Chapter 65: Crino Prairie 9
Now that she had a place to stay, Moira Lynch had no desire to sleep out in the open, especially after learning about the dangers of Nomadic Beastmen.
Taking advantage of their conversation, Moira asked the Crocodile Beastfolk more about the Crino Prairie.
Their conversation eventually turned to living conditions.
Moira Lynch didn’t mention Caelus. She only said that her home had suddenly become so hot that she didn’t dare go out during the day. With no money to buy food, her only option was to find work.
After hearing Moira’s story, the Crocodile Beastfolk was immediately filled with boundless sympathy for her.
"You poor child. No wonder you’re out here working at such a young age. So that’s the reason."
"You said your home is very hot. You could look for the Chimefin tribe. Their scales have a natural cooling effect, and they shed them periodically."
’A natural cooling effect? Isn’t that just a weaker version of a Water-cooling Stone?’
’Water-cooling Stones were great, but their effect was so strong it was easy to cause accidental harm.’
’But the Chimefin scales clearly wouldn’t have that problem.’
"Thank you for telling me so much. I don’t know how I can repay you... How about I take care of your trash disposal as thanks?"
Seeing the sincerity in Moira’s eyes, the Crocodile Beastfolk marveled once again. ’What a kind child.’
"Oh, I couldn’t ask that of you. The thing about the Chimefin isn’t exactly a secret."
"I want to, I really do."
After a bit of back-and-forth, the Crocodile Beastfolk finally relented, but it insisted on giving her some form of payment.
After all, Moira had painted such a tragic picture—no money and nothing to eat. The Crocodile Beastfolk felt it couldn’t take advantage of a child, especially not one who had helped them bathe.
’The last time we were this clean was right after we were born.’
Moira happily accepted.
With the advance payment from the Crocodile Beastfolk in hand, Moira went to the area where they kept their trash.
The Crocodile Beastfolk hibernate, so they don’t need to store food for the winter.
Moira glanced at the so-called trash heap.
It was different from the interstellar trash she had seen before.
The pile was outdoors, with only a crude awning for cover. Surrounded by withered branches and decaying leaves, it certainly looked the part.
Fortunately, however, the items underneath weren’t dirty once she brushed away the top layer of leaves.
The entire pile consisted of three main sections, each stored in boxes of varying sizes.
Moira casually opened one of the boxes. It was filled with toothpaste.
[...]
"It’s fine, I can read."
Moira cut Patience off and began reading the description on the toothpaste tube.
It was a toothpaste produced by the Crocodilian Tribe themselves and was quite popular across the galaxy.
Moira recalled the crocodile teeth she’d received earlier. Sure enough, every single one had been sparkling white.
’Oral hygiene is definitely important.’
’A toothache might not be a disease, but the pain can be killer.’
She checked the date. With about six months of shelf life remaining, she took it all.
After storing all the toothpaste boxes in her inventory, Moira opened the other two types of boxes. They were all, without exception, filled with toiletries: shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and body lotion, available in rich, light, and fragrance-free versions.
Moira looked over the products’ features. Before the extreme heat, this stuff probably would have sold like crazy. Sales had taken a major hit now, but they were still in demand.
Once she had stowed everything away, she felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
She checked the time. Dawn was still several hours away, so Moira set up some Sweet Catchers in the area.
Glancing around, she suddenly noticed something in a corner that resembled a shiitake mushroom.
"Patience, is this mushroom edible?"
[No.]
Hearing this answer, Moira couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. It looked so much like a shiitake mushroom, yet it was inedible. What a waste.
[Water Storage Mushroom. It has properties similar to a cactus and can store large amounts of water within its body.]
’Large amounts of water? How large?’ Moira eyed the Water Storage Mushroom. It wasn’t even the size of her palm. ’How much water can something that small possibly hold?’
Despite her skepticism, Moira picked one to test it.
In her hand, the Water Storage Mushroom felt like a sponge soaked with water.
She took one in her hand, gave it a hard squeeze, and a stream of clean water flowed out.
Seeing the unending stream, Moira quickly pulled out a container to catch the water.
In the end, she managed to squeeze nearly five liters of water from that single, tiny mushroom.
What’s more, the water was exceptionally pure and clean—perfectly safe to drink.
Not only that, but a harvested Water Storage Mushroom was also reusable. As long as she didn’t wring it completely dry, it could be used indefinitely.
Moira was blown away by the Water Storage Mushroom’s ability. ’Doesn’t this mean that as long as I have these, I’ll never have to worry about water again?’
Moira mentally apologized for her earlier skepticism.
She took a sip of the water from the mushroom. It had the faint taste of shiitake, along with a slight sweetness.
Using her excellent eyesight, she began searching for more Water Storage Mushrooms. It wasn’t a difficult task—they were everywhere.
After a busy night, Moira had harvested several hundred Water Storage Mushrooms. She even tried transplanting a bunch into her inventory, though she had no idea if they would survive.
At daybreak, Moira left the Crocodile Beastfolk’s territory through a back exit.
It was the fourth day of the game, and she had already collected four smileys. At a rate of one per day, this meant she was now a full day ahead of schedule. The pressure of time eased considerably.
Next, Moira’s target was the Chimefin’s territory. She was determined to get her hands on their scales.
Following the directions from the Crocodile Beastfolk, Moira sped along on her electric scooter.
She wasn’t sure how long she’d been riding, but her stomach started to rumble, and Moira realized it was almost ten o’clock. She had left the Crocodile Beastfolk’s territory at six.
Moira suddenly remembered that she’d forgotten to eat breakfast. And she had spent the entire night before picking mushrooms.
She couldn’t really be blamed, though. The Water Storage Mushrooms had been too captivating, and harvesting them was addictive. Then, once the sun came up, her mind was completely preoccupied with the Chimefin and their cooling scales. Eating had naturally been shoved to the back of her mind.
The sudden realization that she hadn’t eaten brought with it an overwhelming wave of hunger that made her legs feel weak and her vision darken.
Realizing she probably had low blood sugar, Moira didn’t hesitate to pull out an Energy Bar and shove it in her mouth.
’Ugh, carrot flavor.’
Moira’s expression was complicated. While the Energy Bar tasted infinitely better than a Nutrition Supplement, she hated the taste of carrots.