MTL - Winner Takes All - Chapter 3

Part 1:

On April 3rd, 2019, there was a virus outbreak and the cities were besieged with zombies.

A month later, on the national road outside H City, Shen Shian carried a heavy sword and walked around the vehicles abandoned everywhere.

“Don’t make trouble,” he said while turning back. “Keep up, the sky is becoming dark.”

“Hey!” A child who looked to be only four or five years old answered. He slashed the sword in his hand and cut the head of a zombie. Then he reached in and pulled out a marble-sized transparent crystal.

After rubbing it a few times on his clothes, he carried a Tang Sword that was half the height of an adult human and ran to Shen Shian.

“An An, I’ll give it to you!”

Part 2:

Shen Shian picked up a miserable puppy with dirty and knotty fur and a terrible smell.

The first time he brought the dog into the spirit spring, the dog turned into a child.

The second time the child was brought into the spirit spring, he turned into a man.

On the edge of the misty spring, Shen Shian looked at the man swimming and asked with a frown, “Can you change back?”

“Why?”

Shen Shian pursed his lips. “…You will eat too much.”

The man wrapped himself in a bath towel and emerged from the space with the Tang sword. After a short while, he inserted the sword into the grass and handed Shen Shian a handful of sparkling crystals.

“I might eat more but I am also more capable!”

- Description from Novelupdates

Avery Asteria was far from having anyone's dream job. Family circumstances had him drop out of school and flying around the expanse of space looking for treasure among the discarded trash in an old ship his father had been restoring. It was far from glamorous work, but it was all he could do to earn the money he needed.He was not the only one looking for fortune among the stars, though. One day a score that looked too good to be true led to a run in with a band of pirates. With some quick wits and a bit of luck, Avery managed to escape the worst, but he ended up missing out on collecting the valuable salvage he had his sights on.Having lost a large chunk of his gear in his flight from the pirates, Avery seemed to be truly at the end of his rope. However, a twist of fate led him to discovering an experimental vessel that had been lost to the far reaches of space.With this new ship in his possession, his prospects were looking up. It had everything and more than what any spacefarer could want. And Avery was going to use it to become the leader of the greatest band of mercenaries in the galaxy.

Death is only the beginning….He is the boss of a small bar. Despite his gentle and amicable appearance, he is actually cold and detached. He was born with the ability to communicate with spirits but sealed it away, unwilling to get involved with the supernatural.She is a rather unqualified lawyer. Timid as a mouse yet hates evil with a passion. Her birthdate is inauspicious but she’s also blessed by Buddha.A weird and bloody case forced them together. Her cases grew more and more dangerous while his sealed abilities awakened and grew stronger. They were initially repulsed by each other, which turned to understanding, getting along, cooperating, and finally a mysterious yet fierce attraction. With the help of a friend, the two of them solve the city’s horror stories one after the other.

As a high-risk individual, Ye Sangsang received an invitation to the beta test of the holographic game “Criminal Files.”As a game known for its high degree of freedom, high adaptability, and extremely realistic simulations based on real criminal cases, its beta release garnered significant attention.As a condition of the beta test, she was required to livestream her gameplay.Delicate, beautiful, and silent—these were the words often associated with Ye Sangsang.As a game that had captured the nation’s high expectations, many were baffled when they saw Ye Sangsang.This was quickly followed by ridicule.“Someone like her playing from the criminal’s perspective? The victim would probably turn the tables on her.”“Is she going in as an investigator? A beautiful but useless burden?”“The victim escaping alive? Don’t make me laugh.”But as the cases progressed, Ye Sangsang gradually left the audience in awe.“The criminal!!! Oh no, lock her up, I’m terrified of how she kills!”“Investigation? Come on, can you guys keep up with Sangsang’s pace?”“The victim! Ahhh, what a bloody battlefield!”The livestream chat, once filled with skepticism, eventually overflowed with admiration.Some even began to suspect that she might actually be a high-intelligence criminal herself.It wasn’t until later that Ye Sangsang’s holographic crime scene simulations helped solve one real-life case after another.Audience: ???!!!Ye Sangsang, facing the camera: Please note, I only perform once.[Reading Tips:]1. This story is set in a futuristic, fictional world with holographic crime simulation games. Everything is virtual, so please do not draw parallels to reality.2. Some parts of the story may reference real-life cases.