dmims Chapter 64: [The Stepmother's Love]
Chapter 64: [The Stepmother's Love]
Chapter 65: [The Stepmother's Love]
As soon as Su Chen and Lin Yu stepped out of the west gate of the residential area, their figures instantly disappeared into a cloud of gray mist.
Amidst the swirling smoke and clouds, Lin Yu stretched out a hand.
The gray mist swept across her slender fingers like silk, then slowly gathered again after being blocked by her delicate fingers.
Lin Yu frowned, the slight chill emanating from her fingertips far outweighing the surrounding silence.
"Why is the fog so thick here? The visibility is so low."
"Yes, indeed." Su Chen lowered his voice, carrying a rather large hiking backpack, and walked much slower than usual.
The gray fog now hanging over the north gate of the residential area is much worse than they've seen before; visibility has dropped to less than 5.
At a distance of meters, Lin Yu followed him with utmost caution, keeping within two steps of him, her mind on high alert, not daring to relax for even a moment.
A soft rustling sound filled the air, and the gray mist rose like a tide, resembling the misty scene of water gathering in mid-air after being hurled from a great height.
However, this scene brings only the fear of the unknown, death, and endless wailing.
Sizzle—Sizzle—
The rustling sound of branches scraping the ground made Lin Yu frown. She followed Su Chen, one hand gripping the small knife at her waist.
"Slow down, at this rate we'll have to change direction in less than half an hour."
Su Chen spoke softly, his senses already amplified to the maximum within the surrounding gray fog.
He was trying his best to capture the changes around him, including the direction of the flowing gray fog, various subtle sounds, and light.
"Ahead..." He stopped slightly and noticed a dim yellow light shining through the gray fog on the road leading to the town, like an eternal lighthouse on the sea, moving slowly.
Lin Yu stopped as he walked, but when she noticed the yellow light, she almost drew the knife in her right hand.
"Slow down, let's find out what's going on first."
Slowing down again, Su Chen and Lin Yu almost held their breath as they watched the yellow light gradually grow larger and larger in the seemingly tangible sea of gray fog in the distance, until Su Chen could clearly see the source of the light.
"lantern?"
Frowning, Su Chen noticed that beyond the dim yellow light, several layers of rust were layered on the brownish, withered bronze surface. The lantern was quite old, yet it was like a morning light in a sea of mist, stable and carrying a strange sense of security.
Under the dim light of the lanterns, a stout merchant with a tattered cloak and an indistinct face stood in place. In front of him were several brownish-yellow leather bags with oddly shaped but ominous-looking small objects.
Lin Yu's eyes lit up instantly, and she grabbed Su Chen's backpack strap, ready to rush over. Su Chen's face darkened, and he thought she was hallucinating.
The next moment, Lin Yu's anxious yet excited voice urged, "Quick! It's the traveling merchant in the mist!"
"He only appears in the deepest fog; if you miss him this time, who knows when you'll see him again!"
After getting rid of the reluctant Su Chen, Lin Yu didn't care about anything else. She gestured at the traveling merchant in the fog and said a few words quickly. The cloaked merchant did not reply. Instead, an unfolded sheepskin list appeared on his stall.
"Come quick, come see!"
"He has quite a lot of stuff here too!"
Once Su Chen was certain that Lin Yu was speaking from her own will, and not because she was being controlled by some strange entity, he approached the itinerant vendor's stall and looked at the list spread out on it.
【The Enemy Doll: A strange patchwork doll, every material it comes from seems to be tainted with an eerie aura, and holding it in your hand seems to have some strange effect】
[Effect: When held, it can attract the attention of low-level demons within a 50-meter radius, guiding them in a designated direction. It can also be used to break through enemy lines or bypass dangerous areas. It has a slight restraining effect on mid-level demons.]
[Side effects: After each use, the doll will absorb 1% of the user's Qi and blood. At the same time, the stitches on the doll will turn red. Whenever the doll absorbs 10% of the user's Qi and blood, it will turn against the user and forcibly bind the user's consciousness. Backlash duration: 60 minutes (during the backlash, the user cannot control their actions)]
[Price: 10 Survival Points / Merchant Approval]
"One hour of hard control!"
Su Chen was immediately drawn to the effect of the puppets when he saw the first row.
The effects and side effects.
Isn't this a classic double-edged sword?!
Judging by its effect alone, this doll is definitely a pretty good item. If it were with that merchant before, he would have charged it at least 2000.
