Chapter 2

The cub’s life points were too low, she had to think of a solution quickly.
Tao Shushu tapped the screen, grabbed the two most prominent blades of grass, and tied them into a bow.
Just as she was about to repeat the process, she suddenly froze.
On the screen, Nan Yuan sat coldly in the center of the encirclement, watching the surrounding grass. When he noticed the bow above him, a question mark popped up over his head.
He had been leaning on his gun, but now he abruptly raised it, aiming at the void behind the two blades of grass.
Tao Shushu found herself locking eyes with Nan Yuan.
The characters in this game were so realistic, they could even interact? Tao Shushu was stunned. She pinched the two blades of grass, wanting to greet him but afraid of scaring the cub.
At that moment, two blades of grass behind the cub suddenly lunged forward, attempting a sneak attack.
Tao Shushu’s hands moved faster than her eyes, she instinctively pressed down on the screen.
Hearing the rustling of grass, mixed with the sound of other creatures brushing past the grass tips, Nan Yuan didn’t turn around. Instead, he pulled the trigger and rolled forward.
All around him, bloodthirsty grass lay in wait, poised to devour him whole.
There was no retreat behind him either, better to risk it all in one desperate move.
Boom,
The bloodthirsty grass ahead exploded, and Nan Yuan forcefully carved out a safe zone for himself.
Once he steadied himself, he turned around and saw that several more bows had appeared on the grass behind him.
Who was it?
Nan Yuan blinked, wondering what kind of entity could move four or five meters in an instant, from in front of him to behind, without disturbing the dense thicket of grass.
There shouldn’t be any other intelligent life forms on this barren planet.
Damn grass, sneaking up on him like that! Bullying a lone cub just because there was so much of it, Tao Shushu was furious. Her hands moved nonstop, pinching the tips of the grass and tying them into bows.
Once she finished, she saw the cub on the screen staring warily in her direction.
Tao Shushu gathered a clump of grass and shook it in a friendly gesture. On the screen, a large question mark appeared above the cub’s head, which then turned into a big red X.
Nan Yuan stared intently at the patch of grass before him, but there was truly no one there. He didn’t even understand how the other party had moved to the opposite side.
Tao Shushu was also observing the cub. Because of the earlier attack, his injuries had clearly worsened.
After a moment’s thought, she quickly tied bows on the tallest stalks of bloodthirsty grass. When she finished, she noticed the question mark above the cub’s head had grown even larger.
Nan Yuan’s heart sank. Whatever was in front of him was elusive and unpredictable, far more powerful than any creature he had encountered before that sought to devour his flesh and blood alone.
He tightened his grip on his weapon. He didn’t know what this thing was that could shift positions so stealthily, but he had no room for retreat. His only option was to flee with all his might.
Faced with enemies that far outnumbered him and were in much better condition, the cub showed no fear. Even with severe injuries, he refused to let go of his weapon and began fighting the bloodthirsty grass once more.
Tao Shushu was moved. In the cub, she saw a reflection of herself, hadn’t she struggled just as desperately to survive in her past life? Nan Yuan’s fierce will to live resonated deeply with her.
It’s like looking at my past self, she thought. Anyway, it’s just a game. Tao Shushu decided she would take good care of this game character.
A red warning flashed on the screen: Low Health Alert!
Tao Shushu quickly tapped the health bar, and this time, an option appeared: Use Health Potion?
Without hesitation, she tapped Yes.
Immediately, another message popped up: You have no health potions in your backpack. Would you like to purchase one?
Tao Shushu didn’t hesitate. Fine, I’ll buy it.
Isn't the first top-up usually just 6 yuan?
However, upon entering the recharge page, a sly notification popped up again: "Detected differences in the Blue Star currency system. Unable to convert and recharge at the moment. Apologies."
If you can’t even recharge, what’s the point of apologizing!
Tao Shushu felt like complaining.
This game had something special, it could load when other games had no signal, and now it even mentioned terms like "Blue Star." Tao Shushu was already convinced of the game’s magic. Perhaps this game could truly change the outcome of the Tao family being sacrificed by the female lead in her dreams.
Tao Shushu closed the recharge interface and searched around the game. When she clicked on the mail function, a system message popped up: "Congratulations on passing the intelligent being verification. Reward: 10 gold coins."
