Chapter 126: A Great Windfall and the Crafting of Prayer Beads

A prompt rang out.

Congratulations, Host, for slaying the Level 12 Lake Erie Monster. Source Power +120.

At the sound, Lin Xiao was overjoyed. This Lake Erie monster was actually a second-tier transcendent creature; its corpse was certain to be worth far more than the Great Demon King’s. With a slight movement of his will, he stored it away in his inventory.

Host’s carrying capacity has reached its limit. No skills can be used. Please handle immediately.

So there was a penalty for reaching the weight limit as well. He had no choice but to break it down at once, he thought.

As expected, the system indicated it would cost 20 Source Power. While clicking confirm, he swam toward the lake’s surface, his lungs already burning fiercely.

“Misty, where is Jonathan?”

When Misty returned to the yacht, Zoe and Eleven hurried up to ask. Misty’s face was pale, and she did not know how to answer; she could only stand there dumbly, staring at the two women.

She had already foreseen this moment. She had abandoned them and risen alone to the surface to survive. Such despicable betrayal left her too ashamed to face them.

“Why aren’t you speaking? Where is Jonathan?”

Zoe and Eleven asked in unison, a bad feeling faintly rising in their hearts. Could it be that Jonathan had already fallen in battle?

Splash.

A head broke the water’s surface. Lin Xiao gulped down great breaths of air, feeling for the first time just how wonderful air could be. Tossed and tumbled by the giant waves, he could not even see where the yacht was.

“Jonathan, where are you?”

At that moment, a figure floated through the air toward him, shouting his name. It was none other than Zoe.

Zoe called out loudly. After hearing Misty explain what had happened, she and Eleven had rushed from the yacht without hesitation and searched the surrounding area.

She would not believe it. She would not believe that man had simply perished beneath the water. He had so many means at his disposal: slaying the Demon Projection, killing the werewolf chieftain, defeating the bloodkin duke, destroying monsters from another world—there was almost nothing he could not do.

He would not die. Absolutely not. He had to still be alive in this world!

Seeing Zoe crying out for him, Lin Xiao was suddenly seized by a mischievous impulse. Calculating the distance, he dove straight toward her.

Zoe was frantic, tears streaming through the storm. She refused to give up, calling his name again and again with stubborn desperation.

The thunder dragon roared; lightning flashed and thunder crashed. Bolts of lightning tore across the heavens like spears cast by the gods. Zoe trembled slightly in fear. Even if she was a witch, she was still only a woman.

Boom.

A thunderous blast rolled out. A shadow leapt from the water and caught Zoe in midair. It was Lin Xiao, using the Demon-Hunting Hand in reverse, striking the water to launch himself upward.

Ah!

Zoe startled and was about to turn her head when a familiar face appeared before her and fiercely claimed her lips.

Lin Xiao had never imagined that he would one day be so bold in courting a girl. When he saw Zoe moving through wind and rain, he could not help but want to gather her in his arms and taste her lips.

Zoe began by resisting, but in the end she turned to face him on her own and launched a daring counterattack. The two kissed passionately in the storm, everything else losing all importance.

Neither the storm nor the holy paradise, nor anything else, could stop them. Only each other existed, and only each other was eternal.

Gradually the tempest subsided. The dark clouds dispersed, thunder fell silent, and the winds and waves calmed, as though the heavens themselves did not wish to disturb them.

A setting sun rose from the lake, scattering golden light over them and freezing this moment forever.

……

When they returned to the yacht again, Eleven, who had rushed back ahead of them, threw herself into Lin Xiao’s arms in excitement. Michael and Stefan also came up to welcome his return.

Only after he had left did they realize that he had become the backbone of the entire group. Without him, this Silent Hill expedition would be a joke and would collapse at once.

“Stefan, you steer. I’m going to change clothes.”

Lin Xiao glanced at Zoe and said. The two of them were both a little embarrassed, especially Zoe; after returning, she had simply stood off to the side in silence, not daring to mention what had just happened.

In truth, most Westerners were quite open in temperament, and public displays of affection were common. But the two of them were both rather introverted, like Adam and Eve tasting forbidden fruit in secret, giving the matter a strangely indescribable feeling.

