Chapter 314: Mimi

Chapter 314: Chapter 314: Mimi

"Is it going to be like this from now on? If we don’t participate in dungeons, we lose all our attribute points! That’s for a whole week! And if we skip the next one, we won’t get the attribute points back, right?"

"Are you kidding? How are you supposed to join a dungeon with zero attribute points? Skip just once, and you can forget about ever joining another one again."

"This f***ing system, this f***ing world."

"Enough with the cursing. Hurry up and check your gear! Bring anything and everything that might be useful! Making it out alive is all that matters!"

"Please, God, don’t let me get matched with terrible teammates..."

Seraphina Sinclair silently repeated the same thought.

’But even if they aren’t geniuses,’ she thought, ’as long as they aren’t the absolute worst kind—stupid, malicious, and self-righteous people who love to drag others down with them—I’m confident I can handle it.’

She slowly shook her head, tightened her grip on the Sunflower pot in her arms, and stepped through the portal that had finally opened.

Her vision blurred and then sharpened. This wasn’t the waiting area; she and her Sunflower had been sent directly into the dungeon.

Seraphina Sinclair found herself standing in a narrow, damp corridor, the walls on either side stained with mottled red patches.

The red looked like old bloodstains that had soaked in layer after layer, or perhaps some kind of strange fungus growing on the surface.

The ceiling above was low, and every few meters, a flickering wall lamp cast a dim, yellow light. The SIZZLE of the electric current was piercing in the silence.

An indescribable smell permeated the air. It was like mildew mixed with rust, and if you tried to parse it, you could detect a faint yet nauseatingly coppery tang.

The corridor was long, stretching out of sight in both directions. Closed doors lined the sides, their numbers illegible. The doors themselves were old, with paint peeling from their surfaces.

She wasn’t alone. Three other figures stood nearby. Including her, that made four people.

The three of them were dressed in a surprisingly uniform manner: one hand clutching a weapon, the other cradling a Sunflower.

Looking closer, she saw that while their weapons were different, they all seemed to belong to the same series.

’Isn’t that the Refined Long Saber from my Silver Moon Earrings?! The one I got along with the Water Dragon Roar!’

’So the other weapons are from the same refined series, too?’

’Are these really that popular now?’

As Seraphina Sinclair sized them up, they were doing the same to her—and to the ridiculously huge Sunflower in her arms.

Seraphina Sinclair’s gaze met theirs, and for a moment, the atmosphere grew subtly tense.

The woman holding the long saber raised a hand to scratch her head, breaking the silence. "Ahem... Well, since we’re teammates, how about we introduce ourselves? I’ll go first."

"My name’s Fayestar." She lifted her long saber slightly. "My weapon is, well, this. I don’t have any particular strengths or weaknesses, but I definitely won’t be a burden. That’s all for me. Oh, right..."

She suddenly grinned, revealing a set of pearly white teeth. Sticking her long saber into the floor, she held up the Sunflower in her arms with both hands, declaring with a hint of pride, "This is my Sunflower. Her name is Mimi!"

Fayestar’s Sunflower, named "Mimi," looked perfectly ordinary, just like most other survivors’ Sunflowers—medium-sized, with slightly wilted leaves.

The name, combined with her faintly triumphant expression, created a strange sense of contrast.

The sudden, almost domestic-sounding name left Seraphina Sinclair and the other two speechless for a moment.

Seraphina Sinclair could understand the act of naming a Sunflower. Since she could hear the thoughts of the one in her own arms, she knew perfectly well that every Sunflower was a unique living being.

’Besides... whether she names it or not is her own business. It has absolutely nothing to do with me.’

It was a rather sweet name, but of course, someone had to be a killjoy.

The man holding the spear sneered, his tone dripping with undisguised mockery. "Mimi? You actually named your Sunflower? Are we playing house, or do you really think it’s a pet?"

He was tall, with a cold, hard expression. His gaze swept over Fayestar and her Mimi with condescending scrutiny.

Fayestar’s smile immediately froze on her face. She glared at Alaric Hawthorn and hugged Mimi tighter, muttering irritably, "None of your business! I’ll call her whatever I want, as long as she likes it!"

The man ignored her completely. "I’m Alaric Hawthorn. This long spear is my weapon. I believe in one thing and one thing only: efficiency above all. I expect everyone to at least keep up and not make any stupid mistakes."

As soon as he finished speaking, his gaze snapped toward Seraphina Sinclair—or more accurately, toward the Sunflower in her arms.

Alaric Hawthorn’s gaze was almost tangible, pressing down heavily on the giant Sunflower in Seraphina Sinclair’s arms. His eyes were a mixture of shock and greed—by no means a friendly expression.

"Your Sunflower..." he began slowly, his voice sounding a little hoarse in the damp corridor, "is certainly... one of a kind."

The atmosphere instantly grew colder at his words.

The man standing next to him chuckled softly, introducing himself as if nothing unpleasant had happened. "My name is Lyra Lowell. My weapon’s this spear. I’m good at observation and... well, I’m a pretty fast runner."

’Oh, so he’s good at running away.’

Seraphina Sinclair silently made a mental note about Lyra Lowell’s "specialty."

With the three of them finished, their gazes naturally fell upon Seraphina Sinclair... and the Sunflower in her arms.

Seraphina Sinclair met their gazes and said calmly, "Serafelle Sinclair."

She said only her name, then fell silent.

Alaric Hawthorn’s brow furrowed immediately, clearly displeased with such an overly brief introduction.

He was about to speak when Lyra Lowell subtly shifted half a step forward, conveniently blocking half of Alaric Hawthorn’s line of sight.

A gentle smile remained on Lyra Lowell’s face, but his eyes quickly scanned Seraphina Sinclair from head to toe. When he noticed that, aside from the giant Sunflower in her arms, her hands seemed to be empty, a flicker of unreadable curiosity passed through his eyes.

"Serafelle Sinclair... a fine name. Unique," Lyra Lowell said softly, his tone unreadable.

"How did you grow your Sunflower like that?" Fayestar’s eyes were sparkling, and her tone held no trace of malice. It was like she was talking to a fellow enthusiast. "You must have put a lot of effort into it, right?"

"It was alright." Seraphina Sinclair smiled, her fingers continuing to idly stroke the Sunflower’s broad leaves. "It’s just a hard worker."

She hadn’t really given her Sunflower any special treatment. It was just...

The reason it grew so well was, one, because of its evolution, and two, because she could hear its thoughts.

No one knew better than the Sunflower itself what it needed and when.

Seraphina Sinclair simply raised it according to its wishes, so naturally, it thrived.