NOVEL NEXT Chapter 100: Athena’s Unease
Familiar with the system's trading interface, though it felt like ages since she last saw it.
【 Arrows 】
Price: 5 silver coins
Description: Comes with arrows of excellent quality. You can inspect them yourself to avoid getting ripped off.
After putting items up for sale, all that was left was to wait.
Athena's trading stall continued to attract attention, especially since she was the top player in their region. Plus, everything she had sold before was highly practical.
People came intermittently to inspect her offerings.
She still had three blueprints for basic defense turrets in her hands. Thinking about the numerous packages in the system backpack made her hands itch again.
She took out another flashing green package, and this time, the flash was finally normal!
【 Ice Defense Tower - Basic! 】
This relieved her greatly, feeling more stimulating than going into battle when opening packages.
Should she strike while the iron was hot?
Suddenly, thinking of something she possessed, she took out a delicate mirror.
Maybe it had never imagined that such a mysterious and eerie item would one day be used to test luck.
Silently asking within her mind.
Soon, mysterious words appeared on the mirror's surface. Because the question was so simple, they almost instantly appeared.
Bad luck!
After confirming several times, Athena put it back into her system backpack along with the five silver packages she had eagerly taken out.
Leaving the house, she took out her three basic defense turret blueprints, still lined up row by row. Then, she combined these three into one intermediate defense turret.
Placing the Ice Defense Tower beside it, its appearance resembled the Fire Defense Tower, only with frost patterns instead of flames.
Despite the walls around the yard being higher, Athena still hadn't solved her need for aerial defense.
But there was nothing she could do about it; after all, aerial defense was something you stumbled upon rather than sought out.
The weather outside remained calm and pleasant, but Athena couldn't shake her unease.
'It feels like a storm is coming. That... I don't know.'
After the several attacks following the Snowstorm Beast, things had returned to normal. However, the system had initiated a regional war and even allowed other players to rest for three days.
The next attack wouldn't be easy for them.
The previous warnings Athena had received:
【 Merfolk 】
Level 8
Strength 13
Defense 11
Skills: Waves, Singing, Bite, Tail Strike
【 Note: Merfolk are intelligent beings! 】
Dealing with these monsters, which were completely different from the normal units they had faced before, was challenging. These creatures possessed considerable intelligence and formidable individual combat abilities.
Maybe even more powerful than the queen bees!
As sharks naturally inhabited the sea, all their skills were closely tied to the ocean. If these skills were somehow restricted by leaving the sea, the purple font wouldn't fail to warn.
Thinking of this, Athena finally understood where her unease stemmed from.
Who could have imagined that such serene weather would reveal an inexplicable vast ocean deep within these woods?
Even Athena felt uncertain. If it was just her imagination, that would be fine. But what if it was real?
Based on the last incident, the system provided a three-day advance warning. Although this time there was no warning, most players were granted three days of rest.
But when had the system ever been so benevolent?
Back in her room, this thought plunged her deeper into contemplation, prompting her to open the system panel.
【 System Store 】
Ship Seal
No need for more words. The first search term displayed it.
Athena dared not imagine the scene if her home were flooded. In an icy wasteland, she could rely on heating supplies to cope.
But how would she manage against an inundation, possibly submerging her shelter, the very place she relied on for survival? Though the system might not truly allow shelters to flood.
However, this time it truly felt like being cornered, and they, the players including Athena, were the trapped animals waiting to be culled.
Further contemplation before everything started was now futile. It was better to act decisively.
【 System Store 】
Peach Tree Mutation
Price: 30 silver coins
Description: Plant it. If you live long enough, you might enjoy sweet and delicious peaches. Long-term consumption of mutated fruits will bring unexpected changes to the body.
Cabbage Seeds
Price: 2 copper coins
Description: Delicious large cabbage. Who wouldn't want to eat them?
Carrot Seeds
Price: 5 copper coins
Description: Rich in beta-carotene. Come and replenish your nutrients.
She bought some new seeds and arrived at her small vegetable garden.
Though the garden had expanded, the number of plant spirits had not increased, so Athena didn't buy many seeds.
The plant spirits were still wary of Athena, but they were starting to get used to her. Without Paopao's company, they wouldn't have stuck around.
Scattering these seeds, they quickly sank into the ground and, under the spirits' influence, sprouted forth.
Seeing this scene, so full of life and magic once again, Athena couldn't help but feel moved.
As for Grey, who knows where she ran off to? According to Paopao, she would return by dinnertime.
It had been a long time since she had gone chopping wood. Originally, she intended to take all three with her, but unfortunately, Mikmik was particularly resistant, having just cleaned its fur not long ago.
In the end, Athena only took Paopao and Witty with her.
Paopao, after growing larger, had put away the fierceness in its eyes, as well as its sharp claws and teeth.
Athena lay comfortably on its grassy back; its fur was not prickly but soft and comforting.
Holding onto it was like hugging a giant stuffed toy. Paopao walked steadily, and Athena lay on its back, gazing at the sky.
Encountering any small animals, Witty chased them away. Its rabbit legs kicked the animals' faces, sending them flying several meters away.
Athena wasn't just admiring the scenery; she kept an eye on the surrounding vegetation, looking for herbs to make fireburst balls and potions.
With her current resources, she no longer needed to chop wood herself, but one should never forget one's roots, right?
If she spotted a tree she particularly liked or if any tree obstructed her view, she would personally chop it down.
After all, it wouldn't take long for them to grow back.
Thus, after circling outside for a while, she did gain some harvest, although it certainly couldn't compare to the materials the giant bees inside the Black Forest had brought her.
But even one or two of these materials were already quite rare here.
Hugging the lazy Paopao in her arms, only Witty, this guy, was playing too much and didn't want to go back. After being taught a lesson by Athena, it obediently hopped and jumped back home.
