Chapter 31: Danger

Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Danger

"Who is it?!"

Huai Yu stood up cautiously, gripping the multi-purpose shovel beside her with both hands. At this moment, she felt a twinge of regret. Because the freshly cut branches had been soaked in the rain, their high moisture content produced far more smoke when burned. That was why she had left the door curtain open.

Captain Zhou had specifically swapped her old cover for an opaque waterproof tarp to give her an extra layer of safety in the dark, yet here she was... Then again, the shed outside the treehouse was originally meant to be the kitchen. It was only because of the freezing weather that she had chosen to cook inside. If she were outside right now, she could have at least run away if she couldn’t win a fight. All these seemingly harmless little details now collided, weaving together a mounting sense of danger.

"I apologize," a low voice said from outside the door. "I was just passing by and smelled something really good. I didn’t expect there to be a... well, a house here."

Huai Yu felt a wave of indignation as she thought, "I built such a beautiful treehouse! What’s with that hesitation before you said ’house’?"

However, her vigilance only deepened. With the rain pouring so heavily and the sky pitch black, the treehouse was situated quite close to the Rose Corridor. Given how the shadows overlapped in the darkness, she could believe that the other party hadn’t seen the structure. But claiming to have smelled an aroma... Huai Yu tightened her grip on the multi-purpose shovel.

The person outside let out a soft sigh. "I’m sorry, but the scent of the roasted soybeans is truly rich. I have 200 points. I wonder if you’d be willing to trade a portion of them for it?"

Huai Yu wanted to say no, but the stranger showed no signs of leaving. Moreover, if he decided to force his way in, she wouldn’t be able to stop him. As for the 200 points... right now, her life was much more important! She wrestled with her thoughts before finally saying coldly, "Wait there."

The fragrant roasted soybeans poured from the pot into a bowl with a loud RUSTLE. A half-pound of beans only filled a small bowl after being dry-roasted. Yet, as she carried them out, her heart ached as if she were holding a bowl of solid gold.

"I’ll leave the bowl at the door. Take it yourself."

With one hand gripping the multi-purpose shovel, her heart hammered like a drum. As she drew closer to the door, the light radiating from the fire grew dimmer, allowing her to only vaguely make out the tall silhouette of a man.

After carefully setting the bowl down, she took two steps back and warily raised her multi-purpose shovel. If that man stepped inside and bent over to grab the soybeans, she would smash the shovel down on him without hesitation—

Eh?

After crouching down to place the bowl, she instinctively glanced up, only to freeze in utter shock.

Standing at the entrance of her treehouse in the torrential rain was a man wearing a snow-white uniform. The white wasn’t a soft hue; it was as stark as fresh snow. As the faint firelight reached him, the fabric seemed to shimmer as if liquid silver sand were flowing across it. The design somewhat resembled the Defense Army’s attire, yet it was different. Still, it was undeniably an official uniform. Even his combat boots were unusual, looking as if they were encased in a solid layer of metal.

Most importantly, he wasn’t holding an umbrella.

Amidst the endless curtain of rain, he stood there with elegant features and a ramrod-straight posture. The gaze he directed at Huai Yu was filled with apology and helplessness.

And the most baffling premise of it all—

"Why... why aren’t you getting wet from the rain?" Huai Yu asked blankly, still in a daze.

The heavy rain continued to pour, yet it seemed as though an isolated spatial pocket had formed around him. It was as if a unique energy enveloped his entire body, keeping him completely dry from the tips of his hair down to the soles of his boots.

The man paused, slightly taken aback, before replying, "I’m of the Water System."

Ah? So this was a Water Ability User?! Huai Yu couldn’t help but look him up and down, her wariness easing considerably. After all, if he could control his Superpower with such mastery, he wouldn’t need to be this polite if he wanted to harm her.

At the same time, a surge of envy welled up within her. "Is the Water System really that useful? My raincoat and boots cost a hundred points combined..."

He was left speechless and seemed momentarily confused, but he quickly pointed to the bowl of soybeans on the ground. "Can we make the trade? If they sit out any longer, the moisture will get in, and they won’t be crispy anymore."

Since he wasn’t a bad guy, Huai Yu acted much more generously. "I don’t need 200. Give me 20 points, and I’ll split half of it with you. Even I haven’t been able to bring myself to taste these yet."

The man chuckled, his face looking a bit pale in the rain. "Are you only saying that because of this uniform?

"There’s no need. These beans must be a highly treasured original strain, right? They don’t seem to be contaminated at all. Two hundred points might not even be enough to buy them.

"However, I only have 200 points left." He looked slightly embarrassed and somewhat chagrined.

Ah?

Huai Yu thought, "I didn’t really put much effort into it. Why do they seem like they’re not contaminated? Can seeds be contaminated too? Also, what did he mean by his uniform? Could this be the uniform of a high-ranking officer in the Defense Army? But how could a high-ranking officer only have 200 points?"

She didn’t ask her questions out loud. Instead, she extended her wrist and set the transaction amount. "Twenty points."

The man was stunned for a moment before letting out a helpless smile.

However, just as he reached his arm out, he swiftly snapped his head to the side, his expression turning solemn. Though his body made no other movements, the curtain of rain in front of him instantly twisted into a transparent water rope. Like a slithering snake in the pitch-black night, it shot rapidly into the distance!

Moments later, a miserable scream rang out from the darkness.

"AH!"

Huai Yu’s face paled in response.

The man turned back around and comforted her nonchalantly, "It’s nothing. I’ll go check the situation in a bit. Since this is close to the Rose Corridor, there can’t be any major conflicts, and it’s best to avoid any fights that result in bloodshed." He cast a wary glance at the Rose Corridor, which loomed like an impenetrable wall in the dark. "When the Mutant Value spikes, they are very easily provoked."

Huai Yu was speechless. Hearing him say that honestly evoked no feeling in her whatsoever.

Instead, the man before her offered a reminder. "You have a Superpower, right? Wood Element? It’s very weak and a bit strange, but I can feel it."

Huai Yu thought it over and figured she must be of the Wood Element. She wondered if this kind of Superpower could be sensed by others and why she couldn’t feel it herself. At this moment, she desperately wanted to ask him a few more questions, but she was afraid of exposing herself.

Meanwhile, the man continued to caution her, "Are you living here because you have high Plant Affinity? If so, you should heighten your vigilance against people. In the Dark Forest, lighting a fire poses a grave danger to both you and others."

Huai Yu felt exasperated. If the firewood hadn’t been so wet—and if she hadn’t wanted to turn herself into a slab of smoked meat inside a confined space—who would willingly leave their door open late at night?!

With no other choice, she pointed into the distance. "What happened over there?"

"I don’t know," the man answered frankly. With a mere flick of his wrist, a figure was dragged stumbling out of the darkness.

It wasn’t until the figure was dragged right up to the door that Huai Yu could see clearly: it was a middle-aged man. He had a very short buzz cut and wore an old shirt that was so faded it was impossible to tell if it was blue or gray. Even his trousers were plastered in mud, leaving him in an incredibly wretched state. But even so, as he looked up at the two of them, his eyes burned with a mix of terror and ferocity.

Yet, he couldn’t utter a single word, because that water rope was currently wrapped tightly around his neck. On his right cheek, a thick, visibly swollen red welt had been whipped into his flesh.

"Hmm, an escaped convict?"