The morning sunlight streamed through the arched windows of the mushroom house, casting warm dappled patterns on the wooden floor covered with linen sheets.
The air was filled with the unique coolness of the forest, a blend of damp earth and the fresh scent of grass and trees.
Xiao Jin slowly opened her eyes, unusually lacking the sharpness of an instantaneous awakening.
Last night at the Blue Reef bar, she finally finished the "Kiss of the Black Sea" that had been almost untouched.
The deep liquid seemed to possess a peculiar magic, not intoxicating or bewitching, but rather like the gentlest sleeping pill.
Slowly soothing Xiao Jin's long-strained nerves, she slept soundly and peacefully last night, a rare occurrence.
I slept exceptionally soundly and peacefully that night.
When Xiao Jin woke up, he felt as if a full and gentle power, which he had not felt for a long time, had accumulated in his body, and even the coldness and fierceness that had always lingered between his brows had faded a bit.
She walked barefoot on the cool floor toward the mini washroom inlaid with seashells.
The cool water splashed on my face, bringing a complete sense of clarity.
Immediately afterward, Xiao Jin picked up her toothbrush, the minty foam spreading in her mouth. In this mechanical and routine action, a scene from the dimly lit bar the previous night flashed through her mind without warning—
A figure dressed in a magnificent purple velvet tailcoat bowed gracefully, a mysterious smile playing on his lips, a fleeting, unfathomable depth in his dark brown eyes…
And finally, placed on the table, was that ice crystal rose that exuded an astonishing chill and pure power.
The icy, piercing sensation of touching rose petals still lingered on my fingertips, yet a strange, subtle itch rose in my heart, like being gently scratched by a feather.
Xiao Jin paused for a few seconds, looking at the "woman" in the mirror with slightly disheveled long hair and a slightly sleepy look in her eyes, her brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.
She rinsed her mouth vigorously, washing away the inappropriate images along with the foam.
After washing up and changing into a clean white shirt and shorts, Xiao Jin left the Mushroom House with the lazy A Mo and headed to the "Dawn Terrace" restaurant in the main area of the hotel for breakfast.
The restaurant is located by the sea and has a fantastic view.
Xiao Jin ordered a set of exquisite morning tea: crystal clear shrimp dumplings, thin-skinned and delicious siu mai, soft and sweet chicken feet with black bean sauce, crispy and crumbly char siu pastry, and a pot of fragrant chrysanthemum pu-erh tea.
She ate slowly and deliberately, her movements refined yet fast, devouring the entire table of snacks.
Amo sat cross-legged on a chair nearby, enjoying the rich soup made from top-grade seafood, a special treat provided by the hotel for its battle pets. He nodded his little head slowly, eating with great satisfaction.
Having eaten and drunk his fill, Xiao Jin did not choose to immediately embark on a mission or exploration.
Taking advantage of her rare "vacation," she decided to take a walk within the hotel grounds to digest her food.
Xiao Jin started jogging along the winding jungle path, her strong physique making her unafraid of the pressure that running brought.
She didn't practice her swordplay this morning because the hotel environment didn't allow it, so Xiao Jin is simply running right now.
With long, powerful legs striding forward, long hair flying backward in the morning breeze, breathing in the air carrying the scent of sea salt and fresh grass, feeling the rhythm of muscles and the flow of blood.
This long-awaited, pure exercise without any intention of killing brought Xiao Jin a strange sense of comfort to both body and mind.
After an hour of jogging, my body felt slightly warm.
Xiao Jin stopped, not a bead of sweat on her forehead, her breathing still steady and long.
Suddenly, she looked up and saw an area in the distance, hidden among the green trees, with wisps of white steam rising faintly.
Is it a hot spring?
It is indeed a bit strange to find a hot spring in a tropical beach resort hotel like this. But considering this is a system instance, anything is possible...
Xiao Jin remembered that this area was marked on the map.
She looked down at Amo, who was lounging lazily in the sun at her feet: "Want to go to the hot springs?"
Amo immediately shook his head like a rattle-drum, his scarlet snake eyes filled with undisguised disgust, conveying a strong sense of resistance: "Hiss hiss hiss! (Stinky! Disgusting!)"
That's true, pythons are snakes after all, and they have an instinctive aversion to pungent smells like sulfur and saltpeter.
"Whatever you want." Xiao Jin didn't insist and walked towards the hot spring area alone.
As for Amo, he went back to the forest near the Mushroom House to take a nap!
After passing through a carefully arranged, misty bamboo path, the view suddenly opens up.
Several hot spring pools of varying sizes and shapes are nestled among the rocks and greenery. The warm spring water bubbled and gurgled, and the air was filled with the rich aroma of sulfur and the faint scent of herbs.
At this time, there were NPCs and a few players enjoying a relaxing soak in the hot spring while wearing bathrobes.
Xiao Jin chose a hot spring pool labeled "Deep Sea Healing," which was relatively secluded and had a deep blue-green color.
She took off her beach sandals and stepped barefoot onto the warm pebbles.
Out of caution about her surroundings, Xiao Jin didn't change into the clothes provided by the hotel this time. Instead, in a secluded corner, she transformed her Abyss armor into a white bathrobe.
In this way, if any special circumstances arise, Xiao Jin won't have to rush to change her clothes.
Slowly step into the pool.
"Hmm..."
The scalding hot spring water instantly enveloped me, bringing a strong sense of stimulation.
The water temperature here seems extremely high, far exceeding that of ordinary hot springs; the moment your skin touches the water, you even have the illusion of being burned.
Xiao Jin frowned slightly. She took a deep breath, allowing her body to slowly adapt to the high temperature, and finally immersed herself completely from the shoulders and neck down in the water.
The scalding sensation felt like countless tiny needles piercing the skin, bringing waves of tingling pain, yet strangely dispelling the last trace of fatigue after the morning run, allowing the muscles to completely relax under the high temperature.
Just as she closed her eyes to enjoy the moment, a slow, heavy footstep suddenly came from the poolside.
Xiao Jin opened her eyes and found herself alone, the only tourist around her.
Standing by the pool was a figure dressed in a hotel staff uniform, but he was carrying a huge tortoise shell on his back.
It's an old sea turtle NPC with wrinkles on its face but gentle and kind eyes, looking anxiously at the pool.
"My esteemed guest, I apologize for disturbing you." The old sea turtle's voice was slow and hoarse, with a tone unique to aquatic creatures.
"I am the hot spring manager here. I have encountered a problem. I wonder if I could ask you for a small favor?"
Looks like another quest has been triggered!
Xiao Jin looked at him without saying anything, but gestured for him to continue with her eyes.
"It's like this..." The old sea turtle scratched its bald head with its webbed claws, looking annoyed: "My most important 'lucky stone' accidentally fell into the pool just now!"
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