Chapter 252 | Chapter 253 | Chapter 254
Chapter 252: Rending Claw Wolf, Ironclad Pearl Mussel
Everyone rushed towards the fifth floor. On the fifth floor, Su Ning and the others spent an entire day to complete the elimination mission there.
The monsters on the fifth floor were a pleasant surprise.
Compared to the forced battles on the previous floors, on this floor, everyone completed the elimination mission with the fervor of hungry tigers pouncing on prey.
The reason was that the monsters on this floor were massive yak-like creatures, each as large as a small hill.
These yaks were practically heaven-sent delicacies. Eliminating each one felt like acquiring a mountain of gold.
“This instance is turning out perfectly. We’ve actually obtained so much beef,” Jiang Nana said, her face beaming with joy.
At that moment, she was heartily enjoying fire-roasted beef, paired with the spicy spirit fire chili sauce. It was simply a divine delicacy.
While wolfing down their food, everyone looked forward to the remaining two floors.
“As long as we complete the elimination missions on the next two floors, we can clear this instance smoothly,” Zhang Li couldn’t help but sigh. This was the easiest time she had experienced since entering the Survival Instance.
She simply couldn’t imagine surviving so effortlessly within an instance.
“This is the power of a team. Without everyone, I don’t think we could have completed the elimination missions on each floor so easily.” Everyone deeply agreed, nodding their heads vigorously like pounding garlic.
Ye Yunshuang and her sister each held a piece of roasted beef, eating earnestly.
She felt fortunate to have joined this time, but she was also wondering what to do after this Survival Instance ended?
Ye Yunshuang thought, “Since following Sister Su leads to such rapid growth, of course I’ll stay by her side in the future.”
She and her sister had no other family. Within this team, Ye Yunshuang had found her place, where she could not only realize her own value but also strengthen her abilities.
Just as everyone was resting.
A faint cracking sound caught everyone’s attention.
Jiang Nana: “Listen, is something cracking?”
As soon as she said this, everyone immediately thought of the monster eggs they held.
Zhao Fuqing treasured his monster egg dearly, always cradling it in his arms. Now, with the sound, it was promptly noticed.
Zhao Fuqing shouted excitedly, “Could it be hatching?”
Of course, it wasn’t just Zhao Fuqing’s monster egg about to hatch; the others’ were too.
Everyone took out their monster eggs.
One by one, the monster eggs began to crack, and the creatures inside appeared before everyone’s eyes.
Several dusty gray wolf pups appeared before the group.
Su Ning scanned the information on these wolf pups.
[Monster: Rending Claw Wolf (Juvenile Stage)]
Talent: Rend: Possesses extremely sharp claws that can effectively breach an opponent’s defense.
Skills: Sharp Claw, Bite
Five wolf pups hatched together, quite a spectacular sight.
“Wow, they’re such adorable little wolf pups!”
Several of the girls were captivated by the appearance of the wolf pups, Su Ning being no exception.
It’s often said that little puppies are very endearing, and little wolf dogs are the same, especially when they’re in their pup stage—utterly adorable.
Zhang Li held her pet. The juvenile Rending Claw Wolf didn’t resist, merely letting Zhang Li pet it.
Jiang Nana also wanted to hold Kou Dingshan’s Rending Claw Wolf, but Little Fire Meow stopped her.
Little Fire Meow: Master, don’t you love me anymore?
Seeing Little Fire Meow’s jealous look, Jiang Nana burst into laughter.
On the other side, Youyou glanced at Little Fire Meow with a speechless expression: Hmph, that’s not right of you. How can you be jealous? My master has many pets, and I’m not jealous. See, you’re a bit inferior to me again.
Little Fire Meow’s fur bristled all over under Youyou’s gaze!
It practically had an aura of “say one more word and I’ll fight you to the death.”
In such an atmosphere, the group spent the fifth day within the instance.
The next day, in front of the stone stele preparing to enter the sixth floor.
Jiang Weikun, however, spoke up, “Wait a moment!”
Everyone looked at him.
Jiang Nana looked curiously at her father.
“What’s wrong, Dad? Is something the matter?”
At that moment, Jiang Weikun’s eyelids were twitching incessantly. The sense of danger from the sixth floor was extremely intense for him.
“It seems we need to be careful on the sixth floor. This floor appears to be very dangerous.”
