Chapter 277: Rustling

Chapter 277: Chapter 277: Rustling

’What am I supposed to do with so many of these? Open a clothing store?’

Seraphina Sinclair was on the verge of tears.

But she wasn’t one to let her emotions affect her for long. These were D-level clothes, after all—a full grade higher than what she was wearing. There was no reason not to like them.

Seraphina Sinclair glanced at the descriptions. After seeing what these clothes could do, her discomfort vanished completely, replaced by a surge of joy.

[Camouflage Training Suit Set (D-level)]

[Description: A one-piece combat suit made from adaptive optical camouflage fabric. The main pattern is a digital pixel design of interwoven matte black and dark gray, which makes subtle adjustments to its hue and brightness based on the surrounding light and color to provide basic visual Concealment. The fabric is exceptionally breathable, waterproof, and stain-resistant. Its form-fitting cut guarantees complete freedom of movement. Key joints and vital areas are embedded with a honeycomb-like polymer buffer gel layer to effectively disperse blunt-force impact. The suit also possesses a highly efficient self-repair capability!]

Seraphina Sinclair took a deep breath and read the descriptions of the other items.

The visual Concealment was unique to this Camouflage Training Suit, but the other effects seemed to be standard for D-level clothing, as the other pieces had them too.

What excited Seraphina Sinclair the most, however, was that these clothes offered a slight defensive function.

The description made it clear: "Effectively disperses blunt-force impact."

’It only disperses the impact, but how is that not a form of defense?’

Seraphina Sinclair wasn’t lacking for bonuses. The only good thing about this godforsaken place was that clothes from boxes were always a perfect fit, so she never had to worry about them not fitting.

Seraphina Sinclair changed into her new clothes and turned her attention to the other Supply Boxes.

For her now, the E-level and F-level Supply Boxes hardly contained anything good.

It wasn’t that the items were useless, but she simply didn’t need them anymore.

That "tasteless to eat, but a waste to throw away" feeling resurfaced, though it was fainter than before.

"Still..." Seraphina Sinclair murmured, rubbing her chin as her gaze drifted over the low-level boxes. ’Every little bit counts. What if I get a useful tool, or... an entry ticket or something? It’s a shame there’s no chance of getting a Skill Book...’

At the thought of a Skill Book, her heart pounded with excitement.

The feeling of knowledge being instantly poured into her, of her strength increasing before her very eyes, was just too captivating.

She opened the remaining E-level Supply Box first.

[Congratulations! You have obtained: Military Multi-Function Canteen (E-level), High-Energy Chocolate Bar x5 (E-level).]

Seraphina Sinclair first picked up the standard, army-green canteen, its surface slightly mottled.

The body was made of metal, cool to the touch, and looked to have a decent capacity. It came with a detachable metal cup and a simple filter cartridge.

[Military Multi-Function Canteen (E-level)]

[Description: A classic soldier’s canteen with an aluminum body and a wear-resistant outer coating. Its construction is sturdy and its seal is tight. It comes with a cup made of the same material that can be used for heating liquids or as a backup container. The built-in simple activated carbon filter can remove some impurities and odors in an emergency, but it cannot purify heavily contaminated water.]

’Not bad. At least now I have a canteen and cup.’

She set the canteen aside and looked at the five chocolate bars wrapped in silver foil. They could be considered a snack or a main course, and since they were highly sought-after on the market, getting them was definitely not a loss.

But her good luck ended there. The remaining Supply Boxes contained either crystals or Basic Supplies.

Seraphina Sinclair wasn’t disappointed. These items were incredibly common, and she remained calm.

The cabin continued to move, the black mist surging in again, and Seraphina Sinclair found herself facing more monsters.

Now, however, unless a C-level monster appeared, nothing posed much of a threat to her. Even though she had just entered a new area, moving around had suddenly become easy and pleasant.

Another wave of black mist receded.

Seraphina Sinclair lightly flicked nonexistent liquid from her longsword before skillfully retracting it into her earring.

At her feet lay the slowly dissipating remains of a monster resembling a twisted thicket of thorns. It was a D-level Shadowthorn Beast, swift and capable of shooting paralyzing spikes. But to the current her, it was little more than a living target that took a bit of extra effort to put down.

The Seraphina Sinclair of today was a textbook veteran.

She could even spare the focus to observe the monster’s openings while dodging its attacks and evaluate her own performance in the heat of battle.

The adaptive camouflage had limited effect during fast-paced combat with dramatic light changes, but when she was still or moving slowly, the feeling of subtly blending into the environment was definitely there.

And the silencing effect of the tactical boots was simply excellent. Combined with Basic Concealment and the camouflage suit, it was practically a perfect invisibility setup!

The combat suit’s buffering was indeed useful, but its effect was genuinely minor.

To test it, Seraphina Sinclair had taken a direct hit from a monster. Aside from feeling the suit resist for a split second on impact, the rest of the force was transferred directly to her body.

If Seraphina Sinclair hadn’t been cautious and immediately pulled back, she probably would have had to use another Advanced Medical Kit.

Unfortunately, despite her quick reaction, the spot where she was hit still throbbed with a dull ache.

"Hooo..." Seraphina Sinclair exhaled, her gaze sweeping over the corner of the cabin where several new Supply Boxes now lay quietly.

At eight o’clock, Seraphina Sinclair started a fire in the cabin, officially ending the day’s travel.

She casually opened the remaining Supply Boxes, mentally planning to use the special area entry ticket tomorrow.

It wasn’t just that entry ticket; the entry ticket to the E-level Black Mist Coliseum should also be usable now.

For some reason, the face of the guild leader she had seen at the Coliseum last time suddenly appeared in her mind.

Seraphina Sinclair frowned and cursed her bad luck under her breath.

’Hopefully, that guild leader won’t be there the next time I challenge the Coliseum.’

After freshening up, Seraphina Sinclair lay back down on the wooden bed. She closed her eyes and relaxed her body, about to fall asleep, when she suddenly heard a faint rustling sound.

The sound was strange, like something rubbing against the edge of the wooden bed, or perhaps a very faint scratching.

Most importantly, the sound seemed to be coming from underneath the bed.

Seraphina Sinclair instantly held her breath. Her heartbeat didn’t quicken, thanks to her controlled breathing, but every muscle in her body tensed as she pushed her senses to their absolute limit.

She didn’t immediately open her eyes or try to look. Instead, she focused her hearing and sense of touch completely on the wooden bed beneath her and the floor around it.

The rustling continued, intermittent and sporadic.

It didn’t sound like anything large. It was more like... some kind of small creature, or perhaps an arthropod?