Chapter 179: Glowing Lantern

Chapter 179: Chapter 179: Glowing Lantern

The waiter’s voice continued:

"The whispers don’t directly affect your will. Instead, they achieve their goal by amplifying your inner greed, your desire for rewards, and your unwillingness to accept failure."

"Those with weaker wills are easily influenced when tired or injured, leading them to make dangerous decisions that exceed their capabilities, until... death."

Seraphina Sinclair was a bit confused when she heard this. ’This is clearly something that increases the difficulty. If the waiter just didn’t want me to enter The Coliseum, why would it hide this?’

The waiter seemed to notice her confusion. Its gaze fell upon Seraphina Sinclair’s earlobe, and it said with a bitter smile, "Because you have *it*."

Seraphina Sinclair reacted instantly.

’Right!’

’Wasn’t this mentioned in the description for [Water Stopping]?’

Seraphina Sinclair raised a hand to rub the earring on her ear before asking, "Is its effect significant?"

The waiter nodded and spoke again, "The magic of Legendary Equipment lies in its Legendary Traits. The level you see on these items only defines the value of the equipment itself, not including the Legendary Traits. These traits transcend all levels."

"Moreover, the whispers only take effect when you are fully immersed. If you’re interrupted by something, or if you become aware of them, the whispers disappear."

Seraphina Sinclair remembered what Frostleaf had said: "I almost died." ’It must have been because she was interrupted that she managed to make it back alive.’

Seraphina Sinclair nodded, feeling she now had a better grasp of the situation.

She opened her panel again and replied to Frostleaf: "Message received. I’ll be careful. If I clear it, I’ll let you know what happens next."

The other party replied almost instantly: "With an expert like you taking charge, how could you possibly not clear it?"

Seraphina Sinclair ignored her and instead took out the golden ticket for The Golden Auction House, asking the waiter, "What about this?"

The waiter’s gaze lingered on the golden ticket for a moment. "The Golden Auction House... a relatively more ’civilized’ place. It’s anonymous and only accepts Black Fog Coins. It’s an E-level auction, with items going up to D-level at most. However, occasionally... some good things appear that are beyond normal specifications but are restricted to a D-level Evaluation."

It paused. "The entry requirement is to possess ten thousand Black Fog Coins. It is absolutely safe inside the auction house. However, after you leave, you’ll need to be careful."

Seraphina Sinclair nodded. That seemed reasonable.

"Can the fragments only be synthesized into these two types of Invitation Letters?"

The question was rather sudden. The waiter paused for a second before dutifully answering, "Of course not, but I’m not sure exactly how many types there are. I only know that the probability of getting one for The Coliseum is the highest."

Seraphina Sinclair nodded and put both cards away.

After she finished breakfast, the waiter quietly cleared the dishes and departed in silence.

Seraphina Sinclair didn’t use the Invitation Letters right away. She planned to move first.

She had no desire to experience so much sunshine packed into a single day again. Besides, the Sunflower was about to evolve, which she was quite looking forward to.

This faint sense of anticipation didn’t last long.

After the first surge of Black Fog, Seraphina Sinclair’s pleasant mood vanished completely.

It wasn’t that she’d encountered a path boss. To be honest, Seraphina Sinclair had a strong feeling that she wouldn’t run into one this week.

And with several people in the group chat having actually died, the probability was even higher.

’But none of that explains what’s happening now.’

Seraphina Sinclair frowned and raised a hand to adjust her Single Lens.

There were no monsters in the Black Fog, nor were there any Supply Boxes. There were... only strange points of light, swirling in circles, filled with the fog.

But when she took off the Single Lens, the points of light vanished as well, and she could see nothing.

Seraphina Sinclair didn’t dare to act rashly, gripping her weapon and remaining vigilant.

They floated in the Black Fog, slowly rotating, flickering in and out of existence. It was like the breathing of some living creature, or like countless prying eyes.

There was no sound, no attack—only this bone-chilling silence and a sense of being watched.

Feeling a little uneasy, Seraphina Sinclair was about to strike at one of the points of light when the Black Fog began to recede.

She froze, her gaze never leaving the points of light for even a second.

They didn’t retreat with the Black Fog. Instead, they condensed in midair, forming...

A lantern?

Just as Seraphina Sinclair was wondering, a system prompt suddenly popped up before her.

[You have discovered a special building in the vast Black Fog. Please take all the items you have found and finish exploring before the next Black Fog surge!]

’A special building?’

Seraphina Sinclair remembered that term.

The herbal juice she had traded for with Miller had come from a special building.

He had also said that the atmosphere inside was terrifying.

’In other words... there might be monsters.’

Seraphina Sinclair thought for a moment and decided to go in and explore.

She now moved three times a day, giving her three times the chance of encountering a special building compared to the average person, yet this was her first time finding one. That alone spoke to how rare they were.

’If there’s something good inside, I can’t just miss out on it.’

Having made up her mind, Seraphina Sinclair’s gaze fell back on the lantern.

’The way this thing appeared is so strange; it must be connected to the special building.’

’Maybe I should...’

"Insight!"

[Glowing Lantern]

[Description: A one-time-use item. A guidance tool condensed from the "Lost Eyes". The fact that you can see this text proves you have seen through its disguise. Survivor, you will obtain better things in the special building! The lantern’s light can dispel the fog within the special building, making it easier for you to acquire unclaimed supplies. It will also provide you with a warning; when the light begins to flicker, it means danger is approaching. You can freely set the amount of oil to control the lantern’s burning time. But be warned, do not let greed sway your emotions.]

After reading the Description, Seraphina Sinclair’s heart went cold.

This item really did appear along with the special building. And based on its description, it seemed to be a beneficial tool for survivors.

Seraphina Sinclair moved a little closer and realized that the lantern had, at some point, solidified into a physical object.

She carefully picked the item up and then tried to set the amount of oil.

The system didn’t try to pull any tricks here; the panel displayed the desired burning time.

From a minimum of 5 minutes to a maximum of 20 minutes.

The total amount of oil was fixed. The longer the burning time she chose, the smaller the illuminated area and the lower the warning sensitivity would be. Conversely, the shorter the time, the stronger the lantern’s effects.

Seraphina Sinclair weighed her options for a moment before setting the burning time to ten minutes.

It was a moderate duration, which would ensure a certain level of exploration efficiency while keeping the lantern’s effects reasonably potent.

The moment she finished the setup, the Glowing Lantern lit up silently, emitting a cool, hazy glow. The light wasn’t harsh, but it strangely brightened the surroundings by a degree, revealing the rough wooden floorboards at her feet.