NOVEL NEXT Chapter 102: Big Bear’s Request And Question
The characters on the parchment had scattered with the wind. She carefully wrapped it up again and placed it into her system backpack.
After all, this thing itself was something rare and precious. Her only stable way of obtaining it so far was through the lost soul.
The Royal Family? This hint was too obvious; tomorrow, Athena would likely encounter nothing but Merfolk.
But the hints she had received previously clearly pointed to the Merfolk.
【 Tomorrow, the monsters will be reorganized (Merfolk Royal Family)! 】
【 Please try to avoid direct conflicts, please avoid direct conflicts! 】
As the saying goes, it's easier to change one's face than to turn a page.
The prompts in purple font have never been wrong, albeit delayed.
As an intelligent creature, the Merfolk might be as communicative as giant bees, able to achieve cooperation.
Unfortunately, Athena also wanted to avoid direct confrontation. However, the other party came specifically to destroy her base. Although she didn't know what benefit these monsters would gain from doing so.
But what benefit could Athena offer them?
Her previous dealings with the Hive Queen were based on equal terms, demonstrating her strength to qualify for any transaction.
Battle is inevitable, even the most cautious cannot foresee everything; there are always unexpected changes.
Perhaps tomorrow, she could really try to talk her way out of it.
If they were ordinary Merfolk, Athena would be willing to engage in a hearty battle. But these were the Royals.
After all, this wasn't a simulated scenario. If she really lost her limbs, she wouldn't survive in the days to come.
The only downside to floating on the sea is never knowing where you might drift. Moreover, the ocean itself is fraught with dangers beyond just underwater monsters; many dangers stem from the sea itself.
Just like now, the entire base is floating above the sea. Athena could feel that both she and the base were drifting around.
The base now feels incredibly light; when the sea truly rises tomorrow and this place becomes a vast ocean.
Any wave can be stirred up, any wind can become a disaster. Like lost soul's boat, the base will become that small paper boat.
【 Regional Chat Channel 】
"It's only been a few days of rest, and the system is causing trouble again!"
"I feel like we've seen this so often now. These sudden incidents aren't even sudden anymore; whose problem is it that always turns into a problem!"
"Shouldn't your concern be about us turning into an ocean? I just went out to look, and our base really has floated up. Where did all this seawater come from?"
"A sudden snowstorm overnight was already crazy enough; now, we can even have seas in the forest. My goodness, this world has truly gone mad!"
"This world was already mad to begin with. Any creature hidden away here shouldn't be too weak. Besides, we've just undergone a reinforcement; the system won't be lenient on us."
"Do you think it's mermaids or deep-sea monsters?"
"Haha, you're so innocent. Mermaids? I think Shark people are more likely!"
Everyone remained unruly as usual, but even amidst their joking, there was a hint of seriousness as they considered the challenges of tomorrow.
In this unpredictable world, if they lived each day so seriously, they might not eventually be killed by monsters, but rather by their own hands.
For instance, Athena's own mindset had undergone many changes. Previously, she would worry about various issues, but now she was more inclined to take things as they came, calm and unruffled.
【 [ Big Bear ] has sent you a message! 】
Athena was puzzled. Why would [ Big Bear ] come to her at this moment? Was it because of the upcoming monsters, or something related to the silver coins from before?
She remembered clearly that before entering the regional battlefield, she had received a payment from her. During the battle, she had guided her once and received another payment.
Thinking back, she almost felt like a shady merchant. Was she here to demand a refund?
With these thoughts swirling, she reluctantly opened the chat interface.
"Uhm, after much thought, I feel I need to talk to you."
"How old are you?"
"?"
Just like Athena's state of mind, she slowly typed a question mark. Was [ Big Bear ] going crazy inside the regional battlefield?
Without responding, she raised her hand to close the interface, unwilling to join her in madness.
"Well, actually, what I really wanted to ask is, have you encountered any other goblins?"
The earlier part might have been her madness, but this line was definitely prompted by the old goblin next to [ Big Bear ].
And indeed, as she suspected, [ Big Bear ] had been comfortably nestled in her bed until this regional battle. Instead of killing a few monsters, she had spent the entire time finding routes, resulting in minimal gains.
Fortunately, she unexpectedly found a massive cave and discovered many treasures inside, although most were unusable and she could only bring out a portion.
Such a girl bearing outrageous luck.
According to the old goblin, it was a cave of snake creatures.
Upon returning, the old goblin instructed her to contact Athena. If not for the old goblin's presence now, she might have forgotten entirely.
"I have. Do you have something you want to ask?"
In truth, this was directed at the old goblin. The old goblin next to [ Big Bear ] was definitely out of the ordinary.
As a renegade goblin clan, their ability to keep so many goblins willingly confined to Goblin City, afraid to step out, stemmed from their being shunned by the darkness.
Once they left this protective haven, their fate was almost predetermined. Even during daylight forays, they often returned heavily wounded.
But oddly enough, the old goblin next to [ Big Bear ] never provoked any monsters.
Moreover, Athena had specifically asked Uncle Gowther before whether goblins could leave through other means, and her answer had been affirmative.
No, she had harbored doubts but had never actively sought out [ Big Bear ] . Everyone had their own secrets, and unless it involved mutual interests, there was no need to delve deeper.
She hadn't expected the old goblin to approach her first.
"He says he wants to buy three goblin hairs from you."
Athena's hand paused momentarily. How did she know there was a goblin beside her? Was she bluffing or telling the truth?
Time to find out. Tomorrow she could use her powers again.
"I can't decide on that. Perhaps tomorrow I can give you an answer."
