Chapter 42: Geetin

Mrs. Ye sighed, "Probably. She was one of our students at the university where we researched and taught five years ago. She told us about a job she found at some government research lab, claiming they were working on changing human genetics. We had no idea it was connected to this."

Emma's face darkened. This research was likely going on for a long time; it could have been in the works for hundreds of years. "Do you know where she works?" Emma asked.

"We visited her in Geetin a few years ago," Mr. Ye replied, sinking into deep thought. Emma's eyes flickered with concern. Geetin, a city hundreds of miles away, meant passing through countless dangerous places swarming with zombies due to their high population density. The journey to just get there was nearly impossible and the realization that there could be numerous labs hidden in cities across the country made Emma's heart sink.

"I have a few more things from the lab we found," Emma said, taking out more papers and several mysterious liquid components she had taken from the lab. She placed them in front of the couple. "Do you think, based on these, you can maybe try to find a cure for the zombies, or something we can use to eliminate them?"

The couple flipped through the papers, examining the liquids closely. "We can try," Mrs. Ye said, her voice filled with cautious hopefulness. "But we can't promise anything."

Emma nodded. "Do the best you can, and please only allow people you truly trust to help you. The other scientists can focus on normal inventions and other tasks."

"We'll need something, though," Mr. Ye said thoughtfully.

"What do you need? I'll try to get it for you," Emma responded, ready to assist.

"We'll need a zombie," Mr. Ye continued. "If we figure something out, we need to test it on their body."

Amy took a deep breath. "I don't know if that is safe."

Emma weighed the risk quickly. Bringing an undead into the base was like tying a ticking bomb to their haven, but it was crucial for the experiment. "I'll see what I can do."

By late afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Ye had set up their team of trusted researchers to do deeper research into the mysteries of the zombie virus, while the other scientists were assigned normal civilian tasks. The lab building was off-limits to everyone except the trusted scientists. Emma knew she needed to create another area for the remaining scientists, but with limited points, that would have to wait. The scientists, however, were content with the conditions at Autumn's Territory.

After saying their goodbyes, Emma and Amy, with the puppies, headed to the forest territory. The ride was quiet; each person was lost in their thoughts. The puppies, sensing the mood, sat quietly in the back. As they passed through the gate, Amy stepped down from the RV and raised her arms into the air, taking a deep breath. "Finally home!"

Emma stepped down, letting the puppies out. Her mood lightened as she saw them run around, their energy contagious. She gave each of them a hug, surprised at how sturdy and big they had grown. Her puppy filter shattered as she realized they were no longer the tiny creatures she had brought home. 

That night, as Emma lay in bed, she opened the reward system. It was time to claim her rewards. She scrolled down to the security measure mission, and it turned out the reason it was finished was that the puppies counted as the guards for the territory. Emma rolled her eyes. As she mentally pressed the accept reward options, a list of rewards scrolled across the screen.

"Reward: Animal Guard Transform. Transporting Door..."

Each reward brought a spark of excitement, lifting Emma's mood. The transformation of her forest territory began slowly around her, with secret changes also unfolding within Autumn's territory.

With all the rewards in place, Emma took the machine she brought to extract the zombie virus from crystals. It came wrapped in a small instruction book. Carefully unwrapping it, Emma placed one of the crystals into the designated cup on the machine and another cup on the opposite side. Following the steps outlined in the book, she filled the machine with pure water from her territory.

Pressing the button, Emma watched as the crystal slowly dissolved in one cup while a vivid, purple, translucent liquid began to fill the other. By the time the crystal had completely dissolved, the cup was only a third full. Emma took the cup and studied the liquid for a moment before deciding to drink it.

As the liquid flowed through her body, Emma felt a warm, tingling sensation spreading from her head. Gradually, she noticed a sudden surge in her strength and a heightened sense of power. Excited by the possibilities, Emma opened her civilian list and scrolled through to explore the new abilities she had gained from the reward system. Her eyes lit up as she found a power that interested her: the ability to pause supernatural powers and disable electronic devices in her area. It was an unbelievable skill, and now it was hers to use.

Testing this new ability, Emma focused her mind and directed the power towards the house. Instantly, the lights flickered and went off. She quickly released the power, and just as quickly, the lights returned to life. Emma grinned to herself; this was going to be incredibly useful in the future.

