Chapter 148: Quicksand Valley

Chapter 148: Chapter 148: Quicksand Valley

’Hmm... the texture is excellent. I could totally eat this as a snack.’

Seraphina Sinclair was in a pretty good mood. She put the sashimi away and casually opened the regional channel for a glance.

The regional channel was, surprisingly, still abuzz about last night’s Moonlight Jellyfish.

"How exactly are these attribute points awarded? What are the conditions? I watched too, so why didn’t I get any? Are they playing favorites?"

"Tch, you think you’re the only one who watched? I did too! I went outside after everyone said it was safe, but what did I get? Still nothing. I’m speechless. The system is definitely bugged!"

"The poster above and the one before them—what a pair of ’masterminds’! Let me guess, you two thought you were being clever, waiting for others to test the waters? You only went out after people said it was safe?! Haha, I’m afraid you were a little too late for that."

"A whole night has passed. How are people still asking this? Isn’t it obvious you only get the reward for watching from beginning to end? We told you to watch, but nooo! Now you’re all crying and regretting it. Too late to be drooling with envy now!"

’That was a bit harsh.’

Since it had nothing to do with her, Seraphina Sinclair immediately tuned it out. Humming a little tune, she went to let her Sunflower bask in the sun.

While it was basking, Seraphina Sinclair had to get moving.

She infused the remaining 100 sunshine from yesterday into the room card, and the mobile cabin let out a familiar hum.

’Today is a brand new day!’

’Please let there be something good in the Supply Box!’

Seraphina Sinclair murmured to herself, but the mobile cabin didn’t move.

Just as she was growing puzzled, a panel popped up before her.

[Dear survivor, you have reached this week’s decision point! Please make your choice!]

[Two paths have appeared before you...]

’Right... Today is Sunday. It’s time to choose next week’s path.’

There were two paths again, but Seraphina Sinclair was no longer as inexperienced as she had been before.

After a casual glance at the two paths, she expertly pulled up the Insight page for each.

[Quicksand Valley]

[Danger Level: E-level]

[Description: Beneath the dry riverbed lies a flowing death trap! Seemingly solid ground can collapse at any moment, turning into all-consuming Quicksand. The air is abnormally dry, accelerating dehydration. Burrowing creatures adapted to subterranean life lurk within the sand, and they are extremely sensitive to vibrations.]

’E-level danger?’

’It’s a whole Level higher.’

Seraphina Sinclair shook her head and read the path’s Description carefully.

’Quicksand, dehydration, and burrowing monsters...’

The physical environment on this path was clearly extremely harsh, its most prominent feature being the lack of water.

But Seraphina Sinclair currently had two main sources of water.

A small portion came from F-level Supply Boxes. These yielded mineral water, but ten bottles at a time was the absolute maximum.

The rest, of course, was rainwater collected by her filter.

It rained for a fixed hour here every day, leaving Seraphina Sinclair with more than enough water for daily needs. In fact, she had bottled so much drinking water she could probably line the bottles up around her entire mobile cabin.

’If I choose this path, that negative effect will be practically nonexistent for me!’

Seraphina Sinclair didn’t make a rash decision. This would determine her entire next week, after all; she couldn’t just pick one without reading about the other.

[Everfrost Tundra]

[Danger Level: E+ Level]

[Description: This is a silent, dead world, eternally frozen in ice. A lethal cold relentlessly seeks to rob all warmth. Frequent blizzards will obscure vision and freeze the very blood in your veins. The low temperatures make most tools brittle and fragile. Monsters typically launch surprise attacks from beneath the ice or within the blizzards. The first rule of survival: stay warm, or... become as cold as the ice itself.]

’This...’

’One is arid and the other is freezing. So they’re both just harsh environments.’

Comparing the two, Seraphina Sinclair would naturally choose the former.

’However, the Sunflower should be able to sense which path holds the Path’s Gift.’

’If I take the cold path...’

Seraphina Sinclair recalled the items from the Path’s Gift. Forgetting the other two, the Advanced Skill Stone alone was worth the risk!

’Of course, it would be best if the Path’s Gift is on the arid path!’

With that, Seraphina Sinclair jogged over, scooped up the Sunflower—which was completely absorbed in the sunshine—and walked over to the cold path first.

The Sunflower had been basking warmly in the sun, and it was a little unhappy at the interruption. "Annoying little human... annoying..."

Seraphina Sinclair ignored the Sunflower’s petty complaint, holding it up before the black mist that emanated the chill of the [Everfrost Tundra].

"Can you feel anything? Is there anything good in there?"

she asked in a low voice, a hint of anticipation in her tone.

The Sunflower’s head recoiled sharply and its leaves curled in. Its thoughts screamed with revulsion: "Cold! So cold! Hate it! Bad thing that will freeze flower stiff... Go away, go away... Bad thing..."

Its reaction was intense and pure, nothing but an absolute loathing for the extreme cold.

Seraphina Sinclair’s heart sank. She instantly realized the effects of this cold were probably more severe than she’d imagined; the negative effects of this E+ path could even harm the Sunflower.

’But it’s for the best if this path doesn’t have the gift!’

She immediately scooped up the Sunflower, which was still muttering "bad thing," and hurried over to the black mist representing [Quicksand Valley].

The air here was dry and scorching, a stark contrast to the piercing chill from moments ago.

The moment they drew near, the Sunflower in her arms abruptly stopped complaining.

It straightened its stem slightly and its leaves gently unfurled, as if sensing something.

After a moment, the thoughts it transmitted became tinged with confusion and uncertainty:

"Mmm... dry... not comfy... but..."

"But what?" Seraphina Sinclair pressed, her heart beginning to beat a little faster.

But the Sunflower’s thoughts fell silent again.

Seraphina Sinclair waited patiently for a good while, but she received no more useful thoughts.

She sighed and put the whimpering Sunflower back in its spot.

The moment the little one was back in the sunshine, it perked up again, casting aside its brief displeasure as if nothing had happened.

"Forget it. Guess I’ll have to rely on myself."

Seraphina Sinclair shook her head, turning her attention back to the two choices.

Although the Sunflower hadn’t revealed which path held the Path’s Gift, its reaction alone was enough to gauge the danger of the colder one.

Seraphina Sinclair shook her head and chose Quicksand Valley without further hesitation.

’Greed is human nature, but you have to be alive to be greedy.’

One of Seraphina Sinclair’s virtues was that she knew how to be content.

Just as she made her choice, the group chat erupted with a flurry of notifications.

"Holy crap! The path selection just popped up! It’s E-level this week! The difficulty’s ramping up! @Blacktiger Ford, boss! Which path are you taking?"

"@Blacktiger Ford, which path did you pick, boss? Let me follow in your footsteps!"

"@Blacktiger Ford, boss! Everfrost Tundra or Quicksand Valley, which one is your esteemed self gracing with your presence? This humble underling is sticking with you!"