Chapter 104: Game on the Sea 11
’Is that good news or bad news?’
Moira Lynch looked around but didn’t see any sign of Shane Rhodes and the others. Her spiritual power revealed they were currently several dozen meters away from her.
’After some thought, I’d better not tell the other three about this.’
Since Patience said the Isle Turtle relieved itself in a fixed location, they just had to wait here for the "island" to return.
But there was another problem: they didn’t know exactly when the Isle Turtle would be back.
At the very most, they only had a day and a half left.
If the Isle Turtle didn’t show up within that day and a half, wouldn’t Hugh Finch’s mission fail?
"Patience, does the Isle Turtle relieve itself on a fixed schedule?"
If it did, they could use the information from the Cetabeast to calculate when the Isle Turtle would appear next.
[According to our data, an Isle Turtle excretes once every five to six days.]
’Five to six days?’
According to the Cetabeast, it had seen the Isle Turtle five days ago.
Based on the timeframe Patience gave, didn’t that mean the Isle Turtle would return either today or tomorrow?
If that was true, then all they had to do was wait here quietly.
However, Moira Lynch didn’t pin all her hopes on this. It wasn’t that she distrusted Patience’s data, but she was worried about what would happen if the Isle Turtle encountered an accident on its way and was delayed.
Setting aside helping Hugh Finch complete his mission, the Isle Turtle’s reputation as a "natural treasure trove" was enough to get her excited.
If even its droppings were this valuable, wouldn’t the things *on* the Isle Turtle be even more precious?
As she thought about this, Moira Lynch extended her spiritual power, collecting the surrounding Isle Turtle droppings into her space.
These droppings must have been here for a while, as they were covered by a layer of black substance. No wonder Moira Lynch hadn’t noticed anything unusual at first.
After clearing out the entire area, Moira Lynch moved to another patch of sea to continue collecting.
Judging by the amount of droppings here, it was likely the work of more than one Isle Turtle.
Just as Moira Lynch was happily collecting, she suddenly felt a dark shadow loom over her.
Looking up, she saw a behemoth that had suddenly appeared, completely blocking her view.
[Isle Turtle. Massive in size, it is both a turtle and an island. It is the largest lifeform on Planet Aelmar, also known as the "moving landmass" and a "natural treasure trove." It has a peaceful temperament and never initiates attacks on people.]
A flash of elation appeared in Moira Lynch’s eyes. ’It really is an Isle Turtle!!!’
But before she could celebrate, she abruptly remembered what the Isle Turtle was here to do. Her expression changed, and she shot out of the area as fast as she could.
A moment after she left, a glob of green liquid slowly descended. It solidified rapidly, turning into the green crystals she had seen before.
Seeing this, Moira Lynch casually collected it into her space and then went to find Shane Rhodes and the other two.
Moira Lynch had been using her spiritual power to monitor the other three’s movements so they wouldn’t see her collecting things into her space.
By now, Shane Rhodes and the others had noticed the behemoth that had suddenly appeared above them, and they guessed it was the Isle Turtle.
Moira Lynch’s arrival confirmed their suspicion.
Moira Lynch pointed upward, as if to say, "What are you standing around for? Hurry and get on! The Isle Turtle is here to do its business, and it’ll leave once it’s finished."
The group swam toward the surface. The closer they got, the more they realized how terrifyingly huge this Isle Turtle was.
Before the Isle Turtle, they were as minuscule as tiny ants.
As she neared the Isle Turtle, a rope glowing with a soft white light appeared in her hand. The other end shot swiftly toward the creature.
A moment later, the rope secured itself to a tree on the Isle Turtle’s back. Moira Lynch then used her astonishing arm strength to launch herself upward.
Meanwhile, Shane Rhodes, Kai York, and Hugh Finch took out their own Exoskeleton Mechas and Flying Devices and successfully landed on the Isle Turtle’s back.
The instant he successfully landed, Hugh Finch’s Task Card vibrated three times.
He opened his Task Book and saw that all three stars were lit up.
Now, their whole team was at three stars. As long as they held out until the end, they would pass the trial smoothly. The rest of the time was theirs to use as they pleased.
Looking around, they saw lush vegetation. It was as if they had entered a tropical rainforest.
"We’re not familiar with this place. Be careful," Shane Rhodes warned.
A rainforest like this was sure to hide many dangers.
Moira Lynch took out her Learning Machine and instructed Patience to send her the data if it found anything good.
Not long after she gave the instruction, the Learning Machine reacted.
[Class-A Energy Fruit: Consumption leads to rapid energy restoration. Interstellar price: one thousand Gold Coins each.]
Hearing the description, the group looked toward a nearby tree laden with red fruit.
How could they possibly pass up something this good?
The group started picking the fruit. They plucked all the ripe Class-A Energy Fruits from the tree, over a hundred in total, leaving the unripe ones untouched.
Before leaving, Moira Lynch also broke off a branch to see if she could grow it in her space.
After picking the Class-A Energy Fruits, the group was full of confidence for the journey ahead.
They continued deeper. After walking for a few minutes, their path was blocked by a dense, tangled mass of vines.
Just as the group was about to clear the vines by hand, the Learning Machine reacted again.
[Soldier Food Rattan: Rich in nutrients, but has a monotonous flavor and is slightly unpalatable. Grows quickly and can survive as long as there is soil. One of the raw materials for Nutrition Supplements.]
The group froze, their eyes gleaming as they stared at the vines. If they could bring just one of these plants back, wouldn’t their food problems be solved?
Kai York grabbed a Soldier Food Vine, put it in his mouth, and took a bite. After chewing a few times and swallowing, he commented, "It’s alright. Better than a Nutrition Supplement. The taste is kind of like chewing on a dry, uncooked bun while also stuffing a handful of grass in your mouth."
The taste was certainly hard to describe. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t exactly delicious either.
Of course, that might also be because Kai York hadn’t experienced true hunger since the extreme heat.
The group ignored the Soldier Food Vines overhead and began searching for the main body of the Soldier Food Rattan.
Moira Lynch was also searching, and she found it quickly.
A large number of Soldier Food Rattans were growing in this area. She collected a portion of them into her space—about twenty-odd plants. Now she had another stable source of goods.
After some searching, the group found fifteen Soldier Food Rattans. For safety, the plants were temporarily stored with Moira Lynch.
To prevent the Soldier Food Rattans from suddenly dying, Moira Lynch took out their previous boat, filled it with soil, and planted the rattans inside.