SWNOVELXO Chapter 135: A Treasure Box
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Fatty Li, still bound to the back of the beast like a sack of misfortune, mumbled to himself, "I really hope he's not in too much trouble… I mean, Kent's little sister looks so innocent, but her temper is… even a demon will get scared."
Nima's eyes softened slightly as she patted fatty Li's shoulder. "Don't worry, Fatty Li. Once we find Kent, we'll have a proper talk. And maybe you can prove that you're more than just a young master of some big family." Her tone was both mocking and encouraging, it was a strange mix that only she could pull off.
As the laughter and murmurs subsided, Nima took command. "Alright, gather up. We're moving out. Auri, lead the way. Fatty Li, you come with me. And if any of you see Kent, alert the group immediately." She said to her beast showing Kent's picture. She pulled his picture from her mobile phone.
With that, the eclectic trio set off into the labyrinthine- like depths of the ruins. The midday heat bore down as they marched through crumbling corridors and vast open forest ground which was littered with ancient debris. Nima's eyes gleamed with a mix of determination and mischief, and Auri soared overhead, his tiny frame darting through the ruins like a silver streak.
Back amidst his own solitary quest, Kent continued his relentless SP harvest. Every evolved tree he encountered was a miniature celebration, a contest of wills between him and the very soul of the forest. The trees, each with its own peculiar personality, bobbed and creaked in response to his every provocation.
In one instance, Kent found himself in a bizarre tango with a tree whose branches curled like the arms of an old friend. With every feigned caress, notifications burst across his display:
Ding! +800 SP copied from the tree (Amused Delight).
Ding! +900 SP copied from the curly tree (Sour Reminiscence).
Kent chuckled, "These trees sure know how to dance." He mimicked a ballroom pose, twirling around as the tree's branches swayed along, as if caught in a gentle waltz.
Yet amid the mirth, Kent's mind was preoccupied. "Where is Nima? And what gift could possibly appease her fury?" that thought never left his mind while he wondered. Even as he danced with nature, the thought of his elusive, imperious sister remained a heavy weight upon his heart.
It wasn't merely the risk of her anger—she was unpredictable, her temper as volatile as the elements he so casually manipulated. It was his love and care for his little sister which made him worry.
Time passed in a blur of laughter and SP rewards. Kent's walk soon became a frenetic dash as he sprinted across the clearing, chasing a particularly feisty oak that seemed determined to shake off his persistent advances. Branches whipped past his face like wild lashes, and on more than one occasion, he had to leap overhead to avoid an errant vine. Despite the chaos, his internal system notification bar kept scrolling merrily, a constant reminder of the points he was raking in.
At one point, a ferocious gust of wind sent him tumbling onto a carpet of multicolored leaves. For a moment, he lay there, staring up at the cerulean sky, his mind wandering to the thought of a gift—a rare item, maybe an ancient relic imbued with the power to calm even the most wrathful of spirits. "Somewhere in these ruins… something sacred, something powerful… something that'll say 'I'm sorry' without me having to say it out loud," he murmured to himself.
His search grew more desperate. Every nook and cranny of the ruin was inspected, every hidden alcove probed. All the while, the evolved trees continued to laugh and cry out, some even giving up their soul prematurely. Kent's internal display flashed a congratulatory message as he accumulated more SP than he'd ever seen in a single day.
"Ding! Total SP now: 98,0000! Jackpot, baby! Almost one million SP. These trees are the real SP bank." he announced with a wild grin. "I'm rich beyond belief! But what good is a treasure if my little sister's fuming mad?"
As the sun crept higher into its zenith, Kent's energy began to wane, not from exhaustion but from the overwhelming frustration of fruitless searching. He stopped in the center of a broken courtyard, its floor a mosaic of cracked tiles and faded runes. The silence of the place was almost mocking after the cacophony of the forest.
