Chapter 117: Reward, I Want to Be Like You

Chapter 117: Chapter 117: Reward, I Want to Be Like You

Seraphina Sullivan simply maintained a faint smile and did not answer Isaac Ingram’s question.

She was mindful of the System’s rules: she could not proactively reveal the existence of "Players" or the "System" to the Native People within the instance.

However, if the Native People were to speculate and figure it out on their own based on the available evidence, it wouldn’t count as a violation on her part.

Seraphina already knew the System wouldn’t punish her for exploiting this little loophole.

Meanwhile, Cole and Shane Ross didn’t overthink it the way Isaac Ingram did. Their faces were filled with excitement and hope.

Cole Ross asked urgently, "Miss Sullivan, are you saying that if we find and deal with that ’Petrification Star,’ these monsters, the Silenti, will lose their energy source and die? This damned Petrification Apocalypse will end? Our world will be safe again?"

She didn’t care where Seraphina Sullivan came from; she only cared if there was finally an end in sight for this hopeless disaster.

Seraphina Sullivan shook her head, offering no absolute guarantee. "Perhaps. But this is just my speculation; I can’t be one hundred percent certain. The Petrification Star is their Energy Core. In theory, destroying it or isolating it should deal a fatal blow to the Silenti and might even prevent new Petrification from occurring. But I can’t say for sure what the final outcome will be. I’m just a messenger."

However, the moment the words left her mouth—

[DING! Congratulations to Player Seraphina Sullivan for completing the Special Rescue Mission: [Dawnlight]!]

[You have successfully relayed key information about the ’Petrification Star’ to the surviving high-ranking Native People of this world and have gained their initial trust.]

[Mission Reward: One random treasure from ’Planet Silenti’. This has been recorded and will be distributed upon your return to Azure Star!]

The cold, mechanical voice of the System echoed punctually in Seraphina Sullivan’s mind, announcing the mission’s completion.

Seraphina felt a sense of certainty. ’The reward is in the bag!’

As for whether this world could ultimately be saved, that would depend on the Native People’s own efforts and fate.

Having received the system reward notification she wanted, Seraphina Sullivan felt there was no longer any need to remain in the underground Shelter.

This wasn’t her battlefield. Her objective was to survive for seven days and acquire as many resources as possible.

"I have told you everything I was supposed to. The rest is up to you," Seraphina Sullivan said calmly, preparing to turn and leave. "It’s time for me to go."

Hearing this, the young Shane Ross looked alarmed and confused. "Go? You... aren’t you here to save us? You have such incredible Power, why can’t you stay and help us eliminate those monsters?"

In his simple worldview, a powerful being like Seraphina Sullivan, who had appeared so suddenly, was supposed to play the role of a savior.

Seraphina Sullivan stopped and shook her head, her tone carrying a hint of imperceptible resignation.

"Of course I’m not here to save you. Just like you, I’m merely someone trying to survive in this dangerous world."

She kept her words brief and to the point, carefully avoiding terms like "Player" or "instance," fearing she might trigger an unpredictable punishment from the System and cause the instance’s difficulty to skyrocket.

Isaac Ingram immediately stepped forward, stopping Shane Ross before he could ask more questions. His gaze was stern, yet understanding. "That’s enough, Shane. This young lady has already given us crucial intelligence beyond our wildest dreams—the truth we haven’t been able to confirm for years! She has no obligation to fight for us. The only ones who can save this world have always been ourselves!"

As a researcher and one of the managers of this Shelter, he understood the value of the information Seraphina Sullivan had brought far better than anyone. He also knew how unrealistic it was to force others to sacrifice themselves for their cause.

Just then, Cole Ross, who had been silent all this time, suddenly walked up to Seraphina Sullivan. She looked up, her eyes glinting with a complex mix of emotions: envy, yearning, and above all, a firm resolve.

She had personally witnessed people like Seraphina Sullivan wield Power that defied common sense—the kind of Power that allowed one to defend themselves, or even fight back, against the monsters.

"Can... can I become someone like you?" Cole Ross’s voice trembled slightly, yet it was unusually soft.

"If I had Power like yours, maybe... maybe I could do a better job of protecting everyone and drive all those monsters you call the Silenti out of our world!"

Seraphina Sullivan was slightly taken aback. She hadn’t expected this seemingly resilient young woman to make such a request.

She looked at the pure yearning in Cole Ross’s eyes and finally shook her head.

"Being people like us isn’t as wonderful as you imagine."

Seraphina’s voice was soft but carried a heavy weight. "We do possess certain special Abilities, but the price is to constantly face all sorts of survival trials, struggling to live on the edge of life and death. Any one of them could be our last."

"But I want Power! I need Power to save my world and protect the only family I have left!" Cole Ross’s tone was exceptionally firm. The cruelty of the apocalypse had long since stripped her of any naivety.

Seraphina Sullivan shook her head again, this time with a touch of helplessness.

"I’m sorry, but that’s not something I can decide. How one obtains Power, or whether one can obtain it at all, is not within my Control."

She had no idea if it was possible for the Native People of an instance world to become "Players"; it was beyond the scope of her knowledge.

Giving them no more opportunity for questions, Seraphina Sullivan took one last look at the people struggling to survive in this underground shelter. She turned and, without hesitation, left the simple room, retracing her steps and quickly disappearing down the dim corridor.

Watching Seraphina Sullivan’s retreating figure, Cole Ross clenched her fists and fell silent, her eyes burning with frustration and an even deeper longing.

Shane Ross and Isaac Ingram walked over to her side.

Shane Ross tried to comfort his sister. "Sis, don’t dwell on it. At least now we know more about the monsters! We’ll definitely be able to drive those damned Silenti out of our world with our own strength!"

Isaac Ingram also pushed up his glasses, a rare look of excitement appearing on his face.

"That’s right! With this definitive information about the ’Petrification Star’ and their energy source, I can resume many of my stalled research projects! Perhaps... I can create a device that can interfere with or even block that Petrification Energy! We will definitely find a way!"

「...」

After leaving the underground Shelter, Seraphina Sullivan once again focused all her energy on the [Reclaim the Silenti] mission.

She moved through the dilapidated urban ruins, carefully searching for traces of the little grayish-white imps.

Soon, she successfully rendezvoused with Sean Chandler, who had been clearing the outer areas as they had agreed.

Over the next few days, the two worked together in perfect sync. One used [Sweet Fragrance] and her control over birds for reconnaissance and to run interference, while the other relied on an animal form that was immune to Petrification to deliver fatal blows.

Their efficiency was extremely high. They eliminated countless Silenti, and the number of eyeballs they collected and corpses they submitted grew steadily.