Chapter 228: Hand of Spirits

Chapter 228: Chapter 228: Hand of Spirits

Seraphina Sinclair was stunned for only a moment before she understood.

The first time the cabin’s upgrade page had appeared was the day after she upgraded the Sunflower.

’Now it’s time for a tier ascension, which means...’

’Could she only upgrade the mobile cabin the day after the Sunflower’s second evolution?’

Seraphina Sinclair subconsciously looked toward the Sunflower, which had now grown into a behemoth. It was much more active than before, and as soon as her gaze fell upon it, its inner voice rang out: ’The little human is looking at me! The little human... so cute...’

Seraphina Sinclair: "..."

’Is this thing alright? It only evolved, it shouldn’t be sick, right?’

Seraphina Sinclair was still a bit worried. She walked over, cradled the Sunflower’s head in her hands, and examined it closely. After realizing she was no botanist and couldn’t tell if a plant was sick or not, she gave the Sunflower a swift, clean slap across its face.

"What kind of nonsense are you thinking?"

The Sunflower couldn’t understand human words, nor could it comprehend human intentions.

Seraphina Sinclair had held back, so from the Sunflower’s perspective, the little human was just gently stroking its face.

So, far from feeling wronged, it happily rustled its leaves, its inner voice chirping with glee:

’The little human touched me! The little human likes me!’

Seraphina Sinclair: "..."

’Fine. There’s no communicating with this silly plant.’

She pulled her hand back, ignoring the ecstatic thoughts echoing in her mind, and refocused on the cabin upgrade.

Since the prerequisite was just to wait, there was no use in being impatient.

’Everything’s been taken care of. Time to open the box!’

She rubbed her hands together, took out the random item Supply Box, and opened it with the excitement of unboxing a mystery item.

A soft light flashed, and the box disappeared, leaving an item in its place.

It was a pair of plain, unadorned leather gloves. The fingertips were unusually thin, as if to guarantee an excellent sense of touch.

[Hand of Spirits]

[Description: A pair of seemingly ancient leather gloves, exceptionally soft to the touch, with fingertips as thin as a cicada’s wing, like a second skin. Single-use item! When worn, the gloves create a subtle resonance with the user’s spiritual sense, greatly increasing the sensitivity and precision of their fingertips. It allows you to "touch" the flow of energy and feel the subtle textures of materials, enabling you to improve certain blueprints or scrolls with your bare hands!]

[Use Restriction: None]

[Cooldown: None]

[Note: Some mysteries aren’t hidden between the pages of a book, but lie in wait for the touch of a fingertip.]

Wait!

’What kind of ability is this?!’

Seraphina Sinclair’s pupils dilated as she read the line aloud, "Improve certain blueprints or scrolls with your bare hands?"

Her gaze burned as she stared at the gloves’ description, her breathing quickening slightly.

’This is an amazing item!’

Seraphina Sinclair took only a second to rule out using the item to improve a scroll.

’Who in their right mind would use a single-use item like this to improve a scroll?’

Blueprints could be used over and over, but a scroll was gone after a single use!

Besides, the effects of certain blueprints were far more powerful than those of scrolls.

But as for which blueprint to improve...

Seraphina Sinclair was immediately conflicted.

’Which blueprint should I improve?’

’The Water Condensation Device? The Composting Device? The Black Fog Lamp?’

’Or should I just go all out and improve the Engraving Map for the Water Dragon Roar weapon?’

There were too many options and only one item. After a moment of contemplation, Seraphina Sinclair simply put the gloves away.

Since she was so conflicted, it was better to think it over more thoroughly.

It was better to think it through than to use it and regret it later.

After organizing the rewards she’d gotten from the instance, Seraphina Sinclair gave the mobile cabin a quick tidy-up.

Before, the Sunflower’s presence hadn’t been so strong, and Lucky hadn’t arrived yet.

Now, however, two living creatures had suddenly popped up in her home, and Seraphina Sinclair was having trouble adjusting.

After tucking the Little Dragon in, Seraphina Sinclair, determined to be fair, also tidied up the Sunflower a bit. Only then did the creature that was constantly chattering in her mind finally quiet down.

Just as things quieted down, Auric Young suddenly flew out again.

The Sunflower was bigger now, and its inner voice was much more robust. It had never liked Auric Young, and now that it felt more confident, it was definitely going to have a few things to say in its mind.

Only poor Seraphina Sinclair was left with her temples throbbing from all the noise.

After a fitful night, all the chaos was gone by the time Seraphina Sinclair opened her eyes again.

She sat up and rubbed her temples.

It was as if the echoes of the Sunflower’s racket from the night before still lingered, leaving her exhausted from a lack of sleep.

Forcing her eyes open, she saw a notification screen similar to the one that had appeared the morning after the Sunflower’s evolution.

[Mobile Cabin Tier Ascension Unlocked!]

[Current Mobile Cabin Level: Level 3 (Max Level for current tier!)]

[Current Mobile Cabin Quality: Bronze (Upgradeable to Silver)]

[Black Fog Incursions per 100 sunshine traveled: Three! (Next Level: Four!)]

It seemed her guess was spot on: the Sunflower’s evolution had been the prerequisite mentioned in last night’s notification.

’Excellent. The day is off to a great start!’

Seraphina Sinclair read through the requirements. She had enough materials; she could upgrade.

She took a deep breath and, with a thrill of excitement, pressed the button.

But the screen that popped up a second later immediately shattered her excitement.

[Upgrade estimated to complete tomorrow at 8:00 AM. Please be patient!]

Seraphina Sinclair: "..."

’So tier ascensions also make you wait until the next day?’

’Great. So impartial.’

Seraphina Sinclair had still been a bit groggy, but this little interruption woke her right up.

After lying in bed for a few more moments, she got up. She stood and glanced instinctively toward Lucky’s spot, only to find the small, makeshift bed empty.

Her heart tightened, and she quickly scanned the cabin.

There, curled up in a corner next to the enormous head of the Sunflower, was the Little Dragon, Lucky, sleeping soundly.

Its scales gleamed softly in the faint morning light, while one of the Sunflower’s large leaves rested unconsciously over the Little Dragon like a natural blanket.

Seraphina Sinclair stared for a moment, but before she could feel touched by the scene, confusion took over.

’Since when were these two so close?’

’Who was it that was constantly screaming in my head that Lucky was going to kill us?’

’Sunflower... I don’t even know you anymore.’

Seraphina Sinclair felt like a helpless parent who’d just discovered their child was secretly dating. But thankfully, the species barrier between the two meant she didn’t have to worry too much.

With that thought, she hummed a little tune on her way to the bathroom.

Perhaps because the current negative status effect was "Drought," the temperature along their path was also slightly elevated. Seraphina Sinclair splashed a handful of cold water on her face, instantly feeling refreshed.

Once she was done washing up, she returned to the main part of the mobile cabin in a good mood.

The stone table stood nearby. Seraphina Sinclair sat in her usual seat, tore open a meal ticket, and sat up straight, waiting for the waiter to deliver her meal.

But the effects of her poor sleep were noticeable.

Arriving before the waiter was the 8:00 AM system announcement.