Compromise is a fragile thing, swayed by circumstance. And where do you stand?
~N0v03~
"This really sucks…" Furina looked at the dry ration and mumbled softly.
Xiao Li glanced at the awkward Furina and asked, "What happened, little Furina? You don't like this?"
Dazed, Furina nodded while looking at her. "Nothing much… it's just hard to swallow. Can we even survive to see tomorrow's sun? Can this really maintain our energy during a fight?"
Xiao Li giggled and hugged Furina from behind, pressing her two large mountains against Furina's back, jolting her out of her daze.
"Don't worry, my little Furina. This stuff might taste bad and be difficult to swallow, but it can provide enough nutrition to survive for months without suffering malnutrition." She rubbed her cheek against Furina's soft, fluffy head.
"And besides, once we're out, how about I treat you to dinner?"
Just then, Liu Yushui came hopping from tree to tree with incredible speed and landed near them.
She looked at them with a bright, energetic smile. "Do you know what I just saw?" she asked with a mysterious grin.
Sophie, who had been enviously watching Xiao Li and Furina cuddling, shifted her attention to Yushui with interest.
Furina sighed and shook her head. "Did you spot any suitable soul beast for me?"
Yushui smiled and clapped her hands. "Bingo! Right answer. Now guess what it is?"
All three looked at each other with helpless expression. "We can't guess, Your Highness. Please be kind and shower us with your profound knowledge." ×3
Yushui puffed out her chest with a proud grin and waved her hand in a show-off manner. "Well, what can I say? Sigh… I just spotted a rare and unique soul beast."
Xiao Li released Furina and lunged toward Yushui, but Yushui quickly jumped sideways to avoid the assault. With a helpless expression, she explained, "Okay, okay, I'll tell you, but don't be shocked."
She clapped her hands behind her back, trying to look profound as she circled around them. "When I was searching for a soul beast for my cute little Furina, I worked very hard, seriously looking everywhere. But then I was attacked by a Dature Snake. After fighting for a while, I won. My hands and face were covered in blood, so I decided to wash myself near the river." She looked at the three with serious expression. "Do you understand so far?"
The three nodded in unison. "Hmm, hmm." ×3
"After washing up, I saw a blinding light, like a small sun dazzling my eyes. To be cautious, I decided to check what it was. And then I saw… I saw…"
The three leaned forward. "You saw?"
"I saw a Holy Turquoise Water Crocodile near the shore, sleeping. I observed it for a while and then came to report it."
Except for Furina, Sophie and Xiao Li exclaimed in surprise and lunged toward Yushui. Caught off guard, she was sandwiched between the two.
"Are you sure it was a Holy Turquoise Water Crocodile and not some other soul beast?" Sophie asked, while Xiao Li looked at her with eager expectation.
Yushui nodded with confidence. Furina, watching the three get excited, sighed. "So… what is this Holy Torq..hmm whatever it is? Is it really that important?"
Looking at the confused Fufu, Sophie explained, "Well… how should I put this? Any soul beast with 'Turquoise' in its name is already valuable. And this one is especially rare because it possesses both holy and water attributes."
Furina nodded in understanding. "So it would sell for a high price?"
Sophie nodded. "Yes, but the most important point is that it might be perfect for your first soul ring. It would complement your water attribute while also granting you a holy attribute."
Fufu's eyes glazed over as countless arithmetic calculations and formulas floated around her mind. A light bulb seemed to flicker above her head.
Holy attribute with water, an ideal choice. Her martial soul already possessed both hydro and sacred life elements. It was a match made in heaven.
"Turquoise itself represents blessings, luck, clear thinking, and tranquility. A large gem can fetch tens of thousands of gold coins. Even the corpse could be used to craft purses or shoes for nobles and noblewomen."
Sophie turned to Yushui. "Have you determined its age?"
"Yes," Yushui replied. "It's around 400 years old. I saw four pointy scales on each side of its back."
Sophie nodded. "Well then, we have our goal. Let's move quickly before it disappears or gets hunted by someone else."
With that, the four took their positions with Xiao Li behind, Yushui in front, and Sophie with Furina in the middle.
After ten minutes of following Yushui, they finally reached the place and spotted their target.
Furina's eyes widened as she saw the crocodile: its body size of a mini-van a blend of deep blue and sky blue, its tail like a decorative antique embedded with countless small gems of varying shades of blue. On its back rested a large turquoise gem, the size of an adult's palm, gleaming with brilliance.