Bai Youwei called the people out of the dollhouse and gave each of them a thin sliver of meat.

“Eat this, then walk out through that glowing square.” Bai Youwei pointed to the square beside them.

Tan Xiao didn’t think twice — he popped the meat in his mouth, chewing noisily. “What kind of meat is this? It’s so tough.”

Bai Youwei said: “Beef jerky.”

“The meat is a bit tough, but it’s very fresh.” Teacher Cheng chewed at a leisurely pace, remarking as he did: “We haven’t had fresh meat in a long time. Weiwei, next time we come across a cow, you really must find a way to keep it — sustainable resource development, you know.”

Bai Youwei: “Sure.”

She glanced over at Pan Xiaoxin and saw him holding his piece of meat, not yet eating, so she raised an eyebrow and asked: “Xiaoxin, hurry up and eat! Children shouldn’t be picky.”

“…” Pan Xiaoxin silently let his gaze drift toward the far corner of the room.

A large, hulking silhouette lay on the ground over there — the light was dim, and Xiaoxin couldn’t make it out clearly. As he tried to get a better look, Shen Mo shifted a few steps and blocked his line of sight perfectly.

Pan Xiaoxin: “…”

“Come on, eat.” Bai Youwei urged. “Once everyone’s eaten, we’ll head out.”

Pan Xiaoxin looked down at the piece of meat in his hand, wrestled with it for a moment, then closed his eyes and ate it.

Everyone had eaten their “beef jerky.” Bai Youwei finally let out a breath and announced: “Alright — let’s go!”

One by one, they walked into the white-glowing square.

Leaving behind the dim stone chamber, they entered a void of white —

“Congratulations, player, on clearing Maze No. 5.”

Bai Youwei heard the familiar system notification tone; her companions vanished as usual.

“Player receives 2 Doll Puzzle pieces.

Performing data upgrade on player now…

Ding. Upgrade complete.”

Bai Youwei looked down at her legs — the two wounds vanished in an instant, and her body seemed to feel lighter and more agile.

“Reward settlement complete. Player, please continue the game and strive to clear —”

The system voice fell silent. The white before her eyes faded hazily; she blinked, and found herself standing in the rest hall.

The other companions materialized around her one by one — Leonid, Chen Hui, Du Lai…

“You came out quite fast. I thought it would take at least three to five days.”

A woman’s voice rang out, carrying a distinctive haughtiness. Bai Youwei followed the sound and saw Fu Miaoxue, draped in black gauze, sauntering over.

It turned out she had been waiting for them in the rest hall all along.

Fu Miaoxue walked up to Du Lai and asked: “How was it? Was this maze difficult?”

Du Lai wasn’t sure how to answer. Call it difficult? Not really — slaying the minotaur with a magic sword and then collecting all the keys was all it took. But call it easy? Several of them had nearly broken down in that maze…

“When we get back… I’ll tell you the whole story.” Du Lai asked with concern: “Were you alright at the base these past two days?”

Fu Miaoxue huffed unhappily: “With you gone, I couldn’t even find anyone to talk to. I was bored half to death!”

Du Lai: “But I’m back now to keep you company…”

Fu Miaoxue: “You should have come back to keep me company much sooner!”

The two of them fell into their usual fawning with each other.

Bai Youwei turned to look for Shen Mo — she wanted to be close to someone too. But the moment she caught sight of Shen Mo, something gave way in her knees without warning, and her whole body crumpled!

Shen Mo was alarmed and rushed forward to catch her!

Bai Youwei didn’t fall, but the shock in her heart was no small thing.

“What’s going on?!” Shen Mo asked in bewilderment. “After the physical upgrade, haven’t your leg injuries healed?”

She lowered her head, resting her hands on her legs. Below the knee, there was no feeling whatsoever.

Bai Youwei stared blankly, murmuring in confusion: “But they were healed… why… why is this happening…”

Why was it that she couldn’t walk again?

The other companions all gathered around.

The maze always improved physical condition — it shouldn’t cause harm.

The small commotion attracted the attention of the inspector.

Tu Shenshi walked over, regarded Bai Youwei, and said in an even tone: “There is nothing wrong with your legs. But your heart — that is a different matter.”

—