Chapter 230: Save the Oasis 2

The Gilded Emperor Scorpions would fall into a deep sleep when the temperature dropped at night. This meant they were afraid of the cold.

’If they’re afraid of the cold, this will be easy.’

As she threw the cold rocks, they exploded the instant they hit the ground.

All the Gilded Emperor Scorpions within the cold rocks’ range were frozen in place, as if someone had pressed a pause button.

Seeing that the cold rocks were effective, Moira Lynch pulled out a Space Button full of them and tossed it to Hugh Finch.

"Don’t just stand there gawking. Help me take all these scorpions out."

’These Gilded Emperor Scorpions are valuable, after all.’

The Gilded Emperor Scorpion is the primary food source for The Kessari Tribe. It can be grilled. Its meat is firm, crunchy, and tastes like chicken. It is rich in protein that promotes bone development. The flower on its back can be used in stir-fries and is an important source of vegetables for The Kessari Tribe.

Present them to The Kessari Tribe, and you will become their friend.

PS: Gilded Emperor Scorpions are extremely protective of their flowers and will defend them to the death. To avoid retaliation, you must kill them completely. Their tail is their fatal weakness.

Five minutes later, the Gilded Emperor Scorpions that had been relentlessly chasing them were now all frozen into ice sculptures.

However, Moira Lynch knew the Gilded Emperor Scorpions weren’t dead.

While the creatures were immobilized, Moira Lynch and Hugh Finch dismounted their camels.

"Moira, you aren’t planning on taming these scorpions, are you?" Hugh Finch asked.

Hearing this, Moira Lynch rolled her eyes. "Of course not. What are you thinking? I want the flowers on their backs and the stingers on their tails. Now, come and help. The ice will melt soon."

Moira Lynch deftly pulled a large machete from her Space Button.

Each Gilded Emperor Scorpion was over two meters tall. She leaped up easily, and with a swift slash, she chopped the flower off the scorpion’s back and stored it in her Space Button.

Seeing this, Hugh Finch hurried to help as well.

Ten minutes later, they had finally collected all the flowers and poisonous stingers from the Gilded Emperor Scorpions.

After making sure they hadn’t missed any, the two mounted their camels again and headed toward the oasis.

On the way, Hugh Finch asked curiously, "Moira, what are you going to do with those flowers and stingers?"

"The stingers can be used as weapons, and the flowers are for eating," Moira Lynch explained.

Hearing this, Hugh Finch nodded. He didn’t press the matter, instead changing the subject. "What were those stones from earlier?"

"Those are cold rocks. I got them in the game before last."

Once they were far enough away, Moira Lynch remotely collected the Gilded Emperor Scorpion corpses into her storage space. ’After all, it’s all food—nutritious food, at that. How could I just let it go to waste?’

They encountered no more dangers on the rest of their journey. About an hour later, an oasis appeared in their line of sight.

"Look, an oasis!" Moira Lynch said happily.

Hugh Finch saw her excitement and cautioned, "Don’t celebrate too early. What if it’s a mirage?"

"We’ll know if it’s a mirage when we get there."

With that, Moira Lynch patted the camel she was riding.

The next second, the camel, which had been ambling along, suddenly broke into a trot.

’How could she not know if it was a mirage? To this day, her spiritual power detection had never been wrong.’

Seeing this, Hugh Finch hurried to follow.

Ten minutes later, a lush, green oasis appeared before them.

"It really is an oasis."

Just then, the sand beneath their feet suddenly shifted.

Having learned his lesson from the Gilded Emperor Scorpion encounter, Hugh Finch immediately grew wary, but Moira Lynch remained perfectly calm.

A moment later, two cloaked, humanoid figures whose faces were obscured appeared before them.

Moira Lynch looked at the cloaks on the figures opposite her.

’Are those made of sand? They look like they’re still flowing.’

The Kessari Tribe: A race that has lived in the desert for generations. They possess the ability to control sand. When angered, their ability spirals out of control.

PS: Do not touch their cloaks. The Kessari hate it when anyone touches their cloaks.

"Are you also here to help plant trees?" one of them asked.

By this point, Moira Lynch and Hugh Finch had already dismounted their camels.

"Yes, we’re here to help save the oasis by planting trees," Moira Lynch said with a nod.

Hugh Finch had been studying the interstellar language for some time, so he could understand what the two figures were saying, but he couldn’t speak it as fluently as Moira Lynch.

"This is a gift for you. I hope you like it."

As she spoke, Moira Lynch took out a Gilded Emperor Scorpion flower.

Although she couldn’t see the expressions on the two Kessari, Moira Lynch could sense their immense excitement.

"Oh, we couldn’t possibly accept this. After all, we’re the ones who asked for your help. How could we take a gift from you?"

Despite their words, the two Kessari quite naturally reached out and accepted the Gilded Emperor Scorpion flower.

Seeing this, Moira Lynch’s smile widened. "Please, don’t stand on ceremony. My people are known for their courtesy. We couldn’t possibly visit someone’s home empty-handed."

Moira Lynch had smoothly reframed their "help" as a "visit," instantly elevating their status from hired hands to honored guests.

The two Kessari didn’t seem to find anything amiss. In fact, their attitude toward Moira Lynch instantly became much more courteous.

"Thank you for the gift. We like it very much. I’ll take you to get the saplings now."

One of the Kessari spoke, leading Moira Lynch and Hugh Finch in a certain direction, while the other one clutched the Gilded Emperor Scorpion flower and vanished into the sand.

Snapping out of it, Hugh Finch gave Moira Lynch a strange look.

"How did you know they’d like that?"

Moira Lynch gave him a mysterious smile. "That’s a secret."

"You have another Learning Machine?" Hugh Finch guessed.

Based on what he’d come to know of Moira Lynch’s personality, it seemed highly likely.

Moira Lynch didn’t deny it. "Something like that. But it’s not a Learning Machine."

Moira Lynch and Hugh Finch were led to a storehouse. Inside were bundles of saplings, each about two fingers thick.

"Each bundle contains one hundred saplings. You each take ten bundles. As long as five hundred of them survive, you’ll have passed."

After listening, Moira Lynch and Hugh Finch nodded.

After they each took ten bundles of saplings, Moira Lynch asked, "Where are we supposed to plant the trees?"

"In the desert, of course. But don’t go too far from the oasis, or the saplings won’t survive easily."

After he finished speaking, he added in a low, firm voice, "These saplings I’m giving you have particularly tenacious Life Energy. Don’t water them too much; just half the amount the others get will be enough."