Tao Shushu collected the 10 gold coins, returned to the shop, and bought a bottle of Basic Health Potion, then clicked to use it.
The originally dim and gloomy sky suddenly brightened. Countless dazzling rays of light fell on Nan Yuan’s skin.
Nan Yuan bathed in the center of the light, his skin appearing even more pristine, with faint traces of radiance swirling around him, like the last deity under the sky.
So beautiful.
Tao Shushu was mesmerized.
So the Health Potion was this stunning when used. Tao Shushu decided she would buy more bottles to use in the future. She had even forgotten to take a screenshot just now.
In the top left corner, Nan Yuan’s health points increased by 20, reaching 23.
Tao Shushu looked closely, Nan Yuan on the screen was no longer trembling, and the wound on his hand had stopped bleeding. However, his brows seemed even more tightly furrowed. Unable to resist, Tao Shushu reached out and gently touched Nan Yuan’s forehead.
The bell signaling the end of the exam rang.
More and more students poured out, and the hallway filled with the sound of hushed discussions.
Tao Shushu checked her phone. Nan Yuan, now restored to his condition, swiftly repelled the Bloodsucking Grass attacking him.
Soon, he cleared out a large safe area, even larger than the open space he had during his fight with the lion.
Tao Shushu noticed that the bloodstains left by the lion passing through the grass earlier had disappeared.
Thinking about the lion that might return at any moment, possibly with reinforcements, Tao Shushu bought two more Health Potions and used them on her "cub."
The cub’s health points increased to 63. Temporarily reassured, Tao Shushu exited the game, ready to face Zhang Hai’s punishment. In her dream, as the female lead’s homeroom teacher, Zhang Hai had repeatedly wronged and suppressed Tao Shushu.

Nan Yuan mechanically swung his blade, cutting through swarms of Bloodsucking Grass and mysterious "entities" of unknown origin but formidable strength. His stamina was nearly depleted, and his vision was blurring. He kept reminding himself not to give up, he still had to seek revenge, to return to the Capital Star and find his parents.
Just before he lost consciousness, Nan Yuan sensed something, a surge of healing energy had appeared in the air.
Like a suffocating, oxygen-deprived person suddenly stepping into an oxygen-rich room.
Nan Yuan froze in disbelief. The healing energy mended his wounds and instantly replenished his stamina.
How was this possible? Even at the peak of human military power, only figures at the level of a head of state could access healing potions of such purity.
As Nan Yuan stood there in a daze, his forehead was gently touched.
Was it the mysterious person who had just helped him deal with the Bloodsucking Grass? Who would use such a high-quality healing potion on their prey? So, that person intended to help him? But who? Who possessed such formidable strength, and who would still be willing to assist him? He had no value left. A flood of questions surged in Nan Yuan's mind.
As he pondered, two more Bloodsucking Grass plants tried to attack him in different ways. Nan Yuan swiftly dealt with them. Just as he was about to call out to the mysterious figure, he felt two more waves of healing potion energy infusing into his body.
Nan Yuan turned around, but the vast wilderness showed no trace of any other living being, not even the faintest rustle of limbs brushing against grass.
Who could it be? Nan Yuan grew uneasy and wary, gripping his particle gun tightly.

Zhang Hai slowly organized his answer sheets.
Tao Shushu simply took out her test paper, ready to give it another try.
This time, she no longer felt the sensation of being unable to read the questions clearly. Without even thinking, she solved the first three multiple-choice questions, all of them were basic conceptual problems, with answers that came to her as soon as she finished reading.
Following her usual habit, Tao Shushu quickly skimmed through the test paper.
When she reached the last multiple-choice question, a comprehensive problem involving electric and magnetic fields, commonly known as the capstone question of the multiple-choice section, that muddled, hazy feeling in her brain returned!
Tao Shushu persisted for a while but soon grew drowsy again.
She quickly skipped that question and moved on to the fill-in-the-blank section. Effortlessly solving a few of them, she began to form a hypothesis.
Currently, she had no issues with simple questions, but when faced with difficult ones, she was still affected.
Challenging problems triggered that sensation of being unable to see the questions clearly.
