Chapter 279
The joy that had just bloomed inside Suzy’s heart plummeted the moment she heard the system’s response.
It would be entering dormancy again soon.
For a brief moment, she had thought it had finally recovered.
"How much longer can you stay awake?" Suzy asked.
At that moment, she had countless questions she wanted answered, yet she did not know where to begin.
[I’m not sure. I could enter dormancy at any time.]
Suzy let out a quiet sigh after hearing the reply.
She forced herself to organize the tangled thoughts swirling through her mind.
If the system could disappear again at any moment, she could not afford to waste time.
She needed answers.
Her thoughts moved quickly. Within seconds, she sorted through the chaos and identified the questions that mattered most.
"System, I’ll ask directly. What happened to Derek? Why did he develop a fever? And why didn’t the spirit spring water work?"
This was the issue weighing on her the most.
The spirit spring was one of her greatest advantages in the apocalypse. The possibility that it might fail filled her with unease.
[Derek came into contact with the gray snow.]
Although the system had been dormant, it had remained aware of everything happening around Suzy.
Its answer came immediately.
"The gray snow? You mean the snowfall from that day?"
Shock flooded her voice.
[Yes.]
"How is that possible...?"
Suzy stared blankly ahead. She clearly remembered that everyone had remained indoors that day. Derek had not gone outside. How could he have come into contact with it?
When they had discussed the strange snowfall, Leonard had specifically warned everyone that something about it seemed wrong.
Derek was cautious by nature. He would never deliberately expose himself to something dangerous.
No matter how she thought about it, it did not make sense.
[He may have come into contact with it accidentally without realizing it.]
"But Leonard touched the gray snow too. Why is he completely fine?"
The more she thought about it, the stranger it seemed.
If simple contact was enough, then Leonard should have shown symptoms as well.
Instead, he had spent the past several days energetic and healthy.
Not even a hint of a fever.
Back then, she had given Leonard spirit spring water, and it had clearly worked.
So why had it failed when it came to Derek?
Suzy could not make sense of it.
[The spirit spring is effective.]
The system immediately addressed her concern.
The spirit spring could counteract the effects of the gray snow. However, there was a limitation. It only worked if administered within thirty minutes of exposure.
Understanding dawned on her instantly.
"So Derek’s awake now. Does that mean he’s okay?"
Her voice trembled slightly.
[No.]
[The effects of the gray snow have not been fully removed. His condition has only improved temporarily.]
The answer tightened Suzy’s chest.
She trusted the system. It had never lied to her before. That meant Bill’s treatment had only addressed the symptoms rather than the underlying cause.
"What exactly is the gray snow?" she asked quickly.
"Is there any way to deal with it?"
The system remained silent for several moments before responding.
[The gray snow is extremely dangerous.]
It deliberately avoided explaining what the gray snow actually was.
A moment later, it continued.
[There is a solution.]
Suzy sat upright.
"What is it?"
[The reward earned from reaching maximum affection can be exchanged for a special potion.]
[That potion can eliminate the effects of the gray snow.]
Silence settled over Suzy.
"Does your current energy reserve support reward redemption now?"
She was not worried about spending an affection reward.
To her, Derek mattered far more than any system reward.
What concerned her was the system itself. It had already failed to process one reward because it lacked sufficient energy. If that problem remained unresolved, none of this would matter.
[No.]
This time, the system’s answer carried an unmistakable trace of guilt.
The corner of Suzy’s mouth twitched.
"Then what are we supposed to do?"
Without enough energy, the system could not process the exchange.
Without the potion, the hidden danger inside Derek’s body would remain.
"If the effects of the gray snow aren’t removed, what will happen to him?"
The system answered immediately.
[He will die.]
The blunt response silenced her once more.
For several seconds, she could not speak.
Then she drew a slow breath.
"Is there any way to restore your energy?"
At this point, saving the system had become the priority.
Only after restoring its functionality could she redeem the reward and obtain the cure Derek needed.
[Yes.]
The answer came without hesitation.
Suzy’s eyes sharpened.
"Tell me."
Her voice was firm.
"I’ll figure out a way."
[The reason I was able to awaken this time is because you successfully completed Derek’s route.]
[Every successful conquest provides me with a substantial amount of energy.]
The moment the system explained it, Suzy immediately understood what it was implying.
