novelraw Chapter 242
Chapter 242
Along with the Easter Egg fragment notification on Yu Xi’s phone, a new hidden task appeared.
Congratulations on discovering the “Exiles’ Treasure”: The Emerald Mine.
Hint: Assist the exiles in utilizing the mine effectively to receive a hidden reward.
Yu Xi immediately opened the teammate permissions and selected “Share Hint.”
Within moments, both Lin Wu and Ya Tong received the shared notification about the hidden reward.
Lin Wu glanced at the notification, chuckled, and quickly typed a message. Since they were now officially a team, messages could either be sent to specific teammates or shared in the team group chat.
A few seconds later, Ya Tong sent a message as well.
The timing was so synchronized it almost looked rehearsed.
Lin Wu: Thanks to our lucky charm for carrying us. [Bowing emoji]
Ya Tong: Big thanks to the lucky charm. [Cigarette-lighting emoji] Yu Xi: (づ￣3￣)づ~
Yu Xi: By the way, the Easter Egg fragment has been found. After viewing it, I have a bold theory. It’s not convenient to explain now—let’s discuss it later.
The next day, travelers who had spent the night in the underground city discovered that there was a new item available for trade: raw emeralds.
The emeralds were not abundant, and each was about the size of a pigeon egg. However, their color was remarkably rich, and their clarity was exceptional. With some cleaning and polishing, these stones would become high-quality emeralds.
In a stable, city-based station, emeralds of this caliber would typically sell for anywhere between 10,000 to 80,000 credits per carat. Each of these pigeon-egg-sized stones weighed approximately five carats.
In a dimly lit stone chamber, Ya Tong stood with her scarf loosely wrapped around her face. She held an emerald between her gloved fingers and addressed the travelers before her in a low, steady voice:
“These raw emeralds are limited in quantity. We’re only accepting trades for five types of goods: weapons, fuel, medicine, spices, and cold-weather gear.”
In the Desolate Land, these were the most critical supplies.
As for the travelers, once they left this outpost, the northern black wall would be within reach. If they could confirm the train station’s location, they’d have only a few days left to survive in the desert.
And if they managed to reach the next station, they could easily trade a single emerald for large quantities of currency, supplies, or even gold—something that remained a reliable asset in more orderly worlds.
To these travelers, the deal was irresistible.
Trading a few liters of fuel, some warm clothing, a few bags of salt, or even a simple revolver for an emerald was a no-brainer. Even if they realized later that they’d made a one-sided deal, the desert was too unforgiving to waste time going back to demand a refund.
Most travelers wouldn’t risk sneaking into the walled city anyway. After surviving the desert crossing, they would usually choose to lie low near the wall until the countdown ended and the train station activated.
As for whatever happened once the station opened—well, that was an entirely different game.
Ya Tong took all these factors into account when drafting the emerald trade plan for the exiles. After all, sitting on a fortune while starving to death was foolish.
But displaying the treasure too openly would attract the wrong kind of attention.
So she designed a system with meticulous care:
Only a small number of emeralds would be sold.The transaction process was standardized and strictly regulated.A small group of well-trained individuals was assigned to handle each exchange.Ya Tong stayed up all night finalizing the training.
Meanwhile, Yu Xi never slept either.
With her enhanced strength, what would normally require heavy machinery or a team of miners took her mere hours. Like a tireless excavation machine, she dug through the rock face from bottom to top.
By dawn, she had carved out an enormous, bowl-shaped cavity in the stone wall. Hundreds of emeralds—ranging in size from a chicken egg to half a human head—covered the cavern floor.
Throughout the night, Gou Dan had accompanied her.
Initially, every time Yu Xi pried loose a large emerald, he clapped his hands and shouted, “Wow!” or “So cool!”
By midnight, he was leaning against the wall, wide-eyed and murmuring, “Big Sis is terrifying… Big Sis is like… a mining robot…”
When Ya Tong later arrived with the newly trained team members, she stopped short at the cavern entrance.
The floor was covered in glimmering emeralds.
“What the…?” Ya Tong’s voice trailed off as she took in the sight.
Yu Xi wiped the stone dust from her hands and grinned. “Felt like playing a mining simulator. It was so satisfying!”
Ya Tong: …
Lin Wu: …
Everyone else: …
Yu Xi’s grin only grew wider. The emeralds weren’t just for the exiles. She had also set aside several fist-sized stones in her spatial inventory—future bargaining chips for whatever the next station might throw at them.
Two days later, the emerald trading operation was running smoothly. The trained exiles took over day-to-day operations, and Ya Tong shifted to a supervisory role.
As soon as she stepped away from the frontlines, her phone buzzed.
[Hidden Task Completed: The Exiles’ Treasure]
[Reward Calculating…]
Congratulations on successfully assisting the exiles in utilizing the emerald mine.
Hidden reward granted.
The hidden reward for Ya Tong and Lin Wu was the activation of their “Easter Egg” feature.
For Yu Xi, the reward was an upgrade to her “Space” skill, increasing it from Level 1 to Level 2, effectively doubling her storage capacity from 100 cubic meters to 200 cubic meters.
