Chapter 87: Treasure and Sentinels

Chapter 87: Chapter 87: Treasure and Sentinels

The notification was the same as last time, and since the door was open, Seraphina Sinclair immediately saw the land outside.

Unlike the previous island, this one was shrouded in mist, making it impossible to see anything at a glance.

Seraphina Sinclair stood her ground, raising a slight eyebrow. Before, she would have definitely hesitated to set foot on the island; after all, having one’s vision obscured is an extremely dangerous affair.

’But now that I have [Mystic Insight], I have no such concerns, of course.’

Seraphina Sinclair smiled faintly, gripped her dagger, put on her monocle, and glanced back at the moving cabin’s interior.

The monster had indeed leaped from the cabin, but from experience, she knew it wouldn’t die immediately. Therefore, the treasure chest wouldn’t be awarded just yet.

With that in mind, Seraphina Sinclair decided to explore the special area first.

This special area would only remain for an hour. Once it was gone, it was gone for good.

’I need to make the most of my time.’

With that thought, Seraphina Sinclair immediately stepped over the threshold. Damp mist instantly swirled around her ankles.

She reached back, pulling the moving cabin’s door until it was nearly shut. Her fingertips paused on the handle for half a second, memorizing the door’s position.

It was a habit from her past life: whenever she left a room, she would check to make sure the door hadn’t automatically locked.

’And this godforsaken place... it doesn’t even have a lock.’

’Anyone can just open this door.’

Seraphina Sinclair felt a pang of frustration but could only accept the reality.

The moment she stepped onto the island, the dense fog in her vision thinned into a translucent veil, and the scene before her became instantly clear.

But Seraphina Sinclair quietly stopped in her tracks.

The entire island was a flat plain, roamed by more than a dozen skeletal monsters with rotting flesh hanging from their bones.

The closest one was about thirty paces away from her.

’Logically, I should use Insight to get a clear look at this monster’s information before doing anything.’

’But...’

Seraphina Sinclair lowered her gaze. The "Mental Pressure" hadn’t had much of an effect on her yet; it was entirely manageable.

’But I can feel it very clearly. If I use Insight again...’

’...this "Mental Pressure" will no longer be something as simple as a "negligible discomfort." It will very likely affect my ability to act.’

Seraphina Sinclair frowned slightly, feeling conflicted.

’Without using Insight, I’ll have no advantage against these monsters.’

’But using Insight would be like giving myself a day-long debuff before I even engage a monster.’

’A truly difficult choice.’

’In that case, I won’t choose either.’

Seraphina Sinclair looked up, staring as the monster thirty paces away approached her, step by step.

She made no sound. The other monsters were moving too, but they wandered aimlessly. Only this one, as if it had detected her presence, was heading straight for her.

Seraphina Sinclair held her breath. When the monster was just six or seven paces away, she suddenly took a step forward, removed her monocle, and fixed her gaze on the creature’s outline to use Insight.

[Corrupted Sentinel (C-level)]

’C-level!’

’That’s all I needed to see!’

Seraphina Sinclair’s pupils constricted. She immediately put her monocle back on and retreated directly to the edge of the island.

She was just one step away from being back in the cabin.

But as soon as she stepped off the island, Seraphina Sinclair knew she would lose sight of everything on it.

’So many C-level monsters... Doesn’t that mean there must be something good here?’

’Taking this risk could get me killed, but if I don’t, I’ll get nothing at all.’

’In this place, having nothing is worse than just dying!’

Seraphina Sinclair didn’t want to give up, nor could she bear to. So, she simply stood where she was to get a better look at the situation.

She stared intently at the monster’s every move, trying to increase her chances of anticipating its actions.

With every move, the rotting flesh on its body swayed, and some of it even dripped with a foul liquid.

Seraphina Sinclair’s expression grew increasingly grim, not because of the nauseating sight, but because the monster was getting closer and closer.

She grew tense, ready to retreat into the moving cabin at any moment.

But the monster wasn’t coming for her.

Just as it was about to reach the island’s edge, the monster turned around with a natural motion and started walking back.

Seraphina Sinclair frowned, watching it for a moment before looking back at the still-open Insight panel.

[Corrupted Sentinel (C-level)]

[Description: Guardians born from the skeletons of fallen soldiers, mutated by the black fog. They retain their combat instincts from life. Their movements are Slow, but their attacks are swift and fierce. They are considered among the most elite of C-level monsters! Most importantly, they never appear alone. When you spot one, there are surely a dozen more lurking in the shadows! Once one discovers an enemy, it immediately alerts all its companions! For this reason, even though precious treasure is always hidden where Corrupted Sentinels appear, famous Treasure Hunters would rather not encounter them. Friendly reminder: no matter how strong you are, it is best not to provoke these creatures.]

[Weakness: ???]

This...

Seraphina Sinclair’s brow furrowed even tighter. The system itself was now confirming that there was something good here, but that meant the monsters’ Danger Level had also been raised a notch.

Seraphina Sinclair’s brow was still furrowed, but then her lips suddenly curved into a smile.

’What’s there to be conflicted about?’

’Even if this monster were the weakest of all C-level beings, I still couldn’t beat it.’

’And as long as I don’t intend to fight it in the first place, I don’t need to care about its strength.’

’What difference would it make if it were SSS-level? It would still kill me with a single slap, right?’

Seraphina Sinclair felt much calmer. She simply squatted down, propped her chin in her hand, and began to search for the treasure’s location while observing the monsters, looking for any opening she could exploit.

The monsters maintained a steady pattern of movement. It looked like they had a purpose, but also like they didn’t.

Step by step, like a patrol. They would walk a couple of steps, then stop to observe.

Seraphina Sinclair froze, as if she had caught onto something. She repeated that single word in her mind.

’Patrol.’

’What was this monster called again?’

’Sentinel!’

Seraphina Sinclair’s eyes suddenly lit up.

Anyone who’s ever had to play the part of a henchman knows that patrols always follow specific, repeating routes.

And this island was a wide-open plain with just over a dozen monsters scattered about—monsters whose own vision was obscured by the mist.

’In other words, if I can figure out the monsters’ patrol routes, I can explore the entire island without alerting a single one!’

Before, Seraphina Sinclair had thought an hour was a reasonable amount of time for exploration. Now, she wished it were longer.

The idea was perfectly feasible in theory, but to actually implement it...

...it almost made Seraphina Sinclair not want the treasure anymore.

’This isn’t a game where I can infinitely respawn.’

’And these aren’t monsters that have wandered into my moving cabin, which I can observe little by little and slowly wear down over time.’

’I only have one hour.’

Within that one hour, Seraphina Sinclair needed to figure out the patrol routes of more than a dozen monsters and find a treasure that was currently invisible.