Chapter 25: Constitution +1

Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Constitution +1

"A blueprint? What’s that?"

"It sounds like you found something incredible. The way you’re talking, it’s like everyone’s supposed to know what it is, but I have no idea."

"Wait, what? You mean like in a game, where you get a schematic, gather the materials, and craft the final item? Seriously? This godforsaken place has stuff like that? Someone post one so we can all get a look!"

"I’m hyped! Any pros willing to share one for the rest of us to see?"

"Oh, so none of you knew? I got it from an F-level Supply Box and just assumed everyone had one. Here you go, this is the only blueprint I have: [Simple Wooden Window Blueprint]."

Seraphina Sinclair had never seen this kind of blueprint before. She clicked on it to take a look.

[Simple Wooden Window Blueprint (F-)]

[Learning Requirement: Intelligence ≥ 1]

[Materials Required: wood x12, cloth x4]

[Effect: You know those double windows that open outward? It’s just like that, but instead of glass, it’s made of cloth. It’s certainly got a use, but not much of one.]

Seraphina Sinclair: "..."

’What an insightful description.’

The mobile cabin already had one window, so adding another one really wasn’t that useful.

The regional channel was already erupting with ridicule, as if they weren’t the same people who had just been begging to see it.

"That’s it? You’ve got some nerve posting a trashy F-level window? And here I was thinking it was a Divine Artifact blueprint or something. LMAO."

"Cloth x4? HAHAHA! What’s the point of a window made of that stuff? If you want to keep out the wind and rain, you’d be better off just boarding it up."

"I second that. The designer must be an idiot."

"Just a timid question... if the window is made of cloth, won’t it get moldy when it rains?"

"Stop asking. It’s just for a more immersive survival experience: you get to cultivate your own fungi!"

"OP: ’Look at my precious treasure!’ Everyone else: ’Oh, it’s garbage.’"

"I’m dying! That Description: ’It’s certainly got a use, but not much of one.’ HAHAHA. The system isn’t even trying to fool you, and you’re treating it like a treasure?"

"...Weren’t you all the ones just begging to have your minds blown???"

"Who asked you to post F-level junk? Honestly, this thing is rated F- not because it meets the standard for F-, but because there’s no rank lower than that! HAHAHA."

Seraphina Sinclair was already used to this kind of hypocrisy.

Now that she had the information she wanted, she knew she could raise the price of her crafting services. If even blueprints were this scarce, her skills were valuable.

Just as Seraphina Sinclair was thinking this, she suddenly realized a critical problem.

’Everyone has only just entered the game. Not only do they have next to nothing, but they’re all living hand-to-mouth. Even if they pooled all their possessions, it wouldn’t amount to much!’

Seraphina Sinclair frowned, her excitement cooling. If she rashly started offering crafting services now, she wouldn’t make much profit. Instead, she’d just become a target for a lot of people.

’If I’m right,’ she thought, ’there will eventually be items that let players challenge each other to one-on-one fights. If I reveal too much too soon, I’ll be the first one they go after!’

Seraphina Sinclair wasn’t one to shy away from trouble, and she didn’t think she’d necessarily lose a real-world duel. But they were in this godforsaken place now. ’What damn good are my skills from my past life here?!’

’The most important thing here isn’t muscle, it’s attribute points!’

Seraphina Sinclair opened her status panel again. Her eyes widened the moment she saw the numbers.

[Name]: Seraphina Sinclair

[Zone]: Drakonia, Third Sector, Zone 888

[Intelligence]: 10

[Strength]: 9

[Constitution]: 10

[Speed]: 9

[Evaluation]: A human in peak physical condition. (A normal person’s attribute score is 10.)

’My Constitution actually went up by a point! Was it from working out?’

Seraphina Sinclair carefully retraced her recent actions. The most likely culprits were the Black Mist Catfish and her exercising.

There had only been one Black Mist Catfish, and she’d already eaten it, so there was no way to test that theory. As for working out, she couldn’t stop that. If her attribute points went up again, she would be able to figure out which one was responsible!

Seraphina Sinclair excitedly clenched her fists and bounced around a few times inside the mobile cabin before calming down.

Discovering a way to increase her attribute points was a huge relief for Seraphina Sinclair!

’As long as I can get stronger, everything will be manageable.’

The Sunflower, which had been silent for a long time, made another punctual, NPC-like announcement: "The sun is out."

The rain had stopped.

The kettle had been full for a while, and Seraphina Sinclair had already put away the water purifier. Only the filter for non-potable water remained.

Seraphina Sinclair moved the water tank back to the bathroom, then returned to place the lantern on the windowsill.

’Now that the sun’s out, the rate at which the lantern imprisons sunshine has to be faster, right?’

Seraphina Sinclair forced herself to be still, waiting patiently for ten minutes before checking the sunshine in the lantern.

Ten minutes passed. Seraphina Sinclair took a closer look—the lantern already held a full 50 points of sunshine!

’Only ten minutes!’

’It gained 30 points of sunshine! At this rate, it could store 180 points of sunshine in a single hour!’

’The efficiency... it’s multiplied by so much, hasn’t it?’

After the initial shock wore off, Seraphina Sinclair realized that this meant she could finally get the Unknown Seed to sprout today!

Once that thought occurred to her, all ideas of resting vanished. She squatted by the window, watching the lantern imprison the sunshine, bit by bit.

In a daze, she suddenly understood the meaning of the Description.

’In this godforsaken place, sunshine *is* hope,’ she mused. ’And who wouldn’t want to keep hope by their side?’

Seraphina Sinclair tore her gaze away from the lantern and quietly waited for time to pass.

Fifty minutes later, the sunshine in the lantern reached 200 points.

Seraphina Sinclair took a deep breath. She brought the lantern over to the potted Unknown Seed and, after a moment’s operation, the lantern began to emit a gentle light.

Seraphina Sinclair couldn’t help but stare for a few extra moments. The glowing lantern looked like a miniature sun; it was actually quite beautiful.

Ten minutes later, Seraphina Sinclair once again heard the Sunflower’s inner voice: ’Ugh... does wanting just a single sip of water even count as being thirsty?’

’A single sip?’

Although the request was a bit impertinent, Seraphina Sinclair fulfilled it anyway.

’In reality, the two plants in her home didn’t need to be so frugal with water for her sake. She really wasn’t short on it.’

Seraphina Sinclair rested her chin in her hand and waited. It became a pattern: every ten minutes, the Unknown Seed would announce it was thirsty.

Meanwhile, the tone of the Sunflower’s inner voice shifted from initial surprise to exasperated silence.

Eventually, its inner voice went completely silent. Seraphina Sinclair guessed it had probably gotten so annoyed with the seed that it simply refused to talk to it anymore.

Still, Seraphina Sinclair continued to water the seed every ten minutes.

Two hours later, the lantern’s light extinguished, but there was still no sign of movement from the flowerpot.

Seraphina Sinclair’s heart leaped with anxiety. But just then, she heard the Sunflower’s inner voice again: "How mischievous... It just has to give you a scare."

’Give me a scare...?’

Seraphina Sinclair quietly furrowed her brow.

’So, what it’s saying is, I’ve already tended to this Unknown Seed’s every need.’

’But it’s deliberately holding back from sprouting just to give me a fright?’