Chapter 58

Chapter 58: Ke Li Nuo Grasslands 2

Accepting it was the only option. The System wouldn’t even acknowledge them, and with time ticking, complaining was pointless.

If they moved fast and found beastmen, maybe they’d get food.

Some people began scanning the crowd for familiar faces. Teaming up felt safer.

And on a grassland this huge, who knew what dangers might be hiding? More people meant more strength.

Before long, temporary squads formed.

A few tried to recruit Ling Mo, too. Among all the disheveled players, her neat, fully prepared appearance stood out.

Ling Mo had no interest in joining. To be blunt, they’d be dead weight. They wouldn’t help, and they’d drag her down.

So the moment she sensed them closing in, she ran.

No matter how they called after her, she didn’t look back.

Only after she’d put enough distance between them did she stop.

“Qie Man,” she asked quietly, “do you know anything about this place?”

“Loading data. ke li nuo grasslands is inhabited by many beast races and beastmen.”

“Wait—aren’t beast races and beastmen the same thing?”

“Of course not. Beastmen are intelligent and similar to humans, except certain body parts have beast traits. Beastmen are born warriors. They are simple and honest, and they hate deception. Beast races are beastmen’s primary food.”

“…Alright.” Ling Mo took a breath. “Can you help me find traces of beastmen?”

“No beastmen detected nearby.”

Ling Mo couldn’t help feeling disappointed.

“Fine. I’ll keep looking,” she said. “Watch the surroundings while we move. If you see resources like the water-chilling stone, tell me.”

“Okay.”

To move faster, she pulled out an electric scooter and shot across the grassland.

ke li nuo grasslands was vast—so vast it felt like there was no edge to it.

After about an hour, Qie Man’s voice suddenly sounded again.

“A beastman village detected ahead.”

“Thanks,” Ling Mo said, eyes already fixed on the shapes in the distance. “I can see it.”

Even before she reached it, she could tell it wasn’t small. A lot of beastmen must live there.

Was her first task really going to be completed on day one?

Excitement surged—then caution tempered it just as quickly. This was her first game as an official player. It wouldn’t be that easy.

And the System had emphasized customer satisfaction. This wasn’t just about finishing a job. It was about doing it well.

She put away the scooter and walked toward the village.

“Qie Man,” she asked, “do you know what kind of beastman village this is?”

“Analysis indicates a rabbit beastman village. As one of the most fertile beastman groups, rabbit beastmen hire large numbers of nannies every year.”

Childcare.

Ling Mo swallowed. She was utterly clueless in that area.

Fine. She’d ask if there was other work. If not… she’d do her best. Baby rabbit beastmen had to be easier than human infants. Right?

With that shaky confidence, she approached the village.

Rabbit beastmen were a timid race. When they saw Ling Mo—a stranger they’d never encountered—they instinctively grew wary, hiding to watch her.

They thought they were hidden.

They weren’t.

Her mental power had already mapped them out.

This was where her interstellar language came in handy.

“Don’t be afraid,” she said calmly. “I’m here looking for work.”

She pointed to the smiley badge on her chest and held up her interstellar citizen ID.

The ID had been arranged by the System and only delivered to her yesterday.

Sure enough, once they saw the badge and the ID, the tension in the village eased.

An older rabbit beastman stepped out from one of the houses and spoke in a friendly tone. “Can you look after children? We’ve had many baby rabbit beastmen this year. You can help us take care of them.”

Ling Mo smiled politely. “Of course. It would be my honor to help. But compared to childcare, I’m actually better at collecting trash.”

She was grasping at straws, hoping to dodge the nanny work.

Instead, the old rabbit’s eyes widened. He grabbed her hand, practically trembling with excitement. “Really?

That’s wonderful! Winter just ended, and our village has piled up a lot of trash. Please help us haul it all away!”

Ling Mo blinked. Was collecting trash really that beloved in interstellar society?

At once, the rabbit beastmen who’d been hiding rushed out, eager to have her visit their household first.

They were too enthusiastic. In the end, the old rabbit beastman had to lay down the rules: from the front to the back, one household at a time, no cutting in line.

The first family was a rabbit mother and daughter. Ling Mo followed them.

She couldn’t help wondering—weren’t rabbit beastmen supposed to have lots of children? Why was it just the two of them?

After she asked, she learned the daughter beside the rabbit mother was her eightieth child. The earlier children had all moved out once they grew up.

Ling Mo nodded, finally understanding.

Then another question hit her. If rabbit beastmen were that prolific, why did the village only have a few dozen houses?

It didn’t take long to find out.

The houses on the surface were mostly for outsiders to see. Each one represented a clan. In reality, the rabbit folk lived underground.

As Ling Mo followed the rabbit mother, she observed their living spaces closely.

The underground homes had clearly been dug out little by little, but the surfaces were reinforced with sturdy walls painted in patterns. It looked decorative, but it also helped prevent collapse.

At a large door, the rabbit mother stopped. “I won’t go down,” she said. “You go ahead.”

Ling Mo nodded politely, then opened the door—

And froze at the sight inside.

The rabbit mother misread her expression and gave an embarrassed laugh. “In winter, there’s nothing to do at home, so I like buying things online. Then I kept buying and buying, and…” She sighed. “My children grew up around it and inherited the habit, so it ended up like this.”