'Combat Power Index: 24. Zombies killed: 128. Current level: 5.'

'Since the host has reached level 5, the system will unlock a new feature. Please choose one option below:'

'1. Premium Store: Displays few items daily, but all are highly rare. Purchase any item with System Coins.'

'2. Online Trading: Trade goods via system network using System Coins with others who have this feature. Transaction limits apply based on host level. Higher distance means higher tax rates.'

'3. Attribute Allocation: Manually assign attributes after leveling up, instead of default growth.'

"Duan Heng! Come out! I'm level 5!"

After a whole morning of training, Bai Ling's marksmanship improved dramatically. Outside the compound gate, the street lay littered with headshot zombies. Luckily, other zombies weren't picky—they devoured any corpse.

Hearing the shout, Duan Heng hurried out from his bedroom. Opening the door, he saw Bai Ling's face beaming with excitement, her bright smile incredibly cute. He said warmly, "So fast? Amazing! Check if there's a System Store option."

"Yeah, but it's not what you described?" Bai Ling tilted her head adorably, then repeated the three system options. Duan Heng stroked his chin thoughtfully, hesitated, and replied, "Premium Store? That doesn't make sense. I remember it as System Store. So your feature isn't the same as mine?"

In his past life, when he learned about the System Store's usefulness, the Apocalypse had already raged for months. With time blurred, Bai Ling misremembering two characters was possible. System features varied wildly—a single character changed everything. The 'System Store' held hundreds of D to B-grade items, occasionally refreshing A or S-grade gear. Buy anything anytime with coins. As for Premium Store, Duan Heng racked his brain but recalled no one ever getting it. He couldn't decide.

Bai Ling grew impatient beside him. "Hey, speak up! Should I pick this? 'Attribute Allocation' looks good too. If you can't choose, I'll take it."

"No! Don't!" Duan Heng shuddered, stopping her sharply. "In my prophetic dreams, many chose this. Useless! Too much strength turns you into a muscle freak. For you? A She-Hulk. Never pick it!"

"Huh?" Bai Ling's face turned horrified. She hugged herself, panicking, "Damn, I don't want to be a She-Hulk!" She didn't want to be a woman, but at least she was still pretty. Imagining her body covered in inhuman muscle bulks made her nauseous: 'Better to die than become that!'

Truthfully, the feature wasn't that extreme. In his past life, Bai Ling chose 'Attribute Allocation' but found countless attributes, each with thesis-length explanations she couldn't grasp. She defaulted to system settings. Some reckless guys dumped all points into strength, becoming muscle monsters. But low agility and constitution made their bodies buckle under muscle load—too slow, weaker in combat.

"Just pick Premium Store. At least you can spend coins on gear."

"Okay." After weighing it, Duan Heng trusted the store more—it spent System Coins. Bai Ling obediently agreed, silently selecting the option in her mind. The system prompt echoed:

'Premium Store selected. Feature unlocked.'

'Zombies killed: 128. System Coins: 135. Use wisely.'

"Huh? I have 135 System Coins already?" Bai Ling blinked in surprise.

Duan Heng smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder. Strange energy flowed slowly from his arm into her body. He said proudly, "Killing monsters earns coins. They transfer too. This month's base allowance for keeping you."

"Huh? Rising! It's rising!" Bai Ling, glued to the interface, missed 'keeping'. She stared wide-eyed at the numbers:

135...

259...

472...

...

1321!

In seconds, coins surged to a terrifying four digits. Her excitement shifted to shock.

"Coins trade between users. Transfers lose 10% to 20%. Not sure how it's calculated—maybe level-based?" Duan Heng explained casually, already transferring all coins. The count stopped at 5981, draining color from Bai Ling's face.

"Damn... You killed over five thousand zombies? Impossible!" She covered her mouth, gasping in disbelief. She'd schemed to secretly surpass him. Now, the gap felt like a chasm—unbridgeable. 'Even with numb hands from chopping, I couldn't kill that many!'

"Heh heh, secret!" Seeing her stunned like a statue, Duan Heng smirked, patting her shoulder smugly. "I'll tell you when you're stronger. Or if you wear black stockings daily?"

"Screw that! Fine, don't tell me!" Bai Ling rolled her eyes, infuriated by his shamelessness.

Duan Heng shrugged, consoling, "Enough useless talk. Check the store—might have good stuff."

"Mhm!" Bai Ling agreed cheerfully, closing her eyes to activate 'Premium Store'. Her heart beat slightly faster—first system use. Three items popped up:

Quantum Alloy Tang Blade (Quality: A): Magical handle bound to host. Blade extends by will up to 1.05m (0.72m blade). Cuts iron like butter. Self-repairs when damaged. Price: 2200

Nanotech Battle Suit (Quality: S): AI-nanotech hybrid. Pre-activation: like nano-fiber bodysuit. Post-activation: full-body protection except head. Ultra-resilient, form-fitting, breathable. Auto-adjusts temperature. Flame-resistant. Price: 12000

Sleepy Black Tea (Quality: B): Brew and drink to restore 20 SAN, 20 hunger. Replenishes psychic energy and vitamins. Calming effect. Price: 350

'Premium Store inventory refreshes every 24 hours. New user discount: 80% off all items for next 72 hours. Earn System Coins quickly.'

—

"Huh? 20% off!"