Chapter 6: The Maid Mod, Klee Gets Jealous

The two stepped outside, and Chen Fan tossed the mystery egg, triggering a sudden flash of white light.

A few seconds later, as the glow dissipated, a woman of incredibly cute appearance stood gracefully before them.

Filled with confusion, Chen Fan hurriedly checked her information. To his surprise, she was vastly different from the maid mods he had played with in *Minecraft* back in the day. Her information panel clearly displayed "Chen Fan" as her master, and her name was "Rem."

This meant he didn't need to tame her with cakes or feed her sweets to increase her affection, as one would in the mods. The maids in those old mods had limited functions—at most, they could fight monsters or place torches—but this maid seemed capable of doing anything.

Well, perhaps not *that* thing.

Rem appeared exactly like a real person and possessed independent consciousness. For instance, when the two of them stared at her for a moment too long, she sensed something was amiss.

Rem tilted her head and looked at Chen Fan. "Master, Big Sister, why do you keep staring at me?"

Rem’s voice was melodic, and hearing her call him "Master" made Chen Fan’s heart swell with joy. Although he had played with maid mods before, compared to the hyper-realistic Rem in front of him, those were nothing! The mod maids didn't call him Master, weren't this lively, and couldn't speak; they simply followed pre-set programmed movements.

"Rem, what can you do?" Chen Fan asked.

"Master, Rem can do anything. I can help you search for all sorts of resources." She blinked her eyes, looking at Chen Fan curiously. "Does Master have any orders for me?"

Just as Chen Fan was about to ask her to help gather supplies, he felt a sharp pain in his waist. "Hiss!"

He turned his head to see Yang Keli glaring at him with a look of feigned anger.

"Hmph, have you seen enough? Shouldn't you be gathering supplies?" Yang Keli muttered, pouting.

Chen Fan was left between laughter and tears, quickly reaching out to pat her head in comfort. "Keli, don't be like that. With her help, won't things be easier for us?"

Rem stood by, blinking her large eyes, seemingly puzzled by their interaction. Then, she offered a slight smile. "Master, this sister seems a bit unhappy. Did Rem do something wrong?"

Chen Fan waved his hand. "It has nothing to do with you. You wait here for a moment; I need to have a word with Keli."

"Understood, Master. Rem will wait here for you," Rem nodded obediently.

***

Chen Fan pulled Yang Keli aside and lowered his voice. "Keli, what are you doing? You see how dangerous this world is; having an extra pair of hands is always good."

Yang Keli huffed. "It's nothing. You were staring so hard just now, I was afraid you'd forget what you were supposed to be doing!"

Chen Fan laughed helplessly. "Alright, alright, it's my fault. How about this: let her help us find food while we mine cobblestone and chop logs."

"Fine, but you're not allowed to keep making eyes at her," Yang Keli warned.

Chen Fan nodded repeatedly. "Don't worry, I absolutely won't."

Returning to Rem, Chen Fan crafted a workbench and produced a set of stone tools to give to her. He then said, "We need to collect more resources. Could you help us see if there is any food nearby?"

"As Master commands, Rem will do my utmost." Rem bowed respectfully, revealing her figure clearly. "Please wait here a moment, Master. Rem will go and check."

With that, Rem ran off toward the nearby woods. Watching her retreating figure, Chen Fan couldn't help but sigh, "Really great, she moves so quickly and flexibly."

"Hmph, all you do is praise her." Yang Keli rolled her eyes and began hacking at a large tree nearby, muttering something under her breath.

Seeing Yang Keli’s sulky expression, Chen Fan could only shrug. He felt a subtle change in her compared to how she used to be, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what exactly had shifted. With his dense, straightforward nature, he couldn't fathom her thoughts, simply assuming she was just throwing a small tantrum and would be fine in a while.

He then headed toward the cave he had just explored to mine for cobblestone, hoping to get lucky and find some iron. He entered the cave full of confidence, but a few hours later, he emerged looking disgruntled.

"Pah! This world is so poor; the resources are so scarce. I’ve been mining forever and my inventory is full of nothing but cobblestone, with only two stacks of coal."

Normally, mining down twenty layers or so would yield iron ore; it was impossible not to see even a speck of iron. Either this area was unique and required deeper mining, or it was just a matter of luck. Still, the haul wasn't bad; fifteen stacks of cobblestone would last them a long time. He could have Yang Keli build a basement as a storage room to prevent others from sneaking in while they were away.

"How was it? Did you find any iron?" Yang Keli asked.

Chen Fan switched to the fourth slot of his hotbar, where the pickaxe in his hand instantly transformed into chicken, which he stuffed into his mouth to replenish his stamina. "No," he said while chewing. "We'll have to see if Rem can find any."

***

Just then, Rem came running back, holding some berries in her hands.

"Master, Rem found food." She pointed into the distance. "There is plenty more in the woods over there. Let Rem take you."

Chen Fan and Yang Keli exchanged glances, their eyes filled with pleasant surprise.

"Take us there quickly!"

"As you wish, Master."

Guided by Rem, the group arrived at the spot. The berry bushes were covered in bright red fruit; if they collected it all, it would be enough to feed the three of them for four or five days. Without another word, they began to harvest.

Half an hour later, they had stripped the bushes bare. Just as they were happily heading home, less than two hundred meters from their house, the sky suddenly darkened. The clear weather instantly turned overcast with heavy clouds.

A gale roared past, followed by a torrential downpour. Giant raindrops pelted down, stinging their skin. Chen Fan looked toward the wooden cabin and grabbed Yang Keli’s hand, running forward as their footsteps splashed through the muddy ground. Rem followed closely behind, her expression calm.

Soon, the three returned to the cabin and shut the wooden door against the howling wind outside.

Chen Fan wrung the water from his clothes and said, "This rain came too suddenly. I wonder how long it will last."

"I hope it doesn't cause any flooding," Yang Keli said, looking at the sheet of rain outside with concern.

Rem stood by, tidying her rain-dampened hair, and said softly, "Master, Big Sister, don't worry. Rem will protect you."

The rain showed no signs of letting up; if anything, it grew heavier. Chen Fan frowned, deep in thought. "This rain is so bizarre. I have a feeling something is about to happen."