Chapter 261: Making Amends, Pigeon Eggs

Chapter 261: Chapter 261: Making Amends, Pigeon Eggs

Tears welled up in Freya Lynn’s eyes again.

Seraphina Sullivan couldn’t help but frown.

She understood what Jasper Drake meant. Maintaining order sometimes required being firm.

Just as the atmosphere turned stagnant, Jasper Drake’s voice rang out again, bringing a glimmer of hope:

"However, rules are rigid, but people are flexible. Right now, there is a way for you to atone for your mistake."

"What is it?"

Crystal Lynn immediately raised her head, hope rekindling in her eyes.

Seraphina Sullivan also looked over curiously.

Jasper Drake didn’t keep them in suspense and spoke directly.

"I’m sure you’ve all heard about the situation in Kaelen. The monster that destroyed a safe zone is a grave concern for everyone."

"The safe zone is about to officially recruit Players to form an expeditionary force and take the offensive. We aim to eliminate it before it can cause any more destruction. As long as you volunteer for this expedition, your transgression will be completely wiped clean."

It was a dangerous mission, but it was also her only chance.

Crystal Lynn barely hesitated. She had to grasp this lifeline—for herself, and so her sister could continue to live in the safe zone.

"I accept the recruitment!" she answered at once.

Jasper Drake nodded, unsurprised by the outcome.

He seemed to be a busy man. Having achieved his objective, he didn’t linger, turning and leaving with crisp efficiency.

However, as he passed the doorway, his steps faltered almost imperceptibly.

His gaze swept over Seraphina Sullivan and the silent Sean Chandler by her side. His lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he said nothing and left without another word.

After he left, the tension in the room eased considerably.

Dexter Luther sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, his tone heavy with exhaustion.

"Sigh... It’s just one thing after another. This damned extreme cold disaster is enough of a headache. We fight for our lives in the instances, and when we finally make it back to reality hoping to catch a breath, we run into this kind of frustrating mess..."

Dexter Luther’s words resonated with the other Players in the room.

Everyone wore helpless expressions. Survival in the face of this disaster had never been easy.

Dexter Luther composed himself and looked to Seraphina Sullivan, asking, "Sullivan, what are your thoughts on this recruitment to hunt the monster?"

Seraphina Sullivan’s mind raced, but her expression remained impassive as she shook her head.

"The specific details aren’t clear yet, so I can’t say for sure. But since this concerns the safety of the entire safe zone, I’ll naturally do my part if it’s within my ability."

’My persona as a kind and helpful Player who supports others can’t fall apart.’

Dexter Luther looked relieved to hear that. "It’s great that you think that way, Sullivan. Your skill with rapid suturing and staunching bleeding alone could save countless lives on the battlefield. If you’re there, I’ll feel a lot more secure."

Seraphina Sullivan simply smiled in response.

...

For the time being, the matter was settled.

Seraphina Sullivan returned to the relatively quiet RV area with the Lynn sisters.

The safe zone soon issued a notice regarding the decision on how to handle Crystal Lynn.

When the residents who had been pointing fingers at Crystal Lynn heard she was being conscripted to fight the terrifying monster that had destroyed the Kaelen safe zone, most of them fell silent. Some even began to show a little sympathy.

The extreme cold outside was already a life-or-death trial for them, to say nothing of facing a monster that could obliterate an entire safe zone.

It was practically a suicide mission.

When they reached their dilapidated RV, Crystal Lynn stopped and turned to Seraphina Sullivan. "Miss Sullivan, I really... I don’t know how to thank you. Thank you for treating my injuries, and thank you for protecting Freya just now."

Seraphina Sullivan gently ruffled little Freya’s hair, her tone calm. "It’s nothing. I just couldn’t stand by and watch."

Damian Lynn’s selfish and shameless behavior reminded Seraphina Sullivan of her own equally irresponsible parents.

She couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy, seeing a reflection of her own misfortune.

"Besides,"

Seraphina Sullivan looked down at Freya with a gentle smile. "Anyone would want to help a sweet, well-behaved girl like you."

Little Freya blushed shyly at the praise but mustered her courage. She stepped forward, tilted her head back to look up at Seraphina Sullivan, and said, "Sullivan, thank you for bandaging my sister’s wound. You were so amazing just now, so fast and so good! I... When I grow up, I want to be a doctor and help people, just like you!"

Seraphina Sullivan smiled and encouraged her, "Yes. A kind girl like you will definitely make her dream come true."

However, a complex emotion flickered in Crystal Lynn’s eyes.

It was a mix of hope for her sister’s future, but more than that, uncertainty about her own path forward, and the deep-seated fear of this apocalyptic world she kept hidden in her heart.

’Hunting the Monster Rabbit... can I make it back alive?’

’What will happen to Freya?’

"Miss Sullivan, you’ve helped me so much. I can’t let you have treated my wounds for nothing."

Crystal Lynn seemed to make up her mind and said to Seraphina Sullivan, "Wait here a moment."

She quickly ducked into her dilapidated RV and rummaged around for a moment. Then she emerged with a small net bag woven from thin vines and handed it to Seraphina Sullivan.

The net bag held several eggs, slightly smaller than a chicken’s, with pale pink shells.

"Earlier, in the Player trading area, I noticed Mr. Chandler seemed to be asking around and looking for anything related to pigeons."

Crystal Lynn explained, "I don’t have any actual pigeons, but I was lucky enough to find a nest of ordinary pigeon eggs in an instance with a relatively normal environment. I was originally saving them to supplement Freya’s diet, but since Mr. Chandler needs them, please take them. I hope they can be of use to you."

Seraphina Sullivan’s eyes lit up the moment she saw the pigeon eggs!

She needed pigeons to implement her [Bombing Pigeon] plan.

She had the [Bird Manipulator] ability and the [Pelican’s Eye Ring].

But the plan had always been missing its most crucial component.

Pigeons!

Or any other kind of bird, for that matter.

However, the instances she’d been through before were all too bizarre and strange. Forget pigeons—it was rare to see any normal animals at all.

These pigeon eggs from Crystal Lynn were a godsend.

"This is exactly what I needed!"

Seraphina Sullivan didn’t feign refusal. She took the net bag. "This is fantastic. In that case, I won’t be polite. These pigeon eggs are very important to me."

The value of this gift far exceeded that of a simple healing session.

’Apparently, providing tangible help really does yield useful rewards.’

...

While Seraphina Sullivan was back in her RV, pondering how to hatch the pigeon eggs, a tense, high-level meeting was underway in a heavily guarded conference room in the safe zone’s core area—a meeting that would decide the fate of many.

The attendees included the head of the safe zone, military representatives, and a few powerful Player leaders.

The meeting had only one topic.

How to formulate a strategy, recruit forces, and successfully hunt down the terrifying entity temporarily codenamed the [Monster Rabbit].

A grave Aura filled the air.