Chapter 65: The Moat

[You leap into the filthy, foul-smelling river.]

[The “Subspecies Sea Dragon Pearl” on your body glows with a faint blue light. You gain the ability to breathe underwater and fight without hindrance beneath the surface.]

[Do you want to search the corpses floating on the water?]

Did he even need to think about it? Lin Xun immediately clicked “Yes.”

[You search each bloated corpse drifting on the water, comparing them to the image of the Blind Merchant in your mind.]

[Searching…]

[You have obtained: Filthy Boots (Junk)]

[Searching…]

After searching for quite a while, all he collected was junk. There was no sign of the “Blind Merchant.”

[Do you want to dive underwater to continue exploring?]

[Finding nothing, you choose to dive below the surface.]

[The icy, bone-chilling water is murky and tinged with yellow and black. Your surroundings blur; you can only see what’s very close to you.]

[Thanks to the underwater breathing granted by the Sea Dragon Pearl, you can clearly smell the river’s putrid stench of decay.]

[Several “Corrupted Scavengers” roaming the river spot the glow of the Subspecies Sea Dragon Pearl. They begin swimming toward you.]

[Do you wish to attack them?]

Just from the name, he could tell these were similar to the “Corrupted Crawlers” in the Saint Rance Sewers, experience-delivery mobs.

Seeing that only a few weak monsters were coming his way, Lin Xun hit “Yes.”

[You swing your sharp appendage, ruthlessly slaying your enemies…]

[You defeated a “Corrupted Scavenger.” Experience slightly increased.]

[You obtained: Rotted Meat Chunk (Junk)]

[You defeated a “Corrupted Scavenger.” Experience slightly increased.]

[You defeated…]

[You examine the corpse of a “Corrupted Scavenger.”]

[Corrupted Scavenger: A type of carrion-feeding humanoid creature, corrupted after consuming too many mutated humans. Killed cleanly by a throat slash. Compatibility: 82% (+35%)]

Ever since obtaining the Dancer Shell, Lin Xun’s Shell Slots had been at 5/5. Each Shell had its unique traits. There was no point in replacing them with weaklings like this.

“Wish my superior would reward me with another Divine item… My Shell slots are really full.”

After slaughtering several small mobs, the text continued.

[You continue killing “Corrupted Scavengers.” Black-red blood spreads through the water…]

[The stench of blood draws a large swarm of dark shadows toward you. So dense they block the sunlight above the river. A tide of “Corrupted Scavengers” is swarming your way.]

“Damn!”

This cursed game never changed its tone. Lin Xun knew at once he’d triggered a monster swarm event.

He quickly opened the panel and activated Bloodshadow Step.

[You used “Bloodshadow Step.” Your swimming posture becomes fluid, and your Shell gradually vanishes from view.]

[You are now in stealth mode.]

[The incoming Scavengers do not notice you.]

[They begin savagely devouring their fallen comrades’ corpses. The stench in the river becomes even more revolting.]

Having narrowly avoided disaster, Lin Xun let out a deep breath.

[Do you wish to continue exploring or return to the shore?]

Just as Lin Xun was about to click “Continue exploring” to keep searching for the merchant’s body, he had a sudden flash of insight.

He immediately clicked to return to the shore.

[Frightened by the mob of “Corrupted Scavengers,” you hastily swim to the surface, scrambling onto the metal drawbridge in a panic.]

Lin Xun smirked and switched to the Yellow-Robed Bishop Shell.

He opened his panel and unleashed a Corrupt Sunlight into the river.

[…]

[Ashamed but determined, you raise your “Thunder Dragon Staff-Spear” toward the river filled with monsters and begin chanting…]

[A crimson flash…]

[The scarlet sunlight pierces the river, sending up clouds of mist.]

[You defeated a “Corrupted Scavenger.” Experience slightly increased.]

[You defeated a “Corrupted Scavenger.” Experience slightly increased.]

[You defeated a “Corrupted Scavenger.” Experience slightly increased.]

—

The text scrolled wildly, as if the screen were being flooded.

His experience bar surged rapidly.

[The Scavengers in the river seem unable to survive on land. Despite the corpses of their kin floating nearby, they continue to feast.]

“Time for another satisfying farming session!”

Seeing another opportunity to rake in free XP, Lin Xun postponed the search for the merchant and resumed farming.

He continued clicking skills…

After casting Corrupt Sunlight seven or eight times in a row, the river was finally cleared of the mobs.

[Power boils within your Shell. The “Corrupted Yellow-Robed Bishop of the White Moon Church” Shell has leveled up. Current Shell Level: 19]

“Nice!”

With the farming so fruitful, Lin Xun didn’t hold back.

He returned to the Resting Page to reset and then cleared another two waves of monsters.

[Power boils within your Shell. The “Corrupted Yellow-Robed Bishop of the White Moon Church” Shell has leveled up. Current Shell Level: 20]

It had been a long time since he felt the joy of leveling up. After wiping out three waves of Scavengers, he’d pushed the Shell straight to level 20.

Switching back to the Dancer Shell, he dove once again into the river.

[You dive to the bottom of the moat. Black aquatic grass sways atop the muddy riverbed, writhing like demonic limbs.]

[You swim along the silt and discover piles of gleaming white bones scattered along the bottom.]

[Amid the bone piles, you spot something glowing. You quickly swim over to inspect it.]

[You have obtained: “Crimson Flame Jar Shard” (Junk)]

Huh?

Wasn’t the Crimson Flame Jar an item sold by the Blind Merchant?

How did it end up here? And in a broken state too, meaning it had already been used.

Lin Xun was puzzled, his mind spinning up possible scenarios.

[You continue exploring along the riverbed and discover a large, ancient chest buried in the silt.]

[Do you want to approach and open the chest?]

Lin Xun opened his panel and clicked “Attack” out of habit.

Seeing no signs of a mimic, he clicked “Yes.”

[You open the large, weathered chest…]

[You have obtained: “Unknown Chunk of Spirit” x1]

[You have obtained: “Intermediate Forging Stone” x1]

[You have obtained: “Cross Pendant of the Dead Wife” (Key)]

“This chest is kinda stingy…”

Lin Xun muttered to himself and opened his inventory to check the items.

He tucked away the 200 Spirit Essence first. The Intermediate Forging Stone could be used to enhance equipment below Epic grade, he already had two more on hand.

[Cross Pendant of the Dead Wife (Key): A pendant once belonging to someone’s deceased wife. The end of the cross is shaped like a key. It may unlock a related mechanism.]

Lin Xun still had another key, which had dropped from the Dancer.

He clicked to continue searching the riverbed, but after a long time found nothing else of value, just more junk.

It seemed the merchant’s corpse wasn’t here.

The most valuable item in the moat was probably the Cross Pendant of the Dead Wife.

[You resurface and climb back onto the metal drawbridge…]