

“No, it’s too dangerous!” Yu Qi knew Yu Xi’s intention was to get the residence certificate. She appreciated her sister’s thoughtfulness and knew that Yu Xi had the courage and ability to adapt to military life. But Yu Qi was worried. Most military tasks involved ground missions in other cities and regions. To her, Yu Xi, who had just turned nineteen, was still a child, and she couldn’t bear to let her go.

But Yu Xi had made up her mind and repeatedly promised to protect herself. Despite her reluctance, Yu Qi had to let go.

Yu Xi didn’t leave immediately; she wanted to learn a lot from the military, such as piloting helicopters and using ground-to-air defense missiles.

Shortly after enlisting, she quickly became a formal team member due to her superior physical fitness and crisis response capabilities. She rose through the ranks rapidly and soon secured small private residential units for Yu Qi and Ya Tong—and not just one but two units.

During this phase, the number of people Yu Xi had saved far exceeded twenty. Combined with the issuance of the residence certificates, she had completed her new mission in this apocalyptic world.

She didn’t leave right away but instead took a leave to return to J country. Their residential units in the underground shelter were adjacent, each about fifteen square meters, including a tiny bathroom and a kitchenette with an induction stove. Although the beds were still bunk beds, these were their own spaces. As long as the shelter existed, these small units would always belong to them and could be passed down to their children in the future.

Yu Xi had returned a few times after joining the army, always notifying them in advance. This time, her unexpected return delighted them. Even Ya Tong, usually cool and composed, hugged her tightly with moist eyes.

This visit was not only a formal farewell but also an opportunity for Yu Xi to retrieve the items they had stored. Previously, due to limited space in Ya Tong’s storage, many of their belongings had to be kept in Yu Xi’s space.

Now that she was leaving, the Yu Xi who would be replaced by mechanical consciousness would continue her military career according to the current trajectory, occasionally visiting Yu Qi and Ya Tong, and earning more contribution points for them. However, the space ability couldn’t be left behind.

Since fuel usage was low, the portable fuel cans in Ya Tong’s space were slowly consumed. Upon her return, Yu Xi filled them all up and took out about a dozen newly collected and filled portable fuel cans for her to store. As for weapons, Ya Tong’s space already had some, and Yu Xi transferred additional ones to her for reassurance, even if they might never be used. The personal belongings they took from their apartment in L City were previously sorted by Ya Tong for essentials. This time, Yu Xi took everything out in one go, helping them make their small spaces comfortable and well-arranged.

Lastly, there was the food. Due to her military life over the past few months, Yu Xi had few opportunities to enjoy special meals, so her star house storage was nearly full. She transferred perishable fresh food and ingredients to Ya Tong’s space and stored long-lasting items like instant noodles, canned goods, and daily supplies in their rooms. She stopped only when both Ya Tong’s space and their rooms were full.

“Why are you so eager to take everything out this time? It’s not like you won’t come back!” Yu Qi, feeling a bit uneasy, complained a little, only to be pulled into a tight hug by Yu Xi.

“Don’t worry, Sis. ‘I’ will always be here. I only have a few days of leave this time and then I have to go on a mission. Plus, I wanted to help you settle into your new home quickly.”

“This is our home!” Yu Qi corrected.

“Yes, our home.” Yu Xi agreed, then placed a flat electric grill on the table along with various meats, shrimp, crab, seafood, and condiments. “Let’s celebrate today with a barbecue.”

“Alright.”

The biggest highlight of the private residential units in the underground shelter was their ventilation system and airtight door design. Built to meet anti-missile standards, the rooms had excellent airtightness. Once the door was closed, no smell could escape, no matter what they were cooking inside.

The three of them opened a bottle of red wine, enjoying grilled meat, seafood, and salmon sashimi while sharing their experiences and stories from the past few months. Yu Xi stayed with them in their new home for three days before officially bidding farewell to Yu Qi and Ya Tong and heading back to her unit.

Yu Xi left in the middle of her journey back, leaving behind a large bag of snacks, feminine products, some medicine, a set of protective clothing, and a gas mask for the “self” she left in the apocalyptic world. Although the military’s treatment wasn’t bad, these things were just a small comfort to herself.

**

“The fourth apocalypse world mission has been completed. Star coin balance: 436.”

“The next mission will start at midnight on the 7th of next month. Please receive the world information before midnight on the 6th of January.”

Yu Xi had spent about a year and a half in the meteor apocalypse world, earning a substantial amount of star coins without much expenditure. Additionally, her fuel space had increased from thirty percent to ninety percent full, one of the major gains of this trip. She had also acquired more weapons and ammunition, especially large ones like rocket launchers, shotguns, and submachine guns.

She had given most of the fresh vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and eggs to Ya Tong, keeping only a small portion of the fruits she didn’t already have. She had also kept some of the ice cream, desserts, sashimi, king crabs, pizzas, hamburgers, sausages, steaks, lamb chops, coffee, and alcoholic drinks she had collected in M Country. Moreover, she had obtained several well-equipped survival backpacks, brand-new protective clothing, several gas masks, a box of medicine, gold and diamonds found in ruins during missions after joining the army, and most importantly, she had learned how to fly a helicopter and a small plane and was now proficient with many different types of large guns and weapons.

Maybe next time, she could try to get a plane. However, planes used aviation fuel, not gasoline, so if she got a plane, she would have to figure out how to stockpile aviation fuel.