Apocalypse Arrives: I Become a Powerhouse by Scavenging

"What happens to the people dragged away by the Panla Water Grass?" Moira asked.

[They get eaten.]

Moira: ...

’I feel like I just asked a really dumb question.’

After a final glance at the panicked crowd below, she turned the Flying Device and flew in the direction indicated by the arrow.

’This is just the beginning. The path ahead is sure to be filled with more dangers. I need to be even more careful from now on.’

’The Panla Water Grass incident was probably just an appetizer.’

At this thought, Moira couldn’t help but sigh. She kind of missed Shane Rhodes, Kai York, and Hugh Finch.

’With those three around, things would be so much easier. All she had to do was provide information at the right time, and she wouldn’t have to worry about a thing.’

As the thought crossed her mind, Moira suddenly realized how dangerous it was.

As the saying goes, ’Rely on a mountain and it will collapse; rely on a person and they will run away.’ Ultimately, the only person you can truly rely on is yourself.

Just as Moira was giving herself a mental pep talk, she suddenly noticed a layer of some white substance on a tree not far away.

After her earlier encounter, Moira wasn’t about to let her guard down. She first scanned the area with her spiritual power, only approaching slowly after confirming there was no danger.

"Patience, what is this?"

Moira reached out and touched the white substance. It was hard to the touch, a translucent, keratinous material that looked like some kind of solidified liquid.

[Master, that is Water Salamander Saliva. It’s excellent stuff! It promotes sleep, enhances beauty, and prolongs life. It’s a top-tier supplement; high-quality Water Salamander Saliva is as valuable as Gold.]

After hearing Patience’s explanation, Moira, who had been disgusted by the thought of it being mere salamander drool, had an instant change of heart. Her eyes lit up as she reached out to pull at the Water Salamander Saliva.

With just a slight tug, a large chunk of the Water Salamander Saliva came right off.

Moira stored it in her personal space.

Spotting more on several other trees, Moira quickly went over and collected it, afraid someone might show up and try to take it if she was a second too late.

"Patience, you know the drill," Moira said with a smile as she finished storing all the Water Salamander Saliva.

[No problem. Mission accepted.]

With Patience’s assurance, Moira continued through the unfamiliar swampy rainforest, occasionally stopping to collect the goodies Patience discovered, so long as it didn’t slow her down.

Most of these finds, however, were wild fruits. They were scarce, but they tasted wonderful—a perfect mix of sweet and sour. Some even had properties that could treat and prevent illnesses.

However, her Healing Ring had already cataloged these effects, so Moira was now collecting them purely for their taste.

Besides the fruit, Moira found more traces of Water Salamander Saliva.

This time, however, her luck wasn’t as good. The Water Salamander Saliva had clearly been gnawed on by something, and it was covered in distinct bite marks.

The marks looked fresh, the saliva on them still wet. It was obvious that whatever animal had made them had only just left.

’It probably heard me coming and hid.’

Looking at the mangled remains of the Water Salamander Saliva, Moira hesitated for a moment. After having Patience confirm the bite marks weren’t poisonous, she collected it anyway before turning to leave.

Unbeknownst to her, not long after she left with the Water Salamander Saliva, a creature with long ears, round eyes, and beautiful golden fur came hopping into view from the opposite direction.

However, as it cheerfully arrived at the spot where the Water Salamander Saliva had been, its jaunty hopping came to an abrupt halt, its large eyes filled with confusion.

’Where did my Water Salamander Saliva go? Where’s my giant snack?’

’I was only gone for a second to get a drink of water. My food got stolen just like that?’

"HOU! HOU! HOU!!!"

The creature threw its head back and let out an enraged shriek.

’You despicable thief! Just you wait till I find you!’

Moira, who hadn’t actually gone very far, naturally heard the cry as well.

She glanced back in confusion. "What was that? It sounded so miserable."

[Judging by the sound, that should be a Kaelith. It’s a small, golden creature that lives in the swamp. You can ignore it, Master. Kaeliths are extremely timid. When bullied, they only dare to throw a tantrum after the other party has left.]

In short, picking a fight with a Kaelith is like picking a fight with a ball of cotton.

"Oh, I see."

Moira nodded, then turned her head forward again. Her gaze fell on a clump of green plants nearby that resembled four-leaf clovers.

[Flipping Grass. A wild grass that grows in swamps. It has a sour, bitter taste but is rich in nutrients. When cooked, it develops a unique flavor.]

[Characteristics: Fast-growing and highly reproductive. Basically, if a single stalk of Flipping Grass appears in a swamp, the entire swamp will soon be overrun by it.]

[Additionally, Flipping Grass has water-purifying properties.]

[Conclusion: This is a plant you will like, Master. Please collect it at once.]

Moira went over and delightedly stored the entire patch of Flipping Grass in her space.

’It only grows in swamps.’

’Cloudsea Planet doesn’t seem to have any swamps. But that’s okay. Even if it doesn’t, other places do.’

’That other place doesn’t seem to have any Flipping Grass, or I would have found it already instead of having to wait until now.’

’Bringing this back will be perfect for enriching the biodiversity there.’

Just as Moira finished collecting the Flipping Grass and was about to leave, a red figure suddenly shot out of the water, hurtling toward her face at incredible speed.

In the nick of time, a transparent protective barrier materialized, blocking the sudden assault.

With a SPLASH, the thing fell back into the water. A fish, red all over and with a mouth shaped like a sharp hook, floated to the surface belly-up.

Clearly, the force of its own attack had been considerable—it had knocked itself unconscious.

[Eaglehook Fish. Characteristic: Possesses a hard, sharp, hook-shaped beak, much like that of an eagle.]

[They are excellent hunters, typically hiding in underwater vegetation and waiting for birds to approach the surface to drink before delivering a fatal strike.]

Recalling the scene from moments before, Moira felt a surge of lingering fear.

Looking at that sharp, hooked beak, she realized that without the protective shield, the Eaglehook Fish would have likely torn a chunk of flesh from her face.

At the thought, Moira couldn’t help but touch her own cheek.

She took a hand net out of her storage space and scooped up the Eaglehook Fish that was still floating in the water.

"Say, is this Eaglehook Fish edible?"

By now, Moira had developed a habit: whenever she encountered something unfamiliar, her first reaction was always to wonder if it was edible.