Chapter 409 - 399: Sailing Carnival 1

Over the next period, everyone was busy with their own affairs.

Cathaya was flourishing everywhere; whether in the game or on other planets, things were gradually getting back on track.

Even the situation back on Caelus was improving.

The same was true for Moira Lynch and her group.

After selling equipment several times in a row, Moira Lynch quickly shot up the wealth rankings.

While developing her territory, Moira Lynch used all her surplus money to fund Shane Rhodes.

Under Moira Lynch’s financial offensive, Aethelburg also recovered at a visible rate.

At the same time, Moira Lynch gained another title—Deputy City Lord.

Although it was just a nominal title, it was enough to show Shane Rhodes’s sincerity.

Everything was developing in a positive direction.

One day, Moira Lynch was about to enter the game after her usual breakfast when Shane Rhodes suddenly grabbed her.

"Maybe we should reduce our time in the game for the next two days?"

Hearing Shane Rhodes’s words, a question mark slowly formed in Moira Lynch’s eyes.

"Why?"

’Did something happen in the game?’

’Did one of the three of them get hunted down?’

Seeing the blank look in Moira Lynch’s eyes, Kai York sighed and said, "Did you forget that the *next* game is about to start?"

Hearing Kai York mention the game, Moira Lynch slapped her forehead. ’How could I have forgotten about that?’

’By my calculations, the next round of the game starts in a day or two, and we haven’t prepared anything yet.’

’Thankfully, it’s not too late to start preparing now.’

So, for the next two days, aside from their scheduled time in Divine Soul, Moira Lynch and the others spent all their time preparing for the next game.

"Have you guys noticed that the old food doesn’t seem to satisfy us anymore?" Kai York suddenly asked.

By "the old food," he meant the food left over from before the changes on Caelus.

"Isn’t it just because our appetites have gotten bigger?" Moira Lynch said.

The four of them were all players who had awakened Talents, so it was normal for their appetites to increase.

Hearing this, Kai York shook his head. "No, it’s different. A while back, I saw a five-jin bag of rice in the warehouse. I hadn’t eaten any in a long time, so I opened it."

"At first, I cooked enough for the four of us, but as I was eating, I realized that what’s usually enough for all four of us only left me half-full."

"I thought it was a one-time thing at first, but after trying it a few more times, it was still the same. I figured my appetite had just gotten bigger, but when I switched to Qio Rice, I found my appetite went back to normal."

After Kai York finished speaking, Moira Lynch and the others fell into deep thought.

They had always mixed the two types of food, so they hadn’t noticed anything unusual.

’If what Kai York said is true, then the problem must be with the food.’

Thinking of this, Moira Lynch immediately fetched an unopened bag of the old rice from the basement, along with some newly bought Qio Rice.

"Patience, scan them."

[Scanning...]

[Scan complete. Generating results.]

[Scan indicates that the nutrients in the regular rice are rapidly degrading. Ordinary people might not notice this degradation, but as high-level Talents, the bodies of you and your friends are much more sensitive.]

"Will it have any effect on our bodies? And what’s causing the nutrient loss?"

[It will not harm the body, but because it has very little nutritional value, consuming large amounts is not recommended. As for the cause of the degradation, it is currently unknown but is speculated to be related to the environment.]

"All right, I understand."

’Good thing I already dealt with most of the supplies I prepared before the apocalypse.’

Just then, a snow-white figure waddled in through the door.

A Snow Duck, acting as if it owned the place.

The former hatchling was now fully grown, swaying its plump body from side to side as it headed for a nearby Soldier Food Rattan.

"This duck is so arrogant. Let’s roast it today."

"No." As soon as Kai York spoke, Moira Lynch shot him down. "I’m counting on it to lay eggs and hatch ducklings. We can’t eat it."

After two consecutive days of busy preparations, they finally had everything they needed for the game.

On the day the game was set to begin, all the players were ready early.

Moira Lynch tied up her hair. She wore a black sweatsuit that looked both practical and comfortable.

As noon arrived, the system’s voice echoed in every player’s ears.

[Dear players, hello and welcome back to the game.

The Halcyon Gulf, the largest port on Kaelus, sees hundreds of ships depart from its shores every day, sailing to all corners of the world.

Recently, to meet customer demand, the Aurelian Clan, which manages The Halcyon Gulf, has decided to open a brand-new shipping route.

This is a grand undertaking, but it is also fraught with all sorts of unexpected dangers.

As a result, long after the job was posted, very few have applied.

Therefore, you, the clever and the brave, have willingly accepted this mission: to help the Aurelian Clan establish their new route.

As an incentive, the Aurelian Clan has offered handsome rewards.

P.S. The mission duration is three months. The mission will be considered successful once a player reaches the designated destination.]

When the system’s voice faded, Moira Lynch’s vision went black. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself in a bustling port.

The sun beat down from directly overhead, illuminating the prosperous port.

Countless goods were piled on both sides of the main road like small mountains, stacked in neat rows.

A steady stream of burly workers continuously loaded the goods from the roadside onto the ships.

"Moira."

Hearing someone call her name, Moira Lynch turned and saw Shane Rhodes, Kai York, and Hugh Finch walking toward her.

Besides the three of them, there were two others: Caden York, whom she had met twice before, and Shane Rhodes’s sister, Joy Rhodes.

"I can’t believe we were all put together for this game," Caden York said, a little excited.

He looked at Moira Lynch. During the last game, they hadn’t known each other well, so they hadn’t interacted much.

"The rules this time don’t sound like it’s a solo game."

Although the system didn’t explicitly require teaming up, the players weren’t in competition with each other.

Exploring unknown waters sounded dangerous from the get-go. Moving as a team was definitely much safer than going it alone.

Moira Lynch’s group understood this, as did the other players. And indeed, everyone was already looking for people they knew to form teams.

"Hey, you lot must be the ones hired by the Aurelian Corporation," a weathered voice called out.

In an instant, nearly every player turned to look.