Chapter 34: The Spider Queen

With this in mind, Lu Ming stared directly at the Tier 3 supply crate and silently recited: "Ultimate Sublimation!"

[Prompt: Please select the sublimation tier: Tier 2 / Tier 1]

Upon seeing this prompt, Lu Ming felt a mix of surprise and regret. The surprise was that from now on, no matter what kind of supply crate he acquired, he could boost it by one or two tiers to obtain even more exquisite treasures. The regret, however, stung: he had been too excited when he encountered a supply crate at the clothing store and had completely forgotten to use sublimation, wasting a Tier 2 base material.

"Tier 2."

[Prompt: Sublimating the "Tier 3 Supply Crate" requires 3,500 "Specialized Crystals." Are you sure you want to consume 3,500 Specialized Crystals to sublimate the "Tier 3 Supply Crate" into a "Tier 5 Supply Crate"?]

[Confirm]
[Cancel]

"Holy cow! 3,500?!"

Does this damn thing have a backpack-scanning feature? Is the program peeking at him from some dark, damp corner? He had only 3,710 Specialized Crystals in total, including the ones he had just gathered from the four insect pupae. If he spent 3,500 now, wouldn't he be right back to square one?

Staring at the "Confirm" and "Cancel" buttons, Lu Ming, a typical indecisive Libra, was torn. If he simply didn't have enough crystals, he wouldn't be struggling like this. But to be stuck at the exact threshold? How awkward!

If he upgraded, he would be penniless, and he had no idea if the contents of the crate would change. If they did, it might give him something high-grade but utterly useless, like an "Ultimate Luxury Version of Advanced Nanny Mastery." If he didn't upgrade, he would be filled with regret. What if the Tier 5 crate contained something both luxurious and powerful? Wouldn't he cry himself to death?

"..."

He hesitated, mused, paced back and forth while rubbing his chin, and gazed at the setting sun. Suddenly, it dawned on him: night was falling, and his hesitation had almost cost him precious time! He glanced at the display—5:34 PM. Only 26 minutes until the transition between day and night.

"Should I just take it back?"

Since he couldn't figure it out here, he might as well take it home and plan carefully. As soon as the thought occurred, he tried to store the crate.

[Prompt: This item cannot be stored.]

?

It couldn't be stored? Fine, he would just carry it back. He picked up the crate and bolted toward the stairwell.

However, a frustrating development occurred: the moment he stepped out of the third-floor workshop area, the crate in his hands disintegrated and vanished. He started, glancing back instinctively, only to find the crate back on the ceiling.

Fine, so he could only process it right here?

He took the crate down again. Lu Ming struggled, finally gritting his teeth and closing his eyes. Screw it—nothing ventured, nothing gained! He didn't believe his luck could be that bad after changing his lineage. He was betting on it!

"Ultimate Sublimation!"

[Prompt: Please select the sublimation tier.]

"Tier 2!"

[Prompt: Sublimating...]

"Confirm!"

The purple supply crate decomposed and reorganized in his hands, reappearing as gold.

Oh! A golden legend!

[Prompt: "Tier 3 Supply Crate" successfully sublimated into "Tier 5 Supply Crate."]

"Identify!"

The Eye of Truth activated automatically, and the information window for the Tier 5 supply crate popped up.

[Tier 5 Supply Crate] (Special Item)
Category: Container
Description: Contains one S-rank Alienated Seed Egg.

Success!

It turned out that the contents didn't change after sublimation; only the item's level increased. B-rank to S-rank, purple to gold—a huge profit!

He pressed the gold button on the crate, and air pressure hissed out. The lid folded back, and the inner core rose slowly, presenting a fist-sized, fuzzy egg with a snowy-pink hue, as if held by the stars.

Looking at the pink-white egg, Lu Ming’s eyes sparkled with an eerie intensity. He had been worried it would be like the disgusting, purplish-black Sickle Owl pupae, but he hadn't expected it to be so beautiful. He chuckled.

He picked up the egg. It felt amazing—soft, bouncy, and it even had a strange, pleasant scent. Lu Ming, lost in enjoyment, suddenly stiffened and looked around, only to remember that this was the apocalypse; no one cared what he was doing. He then rubbed the egg against his face. It cost 3,500 Specialized Crystals—he had to enjoy it, right? Well, he shouldn't overdo it; who would compensate him if he broke it?

The sunlight suddenly dimmed. Lu Ming snapped out of his delight. He checked the time again: only ten minutes left until nightfall.

Going back was likely impossible, and there was no need. The dormitory building across the way looked decent enough; he could just move right in.

The seed egg was a living thing and couldn't be put into his spatial bag. Lu Ming didn't mind; he tucked it into his pocket, dashed to the window, and leaped from the third floor. From a height of over ten meters, his feet didn't even go numb.

He bounded across the factory courtyard, jumped, and landed on the second floor of the employee dormitory. He snatched up 27 compound bows lying on the floor and climbed through a window into a fourth-floor room.

He knew that aliens were active at night, and high-level specimens often roamed about. Whether they were just passing through or settling on the rooftops, he didn't know. So, he had specifically chosen a dormitory in the middle of the building.

He closed the window and spent 20 Specialized Crystals to upgrade the doors, windows, walls, and curtains. He was always generous when it came to life-saving measures.

The windows were now bulletproof, soundproof glass; the hinges were of superior quality; the walls were like a fortress; the door was blast-proof; and the curtains were made of perfect, light-absorbing nanomaterial. As long as they were drawn, even if he turned on the high beams inside, not a single ray of light would escape.

He calmed his heart and looked at the bed. The sheets and quilt were too filthy to look at. He thought, one shouldn't be poor in spirit or living conditions; life in the apocalypse was hard enough, and he couldn't compromise on basics like sleeping and eating.

Thus, Lu Ming spent another 3 Specialized Crystals to upgrade the bed, quilt, and sheets. Instantly, a luxurious, high-end, and sophisticated bedding set was complete.

Gazing at the soft, exquisite set that occupied half the room, Lu Ming sat down. The comfort seemed to draw his soul in; he knew that if he laid down, he wouldn't be getting back up anytime soon.

Forget it. Let's look at the egg's information first.

He placed the fist-sized egg in front of him and whispered, "Identify."

The information panel unfolded.

[Spider Empress] (S-rank Royal)
Category: Insect Royal Family
Description: Upon hatching, it will result in an S-rank Royal Alienated creature—the Spider Empress—possessing S-rank talent, strength, speed, endurance, vitality, and intelligence.

Hatching/Bonding Requirements: 1,000 units of high-purity alien protein, acquisition of Primary Nanny Mastery, 3 hours of close-contact incubation, and the hatchling must see the incubator as the first living thing upon emerging.

Current Status: Incubation not yet started.