The survival point bonus is this side effect...
Within an hour, the person affected by the backlash is unable to control their actions. What's the difference between this and being controlled by a puppet?
No, no, this debuff is too much.
Despite some resistance, Su Chen couldn't resist reading on since this was only the first item on the scroll.
[The Rusty Gold Key: A mysterious key of unknown origin. Its former owner seems to have granted it certain privileges, but also at a cruel price.]
[Effect: This key can unlock all locks within the fog of war, without needing to match lock cylinders! (Any ancient ruin secret room, demon's lair entrance, contaminated supply crate) With a small probability, it may trigger an unlock overlimit event, which can briefly tear a small area of fog, revealing hidden resource points.]
[Side effects: Using the key will continuously corrode the user's fingertips, causing irreversible numbness. The corrosion area expands with each unlocking, and if it spreads to the wrist, it may bring a curse upon the user.]
[Price: 10 Survival Points / Merchant Approval]
"The price is so low, you can even barter..."
'
Su Chen felt restless and itchy to do something.
"Hey, look at this key!"
Lin Yu winked at Su Chen, then looked at the description of the rusted gold key on the list, feeling somewhat apprehensive.
"This thing won't replace our control over our bodies through corrosion, will it?"
Seeing the extraordinary effects and side effects of corroding the golden key, Lin Yu was also somewhat surprised.
From this perspective, the fact that the prices of these props are so lenient is practically an invitation to commit crimes!
"Let's keep watching."
Su Chen nodded, not directly answering Lin Yu's question, because he felt the same way.
Ominous!
This is such an ominous sign!
Each of these things has a very good effect, but their side effects are really hard to describe.
Moreover, Su Chen noticed that the leather beneath these props was clearly made of a different leather than the one on the list he and Lin Yu were looking at.
The leather laid on the ground had a noticeably finer texture, but it had a stiffness that lambskin didn't have, unlike any common leather.
"Okay, let's take a look first, don't rush to buy." Lin Yu raised an eyebrow: "I just talked to him. Besides survival points, we can also exchange some useful items from this world with him, including food."
"Alright, you've done a great job."
He gave a casual reply and continued reading.
[Bloodstained Candy Jar: A candy with a rather unusual flavor, it's a bit complicated to make, and now there are only 6 left.]
[Effect: Consuming one candy instantly restores all of the user's stamina and a small amount of injury, while also granting the effect "Cursed Frenzy". During the duration of Cursed Frenzy, the user's attack damage is increased by 30%. Duration: 10 minutes]
[Side effect: Each candy will result in one sacrifice; after use, the user will experience hallucinations.]
[Price: 30 Survival Points / Merchant Approval]
[Stepmother's Love: A poisoned apple core—whose wicked humor led to this? A tiny apple core concealing immense love? Or malice?]
[Effect: While enchanted, crushed apple cores can be applied to weapons. Applying the cores to weapons will inflict the effect: Deadly Poison Curse. When this curse attacks a demon, the attacked demon will lose 5% of its maximum health per second. Duration of Deadly Poison Curse: 3 seconds. When thrown, the poisonous apple cores will explode upon landing, releasing a poisonous mist with a radius of 15 meters.]
[Side effect: When in contact with an apple core, the user's palms will be corroded by the toxin, resulting in spreading black spots. When the black spots spread to the arms, the user will randomly fall into a cursed state.]
"this....
Xin Linyu glanced at an inconspicuous apple core in the corner of the stall, and her heart skipped a beat.
Su Chen, standing to the side, seemed to be deep in thought.
"Would this thing be that powerful if it encountered a boss?"
"Even the most powerful things need to be used while you're alive..." Lin Yu stuck out her tongue, somewhat surprised by the bizarre effects of these props.
The Apple Core's effect—single-target damage and group debuff—is a bit overpowered. It would be even better if it didn't have any negative side effects.
The two pondered for a moment, then continued reading.
[A torn page from a fairy tale book: a regrettable page that records a broken spell]
[Effect: After reciting the incomplete incantation recorded on the page, a low-level fairy tale demon (such as a twisted dwarf) can be randomly summoned to fight for the user for 10 minutes (the demon summoned by different pages has different abilities; some are good at attacking, and some are good at defending)]
[Side effect: The summoned demons have a 30% chance to randomly attack nearby targets (including the user/teammates). After the page is used, it will automatically turn to ashes, which will inflict a weakened status on the user (HP recovery -30%, speed -30%), lasting 10 minutes.]
