Chapter 56: Spore Dust Storm

She was like a coiled leopard, setting down the silver secret casket while simultaneously springing forward off her single kneeling posture!

"Shadow Stealth! Activate!"

The newly acquired [Shadow Stealth Necklace] around her neck flashed with a faint ghostly light, and her presence instantly blurred, as if dissolving into the shadows cast by the lamp.

The venom-coated dagger gripped tightly in her right hand flickered with a chilling, eerie blue radiance, while the razor-sharp short blade in her left hand traced a freezing arc through the air under the illumination of the lamplight.

Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat!

There were no flashy movements—only maximum-efficiency, pinpoint assassination executed in the blink of an eye!

Su Liu’s figure flashed past the gloomy edges of the protective light barrier, resembling a ghost leaping through the illumination.

The poisoned dagger viciously sliced through the weak spots on the strange entities—areas burned by the lamp and previously injured—letting the virulent poison flood into them frantically.

Meanwhile, the sharp short dagger stabbed out like lightning, every single strike aimed straight at the key nodes of their internal energy flow and the fragile, joint-like structures of their bodies.

Their screams became hurried and chaotic, eventually devolving into a choked, leaking wheeze that cut off abruptly.

Dark green, foul-smelling fluids splattered everywhere like a punctured burlap sack.

When Su Liu’s figure reappeared clearly in the glow of the kerosene lamp and she retreated back beside it with a slight pant, only three puddles of rapidly dissolving dark-green residue, transforming into energy dust, remained at the edge of the light barrier behind her.

A few pieces of the toughest moss fragments and a handful of dim crystal shards lay on the ground, the sole proof of their once-lived existence.

Su Liu leaned against the edge of the kerosene lamp's orange halo, her rapid heartbeat and heavy breathing yet to fully subside. Glancing around to confirm there were no further strange movements outside the safe zone, she finally let out a true sigh of relief.

The ultimate thirty-second sprint, the snatch, the kills... and those three pools of dissipating dark-green energy dust silently attested to the sheer peril of the moment she had just survived.

"Hah..." She took a long, deep breath, turning her gaze to the spoils she held tightly against her chest—the heavy, ice-cold silver secret casket. It was this very box that, in protecting her, had drawn five troublesome Shadow Moss-Claws, yet it also contained precious supplies far surpassing ordinary chests.

Not only that, but the eliminated Shadow Moss-Claws had provided Su Liu with an item that wasn't particularly rare, but was desperately needed—a Primary Core (Legendary)!

There were also two other Primary Cores, though merely of Rare quality, which could be hung on the trading hall to exchange for supplies.

"Tuanzi, well done!" Su Liu stroked the similarly high-strung little fox on her shoulder. The little fellow's bristling fur gradually smoothed down as it affectionately rubbed against her cheek.

Sensing its master's exhaustion and the joy of harvest, Little Tuanzi gently wrapped its fluffy tail around Su Liu's arm.

Exhaustion was replaced by curiosity. Su Liu put away the kerosene lamp, returned to her personal dimension, and placed the silver secret casket on the ground.

The silver radiance on the box's surface flowed under the lamplight, mystical and alluring. She took a deep breath, skillfully located the latch, and flipped it open with force.

The lid opened, and a fine dust drifted away.

Very well, no strange entities sprang out.

Indeed, the newbie protection period was coming to an end. From now on, opening boxes might release strange entities of varying tiers, and some supply boxes might even contain nothing but monsters, requiring careful handling.

