Chapter 58: Chapter 52: Life Energy Short Sleeve
"Who is this âuncleâ?"
If it had been any ordinary little girl, Tang Mo would have lost interest in asking further.
In this day and age, who wasnât struggling desperately to survive? The men and women, young and old, sleeping on the lawns; the suggestive sounds from within the tentsâlife wasnât easy for anyone.
Xiao Mo, at least, could live in an apartment. She could enjoy air conditioning and wear a dress even in the coldest winter, which was already far better than what most people had.
"The uncle is my momâs boyfriend. Not long after we got to this base, my mom met him, and then she brought me to move in here." Xiao Moâs voice remained devoid of emotion.
Tang Mo recalled the woman who had greeted her. Though she looked weathered by hardship, her features were genuinely beautiful. Beneath her plain clothes, it wasnât hard to see her delicate figure.
Xiao Mo had inherited that from her mother.
Tang Mo felt a certain contempt for Xiao Moâs mother. As a woman, her choices were her own, and others had no right to interfere.
But as a mother, bringing her child into the lionâs den like this... she was unfit to be one.
"Are you asking me to help you? I might not be able to do much."
Although Tang Moâs heart ached for the girl, family matters were hard to resolve even in times of peace, let alone in the current apocalypse.
âCondemn Xiao Moâs motherâs sordid actions from the moral high ground?â
âAnd then what? Whatâs the demand? For her to take Xiao Mo back to the lawns to live exposed to the elements, never having enough to eat?â
âWhat right did she have?â
"No, I just... I want to be friends with you."
To Tang Moâs surprise, Xiao Mo didnât burst into tears and beg to be saved. Instead, she wanted to be friends.
"Why?"
"I donât know. Sister, I really envy you. Why is my life so hard? I donât even want to say a single word every day Iâm in that house. I thought if I pretended not to see or hear anything, time would pass faster, but itâs still so painful. Every minute, every second is unbearable."
Xiao Moâs fingers dug tightly into the teddy bearâs body.
âShe doesnât have autism at all,â Tang Mo realized. âItâs just a way for her heart to escape.â
Tang Mo didnât know why this girl she had just met was telling her all this, but she didnât dislike it.
She could see that even while struggling in the mud, this girl hadnât given up hope. She was protecting herself in her own way.
Tang Mo finally understood what it was about Xiao Mo that was so much like herself. It was her stubbornnessâa stubbornness that refused to admit defeat.
"Xiao Mo, have you ever climbed a mountain?"
"Huh?" Xiao Mo looked at Tang Mo, confused.
"Only those who reach the summit have the right to talk about the hardships they endured along the way while theyâre looking down at the beautiful scenery. People will see it as a badge of honor. But no one listens to the hardships of those who fail to reach the top. If they speak of them, itâs just a joke, like an excuse for their own failure."
It was rare for Tang Mo to be willing to say such things. The girl, Xiao Mo, had touched a nerve deep inside her. If she could, she wanted to give her a handâin Tang Moâs own unique way.
"So... I shouldnât talk about my hardships?" Xiao Mo asked, only half-understanding.
"No. It means you have to reach the summit. Once you become strong, the things youâre experiencing wonât just be hardships anymore. Youâll be able to give them meaning."
Hearing Tang Moâs words, Xiao Moâs eyes suddenly lit up.
She thought for a long while, and it was as if something she couldnât figure out before had suddenly clicked into place. The end of the darkness was no longer an endless void but a faint glimmer of light.
"Thank you. I understand now." Xiao Mo hopped off the stool to leave.
She reached the door, then turned back. "So, Sister... are we friends now?"
"Yes." Tang Mo smiled and nodded.
After watching Xiao Mo leave, Tang Mo locked the door, then took out the white Intermediate Crystal Core and began to absorb it in the palm of her hand.
Feeling the abundant energy flowing continuously through her body, Tang Moâs heart gradually calmed.
Those words werenât just for Xiao Mo; they were for herself, too.
Only those who reach the summit have the right to speak of their hardships. Those who fail donât even have the right to complain.
From the moment she had opened her eyes after her rebirth, Tang Mo had worked hard every single minute, pushing herself to the limit to improve and grow stronger, never daring to relax for even a second.
She only had her Space and a bit more experience from her past life than others.
Her natural talent and strength were still average. She couldnât rely on overwhelming power to protect herself in the apocalypse.
She still remembered everything that happened on the bus. If the bald driver and Ah Lian hadnât been there, or if there had been two more attackers, or if they had been stronger...
...her journey in the apocalypse might have ended right at the beginning.
Because she knew her own shortcomings and understood her own weakness, she was modest and cautious. And because of that, she worked even harder, pushing herself to the brink.
Training her spiritual power was tedious and boring, yet she would sit for five hours at a minimum.
The Sword Skill training was baffling to her, but she painstakingly studied every single move in the videoâsecond by second, frame by frameâuntil she had brutally hammered the entire set into her mind.
When she first started practicing, the sword would fall to the ground again and again, often bruising her feet, but she never took a single day off. She just endured it.
It wasnât that she wasnât tired, and it wasnât that it didnât hurt.
But she always remembered: those who havenât succeeded have no right to complain, no right to feel wronged.
After absorbing the Intermediate Crystal Core, Tang Mo clearly felt her body become a little lighter, and the impurities within it seemed to have lessened.
She checked her Space and, just as she expected, its area had increased by about one square meter.
Tang Mo excitedly placed the hat and sunglasses she had traded for at the market into her Space. But just as she was about to put the short-sleeved shirt in as well, her hand suddenly paused.
âThis shirtâs material feels so nice. It would be more comfortable to wear it directly against my skin.â
The shirt was new, so Tang Mo didnât mind that she had stepped on it. It was just dust; she could pat it clean.
In a flash, she pulled the shirt on, enjoying the soft feel of the fabric.
"Why do I feel... inexplicably more energetic?"
After putting on the shirt, Tang Mo suddenly felt a change in her body.
Because of her high spiritual power, Tang Mo was extremely sensitive to every little change in her body.
"My focus seems sharper, my thoughts are clearer, and my mind feels more agile... whatâs going on?"
Tang Moâs gaze fell upon the shirt she had just put on.
On a whim, she activated the appraisal function of her ID Watch and aimed it at the white short-sleeved shirt she was wearing.
Name: Life Energy Short Sleeve
Attribute Value: Life attribute value +10
Tang Mo stared at the text displayed on the screen before her, finding it hard to believe. âSo itâs true,â she thought. âGood deeds really are rewarded in this world.â
In that instant, Tang Mo solidified her resolve to do more good deeds in the future.