Chapter 545: Party, Phoenix-Feathered Lark

Chapter 545: Chapter 545: Party, Phoenix-Feathered Lark

She looked at Claire Lynn’s exhausted yet determined face.

She looked at her eyes, bloodshot from a lack of sleep.

She looked at her lips, which trembled slightly as she spoke.

Her idea was a good one.

To hold a party to soothe the children’s wounded hearts.

To let them feel the warmth of human connection again.

In a world filled with natural disasters and death, an idea like this was precious, truly precious, but also difficult to execute.

But Seraphina Sullivan also knew that Claire Lynn’s idea was a bit naive.

’What’s our situation right now?’

’Over ten thousand mouths to feed.’

’The living quarters aren’t finished.’

’The fortifications are still being reinforced, and an enemy could attack at any moment.’

’The extreme temperature disaster is raging outside relentlessly.’

’Holding a party at a time like this.’

’Singing? Dancing?’

’To heal the children’s hearts.’

’Isn’t this a waste of time and energy?’

It was the apocalypse; some things had to be different now.

For instance, the children needed to be aware of their apocalyptic reality and understand the need to survive.

Although this was her thinking, Seraphina Sullivan opened her mouth to refuse.

But looking into Claire Lynn’s eyes, she swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue.

’This woman isn’t doing it for herself.’

’She’s doing it for those children.’

’The children who had lost everything in the chaos, who had witnessed the ugliest side of humanity with their own eyes.’

’They needed more than just food and shelter. They needed someone to tell them that there was still something in this world to look forward to.’

Seraphina Sullivan was silent for a long time, so long that Claire Lynn thought she was going to refuse, and the light in her eyes gradually dimmed.

"I’ll let everyone know," Seraphina Sullivan finally said.

Claire Lynn froze for a moment, then her eyes suddenly welled up with red.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say thank you, but found that her throat felt as if it were blocked by something, unable to utter a single word.

She just nodded forcefully, then turned and walked briskly out.

Seraphina Sullivan watched her back disappear out the door and sighed softly.

Regarding the party, Seraphina Sullivan had originally thought it would take a lot of convincing.

She had even prepared a mental script.

’How to explain the party’s necessity to Wesley Moore, how to convince Justin Brooks it wasn’t a waste of time, how to keep Dexter Luther from getting so excited he’d turn it into some kind of doomsday consolation gala.’

But as it turned out, she had worried for nothing.

Crystal Lynn’s appearance solved this huge problem for her.

After hearing about it from somewhere, Crystal Lynn came to find her.

"A party? To let everyone relax? Yes, yes! Leave it to me!"

Her eyes shone like two stars.

The excitement on her face was more intense than Seraphina had ever seen before.

Before Seraphina could even ask, ’Are you sure you can handle this?’, Crystal Lynn had already whistled.

The whistle was clear and long, like some kind of ancient call.

A few seconds later, a crisp cry came from the sky.

A giant bird swooped down from the clouds, its multicolored feathers refracting a dazzling light in the sunlight.

It circled once above the canopy of the Redwood Tree.

Then it landed gently on Crystal Lynn’s outstretched arm, folded its wings, and tilted its head to study Seraphina Sullivan.

Seraphina Sullivan’s breath hitched for a moment.

The bird was covered in brilliantly colored feathers.

Scarlet, orange-yellow, emerald green, azure blue, violet—every single feather looked as if it had been meticulously dyed, shimmering with a dreamlike luster in the light.

Its tail feathers were especially long, trailing behind it like a phoenix’s plumes. A crest of feathers stood atop its head, complementing its black-gem-like eyes and giving it an air of nobility and spirit.

Seraphina Sullivan subconsciously used her Eye of Resume, and a translucent information panel appeared in her field of vision.

[Name: Phoenix-Feathered Lark]

[Gender: Female]

[Professional Skills and Talents, Singing: Can produce a beautiful singing voice. Its song soothes the soul, dispels fear and despair, and helps listeners rally their spirits.]

[Skills:

Song of Hypnosis: Can sing a low, hypnotic melody that lulls listeners into a deep sleep. Has an additional effect against mental-type attacks.

Vocal Mimicry: Can perfectly imitate human language and various sounds, possessing full communication capabilities.]

[Weaknesses: Dislikes darkness and prefers light. Becomes weaker in the dark.]

Seraphina Sullivan looked at the panel, then at the bird standing on Crystal Lynn’s arm, and fell silent for a few seconds.

’This bird’s value is far greater than its beautiful appearance.’

’A song that can soothe the soul and dispel fear...’

’Isn’t this exactly what Claire Lynn wanted?’

’For the children who witnessed slaughter in the chaos, for the adults who were suffocating under the weight of fear and despair...’

’What they needed wasn’t a rowdy performance, but someone to show them that there were still beautiful things in the world.’

"The performer has been decided."

Seraphina Sullivan said, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly. "All that’s left is to prepare some food and drinks."

"No problem!" Crystal Lynn beamed, her eyes crinkling into crescents.

"The Phoenix-Feathered Lark’s song is guaranteed to make everyone forget their troubles. We’ll definitely be able to live good lives with your help, Seraphina. So don’t try to carry everything yourself. You have to remember to tell us what to do."

Listening to Crystal Lynn’s words, Seraphina Sullivan’s heart warmed.

"I know. For now, I’m just the emotionless base commander. So go and make this party a success."

"Roger that!"

The party was set for the following evening.

The extreme temperature disaster would weaken slightly after sunset.

Although it was still hot enough to make people sweat, at least it wouldn’t cook them alive.

Seraphina Sullivan brought out a large batch of ingredients from the Scavenger’s Farm.

She used Magic Cuisine to make all sorts of snacks and dishes.

She also made a special effort to use Ice Items to chill barrel after barrel of refreshing drinks.

She added the juice of Healing Blood Grapes, which gave the drinks a light purplish-red color that looked appetizing on its own.

An empty space was cleared under the Redwood Tree. Justin Brooks used his [Wall] Ability to build a simple stage; it was crude, but sturdy.

Jasper Drake accelerated the growth of some glowing vines, wrapping them around the posts at the corners of the stage. They emitted a soft green light in the darkness, like natural string lights.

Wesley Moore brought over everything that could be used as a seat.

Wooden planks, stones, fallen tree trunks—all were arranged neatly in front of the stage.

Dexter Luther dug up some colorful fabrics from who-knows-where and hung them on the tree branches, where they fluttered loudly in the night breeze.

Matthew Dawson and Paul Payne were in charge of distributing food and drinks. The two of them were busy and drenched in sweat, but they both had smiles on their faces.

Lamb mingled with the crowd, snatched a piece of cake in its mouth, and tried to run off, only to be reeled back in by Flora Sullivan’s long hair. It then squatted obediently in a corner to eat.

Even The Silenti were assigned to patrol the perimeter to ensure everyone’s safety.

Night fell.

People began to arrive, one after another.

The children came first, drawn by the aroma of food. They clutched colorful slips of paper that Crystal Lynn had handed out, their eyes full of curiosity.

Then came the adults. At first, they just watched from a distance, but they were eventually drawn closer by the sound of the children’s laughter.

Finally, almost everyone from the entire Shelter had arrived.

Over ten thousand people sat in a dense crowd under the Redwood Tree. Some brought their own homemade dried rations, some held the drinks Seraphina had provided, some held their children, and others supported the elderly.