NOVEL NEXT Chapter 111: Reality
The room was filled with a cozy atmosphere, untouched by the disturbances from the outside world.
After Ilinaya left, the sea returned to its initial calm state. The surface was serene, with a gentle breeze whispering across it, leaving everything unusually quiet.
Holding the seashell and examining it closely, Athena noticed a circular indentation inside, perfectly shaped to fit a sphere.
Please insert the mermaid’s tear here.
Athena gently traced the indentation with her fingers. The size and shape indeed seemed tailor-made for the mermaid’s tear.
As she placed the beautiful pearl into the indentation, the seashell began to transform. Its mottled colors turned into a brilliant blue, and the shell’s surface gleamed with a lustrous, glass-like shine.
【 Mermaid Shell 】
Category: Musical Instrument
Rarity: Rare
Description: No matter your musical talent, simply place it to your lips and blow, and it will produce the soothing sounds of the sea.
Has a small chance to grant the blessing of the ocean and a high chance to trigger the Mermaid Song skill, which can confuse the target.
Seeing the two items merged into one, Athena tried once more to pry the mermaid’s tear out, discovering that it was indeed removable.
The mermaid’s tear could be used alone or combined with the seashell, but the seashell could only be used in combination. This was convenient since the mermaid’s tear could be retrieved after being placed.
Paopao placed a delicate porcelain bowl in front of her, urging her to eat quickly before the food grew cold.
Athena put away the items into her system backpack and picked up the bowl from the ground.
Even though the room had been completely transformed, now featuring a soft and luxurious sofa, they still had to sit on the floor for meals, as there was no table.
She needed to find time to craft a table from wood or perhaps stack a few wooden blocks to use as one.
Today’s draw was "clean-up duty," assigned to Grey, who had no complaints and willingly took the bowl outside.
After a satisfying meal, Athena leaned back on the sofa, while the three small ones cozied up beside her.
As Athena pondered, having already taught Paopao how to cook, it seemed necessary to introduce cultural lessons for the three small ones.
The three small ones, enjoying their post-meal time, would have no idea of the harsh cultural lessons awaiting them in the future.
Before that, during a thorough room cleaning, Athena stumbled upon a deck of cards she had long forgotten.
Opening the new deck of cards and discarding the instructions, she noticed the three small ones curiously gathered around her.
“I’ll teach you,” she said. Playing cards was a great form of entertainment, and was an easy game to pick up without too much complexity.
She laid out all the cards and began teaching them how to recognize each one. After two rounds of instruction, Mikmik had almost learned all the cards, Witty understood part of it, and Paopao looked somewhat confused, scratching its head.
Athena felt helpless and realized that this challenging task needed a professional’s help.
“Mikmik, teach Paopao to recognize the cards. I’ll teach you all how to play another day.”
Mikmik showed great interest in the cards and became enthusiastic about teaching Paopao, diligently guiding it through the process.
It was no surprise to Athena that a cat and a bear could understand each other’s language. Watching their exchange was becoming quite routine.
Tomorrow, they would head to Light Lands. There was no need to worry about Ilinaya; as long as she provided directions, the system would create a portal. Athena had plenty of World Stones.
One for teleportation and one for disguise.
The Snow Barrier, Snow Guardian, Redemption, and Mermaid Shell were her current equipment, all of which she would bring along.
Redemption, an accessory obtained from the regional battle rankings, was an elaborate red wing-shaped earring worn behind the ear.
【 Redemption 】
Category: Earring
Rarity: Extremely Rare
Description: A beautifully crafted ear accessory, exquisite in its design, with powerful functionality. Never be deceived by its beauty.
When on the brink of death, it temporarily protects against fatal damage and continues to restore health. However, you must defeat the enemy within one minute, or you will suffer severe backlash, leading directly to death!
A formidable piece of equipment, it could protect and gradually restore your health when near death, making it nearly invincible.
However, it had a nearly impossible condition: you had to defeat the enemy within a minute, or you would face a high probability of death.
【 Regional Chat Channel 】
“What’s happening today? Oh my god, was yesterday’s guy actually a prophet? There really was a mermaid!”
“Holy crap, I’m still alive! That’s it, I’m quitting this game for good. It’s way too dangerous…”
“Seriously, people keep dying over and over. I’m so fed up with the constant death count. Are they trying to wipe us out?”
“That mermaid was so gorgeous, like my dream lover. Its song was like heavenly music, but I scared it away.”
“What a disaster. After finally scaring it off, my shelter still has a huge hole. How the heck do you even fix this?”
“I’m telling you, when I heard that singing, I jumped right into the sea. If I wasn’t a ten-year swimming veteran, I might not have made it back.”
“You’re all just showing off. My shelter’s barrier broke and got flooded. It’s still taking in water, and I don’t know if I’ll make it till tomorrow.”
After scrolling through the regional chat channel for a while, Athena closed the system panel. She decided not to open all her packages at once in the future.
Instead, she would open one today. The familiar silver package lay in front of her, and Athena felt visibly tense. Yesterday was yesterday, and today was a new day—there was still a chance for a turnaround.
Her hand hovered over the silver package for a long time before she finally pulled it open, and the silver light scattered, revealing its contents.
【 Congratulations, you have received World Stone x1. 】
Athena picked up the World Stone, feeling indifferent. While World Stones were valuable, she wasn’t in immediate need of them.
Faced with this result, she was unsure whether it was good or bad, though it was likely a positive outcome. It led her to another thought: perhaps she should open another silver package.
Soon, another silver package appeared in front of her. This time, she felt more confident. The World Stone probably wouldn’t appear again. If only something like the smartphone, solar panels or maybe generator would come.
But reality, as always, proved to be far from dreams.