Chapter 46 The Glowing Mushroom Split into a Water Curtain Cave

The level-five barrier stood firm, the thorns reflected their damage, causing the monsters to suffer the consequences of their own actions, the residents united in their hatred of the enemy, and the experts displayed their unique skills.

Although Lin Nanxing's upgrade plan was disrupted by the game, the entire beast tide passed without incident, and the battle ended in less than two hours.

As the sandstorm subsided, the battlefield, once teeming with monsters, was now covered with a dazzling array of spoils.

Unlike before, this time the drops included not only high-level weapons and rare materials, but also a variety of surprising foods.

The players, who had just gone through a fierce battle, looked at their loot without showing any signs of fatigue. Instead, they were filled with the joy of a bountiful harvest, as if they were attending a grand scavenging celebration, excitedly searching for their own food on the battlefield.

This is one of the perks of being a formal resident of the Star Territory: killing monsters will randomly drop food.

"Wow, look what I found!"

A tank player held up a familiar white glass bottle with a red label on it that made people's eyes water.

"I actually got a bottle of Moutai from killing a monster! I wonder which particular monster dropped it. I'll have to have a good drink tonight!"

Hearing this, the young girl who was rummaging around next to her looked up. She was holding a large pile of all sorts of food in her arms, and her eyes narrowed into slits as she smiled: "I found a lot too, hehe, and they're all my favorite foods. There are also several large oden ingredient sets. The drop rate is so thoughtful."

The dropped items belong exclusively to the killer; no one else can pick them up without authorization.

The girl's hands were piled high with food, which was astonishing. This girl looked delicate, but her combat power was so amazing. How many monsters did she have to kill to get so many drops?

A joyful atmosphere spread across the battlefield as people showed off the food and wine they had obtained, comparing whose haul was more unique and abundant.

"I was worried about how I would survive when winter came early, but now I don't have to worry about what to eat for at least half a month."

If every beast tide were like this, they'd love for even more to come.

Just as everyone was having a heated discussion, a new message appeared on the public channel of the communication function unique to Star Territory.

[Star Territory System Announcement]

Dear residents:

Today, a beast tide struck, but all residents worked together to successfully protect their home.

Based on the battle achievements, the rewards will be sent to your accounts before 24:00 tonight. Please check your accounts.

To honor your bravery, the Forge will launch the "Eternal Night Guardian" special event from now until 24:00 on December 8th:

1. The forge will forge one weapon for each participating resident free of charge (materials must be provided by the resident).

2. Non-combatant residents enjoy processing fee reductions.

3. Prioritize processing the forging needs of those with outstanding combat achievements.

The stars will never fade, and our homeland will forever be secure.

Thank you to every warrior who fought for the Star Territory!

Hearing the cheers coming from outside the apartment building, Lin Nanxing's tense nerves finally relaxed a little.

“Boss, I’ll handle the follow-up cleanup and statistics. As for Da Tie, you’ll need to personally communicate with him.” Zhou Qisheng’s voice pulled her back from her turbulent emotions.

"Go ahead, go ahead, thank you for your hard work." Lin Nanxing waved his hand, his expression still a little guilty.

The announcement she just made, which promised "free forging," was the result of her acting on impulse. Zhou Qisheng, the executor, is probably going to be very busy right now.

As for the Great Iron, it couldn't be happier to keep forging weapons; for it, this thing was more of a reward.

As soon as Zhou Qisheng left, Lin Nanxing immediately lost her composure. She slid down the wall and sat on the floor, looking somewhat bewildered.

This beast tide was the largest she had ever experienced since she transmigrated. She saw many ugly monsters she had never seen before, but the system said that this was only a mid-level beast tide.

She had originally planned to fight alongside the people downstairs, but Zhou Qisheng stopped her. As the lord, she could not and should not put herself in danger, otherwise no one knew what changes might occur in the territory.

Lin Nanxing was persuaded, but even though she didn't face those monsters directly, just observing them from a distance was enough to bring a huge visual and psychological impact.

Only when she relaxed did she realize that her legs were going weak and she could barely stand.

Fortunately, the game still retains a last shred of humanity: monsters dissipate into data upon death, preventing the gruesome scene of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Otherwise, she probably would have vomited long ago.

But when she thought of the people on this land who had been facing such a horrifying monster day after day for the past ten years, struggling to survive, an indescribable sorrow and sympathy welled up in her heart.

As night fell, even though it was already nine in the morning, it was still pitch black outside. Lin Nanxing huddled alone in a corner. After an unknown amount of time, the door next door was opened, and the motion-sensor light in the corridor turned on automatically.

The glaring light made her instinctively raise her hand to shield her eyes.

"You cried?"

As the footsteps drew closer, a familiar voice came from above, carrying a hint of barely perceptible worry.

Lin Nanxing's vision had not yet adjusted to the change in light, but in her blurry field of vision, she could clearly see Shu Yi's figure, with slightly furrowed brows and head down, looking at her.

Shu Yi was originally going to take stock of his spoils, but he stopped in his tracks in front of the shadowy figure huddled in the corner.

In the dim light, the girl, who always had a smile on her face, sat on the cold ground with her knees drawn up to her chest, her head buried deep in her chest, like a homeless little animal that had been soaked to the bone by the rain.