He slumped against a cold stone column, dabbing his forehead with a ragged sleeve. "Maybe I should give up on the gift… let's find her, make a grand entrance that'll make her less angry," he mused bitterly. "But no, that's too predictable." He stood, determined once again to press on. "I'll find that gift—even if I have to cut through every last annoying tree until I do!"
At that moment, his system beeped with a new alert—an unknown artifact had been detected nearby, deep in the labyrinthine corridors of the ruins. Kent's eyes lit up. "Finally," he whispered. "Maybe this ancient relic can calm my dear sister's temper… or at least keep her from punching my face off."
With renewed vigor, he gathered his things and strode forward. Every step was punctuated by the cheers of the trees and a mixture of playful curses and uproarious laughter. In that moment, the ruins themselves seemed to relish his irreverence, his SP notifications a steady drumbeat to his mad dash for treasure.
Far away, Nima's motley crew was making progress of their own. The group trudged along narrow passageways and decayed halls, the cacophony of their footsteps punctuated by occasional animal sounds and distant echoes of ancient magic. Nima led the way with a steely gaze, her underlings ever-vigilant at her command. Auri was still flying high above, his eyes scanning the ground for any sign of his errant brother.
"Where could Kent be?" Nima grumbled, her tone a mix of irritation and determination. "He's had enough time to find me. Maybe he hid behind a rock, or buried himself under a tree, or who knows what else. I want him found… now!"
As the search parties continued to find Kent, Nima and Auri stayed together for a moment. The vibrant energy of the ruins clashed with the somber mood of their task. Nima's eyes, though stern, softened as she glanced at Auri. "I hope Kent's not getting himself into too much trouble, he always does that," she murmured.
Auri chirped softly in agreement, though his injured wing still dropped from the earlier skirmish with those greedy cultivators. "Chip… chip," he replied, promising silently that he'd soon be found.
Back in the heart of the forest, Kent continued his solitary quest. He charged forward, his footsteps echoing on stone. "This is it," he whispered fervently. As he approached the arch, the shimmering light grew brighter, and he could see that it was coming from a small chest encrusted with ancient runes. It sat half-buried in rubble as if waiting for a discoverer.
He knelt and brushed away the layers of dust and moss. The chest was surprisingly intact, its surface adorned with intricate carvings of mythical beasts and celestial patterns. Kent's pulse quickened. "Now, this might be what I've been looking for," he murmured.
He tried to open the chest, but it was locked with a spiritual seal. "Hmmm… a puzzle," he said, grinning. With a deft flick of his hand, he summoned his hell fire to burn the seal. The ancient lock responded with a series of cryptic runes and shifting symbols.
Minutes ticked by as Kent worked his magic. He joked aloud, "Come on, chest, show me your secrets. It's not like I'm gonna let some little girl beat me at treasure hunting!" Finally, with a soft click and a burst of iridescent light, the chest sprang open. Inside was a dazzling array of rare items: an exquisitely crafted pendant that glowed with inner light, a scroll inscribed with forgotten incantations, and a small vial containing a mysterious, shifting liquid.
Kent carefully inspected each item. The pendant caught his eye immediately. "This could be it," he mused. "A gift worthy of a mystery little sister who called her mighty boss like Nima." However, a deeper part of him hesitated. Was this truly enough to ease her fury after all the chaos? He wasn't entirely sure. But as he cradled the pendant in his hand, he could feel it's comforting warmth seeping into his very being.
[Ding! Rare Artifact Acquired: Moonlit Pendant of Serenity – Increases emotional stability by 15% when used as a gift.]
Kent's mind raced with possibilities. "If I can get this to Nima before she loses her mind completely… then maybe I can stop her from decimating everything in sight." He slipped the pendant into his system storage alongside a few other trinkets he'd scavenged from the ruins.
With his newly acquired treasure safely in hand, Kent took a deep breath. The sun was now glaring down, "Time to head out," he thought grimly. "I need to find Nima. And I need to do it before someone clears the ruins."