The wolf howled, Jason and the gray wolf continued their struggle. The wolf, injured and bloodied, looked pathetic. Sensing its life was in danger, it whimpered, stopped attacking, and retreated. After several yards, it ran off without hesitation.

Jason sighed. Guardian monsters weren't easy; they fled when they sensed defeat. He wanted to kill the wolf for the meat, but he couldn't.

Once the wolf was gone, Jason opened the chest, finding a single energy bar, two bottles of water, and five Escape Coins.

"Stingy," he muttered, taking the supplies and returning to the RV. Chloe was in the passenger seat, glaring at him.

"Oh, you're awake. Didn't want to sleep more?" Jason teased.

"Hmph."

Chloe crossed her arms, silent except for a snort. She’d fallen asleep from exhaustion after being…f**k…for two hours. She hadn’t felt any tenderness. She’d wanted to kill him. She’d been tired from searching for a vehicle, then…that. The wolf’s howls had woken her up. She’d seen the fight. She’d been both hoping the wolf would avenge her and worried he’d die, leaving her alone. She was relieved the wolf had run off.

Despite everything, Chloe knew Jason was her only hope. He'd taken her virginity; he couldn't just die. He needed to take responsibility.

Jason ignored her thoughts, giving her an energy bar and water, taking advantage of the situation, eliciting a gasp from Chloe.

"Eat. I'll get you a better meal tonight."

"You… you…" Chloe gasped, speechless.

Jason shrugged. "No need to thank me. All expenses paid—we agreed to that." "Consider yourself lucky. Ask any woman in the group chat if they wouldn't envy you." He was subtly warning her.

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"Shameless! All men are trash," Chloe muttered. He was just trying to get close to her.

Grrrumble—her stomach growled.

Glaring at Jason, she ate the energy bar. It was the price for what had happened.

Jason continued driving. It was day one. Some chests might contain rare items, so he wanted to find as many as possible.

After twenty miles, he spotted another chest—a bronze chest guarded by a three-foot-tall goblin.

Jason grinned; Chloe paled.

"A bronze chest! There'll be good stuff inside!" Bronze chests were a higher tier than wooden ones.

Jason grabbed his spear, about to get out, but Chloe stopped him.

"W-what are you doing?"

Seeing her pleading look, Jason rolled his eyes. "Taking out that goblin, of course. How else am I going to get you that nice dinner?"

Chloe, though touched, held on tighter. "Don't go! Goblins are dangerous! A group of guys tried to kill one, and several got killed!"

She opened her system, showing him the chat. She’d been monitoring it. Many people encountered goblin-guarded bronze chests. One group of guys on a bus had tried to kill one and lost several members. It was a hot topic of discussion. Jason was suicidal going alone.

Jason looked at Chloe’s grip on his hand, surprised. During… their encounter… she’d fought back fiercely, scratching and hitting him, threatening to kill him. Now, she clearly didn't want him to die.

He looked at her, intrigued. He’d seen her as a tool for Favor Points, but her concern reminded him of Lily Young. Both women had worried about his safety when he went looking for supplies.

In his past life, Jason had seen countless betrayals. People had used him, but only Lily had cared. He didn't know why Chloe cared, but Lily had been selfless. She chose death over being with David, even though she could have had food and water. What could she have possibly gained from Jason? A few meager supplies? Lily had genuinely cared.

He saw Lily in Chloe, momentarily disoriented.

"Are you… worried about me?" he asked softly, moving closer…

Chloe felt her heart race as his face approached, feeling his breath. She leaned in…

"No!!!" she screamed, pushing him away. "I'm not worried about you! I'm just afraid you'll die and leave me alone here!"

Jason was stunned, not by her words, but by two system messages:

Chloe's Favor Points +2

Chloe's Favor Points +2

What?! Four Favor Points just like that? He'd worked for two hours, barely getting four. Almost kissing her, and he got four. What was going on?

He still decided to fight the goblin. "It's fine if I die. Just stay on the highway for a few hours, and a bus will pick you up."

He grabbed his spear, leaving Chloe with a complex expression. She’d actually fallen for him.