Chapter 2: E-level Gift Pack

Chapter 2: Chapter 2: E-level Gift Pack

What does this mean?

Only a little over a hundred people died in the novice trial just now? Seraphina Sinclair squatted down, her brows knitting together as she mulled it over. Given the intensity of the trial, that number was absolutely impossible!

It wasn’t that Seraphina Sinclair was being morbid; her physical fitness had received a top-tier Evaluation from the system. If even she found it that strenuous, how did these other people manage to survive?

She stared at the chat channel for a while and soon spotted the discrepancy.

"This Rotting Corpse looks pretty terrifying, but it’s actually not that tough to fight."

"I’m the kind of person who doesn’t even dare to step on a cockroach. My mind just went blank, I waved the dagger around a few times, and somehow I stabbed that monster to death!"

"The dagger on the table is so sharp, way better than my kitchen knife at home! If only I could take it back to chop vegetables."

"My first time using a real, sharpened dagger. So awesome! The experience feels great, five stars."

Seraphina Sinclair: "?"

’What table? What dagger?’

’Why did her cabin only have a rickety bed and a broken wooden stool?’

"That Rotting Corpse was actually pretty generous, it dropped an F-level Supply Box for me. Haven’t opened it yet, so I don’t know what I’ll get."

"Just some mineral water and bread. Doesn’t seem like it’ll last very long. Didn’t even get one compressed biscuit."

"Well, I got compressed biscuits, but only three packs. That’s worse than the bread! I saw some people got five packs of bread!"

"Be grateful!"

’F-level?’

Seraphina Sinclair turned to look at the Supply Box on the floor beside her. The writing on it was crystal clear: this was an E-level Supply Box.

’The items my Rotting Corpse dropped are better than everyone else’s?’

’Is this why I didn’t get a dagger?’

"Have you guys opened your novice gift packs yet? What’s with this ’Black Mist World’? The name sounds so imposing, but then it just gives you a Sunflower?"

"So I get to play a real-life version of Plants vs. Zombies. Is defending my brain the next step?"

"My Sunflower is adorable! It sways back and forth and even glows in the sunshine! It’s so cute."

"Where are you getting sunshine?"

"Not sunshine, lamplight! You haven’t opened your novice gift pack, have you? It gives you a Hand-cranked Sunlight Lamp! Just use that to shine on the Sunflower!"

"Did you guys use Insight to check the Sunflower’s information? If this thing dies, we’re goners. We have to protect the Sunflower at all costs."

Seraphina Sinclair closed the chat channel, having learned pretty much everything she needed to. She opened her inventory, revealing ten slots. One of them held a red gift box.

A red box tied with a golden ribbon in a bow. It looked quite festive.

[Elite Novice Gift Box: Every new player in this dark world receives one, but yours is very special. It is only given to players who completed the hard novice trial. Additionally, the bonus attribute points for passing the hard novice trial have been awarded!]

’A hard novice trial.’

’No wonder.’

’It also awarded attribute points. That must be the +2 on my status panel.’

"Open!"

[Congratulations! You have obtained: Sunflower x1, Hand-cranked Sunlight Lamp x1, E-level watering pot x1, 100ml of E-level nutrient liquid x1, 500ml mineral water x10, 500g bread x10, Basic Rules of The Black Mist World x1, Black Mist World Atlas x1!]

All the items appeared in front of her in an instant. Seraphina Sinclair looked at the Sunflower first. It was a plant in a ceramic pot, completely different from a real-life sunflower. It looked more like something out of a game, with a short stalk and a massive flower.

Amazingly, it had a face on its flower—big eyes and smiling lips. It didn’t look out of place at all, as if it was supposed to be there.

Seraphina Sinclair stared at it for a moment, then silently thought, ’Insight!’

[Sunflower (F-level)]

[Level: 1]

[Current Sunflower Growth Rate: 0/100]

[Current Hunger Level: 100/100 (Consumes one point of Hunger Level for every point of sunshine generated)]

[Description: It is still a child. It can generate sunshine under lamplight. It needs sunshine, water, and nutrient liquid! Take good care of your plant; it is your only way to survive!]

Her expression unchanging, Seraphina Sinclair moved on to inspect the last two items.

[Basic Rules of The Black Mist World]

[1. Have your Sunflower generate sunshine and use the room card to infuse it into the cabin. Every 100 points of sunshine can power the cabin’s movement for one hour. The black mist will surge in every twenty minutes! If there are no monsters, the mist is guaranteed to contain a Supply Box! If monsters appear, a Supply Box will drop after you have killed them all! Be extremely cautious!]

[2. The Sunflower’s Hunger Level will automatically be replenished the following day! Daytime lasts from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. It is best not to move at night! A decision node will appear every seven days. Please choose carefully!]

[3. The maximum distance the dead things can currently move is the equivalent of 100 sunshine! Keep moving forward and don’t let them catch you, or only death awaits. Remember: No pain, no gain. Effort will be rewarded!]

There were only three rules, but they were all very useful.

The other book was the thick Atlas. When she opened it, only two entries were lit up: one for the Sunflower and one for the Rotting Corpse.

She had already seen the information for both using Insight, so there was no need to look again.

She closed the Atlas and began to inspect her other items.

The watering pot—for watering the Sunflower.

Seraphina Sinclair didn’t know what an F-level watering pot was like, but her E-level one dispensed exactly the amount of water poured into it.

She surmised that an F-level pot probably skimmed some water off the top.

The nutrient liquid—this was the Sunflower’s food.

It was used to increase the Hunger Level. One point of nutrient liquid increased the Hunger Level by one point, a one-to-one ratio just like with sunshine.

Seraphina Sinclair didn’t immediately start providing light for the Sunflower. Instead, she first opened the E-level Supply Box.

[Congratulations! You have obtained: foldable military knife (E-level), Bandage x5, Healing Potion (E-level)]

"Not bad. I was just lamenting not having a dagger. The starting gap was too wide, but now I have a weapon."

Seraphina Sinclair picked up the military knife, its blade glinting coldly in the dim light.

She expertly flicked the blade open. It was about twenty centimeters long and sharp enough to easily slice through the flesh of a Rotting Corpse.

’Very nice.’

[foldable military knife (E-level)]

[Description: A standard survival knife, sharp and durable, suitable for cutting and piercing. Although its quality is ordinary, it’s much better than any weapon you’ve seen so far.]

Bandages were a common medical supply, but this was the first time Seraphina Sinclair had ever seen a Healing Potion.

[Healing Potion (E-level)]

[Description: Relieves pain, disinfects, and heals wounds. In a pinch, you could probably use it to quench your thirst.]

’Using it to quench thirst would be too extravagant.’

Seraphina Sinclair stored the two medical items in her inventory.

As she was about to stand up, the corner of her eye caught sight of a small puddle of black ooze where the Rotting Corpse had disappeared, slowly seeping into the floorboards.

"Strange. Didn’t the corpse already dissipate?"

Seraphina Sinclair frowned, subconsciously reaching out to touch it, only to stop her hand in mid-air.

’Insight didn’t say the Rotting Corpse was poisonous, but it also didn’t mention that it would leave this stuff behind after death.’

She picked up a wooden club instead and gently poked the puddle of ooze.

A tender, childish voice suddenly rang out.

"I want to eat! I want to eat!"