CHAPTER 243: CHAPTER 235: A NEW MUSHROOM?

"Snowball Incubator?" Han Qiwu picked up the blueprint fragment from the storage compartment with a look of disdain.

Judging by the size, this should be one-third of a complete blueprint. It seems fairly easy to collect the rest.

However...

What’s the point of hatching this thing?

To give it to the Little Prince to play soccer with?

There are already plenty of pets at home. Hosting a sports event might actually be kind of fun.

"Oh well, the previous notes on the snowball mentioned it might have other uses. Let’s go with the flow. If I happen to find snowball eggs later, I’ll just hatch one to see." Han Qiwu, unbothered, resumed his swings with the Mother Copper Cross Pickaxe.

The snowball from earlier had rolled off somewhere. He wasn’t planning to look for it.

With that time, wouldn’t it be better to mine a few more iron ores to make a mayonnaise machine?

After a few minutes of digging, Han Qiwu received a notification:

[You have discovered stairs leading to the next level]

Han Qiwu glanced at the time — it was only 23 minutes in. He decided to venture down and seize more opportunities on the next level.

[You have arrived at Level 57 of the mine]

As expected, this level’s mine was also an ice-and-snow environment. After descending, Han Qiwu scanned the area and his eyes lit up.

He spotted a cluster of emerald ore points on the mini-map.

"So many emeralds? Let’s take a look." Han Qiwu followed the map and headed toward the site.

The new mayonnaise machine he crafted requires five emeralds. If the cost-performance ratio of mayonnaise truly proves high, then the demand for emeralds will skyrocket in the future.

While the opportunity presented itself, he ought to stock up.

Arriving near the emerald location, Han Qiwu cautiously hid behind an ice block, peeking out to survey the situation.

Around the emerald ore deposit, more than twenty snowmen appeared to be engaged in some sort of ball game.

They seemed to be genuinely enjoying themselves, each snowman looking absolutely merry.

Except for the ball, which clearly wasn’t having fun.

That’s right, the "ball" these twenty-odd snowmen were playing with was none other than a small snowball.

"Pfft pfft!"

Xiao Lai angrily hopped twice, growing more furious the longer he looked.

Just because it resembles a ball, does it deserve to be knocked around??

How utterly outrageous!!!

Han Qiwu comforted Xiao Lai while an idea brewed in his mind.

"It’s your turn now, Xiao Lai!" Han Qiwu scooped Xiao Lai into his arms and stepped out from behind the ice block.

Xiao Lai didn’t stand on ceremony. He unleashed a long-prepared lethal spurt of venom, drenching all twenty-plus snowmen at once.

"So impressive?" Han Qiwu hadn’t anticipated that Xiao Lai’s venom area of effect had grown so vast after consuming the serpent poison amber.

"Xiao Lai, don’t use the confusion skill just yet—just lure them out," Han Qiwu instructed, clutching Xiao Lai as he jogged a few paces into the distance.

Jogging was necessary—he worried the snowmen wouldn’t be able to catch up.

With the +20 snowfield movement speed from the ice-and-snow battle armor, Han Qiwu was practically gliding through the icy mine levels.

No one could hope to catch him.

Meanwhile, a cute Snowman Miner doll emerged from his side and toddled straight toward the emerald mining spot.

The twenty-plus snowmen, now unable to play their game, were enraged and charged after Han Qiwu.

Once he had lured them approximately forty to fifty meters away, Han Qiwu no longer worried about collateral damage harming the Snowman Miner doll. He pulled out his ice rod and charged forward to engage the snowmen in melee combat.

After several dozen seconds of fighting, Han Qiwu noticed his health was depleting faster than expected.

Although his ice-and-snow battle armor boasted high defensive power, two fists are no match for four hands—the sheer number of snowmen meant that even their stray ice shard attacks had a chance of hitting him.

"Xiao Lai, confusion!"

"Pfft!"

Xiao Lai, already prepared, sprayed a mouthful of venomous mist toward the snowmen.

The snowmen standing in the poisonous fog quickly turned red-eyed and began attacking the nearest snowman beside them.

Han Qiwu hurriedly escaped the mist’s range, snacking to replenish his health while switching to his mysterious light crossbow for cleanup shots.

Within five minutes, the twenty-plus snowmen had all turned into white flashes.

Han Qiwu patted Xiao Lai’s head and praised, "Well done!" Then he proceeded to collect the loot with satisfaction.

[Ice-Snow Essence]×2

[Snow Lotus Fruit]×5

[Emerald]×6

[Snow Amber]×9

The haul was bountiful.

After gathering the items, Han Qiwu returned to the alley where the emerald deposit was located.

When he entered, he spotted the Snowman Miner doll standing motionless with its small pickaxe while dozens of emeralds lay scattered nearby.

"What’s going on here?" Han Qiwu quickly ran over to check.

Could it be bullied by snowballs?

[Snowman Miner Doll]

[Function: Mining/Resource Seeking]

[Remaining Energy: 0/100]

[Note: Ice-snow materials can replenish its energy]

"Phew, false alarm." Han Qiwu pulled out a piece of Ice-Snow Essence, tinkering with the Snowman Miner doll for quite a while without figuring out how to recharge it.

Xiao Lai, perched on his shoulder, grew impatient. He hopped to the ground, biting onto one of the ore points, and jittered energetically for a few moments.

"Wait, do I feed it directly?" Han Qiwu tentatively placed the Ice-Snow Essence near the Snowman Miner doll’s mouth.

Lo and behold, the Ice-Snow Essence vanished, and the doll’s remaining energy level increased to [15/100].

After feeding it six pieces of Ice-Snow Essence, the Snowman Miner doll diligently resumed mining the remaining emerald deposits.

Soon, Han Qiwu collected another [Emerald]×37.

A huge emerald harvest!

This little guy was actually quite useful.

And it even dug up the stairs.

Checking the time—it was already 58 minutes in.

"That should be enough." Han Qiwu timed himself and proceeded down.

[You have arrived at Level 58 of the mine]

"Still didn’t reach it?" Han Qiwu puzzled over his surroundings, suddenly entertaining a thought.

Wait.

Could it be due to high luck stats?

And that’s why he couldn’t enter certain polluted mine levels?

Oh well, he decided to drop the theory for now and continue mining, planning to try again later.

As he navigated through the alleyway and mined for over twenty minutes, Han Qiwu suddenly noticed traces of mushroom growth in one of the passages.

Judging by the marks, the roots of these mushrooms appeared crystalline and faintly emitted a blue hue.

"Based on these prints, they don’t seem like something snowmen eat." Han Qiwu examined the claw marks on the ice layer, analyzing.

Before he could finish his analysis, a bizarre creature, resembling a bipedal orangutan, hurled a snowball at him from behind.

[Snow Monster]

[Level: 57]

[Skills: Ice Block Throw, Summon, Flee]

[Note: It’s said that when its health drops below 17 points, it will run away]

"You’re the rascal that devoured my mushrooms?"

Gripping his ice rod, Han Qiwu charged forward and smashed the creature with a single blow.

This strike even triggered the effect from his Flame Ring.

In an instant, the fiery rod obliterated the Snow Monster.

[Snow Monster Essence]×1

[Snowball Incubator Blueprint Fragment]×1

"So fragile? I was hoping you’d lead me somewhere." Disappointed, Han Qiwu picked up the drop, then followed the creature’s claw trail.

Might as well check, in case he stumbles upon a new type of mushroom.