Chapter 259: 001

Chapter 259: Chapter 259: 001

Seraphina Sinclair glanced at it a few times, then closed the channel.

The chaos of the outside world had nothing to do with her.

In this world, the only thing that truly mattered was getting stronger.

Her gaze fell on the two faintly glowing Skill Books in the space within her Silver Moon Earrings.

The 29-point attribute requirement was a threshold she had yet to cross.

And right now...

[Name]: Seraphina Sinclair

[Zone]: Drakonia Zone 666

[Intelligence]: 25

[Strength]: 29

[Constitution]: 27

[Speed]: 26

[Evaluation]: You are no longer a fledgling struggling to survive, but a predator just beginning to show its fangs. In the Black Mist, your name is quietly beginning to spread.

Seraphina paused when she saw the numbers. They were much higher than she’d expected.

And the reason for that...

Seraphina’s thoughts turned to Lucky.

The food from the big dragon was top-notch, and its effects after being prepared by the waiter were far better than she had imagined.

One dish was an Earth Vein Roasted Rock Lizard Steak. The skin was slightly crisp and charred, the meat tender and fibrous. Paired with a purée made from a sweet root vegetable, just one bite...

Even now, Seraphina’s mouth watered just thinking about it.

That dish had increased her Constitution by three points.

The other two were a Wind-Howl Vulture Soup, which increased her Speed by three points, and Wild Roasted Tusk Boar Ribs, which increased her Intelligence by three points.

However, the waiter had been clear: D-level ingredients weren’t usually this potent. There was only one reason they could grant Seraphina so many attribute points.

It was because she, a country bumpkin from the human world, had never eaten truly good food before!

Her body, encountering such high-quality food for the first time, had overreacted with a huge boost. The next time she ate it, the effect wouldn’t be nearly as strong.

Though Seraphina was a little disappointed, her understanding of this world’s rules deepened.

Back in the present, Seraphina stared blankly at her own status panel.

To learn the Skill Books, she was still two points of Constitution and three points of Speed short.

’Constitution is manageable, but Speed...’

Seraphina had no easy way to raise it. She could only wait for the next dungeon or another opportunity to gain attribute points.

Just as she was thinking this, a knock suddenly sounded at the door.

"Hello? Anyone home? It’s only been a week, how could it change so much?! Is this still that shabby wood house? I didn’t see a single stone house on the way here, and this person gets to live in one first! It’s infuriating! Open the door!"

It was the voice of Traveling Merchant 001.

Her tone was absolutely horrid, as if she was trying to vent all the frustrations she’d suffered in this mobile cabin during her last visit.

Seraphina could understand. With a slight raise of her eyebrow, she rose to open the door.

Outside, Traveling Merchant 001 stood with her hands on her hips, her cheeks puffed out as she glared at the brand-new stone cabin.

She was wearing a different outfit today—a gorgeous Lolita-style dress, a mix of dark green and Dark Gold. It made her doll-like face seem less sweet and more noble.

However, the unconcealed jealousy and indignation on her face completely ruined that noble air.

Behind her stood four bodyguards in black, lined up neatly. Their suits strained against their muscles, and they all wore sunglasses. Anyone who didn’t know better might think they were here to collect protection money.

"Well, look who it is. A rare guest." Seraphina stepped aside to let her in, her tone even. "It’s been a week. Your temper’s grown, and so has your entourage."

"Hmph!" Traveling Merchant 001 stomped her foot and walked inside. Her gaze swept over every corner of the room, from the solid stone walls to the dancing flames in the fireplace, and then to the simple furniture that was clearly of higher quality now. The more she looked, the higher her pout went. "You... What kind of incredible luck did you stumble into?! It’s only been a few days! How could it change this much?! Is it really this easy for humans to get rich?"

Seraphina didn’t bother responding to her sour remarks. She walked over to a chair by the fireplace, sat down, and asked calmly, "So, what goodies have you brought this time?"

Traveling Merchant 001 took a deep breath, forcing down her feelings of unfairness and trying to adopt the air of a professional. "You remember the loan agreement, don’t you? Until it’s repaid, no Traveling Merchant will offer you their services."

Having said her piece, she finally remembered the bodyguards she’d brought along. She glanced back smugly at the four mountain-like men behind her. Confirming they were all there, she breathed a sigh of relief and lifted her chin.

Seraphina took in all of her little movements, the corner of her mouth hooking into a faint, unreadable smile. Far from being intimidated by the four bodyguards, she sized them up with amusement before speaking slowly:

"Of course, I remember. So you’re not here to sell anything. You’re here to... collect?"

She put special emphasis on the word "collect," her eyes glinting with amusement, as if to say, ’Just you and those four wooden posts behind you?’

Traveling Merchant 001 felt a prickle of fear under her gaze but blustered, puffing out her chest. "That’s right! Today’s the first payment deadline. Ten thousand Black Fog Coins. Fork it over!"

She held out her small, lace-gloved hand, palm up, in front of Seraphina.

"Oh, right."

Seraphina nodded as if she’d just remembered, then leaned back into a more comfortable position, showing no intention of producing any money. "I seem to recall the contract stating that if I’m temporarily short on Black Fog Coins, I can use items of equivalent value as collateral, correct?"

She had the money ready to pay off the entire debt at once, but she couldn’t resist teasing the little system.

froze when she heard this, warily pulling back her hand. "The... there is such a clause. What do you plan to pay with?"

’Her heart began to pound. ’She’s not trying to pull some new trick, is she?’’

Seraphina didn’t answer directly. Instead, she raised a hand to touch her Silver Moon Earrings and, like a magician, plucked a rune from thin air, dangling it in front of the Traveling Merchant.

The merchant’s eyes immediately went wide.

Seraphina said, unhurried, "This is a D-level rune. I’ve named it the Moonlight Heart Protection Talisman. Its purpose is to generate a barrier that protects against nearly all external intrusions and attacks. A rune like this..."

She paused, asking with that same unreadable smile, "How many Black Fog Coins do you think it’s worth?"

"A Moonlight Heart Protection Talisman? A D-level Protective Talisman?"

001’s voice rose uncontrollably. She practically lunged at Seraphina, her eyes glued to the rune paper that shimmered with a soft, moon-white glow. Her breathing grew ragged.

"Y-You made this?!"

A rune that could protect against "nearly all external intrusions and attacks," even a D-level one, was a top-tier, life-saving treasure in The Black Mist World!

Seraphina simply smiled without a word, the rune held between her fingers, allowing its pure light to flow.

snapped back to reality and fumbled for her small Identification Device, scanning the rune with a faint beam of light.

The evaluation that appeared on the screen made her suck in a sharp breath.

"D-level Peak... defensive strength approaching C-level... extremely high energy stability..." she muttered, then snapped her head up, her eyes blazing.