[Lightweight Dust-Filtering Respiratory Mask Blueprint (form-fitting design, effectively filters suspended particles and unknown organic spores to ensure smooth breathing. Avoid sharp scratches to prevent damage)]

[Quick-Acting Anti-Adhesion Spray x 3 (sprayed onto clothing, skin, or equipment surfaces to rapidly decompose specific organic sticky substances; effect lasts approximately 60 minutes)]

[Windproof Goggles x 1 (enhances visual clarity, effectively reducing interference from sandstorms and suspended objects to vision. Includes low-light enhancement function (non-combat state))]

[Mineral water x 5, Kettle x 1, Mind-Clearing Tea x 8, Energy food for spirit beasts x 3, Weapon upgrade card x 1, Small bread x 2, Bandages x 2]

"Filter spores? Anti-adhesion?" Su Liu's brows instantly knitted together. Her fingertips brushed over the smooth dust mask and the ice-cold goggle lenses, and with her rich experience, she immediately captured the crucial information.

These supplies pointed toward something far too specific—they were tailor-made for harsh environments filled with high dust concentrations and specific sticky organic matter! Combined with the tier of the box and the impending conclusion of the newbie protection period...

"Spore Dust Storm!" A clear term exploded in her mind.

She immediately recalled a similar harrowing experience from a previous game.

It was not a directly fatal terror catastrophe, but the swirling dust filled the skies and blocked line of sight, causing visibility to plummet like a thick fog.

What was even more troublesome were the spores mixed within it; once attached to clothing or skin, they formed stubborn sticky layers that drastically slowed down movement speed.

To lose speed and vision in the wilderness was tantamount to exposing one's fatal weaknesses to the ubiquitous strange entities!

She immediately brought Little Tuanzi back into her personal space.

Even after finishing all this, her mind could not calm down. The shadow of the new natural disaster loomed over her like an invisible pressure.

To confirm her suspicions and understand the situation outside, Su Liu opened the game panel and entered the [Chat Hall - Regional Channel 888].

The crimson [Newbie Protection Period Countdown: 11 Hours] still hung proudly at the top, but the atmosphere within the channel now was vastly different from the relaxed mood of the early days.

Messages scrolled past rapidly and oppressively:

"Lone Wilderness Ranger": "Damn it! Almost bought the farm! A shadow wolf cub suddenly charged out of the black fog! Way too fast! My shoulder got ripped open! Anyone have extra bandages? Buying at a high price!"

"Marshmallow Bear": "Wuwuwu... I almost didn't make it... There was a white box by the road, and when I got close, the ground suddenly collapsed beneath my feet, hiding corrosive vines underneath... I got lucky, just tangled by the ankle and slightly burned, but I cut myself free with a knife and ran... I'm still scared shitless right now... With the newbie protection period ending soon, it feels like the strange entities have gotten way more ferocious... What is a Spore Dust Storm? Is it what I think it is?"

"Nameless": "??? You guys are way too unlucky! I just opened a roadside-spawned box, and nothing happened at all!"

"Dreamlike Geometry": "@Everyone, be alert! I heard a brother named 'Lone Wolf Howling at the Moon'... his avatar has already gone gray... Chat logs show that just a few minutes ago, he said he saw a gleaming silver box, and then..."

"Kite and String": "...Confirmed. 'Bambi the Fawn's' avatar has also gone gray. She private-messaged me saying she was going to check out a 'service point' not far ahead that looked safe... and then she lost contact..."

"Spring Water Commander": "Everyone! Something is wrong! The frequency of overlapping roads seems to have increased! Be extremely cautious when opening boxes and exploring service areas! Light your kerosene lamps and create a safe distance! May peace be with—"

"Dreamer on the Keyboard": "Shut up, Commander! Every time you say 'May peace be with you,' the rate of avatars turning gray right after is as high as 80%! Say something useful! Who has healing items? I'll trade resources!"

"I Hate Calculus": "Judging by this momentum... it feels like the world is really about to turn upside down. We don't know what the natural disaster is yet, but the strange entities are definitely getting restless before the newbie protection period ends! Does anyone have items that boost speed or increase vision? Let's trade resources!"

Su Liu silently closed the light screen. The messages in the chat hall resembled a silhouette of a doomsday scene: sneak attacks, severe injuries, death... even tentative guesses regarding the words "spore dust" began to appear.

The count of grayed-out avatars quietly grew, serving as a silent reminder of how death shadowed every player's footsteps.