Aethelgard: The Survival Game (Chloe) novel Chapter 25

Chapter 25 The Arcane Soil Purifier

Thanks to the weather, the Ignis Slime’s damage output, though terrifying and far more impressive than the Water Slime’s, was severely blunted by the steady rain falling from the sky.

Chloe Bennett’s Aqua Sphere had also grown noticeably smoother and more practiced than before.

She managed to intercept every single one of the Ignis Slime’s attacks with pinpoint accuracy, and she still had enough leeway to summon more aqua spheres and send them crashing hard into the Slime’s blazing body. She discovered that the rainy day almost felt like an environmental buff, making Aqua Sphere far more intuitive to control.

Before, summoning a water sphere had felt like trying to ladle soup with chopsticks. Now she could finally use the spoon directly.

Abstract as the metaphor was, magic itself was just that abstract, and that was exactly how Chloe felt. It was as if the environment itself was boosting her.

Her Energy consumption had also dropped dramatically.

She fired off five aqua spheres in rapid succession, a dense and unrelenting barrage that hammered straight into the Ignis Slime’s head.

Perched on its crown was a tiny flower made of dancing fire, just like the water flower on the Water Slime. It flickered and burned. The volley was too fast to dodge. The Slime collapsed from the air and dissolved into a Golden Chest.

Notification: [Congratulations. You have slain a High–Level Slime. One Golden Chest acquired.]

Chloe panted for breath and stared at the chest, a trace of disbelief crossing her face. ‘Was it really that easy?‘

The last Slime she’d killed had taken every ounce of strength she had. This fight had gone so smoothly it felt

surreal.

As she crept closer to the chest, she understood it had been a perfect storm of circumstances. Her Slime Slayer title boosted her damage.

She had home–field advantage with the endless rain, making Aqua Sphere feel like an extension of her own. body. And she’d known the weak point was the flower on its head.

Layer upon layer of factors had let her bring the Ignis Slime down so easily.

The cold was sinking deep now, her body heat plummeting fast.

She stowed the Golden Chest in her System Backpack and hurried back into the wooden cabin, clutching the Unstable Arcane Wish Rod like an exasperated cat owner dragging the offending feline to the scene of the

crime.

She flung the door open, tossed the rod onto the floor with a sharp slap, and used a finely controlled Pyro Sphere to ignite the Basic BBQ Grill, hanging a slab of chicken over it to cook.

She also peeled off the soaking burlap clothes and threw them outside. That outfit’s next role in life would be as a cleaning rag.

Stripped down, she crouched by the grill and let the fire slowly warm her, her face still parchment–pale. The flames inched her temperature upward. Her Damp status began to drop by degrees.

Only then did she let herself open the Golden Chest.

Notification: [Congratulations. You have obtained five Warming Stone.

[Congratulations. You have obtained one Ignis Crystal.

[Congratulations. You have obtained one Winter Thermal Suit.

[Congratulations. You have obtained two Fire Vine Seeds.

[Congratulations. You have obtained one

Successfully unlocked!

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Chapter 25 The Arcane Soil Purifier

[Congratulations. You have obtained Arcane Forge Expansion Blueprint.

[Congratulations. You have obtained Unknown Arcane Pendant.

[Congratulations. You have obtained Sorceress’s Pact Scroll.]

The cascade of chimes was far sweeter than the sound of rain outside. Chloe thought nothing soothed a wounded spirit quite like a stream of good rewards.

There was no Arcane Workbench Upgrade Tome among them, but the Arcane Forge Expansion Blueprint still made her eyes go wide.

Notification: [Warming Stone: An ingenious human design for containing and preserving heat, forged from a blend of multiple special metallic ores.

[It possesses the ability to retain warmth for an extended period.

[Quality: Premium. Durability: 100/100. Maximum temperature tolerance: 572°F.

[Attributes: Crafted Item / Alchemical Product / High–Density Composite Metallic Material.