While she didn’t unlock a second skill, the increased space was invaluable for someone like Yu Xi, who relied heavily on stockpiling supplies to navigate each station.
With the emerald trade boosting the supply of weapons and fuel, the exile community was now better armed and more secure. As the trio prepared to leave, Yu Xi took time to help Ya Tong finalize arrangements for the underground city.
They divided the city into distinct zones:
Guest Quarters: For travelers needing shelter.Residential Zone: Reserved for the exiles’ own use.Resource Areas: Including the spring, the emerald mine, and storage caverns.Yu Xi emphasized the importance of security, ordering traps to be set at strategic points. The maze-like tunnels provided a natural defense, but complacency was dangerous.
Meanwhile, Lin Wu busied himself tending to the injured.
The harsh desert environment, coupled with years of scarcity and violence, left many of the exiles in poor health. Few lived beyond forty. Untreated infections were a leading cause of death.
Now, with a fresh supply of medical supplies, Lin Wu resumed his old role as “Dr. Lin” and treated every patient he could.
After two more days of rest, the trio gathered to discuss the mysterious Easter Egg fragments.
The fragment Yu Xi had unlocked was no longer viewable on her phone, but the memory was permanently etched into her mind.
In the memory:
She saw her hands organizing items: two bottles of high-temperature perfume, a disguise lipstick, an Air Hair Dryer, a jar of repair foundation, a case of metallic ice, and several packs of nutrient solution.These were the same ten items she’d found in her initial inventory.But the context surrounding the memory remained blank—like a single puzzle piece floating in a void.
“It feels incomplete,” Yu Xi said. “I can’t recall where I was or why I was choosing those items. But if I really did select them myself, that means… my skills, supplies, even my appearance, were all choices I made.”
She paused, then added, “Actually, this feels a lot like setting up a character in a game. Think about it: each station has hidden missions and skill unlocks. Everything we’ve encountered—the borders, the fragments, even the station tasks—feels more like game mechanics than reality.”
Lin Wu nodded slowly. “I’ve seen similar patterns. When I was in the Phantom Manor station, there were supernatural elements I couldn’t explain through science.”
“Then maybe these memory fragments are keys,” Ya Tong suggested. “Once we collect enough pieces, maybe we’ll remember why we’re here—and what the main objective actually is.”
The others agreed.
Departure Day.
With just over ten days remaining on their station countdown, the trio packed their gear and prepared to leave.
The exiles gathered to see them off, guiding them through a series of secret tunnels to a concealed exit.
“This path is our shortcut to the Black Wall,” Gou Dan explained. “If you took the surface route, you’d need two extra days to cross the rock fields—plus, there’s the risk of rattlesnakes and horned vipers.”
The boy stood alongside his friends, Gou Sheng and Pang Mao. The three of them lined up to give a final salute.
“We know,” Gou Dan continued, his voice cracking, “that outsiders never return once they reach the wall. But meeting you guys… meeting our boss… and Big Sis Yu Xi and Doctor Lin… it was the best thing that ever happened to us. We hope you make it safely to the Black Wall. And… goodbye forever!”
Ya Tong tousled his hair. “Stay sharp. Never underestimate outsiders—many of them have abilities you can’t imagine. Always leave yourself a way out.”
“Yes, boss!”
Yu Xi retrieved gifts from her expanded inventory:
For Gou Dan: a North-Western hotpot set.For Gou Sheng: a Cantonese dim sum selection.For Pang Mao: a fried chicken bucket.“Eat it within two days,” she warned. “It won’t last long.”
Lin Wu contributed a case of instant noodles and vacuum-sealed sausages—easy to store and guaranteed crowd-pleasers.
Ya Tong handed over a set of tear gas grenades and hand bombs she’d salvaged from her time in the war-torn Hope City.
The exiles accepted the gifts with red-rimmed eyes. Gou Dan, the youngest, was the first to break into tears.
Yu Xi gently placed an extra bag in his hands. “This is just for you—since you kept cheering me on while I was mining.”
The Jeep appeared with a soft hum. The trio climbed in, and the vehicle rumbled away into the desert.
Gou Dan opened the bag to find it filled with colorful candies and chocolates. In the dim light, the wrappers shimmered like emeralds.
“It’s just like the treasure cave,” he whispered.
An hour later, the Jeep rolled across gravel flats, leaving the rocky canyon behind.
From the backseat, Yu Xi peeled an orange and passed wedges to the two in the front.
The sweet, tangy aroma of fresh citrus filled the cabin.
Ya Tong accepted her share with a faint smile, the taste of the fruit stirring distant memories of past journeys through endless, empty landscapes.
Lin Wu’s voice shattered the silence.
“The weather looks strange,” he said, adjusting the rearview mirror. “It’s mid-morning, but it’s getting darker.”
Yu Xi leaned forward to peer through the windshield.
“Is that a cloudbank to the west? It rarely rains here. Why are the clouds so thick?”
Ya Tong’s expression darkened.
“That’s not a rainstorm,” she said.
Yu Xi inhaled sharply.
“Sandstorm?”