"What kind of fighting style is this, where you live as long as heaven and earth?"
Su Chen glanced at it and was speechless.
Although there is a high probability of summoning a demon to help the user, if you happen to encounter the remaining 30%, coupled with the weakened state caused by the book pages, wouldn't that drag the monster and the user to their deaths?
There's no way to escape!
"Tsk." Lin Yu clicked her tongue, grinned, and pointed to another item on the list: "Look at this, this one!"
Following Lin Yu's pointing finger, Su Chen looked over.
【The Frog Prince's Golden Ball: A treasure once meticulously crafted by a prince, possessing the terrifying ability to guarantee a hit. It is said that for some unknown reason, the prince secretly cursed this golden ball.】
[Effect: Guaranteed to hit the target upon throwing, and inflicts the "Cursed Shock" status on the target for 5 seconds. Cursed Shock: Randomly inflicts 2-5 different curses on the hit target. If the hit target has more than 3 curses due to the Cursed Shock status, each curse will add an additional 5 seconds to the duration of the previous curse.]
[Side effect: The user's body will change over time, gradually developing amphibian characteristics until complete transformation. (This state is irreversible once it occurs.)]
'
"9
Lin Yu became mute, and so did Su Chen.
Su Chen licked his slightly dry lips: "Even your enemies would put this down after seeing it."
"We've lost so much of our own resources, we've inflicted countless casualties on the enemy..." Lin Yu echoed, somewhat speechless.
She didn't know the specific damage this thing's curse would cause, but if it affected her, she'd rather be dead...
Without even thinking about it, Lin Yu continued reading with her head down.
"They're all things corrupted by strange forces or things contaminated by blood and flesh curses..." Su Chen murmured to himself.
While the effects and prices of these mysterious merchants' products are outrageous, their side effects are even more outrageous.
Some items, at first glance, clearly had more side effects than benefits, and Su Chen didn't even want to look at them more than a few times.
As they continued scrolling down the list, both he and Lin Yu were looking for props with somewhat acceptable effects and side effects.
[The Broken Magic Crystal Shoe: A magical crystal shoe lost after a ball. It was beautifully designed, but it was missing a crucial part, and... it seemed to have something extra.]
[Effect: The crystal shoes will automatically adapt to the user's foot size, increasing the user's movement speed. After use, movement speed +40%, duration: 10 minutes]
[Side effect: After using the crystal shoes, the user's feet will be forcibly resized to the original size of the crystal shoes.]
[Price: 20 Survival Points / Merchant Approval]
"Do you want it? I can give it to you."
"Keep it for yourself." Lin Yu glared at Su Chen and continued reading.
She has already picked out a few and is hesitating whether to make a move.
"Ungrateful..."
Su Chen gently shook his head and looked at what Lin Yu was looking at.
[The Bloodstained Grandmother's Hood: A warm hood left by a kind grandmother, which seems to have been used by something with ulterior motives.]
【Effect: After use, it forcibly conceals the user's aura/face. Low-level demons will ignore the user unless the user attacks them.】
(Ineffective against intermediate and higher-level demons) Duration: 15 minutes
[Side effect: After use, it will bring the user the effect of "Perpetual Calamity" (emitting an aura that demons find extremely repulsive, and demons within a 100-meter radius will be hostile towards the user). Duration: 30 minutes]
"This is great stuff!"
Su Chen's eyes lit up.
"Boss, I want this." As soon as Su Chen finished speaking, Lin Yu had already made a deal with the boss, as if afraid that he would snatch it away.
"Of course, how could anything I choose be bad?"
Feeling a little smug, Lin Yu acquired the item by spending only 20 survival points.
"Can this thing really conceal my presence and prevent other monsters from noticing?"
Looking at the tattered hood in her hand, with a patch of dark red stain on it, Lin Yu lost confidence. She had a feeling from the bottom of her heart that this thing was a bit unreliable.
"Try it yourself somewhere later." Looking at the hood with several holes, Su Chen could sense a strange aura emanating from it.
At such close range, he couldn't sense what it was woven from...
Just like the magic dagger he obtained before, he found it hard to believe how sharp it was before he used it.
"I should prepare a few of these myself," Su Chen muttered to himself.
Some of the things that itinerant merchants do have merit.
He's looking at one thing right now.