Su Ning knew Jiang Weikun’s talent: “You had a premonition?”
Jiang Weikun nodded.
“More intense than the dangers of the first five floors.”
Everyone immediately became alert, their casual demeanor vanishing. “We don’t even know what environment the sixth floor is, yet it brings such a sense of danger. It seems we need to be even more careful on this floor.”
Everyone was extra, extra cautious.
Su Ning was also pondering some matters at that moment.
Because the location of the treasure chest given by Boss Rabbit was precisely on the sixth floor.
However, when they were teleported to the sixth floor, they completely didn’t expect to be sent directly into the sea.
A wave immediately scattered everyone.
Su Ning hadn’t expected to be so unlucky. She was instantly sent flying by the water surge.
“Su Ning!”
The others also hadn’t anticipated that this floor would be in the sea.
They hadn’t even encountered monsters yet, and now they were facing the assault of nature itself.
Zhang Li instantly used her planting space to pull the few companions around her into the space.
However, she then realized Su Ning’s figure was already gone.
“Su Ning’s safety isn’t a problem. She has her own space too; she’ll definitely be fine.” Thinking this, Zhang Li also instantly entered her space.
Except for Su Ning disappearing, everyone else was pulled into Zhang Li’s planting space.
“Zhang Li, where’s Su Ning?” After entering her planting space, Zhang Li’s heart was still racing.
Seeing the anxious looks of the others.
She shook her head. “Su Ning was knocked away by the wave. I couldn’t see her. But Su Ning also possesses a space; her safety is absolutely guaranteed.”
Jiang Weikun: “I didn’t expect the danger of the sixth floor to be immediate upon entry.”
“What should we do next? Clearly, the monsters on this floor must be aquatic beings,” Ye Yunshuang voiced her concern.
On the other side, Su Ning did not immediately enter her space to hide.
Instead, she was directly swept into the sea by the wave.
She floated on the sea for a while. Not detecting any signs of monsters, she understood that the monsters on the sixth floor were definitely not the proactive-attacking type she had imagined.
So, she directly dove into the sea to investigate.
Of course, separating from Zhang Li and the others was deliberate. This floor, she actually wanted to act alone.
After diving into the sea, Su Ning discovered why they had been teleported directly onto the sea.
Because the stone pillar of the sixth floor was actually at the seabed.
Not only that, the more challenging part was that the monsters they needed to eliminate were also on the seabed, and they showed no intention of attacking proactively at all.
[Monster: Ironclad Pearl Mussel]
Talent: Ironclad: Possesses a terrifyingly hard shell, like iron armor.
Skill: Ironclad Defense.
One Ironclad Pearl Mussel after another lay quietly on the seabed, showing no intention of attacking proactively at all.
And Su Ning found it somewhat difficult to eliminate these Ironclad Pearl Mussels.
Oxygen!
Su Ning was clearly not a diving expert; moving on the seabed was very difficult.
The danger was the surrounding seawater. Wanting to eliminate the Ironclad Pearl Mussels on the seabed was a problem.
Chapter 253: Luxurious Treasure Chest, Instant Movement!
Undoubtedly, this was not just Su Ning’s problem, but a predicament faced by all players.
The most challenging aspect of killing the Ironclad Pearl Mussel was not its strength, but how to appear in front of the monster.
“Right, although I don’t have the ability for spatial movement, Kuroshite does!” Su Ning remembered the few individuals she controlled.
She immediately summoned Stiff. As soon as Kuroshite, controlled by Stiff, appeared, he also fell into the sea.
“Stiff, move that Ironclad Pearl Mussel from the seabed right in front of me.” Su Ning commanded, and Stiff put the order into action.
As expected, a colossal Ironclad Pearl Mussel suddenly appeared before Su Ning.
The mussel’s entire body was a deep blue, so dark it was almost black, as if its shell’s luster resembled metal due to the “Ironclad” Talent.
Su Ning lightly tapped its shell; it was crisp and hard.
However, even with the Ironclad Pearl Mussel appearing before her, a new problem immediately followed. Su Ning found it momentarily impossible to breach its defense.
“It’s actually this hard?”
Su Ning was indeed a little surprised.
Su Ning instantly brought the Ironclad Pearl Mussel into her space.
After entering an environment without a water source, the mussel’s Talent exerted its full power.
