Chapter 258: New Event Announcement
[Dear Players, the Nightfall Citadel Recreational Event will begin promptly on August 8th at 8:00 AM. We hope you all have a wonderful time! ~] ×3
[Friendly Reminder 1: For very young children (ages 0-3) who cannot care for themselves, Nightfall Citadel offers a childcare service. However, a childcare ticket is required.] ×3
[Friendly Reminder 2: Each Nightfall Citadel childcare ticket can be used for three children for one day. If you wish to enjoy the event for multiple days, please prepare enough childcare tickets for your children.] ×3
[Friendly Reminder 3: Nightfall Citadel has numerous attractions. Please do not lose yourselves among them.] ×3
The golden announcements appeared precisely at midnight.
Faye Yardley had just gotten out of the shower and was about to get into bed when she saw the announcements and immediately asked, "System, oh System, can the childcare tickets be purchased with money?"
When the System didn’t respond, Faye Yardley asked two more times.
[Yes. A single-day childcare ticket costs 10 silver coins each.]
"Thank you, System."
Faye Yardley felt this was good news. At least she wouldn’t have to worry about her brother’s side of things at all.
’As for what would happen to children over three, she had no idea. But judging by how Nightfall Citadel went out of its way to set up this thoughtful childcare service, the other children should have their own dedicated play areas, right?’
She shared the good news with her brother and Zachary Pierce, then specifically tagged Leo Sloan in the small group chat to share it with him, since he was the only one in the group with a child.
Leo Sloan: Thank you, Mr. Yardley. How do you get silver coins? I’m a little lost.
Bonnie Callahan: I only have copper coins, and I just got those by accidentally dismantling something while fishing.
Faye Yardley: Ah, I guess it just depends on luck. Most of my money was gifted to me by friends. How old is your little one? It seems there are separate arrangements for kids over three.
’She really wasn’t lying. The largest sum had come from Mike, the big guy with Nora Nash.’
Leo Sloan: Just a little over two. The System specified ages 0-3, so it must be counting by full years.
Faye Yardley sent Leo Sloan a targeted Red Envelope containing 20 silver coins and ten strawberries.
Over on his end, Leo Sloan accepted the Red Envelope, his eyes turning red. He really owed Mr. Yardley too much.
If she hadn’t been the first to offer a helping hand, he never would have made it.
Later, he had wanted to repay her in some small way. But whatever he sent her, she would always send back more in return, making him realize there was no need to present her with the "ordinary" things he managed to find.
"Daddy, Daddy... crying..."
Looking at his daughter’s innocent little face, Leo Sloan pulled the blanket over her and patted her back. "Be good, Daddy isn’t crying. Go to sleep now. In a couple of days, Daddy will take you somewhere fun."
"I want Mommy."
Stroking his daughter’s small head, Leo Sloan forced a smile. "Mm, Mommy will be there too. Be a good girl now, and sleep."
After sending the Red Envelope, Faye Yardley went to bed.
Her sleeping hours were getting shorter and shorter, yet her energy levels were better than ever.
At 4:00 AM, the surface of the sea was still serene.
Stepping onto her small balcony, Faye Yardley sprinkled a little dew on the vine and said, "Don’t be hasty. Grow slowly. Look at the Green Egg next to you—it’s in no rush to come out, either. You can both just take your time."
As for the Bramble leaves and flowers dangling outside the balcony’s glass window, they seemed to be growing better than ever.
Opening the glass window, Faye Yardley reached out and plucked a light blue flower. She sniffed it; it seemed all the flowers had the same fragrance.
"Little Bramble, you haven’t been absorbing the black seawater day and night without stopping, have you?"
A gust of wind blew past, carrying the RUSTLE of leaves, and for some reason, Faye Yardley understood.
"Don’t give yourself nutrient overload. There’s no rush. Growing slowly is fine too."
A branch drooped down and swayed before her eyes a couple of times.
Faye Yardley suddenly had the urge to pull the Bramble’s roots out of its planter and toss the entire plant into the black-water area, letting it take root directly in the vortex.
"System, oh System, do you think I could plant the Bramble outside the raft?"
But this time, no matter how many times she asked, the System gave her no reply.
"Tch, so stingy. If the answer’s no, just say so."
’It’s probably like when I got the Magic Seed,’ Faye Yardley thought. ’The System prompted that it needed to be planted and cared for by hand to get the results I want.’
’I planted it myself, and even though I haven’t been standing by its side watching over it, since it’s on my raft, that counts as me taking care of it, right?’
’Maybe leaving the raft means losing the System’s protection?’
Although it was just Faye Yardley’s guess, she felt there was no need to take the risk. It would be a classic case of suffering a double loss—not worth the trouble.
Of course, as for her idea of planting the Bramble directly out there, Faye Yardley still thought the concept was sound. If the Bramble wouldn’t work, maybe she could try other plants.
’Eamon would definitely be happy to give that a try, wouldn’t he?’
She leaped down directly from the window.
She was about to run to the planting room when she remembered it was just after 4:00 AM. It was a bit too early; Eamon might not be up yet.
Changing direction, she headed for the breeding room. Speaking of which, without Willow around, she had no idea how the poultry and livestock in there were doing.
Faye Yardley missed Willow Yardley. And at that same moment, Willow was missing her, too.
It was already the 6th. The event would start in just two more days.
Willow Yardley was preparing to make some more special snacks for her older sister to take with her.
Besides, the children over here also needed all sorts of snacks.
After leaving the training room today, Faye Yardley settled down to fish for treasure chests.
She hoped to rely on her luck to catch a few more treasure chests, which would increase her chances of getting good items related to the event.
Even if she didn’t consider the people with her brother, just for herself, it was always better to have more things on hand.
As for Cole Kensington, who hadn’t been able to catch a single thing, he’d long since given up on torturing himself. He preferred to practice more on his own rather than continue wasting his time.
DRING DRING DRING~
Faye Yardley accepted the call while casually pulling up her fishing rod, dismantling the large fish on the hook and sending it to her inventory.
"Yardley, oh Yardley, could you give me a few more barrels of that black seawater?"
"Sure. You provide the wooden barrels, and I’ll fill them for you."
"Hahaha... You really are a generous one, little girl. You didn’t even ask what I need it for. In that case, this old Taoist won’t stand on ceremony. Catch this Red Envelope."
Faye Yardley accepted the Red Envelope and found not only wooden barrels inside but also 10 enhanced explosive talismans.
They were truly enhanced, because Master Veridian had even specially written a note to explain them.
Getting paper and a pen here wasn’t nearly as easy as it used to be.
The fact that he was willing to do so showed that he was exceptionally pleased with these 10 talismans; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been willing to waste the ink.
’I really want to try one out right now.’
Despite the impulse, Faye Yardley was rational enough to store them in her inventory first.
"Little Bramble, take these barrels over there, fill them with black seawater, and then bring them back."
The Bramble paused for a moment—’this is someone stealing my rations!’—but it still extended its thorny vines, wrapped them around the barrels, and did as it was told.