Chapter 218: Mimic Corpse

Chapter 218: Chapter 218: Mimic Corpse

"Whoa, it’s a whale! I’m camping here, I’m camping here!"

"I can’t believe there are whales like this! This is awesome! I love these kinds of debriefs and summaries. They might come in handy for the next instance!"

"Whale, please add me as a friend!"

The person ignored these comments, and their second message quickly appeared:

"For the survivors who want to get good results, there are many more challenges to face. The first is the clue for reinforcements. I’m sure many of my fellow survivors have noticed that every instance has a Stone Tablet that provides key information. Don’t doubt it—every single survivor has definitely seen one! We’re all in the same region, so we participate in the same instances. Let me give you an example. In the last instance, when you reached the final area, the thing that reminded everyone they could resurrect teammates was the Stone Tablet I’m talking about."

"A Stone Tablet?!"

"No way? You’re just dropping huge news like that? This whale is a true saint!"

"Now I finally get why a whale’s world is so different from ours. These guys know so much!"

"So that’s how it is! I remember now, during the tutorial instance, didn’t someone say they saw a Stone Tablet with numbers on it? Holy crap, so they’ve been around since the beginning!"

"So there’s a Stone Tablet in this instance too? What was written on it?"

"The location of the Stone Tablet this time was very tricky; you could only see it by looking out the second-floor window. The information on it was also crucial. And based on the intensity of the later waves, finding the reinforcements was the only way to clear the instance..."

Seraphina Sinclair glanced at the person’s ID: Zeke the Passerby.

He was being very detailed. Clearly, he was one of the survivors who had opened the door, making him a strong player.

The regional channel was buzzing with discussion about this. Seraphina Sinclair scratched her head, still feeling like something was off.

’Where’s the settlement page?’

’Aren’t they going to give us the settlement?’

’We barely made it out alive, and they’re not even giving out rewards?’

Seraphina Sinclair stood up and paced a few times inside her mobile cabin. Lucky followed close behind her, trotting at her heels.

’Kinda cute.’

The pop-up window never appeared. Seraphina Sinclair glanced at the regional channel from time to time.

At first, it was still Zeke the Passerby holding court, sharing information about the instance and basking in everyone’s awe and admiration.

But as time went on, the mood in the channel began to quietly shift.

"So... has anyone gotten their instance settlement rewards yet?"

"Nope, I was just wondering the same thing! Last time, the settlement came right after the instance ended."

"Maybe this instance is special? Or maybe nobody cleared it at all, haha. If no one cleared it, the systems in charge won’t get chewed out, will they?"

"Let’s just wait and see. Maybe the system is still calculating the data?"

...

If one person didn’t get a reward, it would definitely be a problem. But since no one did, Seraphina Sinclair wasn’t worried.

She went about her business as usual: eating, tidying up the cabin, and waiting for the Sunflower to produce sunshine so she could begin her daily move.

’If I’m not mistaken...’

Seraphina Sinclair checked the Sunflower’s Growth Rate again: [940/1000]

’Just six more F-level monsters!’

’I can definitely evolve the Sunflower today.’

Seraphina Sinclair took a deep breath, unable to help feeling a little excited.

But it couldn’t be rushed. Seraphina Sinclair sat back down at the dining table and continued eating.

Today’s lunch was a steaming bowl of tomato and beef brisket noodles.

In a dark brown ceramic bowl, milky-white noodles were steeped in a rich, orange-red broth. Large, tender chunks of stewed beef brisket were interwoven with bright red tomatoes, garnished with a few specks of vibrant green scallions.

The steam rose in wisps, carrying the sweet and sour aroma of tomatoes and the rich fragrance of beef, making one’s mouth water.

Seraphina Sinclair picked up her spoon and took a sip of the broth. The warm liquid exploded on her taste buds. The beef brisket was cooked to perfection; the parts with tendon attached melted in her mouth, soft and tender yet still retaining a bit of chewiness.

As she was focused on enjoying her meal, Lucky, at her feet, seemed to be drawn in by the aroma as well. It gently rubbed its furry head against her leg, letting out a soft whimper, its bright black eyes full of longing.

This little guy had always been very interested in human food.

After a moment’s thought, Seraphina Sinclair picked up a small piece of beef brisket that hadn’t soaked up too much broth, blew on it to cool it down, and bent over to offer it to Lucky.

The little fella immediately came closer, carefully took the piece, and gobbled it down in a couple of bites, its tail wagging even more happily.

’Good. It doesn’t just eat it, it loves it.’

Seraphina Sinclair looked away and went back to slurping her noodles.

After lunch, the Sunflower finished producing its sunshine.

Seraphina Sinclair infused the sunshine into the door card.

Move.

The black fog surged in. There were no monsters, but an E-level Supply Box entered the cabin.

Seraphina Sinclair casually opened it.

[Obtained: Expansion Crystal x3, Black Fog Crystal x1]

Expansion Crystal.

Seraphina Sinclair placed these new materials with the ones she already had.

’Now, I have... Expansion Crystals...’

She did a quick count. There were 24 in total.

’I need 40 to upgrade. Still a long way to go.’

Seraphina Sinclair sighed and waited patiently for the black fog to surge in again.

This time, there was a monster. Although it was just a trash-tier Rotting Corpse, it still gave Growth Rate. No point in turning down a freebie.

Just as she was about to step forward, Lucky, who had been quietly trailing at her heels, suddenly let out a low, warning growl. Its fur bristled slightly, and its red eyes were fixed on the Rotting Corpse. It leaned forward, assuming a defensive posture.

’Eh?’

Seraphina Sinclair instantly realized something was wrong.

’Lucky might be small, but its rank is very high. Besides, the little guy doesn’t even react to E-level monsters, so why...’

’Why is it so focused on a single F-level Rotting Corpse?’

’Unless...’

Seraphina Sinclair put on her Single Lens directly. "Insight!"

[Mimic Corpse (D-level)]

[Description: A cunning predator that excels at disguising itself as a low-level monster to lower its prey’s guard. Beneath its skin, there are no bones, only a mass of constantly squirming organs attempting to reassemble themselves. It learns from you to better replace you. Do not trust what you see with your eyes; it is merely a sweet, poisonous lure prepared for your mind.]

[Weakness: None.]

At first, Seraphina Sinclair was just shocked by the creature’s rank, but when she saw the weakness section, her pupils abruptly dilated.

’What is this?’

’None?!’

’Are you kidding me? What do you mean, none?’

Seraphina Sinclair frowned and couldn’t stop herself from putting a hand to her head to feel it carefully.

’No weakness is one thing, but why is the Mental Pressure still taking effect?!’

She was getting genuinely angry now, but this monster was D-level; she couldn’t afford to fight it head-on.

After a moment of silence, Seraphina Sinclair decided to send Lucky in first. She crouched down, patted Lucky’s head, and said in a low voice, "See that thing? Go on, bite it!"

"Awoo?"

Lucky tilted its head, the question plain on its face.

It clearly didn’t understand.

Seraphina Sinclair stared at it for a moment, then suddenly scooped it up with one hand.