Chapter 183: Strength Potion

Yan Lao’er stared dumbfounded as Sanbao charged forward like a mad bull.

Yes, charging straight ahead without turning, violently pushing everything aside…

His heart pounded. He thought the intelligent ox had malfunctioned!

What now? How could he save his daughter?!

“Da Bao! Yu! I’m coming…

I’m coming—!” Yan Lao’er shouted in panic as he rushed forward.

“Ah!” His shout was abruptly cut off.

“Father! Pills, alcohol—give them to me, quick! Hurry, hurry!” Yan Yu, lying on the ox’s back, shouted at her father.

Yan Lao’er was stunned, but his body reacted instinctively. Without thinking, he reached into the cloth pouch containing medicine…

Looking down—yes, pills!

His mind processed his daughter’s words again.

Yan Lao’er took off running.

Alcohol—he had brought two jars, just in case.

By the time he returned with the alcohol and pills, he saw his daughter and Nanny Rong tirelessly feeding Sanbao snake meat—no, processed jerky.

The front end was extremely busy. Yan Yu’s speed was decent, but Nanny Rong’s hands were incredibly fast, seamlessly stuffing piece after piece into Sanbao’s mouth without pause.

Since the front was occupied, the only way to speed up the jerky output was…

Yan Lao’er instinctively looked behind.

He saw that his daughter had seemingly acquired a new bamboo basket, placed at the perfect spot.

All the freely falling…

Jerky landed precisely inside the basket.

Seeing her father return, Yan Yu quickly signaled him to take over.

She only said one sentence, and Yan Lao’er immediately understood the situation.

“The little brother is injured.”

She stuffed the two jars of alcohol and the medicine into the bamboo basket, pressing them down firmly.

The processing continued.

“Little brother, hold on a bit longer, it’s almost ready. Can you wait?” Yan Yu wanted to pack as much spirit snake jerky for the boy as possible, sending the basket along with the trade.

“Water—oh, right, water.” She hurriedly pulled out a bamboo flask from her backpack and stuffed it into the basket as well.

Sanbao worked diligently, quickly filling the basket to the brim.

Yan Yu called for a stop and placed a few fresh chunks of snake meat on top, barely keeping them from falling.

“Trade!”

On the other end, the young man had long since retrieved the precious potion, clutching it tightly in his hand, waiting for this moment.

A blur flashed before her eyes.

The basket filled with meat appeared on the other side of the unreachable screen.

Yan Yu waited and waited—but the potion didn’t arrive.

What was going on?

Did the platform swallow her potion?

Just as she was about to speak, something suddenly appeared in her mouth, blocking her words—

Gulp!

Yan Yu was completely dumbfounded!

Did I just swallow something?

A potion, yes—it must have been the potion!

Did I just swallow the potion?!

Yes! She did! And she gulped it down in one go—not a single drop left!

Oh my god!

That was a Strength Potion!

A potion that boosts physical strength!

Waaah! That was meant for her father!

She had already planned it out—to help her father shed his “weakling” past and become a strong dad!

Plowing fields, chopping trees, moving bricks…

So much work, endless work, all waiting for him!

But now she had swallowed it instead. What was she supposed to do now?!

On the other side, the young man was also stunned.

This was his first time trading potions on the platform, and he never expected it to be delivered straight into someone’s mouth.

Slowly, he took a bite of jerky, chewing carefully before swallowing.

After a short wait, he did feel a slight recovery in his strength.

His movements to pick up the bamboo flask grew faster, as did his reach for the medicine.

Without caring what kind of pills they were, he tossed them all into his mouth at once. To speed up their effect, he crushed them into powder between his teeth, then washed them down with two gulps of water.

Even after finishing the water, the bitterness still lingered, impossible to wash away.

He took a few more bites of jerky, but it felt increasingly difficult to chew. His gaze shifted to the fresh snake meat.

Expressionless, he bit down. The raw meat’s texture was odd, but he didn’t care anymore.

A faint sweetness gradually pushed out the bitter taste, dominating his entire palate.

The little girl across the screen was still in a daze, but the young man didn’t look away—he simply stared at her, taking bite after bite of meat.

In this cannibalistic world, zombies craved blood, mutant beasts were ruthless, and humans… hah… humans.

With supernatural abilities, they became superior to the average person, dividing society into ranks, looking down on ordinary people like ants.

They lost their reverence for life.

Fresh, living beings no longer moved them. Boiling blood couldn’t warm their already frozen hearts.

The people closest to them felt like strangers—cold, distant.

But the little girl across the virtual screen burned like a fire.

She and her family—must be very happy, right?

For the first time, the young man felt grateful for the platform.

Not for its survival resources, but for the fact that it connected different worlds—allowing him to see hope in someone who shared his struggles.

To feel something he hadn’t in a long time—warmth.

He should remind the girl to keep track of time.

But he didn’t.

Let me be selfish for a moment… just a moment.

The young man murmured silently in his heart.

“Yu, what’s wrong with you?!” Yan Lao’er finally couldn’t hold back and asked.

Yan Yu’s expression twisted from blankness to despair.

How was she supposed to express her feelings?!

Her brain short-circuited—she couldn’t process it yet…

Forget it. She’d set it aside for now. Let her brain and herself take a breather.

“Father, I need to keep going.”

After speaking, Yan Yu glanced at the screen.

She politely said, “Little brother, eat more meat and take care of your wounds. See you next time.”

The young man felt a hint of reluctance, but still nodded coolly. He whispered, “See you.”

As the screen switched, the young man lowered his gaze, maintaining his eating pace.

Swallowing the snake meat—even though he was already full, even though he was a bit overstuffed.

After a while, he raised his head, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

He spotted a fallen dagger nearby and slowly wiped it with the last remnants of his tattered clothing.

But the more he wiped, the filthier it got.

He pursed his lips and reluctantly grabbed the cloth pouch that had held the medicine, using it to carefully clean the blade—meticulously, patiently.

Both sides of the blade were disinfected with alcohol.

The young man then tore off his own burnt clothing, revealing charred, bloodied wounds.

He stared at them for a moment before pressing the knife to his flesh—cutting away the carbonized skin.

Blood oozed out, but he felt nothing.

Once all the burnt flesh was removed, he slowly poured the jar of alcohol over his wounds.

His movements were slow and methodical, ensuring no spot was left untreated.

Through it all, the only sound was the trickle of liquid.

The blood thinned slightly.

His taut muscles remained rigid, his strong will barely suppressing his body’s natural reaction.

He trembled—uncontrollably.

Clenching his teeth, he endured in silence.

Until everything settled.

Drenched in sweat, he reached into the bamboo basket with bloodstained hands—grabbing another piece of snake meat.

And put it in his mouth.

Live. I must Live.

That little girl who had entered this world—she was still waiting for him.