Chapter 114: Rescue Mission Triggered, Native People

Chapter 114: Chapter 114: Rescue Mission Triggered, Native People

[Ding! The Sapphire Space Bag has successfully absorbed the high-energy mineral ’Petrification Star’! Space expanding... Current capacity: 10.3 cubic meters.]

Success!

A wave of joy washed over Seraphina Sullivan, and she was just about to have the Silenti bring the space bag back to her.

But just then.

[Ding! A Player has obtained and processed the ’Petrification Star,’ uncovering a core truth of this world! A special Salvation Quest is now being issued to all surviving Players!]

[Salvation Quest: Dawn]

[Details: Successfully convey the specific information about the ’Petrification Star’ to the leadership of this world’s surviving, organized Native People.]

[Reward: The one who successfully submits this information will receive a random treasure from Planet Silenti.]

Without warning, the cold voice of the system once again echoed through the minds of every Player!

Seraphina Sullivan pressed a hand to her forehead, feeling a bit overwhelmed. "You’ve got to be kidding me... I triggered another new quest? And it’s a Salvation Quest this time?"

She immediately looked toward Sean Chandler.

Sean Chandler nodded in confirmation. "I got the system prompt, too. But it only explained the objective and the reward. It didn’t give any specifics on what the ’Petrification Star’ is, what it looks like, or what its traits are."

Hearing this, Seraphina Sullivan’s eyes instantly lit up.

"So, you’re saying that even though all the Players got the quest, no one besides me knows the specifics about the ’Petrification Star’?!"

This meant that the seemingly difficult quest was practically tailor-made for her, since she was the only one with firsthand information.

She could easily complete it before anyone else.

"That’s right! Now all I have to do is find the surviving native leadership and sell them the information!" Seraphina Sullivan clenched her fists in excitement.

But immediately, a practical problem presented itself: where were the native leaders?

In this deathly silent City of Petrification, there was nothing but statues and monsters. You couldn’t even see a shadow of a living person. ’Where on earth could these so-called "surviving Native People" and their "leaders" be hiding?’

Finding them had become the newest, and greatest, challenge in completing this quest.

...

On the other side of the city, night still reigned, and the Players’ hunt had not ceased.

The sudden system prompt made Dexter Luther, who was in the middle of a skirmish with a Silenti, freeze for a moment.

He was almost struck by a Petrifying Light that grazed past him.

He hastily dove behind a broken wall, his face a mask of frustration and confusion.

"What the hell is this ’Petrification Star’ now? Sounds like a huge pain... A Salvation Quest? But I don’t even know what the thing looks like or where to find it. How am I supposed to complete that?"

He scratched his head and let out a huge yawn. "Ah, forget it. Not my problem. I’ll just stick to taking out a few more of these Silenti. I’ll be happy if I can just get the guaranteed minimum Treasure Chest."

Not all Players were as zen as Dexter Luther, however.

Jefferson Lynn, the leader of another team, immediately fell into deep thought upon hearing the prompt.

’Petrification Star... That name... it has to be connected to those petrifying monsters.’

Just then, Lowe suddenly spoke up. "Sevie, can you find out what this Petrification Star is from the mind of the Silenti you’re controlling? If we can figure it out, we might be able to complete this quest too."

Jefferson Lynn looked over at the Silenti that Sevie had tamed, which was now waiting quietly to the side. "Sevie, Lowe’s right. Give it a try. See if you can use the Spirit Link to dig any information about the ’Petrification Star’ out of that thing’s simple mind. If we can find a clue, we might be able to finish this Salvation Quest before anyone else. That reward sounds a lot more appealing than a Treasure Chest."

’A treasure from Planet Silenti... If we could get our hands on that, it would be an incredible reward.’

Sevie nodded, closed her eyes, and attempted a deeper level of mental communication with the tamed Silenti.

However, the Silenti’s consciousness was chaotic and simple. Beyond a craving for green Energy and basic hunting instincts, it seemed to have no concrete concept of the "Petrification Star." The communication progressed slowly.

Thanks to the new quest, this night was destined to be a restless, sleepless one for many Players.

Meanwhile, the one who started it all, Seraphina Sullivan, had already returned to the relative safety of the underpass and brought out her RV again.

’I have the information, so I have the advantage. There’s no point in rushing now. I need to rest up so I can be more efficient at finding the right people for this quest tomorrow.’

Her mind at ease, she soon drifted off to sleep.

「The next morning.」

Well-rested and full of energy, Seraphina Sullivan began to plan her day.

She continued working on the [Reclaim the Silenti] quest while simultaneously using her [Bird Manipulation Technique] to its fullest extent.

She controlled over a dozen sparrows, crows, and other birds she could find nearby, casting them out like an aerial reconnaissance net. She commanded them to spread out in all directions from her base, focusing their search on any possible traces of human activity or non-petrified buildings.

To maximize efficiency, she decided to split up with Sean Chandler.

"We’ll work on the reclamation quest separately. That way, we can get two Treasure Chests when the rewards are tallied."

She handed the [Sapphire Space Bag] to Sean Chandler so he could store his kills.

"You focus on clearing out the stragglers and the Silenti on the periphery. Stay safe."

Sean Chandler nodded, took the bag, and transformed into a black cat, disappearing silently into the ruins.

Flora, meanwhile, remained by Seraphina’s side to act as her guard.

From her observations the previous day, Seraphina had also discovered that the Silenti seemed to lack any wariness toward plants.

"Flora, you found a new nest? Same plan as always. In a bit, you’ll make a sound to draw the attention of those little things," Seraphina instructed.

"Understood, Master!" Flora’s voice was cheerful. "I’m stocking up on my own snacks, too!"

Indeed, Seraphina had taken a portion of the harvested [Silenti Eyeballs] and given them to the non-picky Flora as an "experiment" to see if the plant lifeform would undergo any strange changes after consuming them.

Unexpectedly, Flora had actually grown to like these "snacks" and their unique properties.

Just as Flora was waving its vines, preparing to make a noise to lure out the Silenti from their nest...

Suddenly, through the eyes of a crow she was psychically linked with, Seraphina spotted several figures that were completely out of place!

The individuals were dressed in leather clothes adorned with strange patterns, a style clearly different from modern attire. They moved nimbly and cautiously through the ruins, their wary eyes scanning the surroundings. It seemed they were simultaneously hiding from something and searching for something else.

Their clothing and demeanor were completely different from that of Players!

Seraphina’s eyes flew wide open, and her heart began to race with excitement.

’This attire... Could they be... the Native People of the Petrification Apocalypse Dungeon?!’