Chapter 184: Great Bear Form, Moral Blackmail

Chapter 184: Chapter 184: Great Bear Form, Moral Blackmail

Using the Genetic Potion on Flora and Moe.

The thought intrigued Seraphina Sullivan.

After all, Flora and Moe weren’t exactly conventional lifeforms.

For them, "mutation" might be more like "Evolution."

’Still, I don’t know if they’d be willing. Whether they can even take it is another matter...’

Seraphina stroked her chin, deciding to find a chance to "discuss" it with the two little ones later.

At the very least, she needed to do a risk assessment first.

As she was pondering this, the faint fluctuations of Energy from Sean Chandler began to subside.

He slowly opened his eyes, a sharp glint seeming to flash through them for an instant.

Clearly, his Talent enhancement had also been successfully completed.

As Seraphina watched closely, she saw that Sean Chandler’s Talent had indeed been significantly enhanced.

But the result of this enhancement made the corner of Seraphina’s mouth twitch, her expression screaming, ’I knew it.’

’This guy... is his luck with Talent enhancements even better than mine? Can that European Emperor’s Constitution of his really work on something like this?’

Seraphina couldn’t help but mutter under her breath.

Sean Chandler’s original [Beastification] Talent, after being enhanced...

...in addition to the original [Werewolf Form] and the [Cat Form] he later awakened with a potion...

...had surprisingly gained a brand-new form—[Bear Form]!

[Bear Form]: Allows transformation into a giant bear excelling in both Power and defense. Greatly enhances defensive capabilities and physical attack power, providing stronger direct damage resistance and assault capabilities.

"Bear Form... It seems to have shored up the defensive weakness in your Beastification Talent," Seraphina analyzed.

The Werewolf Form is geared toward offense and balance, while the Cat Form focuses on agility and stealth.

Now, with the addition of the Bear Form, Sean Chandler’s tactical options have become more diverse, allowing him to adapt to more complex combat situations.

Sean Chandler took a moment to acclimate to his new Power.

He spoke in a low voice, adding his own discovery, "It seems this reward’s Talent enhancement only works on the core Talent originally granted by the system. I didn’t feel any improvement to the [Monster Power] Talent I gained from eating the Power Apple."

Hearing this, Seraphina finally noticed that Sean Chandler’s [Monster Power] Talent had indeed not changed at all.

"That’s a shame, then," Seraphina said with regret.

If the [Monster Power] Talent could have been enhanced as well...

...combined with the newly acquired [Bear Form], Sean Chandler’s direct combat strength would have reached a terrifying level. And my own safety would naturally be even more secure.

Still, getting an enhancement like this was already lucky, and Seraphina wasn’t a greedy person.

"Alright, let’s both get some proper rest. We’ve been on edge for seven days. We can take stock of our gains after we wake up."

Seraphina said, rubbing her throbbing temples.

Every time she returned from one of those perilous apocalyptic dungeons, the mental exhaustion was far worse than any physical fatigue.

She walked to the window and looked outside.

Outside, the world was a vast expanse of white. Goose-feather snow drifted down endlessly with no sign of stopping. The snowdrifts seemed much thicker than before they had entered the dungeon.

"This snow... why does it look like it’s getting heavier?" Seraphina frowned.

Even with the [Fiery Sunflower] seedling continuously radiating warmth in the room, she could still feel a chill seeping in through the cracks in the Wall and windows. The indoor temperature was noticeably lower than before.

She took out a thermometer to check.

"Negative fifty degrees?!" Seraphina’s heart sank as she looked at the number on the thermometer.

Without proper heating, a temperature this low was already dangerously cold!

"If the temperature keeps dropping like this, the survival crisis brought on by this extreme cold will be far more terrifying than the previous rainstorm disaster!" Seraphina’s tone was grave.

She realized the real world’s environment was deteriorating in a more extreme and unpredictable direction.

Her phone, which she’d left at home to await any news, was now ice-cold. The battery had long since died from the freezing temperatures.

But right now, Seraphina was utterly exhausted, body and soul. The seven days of high alert in the dungeon had nearly drained her mentally.

She temporarily pushed aside her worries about the severe cold outside, burrowed into her quilt, and fell into a deep sleep almost instantly.

However, she didn’t know that just as Players were returning to the real world, some who had already joined official organizations or been recruited were already hard at work dealing with the extreme weather and constructing the "Vorlag City Shelter".

Seraphina just hadn’t had the chance to establish a deeper connection with the officials yet.

...

Seraphina felt like she had only just fallen asleep when a series of fierce, persistent knocks on the door rudely jolted her awake.

BANG BANG BANG! BANG BANG BANG!

The knocking, tinged with impatience and irritation, sounded exceptionally harsh in the quiet hallway.

Seraphina’s brow furrowed. Suppressing her Fury and fatigue at being woken up, she climbed out of her warm bed and quickly wrapped herself in thick clothes.

She didn’t open the door right away. Instead, she shot Sean Chandler a look.

Sean Chandler understood, walked up to the door, and asked in his characteristically cold, emotionless voice:

"Who is it?"

When the person outside heard a response, especially the voice of an adult man, they seemed to get even more agitated. A man’s voice, trembling from either cold or fear, immediately shouted:

"I... I’m your downstairs neighbor! I know you’re a Player! Since you killed someone and came back safely, you must have joined the officials, right? And if you’re an official Player, you should be serving us normal people! Get outside and find us some food! And supplies to keep warm, of course! If the temperature keeps dropping, we’re all going to freeze to death!"

His tone held a baffling sense of entitlement.

It was as if Players who joined the officials were born to serve him.

Inside, Seraphina was stunned for a moment after hearing this.

She even wondered if her exhaustion was making her hear things.

’Seriously, is this person... out of their mind?’

However, before Sean Chandler could respond, more people seemed to have gathered outside, and the clamor grew louder:

"Yeah! You’re a Player! You have Abilities and skills, so what are you doing hiding at home instead of helping everyone find food and supplies?"

"Exactly! My family’s almost out of food! During the rainstorms, the army airdropped supplies, but now with this cold snap and blizzard, there’s not a soul in sight, and the phones don’t work! You’re capable, so go get us some food and warm stuff!"

"Open the door! Stop hiding in there and pretending you’re not home! We know you’re in there!"

The cacophony of voices was, without exception, filled with accusations, demands, and even a sense of righteous, moralizing entitlement.

Listening to these increasingly absurd words...

...Seraphina almost laughed out of sheer anger.

’Seriously, who do these people think they are?’