After dawdling for what felt like ages, Zhang Hai finally left the exam room. He glanced at his phone and immediately broke into a wide grin. "Have you reflected on anything? Come with me to the academic affairs office. I refuse to believe even the dean will cover for you."
Just as he spoke, Zhang Hai's phone rang. He answered it, "Su Momo's parents want to talk to me? Alright, I'll head to the academic affairs office right away."
Tao Shushu keenly caught the keyword, transfer student, Su Momo.
The female lead in her dream was named Su Momo.
Tao Shushu shrugged and followed Zhang Hai. She was curious to see this so-called female lead for herself.
The plot in her dream was written from the female lead's perspective.
As soon as the female lead transferred, she scored full marks, becoming the undisputed academic prodigy.
That same day, another incident became the talk of Huiwen High, Tao Shushu, a top student from the elite class, was caught cheating. Her previous good grades were all obtained dishonestly, creating a stark contrast with the intelligent and hardworking female lead, Su Momo.
Instantly, the female lead became the campus goddess, while Tao Shushu turned into a social outcast, despised by everyone.
However, Tao Shushu herself knew better than anyone, her past achievements were the result of diligent study and effort. She had never cheated.
As the story progressed, Su Momo became the darling of a wealthy family, a lucky charm, and an academic genius. She grew increasingly famous and formidable.
In stark contrast, Tao Shushu’s entire family, serving as cannon fodder with diminished intelligence, experienced a series of misfortunes, poor decision-making, bankruptcy, and a lifetime of being trampled underfoot by Su Momo’s supporters.
Recalling the plot from her dream, Tao Shushu clenched her fists tighter the more she thought about it. Having traveled from the apocalypse to this world, she was determined to protect her leisurely, comfortable life and the parents who cherished her. Anyone who dared disrupt it would pay the price.
Zhang Hai, rushing to meet Su Momo’s parents, walked briskly. He intended to warn Tao Shushu along the way but accidentally missed a step, letting out a startled yelp. Clutching his chest awkwardly, he snapped, "Tao Shushu, don’t think you’re so impressive just because you’re good at physics. Su Momo, who just transferred to the international class today, scored full marks in physics. Hmph. Some students never learn the lesson that pride comes before a fall, people like you will surely..."
Tao Shushu replied calmly, "Mr. Zhang, we’re in front of the principal’s office. There’s a sign here reminding everyone to communicate quietly and politely. Is it appropriate for you to be so loud?"
Zhang Hai turned and realized they had indeed reached the principal’s door without him noticing. He cursed inwardly for accidentally voicing his thoughts right outside the office and immediately began bowing apologetically.
The principal snorted coldly, "Zhang Hai, is this how you usually speak to students? Get in here now."
On the verge of tears, Zhang Hai entered the principal’s office with a grimace, not even sparing Tao Shushu a glance.
The office door slammed shut. Tao Shushu waited outside, turning her gaze to the girl standing nearby.
"Hello, you must be Tao Shushu. I’m the new transfer student, Su Momo," the girl in a white dress said, extending her hand with a smile.
Tao Shushu had already noticed the girl by the principal’s office and guessed she was the female protagonist, Su Momo.
How did the female protagonist know her name? She wasn’t exactly famous. Tao Shushu remained wary and did not extend her hand in return.
[Detecting another system launching an attack. Automatically applying a protective buff for our player.] An electronic voice suddenly echoed in Tao Shushu’s mind.
Tao Shushu turned on her phone, and the icon for "Apocalypse Ability User" flashed twice. She slung her backpack over her shoulder, fixed her eyes on Su Momo, and mentally conversed with the electronic voice. [What does that mean?]
[The female protagonist of this world, Su Momo, can use her Academic Genius System to "cut" others’ mastery of knowledge. So, do you want to break free from the protagonist’s halo suppression? Do you want immunity to the intelligence-reducing buff? Do you wish to change the tragic fate of cannon fodder? Simply immerse yourself in our company’s game, and you’ll receive the aforementioned gift package.]
[Ding! Complete the first task in the game to earn a Primary Clarity Card. Effect: Shields against the intelligence-reducing halo and immunizes against damage from other systems. Duration: Six hours. Scope: One person.]