Even when Su Ning used the power of Petrification, she found it only petrified the outermost layer of the shell, failing to kill the creature at all.
“I still need to find a way to break this shell!”
Actually, Su Ning did have a way to eliminate this thing; Number One’s annihilation gun could completely destroy it.
But Su Ning noticed the monster’s name was Pearl Mussel, leading her to wonder if there were pearls inside the shell?
Su Ning was very curious about what kind of existence the pearl produced by such a monster would be.
“Right, I wonder if Number Two’s Digging Hole Talent can break this iron shell. This ‘Digging Hole’ is quite peculiar; it can break through any material of ground.”
Su Ning summoned Number Two as she thought this over.
“Number Two, use your Digging Hole Talent on the shell of this Ironclad Pearl Mussel.”
Number Two condensed a surge of power in both hands, and in the next second, a circular hole instantly appeared in the iron armor that Su Ning could not break through.
The Ironclad Pearl Mussel was directly opened by Number Two.
Su Ning said, “As expected, the Digging Hole Talent can indeed directly break this iron armor.”
The Ironclad Pearl Mussel being opened signified the death of this monster.
Of course, Su Ning also obtained what she wanted.
Looking at the pearl radiating a pink glow that appeared in her palm.
[Material: Water-Repelling Pearl]
Description: A pearl produced by the Ironclad Pearl Mussel, possessing a peculiar ability. Holding it in hand allows one to gain the ability to breathe underwater. Of course, grinding the pearl into powder can also be used for beauty and to eliminate scars.
Witnessing the magical effect displayed by the Water-Repelling Pearl, a bright glint instantly flashed in Su Ning’s eyes.
It was as if she had instantly grasped the method to complete the next killing mission on the sixth floor.
Actually, Su Ning wasn’t worried about whether she could complete the mission; she only needed to throw Number One, Number Two, and a few other zombies into the water to complete it for her.
Would zombies be afraid of drowning?
“With this Water-Repelling Pearl, I can move underwater to find the treasure chest.”
Subsequently, Su Ning directed Number One and Number Two to assist her in completing the mission underwater. Naturally, the Water-Repelling Pearls also needed to be collected.
Su Ning was even more concerned about the magical effect of grinding the Water-Repelling Pearl into powder for beauty.
Indeed, she was deeply attracted by this effect.
Thus, Su Ning held a Water-Repelling Pearl and began moving underwater, searching for the location of the treasure chest indicated by Boss Rabbit.
Fortunately, there was only one type of monster on each floor; otherwise, Su Ning would truly worry about an unknown monster suddenly appearing in this vast ocean.
The deep sea resembled a silent abyss, terrifying and mysterious, instilling fear in people’s hearts.
Thankfully, the light shot out by Number One zombie’s annihilation gun illuminated the surroundings, offering Su Ning a small measure of comfort.
Not long after, Su Ning arrived at the location of the treasure chest.
She gazed excitedly at the treasure chest emitting a faint, dim glow before her; it appeared incomparably more magnificent than the one Ye Yunshuang had discovered.
In reality, treasure chests also had different grades.
Su Ning hesitated for not a moment and eagerly opened the treasure chest she hadn’t discovered alone for a long time.
[Ding! Congratulations to the player for obtaining – Skill Instant Movement!]
[Ding! Congratulations to the player for obtaining – Cloud Island!]
[Ding! Congratulations to the player for obtaining – Fluffy Flower Seed!]
[Ding! Congratulations to the player for obtaining – butterfly blade!]
After the system’s notification sounds ended, Su Ning had opened a total of four items from this treasure chest.
[Skill: Instant Movement!]
Description: After use, the player gains the Instant Movement skill. Skill consumption depends on the player’s stamina.
Seeing this skill, Su Ning was somewhat taken aback.
“I was just thinking about not having Instant Movement ability, and now I’ve opened it. This is truly fate playing tricks.”
Su Ning was naturally happy to have this skill.
Su Ning then looked at the remaining items.
The first thing that caught her eye was a small white cloud about the size of a palm.
[Special Item: Cloud Island]
Description: As the name suggests, a piece of Cloud Island. It is a growth-type landmass. As long as the Cloud Island is fed special mineral resources, it can completely grow into a Sky Island!
