TVAPVM Chapter: 53 End

The two who had just gotten together didn’t have many peaceful days.

Gu Chi was still dazed by Chi Ying’s soft “try” when headquarters promptly dispatched him on a mission.

During his short break at headquarters, his ability had mostly recovered to level seven.

Now that the major zombie threat had been eliminated, the remaining missions were far easier than before.

At least the danger was greatly reduced.

__

In the seventh year of the apocalypse, three months after Gu Chi’s team returned from Yuhu City, the Human Alliance released the first medicine capable of treating the zombie virus. Production began a month later.

With the advent of the cure, humans launched a full-scale campaign against low-level zombies.

Ordinary civilians who joined the alliance were equipped with firearms, and for the first time, a formidable non-ability-user army was formed.

As for the true source of the cure, only a few high-ranking officials knew the truth.

After witnessing Chi Ying’s overwhelming strength in Yuhu City, the alliance assigned her a special power evaluation. The result: Unable to evaluate.

Even their current scale for level 9 ability users couldn’t define her.

So, Chi Ying was abruptly given the unprecedented title of a “Level 10 Ability User.”

She didn’t fully understand the implications, but it resulted in her being pulled away from the team more often than ever.

Gu Chi’s team specialized in exploration. Even with an off-road vehicle, travel between cities took half a day or more.

But Chi Ying’s power was far better suited to extermination teams handling waves of low-level zombies…

And so, their daily routine became: travel, fight zombies, Chi Ying gets picked up by a sudden alliance helicopter; travel again, fight again, and Chi Ying gets dropped off by another helicopter.

Eventually, she was deployed more frequently than even Gu Chi. For a time, she was even busier than he was.

Before long, everyone in the alliance knew of the mysterious high-level ability user—a girl.
Her arrival meant one thing: the complete slaughter of a city full of zombies.

__

In the eighth year of the apocalypse, humanity announced the beginning of civilization restoration.

Although low-level zombies weren’t fully eradicated, humans had gained enough strength that they no longer feared them. Total elimination was only a matter of time.

That year, Chi Ying, Gu Chi, and the rest finally had room to breathe.

Most of the zombies had been cleared out, and the various armies trained by the alliance matured significantly.

Veterans like Gu Chi and Lu Yunfei, once core members of the frontline, were rarely called out on missions now.

With her experience and ability, Mu Yu had transitioned from fighter to commander, taking charge of training and leading others.

The only one who became even busier was Yun Ling.

Restoring civilization required more than security. Seeds were essential—both the staples that ensured survival, and rare species that needed careful cultivation.

Yun Ling’s wood-type ability made her indispensable in this process. Even the most advanced wood-type user couldn’t match her capability for generating seeds.

She had no choice but to evolve from a lazy slacker into a tireless civil servant.

Whenever she had a rare moment of rest, she would rush over to Chi Ying to vent.

The world was healing, and they were slowly moving toward the stable life that had once felt so out of reach.

__

【Host.】
The system’s voice chimed in suddenly.

【The main world’s settlement result is in.】

Chi Ying, lounging lazily in bed, sat up in surprise.

But… isn’t the apocalypse still ongoing?

【The world has essentially returned to a stable trajectory. In a few more years, human civilization may even return to pre-apocalypse conditions. There’s no need to wait for full recovery.】

Chi Ying blinked, startled.

【Do you want to return to your original world?】

She glanced at the clock—it was lunchtime. Then she shook her head slowly.

【Got it.】
The system didn’t sound surprised.

Still, a faint melancholy rose in her chest.

She had once been surrounded by so many lively players in her original game world. Realizing she would never see them again brought a quiet sadness.

Chi Ying frowned, rose from bed, and left the room.

For the past year, she had gotten used to three meals a day at Gu Chi’s.

Knocking on his door had become part of her routine.

The door opened.

Gu Chi had just showered. Though it was winter and freezing, his skin was still damp, and his ears were flushed from the cold.

Chi Ying froze. She only gave him a quick glance before hastily averting her eyes.

“…What’s wrong?” he asked.

She suddenly couldn’t remember why she came. Her mind went blank.

Gu Chi watched her spin in place, his fingers tightening slightly against the door.

“Come in and say it?”

“No, no, no… I-it’s fine!”

He didn’t say anything—just looked at her quietly.

His warm breath met the chill air. His steady gaze slowly calmed her nerves.

Like she was under a spell, Chi Ying stepped forward. One step onto the threshold.

Gu Chi took half a step back. Chi Ying followed him in.

The door closed softly behind her.

He bent down, hand pressing lightly on the door beside her, enclosing her in a quiet space.

“Chi Ying…”

Still dazed.

Gu Chi: “…”

He chuckled, and the ambiguous mood instantly dissolved.

“Hungry?”

Chi Ying nodded quickly. Only then did she remember—she came here to eat!

She rushed to the kitchen to help set the table.

Once seated, she drank a mouthful of steaming radish soup—freshly harvested from the greenhouse Yun Ling helped with.

Gu Chi sat beside her. As they ate, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

“Chi Ying, it’s snowing.”

Chi Ying paused mid-sip and turned toward the window.

“Ah! It really is!” she exclaimed.

Though it was deep into winter, this was the first snowfall of the season.

Gu Chi looked up. Her eyes were bright as she watched the flakes drifting outside, and he was momentarily lost in thought.

When Chi Ying turned back, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

Only then did he blink and look away, his expression softening.

“Nothing.”

Chi Ying lowered her head and smiled faintly.

She had once lived in a game world full of fleeting players and artificial emotion.

But the man beside her, the warmth within reach—this was real.

She wanted to stay.

And watch the snow fall, again and again, with him.