I Married A Degraded Alpha
Chapter 173: Earning Astracredit

Chapter 173: Earning Astracredit

Brian watched as Yuri swam further away. After a moment’s stupor, he decided to stay nearby and fish. If any danger befell Yuri, he could rush to her aid at once.

Yuri had no idea about Brian’s plans. At that moment, she saw over a dozen seashells that gleamed with a dazzling red light.

She had never seen such a species before.

They were breathtakingly beautiful.

"Can I eat these? Are they poisonous? Can they be sold as art?" Questions raced through Yuri’s mind. Proceeding cautiously, she moved closer to the seashells, which were as big as her head. Taking advantage of their inattention, she quickly scooped them up into her metal net.

"These seashells are so beautiful."

"They look kind of familiar. Let me check."

"Phoenix Shells, a rare species. Yuri’s luck is incredible. The meat from the Phoenix Shell is delicious and highly priced. Its shell is beautifully shaped, making it quite valuable as a piece of art. But both the meat and the shell are nothing compared to the pearl inside the Phoenix Shell. Even the smallest fragment of the pearl is worth more than them. Last year, a necklace made from Phoenix Shell pearls was auctioned for two hundred million."

"Wow..."

Everyone in the live chat was stunned. So valuable!

"Look, guys, Yuri found more Phoenix Shells."

"I wish I could dive with Yuri."

"Same."

...

With Phoenix Shells showing up first, even when Yuri found other rare sea creatures later, the audience wasn’t surprised anymore.

Yuri had no idea how long Brian and the others planned to stay underwater. After catching several large nets full of seafood, weighing nearly two thousand pounds, she stopped.

She planned to gift some of these sea treasures to everyone she knew on Planet 4581. The rest would go to the cafeteria at the base.

It would serve as a token of greeting from her and Tuss to the soldiers at the base.

Not long after Yuri reached the shore, Brian and others followed suit.

Seeing their nets filled with a dozen or two dozen big fish, Yuri wondered if she had been a bit too greedy.

"Commander Yuri, look at the big fish I caught."

The soldiers eagerly showed Yuri their catches.

Yuri examined each one carefully, nodding her approval. "These are some big fish. Well done."

The soldiers beamed at her praise, shyly saying, "And yours? Didn’t catch anything? No worries, don’t feel bad. We’ll give you two each. Pick any you like."

"Over there." Yuri pointed to the several large nets on an ice block not far away.

The soldiers: "...."

They wished they could go back in time to stop their earlier words.

"Cough, you did well too, very impressive," Brian stammered, his face flushed with embarrassment.

Ignoring their reddening ears, Yuri climbed into her mecha, saying, "Let’s go. We should head back."

The red and green mecha lifted off the ground with several large nets, leading the way.

Brian and others covered their faces, also getting into their mechas.

Out of habit, Yuri wanted to turn off the live stream on the way back but was persuaded by her fans to keep it on.

"Yuri, I want to see you open the Phoenix Shell."

"I want to see the Phoenix Shell pearl."

Seeing the words "Phoenix Shell," Yuri thought of the twenty-something seashells that resembled flames, saying, "So those are Phoenix Shells?"

"Yes, those are Phoenix Shells. You’ve hit the jackpot, Yuri. Even without pearls, you can make millions just by selling the meat and the shells."

"That expensive?" Yuri was surprised.

"Seafood is generally expensive, let alone the rare Phoenix Shell. Especially Phoenix Shell pearls, across the whole galaxy, there are less than a hundred produced in a year."

Yuri was shocked. It seemed like she had found a real treasure.

"But don’t get your hopes too high, Yuri. It’s rare for a seashell to produce a pearl, especially rare ones like the Phoenix Shell. There may not be a single pearl in a thousand shells."

Yuri nodded, "I understand."

"Anyway, Yuri, don’t hurry to end the live stream, we want to see you open the Phoenix Shell."

"Alright, I’ll open it when we get back."

Yuri parked her mecha right in front of the base’s cafeteria.

She asked the chef for three buckets and filled them with a portion of the seafood. The rest of the catch was handed over to the cafeteria.

"All of this is for the cafeteria?" The head chef couldn’t believe his eyes.

Yuri nodded, "It’s a greeting gift from me and Tuss."

The chef smiled, "You’re too generous." This much fish, frozen in the snow and eaten meal by meal, could last a month for them.

"Do you have tools for opening shells here?" Yuri asked.

Only then did the chef notice the Phoenix Shells in Yuri’s separate net, exclaiming, "You have such a treasure."

Yuri smiled, "Just luck."

The chef agreed, nodding, "Your luck is indeed good. I’ve worked here for six years, and this is the first time I’ve seen such a thing. I have tools for opening shells, shall I do it?"

"Sure, thank you." Yuri readily agreed. Despite the Phoenix Shell’s beauty, it was still fishy. If she could avoid handling it, she had no reason to refuse.

The chef quickly went to fetch the tools. His plump body was surprisingly agile, and he returned in less than a minute with the tools.

"Do you plan to sell this shell meat? It’s a good thing," the chef asked.

"No, save three for me, and cook the rest for everyone in the cafeteria as an extra meal," Yuri generously offered.

The chef gave her a thumbs-up, "Such a valuable item, and you’re giving it away. That’s very generous."

"It’s mainly because I didn’t have to put in much effort to get them, so I don’t feel the loss," Yuri said.

The chef shook his head, "If it were someone else, they might not be as generous. Like me, for example."

Yuri laughed at his comment, "Just open the shell already, I can’t wait to see if there’s a pearl inside."

"Alright, let’s get to it."

Seeing Yuri casually giving away Phoenix Shell meat worth hundreds of thousands in the live stream, the viewers were at once heartbroken and envious of the soldiers at the base.

"I wish I were a soldier at the 4581 base. I want to eat Phoenix Shell meat."

"Is it too late to enlist now?"

"They’re only recruiting a thousand people, but there are three hundred thousand applicants. Do you think you have a chance?"

"I feel like crying. As an omega, do I have no chance?"

"Maybe learn a specific skill, that might increase your chances."

"I’m an S-tier beta, I think I should be fine."

"Darn it, you’re a beta and you’re still trying to take our spots? That’s too much."

"..."

While the netizens in the live stream were arguing, the head chef suddenly exclaimed, "A pearl."

Yuri also saw a rich color.

The chef, with trembling hands, pried out the pearl. His chubby eyes widened in excitement, "This color, size, luster, roundness, it’s a gem from the Phoenix Shell."

Indeed, it was beautiful, and Yuri couldn’t help but feel pleased. However, when compared to astracredit, she chose the latter.

"Approximately how much astracredit can it sell for?" Yuri asked a rather pragmatic question.