[Ignis Crystal. Quality: Epic. Attributes: High–Mana Energy Medium / Pure Element / Rare Conductor.

[Arcane Forge Expansion Blueprint: Allows for the construction of an additional expansion attached to an existing Arcane Workbench, upgrading the quality of the Arcane Workbench.

[Quality: Rare. Attribute: Single–use Building Expansion Blueprint.

[Arcane Forge: Unlocks additional arcane forging functions. Specific functions will be determined by the materials used.

[Building Requirements: Arcane Workbench. Soil: 2×3.

[Building Materials: 50 Premium Iron Ingots, 30 Premium or higher Obsidian Crystal, 3 Epic High–Mana Energy Medium.

[Unknown Arcane Pendant: A simple pendant made of a raw magical crystal bound with sturdy hemp rope. It appears to be quite old, yet still faint traces of magic cling to it. Quality: Unknown.

[Sorceress’s Pact Scroll: Magic has been betrayed before, and abandoned.

[The Sorceress Shana Blackwood, feeding her hatred and resentment with blood as her medium and anchoring her spirit to an Eldritch God, designed a special scroll capable of burning the very soul.

[Quality: Unknown. Magic Threat Level: High Risk.

[Effect: Once both parties agree to the terms and activate this scroll, a binding pact is formed. Neither party may break their sworn promise. Should anyone violate the pact, the betrayer’s soul shall burn, and their life shall be forfeit to eternity.

[Hidden Effect: When activated, the scroll will present itself as nothing more than an ordinary contract.] ‘A Golden Chest truly delivers, Chloe marveled. Her eyes landed on the Sorceress’s Pact Scroll and the mention of an Eldritch God in its description.

An involuntary shiver ran down her spine. ‘So magic isn’t just real in this game. There are Eldritch Gods too?‘ She exhaled. and decided not to think about it.

She couldn’t think about it. That was far beyond the concerns of a rookie player at her current stage.

She pulled her attention away and focused on what she considered the most valuable prize from the chest: the Arcane Forge Expansion Blueprint.

She studied it, and a small pang of melancholy settled in her chest. It needed an Arcane Workbench too. The Winter Thermal Suit was a common item. Common items didn’t carry lengthy descriptions. It was simply a down–filled coat with thick padded trousers, an attached hood, and a warm, detachable inner lining.

It looked very cozy. Chloe pulled on the inner lining and the insulated trousers and stowed the coat itself in her System Backpack.

She picked up one of the Warming Stones. Perhaps because it had dropped from the Slime, it was still

radiating a generous warmth.

The stone was about the size of two palms, and holding it to her chest felt like hugging a high–powered hot water bottle. A comfortable breath of relief escaped her.

‘It’s too bad I don’t have a heatproof iron pot or something, she thought. ‘Heating up some water for a warm drink would feel amazing right now.’

As her temperature climbed, she could clearly feel her physical condition improving in a tangible way. ‘Maybe that’s one of the perks of this game, she mused.

She glanced at the dense rain outside and decided she wouldn’t set foot out of the cabin all afternoon.

Her mind turned to the Arcane Soil Purifier. It was a Grand Epic item, after all. She’d learned by now that Grand Epic meant a superior specimen even among Epic–quality items. She still hadn’t even used the thing.

She pulled it from her System Backpack, and the system immediately flashed a warning: [Insufficient Space.] Chloe’s body was warm and toasty now, and she didn’t particularly want to go outside.

But being the master of this territory came with certain conveniences. She could directly place an item onto any spot she desired, as long as the distance wasn’t too far.

She opened the door and watched as the strange arcane construct materialized on her land.

It covered an area close to six by six yards. Its structure was staggeringly complex, covered in intricate, scrolling patterns and engraved lines.

Translucent pipes made of some unknown material crisscrossed through its frame, supporting a cluster of magical crystals above and plunging into the soil below.

The entire apparatus resembled a ponderous jellyfish, its heavy tendrils rooted deep in the earth.

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