NOVEL NEXT Chapter 195: Surging Danger
Mist Island, shrouded by fog all year round, the mist here seems capable of obscuring Spiritual Detection, definitely not naturally formed.
Following Qin's directions, Bai Pu and his group landed on Mist Island and proceeded to find a gigantic underground cave.
The cave was surrounded by moss, the bottom was pitch black, and it was unclear how deep it went.
Yvette threw down a pebble, hearing only the faint sound of it slicing through the air, but no sound of it hitting the ground.
"Are we really going to jump down?" Yvette confirmed.
"In this matter, Qin wouldn't deceive me."
Bai Pu said.
For this mission, Bai Pu agreed to bring Yvette because her role was irreplaceable!
Yvette was familiar with the architectural layout of the Royal Palace and knew where the defenses were tight and where patrols were lax... With her as a guide, Bai Pu's chances of being discovered were reduced by more than seventy percent!
More crucially, Bai Pu had a hidden move, only Yvette could execute it.
Moreover, Yvette was a Level 6 Enhanced Elite, not at Leader Level, although it would slightly reduce the evaluation for the career transfer task, it wasn't severe, well within Bai Pu's acceptable range.
Looking at the pitch-black cave, Bai Pu felt a bit uneasy. He extended his Spiritual Power in fine lines to probe, but couldn't reach the bottom, indicating the cave's depth exceeded sixty to seventy meters.
Although he felt Qin wouldn't deceive him, Bai Pu first ordered Mad Rhino Luz to jump down.
After a while, Bai Pu confirmed Mad Rhino Luz hadn't died. He instructed Yingwa and other Expeditionary Soldiers left behind at the spot before jumping into the cave himself.
The time spent falling through the air felt as endlessly long as a century.
Suddenly, with a splash, a massive wave of water erupted. He slammed into the icy water, sank several meters deep, and then slowly floated up.
This was actually an underground river! The space ahead was quite vast, like an underground plaza.
Bai Pu fiercely swam to the opposite bank. Not long after, the sound of water splashing loudly once again, as Yvette jumped down too.
The river water gradually became shallower, reaching the shore where the wet ground turned into a swamp-like muddy marsh. Faintly visible were pitch-black spines, laying still in the marsh.
Mad Rhino Luz stood silently beside Bai Pu, like a statue.
Yvette whispered, "This marsh is very dangerous." She withdrew a short spear and lightly submerged it into the mud in front of her, finding the mud had thoroughly engulfed the spear's tip.
"It's not just mud, but also dormant crocodiles."
Bai Pu pointed at the pitch-black spines.
"According to Lady Qin, these crocodiles are weak. We could consider using long-range attacks to kill some crocodiles as stepping stones," Yvette suggested.
Bai Pu shook his head, "Due to food scarcity, the crocodile group is in a semi-dormant state now. We don't need to alarm them, just step on their spines to cross the swamp. Follow me, and let my slave Luz bring up the rear."
While speaking, Bai Pu had already tied a long rope around Mad Rhino Luz's waist. Holding the other end, he took a deep breath and leapt, landing on a crocodile's spine, then swiftly bouncing across, stepping on each crocodile's back as he went.
Bai Pu's Agility at this moment was 25 points, roughly ten times that of an Ordinary person. Although not exceptionally high, the crocodiles he stepped upon were dormant, equivalent to fixed-position "plum blossom poles", naturally posing little difficulty for Bai Pu.
After Bai Pu had passed, there was slight movement among the swamp crocodiles; most remained on the brink of waking, yet not awake, while a few more alert ones had already awoken, moving their limbs.
Yvette closely followed Bai Pu, jumping. She was a knight specialized in agility, her Agility value was as high as sixty to seventy points, two or three times Bai Pu's! Even stepping on these semi-awake crocodiles, she could precisely choose her footing effortlessly.
However, after her second step, the crocodile group had awakened, beginning to move slowly!
Mad Rhino Luz barely took a few steps before slipping and falling into the marsh.
By then, Bai Pu had approached the dry, hard ground of the opposite bank. His figure sprang into the air, propelled by Wind-Stepping Slash, leaping over twenty meters forward, landing on the opposite bank!
Simultaneously, Bai Pu exerted force, suddenly dragging the rope in his hand. Mad Rhino Luz, like a human-powered hovercraft, skimmed across the mud swiftly!
Behind Luz, one crocodile after another intercepted and attacked, with even two slightly smaller crocodiles biting Luz's legs tightly, following along.
These crocodiles seemed starving. Normally, they subsisted on the sparse fish in the underground river, but now, with a chance for a feast, they relentlessly pursued.
When Mad Rhino Luz was dragged to the opposite bank, a large group of swamp crocodiles had already followed.
Covered in mud, Luz stood up clumsily and immediately cast Ring of Shock!
Under the slowing effect, this group of crocodiles should have been slowed down, but the blood-colored glow on their bodies kept flashing, at least half resisted the slowing effect!
A giant crocodile suddenly leaped out, swinging its tail in mid-air, the steel-whip-like tail striking Luz, like a whip charged to full force slashing a steel gyroscope!
Luz's figure spun through the air several times, flying several meters away, landing with a thud. When he struggled to stand, one arm drooped limply, clearly indicating shattered bones.
Another crocodile suddenly crawled forward to attack, its jagged mouth biting onto the short spear that Yvette thrust forward with a "snap"! Under the gleaming white teeth's pressure, Yvette's short spear broke in response.
Clearly, these crocodiles' strength was anything but ordinary, nothing akin to "weak".
"How could this be! Did Lady Qin deceive us?" Yvette exclaimed in surprise.
"Run."
With an icy tone, Bai Pu spit out the word, running forward on the hard ground. Ahead, a cliff covered with unknown black vines stretched before them.
The crocodiles seemed somewhat afraid of these black vines, ceasing pursuit and lazily returning to the marsh.
Arriving at the foot of the vine-covered cliff, Bai Pu finally explained, "Qin's claim of weak crocodiles probably applied before the Flesh and Blood Plague outbreak… Whereas after its outbreak, these crocodiles evidently underwent an extraordinary transformation akin to rebirth, naturally, their strength can't be viewed with old lenses!"
Judging by just now the crocodiles' might, they were likely all Enhanced Elite Level, including some exceptionally powerful Leader Level.
If Bai Pu fought without reservation, he could eliminate the crocodile group but his condition would be dire! Not to mention saving the Princess from the Royal Alchemy Academy, even his personal safety would be jeopardized.
"After rescuing the Princess, we're supposed to return the same way, right?" Yvette couldn't help but ask.
"Correct, but the return journey should be easier. Do you see the black vines hanging above?"
Bai Pu pointed overhead, prompting Yvette to look up and suddenly grasp the idea: "You mean we can jump from the cliffs and swing over using the vines."
Undoubtedly, such a method akin to Tarzan is the best choice for avoiding the swamp crocodile group.
But now a problem lies before Bai Pu, which is the vine-covered cliff ahead they must climb!
And this cliff is a dreaded dangerous territory the crocodile group shy away from.
Clearly, this complex route, having ridden through the Flesh and Blood Plague, is now teeming with various dangerous creatures, rendering Qin's past experience ineffective.