Chapter 23: Receiving the Gift, Stealing Space

The addition of Tianba allowed Su Bai to prepare for collecting supplies in Linghai City, ensuring she was fully ready for what lay ahead. Tianba’s inclusion brought a qualitative leap to Su Bai’s overall strength; at level 5, Tianba was officially her most powerful pet.

Su Bai couldn’t wait to use her "Receive" talent to integrate Tianba’s abilities into herself. She had previously received talents from Pearl and Baiyu. Pearl’s "Enchanting Voice" talent had imbued Su Bai’s own voice with a magical quality. Su Bai discovered that as long as she focused her mind, her voice carried a peculiar infectious power capable of swaying the emotions of others. While she couldn't fully control minds yet, she believed that with long-term practice, she could achieve even more incredible feats through her voice.

Baiyu’s freezing talent had granted Su Bai control over the ice element. Su Bai had hoped to combine the freezing talent with her "Energy Strike" skill to see if she could produce frozen energy attacks, but the attempt failed due to a lack of proficiency. Furthermore, her current use of the freezing talent only made her hands icy, lacking the ability to freeze objects directly like Baiyu. Despite this, Su Bai was still thrilled. After all, possessing multiple abilities was, in itself, a powerful means of survival.

"Ding! Receive talent successfully activated!"

Su Bai successfully received Tianba’s talents: "Master Thief" and "Thief’s Space." Of the two, she was most excited about "Thief’s Space." This spatial talent could not only store items but also play an unexpected role at critical moments. Once she successfully received the talent, she immediately sensed a cubic space within her consciousness, roughly ten cubic meters in size—about the volume of a medium-sized room. While not particularly large, it was enough for Su Bai to store a significant amount of supplies.

"Yes! With this space, I don't have to worry about my supplies being stolen anymore!" Su Bai clenched her fists in excitement, her eyes sparkling with joy.

Hearing this, Tianba flashed a look of dissatisfaction in its lone eye, glancing at her coldly as if to say, "Who exactly are you pointing at?"

Noticing Tianba’s gaze, Su Bai couldn't help but laugh. "Still, with this space, it’ll be much easier to stockpile supplies." She walked over to the storage rack and began moving essential items into the "Thief’s Space."

Food, medicine, tools... one by one, items vanished under the control of her consciousness, entering that mysterious void. "With this, even if a sudden situation arises, I won't have to worry about supplies," she noted with satisfaction, feeling a sense of security.

Next, Su Bai began planning her future actions. She knew that although her strength had improved significantly, she still could not let her guard down against the powerful monsters in the Mist Forest, especially the level 10 Mist White Moth, which remained a major threat. "I must continue to increase my strength while making full preparations for the future," she whispered to herself.

She walked to the window and looked at the thickening mist outside. She felt a faint sense of worry, but more importantly, a sense of anticipation for what was to come. She knew that as long as she kept working hard, she would survive in this world filled with crises. With the company of Tianba, Pearl, and Baiyu, her confidence grew even stronger. "No matter what, I will protect myself and them," she vowed, casting a firm look at her resting companions.

The mist from the Mist Forest had gradually spread to Linghai City. The streets, the exteriors of buildings, and even the air itself were permeated with a grayish-white haze, as if the entire world were shrouded in a blur. Standing by the window, Su Bai looked at the scene being swallowed by the mist, feeling a faint unease.

At the same time, Su Bai did not forget to monitor the news online. Although the internet had become intermittent, she seized the time to download a wealth of survival information, including wilderness survival skills, food storage methods, and instructions for crafting simple tools. She knew that once the network went down completely, these materials would become vital references for her survival. Furthermore, she carefully recorded the locations and routes of all safe zones within the country. These safe zones were shelters established by the government to cope with the digital catastrophe. While she had no immediate plans to evacuate, she knew it was always wise to keep a backup plan. "If the situation truly deteriorates to the point of being uncontrollable, at least I know where to run," she murmured, feeling a slight sense of comfort.

While browsing, a post suddenly caught her attention. It was officially released by the state, detailing all digitized areas within the territory of Great Xia, accompanied by images of the monsters in each zone and their danger assessments. "This is!" Su Bai looked at the content with surprise, her eyes widening as she saw information regarding the Mist Forest.

She realized there were many more monsters in the Mist Forest than she had previously encountered. It wasn't just silkworms, Mist White Moths, or Mist Horned Rabbits. "There are other types of insects? Green Cotton Worms? It seems I should catch a few for Pearl to try."

Su Bai hadn't expected the government to have already conducted such detailed investigations and records of these digitized areas. In the post, the Mist Forest was listed as a "High-Risk Area," with detailed data and images of the Mist White Moth. As she read the information, she gained a deeper understanding of the mission Qin Yuke and her team were on.

"So that’s it. No wonder Qin Yuke and the others were recording things in the Mist Forest; this was the reason," Su Bai whispered, her tone tinged with respect. She knew these soldiers faced immense danger while carrying out their duties, yet they still rushed to the front lines without hesitation to gather vital intelligence for the country and its people.

"Soldiers have their duties, and I have my own way of living," Su Bai clenched her fists with determination. She knew that while she couldn't make a massive contribution like the soldiers, she could protect herself through her own efforts—which meant she wouldn't be a burden to the country.

As night fell, Su Bai began her stockpiling operation. She put on lightweight gear, shouldered her backpack, and left home. This time, her destination was not the Mist Forest, but the residential and urban areas that had been evacuated long ago. Because of the encroaching mist, Linghai City had been officially declared a danger zone, turning it into a ghost town. Although most residents had evacuated, these places might still hold useful supplies.

Su Bai carefully navigated the streets, avoiding hidden dangers. Her "Appraisal Eye" skill played a crucial role in the darkness, helping her search for anything of value.