Chapter 263: Four Powerful Players, the Child of Weather

Chapter 263: Chapter 263: Four Powerful Players, the Child of Weather

Crystal Lynn also walked over to stand with Seraphina Sullivan and Sean Chandler.

When she learned Seraphina Sullivan would also be participating in this expedition, she joined them with almost no hesitation.

A strange sixth sense told Crystal Lynn that her chances of survival would be much greater if she stayed by the side of the seemingly gentle Seraphina Sullivan.

Crystal Lynn looked at the people excitedly discussing the reinforcements from the Central Base and voiced her confusion to Seraphina Sullivan in a low voice.

"I can’t believe the Central Base actually sent people. I never would have thought... With the extreme cold and the blizzard outside, transportation is practically impossible. How did they get here?"

Seraphina Sullivan’s eyes flickered, and she replied in a similarly hushed tone.

"I’m not sure. But think about it. Central City’s population is dozens of times larger than ours in Vorlag City, if not more. The number and quality of Players they produce must be far beyond us. Player Talents are weird and wonderful; there must be people with abilities that let them overcome extreme weather and travel long distances."

Crystal Lynn nodded. "Yes, you have a point."

At that moment, Justin Brooks’s gaze fell upon Seraphina Sullivan and Sean Chandler. He gave them a slight nod, his eyes holding an almost imperceptible hint of respect.

Then, Justin Brooks began organizing the distribution of equipment.

Several staff members carried in boxes, distributing a set of thick, gray-blue clothing to each volunteer.

Seraphina Sullivan accepted the clothing and habitually scanned it with [Item Identification].

[Special Cold-Resistant Clothing]

[Effect: Made from special materials and with advanced craftsmanship. Effectively withstands temperatures as low as -100 degrees and provides basic waterproof and windproof functions.]

Seraphina Sullivan was somewhat surprised to see this.

’I didn’t expect them to hand out actual cold-resistant gear,’ Seraphina Sullivan thought, feeling the fabric.

Crystal Lynn received her set as well and weighed it in her hands.

She tried to lighten the mood, dispelling some of the pre-expedition fear with a casual tone.

"So I guess this is our ’perk’ for this mission, huh? At least we won’t freeze. If we survive, we can use this to look for supplies in the extreme cold."

Seraphina Sullivan smiled. She truly hadn’t expected the Special Cold-Resistant Clothing.

As everyone was organizing their gear and encouraging one another, the heavy gates of the safe zone slowly groaned open with the sound of turning gears.

Outside the gate lay a vast, white world of ice and snow. A bone-chilling wind immediately gusted in, causing many to shiver uncontrollably.

However, the sight that greeted them next made all the waiting Players let out hushed gasps of astonishment.

A transport helicopter, emblazoned with military insignia, was steadily landing on the open ground outside the gate.

Astonishingly, as the swirling snowflakes and ice crystals came within a certain distance of the helicopter, they seemed to hit an invisible, warm wall.

They instantly melted and evaporated, forming a hazy barrier of water vapor.

Clearly, the helicopter was protected by a powerful Energy Shield.

The effects of the extreme wintry weather were reduced to a minimum.

"That Ability... Dexter, it’s a bit like your Talent!" From within the group of Players, Morgan Brooks of Dexter Luther’s squad couldn’t resist nudging his shoulder.

Dexter Luther nodded, scratching his head. "It’s similar, but not the same. My Ability is to create a physical Shield, geared toward physical defense. It’s not a persistent Energy Shield that can negate the effects of snow and ice like that. This Shield... it’s more advanced. The energy cost is probably much higher, too."

Just then, Dexter Luther led his squad members over to Seraphina Sullivan.

"Sullivan, this mission is going to be dangerous. If anyone on our squad gets hurt, we’ll be counting on you to patch them up."

The only woman on their team, Chloe Lewis, broke away from the group entirely. She grinned as she cozied up to Seraphina Sullivan and Crystal Lynn, linking her arm through Seraphina’s.

She laughed. "This is great! I finally don’t have to tag along with those smelly guys all the time. It was so boring!"

Chloe Lewis had a cheerful personality and took the initiative to extend a hand to Crystal Lynn. "Hi, I’m Chloe Lewis."

Though Crystal Lynn had a cool demeanor, she could sense the other woman’s goodwill and replied softly, "Crystal Lynn."

Chloe Lewis had clearly heard about what had happened to Crystal Lynn, but she didn’t press for details. Instead, she just gave Crystal’s shoulder a firm pat, a gesture of silent support.

Meanwhile, Seraphina Sullivan’s attention was completely captivated by the four figures emerging from the helicopter.

She discreetly activated [Eye of Resume], scanning each of the four elite Players from the Central Base.

The information she received sent ripples of shock through her:

[Name: Heath Summers]

[Gender: Female]

[Level: Level 2]

[Professional Skills and Talents: Weather Manipulation: Can control weather in a small area and alter extreme weather conditions.]

[Skills: None]

[Weaknesses: Talent is extremely draining on mental energy.]

[Name: Victor Sharp]

[Gender: Male]

[Level: Level 2]

[Professional Skills and Talents: Energy Shield: Can create an Energy Shield to protect oneself and a target. Effectively defends against physical, Energy, and Spirit Attacks.]

[Skills: None]

[Weaknesses: Gynophobia; fears being alone with women.]

[Name: Brandon Barton]

[Gender: Male]

[Level: Level 2]

[Professional Skills and Talents: Guaranteed Cutting Blade: Can strike any target within his line of sight, regardless of distance.]

[Skills: Sword Skill, swordsmanship]

[Weaknesses: Relatively poor personal defense.]

[Name: Gordon Chandler]

[Gender: Male]

[Level: Level 2]

[Professional Skills and Talents: Camera: Can record, store, and transmit (livestream) visual information through his eyes.]

[Skills: High-Speed Running]

[Weaknesses: No direct combat abilities; extremely low survivability.]

After reviewing the four profiles, Seraphina Sullivan was completely astonished.

Victor Sharp’s [Energy Shield] Talent explained how the helicopter could ignore the blizzard. It was practically a god-tier, life-saving skill for team operations.

Furthermore, his Ability could defend against all forms of power. In other words, as long as Victor Sharp had enough Energy, he could block any attack.

It didn’t matter if it was a Spirit Attack or a powerful burst of destructive Energy.

No one could touch him or anyone he was protecting.

Brandon Barton’s Talent was just as surprising to Seraphina.

Brandon Barton’s [Guaranteed Cutting Blade] was an attack Ability on par with a Rule Level power. Once he locked onto a target, it was nearly impossible to evade—a definitive, lethal trump card against powerful individuals.

But the one who shocked Seraphina Sullivan the most was the female Player named Heath Summers.

Heath Summers!

Before the internet went down, that name was known by nearly everyone in all of Arkadia.

It was during the most desperate hour, when the disastrous torrential rains were at their peak and countless cities were on the brink of being submerged, that she had appeared out of nowhere. Single-handedly, she had reversed the extreme downpours over entire regions, buying invaluable time for countless people to survive. The public had revered her with the title "Child of Weather"!

’I can’t believe someone like her is in the reinforcement team from the Central Base!’

Seraphina Sullivan realized that the scale of this expedition, and the importance placed upon it, far exceeded her expectations.

With such powerful reinforcements, their chances of success had indeed increased significantly.