Chapter 5: Mu Ling
Mu Ling was born in the family of crime-hunters, a legendary family that had rescued the city from several crises.
Once, no one could've ignored the family’s great force, but now there was only one that had the blood of the crime hunters – Mu Ling.
She got up on her feet slowly, planning to go back home to take a shower. She didn’t want to attend the classes today.
Actually, Mu Ling didn’t enjoy her campus life. Her identity as a student was only a tool for her to maintain her human side, a “stabilizer” that stopped her from losing control of herself.
Slacking off sometimes was not a big deal, she thought.
She took a bus at the nearest stop she could find. Soon, she was home. It was a villa located somewhere at the edge of the lively Tatsumi, suffering the visitors of time with stoical grace.
Rumor had it that this place was haunted. People in Tatsumi felt so uncomfortable with this urban legend that no one lived nearby. The streets fell into disrepair and neglect.
Thinking of the time when there were her family members and a large number of servants, Mu Ling sighed.
Her family members had died in battles with the followers of a cult. After that, Mu Ling had dismissed all the servants except the old steward, Huo Xin.
Mu Ling, with weary bones, pushed the door of the house open and walked into a dignified hall with a shiny white floor and crimson walls. A couch was next to a table with chairs. The spiral chandelier was giving out light. No matter how splendid it was, Mu Ling wanted to see her relatives.
“You should be at school now, my lady,” said Huo Xin, who came out from the corner of the stairs to the other floors.
Mu Ling looked up at the old steward and said calmly, “I have got into some trouble, and now I’m a bit tired.”
Huo Xin frowned. He could tell his lady was exhausted as if she had been through many intense fights. He remembered seeing her the same the previous night.
Wearing a worried face, Huo Xin bowed lightly and said, “My lady, you are, of course, an honorable crime-hunter, the only hope of this family. But with all due respect, I don’t think you are to blame for giving up this duty that is too heavy for a girl who has just barely stepped into her young womanhood.”
Looking at her with serious and compassionate eyes, he continued, “You could live a delightful life if you leave this city.”
Mu Ling looked at Huo Xin, silent. She knew this old man whom she loved the most wanted all the best for her.
‘But I don’t want to give up all these,’ she thought.
“Huo Xin, I know you’re concerned about me,” after a sigh, she continued, “but I’m the last hope for my family. Leaving this city and going to a place where nobody knew me, getting married, and having babies. It sounds great, but that’s not the life I want.”
Moreover, she was a member of the Babel Tower now. She has many more opportunities to revive the hunter clan.
Huo Xin took a deep breath, his eyes full of respect. The little girl he raised was now a hunter full of glory. How could he not believe in her ability?
“Sorry, my lady. I shouldn’t have questioned your determination.” He bowed.
After Huo Xin left, Mu Ling looked at the empty villa and sighed. She then walked into her spacious bathroom.
She slowly took off her black stockings, along with the rest of her clothes.
"Phew." Mu Ling sat in the bathtub and took a deep breath.
A hot shower is effective in soothing her pressure and nerves. Since the pain degree is 15% of the real world, Mu Ling was not so tired physically.
What is the Babel Tower? And who is the Savior?
Mu Ling lay back in the tub, with the water completely covering her.
If he's a god… what is his real goal? To save the world?
Or… dominate the world, then destroy it?
--
Inside the library, Bai Yan was playing the game with one hand holding his chin.
“Next step is to build the foundation.” He was already familiar with the process.
In the beginning, the essential foundation was the “Recovery Spring” used to heal the operators’ injuries and recover their Mood.
Just as mentioned before, mood and loyalty were two important attributes for operators. Operators with low mood and loyalty would refuse training and even attack other operators.
Luckily, Bai Yan had already cleared this game, and he knew how to manage this problem.
“Take a rest before her mood and loyalty become zero.”
With a total of 90 Energy points, he spent 30 points to construct the first foundation.
Recovery Spring (Females)
In Babel Tower, many of the infrastructure facilities were constructed in three types for different genders, that is, females, males, and non-humans. Although it sounded ridiculous, some operators not belonging to the human species would use the “non-human” spring.
In short, Bai Yan felt that the operators were as troublesome as real people.
He had even met a simp operator whose mood dropped from 10 to 0 because of a breakup with his girlfriend…
Bai Yan clicked on the “Foundation” and selected the “Recovery Spring (Females)”
And clicked on “Build”.
The background in the game changed, turning into a tower-like island floating in the air.
This is the Tower of Babel.
A logo of a pool of spring water appeared in the middle of the island.
Healing Spring is used to heal the operator’s mood and injuries. Energy points are required.
Once the operators were severely injured, it would affect their mood and loyalty. As for minor injuries, the operators would apply for medicine and heal themselves during idling time.
As a high-efficient person, Bai Yan had always looked forward to the operators working hard during auto-playing time.
Next, he checked Nightsaber’s current attributes.
After the simulation training, Nightsaber gained 5 skill points and lost 1 point of mood and loyalty, which were now 2 and 3, respectively.
“Take Nightsaber to the Healing Spring now?”
Before confirming, Bai Yan soon realized that there was still some space before Nightsaber’s mood and loyalty became zero,
In order to get the maximized benefits, he should arrange another job for her before bringing her to the spring. Without any hesitation, Bai Yan clicked on ‘Weekly Mission’.
In Babel Tower, only weekly missions provided actual combat. Other training belonged to the daily mission.
Then, he arranged new combat for the poor, exhausted Nightsaber. He knew very well that the benefit of alternating between simulation training and actual combat was better.
--
I can’t control myself again.
In the bathtub, Mu Ling suddenly realized that she couldn't move freely. Although she was still shocked, she was no longer afraid. Is it the Savior?
She stood up from the bathtub and calmly toweled herself. She put on her clothes, picked up the black cross necklace, and walked out of the house.
Mu Ling was in a terrible mood because she had just put on the soiled clothes. Her body felt uncomfortable again.
And, her underwear seemed to be inside out!
Huo Xin was watering the flower outside the villa. He saw Mu Ling walk out of the door and asked, “Where are you going, my lady?”
Mu Ling couldn’t form a response and left the villa in anger.
‘Where am I going?’ Mu Ling was so confused.