Su Ning couldn’t quite believe it. She lightly tapped the small white cloud that appeared in her palm. The little thing seemed to have consciousness and began to writhe. She never imagined this thing could grow into a Sky Island.
“What is the use of this thing? Do I have to use this to establish a shelter exclusively for myself in the future?”
Su Ning had considered creating a home for herself.
Well, she had already taken action.
The Corpse Hell Instance was the foundation she built herself.
She didn’t fear zombies, and Virus Aliens still needed zombies to be obtained.
It was just that she hadn’t expected this Cloud Island thing to appear now.
Su Ning thought, “In reality, I can’t be without a place either. Moreover, humans are social animals; I can’t be too isolated. More people mean greater strength; one person’s strength is limited.”
Su Ning recalled that these days, she wasn’t alone, sometimes with Lin Lele and others, and now cooperating with Jiang Nana in the Survival Instance.
It was indeed much easier than when she was alone; she didn’t have to bear everything by herself.
Su Ning liked it very much.
Looking at the Cloud Island.
“Perhaps this thing can really be used to build my own shelter.”
However, this thing was too small right now, so Su Ning didn’t need to think too far into the future.
“It needs to devour energy ore to grow. I wonder how many ores you need to devour before you can become a Sky Island.”
Su Ning stopped dwelling on these thoughts, stored the Cloud Island in her space, and looked at the remaining two items.
[Item: Fluffy Flower Seed]
Description: A special type of flower. After it blooms, one flower can allow a person to float for a short period.
[Item: butterfly blade]
Ability: A special blade. The slender blade can inject synthesized toxins into the target during an attack.
The remaining two items.
The Fluffy Flower is a type of special plant, while the butterfly blade is a special weapon, and it is very suitable for Su Ning’s Scavengers Deadly Poison weapon.
Chapter 254: The Butterfly Blade, Conversation
When Su Ning grasped the exquisite butterfly blade in her hand, she was immediately captivated by its unique design.
The slender blade glinted with a cold light, like a nimble silver snake. Su Ning gently stroked the blade, feeling its sharpness and smoothness, and a surge of fondness welled up in her heart.
“With this butterfly blade, not only can I unleash greater power when attacking opponents, but I can also more easily use Scavengers Deadly Poison to inject toxins into enemies through the blade!” Su Ning thought.
At this thought, an image flashed in her mind: herself wielding the butterfly blade, combined with the [Instant Movement] skill, flitting through enemies like a phantom, delivering fatal blows.
Without a doubt, this butterfly blade would become an excellent weapon for her ambushes and assassinations.
Meanwhile, not far away, Number One’s killing spree with a few zombies was about to come to an end.
During this time, quite a few Water-Avoidance Pearls had gradually accumulated in Su Ning’s scavenger backpack.
These smooth, round pearls emitted a faint glow, a pleasing sight to behold.
“Hmm, now that the treasure chest is secured, I wonder how the other companions are doing? Did they also discover the wonderful use of the Water-Avoidance Pearls inside the Ironclad Pearl Mussels, just like I did?”
Su Ning muttered to herself as she began carefully searching the surroundings for Zhang Li and the others.
On the other side, Zhang Li and the others were racking their brains, trying to figure out a way to successfully dive underwater and collect Ironclad Pearl Mussels.
Since they didn’t possess the miraculous ability to Transfer space like Kuroshite, they could only resort to the most primitive method—diving straight down.
Despite the inherent risks, everyone decided to give it a try.
When oxygen ran low, Zhang Li would instantly enter the space, breathe, and then reappear at the original spot, repeating the process until she reached the Ironclad Pearl Mussel, finally storing the monster in the space.
The group watched the Ironclad Pearl Mussel from within Zhang Li’s space.
Jiang Nana knocked on the Ironclad Pearl Mussel. “This thing isn’t easy to kill either. Who can break through this defense?”
As she spoke, Jiang Nana had Little Fire Meow spew flames to scorch it.
This was also a method.
The raging flames, like an indestructible sword, forced the Ironclad Pearl Mussel to open a small gap.
The [Rending Claw Wolves] recently hatched by Zhang Li and the others also sprang into action. Their incredibly sharp claws, swift as lightning, effortlessly pried open the Ironclad Pearl Mussel through the burned fissure.
“Excellent!” Zhao Fuqing exclaimed excitedly, tightly hugging his pet.
