Arya's hand paused in midair, the spoon hovering just in front of her lips. Inside the spoon was golden broth and a thin slice of mushroom.
Yellow-ringed Legless Worm.
The name felt painfully familiar.
She had harvested some earlier that very day.
There was no helping it. Compared to most ingredients in this world, this creature was ridiculously easy to obtain. One swing of the hoe almost always uncovered one or two of them from the soil.
Arya found herself strangely understanding of Rogers using it to make soup.
As for the Slime Mushrooms… weren't those supposed to be used in corrosive potions? Could they really be eaten?
Although questions filled her mind, the small floating screen had already completed its scan.
Non-toxic. Edible. Safe for consumption.
Arya stared at the contents of the spoon, not sure whether she should laugh or cry.
She hadn't even had a chance to throw her Slowing Potion, and yet the Yellow-ringed Legless Worm had already "boomeranged" back to hit her first.
Steam Pot Chicken. Crossing the Bridge Noodles. Mushrooms. Insects.
At this point, it was painfully obvious where Rogers came from.
With a resigned breath, Arya opened her mouth and swallowed the broth and the mushroom slice in one gulp.
Really, they were just earthworms and Slime Mushrooms. As long as they weren't poisonous, they were just… food.
The real surprise was that this enhanced version of Steam Pot Chicken tasted genuinely delicious.
Since it tasted good, she didn't bother to fuss about the ingredients anymore.
Besides, for Arya, these weren't things she couldn't accept.
Especially now that she had started understanding otherworldly knowledge such as alchemy and potion brewing.
Everything in this world carried magical power.
Although it looked like she was drinking soup made from worms, in truth, she was absorbing magic itself.
That wasn't even an exaggeration.
After finishing the meal, Arya teleported the bowl and chopsticks back.
Arya typed into the interface:
Arya: "It tastes good, but I suggest you stockpile more food, wood, and water at home. Prepare enough for at least three or four days. After the newbie protection period ends, don't go out immediately. Observe first."
Rogers: "Mhm, thank you, Boss. I'll prepare right away."
Arya explained her plan to Rogers.
To be honest, she didn't want to lose such a reliable and delicious food supplier.
As for her other two acquaintances, Roy and Li Huai, she didn't bother mentioning anything.
Or rather, there was no need to.
Roy, the trader, was sharp and experienced. He always knew what he should be doing.
As for Li Huai, although she had never met him face to face, Arya felt that if he encountered something like a beast tide, he would probably be excited rather than afraid.
After eating and drinking to her fill, Arya picked up her book again and continued studying the theory of magic circuits.
She wanted to improve her Alchemy Array.
According to Albert, brewing a proper potion required at least eight hours.
However, for experimental purposes, the process could be accelerated.
Of course, this type of acceleration was mainly for saving time and verifying theories. While the resulting potion could still be used, its effects were far weaker than a properly refined one.
Crack!
Time quietly slipped from late night on the seventh day to the early morning of the eighth.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning tore through the sky outside her window.
Immediately afterward, every person from Blue Star heard the same cold, distant voice echo inside their minds.
"The seven-day newbie protection period has ended. Come, people of Blue Star. The veil covering the true face of the Karim Continent has been lifted by magical turbulence. What happens next depends on your own efforts."
"Please live well… even if only for yourselves."
After those two sentences, the world's will disappeared.
Arya, who had been lying on her bed while reading, looked through the floor-to-ceiling window and was instantly captivated by the view outside.
Thunder and lightning intertwined violently, illuminating the pitch-black night.
Fierce winds howled against the glass, rattling the sliding doors so violently that Arya briefly wondered if the thin panes might shatter.
Even though she knew her Shelter had already reached Level Three.
She stood up, picked up the lantern from her bookshelf, and climbed down to the first floor using the vine rope ladder she hadn't used since upgrading her Shelter.
The magic lantern on the first floor had gone completely dark, leaving the room buried in pitch-black silence.
Arya sat at her desk, holding the lantern, and opened the communication interface to see what was happening elsewhere.
"Help! My Shelter is shaking like crazy! It feels like it's about to collapse!"
"Same here! Those weird patterns on the walls are starting to light up."
Patterns… lighting up?
Arya examined her own walls.
Nothing unusual.
Maybe it was because her Shelter was already Level Three, so the Magic Shield's defensive mechanism hadn't been triggered.
"Are your magic lanterns still on? Mine went out as soon as the turbulence started."
"Nope. Mine's out too. I thought I was the only one."
"Hahaha… looks like everyone's in the same boat."
"Someone help me! I'm short two monster cores! Who can spare some?"
"You guys haven't upgraded your Shelter yet, have you?"
"How does upgrading the Shelter affect the lantern?"
"I mean… a Level Two Shelter should at least hold up against this kind of turbulence, right?"
"Seriously, during the newbie protection period, everyone had the same chances. Why could others upgrade while you couldn't? Think about that yourselves. Did you actually work hard?"
"It's over… it's really over. A corner of my Shelter just got torn open by the turbulence. I don't think I'll survive the night."
"Inheritance reception! Anyone who's about to quit, hurry up and donate your materials and supplies for the public good!"
"Oh? That brother's idea isn't bad. I'll receive some inheritance too!"
"That guy who's short two monster cores, hang in there. Add me. I'll give you two."
"Isn't that the kind Big Brother William? I'm also short a few stones. Can you give me some?"
"Yes, I can give them. I don't have much, but if you're only short a little, it's no problem. I also call on those who have extra materials to help others moderately. If everyone works together, we can get through this magical turbulence!"
"Die! Die! You beasts! Die together! Everyone should die together!"
"Has this guy gone crazy?"
"What's new? Check the world channel. A lot of people are losing their minds."
Seeing this, Arya also opened the world channel, which she hadn't checked in a long time.
The people there didn't look much different from the ones she had encountered in Evilman Valley.
People looking for lost relatives, begging for supplies, going insane, preaching morality, mocking others, and spectating chaos.
This was simply human nature.
Arya didn't deny that.
She only felt that living her own quiet life without causing trouble was good enough.
After looking around, she noticed that, apart from a group of people claiming to be the former Blue Star Federation Council — now calling themselves the Karim Council — there wasn't really anything worth serious attention.
Honestly, this couldn't even be called a major event.
Feeling bored, Arya prepared to return upstairs and continue reading.
Since her Shelter was already Level Three, she believed it would survive this storm without issue.
Just as she was about to leave, she noticed a message appear in the regional channel.
It was about her.
"@Arya, you've earned so much. Shouldn't you contribute a little now for everyone's benefit?"
She stared at the message quietly, her expression unreadable in the flickering lantern light.
The protection period was over.
And the real world had finally begun to show its teeth.