Chapter 323: Boss, Are You Buying?
Chapter 323: Chapter 323: Boss, Are You Buying?
Tiberius dove headfirst into the sea, swimming down beneath the island.
Ethan Yardley sat in the small wooden boat and asked, "Faye, why don’t you have Bella take me for a spin around the island? I want to see how big this place is, too."
"Bella, take my brother to have a look."
Then, she waded into the sea herself.
Cole Kensington, seeing that he was the only one left with the small wooden boat, simply hopped aboard and lay down to sunbathe.
The world beneath the sea was a vibrant and colorful place.
Faye Yardley swam deeper and deeper beneath the island. She estimated she was at a depth of at least 200 meters before she could faintly make out the island’s base.
After swimming a wide loop, Tiberius returned to Faye Yardley’s side. "Looks like you’ve had another lucky break. Now you can move through the water as if it were solid ground."
"Yes. Tiberius, is there any way for my brother to gain this ability, too?"
The seawater, which had felt so pleasant just a moment ago, suddenly seemed bone-chilling to Tiberius. He quickly shook his head. "No. And don’t you get any ideas about me."
"What are you so nervous about? It’s not like I can do anything to you. Besides, I wasn’t planning anything. I was just asking if you knew a way. We’re drifting on this vast ocean, after all. If my brother could move as freely in the water as you and I, I’d have one less thing to worry about."
Tiberius edged a little farther away from her before speaking. "Heh... You should be asking yourself that question. How did you get this ability? Just replicate that process."
"You’re right. I suppose I could just replicate my experience." She had originally gained the ability by killing a great black shark and swallowing its inner core.
She turned to look at Tiberius and asked quizzically, "Why are you so far away? Are you afraid you can’t beat me in a fight?"
"Hahaha... I’m not afraid of losing to you. I’m afraid of hurting you."
"Hmph."
’Tiberius obviously knows how I got this ability.’ Faye thought about his true form. ’He’s not of the Commonfolk... so does that mean he has an inner core, too?’
’Is that why he’s subconsciously keeping his distance?’
’It’s just a guess, but I feel like I’m probably right.’
’Honestly, it’s not like I’m some brainless, impulsive brute who would just attack him on a whim.’
Faye was certain she couldn’t beat Tiberius as she was now.
’Besides, he looks perfectly human. Am I really that evil?’
"Oh, Tibe~rius~"
"Ahem... We’re underwater. Just talk normally."
"You must know where to find some of those corrupted Sirens, right?"
"I don’t." Tiberius added hastily, "I really don’t. I’m not even sure how I got out of my own homeland, so how could I possibly know where to find any corrupted Sirens?"
Faye was silent for a moment before nodding. "That’s true. If I hadn’t fished you up, who knows how much longer you would have been sealed away."
Tiberius was speechless.
The two continued to descend as they spoke.
It wasn’t completely pitch-black beneath the waves; there were various sources of light.
Right now, the largest source of light was the transparent barrier around the island.
"This island is actually pretty nice," Tiberius commented. "Its foundation looks solid, which probably means it’s rich in mineral resources. Are you really not tempted?"
"Are you?"
"There’s nothing wrong with an extra asset."
Faye Yardley felt differently. She’d feel uneasy just letting a property of hers sit there, unmanaged.
’If it’s not productive, it’s a loss.’
"If I get it, I want my brother to have one too. Besides, he could move the guild headquarters to this island, and then..."
"Sometimes I think you should be the older sister. You’re always looking after people. He’s your big brother; you don’t need to worry about him so much. He’s much older than you."
Faye Yardley chuckled. "I don’t mind being the older sister. If you want to call me ’big sister,’ I can live with that."
Tiberius chose to ignore that comment, then suddenly exclaimed, "Faye, come look! Is that a treasure chest?"
"A Silver Treasure Chest!" Faye stared at the chest, sealed within the protective barrier at the island’s base. It was killing her.
’So close, yet so far. How could anyone stand this?’
"Do you think we could find a weak spot to slip through if we go down farther?"
"You can try going farther down. If that doesn’t work, just wait until the island’s defenses are down. Then you can sneak back and grab it."
’Maybe I can use the Token right now?’
’Strike while the iron is hot, while everyone else is still busy with the event!’
She tried calling her brother from underwater, but the answer was no. It was useless for him to try and use it alone; all five holders had to confirm it.
’Damn it. No loopholes to exploit.’
The waters around the submerged part of the island were quite clean, with no signs of corruption, and the marine life seemed abundant.
It was a nice place.
Aside from the Silver Treasure Chest, there wasn’t much else worth her attention, so she began to slowly ascend.
By the time Faye Yardley returned to the surface, Ethan Yardley had already circled the island twice and was now back in the small wooden boat, fishing for treasure chests.
"You’re back! I’ve already caught a large grouper and a lionfish. I’ll bring them back for you later."
Faye Yardley shook her head. "You can have them. I’m not short on food. Kingston catches fish every day."
"Alright, then we’ll head back first. Even if I’m going to compete for the island, I need to get ready."
"Okay. Bye, brother. Bye, Tiberius."
Once their figures had vanished, Faye Yardley put away the small wooden boat and said, "Let’s head back, too."
Back on her own raft, Faye Yardley thought for a moment before deciding to call Zachary Pierce using the All World Communication.
No one answered on the other end, but the fact that the call went through proved she could contact people who were in the event.
Since he didn’t pick up, Faye figured it must be an inconvenient time and hung up.
She had no idea that her call had allowed Zachary Pierce to see through an illusion, enabling him to wake up, complete his task, and return safely to his raft.
Fortune was an ethereal, intangible thing, yet it undeniably existed.
Faye Yardley didn’t even realize she had already influenced the destinies of many people.
She had two friend requests on her All World Communication.
Seeing they were from her two clerks back in Lumina, she quickly accepted them.
The moment the connection went through, Shawn Lawler said, "Boss, we finally got through to you! Is everything okay on your end?"
"I’m fine. We’re in an event period here, so you can’t come over. Otherwise, the system would probably throw you into the event world the moment you arrived."
"Understood, and thanks for the warning, Boss. The players have bought out all the Bandages and other supplies in the shop. They’re asking when we’ll restock. Also, the two biggest guilds in Lumina are preparing to team up to take on a Level 40 Dungeon boss. I heard it can drop some very useful Skill Books. Are you interested in buying any?"