Chapter 71: Optional Quest |
Bai Mu stood quietly to the side, silently watching the mother and daughter reunite without disturbing them.
He knew this time was precious. The candy only restored the woman's temporary clarity; it did not purge the virus from her body. Her eyes remained a terrifying blood-red, and once the effects wore off, she would lose her mind all over again.
It was obvious just from her movements. Even while restrained, her muscles continued to spasm. It was an involuntary twitching, much like stroke patients who had suffered severe brain damage. Her nervous system was already ravaged by the mutated virus.
A single piece of candy could not save her life. Furthermore, as the viral infection worsened and her organs and tissues completely succumbed to the disease, the candy would eventually lose its effectiveness entirely.
The good news was that Bai Mu had collected plenty of candy along the way. Since one piece lasted for five minutes, he could continuously supply the woman with a 'clarity buff.'
"Thank you, sir. You saved me and my daughter." After soothing Lucy, the woman looked up at Bai Mu.
"You remember what just happened?" Bai Mu keenly picked up on her phrasing.
She had been completely incoherent when Bai Mu tied her up, so she shouldn't have known who brought her back to her senses, yet she had still thanked him.
A complicated expression crossed the woman's face. "This afternoon, I suddenly developed a fever and felt nauseous. Then I turned into that... thing. It felt like I was trapped in a nightmare, but I have a rough idea of what happened..."
"Mommy!"
Lucy anxiously tried to untie the necktie binding the woman's wrists, but Bai Mu held the little girl's hands down and shook his head.
He placed his hands on the woman's shoulders, massaging them to help her relax.
"Relax, just think about your daughter," Bai Mu said softly. "There are no more Infected outside on this floor. It's safe here, and your daughter is safe too."
Ten seconds later, the woman finally stabilized.
"Eat this candy. It might make you feel a bit better." Bai Mu unwrapped another fruit drop and popped it into her mouth.
"Do you want some water? Or maybe something to eat?" Bai Mu brought out a bottle of mineral water, along with some leftover pizza and fruit.
"No... no need." The woman struggled to steady her breathing. She looked down at Lucy's worried face and suddenly asked, "Sir, what is the situation like outside?"
"About the same as in here." Bai Mu didn't hide the truth. "You basically can't find a single normal person left on the streets."
The woman fell silent. Lucy asked, "Can't you untie Mommy?"
Bai Mu glanced at the woman. She shook her head and replied, "Lucy, Mommy is sick, and this gentleman is trying to cure me."
It seemed the woman knew she couldn't control herself. If her bindings were removed, she would likely end up hurting her own daughter.
"Mommy, let's go home." Lucy leaned against the woman's knees, burying her small face between her legs. "If we go sleep in bed, Mommy's sickness will definitely be gone when you wake up."
In the mind of a nine-year-old girl, getting sick meant taking a day off from school to rest in bed.
That was surely what happened when she fell ill. Her mother would likely call in sick to work, staying by her side to fetch water and medicine, rubbing her down with alcohol to help break the fever.
But both Bai Mu and the woman knew that no amount of sleep in a comfortable bed could cure this disease.
This wasn't a common cold; it was a disaster sweeping across the entire world.
"Sir, I have a favor to ask," the woman requested. "Could you take my daughter away? Take her to a safe place."
"My car is parked in the basement, and the keys are in my coat pocket. Maybe you could drive her out of here."
"Although I don't know how you managed to bring Lucy here, I figure if you could bring her to me, you can certainly get her out."
"I still have some savings in my account. If you reach a place where society still functions, you might be able to withdraw it. There's about half a million in there."
[Lucy's Mother has issued a Main Quest (Optional): "Take Lucy out of this city and head to the western region across the Mississippi River."]
[Note: Upon accepting this quest, you may use Lucy's Mother's savings to purchase items from the Adventure Script Shop during the Script settlement. Item prices will be calculated according to their real-world value.]
Paradise's notification chimed as a new story branch unfolded before Bai Mu.
This was likely a hidden branch. If a Player managed to find Lucy's Mother and awaken her consciousness with candy, they would trigger this path.
Five hundred thousand was enough to buy practically anything that spawned in the Adventure Script Shop. It was essentially giving items away for free.
As long as the refreshed items weren't total garbage, the equivalent value in Points would range anywhere from 1,000 to 3,000. It was an incredibly lucrative deal.
Moreover, Bai Mu noticed the specific phrasing in the note. He only needed to accept the quest to receive the reward; he didn't even have to actually complete it. That meant even if Lucy accidentally died along the way, he would still enjoy this benefit.
There would likely be additional rewards upon actually completing the quest.
Analyzing it purely from a cost-benefit perspective, this quest was obviously far superior to the current Main Quest.
However, Bai Mu didn't accept immediately. As soon as the woman finished speaking, Lucy seemed to realize what was happening and tightly wrapped both arms around her mother's waist.
"Lucy, be a good girl," the woman urged. "Go with this gentleman and try not to cause him any trouble."
Lucy only squeezed tighter. At that moment, the lights flickered twice before plunging the originally bright office into total darkness.
A blackout. Even this downtown high-rise had finally lost its power supply.
The sudden change triggered the woman. Her body began to convulse again, and she couldn't even control the gnashing of her teeth. Had Bai Mu not firmly pressed down on her forehead beforehand, her frantic thrashing might have resulted in her biting Lucy's ear.
Once she calmed down, the woman practically begged, "Sir, please, take Lucy away."
During that brief span, Bai Mu had made up his mind on what to do. "Of course I'll take her."
The woman let out a long sigh of relief. "That's wonderful..."
Before she could finish her sentence, she suddenly let out a startled cry.
Bai Mu had undone the restraints on her wrists and ankles. She jerked in surprise, nearly tumbling out of the chair onto the floor.
"We're going together. Your daughter doesn't want to leave you."
"But... but I'll lose my mind..."
"When that time comes, I'll put you to rest."
"..."
"Can you walk on your own?"
"I think so..."
"Then stay right behind me."
Bai Mu drew his pistol and flipped the safety off.
The quest branch neither indicated acceptance nor rejection as he simply led the two of them out of the office.