Enemies Are All Nourishment for My Fungi

She set up a folding bed on the ground, made sure Yu Jiao was comfortably settled, and then woke her up.

Because of the time difference, it was high noon inside the Secret Realm.

When Yu Jiao woke up and saw the dazzling sunlight, she thought she had overslept and immediately burst into tears.

"Waaah, Mom, I overslept, the alarm didn't go off~"

Ye Nai raised her hand and gently slapped her forehead.

Yu Jiao's crying stopped abruptly when she felt the familiar slap was not from her mom.

"Eh?" Completely awake now, her mind cleared, Yu Jiao opened her eyes and saw, "Big sister!"

She tried to jump up but nearly fell off the folding bed, but Ye Nai caught her.

"Sit properly, don't get your clothes dirty, or it'll be obvious when we get back."

"Big sister, where is this? Do I not have to go to class?"

"This is the vanished East Ridge Secret Realm."

"...What?!"

Yu Jiao perfectly embodied the expression of being so shocked that she couldn't close her mouth, her head turning from side to side.

"Then, what is this military camp?"

"This is Camp No. 2."

"Camp No. 2? Where's Camp No. 1 then?"

"There's only Camp No. 2 in the Secret Realm, and it is always in a corresponding relationship with Camp No. 1."

Ye Nai explained the origins and functions of the two camps inside and outside the Secret Realm to Yu Jiao, and told her about the time difference between reality and the Secret Realm, letting her know it was still the middle of the night and time to sleep at home.

"Big sister, did you bring me here because you have something important to tell me?"

"Yes, there's an issue that affects your future prospects right now."

"What issue?"

"Did you watch the news tonight? The enemy has once again sent a vanguard squad, trying to invade again through Secret Realms across the country, and this time the revealed scene was from the Five Bridges Secret Realm, where the vanguard squad was annihilated."

"Mhm, I heard about it, Mom was watching the news tonight and she told me to watch it too."

"That's where the problem lies, she thinks the outside world is very dangerous, and just right, East Ridge has become a safe place due to the disappearance of the Secret Realm. She doesn't want to go out of town anymore, nor does she want a better school for you. She also wants me to come back, find a man to marry, and be a poor housewife."

"Ah... What can we do then? Is there still a way? Can I just go with you? Big sister, let me go with you."

"There is a way, but we have to wait a bit longer. I need to level up again. My current strength isn't sufficient to get better city benefits."

"What benefits?"

"City Talent Recruitment Benefits, attracting talents from outside the city to settle down with good housing."

As she spoke, Ye Nai took out her phone, showed Yu Jiao the text message and the pictures of the houses stored in her phone's cache.

"Wow, such a nice house!"

"This house is in the Five Bridges City mentioned in the news."

"Is it really dangerous there?"

"No, at least not in the short term. The enemy consists of small vanguard teams of twenty people each. They've withdrawn for many years and are now showing up deep in the Secret Realm again for reconnaissance, to figure out how many opponents there are and how many troops are needed to reclaim the Secret Realm. Even if the Secret Realm becomes a battleground again, as long as that one and only entrance is secured, the city will be safe."

Ye Nai didn't tell Yu Jiao that the altar in the Secret Realm had already been dug up, cutting off the enemies' route of infiltration, in case the little girl accidentally spilled the beans one day. Knowing these public facts was enough.

"If it's safe in the short term, then it's fine, right? What other benefits are you looking for, big sister? Can't the benefits on your phone include family members?"

"Yeah, that's for me personally, I need to work a bit harder if I want to bring family along."

"How long will it take?"

"I don't know, the higher you go the harder it gets. I've just reached Iron Level, and I'm aiming to make it to Copper Level by next year, before your summer vacation starts, to get better benefits and see if I can take you out. One of us four has to become educated. Mom's a bit better than Dad, but not by much, and I don't want to deal with her anymore. It's up to you if you want to tell her about what you're considering."

"I won't say anything. If I did, she would definitely not let me go. She's almost fifty, afraid of war and afraid of taking risks outside. I don't blame her, but I'm not scared."

"Are we still paying for the internet at home? Are you still taking online classes?"

"Yes."

"Keep it up. Even with benefits to take you away, good schools still look at grades."

"I know. I keep reminding myself. Mom told me to rest more and I asked her if she didn't want me to do well in my studies, if she didn't want me to be a top student. None of the four kids in our family can compete with our Uncle's family in studying, no wonder grandparents are setting him up. She was so frustrated."

Yu Jiao, having taken her mother's surname, reversed the terms for relatives as well. Instead of calling them maternal grandparents, uncles, and aunts, she now called them grandparents, uncle, and aunt.

Uncle and his wife work in the system; they only have two daughters, both of whom have developed careers elsewhere, which is much better than her own family.

"You're not wrong to say that. Uncle's family has indeed worked very hard." Ye Nai patted her little sister on the head, "Let's work hard together. Alright, let's go, I'll take you back."

"Mm—" Yu Jiao looked awkward, "Big sister, could you take me to Five Bridges City to have a look?"

"It's possible, but you can't go outside. It's a frontline city where urban construction has recovered to pre-war levels, and surveillance is everywhere. You can only look through the hotel window."

"Mm, that's fine!"

The moment Yu Jiao nodded, she saw a blur before her eyes, and when she could see clearly again, the scenery around her had changed and she was in a beautiful room.

"Wow!" Yu Jiao couldn't help jumping down to the floor, running back and forth between the living room and bedroom on the comfortable carpet, "Big sister, you're amazing!"

"Shh, keep it down. Walls have ears. Awakeners have sharp eyes and ears, so don't let anyone hear you through the door."

Yu Jiao immediately covered her mouth, slipped on the hotel slippers Ye Nai gave her, and after roaming around inside and out again, she lay down by the window to gaze at the city lights outside in the middle of the night.

"Wow, the whole city is still so bright at this time of night? Is this what a wealthy city looks like?"

"Yes, this is what a wealthy city looks like. It has a large land area, many factories, and a rich variety of products. There are things that I couldn't buy in East Ridge, but I can get them all here in one stop."

"Then, what place is better than here?"

"Only the National Capital."

"Can you go to the National Capital at Copper Level?"

Ye Nai shrugged, "I don't know."

"It doesn't matter. Even if I can't go there, I will certainly be able to exchange for better benefits here."

"Right. There are several other similar frontline cities. If this one doesn't offer it, we'll just switch to another. I refuse to believe that Copper Level isn't worth anything."

Yu Jiao giggled.

"It's about time. Go wash your feet in the bathroom, and I'll take you home."

"Okay."

Ten minutes later, Ye Nai took Yu Jiao via the East Ridge Secret Realm for a transfer and brought her back to her little bed at home.

Watching as she tucked herself in and lay down, Ye Nai tossed her a spore, and in the blink of an eye, she fell into deep sleep.

Ye Nai returned to the hotel in Five Bridges City.

She was going to sleep too.

The days of training in the morning and resting in the afternoon continued serenely for a few more, and the week had passed, the agreed time to get the car.