If she wanted the system to recover quickly, she would need to successfully win over another target.
A headache instantly began to form.
She had only just completed Derek’s route, and now she already needed to focus on someone new.
Finding suitable targets was not exactly easy.
The people connected to her system were limited.
Qualified targets were not vegetables sitting on a market shelf waiting to be picked.
Where was she supposed to find another one?
Then a thought struck her.
Liam.
She had not completed his route yet.
Excitement flared inside her.
Just as quickly, reality tempered her optimism.
Reaching maximum affection was never simple.
Her excitement faded into worry once more.
Still, for the sake of both the system and Derek, she had no choice.
Suzy clenched her teeth and steeled herself.
Starting tomorrow.
No. Starting right now.
She would officially begin pursuing Liam.
"Don’t worry, System. I’ll figure something out."
After speaking, all she received in return was a burst of distorted static.
The sound was faint and distant.
The system was slipping away again.
"System? System!"
Her heart tightened.
She called for it repeatedly in her mind.
[Host... be careful...]
The voice was becoming weaker.
[If you encounter the gray snow again, avoid it at all costs. Do not touch it...]
Those were the final words the system left behind before falling silent once more.
No matter how many times Suzy called out afterward, there was no response.
This time, it had truly entered dormancy.
Fortunately, its brief awakening had not been in vain.
At least now she knew what needed to be done.
The next step was clear.
She needed to win Liam’s affection and provide the system with enough energy to recover.
Once the system awakened again, every problem could be solved.
The lingering effects of the gray snow inside Derek’s body.
The rewards she had yet to claim.
Everything.
Taking a deep breath, Suzy pushed aside her thoughts and slowly closed her eyes.
She already felt better than before.
At the very least, Derek was awake.
She finally understood the nature of his condition.
Taking out a bottle of spirit spring water from her space, she drank a mouthful.
Warm vitality immediately spread through her body, restoring some of her energy.
A moment later, she rose from the bed and left the room.
Leonard, Thomas, and Derek were all waiting in the living room. The instant they saw her emerge, all three looked toward her.
"Why are you already up?" Leonard asked quickly. "How are you feeling?"
The concern in their eyes softened something inside her.
"Don’t worry. I’m fine. I feel much better now."
Her gentle reassurance eased some of their tension.
"Then eat something."
Leonard immediately seized the opportunity.
Suzy could not help laughing.
Even now, he was still focused on making sure she ate.
To put their minds at ease, she reluctantly had a small meal.
Only then did Leonard finally relax.
"Go sit down. I’ll clean up."
He volunteered to handle the dishes, shooing her toward the living room.
He had barely picked up the bowls when a loud series of crashes echoed from below.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The sounds reverberated clearly through the apartment.
Their safe house had excellent soundproofing.
If the noise was reaching them this clearly, it meant the disturbance downstairs was substantial.
The three men exchanged looks and immediately moved toward the window.
Looking down, they saw a group gathered outside their building.
Several people were hammering violently at the main entrance, producing the repeated crashing sounds.
The group looked aggressive. Various weapons were visible in their hands.
A rough count suggested there were six of them.
Their objective was obvious.
"They’ve set their sights on our building now?"
Leonard frowned.
"For the moment, they can’t get in," Thomas observed calmly. "The entrance downstairs appears to be locked."
The people responsible were most likely Liam or the doctor brothers.
Besides Suzy’s group and Liam, the only other residents in the building were the four brothers who had arrived recently.
Suzy’s group had not gone outside in a long time.
The people still making regular trips outdoors were Liam and those brothers.
Whoever had secured the entrance was almost certainly one of them.
The four of them continued watching the group below from above.
With their numbers and preparation, none of them felt particularly nervous.
At that moment, the walkie talkie stored inside Suzy’s space crackled to life.
Sensing the transmission, she immediately retrieved it.
This time, she made no effort to hide what she was doing from Derek.
His affection had already reached maximum.
Once a target reached that point, the system’s "never betray" condition automatically activated.
There was no longer any reason to conceal the existence of her space from him.
The sudden appearance of the walkie talkie drew the attention of the other three men.
Leonard and Thomas were already aware of her space and barely reacted.
For Derek, however, this was the first time he had witnessed it.
He froze.
His amber eyes widened as he stared at Suzy.
For a moment, his expression was completely blank.