Walking into the room, Lin Xiao leaned against the door and recalled what had happened not long ago. A foolish grin spread across his face. Not easy, indeed—he was finally about to leave the ranks of the single and stride proudly into the army of the devoted.

Only Zoe had said that, for the time being, she did not want their relationship exposed. So the two of them decided to keep it secret and quietly enjoy a hidden romance. That seemed even more thrilling.

He stripped off his wet clothes and stored them in the inventory. When he took them out again, they had already dried. It was a use he had discovered by accident; these garments were equipment, so they could clean themselves automatically.

When he took out his equipment, he found that the monster’s corpse had already been completely broken down. A long row of items appeared in his inventory, startling him.

First were twenty portions each of Level 12 flesh essence and magic essence. Then came a large quantity of high-grade materials: twelve kilograms of bone material and a refined membrane spanning ten square meters.

In addition, there were three of the most valuable materials:

Lake Monster Spine: Level 12 high-grade material, weight 5 kg. Can be used to forge weapons or equipment.

Lake Monster Heart: Level 12 high-grade material, weight 1 kg. Can be used to forge weapons or equipment.

Lake Monster Gallbladder: Level 12 high-grade material, weight 0.3 kg. Can be used to refine life-restoration potions, or swallowed directly to permanently increase strength and stamina by 5 points. Resistance to snake venom increases by 30%.

“This monster’s gallbladder is a fine thing. This risk wasn’t taken for nothing.”

Lin Xiao was overjoyed. He immediately took out the gallbladder and swallowed it. Soon, a surge of heat rose from his abdomen, and his body grew warmly comfortable as his strength and stamina increased noticeably.

“The monster’s heart and spine—better to use them to make a rosary as a ranged weapon. Without a ranged weapon, if I run into an enemy who kites me, I could easily be toyed to death.”

No sooner had he thought it than he acted. Lin Xiao opened the system interface and, after browsing for a long while, settled on a rosary weapon:

Trueheart Rosary:

Weapon Type: Rosary

Required Level: 12

Grade: High

Weight: 6 kg

Durability: 35/35

Physical Attack: +30

Magic Attack: +50

Casting Speed: +5%

Special Effect: When released underwater, it can form a water-repelling membrane lasting 5 minutes

————

He chose this equipment not least because of its special effect. It could form a water-repelling membrane; the next time he entered the water, he would at least not have to worry about drowning.

Crafting this item required a medium-element crystal. Conveniently, when he had slain the mind flayer before, it had dropped two medium-element crystals, more than enough.

He placed the lake monster’s spine and heart into the forge and clicked confirm. The prompt indicated it would cost 80 Source Power.

Lin Xiao shook his head and confirmed with pain in his heart. Between dismantling and forging, the 120 Source Power he had gained from the kill dwindled in an instant to only 20.

After dealing with the equipment, Lin Xiao thought for a moment and felt it necessary to strengthen the three witches. Since he had obtained so much magic essence this time, along with the monster’s bone material and membrane, he might as well give them to the three women.

He dressed himself, called the three inside, took out eighteen portions of flesh essence and magic essence, giving each of them six portions, then brought out the membrane and bone material as well, piling them across the floor, saying they had all been taken from the monster just now.

Neither Eleven nor Zoe was surprised by his magical abilities; they had already seen them for themselves.

Only Misty was very curious. She felt his ability was far too miraculous—able to strip materials from a monster’s corpse. Such a thing was rare indeed.

Yet considering how many tricks he possessed, extracting materials from a corpse was hardly anything remarkable. In the end, Misty put the materials away, saying they would be just right for drawing a few scrolls in preparation for unexpected need.

“These are flesh essence and magic essence. They can enhance your transcendent powers. Remember not to eat them all at once—take them in several doses.”

Lin Xiao reminded them. The three women were not foolish and all nodded in agreement.

After speaking, Eleven exchanged a glance with Misty, then turned and left, casually closing the door behind them, leaving the two alone. They had long since noticed that the relationship between the pair had advanced.