Chapter 73: Last Day, Jellyfish

Just as Lily Rhodes finished speaking, ripples suddenly broke the surface of the water surrounding her sailboat. Immediately after, bizarrely shaped wooden rafts surfaced one by one.

Upon spotting Lily on her boat, one of the men’s eyes lit up, flashing with naked greed.

"This is a Level 10 Vehicle! Once we capture you, we’ll never have to worry about supplies again."

"That’s not all! The boss will officially take over The Supreme Shop. From then on, our Brotherhood Guild will be the strongest Guild out there. Who would dare challenge us?"

Lily stared at them with icy eyes. She stepped into the cabin and started the sailboat’s engine.

The stationary vessel suddenly surged forward, barreling straight toward one of the men in a suicidal, kamikaze-like assault.

However, the men didn’t show the slightest hint of panic.

"We figured you’d pull something like this, so we came prepared—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Lily’s sailboat smashed right through his raft, shattering it to splinters.

The impact was terrifyingly smooth. The boat didn’t even stutter. It was as if she hadn’t rammed into their reinforced rafts at all, but rather sliced through a block of fragile tofu.

But she wasn’t done. Since these people had dared to ambush her, Lily had no intention of letting them go.

After destroying the first raft, she immediately swung the helm around and steered the sailboat toward the next target.

One, two, three...

In mere moments, the ambushers found their rafts obliterated. They floundered helplessly in the water.

It was the middle of the day, and the sun was at its most blistering peak.

Thrashing frantically in the boiling seawater, the men realized their vehicles were completely gone. Their earlier arrogance and greed vanished without a trace.

"Boss, we were wrong! We’re absolute scum! Please, spare us just this once!"

"Boss, we really messed up! We’re willing to serve you like dogs!"

The others chimed in, pleading for mercy. Yet, Lily didn’t harbor an ounce of sympathy. She adjusted her course and drove the boat straight at them.

Without the protection of their rafts, getting rammed by her sailboat would only result in one thing—death.

Not wanting to die, they gritted their teeth and dove beneath the surface.

After all, they were wearing deep-sea diving gear.

Seeing this, Lily stepped out of the cabin and watched the water with calm eyes.

One minute, two minutes, three minutes passed.

One by one, lifeless corpses slowly floated to the surface.

Their diving suits had been slashed to ribbons, rendering the gear completely useless. Distinct ligature marks bruised their limbs, but aside from that, they bore no other wounds.

These men had drowned.

"Beautifully done, Sprout. I’ll give you extra rations when we get back."

Somewhere below, staying with Shelly, Sprout joyfully shook its leaves upon hearing Lily’s praise.

Today was the final day of the event.

Most other Survivors likely realized that gathering Poisonous Snail Shells with the remaining time wouldn’t be enough to exchange for their desired items. Instead, they opted to farm Points to push their rankings higher.

Because of this, Lily noticed a sharp decline in the trading volume of Poisonous Snail Shells after the third day. Conversely, the exchange rate for Lava Crystals surged significantly.

Lily checked the time, then glanced over the tranquil sea. "It should be time for the Treasure Chests to refresh."

However, she waited a while, and the vast numbers of Treasure Chests didn’t spawn on the water like they had before.

"What’s going on? Did I miscalculate the time?" Lily checked her clock again.

Just then, she spotted a massive expanse of vibrant colors floating a short distance away. Amidst the hues, she could faintly make out the silhouettes of wooden Treasure Chests.

Seeing this, Lily steered her sailboat closer.

She kept her speed low, wary of any potential accidents.

However, as she approached, she realized the vibrant colors were actually a massive smack of giant jellyfish.

Each jellyfish measured over ten meters across. The brilliant hues she had seen belonged to their bodies, and the Treasure Chests were tangled tightly in their tentacles.

Lily maneuvered near the closest jellyfish, intending to scoop up the chest.

The moment she reached out, the tentacles drifting lazily on the surface suddenly sprang to life, attempting to coil around her arm.

They didn’t just target her; the tentacles lashed out, trying to wrap around the sailboat as well. Fortunately, likely due to the hull being fused with the Gold Spirit Pearl, the appendages failed to find any purchase on the ship.

Seeing this, Lily retreated into the cabin and retrieved her golden Fish Spear.

She had originally prepared the Fish Spear specifically for the Volcanic Venom-Snails. But after realizing she lacked any real combat Talent, and knowing that Shelly’s presence meant she wouldn’t need to scrounge for measly scraps herself, she had given up fighting. The spear had been sitting idle ever since. Now, it was perfect for dealing with these jellyfish.

Spear in hand, Lily thrust the weapon straight into the jellyfish’s massive bell.

After a few rapid stabs, the creature’s vibrant colors began to dim. Eventually, the hues faded entirely, returning it to the translucent appearance of a normal jellyfish.

Lily hauled the jellyfish carcass out of the water, effortlessly pulling up the entangled Treasure Chests along with it.

Only then did she realize that the part she had seen was merely the tip of the iceberg. The body hidden beneath the surface was even larger, and its submerged tentacles were ensnared with even more chests.

Killing that single jellyfish had netted Lily a total of five wooden Treasure Chests.

She popped all the chests open, listed their contents in The Supreme Shop, and then moved on to attack the next jellyfish.

Despite their massive size, the creatures were incredibly easy to kill. Other than trying to entangle things with their tentacles, they had no actual means of attack. Furthermore, according to the System’s appraisal, they were completely non-venomous.

They were non-venomous, but still inedible. Their bodies stored absurd amounts of salt; taking even one bite would dehydrate a person to death.

Lily kept busy well into the afternoon until she finally cleared out the entire smack of jellyfish.

"Finally done," Lily sighed with relief, slumping down inside the cabin.

She tossed the Fish Spear casually to the side. Nearby sat several Bronze Treasure Chests filled with the jellyfish carcasses she had collected.

After taking a short break, Lily stood up, returned to the helm, and piloted the sailboat to dive beneath the surface.

If everything went as expected, that previous batch of Treasure Chests was the final spawn of the event.

Having been busy out here for days, Lily desperately wanted to return to Shelly’s back, bury herself in a soft bed, and sleep like the dead.

"I’ve been working so hard," she murmured. "I’ll cut open a watermelon to celebrate once I get back."