340. If You're Really Cold...

At the junction of the Narcissus Channel and the Autumn Mountain Route, ocean currents and cold currents converge, creating abundant fish resources and numerous small islands.

Some of these islands are just reefs that are submerged when the tide rises, while others are lush and green, where birds bring seeds that take root and sprout, forming verdant islets.

Some larger islands had become secret hideouts for pirates, with docks built and ships moored there, serving as strongholds for rampant plunder along the shipping lanes.

It is said that some pirates even signed agreements with the Harmony Island authorities, existing as official privateers, which made them even more emboldened to plunder.

Despite this, Lu Ban still couldn't find any trace of the island.

He even wondered if he had gone the wrong way.

"It should be fine, right?"

Looking at the stars in the sky, Lu Ban murmured to himself.

Sitting at the front of the deck, Lu Ban tried hard to find traces of the island. According to the position of the stars, he should be moving in the direction they originally went. Unless the stars in this world are different every night, he would not be mistaken.

Hearing a noise behind him, Lu Ban turned around and looked back.

Amber is taking off her white socks.

These cotton socks are supposed to be warm and breathable, but now that they're soaked in seawater, they just stick to the skin, making the feet even colder.

Lu Ban carefully examined Amber's feet.

"Can the pollution you've been exposed to be reversed?"

Looking at those fair and jade-like feet, Lu Ban thought of the hideous and terrifying pollution that appeared at the ends of Amber's body when she used her Word Spirit. Now, it seemed that the pollution had faded away.

Amber looked up at Lu Ban.

"That's why a shrine maiden is a shrine maiden."

She placed her hand on her toes, trying to wipe away the water stains.

"By accepting the training at the Harmony Island Shrine, the shrine maiden gains the power to control the Word Spirit. Through these Word Spirit, she can communicate with other people, other beings, and even the world itself, using this as a bond to gain power."

The cold sea breeze blew against Amber's body, and her clothes, already soaked through, revealed her skin underneath, which was bloodless and looked like a corpse.

There were still some traces of pollution that hadn't faded, twisted on the upper arms, chest, abdomen, and thighs, making anyone who saw them feel sorry for them.

"Normal people, like you, rely on the witness of the priestess when they make vows. Once they break them, they will suffer the backlash of the world. And if you want to use the Word Spirit, you must endure the corruption."

"This world is sick, very sick. If you want to communicate with it, you will inevitably receive its Affliction and sorrow. Those indescribable murmurs, along with knowledge, are poured into the witch's mind, turning her into the way you saw her before."

"And a priestess can use spells to reduce the pollution, as long as she is not seriously polluted or injured. However, if she continues to use the Word Spirit when she is seriously injured, she may lose her rationality as a human and collapse into a monster. You don't want to see that happen."

She hugged her arms and bit her lower lip, seemingly quite cold.

Lu Ban shifted himself and fanned Amber.

Did you know that when water evaporates, it takes away heat? There are three ways to accelerate evaporation: increasing airflow, high temperature, and...?

Hearing Lu Ban's words, Amber was stunned.

"Or there's another way. If you're really cold, you can take off your clothes and hug me. That's what they always write in novels."

Lu Ban believed he had demonstrated a fearless spirit.

"???"

Amber found it incomprehensible.

"If you try to defile me, I will bite off my tongue and kill myself right now."

She said it with righteous indignation.

For some reason, shrine maidens, who dedicate their entire lives to the gods, always attract the covetousness of some men. Of course, most men have no way to get close to shrine maidens, while the powerful and wealthy have tried to use their power to coerce women who failed to become Head Miko.

And their fates were all tragic.

Amber is currently unable to use her Word Spirit. Her body is extremely weak, and there is no guarantee that there will be serious consequences after she is corrupted. Therefore, she has no choice but to threaten suicide.

"I have no interest in junior high school students."

Lu Ban made a comment, then remembered that she might not understand what a middle school student meant, so he added.

"Aren't you a little too confident in your looks and figure?"

"You!"

Amber didn't know where this person got the energy to joke. Her face flushed slightly, but quickly turned pale again due to the cold.

If this continues, she might freeze to death before daylight.

"Can't you conjure fireballs, or even food?"

Lu Ban asked upon seeing this.

"The food is out of the question, but the fire is fine, it's just..."

Amber looked at her hands, which were trembling slightly and still had some traces of contamination. She was unsure whether she would suffer a backlash if she used the Word Spirit, and she obviously didn't have the materials to use the spell.

"All right."

Lu Ban could also see that the priestess was willing but unable to do so.

He opened the [Silence Department Store].

In situations like this, there's no need to save points.

If Lu Ban finds out the next morning that Amber has frozen to death, he will have suffered a huge loss.

After searching for a while, Lu Ban found an item that was suitable for his current use.

Spark of Hope

[ordinary]

There are many folk legends in the Ruined City.

The most famous of these is a little match girl who, according to legend, lit a match and saw a beautiful life, only to be found frozen to death on the street the next day.

This box of matches can bring you everything you desire: wealth, love, power, as long as you light the next one before the flame goes out.

"It's so warm, Grandma, it's so warm!"

Price: 130 Silence Points

Super cheap matches, although they might have all sorts of side effects, Lu Ban felt that at this time, he didn't need to worry about them too much.

Moreover, the pollution carried by the [Normal] level goods should not be a problem for Lu Ban, so he immediately spent points to exchange for the item.

This is a box of matches, with an uncountable number of matches inside. From the outside, it looks like an ordinary set of matches, with nothing special about it.

Lu Ban then set up the few pieces of wood from an unknown ship that Laika had retrieved earlier in the wreckage area, and took out a match.

Amber gave Lu Ban a deep look at the matches he pulled out from somewhere, her expression more one of suspicion and wariness than confusion.

Lu Ban struck a match, and the warm flame lit up the sea, illuminating the profiles of the two people.

The flames began to heat the still-damp wood, emitting a pungent, damp smell that made people cover their noses.

Just then, Lu Ban saw something appearing in the firelight.

He saw that it was a human figure.