Chapter 296: Treasure
Looking at Spark's expression, it seemed he wasn't part of the Silent Monastery… which made sense. They were clearly trying to send him to his death. Thinking of the Prime Minister's wife, who was also a member of the Silent Monastery, perhaps this was part of their infiltration of the upper nobility.
But that raised another question—how did they plan to cover up the deaths of these young nobles?
At that moment, a few pirates brought over a pot of thoroughly stewed mushrooms, seasoned with spices and nutmeg from Ruins.
To steady his shaken heart, Zhou Ning ladled himself a bowl of soup. After a moment's thought, he asked, "So, what do you plan to do next?"
"Head back to Darkland first. You look like adventurers—would you be willing to escort me? Don't worry, the payment will not disappoint you." Spark hesitated for a moment before turning to Zhou Ning with his request.
Zhou Ning didn't respond right away. Only when he saw the quest progress on his panel shift did he answer calmly: "We still need to go deeper into the Allsop Marsh. We'll return in about one or two days."
This was also the latest time Zhou Ning had set for his return to Darkland.
"No problem, I can wait." Spark spoke quickly, afraid Zhou Ning might refuse.
"Then it's settled." Zhou Ning reached out and shook Spark's hand, sealing their agreement.
By now, all the dishes were ready. Aside from the roasted poison sacs and stewed mushrooms, there was also a roasted marshland lamb. Richie Burke even brought out some Goldhan beer, raising his cup high:
"May the raging storms of the North never cease!"
"Never cease!" the pirates chorused, including several of Aaron Ingersoll's former men, now under Richie Burke's command. Despite his comical air, Richie clearly had real ability.
Zhou Ning clinked cups with them, though he didn't drink—considering Molly's taste—just let the beer touch his lips.
Then he listened as the pirates swapped rumors from the past two months. Some Zhou Ning already knew, others were new to him.
The Kingdom of Bryston had just suffered a crushing defeat in its war with the walrus folk over coal. The walrus hero, Dick, ambushed and killed a Bryston military super-class professional… Meanwhile, two northern pirate generals, the Wind General Elsie and the Thunder General Hardy Walker, clashed near the Hume Isles in the Misty Sea. Both sides lost men, ending in a draw…
Wind General and Thunder General… neither of them appeared much in the game of Zhou Ning's previous life. This was starting to feel like Genshin Impact… Zhou Ning didn't join the conversation, just muttered his complaints in his heart.
After more than two hours of waiting, the life tide, shrouded in deep green mist, finally dissipated. Zhou Ning had a few pirates escort Spark Lambert back to the Myrny Rooster to wait, promising to return within two days. Then he continued southeast with the others.
After the life tide, the marsh exploded with growth. Towering shrubs, unnaturally green plants, and countless crawling life elements filled the swamp.
But now, these life elements had become twisted and frenzied, brimming with hostility, attacking any who passed.
Among them, Zhou Ning even spotted the nobles who had been transformed into life elements and abyssal crawlers. Their massive size marked them clearly. Facing their maddened onslaught, Zhou Ning showed no hesitation. He pulled the trigger, watching as they collapsed slowly.
For them, it was a release.
The wave of life elements and abyssal crawlers was only the beginning. Before long, Zhou Ning and his group faced one attack after another—this time from swarms of swamp lizards and venomous insects. But Zhou Ning didn't need to act. Sheldon, the high-level fire mage, and Richie Burke handled everything.
Zhou Ning was happy to take it easy, but to snag some experience, he flicked a card from his pocket, preparing to summon it.
It was a five-star Skeletal Beast card—the Parrot Dragon, a hybrid of dragon and parrot.
As Zhou Ning stroked the card, a dragon-like creature with a parrot's beak and a red crest appeared, joining the little Deathwing in clearing enemies.
"Another dragon? Is the main character raising dragons now?" several players muttered, exchanging looks filled with respect for Zhou Ning.
They marched on. About an hour later, the group's meteorologist, Bernie, signaled for them to stop. "We should make camp here. Based on my forecast, there's likely another rainstorm of life elements ahead."
Bernie was no novice—his meteorologist level was high enough to count as a senior professional. No one doubted his word. After seeing what happened to the nobles earlier, none of them dared test their luck. They set up tents made of "Brice"—a fabric known for its toughness, resistant to cold, wind, and corrosion. Most umbrellas in this world were made of it.
A few arcane mages layered the tents with deep-violet arcane shields to keep the downpour out.
Before long, the sky shifted suddenly, turning emerald green—the sign of life elements gathering en masse. Zhou Ning tried to use the Sword of Cortés to control the rainfall, but failed. It seemed useless against this kind of storm.
Minutes later, sheets of green rain made entirely of life elements poured down, rattling loudly against the tents.
Through the downpour, Zhou Ning saw a pitch-black swamp pygmy in the distance swell rapidly, muscles bulging before bursting apart with a wet pop, reduced to shredded flesh.
The rain seemed to flood creatures with life energy…
Several players witnessed it too. Deep in the swamp, the whole experience felt like being inside a fantasy movie. They couldn't help marveling at the wonder of this game.
The life storm lasted nearly twenty minutes before the skies returned to normal.
"All right." Bernie emerged from a tent, his voice steady. "The path ahead will be clear for a while. We can move on safely."
Recalling the scene just now, Zhou Ning drew a deep breath. This world's weather truly defied imagination. Without a meteorologist, an ordinary adventuring team wouldn't last long.
The road ahead posed no serious threats. Occasional swarms of insects, lizards, and life elements were easily dispatched by the Parrot Dragon alongside the pirates.
As they walked, the shrubs grew sparser, and in the distance, Zhou Ning spotted clusters of low thatched huts—the dwellings of swamp pygmies. At that moment, he noticed the compass needle in his hand beginning to sway slowly.
That meant they were close to their destination.
If he guessed right, the treasure Richie Burke mentioned lay just ahead.