Survival Queen of the Frozen Wastes novel Chapter 88

Chapter 88 The Alchemy Bench

Chapter 88 The Alchemy Bench

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“PineappleBeer: No clue. My memory’s totally shot. I only get bits and pieces in dreams. If I dream up anything useful, I’ll let you

know.”

“SpicyBurger: Alright. Just watch your back. Sounds like they’re running some kind of hunting operation. They’re using special items to reset their camps right next to top players on the leaderboards, then hitting them with weakness potions. Keep an eye on the area around your own spot.”

“PineappleBeer: Thanks, but honestly, I’m not too worried.”

“SpicyBurger: Don’t get sloppy.”

Riley figured PineappleBeer was getting overconfident again and was about to shoot back another warning when the next message made her pause,

“PineappleBeer: Seriously, though–I’m not even at my camp. Haven’t seen any new setups nearby. And it’s not like they can break in or trash the place anyway. I’ve been out for days now, just looting supply crates. Right after a zone resets, the drop rate for wilderness containers gets a temporary boost.”

“SpicyBurger: Hold up–something that good and you didn’t tell me?”

Out looting for days straight? Riley shook her head. PineappleBeer really is something else. She must’ve had a sleeping bag or something similar to camp out in the open.

“PineappleBeer: You never asked.”

“SpicyBurger: !!!”

“PineappleBeer: I’ll fill you in next time.”

Riley also sent a message to Tartking, passing along the intel about the group’s plan and the boosted crate rates.

But he’d never been anywhere near the top of the leaderboards. He’d kept a low profile the whole time, so it was unlikely he’d be a target.

“Tartking: Thanks for the heads–up. I’ll stay alert.”

Deep in the mine, everything went quiet again.

After warning the other two, Riley didn’t head out right away. Instead, she took Neeko and did a quick sweep farther into the tunnel, following the path those guys had come from.

Aside from the shallow coal seam Rat had found near the entrance, there were a few decent veins of iron ore deeper in.

Riley gave a satisfied nod.

She burned a little more energy gathering extra coal and iron.

She was running low on stamina for the day, so large–scale mining was out of the question. But with the threat gone, this mine was basically her personal stash now.

Riley stepped out of the cave.

1/3

3:53 pm

M

Chapter 88 The Alchemy Bench

+35 Free Coins

Outside, the wind and snow had mostly died down. The sky had that heavy, lead–gray look that meant more bad weather was probably on the way.

She strapped on the “Quality Skis” she’d crafted earlier and aimed for the cluster of survivor camps she’d spotted through her scope.

“Neeko, keep up!”

“Whoosh-”

The skis cut two clean lines through the snow. Riley kept her center of gravity low, letting her body flow with the contours of the drifts. She made good time.

In under ten minutes, the row of camps came into view.

Five of them, lined up side by side. Under normal circumstances, it would’ve looked like a decent little outpost. But now, with their owners dead, the whole place felt hollow and still.

Riley stashed her skis and walked in.

All the camps were Level 2.

The fences were just flimsy wooden palisades, and in some sections, loose piles of rocks were all that marked the boundary. The structures inside were just as sad–aside from a shack that barely counted as shelter and a basic campfire, there was almost nothing to speak of.

“Man, these guys were barely scraping by,” Riley muttered, shaking her head.

These were Level 2 camps. By that point, you’d expect at least some basic furniture or a workbench. But the place was stripped

clean.

She remembered what the squad leader had said about handing over all supplies.

Looked like that guild leader, Nightshade, was running his crew like a sweatshop. Squeezing every ounce of value out of them, only handing back the bare minimum to keep them alive, plus some gear to keep them useful.

The campfire in the central camp was still burning, but the flames were weak. Without anyone tending to it, it would flicker out

soon.

Riley approached the storage chest in the nearest camp.

“System: This camp does not belong to you. You do not have permission to access the management panel.

“System: The camp owner is deceased. You may conduct a physical search.”

Riley didn’t hesitate. She lifted the lid.

“Obtained: Wood ×45

“Obtained: Stone x20

“Obtained: Bread x6”

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