Once the Ironclad Pearl Mussel was fully pried open, the Rending Claw Wolves swarmed over it like hungry tigers, frantically tearing at the flesh tightly protected within.
Ye Yunshuang, sharp-eyed, spotted a pearl falling out like a shooting star.
“Look, what’s this?” Ye Yunshuang said, holding the pearl up for everyone to see.
“A pearl?” everyone exclaimed in unison. A flash of inspiration struck Kou Dingshan’s mind, reminding him of materials like the Swamp Toad’s Eye.
Zhang Li couldn’t help but frown. “Su Ning isn’t here right now, so we don’t know what this pearl is for.”
Jiang Nana, however, said nonchalantly, “Let’s try wearing it. It’s definitely not meant for eating, anyway.”
Zhang Li thought the same. She then took the pearl, left the space, and continued to collect Ironclad Pearl Mussels outside, allowing the others inside the space to complete the killing tasks.
However, upon exiting the space this time, Zhang Li was completely unprepared for the previous feeling of suffocation to vanish instantly, as if she were an aquatic creature herself.
“What’s this?”
Zhang Li immediately sensed the difference: the pearl in her hand. The reason she could breathe underwater was likely because of this pearl.
Zhang Li didn’t immediately re-enter the space to share the good news. Instead, she placed another dozen or so Ironclad Pearl Mussels into the space before flashing back in herself.
She then told everyone about the pearl’s function. Upon learning of the ability granted by the pearls, everyone realized they could now go out and complete tasks themselves.
Su Ning searched for Zhang Li and the group.
She didn’t find Zhang Li and the others, but she did spot Gu Chengan and Ma Feng.
These two had clearly already discovered the pearl’s function and could now move freely underwater.
Ma Feng relied entirely on brute force to break through the Ironclad Pearl Mussel’s defense. His body shimmered with a metallic glow, his fists leaving afterimages. The pearl mussel, despite its own ironclad defense, was no match for him.
To become the second-in-command under Gu Chengan, the person in charge of this Shelter, this man was certainly no ordinary character.
Gu Chengan also noticed Su Ning’s gaze, though Su Ning had no intention of approaching to converse.
On Ma Feng’s side: “Here, got another pearl. With these pearls, even if floods overwhelm the Shelter in reality, we won’t have to worry about the residents’ safety. We can also obtain more pearls to trade for supplies with the First and Third Shelters.”
Ma Feng saw that no one took the pearl he offered. He looked at Gu Chengan and found the guy staring elsewhere.
Ma Feng then also spotted the distant Su Ning.
He curled his lip. “Her again. I remember she was a resident of the Sixth Shelter before. The Sixth Shelter could grow crops back then because of something she provided. Wonder if she still has items like that. One shouldn’t be too selfish.”
Gu Chengan frowned slightly. “Selfish? What’s wrong with being a little selfish? If she weren’t selfish, how could she protect herself in this world? Most high-ups in the Shelters know about Su Ning’s case. The Sixth Shelter obtained many things from her but abandoned her outright for better benefits. If not for being selfish, she probably wouldn’t have survived.”
“In this world, selfishness is what allows one to survive better. I’d like to be selfish too, but duty doesn’t permit it.”
Ma Feng listened silently to Gu Chengan’s rambling.
After his lament, Gu Chengan perked up again and looked at the pearl Ma Feng offered.
“You’re right too. We must collect more of these pearls so we won’t have to worry about the floods outside the Shelter.”
Su Ning paid no heed to the thoughts of these two.
Soon, she noticed that as the pearl’s function became known, many players’ figures appeared on the seabed.
Su Ning continued searching for Zhang Li and the others.
She quickly found their location, though Su Ning found the group’s style somewhat peculiar.
Not only were Zhang Li and the others devising ways to kill the pearl mussels, but even the newly hatched Rending Claw Wolves were strenuously prying them open.
These Rending Claw Wolves wore strings of pearls around their necks like necklaces, enabling them to move in the sea as well.
“It’s Su Ning!”
Zhao Fuqing was the first to spot Su Ning’s figure.
Su Ning said, “It seems everyone knows about the pearl’s function now.”
“It took us some effort to figure it out too.”
Without further lengthy conversation, they spent two days like this on the seabed. The task of surviving for seven days had been completed by all players.
However, since the other tasks remained unfinished, returning to reality was, of course, impossible.
