Ye Shu reappeared in her lodgings. The familiar chime of the system resounded.

【Fifth round game completed. Congratulations to all players who have cleared the stage—rewards will now be issued. The sixth round of the game will begin in two days. Please prepare yourselves!】

【The previous stage was "Survival for All." Cleared players receive: +1 Strength, +1 Constitution, +1 Agility.】

【All players who failed to clear the stage have been eliminated!】

【Process complete!】

【Congratulations, player Ye Shu, on a successful clearance! Rewards: 100 points, +10 Constitution, +10 Agility, +10 Strength!!】

The game restored the timeline, but she had hoped to spend another two days training in the real world.

Ye Shu opened the light screen.

【Player: Ye Shu】

【Age: 20】

【Game ID: 10096】

【Constitution: 60】

【Strength: 64】

【Agility: 59】

【Game Points: 2348.5】

【Innate Skill: SSS-level Rewind (Upgradeable; Current Level 2; Rewinds half an hour before death) (CD: resets daily, non-stackable) (Note: Cannot be dropped or stolen)】

【Innate Skill: SSS-level Optimization (Upgradeable; Current Level 3; Can repair or optimize any item) (Note: Cannot be dropped)】

【Items: SS-level Exorcism Peachwood Sword, A-level Vermilion Bead Bracelet, Spatial Item (unknown level, can be developed); Face-changing Earrings; SS-level Love-Struck Mindset; S-level Obedience Talisman... Marmot Shapeshifter, Magical Girl Shapeshifter, B-level Water-Avoidance Pearl】

【Contract Beasts: S+ rank Half-Guai (Black Tiger), S-rank Merman, D-rank Clownfish】

She hadn't died once in the last game, and so, her Rewind hadn't improved.

On the other hand, her Optimization had leveled up again!

Ye Shu was a little excited. She attempted to upgrade her ugliest companion. Among all her contracted beasts, the clownfish was weakest.

【Ding! Friendly reminder: Your Optimization skill level is too low to optimize intelligent lifeforms. Please upgrade the skill!】

Still can't optimize living beings…

The revolution hasn't succeeded yet. Comrades must keep striving!

Just as Ye Shu was about to give up, another prompt rang in her ear.

【Ding! Your contracted Half-Guai can be optimized! Optimization available!】

That announcement was also heard by the subject itself: Da Piaoliang. The green eyes of the big, beautiful cat widened in outrage. Its feline paw jabbed at its own chest, indignant.

"Awoooo… My level is way higher than that ridiculous fish’s… That D-rank clownfish counts as an intelligent lifeform—but I am not!"

When tigers get angry enough, they really do start to laugh.

With a snort, Da Piaoliang grudgingly stumbled toward Ye Shu. Still, it knew this optimization might just save its hide—and maybe restore its long-lost strength.

So, Da Piaoliang… compromised.

A flash of white light filled the cramped room. Then a majestic, black tiger emerged, its once-rotting flesh sheathed in sleek, newly sprouted fur. Its green tiger eyes glimmered with delight. The beast threw back its head and gave an earth-shaking roar, and even its aura surged, twice as fierce.

【Optimization complete!】

【S+ Half-Guai Black Tiger upgraded to SS+ Half-Guai!! Skills: Unknown, to be explored.】

"Awoooo… I grew fur!! I have fur again!!"

Although Da Piaoliang had long since grown used to its rotting hide, as a feline—nature’s apex predator, and the mid-tier hunter among all Guai—it still preferred its current majestic look. Less revolting, more awe-inspiring.

Staring at its own ferocious reflection in the mirror, Da Piaoliang leaped and yowled for joy, acting more like a rabid dog than a dignified tiger.

"Pfft—hahaha…"

"Fairy Mistress…"

The two underwater beasts could sense something different about Da Piaoliang—the aura of oppression, heavier and deadlier than before. They immediately realized that Ye Shu had raised the tiger’s Guai rank. The two couldn't hear the skill prompts, but their eyes turned to Ye Shu, pleading and hopeful.