This rare sight stirred something within him, causing a strange, gentle jolt in his heart.

Lin Nanxing didn't want anyone to see her vulnerability, so she quickly turned her head away from Shu Yi's gaze, lowered her eyes and shook her head. Then she realized that she was sitting in the aisle, so she braced herself against the cold wall and tried to stand up. "Sorry, am I blocking your way? I'll leave now."

A warm hand gently pressed down on her shoulder, its gentle yet firm touch pressing her back down into a seat.

The next moment, there was a rustling sound of fabric rubbing together. Shu Yi didn't care at all and bent his knees to sit down next to her on the cold ground.

No need to struggle to get up anymore, Lin Nanxing was happy to maintain the status quo.

The two of them stood shoulder to shoulder, silently huddled in the small corner. The motion-sensor lights in the corridor quietly went out, plunging the surroundings into darkness, leaving only the faint sound of their breathing mingling.

With someone silently by his side, Lin Nanxing's mood gradually calmed down, and his senses became more acute.

Perhaps because they were so close, she seemed to be able to smell the fresh scent of him after his shower, mixed with a faint fragrance of shower gel.

For some reason, her thoughts drifted back to the abs she had seen on Shu Yi before.

Just as Lin Nanxing was feeling a little embarrassed by the inappropriate "dirty thoughts" in his mind, a hand suddenly reached out silently from the side.

The dim light from the streetlights filtered into the corridor, outlining Shu Yi's slender fingers and the small chocolate wrapped in tin foil in his palm.

"Want some?" His voice sounded particularly deep in the darkness.

Lin Nanxing didn't say anything, but silently took the chocolate, unwrapped it, and put the slightly bittersweet square into her mouth.

Shu Yi silently withdrew his hand. The girl's fingertips had brushed against him unintentionally, and he curled his fingers up without making a sound, keeping the delicate sensation in his palm.

*

[Game launch date: December 2nd, 2011, 09:30 - Winter Night]

[Surface temperature 90 degrees Celsius, frequent swamps, not suitable for travel]

Lin Nanxing woke up from her sleep and was stunned by the scene before her. The whole room was filled with mist, and water droplets were dripping down the walls and ceiling, making it look like a water curtain cave.

Startled, she sat bolt upright in bed and blurted out, "What the hell is going on with this stupid game now?"

The sudden arrival of eternal night yesterday had already left her with lingering fears, and now, seeing this eerie scene, her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her throat.

She forced herself to remain calm and looked around, eventually finding the culprit in a corner of the room.

There was originally only one glowing mushroom in the soil, but a second one suddenly appeared. One glowing mushroom is just right as a humidifier, but two would be a disaster, wouldn't they?

Even after finding the cause, Lin Nanxing's heartbeat still didn't calm down.

She put on her slippers, carefully walked around the puddles on the ground, and went to the window. She pushed open the closed window, and a cool breeze rushed into the room, dispelling the pervasive moisture.

She turned to look at the damp room, feeling a headache coming on.

That glowing mushroom was the same special plant that Xu Yongfeng used to exchange for resident quotas. It's been sitting here quietly for almost a month.

In Lin Nanxing's mind, it was a useful humidifier.

Unexpectedly, only the second day after the eternal night descended, it quietly completed its split.

Lin Nanxing looked at the two mushrooms thoughtfully, then suddenly remembered something and exclaimed in realization, "Aren't mushrooms naturally suited to growing in dark and damp environments?"

The arrival of eternal night, ironically, provides it with the most ideal conditions for growth.

She crouched down and carefully examined the two glowing mushrooms, gently touching the cap of one of them with her finger.

"This is troublesome," Lin Nanxing muttered to himself. "If they keep multiplying like this, won't my room turn into a mushroom farm?"

Thinking about the possible scenarios, she rubbed her throbbing temples and made up her mind: "No, we have to move them to the farmland."

Lin Nanxing turned to look out the window, but the sun still hadn't appeared; the thick darkness seemed endless.

The eternal darkness weighed heavily on her heart, and she let out a long sigh, trying to dispel the oppression in her heart.

Being in darkness for a long time can subtly erode one's will, making one feel lethargic.

After yesterday's intermediate beast tide, Star Territory has enjoyed a rare period of peace. Even the occasional scattered monsters that used to appear have disappeared. Da Rong had a good night's rest yesterday.

It is said that even monsters go into rest during winter and rarely appear.

After washing up, Lin Nanxing cooked herself a bowl of steaming hot pork wontons.

She carried her white porcelain bowl to the window, eating her breakfast while watching the increasing number of people in the area below.

The players here seem to have quickly adapted to the eternal night, living, talking, and spending as usual under the protection of the barrier.

Her gaze then turned to the swamp area to the east, which was still bubbling intermittently, and a wave of relief and fear washed over her.

"Luckily, the conditions for upgrading the town were met before winter fully arrived, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable." She muttered to herself and sighed, "In this game, you really can't let your guard down until the very last moment."

Thinking of this, she subconsciously summoned the territory information panel. There were too many things to do after yesterday's upgrade, and she hadn't had time to check it yet.