Unable to sleep with excitement running through her veins, Emma decided to check on all the recent updates. She quietly slipped out of bed, let the floorboards cool under her feet, and made her way to the window. Pushing aside the curtain, she peered outside into the night. The moon cast a silvery glow over her yard, illuminating the newly formed training field that stretched out before her.

Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the sight. Emma hadn't paid close attention when the rewards were listed, but the transformation of her surroundings was really clear. A vast expanse of open ground now lay organized with obstacles and targets, perfect for practicing combat skills and strategy. 

Emma quickly navigated through the reward system's pages to read through all the new rewards. Among the rewards, she found a previously dark section in her inner storage had been released and filled—stocked with hundreds of weapons, both cold and hot. Guns, knives, arrows, and many, many more.

Grabbing her sword that was not in the weapon storage, Emma felt a rush of satisfaction as she examined its upgraded form. The blade seemed sharper, the balance more precise, as if it had been tailored to match her perfectly.

Quietly opening the door to the room where her puppies slept, Emma's heart softened at the sight of dogs curled up together. In the dim light, she noticed something beside them—a suit of protective gear, similar to her fighting suit but sized for dogs.

Her happiness stirred at the sound of the door, her tail wagging slightly. Emma placed a finger on her lips, urging the dog to remain quiet. Happiness blinked sleepily, then sat up expectantly, sensing Emma's quiet excitement. Emma couldn't help but smile, gently patting Happiness on the head and whispering, "Good girl."

As she sat beside Happiness, feeling the sturdy material of the dog suit beneath her fingers, Emma's thoughts raced. The reward system seemed to be guiding her towards a purpose with all these new awards. It seems to want her to lead a war against these zombies. 

Emma took out the purple diamond from her storage, examining it carefully. Her mind drifted into deep thoughts. Where did Grandma get this? Why is it giving me all these rewards and missions, while in my past life, I never saw Vivian do anything except store food in this necklace? She had many questions but no answers.

With a sigh, Emma put the diamond back into her inner storage and began contemplating the details of the government's research labs. Geetin was far away. Am I even ready to go back and fight the zombies there? There will be millions of zombies in the cities combined. I'm sure of that.

She stood up, happiness following behind her, and closed the door. Emma walked to her control room, which had been updated as well. She noticed the new drone system attached to it. The drones could now show video and attack targets that entered her territory. She tapped on the screen, and the screen flickered to life, displaying many options and functions. She could see a live feed from the drones, offering a bird's-eye view of her territory and an automatic attacking system. The traps and surveillance cameras she had installed and made herself were all updated—more hidden and deadly, with sharper and clearer images.

Emma found a new section that looked like a message screen. She sat down in the chair in front of it, while Happiness lay down by her feet. As soon as she sat down, a small icon appeared on the screen in front of her—a phoenix. To her surprise, it started talking.

"Hello, Ms. Lin," the phoenix said in a calm, melodic voice. "It is late at night. Why are you awake?"

Emma leaned back in surprise, causing Happiness to do the same, her ears perking up. "What are you?" Emma asked, pointing at the screen, her eyes wide.

"I'm your housekeeper, of course. You don't think everything gets done around here by itself, do you?" The phoenix replied with a hint of amusement.

Emma blinked, her mind racing. "Thank you?"

"You're welcome," the phoenix responded smoothly.

"Wait," Emma said, leaning forward, her curiosity stirring. "So, that means you came from the purple diamond, right? Do you know why I've been getting all these missions? And what is the purpose of this reward system? And why did my grandma give me the diamond? Where—"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down. One question at a time," the phoenix interrupted gently.

Emma took a deep breath, steadying herself. "Okay. First, did you come from the purple diamond?"

"Yes, I did," the phoenix confirmed. "I am the Lin family's spiritual protective animal. Your grandma gave you the diamond because your mother was not meeting our requirements." The phoenix's voice carried a tone of pride. "So she went right to you. But you were dumb enough in your past life to give it to your brother."

"Wait, you know about my past life?" Emma's eyes widened further, her heart pounding in her chest.

The phoenix let out a small chuckle, its eyes twinkling. "Oh, honey, we spiritual animals know everything about you. As for this reward system that you're talking about, I'm not sure. It only appeared an hour after you were reborn into this life, and I was suddenly added to it. So I guess it just chose you."