Chapter 381 - 380: Refreshed and Invigorated

Chapter 381: Chapter 380: Refreshed and Invigorated

Most importantly, for fairness’s sake, even if a survivor from another zone entered a mobile cabin before its owner, they wouldn’t be able to destroy any items inside—including Sunflower.

’So that’s why.’

The brute hadn’t attacked Sunflower not because he was kind or because the thought hadn’t occurred to him, but simply because the rules prevented him from doing so.

Seraphina Sinclair glanced at Sunflower, who was completely oblivious to what had just transpired, and sighed in resignation.

’Silly child... You’re incredibly lucky.’

She turned and walked over to the two items the brute had left behind. The Broadsword was a D-level Weapon. Although its grade was low, it was heavy. When swung, it moved with a ferocious power that ordinary weapons couldn’t easily parry.

For a survivor with high Strength, it was a rare and valuable weapon.

Unfortunately, it was too heavy for Seraphina Sinclair and didn’t suit her fighting style.

Seraphina Sinclair tossed the Broadsword into her Silver Moon Earrings, then bent down to pick up the azure pendant.

[Guardian’s Heart (C+ Level)]

[Description: Upon facing a fatal blow, generates a shield on the user’s body capable of blocking all attacks of C-level intensity or lower for 3 seconds. Cooldown: 24 hours. The core structure is permanently damaged and cannot be repaired.

Note: It served its duty faithfully until it met a blade it could not stop.]

’A C+ Level defensive accessory... No wonder he was so confident.’

Seraphina Sinclair ran her thumb over the fine crack that nearly split the pendant in two, and understanding dawned on her.

Water Dragon Roar was a B-level Weapon. Spanning two full grades higher, it made sense that it had easily shattered the pendant’s defense. The man probably never imagined, even in his final moments, that a "fat sheep" who didn’t look particularly strong would be wielding such a deadly weapon.

Another life-saving item in her possession. Seraphina Sinclair held the pendant with a hint of disgust, took it to the washroom to clean it thoroughly, and only then put it on around her neck without any lingering aversion.

After taking care of everything, Seraphina Sinclair sat at the stone table to wait for dinner. She finally had a moment to check her private messages.

There was one unread message, sent by Chrona while she had been fighting the brute.

Unquestionably, there was a problem with the Mist Beacon purchase.

[Chrona]: Boss (crying)! Artemis won’t sell it directly. She said I either have to tell her what the item does, or the buyer—that is, you—has to talk to her in person. She somehow pieced together that I don’t know what it does either. Now she keeps asking who I’m buying it for and says if I don’t explain, I can forget about getting it.

’What a hassle.’

Seraphina Sinclair considered for a moment. She still felt she had to get her hands on the Mist Beacon.

The item was practically a ticket to surviving the next seven days. No matter how you looked at it, having it was far better than not.

Telling Artemis what the Mist Beacon did wouldn’t be a significant loss for Seraphina.

’As for revealing my identity as the true buyer...’

For some reason, Seraphina had a gut feeling that if Artemis found out she was the one buying the Mist Beacon, the woman would not only jack up the price but also try to blackmail her into joining their "evil reselling gang"!

[Blacktiger Ford]: Keep negotiating with her. You can tell her what the Mist Beacon does, but don’t reveal my identity. If she insists on meeting the buyer in person or makes any other unreasonable demands, get back to me.

After sending the message, Seraphina Sinclair lifted her bowl of mushroom soup and took a sip. The warm broth slid down her throat, bringing a pleasant warmth.

Tonight’s dinner was excellent, but for some reason, Seraphina’s mind drifted back to the meal she’d had at the auction house.

’Both were just meals...’

’Why do the meal vouchers provide such ordinary food, while the food at the auction house came with special effects?’

’It would be great if the food from the meal vouchers had special effects too.’

About ten minutes later, Chrona’s reply arrived. His tone was a mixture of relief and trepidation.

[Chrona]: Boss, we have a deal! I told her what the Mist Beacon does, as you instructed, and she agreed to the trade right away. I have the Mist Beacon now. I’m sending it to you.

"You have received a gift from survivor [Chrona]: one Mist Beacon! What a lavish gift. Go thank them!"

Seraphina wasted no time. She went through the list Chrona had provided and sent the items one by one. For a few of the better items, she even threw in an extra one or two as a commission for his efforts.

Chrona’s reply was almost instantaneous, his excitement and gratitude palpable in every word:

[Chrona]: Boss! I got all the items, thank you so much! If you have any more errands like this, just let me know! I guarantee I’ll get it done right for you!

Seraphina didn’t reply, closing the private chat to focus on enjoying her mushroom feast.

’No wonder people end up in the hospital over these every year... They’re just so delicious.’

「Midnight.」

A new week began, and all survivors’ mobile cabins were set upon their new paths.

The difficulty of the C-level paths far exceeded everyone’s expectations. The moment they began, the regional channel erupted into chaos:

"Holy mother of god... What the hell kind of place is this C-level path?! I was sound asleep and suddenly woke up. I open my eyes, and my whole cabin is filled with thick fog! I can’t see five meters in front of me! The air is all sticky, and taking one breath feels like my brain is running on a delay!"

"I don’t have any real Protective Clothing... just the basic-issue kind. I don’t think it can stop this poison gas. My head’s already starting to spin... What do I do?"

"This Shadefen poison gas really gets in everywhere! My E-level Protective Clothing is useless, might as well be made of paper. My head is already spinning, and I swear I can see someone waving at me outside... I even asked them what they were doing out there. At this rate, I’m a goner, aren’t I?!"

"I’m screwed! I’m so screwed! I definitely picked the wrong path. Shadefen is way too hard."

"And you guys think the Boiling Mycelium path is any better? I feel like I’m being cooked alive, you hear me? Cooked alive!"

"It’s so hot. What the hell is going on out there? The floor is so hot it’s scalding my feet. And every now and then I hear this PSSSHHHH sound of steam venting, and there’s this weird smell. I don’t dare open my windows or the door."

"So are any of us going to get any sleep tonight?"

"Sleep? Are you kidding me? I was sleeping just fine until this damn environment woke me up the second we entered the new path!"

"We just have to tough it out. Endure it until eight o’clock, deal with the path’s unique monster, and then figure it out. *Sigh*."

"Easy for you to say! This is a C-level path, so the unique monster has to be C-level, right? Even if it’s a bit weaker than a normal C-level monster, it’ll still be on par with a top-tier D-level one! And we’re supposed to kill that for an Immunity Crystal? Are you kidding me?!"

Time crawled by as the regional channel continued to be flooded with panicked and chaotic messages.

Sometime after seven in the morning, Seraphina Sinclair opened her eyes in the training room.

After a full night of meditation, she felt utterly refreshed and clear-headed.