Chapter 81: Injured, Odor Disappearing Spray

Chapter 81: Chapter 81: Injured, Odor Disappearing Spray

Having learned [Scorching Hand], Seraphina Sullivan curiously tried to activate it.

She focused her mind, feeling a faint current of heat flow from within her body toward her hands.

However, perhaps because she was still clumsy with her first use, her hands only grew slightly warm.

It felt like she had just been holding a cup of warm water, a far cry from the skill description’s promise of "smelting common metals" and "emitting high temperatures."

’Looks like I’ll need a lot more practice and familiarity to achieve the effect described on the Skill Card,’ she thought.

Seraphina Sullivan wasn’t discouraged. In fact, she was even more intrigued by an Ability that required development.

Next, she took out the [Bounce] Skill Card.

Although this Skill’s description wasn’t as versatile as [Scorching Hand]’s, Seraphina Sullivan keenly saw another use for it.

Escape!

’Jumping over ten meters high... it’s practically a god-tier skill for getting out of dangerous areas and crossing obstacles!’

Seraphina Sullivan knew that in a perilous, apocalyptic survival instance like this, immense offensive power was important.

But staying alive was the top priority.

And being able to escape effectively was, in itself, an extremely powerful survival Ability.

Without the slightest hesitation, she immediately learned the [Bounce] Skill as well.

Every little bit helped. Any Ability that could increase her chances of survival was worth mastering.

After dealing with her own rewards, Seraphina Sullivan looked over at Sean Chandler, who stood silently by like a loyal guard.

This guy might be a King of Fortune with enviously good luck, but he had undeniably put in the most effort, contributing both through his achievements and his hard work.

"Ahem. Don’t say I’m a tyrant. Here’s another one for you, to boost your Power."

Seraphina Sullivan pulled a vibrant green [Power Apple] from her Space and handed it over.

She hoped Sean Chandler would become tougher and hit harder, making him a better protector for her.

Sean Chandler remained expressionless as he took the apple. With a few crunches, he swallowed it down, and his Strength Attribute once again received a small boost.

Seraphina Sullivan: "I know you’re under my Control, but you don’t have to be silent all the time. At least make a sound!"

Sean Chandler: "Squeak!"

Seraphina Sullivan: "..."

Just then, Ash, who had been in a daze, swayed.

The clarity gradually returned to his eyes.

He blinked blankly. His whole body felt like it had been run over by a truck, especially his arms, which were so sore and weak he could barely lift them.

"Ugh... I’m... I’m so tired..."

Ash rubbed his throbbing temples, his voice hoarse.

"I feel completely drained... Sullivan, did we do a lot of work today? Why do I feel... like I’ve been beaten up?"

Seraphina Sullivan: "..."

She looked at Ash’s exhausted state, as if he’d been working nonstop for three days and three nights.

A rare, tiny sliver of guilt pricked at her.

During the first day’s high-intensity "assembly line" operation, Ash had been in charge of the "processing" stage. As their tool for the job, he had been pushed to his absolute limit by her and Sean Chandler, barely getting a moment’s rest.

"Yeah, it was a lot," Seraphina Sullivan mumbled, quickly changing the subject. "We had a good haul today. Get some rest. Tomorrow... uh, tomorrow will probably be even more tiring."

Ash didn’t know what to say. But since staying with Seraphina Sullivan guaranteed his safety, he had no complaints.

This was his own choice, after all.

"Alright, we’ve been busy all day. Let’s get something to eat and recover our strength!"

As she spoke, Seraphina Sullivan took out some processed ingredients from her Space.

She didn’t make a big commotion, simply finding a hollow sheltered from the wind. She used a few rocks to build a simple stove, then activated her newly acquired [Scorching Hand] Skill.

With a cool snap of her fingers,

she ignited some dry moss and branches.

She began to simply roast the food.

In the wild, a bonfire could provide warmth and cooked food, but it could also easily give away their position and attract unnecessary trouble.

Soon, the chunks of meat were sizzling over the fire, dripping fat and releasing a tantalizing aroma.

Even with just a sprinkle of salt, it was a rare delicacy in this environment.

Ash took the roasted meat from Seraphina Sullivan and began to wolf it down. As he ate, he glanced worriedly into the depths of the dark forest. "I wonder how the other two are doing. You think they’ve run into danger?"

Seraphina Sullivan was just about to reply, ’Who knows? They’ll have to fend for themselves,’ but the words never left her mouth.

The dense bushes beside them suddenly began to shake violently!

Immediately after, two rather pathetic figures burst out. It was Dustin Sullivan and Lily Underwood!

Speak of the devil.

"You guys..." Seraphina Sullivan stood up in surprise.

But the rest of her words caught in her throat!

By the light of the campfire, she could clearly see that Lily Underwood was in extremely bad shape!

Her bird-face mask was askew, revealing half of her pale face. There was a deep wound on her abdomen, and blood was steadily seeping out from between her fingers.

It had stained a large patch of her clothes red and was even dripping onto the ground!

"Holy crap! What did you run into? How did you get hurt so badly?!" Seraphina Sullivan exclaimed. The injury looked terrifying.

Dustin Sullivan wasn’t in much better condition. His usually neat white shirt was covered in mud and bloodstains, and there were several scratch marks on his arm.

But he couldn’t be bothered with his own state right now. The moment he saw Seraphina Sullivan, a glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes.

"Don’t ask about that now!" Dustin Sullivan’s tone was uncharacteristically urgent.

"Can you heal her?"

Although he knew Seraphina Sullivan was a Player, he had no idea about her specific Abilities or trump cards.

He had a general idea about the other Players, like Harvey Fletcher’s Emotion Control and Henry Jennings’s Air Compression.

But as for Seraphina Sullivan, who had disguised herself as one of the Native People from the very beginning and kept a low profile, he couldn’t see through her at all.

Seraphina Sullivan quickly examined Lily Underwood’s wound, her brow furrowed. "I can’t heal it completely; my Abilities don’t work that way. But I can give her some emergency stitches to stop the bleeding and prevent excessive blood loss!"

Though she was breaking out in a cold sweat and her lips were pale from the pain, Lily Underwood was still conscious. Hearing that stitches were an option, she immediately gritted her teeth and said, "Then... then what are you waiting for! Quick... stitch me up! If I keep bleeding... I’m... I’m really gonna die here!"

As she spoke, as if afraid Seraphina Sullivan would refuse or delay, she used her clean hand to painstakingly pull a small metal canister from her waist and tossed it to her.

"Here... take this! As payment!"

Seraphina Sullivan caught it instinctively, and [Item Identification] scanned it automatically:

[Item: Odor Disappearing Spray]

[Effect: When sprayed on the body, it can rapidly eliminate one’s own scent, effectively evading enemies that track by smell. It has a remarkable effect on intensely hostile creatures, temporarily preventing them from locking onto your position via scent.]

[Capacity: 7/10] (Uses remaining)

’Good stuff!’ Seraphina Sullivan’s eyes lit up. This was practically a Divine Artifact for wilderness survival and evading pursuit!

"Deal!"