Chapter 142: Meeting with Dexter Luther, Preparing for a Trade

Chapter 142: Chapter 142: Meeting with Dexter Luther, Preparing for a Trade

"Now?" Hearing Dexter Luther’s proposal, Seraphina Sullivan glanced at the blizzard still raging outside and raised an eyebrow.

"Yes! Right now! I’ve even thought of a place—the entrance to that half-collapsed underground mall over on Kestrel Street. At least it can block some of the wind and snow!" Dexter Luther’s voice was trembling noticeably from the cold, but his tone was resolute.

Seraphina Sullivan thought for a moment.

There were still a few days until the next entry into the Doomsday Game.

This sudden cold snap had thrown everything into chaos. It would be a good idea to go out and get a sense of what the other Players were doing and what resources they had.

Besides, there was one more thing on her mind.

Her "Bombing Pigeon" tactic couldn’t be derailed by a shortage of pigeons.

This was a perfect opportunity to ask around and see where she could get more pigeons, or other birds that could be used as substitutes.

"Alright,"

Seraphina Sullivan agreed. "We’ll go to the place you mentioned. We’ll head over as soon as we can."

"Great! I’ll... I’ll tell my friend right now! See you in a bit!"

Dexter Luther sounded relieved and quickly hung up, as if speaking for another second would cause him to freeze solid.

Seraphina Sullivan put down her phone and carefully stored the Heart of the Nest necklace, which was still "playing dead," into her Space.

Her plan to deal with the little thing would have to wait.

Heart of the Nest: ’Great, better keep laying low for now.’

Seraphina Sullivan turned to Sean Chandler and said, "Get ready, we’re going out. Dexter Luther wants to make a trade with us. And while we’re at it... we can see if we can find a new source for pigeons."

Sean Chandler nodded.

Seraphina Sullivan looked out the window. The blizzard showed no signs of letting up. The entire world was a vast expanse of white, with extremely low visibility.

Although she was wearing a self-heating set of [Heated Vest and Long Johns], she still bundled up in her thickest down jacket, not forgetting a scarf, hat, and gloves. She was wrapped up so tightly that only her eyes were visible.

Sean Chandler did the same.

The two took a deep breath, opened the door, and were instantly hit by a blast of cold so intense it felt like it could freeze their very souls.

Just as they stepped out, they unexpectedly ran into their next-door neighbor, Samuel Webb, who was just returning.

Samuel Webb was carrying a box of freshly scavenged wood and had a small sack of coal slung over his shoulder. His nose was red from the cold, and he was covered in snowflakes.

Clearly, with no heating or electricity, Samuel Webb was trying everything he could to keep his family warm using the most primitive methods.

Samuel Webb hadn’t expected to run into Sean Chandler and Seraphina Sullivan heading out at a time like this.

A flicker of barely perceptible nervousness and fear crossed his face, but he quickly forced a simple, almost awkward smile. He nodded at the two of them in greeting, then swiftly pulled out his keys, practically scrambled to unlock his own door, and ducked inside, slamming it shut behind him.

Once inside, Samuel Webb immediately leaned back against the cold security door, gasping for breath, his heart pounding.

’Damn it... Of all the luck, I had to run into that menace...’ he muttered to himself, still shaken.

Ever since he’d witnessed Sean Chandler expressionlessly snap Hunter Lowe’s neck and tear through a swarm of insects with his bare hands, he had resolved to never, ever provoke the couple next door. He would stay as far away from them as possible.

’Good thing I’m also a Player,’ he thought, steadying his breath with a sense of relief. ’My Talent isn’t strong and my Power is average, but at least I can manage to find some supplies and protect my family.’

Just then, his wife’s anxious voice called from the inner room: "Song! Are you back? I think Mom has a fever! Hurry up and get the fire started! It’s too cold in here! If we don’t get some heat, our son is going to get sick, too!"

Samuel Webb immediately answered, "Yeah! I’m back! I’ll start the fire right now!" He shook off his fear of his neighbors and hurried inside with the firewood and coal. Taking care of his family was the most important thing right now.

Outside, Seraphina Sullivan glanced at Samuel Webb’s tightly shut door and raised an eyebrow slightly. Without giving it much thought, she and Sean Chandler started trekking with difficulty through the deep snow, heading for the meeting point Dexter Luther had arranged.

It was not yet dawn, but the vast expanse of snow reflected the light, making the world as bright as day. A cold, eerie brightness enveloped everything.

Seraphina Sullivan and Sean Chandler weren’t the only ones out and about.

The sudden, deadly low temperatures had served as a brutal wake-up call. To survive, people were forced to brave the blizzard and search for anything they could burn for warmth.

Many found that even thick cotton clothes and quilts were no match for the bone-chilling cold, so all sorts of things—metal buckets, braziers, even ceramic bowls—were being converted into makeshift stoves.

Inside them, they burned whatever combustibles they could find.

Fragments of furniture, books, small amounts of coal and firewood... In their desperation for a sliver of warmth, people were demonstrating an astonishing will to survive.

Figures could occasionally be seen hurrying along the streets, and faint flickers of firelight shone from windows.

Braving the wind and snow, Seraphina Sullivan and Sean Chandler finally reached the location Dexter Luther had specified.

The half-collapsed entrance to the underground mall on Kestrel Street.

As he’d said, it offered some protection from the fierce wind and snow.

They had just arrived when Seraphina Sullivan spotted someone bundled up in a bulky coat, their face almost completely obscured, looking around while stomping their feet to stay warm.

She didn’t need to guess. The figure, so bundled up their own mother wouldn’t recognize them, had to be Dexter Luther.

Seraphina Sullivan’s [Eye of Resume] had already swept over him, confirming his identity.

"Seraphina Sullivan! Over here!"

Dexter Luther saw them too and immediately called out in a low voice, all while hopping on the spot and blowing on his hands.

The blizzard continued to rage as the three of them quickly ducked into the relative shelter of the ruined entrance.

"HSSS—HAA—How the hell did this damn weather get so cold all of a sudden! It’s going to freeze a person to death!"

Dexter Luther couldn’t help but complain the moment he got inside, his body still trembling uncontrollably as he hopped around, trying to generate some heat.

Seraphina Sullivan was in no mood for small talk and cut straight to the point. "Enough with the nonsense. What do you want to trade?"

Dexter Luther rubbed his hands together and gave a nervous chuckle, sticking to his script. "Well... it’s for my ’Player friend’! He’s got three... uh... items that aren’t very useful to him, so he sent me to ask if your boyfriend has anything that can increase one’s power, or... maybe some life-saving supplies for staying warm? Food or medicine would work too!"

Hearing him still using the lame "I have a friend" excuse, Seraphina Sullivan couldn’t help but shoot him a disdainful look.

Dexter Luther looked a bit embarrassed under her gaze, his eyes darting away for a moment, but he steeled himself and held firm.

Seraphina Sullivan couldn’t be bothered to call him out on it.

’Fine, if you say it’s a friend, then it’s a friend.’

She said no more, taking half a step back and handing complete control of the trade over to Sean Chandler. She settled into the role of a quiet, "supportive girlfriend," while keeping a vigilant watch on their surroundings.

Sean Chandler stepped forward, his voice as concise as ever. "First, show us what your... ’friend’ wants to trade."