Chapter 107: Competition at Sea 14
’The former wouldn’t be so bad. When facing enemies, it could lower their guard, making it easier to play dumb and land a fatal blow when it matters most.’
’But if it were the latter...’ Moira didn’t dare to imagine what would happen if she actually became as foolish as a Magpie-plumed Fowl. ’I’d probably end up counting the money for the person who sold me.’
After studying it for a while, Moira determined that the Magpie-plumed Fowl’s effect likely only changed the first impression one gave off—in other words, their aura.
Moira sighed in relief. ’Thank goodness. At least I’m not actually becoming a fool.’
’Honestly, with a personality like that, a species like the Magpie-plumed Fowl could easily go extinct.’
’However, as a Hunter, I couldn’t ask for better prey.’
All night long, Moira had deliberately used her spiritual power to create sounds in the area, attracting the Magpie-plumed Fowl.
To say the method was effective would be an understatement. It was *incredibly* effective. In a single night, she caught dozens of them, all of which were now being kept in her space.
After sunrise, the group ate breakfast and prepared to set off, as was their routine.
Kai York looked at Moira, who couldn’t stop yawning, and joked, "What were you up to last night? You look exhausted."
Hearing this, Moira yawned again, rubbing her eyes. "I was catching chickens all night."
"You must be exhausted, then," Kai York said, suppressing a laugh.
Clearly, he didn’t believe her.
As they walked, a shout reached their ears.
After a period of study, while Shane Rhodes and the others hadn’t fully mastered the interstellar language, they could understand some simple, common phrases.
And so, they could tell the person was crying for help.
They followed the sound and, pushing aside a patch of dense brush, found a blue-skinned creature with long, elven ears. It was tangled in several vines and shouting for help.
Seemingly sensing the arrival of Moira and her companions, the blue creature looked in their direction with a pleading gaze. "Please, save me."
[The Elven Race: Kind-hearted, simple-minded, peace-loving. Always repays a debt of gratitude.
PS: The Elven Race is like a mirror. Treat them with sincerity, and they will do the same for you.]
’The Elven Race?’
’Always repays a debt of gratitude?’
Looking at the Elf, who was about to be completely consumed by the vines, Moira said to Shane Rhodes and the others, "Quick, save them!"
At her command, Shane Rhodes and Kai York charged out without hesitation. Hugh Finch, reacting a moment slower, followed right behind them.
"Be careful not to hurt her."
Ten minutes later, the Elf Girl was brought back, safe and sound. If not for their fear of harming her, they could have been much quicker.
They had also identified the vines that attacked the Elf Girl.
[Mischief Vine: Enjoys playing pranks. Often wraps up passersby, resulting in injury or death.]
The unconscious Elf Girl slowly woke up. The moment she opened her eyes and saw Moira and the others, she jumped in fright.
Seeing this, Moira offered a harmless smile and asked in a gentle voice, "Are you alright?"
After confirming that Moira and her companions meant her no harm, the Elf Girl sighed in relief and offered her sincere thanks. "Thank you for saving me. My name is Eleanor Vaughn."
"It was nothing. We were happy to help. I’m Moira Lynch, and these are my companions: Shane Rhodes, Kai York, and Hugh Finch." After introducing everyone beside her, Moira looked at Eleanor Vaughn and asked, "Are you here for the competition too?"
Eleanor Vaughn nodded. "But I’ve already been eliminated."
Then, her tone changed. "But getting to see the Isle Turtle made it worth being eliminated. The competition prizes are nowhere near as valuable as the resources on the Isle Turtle."
"There are prizes for the competition?"
Moira was surprised. ’How come no one told me? This competition actually has prizes!’
"You didn’t know? Then why did you enter the competition?" Eleanor Vaughn asked, looking confused.
’Entering the competition without knowing anything, with no sense of self-preservation... That’s very dangerous.’
"We didn’t know we were coming to participate in this competition when we first arrived," Moira said.
She was telling the truth. Before the game began, no one knew what its content would be.
"Oh, I see. In that case, you probably didn’t prepare any extra Space Buttons, either," said Eleanor Vaughn.
She then glanced at Shane Rhodes and the other two, her light blue eyes instantly widening. "You’re actually using first-generation Space Buttons? Haven’t those antiques been phased out for ages?"
At her words, Moira said nothing. She simply lowered her head slightly, her expression downcast. It was as if she had said nothing at all, and yet, it was as if she had said a great deal.
Although Shane Rhodes, Kai York, and Hugh Finch couldn’t fully understand the conversation, they had a tacit understanding with Moira. They followed her lead, lowering their heads and putting on dejected expressions.
The Elven Race places a high value on appearances. To put it bluntly, they are suckers for a pretty face. And as it happened, all four members of Moira’s group were quite attractive.
Seeing them like this, Eleanor Vaughn’s guilt skyrocketed. She couldn’t help but feel remorseful, thinking she shouldn’t have spoken so loudly and been so blunt.
’They just saved my life, and I turned around and hurt them.’
Eleanor was flustered for a moment. She wanted to comfort them but didn’t dare, afraid she might unintentionally hurt them again.
After a moment (though in reality, not much time had passed), Eleanor Vaughn reached to her waist, grabbed a handful of items, and pressed them into Moira’s hands.
"Please don’t be sad. I didn’t mean it. Take these Space Buttons. Think of it as a thank you for saving my life."
Moira looked at the Space Buttons in her hand. There were about five or six of them.
She probed them with her spiritual power and found that each one had about fifty to sixty square meters of space. They were quite large.
Remembering what Eleanor Vaughn had said earlier, Moira realized these Space Buttons must have been prepared specifically for the Isle Turtle.
Following Cathayan tradition, Moira made a show of polite refusal before, under the other’s insistence and finding it hard to turn down such a generous offer, cheerfully accepting the Space Buttons.
It was clear from their conversation that these Space Buttons weren’t particularly valuable items to Eleanor Vaughn.
Just then, a faint but urgent call drifted over from the distance.
Eleanor Vaughn’s ears twitched. She turned her head, a look of delighted surprise on her face. "My companions are here for me! I’m so happy I met you all today. Can we exchange Intelligent Brain contacts?"
"Of course."
After exchanging contact information with Eleanor Vaughn, Moira finally had her very first contact in her Intelligent Brain.
Before Eleanor Vaughn left, Moira thanked her sincerely. "Thank you for the Space Buttons."
After Eleanor Vaughn was completely gone, Moira turned around to find Shane Rhodes and the other two staring at her, their eyes filled with eager anticipation.
The Space Buttons Eleanor Vaughn had given Moira were all disguised as decorative items like stud earrings, rings, hair ties, and so on.