He had gotten the gasoline, and the Side Quest was complete.
The effect of the new title was extremely practical. He gained three points in Strength and three points in Agility. It was worth noting that his base attributes were only sixteen points in Strength and fourteen in Agility, totaling thirty attribute points.
These were stats earned through years of persistent training, yet a single title boosted him by a full six points—equivalent to a fifth of his total base attributes.
He could not underestimate this one-fifth increase. This was not just a numerical boost; there was a strict limit to how much attributes could be raised through mere physical training. It was like a normal person—no matter how much they pumped iron at the gym, their strength could never exceed the realm of human capability.
A brown bear didn't need to work out at all. As long as it ate, drank, and reached adulthood smoothly, it could easily overturn objects weighing three to four hundred kilograms. That kind of power was equivalent to a human flipping a sedan barehanded. This was not a level achievable through training; it broke through the very limits of the human species.
These three extra points of Strength and Agility allowed Bai Mu to break through those limits.
He didn't know if he had surpassed the absolute limits of humanity, but he had definitely surpassed his own. He clearly felt his body become lighter, like an athlete accustomed to year-round weight training suddenly shedding their weighted vest and the iron blocks on their ankles.
He could jump higher, run faster, and carry heavier loads. Furthermore, this wasn't some jarring, uncontrollable surge of power; he still retained perfect mastery over his entire body.
Bai Mu clenched his fists, finding the sensation truly miraculous.
'If I use Berserk, will my physical abilities experience another massive leap?'
He really wanted to test the effects. Perhaps after activating Berserk, he could leap directly from the first floor to the second.
However, Berserk came with side effects. Not only did it consume Health, but it also applied a Weakened debuff once the duration ended. This was a desperate ultimate move meant for life-and-death struggles, not a toy for his own amusement.
Helpless, he had to abandon the thought of testing his new skill.
Overall, though, he was extremely satisfied. The price he paid for obtaining this new title was merely getting his shoes and pants a little wet. It was practically a free gain.
It seemed he had accomplished everything he could in this area.
He wondered if Yan Yu had abandoned him. He knew she had been terrified out of her wits when he triggered the Side Quest, to the point that when he was led away by the Witch, she had immediately bolted outside the children's playground.
It wasn't a big deal anyway. If she had stayed, accidents might have happened. For example, she could have panicked and thrown a throwing knife at the Witch, causing Bai Mu to fail his quest.
"Time to go out and regroup with my teammates," Bai Mu muttered, glancing at the Witch sitting in the corner.
Once he left the children's playground, he would join his three teammates to refuel the car, start the engine, and drive away from the mall.
He figured there would be no chance to ever return. The Main Quest was to reach the Evacuation Point. They could only move forward; turning back was impossible.
The Witch would be left in this place, lingering in solitude with her stuffed toy. Perhaps she wouldn't cry anymore, and no one would ever come to disturb her again.
'As a friend, I should at least say goodbye,' Bai Mu thought.
He hadn't been frightened by the Witch's terrifying appearance in the slightest. In fact, she gave him a feeling that was far purer than humanity.
Humans were complex, fickle animals.
The process of pacifying the Witch reminded Bai Mu of the big yellow dog he used to keep. Beneath that decaying shell lay a more primal, animalistic emotion, completely detached from any concepts of profit, good, or evil.
That was a kind of connection virtually impossible to forge between people.
If he could never see the Witch again, it would actually be a bit of a shame. After all, Bai Mu had gone through a lot of trouble to earn her friendship.
Bai Mu walked over to the Witch's side and waved his hand at her.
She had long forgotten human speech, but she still retained some reaction to physical gestures.
She tilted her head up, blankly watching Bai Mu's waving hand. Suddenly, she reached out one of her own hands and waved back in response. For a moment, those razor-sharp claws didn't seem so terrifying after all.
'Bye-bye,' Bai Mu said in his heart.
He didn't say "see you later" because he felt they truly would never meet again. Just as Bai Mu shifted his right foot to head out of the children's playground, the Witch seemed to remember something. She actually used her sharp claws to unzip the stuffed toy.
From the toy's belly, she pulled out a key.
Yes, it was a key—a key attached to a metal ring.
[The Witch has issued a Side Quest to you: A Futile Wait.]
[Quest Description: The Witch has forgotten many things. She has forgotten who she is, and she has forgotten where she is. She has forgotten almost everything. Yet, your gesture vaguely reminded her of something. A long time ago, it seems someone also waved at her. She remembered that she was waiting here for that person to come and pick her up. Unfortunately, she has not seen them to this day. Therefore, she has decided to give this key to you, hoping that you can find that person.]
[Quest Requirement: Take the Witch's key and open the corresponding door.]
[Quest Reward: ???]
It was another new Side Quest. To think that this little one actually carried two Side Quests on her.
"If I hadn't come to say goodbye, would I have missed this quest..." Bai Mu pursed his lips. "Sure enough, friends really should say bye when parting ways."
Bai Mu carefully plucked the key from the edge of the Witch's claws.
[You have obtained a Quest Item: A House Key to a Certain Residence.]
[You have accepted the Side Quest: A Futile Wait.]
Doing quests was his favorite activity. Completing quests brought rewards, so why wouldn't he be happy to do them?
The feeling that completing a task would absolutely yield a return was incredibly satisfying.
Countless times, Bai Mu had wasted ammunition, slaughtered a horde of Zombies, and broken into a house only to find not even a single can of luncheon meat. In his experience, laboring in vain was the norm. Completing a task and actually gaining a reward from it was an absolute rarity.
He slipped the key into his pocket and left the children's playground.
The moment he stepped through the door, he spotted Yan Yu standing out in the corridor, looking a bundle of nerves. She held a scalpel in each hand. When she saw Bai Mu walk out, she flinched, seemingly startled.
Even after clearly making out Bai Mu's face, she did not calm down. Instead, her mouth dropped open in absolute shock, as if she had just seen a ghost.
"How... how are you completely fine?"
"Should I not be?" Bai Mu asked.
Yan Yu was dumbstruck, suddenly unable to speak. She had been counting down the time in her head; there were only a dozen seconds left of the five minutes. She had originally assumed Bai Mu was dead as a doornail, only for him to casually stroll out of nowhere.
Bai Mu shrugged and pulled the gas can out of his backpack.
"Commander, I've secured all three cans of gas from inside. Let's head down and regroup with Brother Da Huang."
Staring at the gas can, Yan Yu's eyes widened even further.
"You... the gas... how did you... where's the Witch?" Yan Yu stammered incoherently.
"Let's talk about it later. Let's get the car moving first, and I'll fill you guys in on the ride."