Chapter 334: Serene Shadow City, Foreigner

Faye Yardley read through the messages, her hand unmoving on the fishing rod. Among them, someone’s theory about a cycle caught her attention.

’Could it really be true?’

She looked up at the sky, already so hot that the air above seemed to shimmer and distort, and found herself agreeing with the idea.

’So what was the weather like at the very beginning of this survival at sea?’

’Thinking back, was I just too scared to notice anything else back then?’

But she did remember the extreme heat and the bitter cold.

Those things had happened, but her experience didn’t seem quite so terrible, probably because she spent most of that time in Dungeons.

Entering a Dungeon allowed one to avoid the open-sea events and the adverse effects of the extreme climate.

’So, does that mean a large portion of the people on rafts have never even entered a Dungeon?’

After all, whenever an event began, the rafts of those already inside a Dungeon wouldn’t be attacked or damaged. Plus, people inside a Dungeon wouldn’t be directly teleported by the system into the event.

So, for anyone who didn’t want to participate in an event, entering a relatively familiar Dungeon beforehand and just waiting it out was a decent option.

Of course, Dungeons were dangerous. Even a zombie-themed one wasn’t completely safe.

’But if there really is a cycle...’

Faye Yardley suddenly found the thought terrifying. When she first arrived, there had been a beginner’s protection period.

’And now?’

"Sister, are you okay? Your fishing rod seems to have moved."

Faye Yardley grunted in acknowledgment and pulled up the rod, revealing an Iron Treasure Box.

"Thanks for the heads-up, Willow. I almost missed an Iron Treasure Box." Faye Yardley stored the box in her inventory. ’I won’t open it now. I can save up a few.’

"Are you worried the temperature will get even higher, Sister?"

"I’m not worried at all."

Faye Yardley truly wasn’t worried. After all, her own life was, frankly, quite comfortable.

’My strength isn’t that great or powerful yet, but I’m constantly working hard and making progress.’

’Forget it. I can take care of myself, look after my brother, and help a few others when I can. That’s already excellent.’

’There’s no need to hold myself to some impossibly high standard.’

"I’m not trying to be a saint. I just need to look after myself."

She seemed to be saying this to herself as much as to Willow.

Hearing this, Willow Yardley was actually quite happy. Her fate was bound to Faye Yardley’s; only when Faye was well could she be well.

’As for the rest of humanity, what did they have to do with her?’

"Faye! Faye! The radar was just beeping! Can I ride Bella and take care of whatever threat might damage the raft?" Bella Yardley said, rushing over from behind.

Faye Yardley nodded. "Sure, as long as Bella is willing. You can’t bully Bella, though."

"Haha, I adore Bella too much to ever bully her! Mr. Kingston, Faye said I can take Bella out, so you can pull in your fishing net."

With Bella on the raft, everything suddenly seemed much more lively.

She was always brimming with vitality, a bundle of limitless energy.

"Can you guys feel the temperature?"

Willow Yardley nodded. "We can, but on the raft, with the protection tower and the air conditioning system, the temperature is always quite comfortable."

Faye Yardley hummed in understanding. ’Perhaps their experience is a little different from mine.’

Besides, her Constitution had increased so much that her reaction to extreme weather felt different than before.

"I’m going to check things out on the surface," Faye Yardley said. She retracted her fishing rod, leaped off the raft, and started sprinting across the water.

Once she was some distance from the raft, she stopped and stood directly under the sun. Just as she’d suspected, her resistance to the heat had increased.

Looking up at the white-hot sun, Faye Yardley decided to enter the water.

The surface layer of the ocean was warm. The temperature dropped as she descended, but then, even deeper, it began to rise again.

’This world is truly a magical place,’ she thought.

She didn’t run into the threat Bella had mentioned. Instead, she just kept descending.

Any witless, large-mouthed fish that charged her was swiftly dealt with, dismantled, and turned into Fish Meat in her inventory.

After she dispatched a few of these witless fish, no more suicidal creatures came her way.

Faye Yardley considered her options. ’Looks like there’s nothing much to do today except fish for treasure boxes.’

After all, she didn’t have the same worries as everyone else.

’In that case, I might as well get ready and go check out Serene Shadow City.’

...

Standing beside the Teleportation Array in Serene Shadow City, Faye Yardley realized that as an ordinary human, she was a "foreigner" in the eyes of the locals.

The most numerous race here was, naturally, the Catfolk, but there were also many others with various animal features.

There were plenty of Bunny Girls and Fox Spirits, as well as a good number of The Merfolk who had not yet fully evolved.

It was just that ordinary humans like her were extremely rare.

While she wasn’t the only one, their numbers were truly minuscule.

Everyone was quite polite, though. They would occasionally glance her way but always remained restrained, never getting handsy.

Faye Yardley figured she should probably change her appearance; otherwise, she would stand out too much.

With that in mind, Faye Yardley left the crowded area and ducked into one deserted alley after another, gradually disappearing from view. When she emerged, she had taken on the appearance of an ordinary Catgirl.

’Diana Quinn said this place was fun, but what kind of fun was she talking about?’

"Hey! What are you still doing here? Hurry! The parade up ahead is about to start!"

Faye Yardley was surprised when an enthusiastic local popped out of their house to shout at her. After yelling, the person didn’t even wait to see if she would follow, simply taking off at a sprint in one direction.

’No wonder the alleys are practically empty. Everyone must have gone to see the parade.’

’Did I just get lucky with my timing?’

’Or is this a daily thing?’

Adopting a ’well, I’m here anyway’ attitude, Faye Yardley chased after the person.

After a few twists and turns, she emerged from the alley onto a main street.

The noise and bustle of the crowd instantly filled her ears.

Even though the street was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with people, a path down the center remained clear.

Faye Yardley stayed on the edge of the crowd and looked up, spotting numerous people sitting on the rooftops across the street.

She glanced back at the roofs on her own side. ’Good heavens,’ she thought, ’they’re packed just as tightly up there.’

Suddenly, someone shouted, "They’re here!" The din of the street vanished in an instant, replaced by a light, joyful melody.

The music wasn’t loud, but it seemed to surround everyone, captivating them completely.

Peeking through the gaps in the crowd, Faye Yardley saw a parade of clowns suddenly appear in the center of the previously empty street...