Chapter 216: Energy Baryte

Chapter 216: Chapter 216: Energy Baryte

Seraphina Sullivan had no desire to get anywhere near that source of stench, let alone engage in close combat.

Just looking at the constantly dripping, bubbling, yellowish-green sludge was enough to make any sane person shrink back.

This Garbage Sludge Monster was a source of both physical and mental pollution.

Seraphina glanced at the Level 1 Players.

Some had already started using their Abilities to deal with these Junk Monsters.

If they wanted to complete the main quest, they had to overcome these challenges.

She saw one Player, undaunted by the stench, charge toward a Junk Monster.

As Seraphina was watching the Player, "Watch out!" Nelly Nash suddenly shouted a warning from a distance.

Seraphina snapped back to her senses.

The Garbage Sludge Monster that had just reformed contracted violently in its midsection, like a squeezed pustule, and then—

"PFFT PFFT PFFT—!"

Countless streams of viscous, horrifically foul-smelling, yellowish-green sludge shot toward Seraphina and Nelly Nash like jets from a high-pressure hose!

It was its Skill: [Mud Spray]!

Seraphina’s reaction was swift.

She instantly activated her [Bounce] Skill.

Her figure leaped, retreating backward at high speed, narrowly avoiding the main area covered by the sludge.

A few splattered drops of mud landed on her [Parasitic Windbreaker], making a faint "TSSSSS" sound of corrosion.

The Mud Spray was clearly highly corrosive.

’I can’t just take this passively!’

With that thought, Seraphina’s gaze hardened, and she flicked her right wrist.

The [Poisonous Python Black Whip] appeared.

At the same time, her mind raced as she mobilized the Skills of her [Cleaner] class.

"Clean Bubble!"

An astonishing scene unfolded.

Countless fine, white bubbles, exuding a faint, clean, soapy fragrance, materialized out of thin air.

Instead of enveloping her hands, she controlled them to rapidly adhere to the body of the jet-black whip!

The once murderous Poisonous Python Black Whip now looked like a strange weapon made of countless pure bubbles.

It shimmered with a soft yet formidable light.

Seraphina swung her arm.

Imbuing it with Power, the long whip, wreathed in countless Clean Bubbles, cut through the filthy air with a peculiar Aura of Purification, striking the Garbage Sludge Monster’s body viciously.

"CRACK—!!"

A crisp crack echoed, carrying with it a strange cleansing effect!

Unlike Nelly Nash’s purely physical attacks that just scattered the monster, the whip strike, imbued with the stain-cleansing [Clean Bubble], seemed to be the natural bane of this kind of filth.

Wherever the whip’s shadow passed, the massive Sludge Monster, formed from foul sludge and matter, was like ice dropped on a red-hot iron, or like stubborn grease dissolved by a powerful detergent.

It made a "TCHHHH" sound as its enormous body instantly began to collapse and melt away from the point of impact.

The area that was struck turned into wisps of grayish-black smoke and a small puddle of harmless, murky liquid, showing no signs of reforming!

It had been completely "washed" away!

The Garbage Sludge Monster’s Weakness—water!

Clean Bubbles may be bubbles, but they also have a water element!

Washing away stains and removing pollution—it was the perfect counter to the Garbage Sludge Monster.

"Holy crap! That’s amazing!"

A stunned Nelly Nash watched from the side, unable to stop herself from cursing.

She looked in astonishment at the long whip in Seraphina’s hand as the bubbles slowly dissipated, revealing its black body.

Then she glanced at the rapidly vanishing puddle on the ground. "That weapon of yours... it’s like it was tailor-made to fight these Sludge Monsters! It’s perfect!"

Nelly Nash apparently thought the Clean Bubble Skill was a special Ability of the Poisonous Python Black Whip.

But Seraphina didn’t bother to explain.

Seraphina herself hadn’t expected that [Clean Bubble], which seemed more like a life-support Skill, would be so outstandingly effective against a Junk Monster made of foul Energy when applied to a weapon. It was practically an instant kill!

"I was worried you’d have a hard time dealing with them, but it looks like I was overthinking it."

Seeing this, Nelly Nash completely relaxed and a wild grin spread across her face. "In that case, I can finally let loose and go all out!"

With that, she didn’t linger, hoisting her enormous, modified guitar onto her shoulder.

Like a rock warrior heading into battle, she charged toward a more densely packed area of Junk Monsters in the distance.

Soon, Seraphina could hear the deafening, eardrum-shattering sonic booms of a guitar riff coming from that direction!

Distorted sound waves, visible to the naked eye, acted like invisible cannonballs, blasting one Junk Monster after another into the sky, where they exploded into "fireworks" of filth that rained down everywhere.

The scene was incredibly impactful, and also incredibly... polluting.

Seraphina: "..."

’Nelly Nash’s fighting style makes her a walking, talking pollution amplifier.’

’She blows up everything wherever she goes. Her monster-clearing efficiency is high, but the surrounding air quality probably drops exponentially.’

She was just about to move further away.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something faintly glittering where the Garbage Sludge Monster she had just killed with [Clean Bubble] had disappeared.

In this dim area shrouded by yellowish-green toxic fog, that little glint was particularly eye-catching.

Curious, Seraphina walked over.

A stone about the size of a fingernail, completely translucent and sparkling like a diamond, lay quietly on the ground. It seemed to have flowing light shimmering within it.

[Energy Baryte]

Effect: Formed by the crystallization of highly condensed Energy under specific conditions. Contains pure Energy. Can be used for forging, enchanting, powering machinery, or as an energy source and material for special crafting.

Seraphina was taken aback.

"I never would have thought... that such a disgusting Junk Monster would produce such a beautiful Energy Baryte after being purified?" The contrast was just too great.

But then, she suddenly remembered something, and her expression turned a bit strange.

"Wait! Energy Baryte?!"

She recalled seeing a special recipe called [Growth Potatoes Recovery Soup] for the Growth Potatoes when she used the [Food God’s Gourmet Atlas].

Its Effect was to rapidly restore stamina and heal minor injuries.

And one of the key ingredients required to make that recipe was none other than [Energy Baryte]!

Seraphina’s expression became quite thoughtful.

Knowing that this seemingly pure and beautiful Energy Baryte came from that incredibly foul Garbage Sludge Monster... The feeling was a bit... unsettling.

"It’s honestly a bit hard to look at..." Seraphina muttered under her breath.

However, this was just a momentary psychological discomfort.

Faced with the pragmatism of surviving the apocalypse, this small "mental block" was nothing.

Seraphina quickly adjusted her mindset and, without hesitation, picked up the sparkling [Energy Baryte] and properly stored it in her Storage Space.

It was an important resource. No matter how much she disdained its origins, she couldn’t argue with practical benefits.

Then, she gave herself a mental suggestion.

’These aren’t Junk Monsters! They’re Energy Baryte resources!’

Seraphina began to hoard Energy Barytes.

The assessment lasted for two days.