[The Joker's Party Box: A masterpiece once created by a legendary clown, containing meticulously crafted props. However, for some reason, he permanently canceled the magic trick after performing it once.]
[Effect: Opening the gift box will automatically produce 1-5 temporary weapons (each temporary weapon is always of grade 1), and will also grant the user the buff "Eternal Joy". (Under Eternal Joy: User's attack speed increased by +30%). The temporary weapons and buff last for 10 minutes, after which the temporary weapons will be forcibly removed.]
[Side effects: Temporary weapons produced by the gift box will randomly be afflicted with one of the following statuses: Void, Excess, or Touch of Suffering. Void: User's reaction speed -30%; Excess: User's hunger relief +30%; Touch of Suffering: The part of the user that touches the temporary weapon will be forcibly paralyzed. When the number of paralysis effects from Touch of Suffering reaches 3 or more, the part touched by the user will be consumed by the gift box.]
[Price: 25 Survival Points / Merchant Approval]
"This is not bad..."
"I want one of these."
"Are you serious?" Lin Yu was surprised.
The debuff after using this thing is terrifyingly large. Lin Yu has never seen a debuff that reduces reaction speed before. What's even more outrageous is that the debuff is called "Touch of Suffering".
If that thing is triggered, I'm afraid I'll lose my fighting ability on the spot!
Why would someone as composed as Su Chen choose this?
Or does he have an item that can ignore that debuff?
Thinking of his style of doing things, Lin Yu's face immediately darkened.
The man beside her, who wouldn't act without seeing the benefit, must have his reasons for being so decisive!
"Um, I think we could trade something you approve of, like other supplies or food, okay?"
Su Chen spoke up.
He doesn't have many survival points left, so he needs to save some. However, he doesn't lack food.
66
"
Nodding, the traveling merchant handed Su Chen a scroll. Lin Yu glanced at it; it contained his assessment of the value of the item he needed.
For example, a decent weapon can be exchanged for two items from him, a pound of rice can be exchanged for one item within 50 points, and a box of luncheon meat can be exchanged for one item within 70 points. The conditions for exchange include, but are not limited to, supplies/food, and even the skin on your body, which can be traded with the traveling merchant.
In short, in no time, Lin Yu saw Su Chen hand You Shang two boxes of luncheon meat, four boxes of milk, and a bag of compressed biscuits.
Su Chen managed to exchange five strange and unusual items with the traveling merchant before finally stopping, still not satisfied.
This included the [Clown's Party Gift Box], which she looked down upon, as well as the two items she had seen before whose effects and negative statuses were just as bizarre: [Frog Prince's Golden Ball] and [Stepmother's Love], and two other items that she hadn't clearly seen what they were.
But looking at the tiny, palm-sized crimson gift box Su Chen was holding, Lin Yu felt as if they had both been swindled by the traveling merchant. And besides, how much food did Su Chen actually have?!
Now that the two of them have gone to explore the town, and at this critical juncture he has taken out so many important supplies to exchange with the traveling merchants, Lin Yu is really curious about what else he has hidden.
But she couldn't ask.
Su Chen was already a little wary of her, but compared to that young woman, he trusted himself more. If he asked about these sensitive things and disrupted the current situation, he was afraid that they might not even be able to remain allies.
After all, she and Su Chen don't have enough trust yet.
After a short while, Su Chen bid farewell to the wandering merchant in the mist and happily put away the five items he had bought. He and Lin Yu then arrived at the Broken Bridge mentioned in the notice.
This is about 1000 meters from the town. If they continue along the current road, they will reach their destination in less than ten minutes.
"I wonder how the expedition team is doing..."
The triangular military dagger whistled through the gray mist and stopped right next to Lin Yu's ear, a rather large flying fish spike stuck in mid-air.
The sharp, hissing sound of a blade slicing through flesh.
"Why is your reaction so abnormal..."
'
Lin Yu casually flicked the blood off the knife and glanced at the giant flying fish lying beside him.
This was already the eighth monster they had killed along the way.
The closer they got to that direction, the stronger the monsters they encountered became.
This flying fish, for example, is more than twice the size and speed of the one from the previous boss battle.
more importantly.
The flying fish was hidden in the gray mist and was difficult to spot, causing Lin Yu to be somewhat embarrassed several times.
"arrive."
Ignoring Lin Yu's words, Su Chen stood still, looking at the small town in the low-lying depression in the distance.
On the horizon, the light of the blood moon pierced through the gray fog, revealing the entire town to the two people.