How could Ye Shu not notice their burning gaze? Sadly, since they were intelligent lifeforms, her current skill wasn’t enough.

……

Ye family residence.

Ye Wanwan was the very first among all surviving players to exit the game.

She bolted upright from her bed, shaken, disbelief wide in her eyes.

Ye Wanwan simply couldn't believe that Ye Shu had actually shot her dead.

That cold, practiced motion—the gun in hand, the swift strike—made Ye Wanwan suspect that Ye Shu had entered the higher-level games from the start.

But… she hadn’t even shown a sliver of sibling affection or gratitude for their parents’ care. Heartless—utterly mad!

It also dawned on her that Ye Shu was no longer the simpleton swayed by a few words.

Ye Wanwan hadn’t forgotten the murderous intent in Ye Shu’s eyes before pulling the trigger.

If these survival games spill into real life, Ye Shu would surely use it to take revenge—maybe even kill her…

In real life, dead means dead. She’d already used up every resurrection card she'd drawn.

A shroud of overwhelming fear settled within Ye Wanwan’s heart.

When Ye family’s parents entered the room, they were greeted by the sight of Ye Wanwan’s woeful face and trembling body. Father Ye immediately guessed his daughter had lost in the game. He frowned as he stepped up to comfort her. “Wanwan, losing isn’t the end. You have Mom and Dad, and your siblings—we’ll help you!”

Mother Ye chimed in at once, “We’ll find you another resurrection card. Even if we have to give up control of the Ye Group, we won’t let you get hurt… Don’t worry, Dad has already spoken to a seller. You’ll be just fine.”

“Really, Dad, Mom?”

It wasn’t until she heard the words ‘resurrection card’ that Ye Wanwan managed a tearful smile.

Mother Qin gently stroked her daughter’s hair, reassuring her, "Absolutely! Your Daddy Qin has found a player willing to sell the card. The Qin family once did him a great favor—he’s honest and reliable. He wouldn’t go back on his word!"

The family of five huddled closely, happy and reassured.

None of them realized that Qin Zaozao and Ye Tianxiang had woken from the game as well.

At that moment, they were standing just outside the door.

Ye Tianxiang, less attached to Ye Wanwan, cast a dark, inscrutable glance at the girl who looked so gentle and innocent. His heart brimmed with disgust.

Before his blood-related sister came home, he had always been the treasure of the house.

With their parents usually absent, everything was handled with money—true affection had never been expected. He’d gotten used to it. But now, Ye Wanwan’s doting stole both attention and family fortune.

Not only would shares in the company be given away, even his parents turned into someone else’s.

Compared to seemingly harmless Ye Wanwan, Ye Shu, fierce and uncompromising, was more agreeable—he even found himself missing her.

If only he could go back—he would never have let Qin Wanwan be recognized as family.

Qin Zaozao’s eyes clouded, watching her younger sister, surrounded by affection, her worldview collapsing.

They’d both exited the game together…

But their parents had only eyes for Wanwan. She was always the invisible one.

Always… her.

Wanwan cared only about the resurrection card. Upon waking, she hadn’t even wondered if Qin Zaozao was still alive.

Suddenly, Qin Zaozao remembered her first meeting with Ye Shu.

Back then, Ye Shu wore a cheap gown, her eyes shining, filled with expectation and longing… And how had she treated her? Ah, yes—she had ridiculed Ye Shu mercilessly, boasting that only Wanwan could ever be considered the heiress of both the Qin and Ye families.

Now, that boomerang came back to hit her right in the face. How painful it was!

Still lost in her sorrow, Qin Zaozao opened the door.

"Elder Sister… you… are alive!"

From Ye Wanwan’s startled tone, one could almost believe she was shocked that her sister had survived?!

In the past, Qin Zaozao would have thought her younger sister was simply worried about her, and been so moved she’d give her anything. Now, those days seemed long gone.