Survival Queen of the Frozen Wastes novel Chapter 158

Chapter 158 A Gift For Neeko

Chapter 158 A Gift For Neeko

The young ape hopped with joy, bowing repeatedly to Riley.

As if that wasn’t enough to show its gratitude, it turned and vanished into the darkness.

A moment later, it scurried back, holding a handful of strange fruits.

They were translucent and pale blue, like fallen stars, giving off a crisp, fresh scent.

Starlight Berries (Rare Ingredient)

Consumption: Excellent taste. Slightly improves night vision. Perfect as a dessert.

Riley took one, wiped it, and popped it into her mouth.

Crunch.

Sweet juice exploded over her tongue, followed by a cool, minty finish.

“Not bad.”

Riley nodded.

For a bunch of rascals, these monkeys certainly knew how to show appreciation.

She looked at the remaining berries, her thoughts drifting to Neeko.

Neeko would love these.

Riley opened her system interface and found the Auto-Feeder control panel she’d left running in the background.

She placed the Starlight Berries into the slot.

“Confirm.”

୮

+20 Free Coins

Thousands of miles away, back in the frozen wastes.

Inside the cozy cabin.

Neeko was lying bored on the rug, her building blocks ignored. On her tablet, “Tom and Jerry” was playing for the eight-hundredth time.

“Riley… slow… work hard… when come back?”

She sighed, her ears drooping.

Riley had been gone for a full day now.

Suddenly, the Auto-Feeder in the corner, which looked like a fancy water dispenser, flashed a green light.

1/3

1:24 pm

PP

Chapter 158 A Gift For Neekö

Ding-dong!

A pleasant chime echoed through the room as the slot door slid open.

A few glowing blue berries, looking like gems, rolled out into the bowl.

Neeko’s ears snapped upright at the sound.

She blurred across the room, picking up a berry and sniffing it curiously.

It smells like Riley!

Neeko’s eyes lit up like twin suns.

She shoved a berry into her mouth, and the sweet juice made her eyes narrow in pare bliss.

“Riley! Not lost!”

“Riley eating good stuff!”

Neeko carefully gathered the remaining berries in her paws, refusing to eat them all at once.

“Wait for Riley.”

2

+20 Free Coins

Back in the Deadwood Grové.

Seeing the “Feeding Successful” notification on the UI, Riley allowed herself a small smile.

She closed the screen and leaned back against the warm wood, listening to the monkeys playing and TartKing’s occasional laughter.

The Glow-Crystals bathed the hollow in a cozy, bright light.

Most of the monkeys were already passed out, snoring in various positions across the floor.

Riley and TartKing sat in their corner, a half-empty bottle of Primal Brew between them.

୮

The alcohol had brought a faint flush to Riley’s usually cold, stoic face, making her look a little less like a killing machine and a little

more relaxed.

“So…”

TartKing sat on a stone stool, hugging her knees and chuckling. “You’re telling me you unequipped your title just to catch an Iron- Arm Ape, beat it half to death, and it still didn’t work?”

“Don’t remind me.”

Riley rubbed her temples and took another sip. “I was questioning my existence. The description says lowering their health makes them easier to seal, but no matter how much I thrashed that thing, the Sealing Orbs just bounced off.

“I even had a plan for it. I was gonna give it a hard hat, name it ‘Rex’, and make it mine coal for me.

2/3

1:24 pm G

Chapter 158 A Gift For Neekö

“But nope Two orbs wasted. Total mental breakdown.”

+20 Free Coins

Riley sighed, pointing to her invisible title. “I’m starting to think this Unlucky Fool thing has a hidden curse. Like, ‘100% chance to miss out on cool pets. The negative effect is only supposed to be about finding chests in the wild.”

“Hahaha!”

TartKing laughed, putting on a mock-serious deep voice. “It’s your destiny as a scrub-tier luck stat. Accept it, oh unfortunate one!”

“But seriously…” TartKing stopped laughing, her eyes bright. “Pet or no pet, you’re still a beast, Riley.”

“You did alright yourself, TartKing. Or should I call you ‘King of the Apes’ now?”

TartKing blushed a little, scratching her head and giggling.

They packed up their gear and prepared to turn in for the night.

“Alright, get some sleep.”

Riley stood up and stretched.

“We move tomorrow. Pineapple Beer won’t be here for a while, so we’ll scout around and grind some mobs. PineappleBeer said the leaderboard rewards are solid this time, so we need to put in the work.”

r

3/3

4:24 pm