Chapter 420 - 418: The Joy of Opening a Silver Treasure Chest
Chapter 420: Chapter 418: The Joy of Opening a Silver Treasure Chest
One strike wasn’t enough, so she followed it with three more in quick succession—CRACK, CRACK, CRACK! The thick ice surface completely shattered into smithereens.
Faye Yardley slipped right through the opening with the shattered ice, entering the seawater below.
The moment she hit the water, she was under attack. A massive, cyan-gray figure charged straight toward her.
Without even trying to dodge, Faye Yardley’s Dragon Coiling Stick transformed into Light Wound, and she slashed directly at the charging shadow.
As the blade of Light Wound sank into something resilient, an immense force traveled up the weapon and slammed into her.
As the impact knocked Faye Yardley backward, she changed her slash into a thrust. Scarlet blood gushed from the massive, cyan-gray figure.
Surprisingly, the blood didn’t have a foul, fishy stench. Instead, it gave off an alluringly sweet fragrance.
Her attack having found its mark, Faye Yardley pressed her advantage, not only slicing deeper along the wound but also twisting and churning the blade inside. The massive figure finally let out a piercing shriek, a sound so shrill it made even Faye pause for an instant.
’It even has a Spirit attack!’
Faye Yardley snorted, sank lower into the water, and sliced her blade across the creature’s underside.
The massive body immediately began to writhe in pain, its flippers and fins thrashing wildly, giving Faye no chance to get close again.
As Faye Yardley sank deeper, the massive figure, consumed with hatred for her, continued to spiral downward in its pained convulsions.
The surrounding seawater was already dyed scarlet, and the alluring fragrance of the blood was attracting many large marine creatures.
And so, what had been a one-on-one duel quickly devolved into a chaotic free-for-all.
The chaotic battle attracted even more creatures. Faye used the system to decompose any that died, storing the materials in her backpack.
Taking advantage of the other frenzied sea creatures swarming the cyan-gray figure, Faye disemboweled it in a single motion. She snatched its cyan-gray inner core before the others could react, then quickly decomposed the carcass and stored the materials in her backpack before they noticed.
With the cyan-gray creature gone, the other marine life instantly turned on each other, and the free-for-all continued.
Relying on her agility and Strength, Faye constantly scavenged kills amidst the chaos.
She even took out a few of the tougher ones to ensure the remaining combatants were more evenly matched, prolonging the slaughter.
Of course, staying safe in a free-for-all required more than just being hyper-aware of her surroundings; she also had to jump in and fight from time to time.
While she was tirelessly reaping the benefits of the chaos, she noticed that Bramble had entered the water at some point. Its root system was absorbing all the scarlet blood, and it had begun picking off creatures from the edges of the fray.
With Bramble’s help, they harvested the frenzied sea creatures at an ever-increasing pace.
Faye decomposed all the seafood and stored it in her backpack, while Bramble let not a single drop of blood go to waste. Even the tiny fish and shrimp that had ingested the blood were absorbed as nutrients for its roots.
With the threat below eliminated, Faye Yardley headed for the surface, leaving Bramble behind to continue growing its roots and hunting in the depths.
When Faye Yardley’s head broke the surface, her hair was sopping wet. The biting wind made her feel like her brain was freezing.
Back on the raft, she was surprised to see that over two hours had passed since she’d dived in.
After a hot shower and a warm cup of milk tea, she felt human again.
Only then was she in the mood to look over her recent gains.
She transferred a pile of seafood to her warehouse. As for the massive cyan-gray creature, it was a species she didn’t recognize. The system identified its meat as Sea Beef, adding a note that it was exceptionally tender and a rare delicacy.
"Willow, let’s have that Sea Beef for lunch."
"Okay."
She took out the Sea Bull Inner Core. It was the same cyan-gray color as the creature’s hide.
[Sea Bull Inner Core: Eat this to gain the strength of a Sea Bull and its ability to travel freely underwater.]
"What a windfall."
But Faye Yardley didn’t plan on using it herself. ’My brother needs this more than I do,’ she thought. ’It’s perfect for activating a second Talent like Underwater Breathing, and it increases Strength, too.’
Her brother’s safety was always her top concern.
Even though she knew her brother was already very strong, Faye still wanted him to have every possible means of self-preservation.
As you grew stronger, the enemies you faced grew stronger, too.
It made you wonder whether it was better to keep pushing your limits or to just maintain your current level of strength.
Just as she was pondering this, a message from her brother arrived.
Ethan Yardley: "Hahaha... Faye, your big bro got something great for you this time. Hurry up and accept the Gift."
’What kind of "great thing" could he possibly have?’
Despite her internal grumbling, Faye instantly accepted the Gift.
It was a Silver Treasure Chest and a lollipop.
’Come to think of it, I still have a Silver Treasure Chest and a Small Gold Box I haven’t opened yet.’
’When did I become so blasé about Silver Treasure Chests?’
She picked up the lollipop.
[Chitter-Chatter Lollipop: Eat this to gain the ability to communicate with all Otherkin.]
’With the system’s help, I can already communicate with Otherkin. But if this becomes my own innate ability, I won’t have to worry even if I lose the system someday.’
She unwrapped it and popped it straight into her mouth.
Faye sent the inner core to her brother with a message: "I have a gift for you, too, big bro. Make sure you eat it!"
Sucking on the lollipop, she stored the Silver Treasure Chest in her backpack and headed upstairs.
She had decided to open all the chests.
’Loot isn’t yours until you claim it.’
She quickly crunched up the rest of the lollipop and swallowed. She felt as though something new had been added to her brain—the linguistic knowledge, probably.
Back in her room, she rubbed her hands together expectantly. She took out two Silver Treasure Chests and one golden box, clasped her hands, and began to chant an incantation under her breath.
"Spirits of heaven, spirits of earth... Open!"
[You have obtained: Level One City Construction Plan x1, Milk Tree x1, Confession Letter Paper x10, Intermediate Crossbow Making Diagram x1, Cable Wire x10]
Her Talent triggered... doubling the rewards.
Faye Yardley examined the items she’d unboxed as the system provided detailed descriptions for each:
[Level One City Construction Plan: Gather the required materials, and this will create a city capable of housing 20 million people.]
[Milk Tree: Produces a pure, natural, and pollution-free plant-based milk. If you plant and water it with care, it will bear milk fruits. A must-have for any survivor!]
[Confession Letter Paper: Write the name of the person you wish to confess your feelings to and your message on this paper. They will receive it, and your chances of a successful confession will increase.]
Faye pursed her lips. ’System, where in the world did you get the idea I need to confess my feelings to someone?’
Faye certainly didn’t need the Level One City Construction Plan, so her only option was to trade it.
Her first thought was to call Jay Jonas, but the line was busy, and the call went unanswered.
’Oh well,’ she thought. ’He’ll call back when he’s free.’
’As for the Milk Trees, one for me and one for my brother. Perfect.’
’Of course, it would be even better if Eamon can figure out how to propagate them from cuttings.’