Rustling, the vines coiled tightly around Lee Zhinan, dragging him into the depths of the passageway.
On the wall, a human face grew out of a tree trunk. It gazed with fake eyes at Lee Zhinan, firmly bound by the vines.
{Such a weak creature, but you’re the only one… Take my offspring out with you.}
Smack! The man landed on the vines, a piece of emerald-green plant stem falling onto him.
–What… what is this?!–
{In your world, the more lives it absorbs, the faster it grows. The energy from those lands can also replenish its Chronos, so hasten to reach fifty thousand years.}
–Fifty thousand years!– Lee Zhinan nearly choked on his own saliva.
{Go quickly. The death energy here is too dense—in a few more months, I’ll be assimilated. Once you save me, I’ll grant you a secret technique for humans to cultivate.}
With that, Lee Zhinan was hurled toward the entrance by the ever-extending vines, the green stem piece clinging tightly to him.
High atop the mountain peak, a phantom-like figure emerged, gazing down at the cave entrance.
Countless wild beasts in the surrounding forest, as if obeying an invisible command, dashed swiftly toward Lee Zhinan’s location.
……
Qiao Ming had given up all hope of finding that sword.
He gradually calmed the restless, anxious mood from losing the Chronos Weapon, accepting the fact that he might never retrieve it. Now, what left him stunned was how the friend from Futown could obtain so many Chronos from just an A-rank crossover point.
It was said they had already made a pure profit of over twenty thousand Chronos, easily surpassing the value of an 80N weapon.
–Alas, with so many people in the mountains, our battle gear is probably gone for good.–
Now that even the people from Futown were nowhere to be found, he rose in disappointment and left the town hall, muttering as he walked…
If only I could’ve been a part of it.
……
Outside the mountain district, near the temporary camp, traffic was bustling—various nightmare sedans and motorcycles gathered in throngs.
The crowd of buyers and sellers moved through with nonchalance, as if they were in a monster party sprawling across the wilderness.
On a nightmare tricycle, a raspy voice hummed and sang hoarsely: –A bouquet~ was given to me by Cybel~ the poor soul~–
It hummed softly, while following its owner along the rugged edge of the market, jingling the goods with every clatter.
As Yang ZiCang passed, the people of Ning Yangpenglord by the roadside were waving little brushes to shoo away insects, calling out heartily:
–Today we have special discounted incense pills for the collection team! The first ten customers also get free realgar powder for repelling snakes and insects!–
–Can the scent last five days? If so, I’ll take two.–
–Busy at it, Captain Jia.–
Yang Zicang smiled and nodded, sidestepping the auntie who was haggling while holding a baby monster under her arm.
Nowadays, rumors about the hazardous incidents in the mountains were spreading. Ordinary people were finally beginning to grasp the gap between their own strength and what it took to explore a Class A crossover zone.
As a result, as time passed and information became more transparent, the price of incense pills had dropped to around one hundred to one hundred twenty years per pill.
–Brother Yang, another team went missing today.–
As they approached the cabin, someone was already waiting at the door, reporting in a low voice. Yang Zi Cang nodded gently.
–Let’s talk inside.–
Inside the cabin, Lü Zhi and a young woman were organizing several mountainous maps. Upon seeing Yang Zi Cang and the others enter, they immediately stood up and vacated the seats by the table.
–That dangerous area that appeared in the mountains these past two days has already claimed over a dozen people who ventured in.–
The man beside Yang Zi Cang spoke.
–After investigations by the Kongshan Canopy, the Dusk Canopy, and several experts from Qin’s Cargo Crew and Shaoguang, it has been confirmed that the area is filled with man-eating vines. Countless animal carcasses are scattered throughout, making it nearly a death zone.–
–Man-eating vines?–
Yang Zicang took the documents, on which was drawn a rough outline of the vine.
–Yeah, remember that pack of beasts that got wiped out nearby? I bet this thing was behind it. Terrifying—hundreds of maddened beasts were pretty much wiped out in one go.–
–That pack… was around that mountain, right. So this vine moved positions? It can relocate?–
Before Yang Zicang could finish, someone else opened the door and barged in, bellowing at once:
–Captain Jia, save us!–
Seeing his breathless, frantic expression, Yang Zicang spoke up on his own:
–Don’t tell me it’s the vines again.–
–Yes, Captain Zijian. My teammate said he wanted to check out that cave, and then suddenly he was dragged in by vines on the ground.–
–A cave?–
Both Yang Zicang and Lyu Zhi beside him glanced at the documents in their hands—it seemed the vines were springing up everywhere.
–Even the people from the Huanghun Greenhouse couldn’t handle them. Captain Jia, only you can save them.–
Many experts from Big Peng Zone had already tried and were almost all beaten back. The messenger now fixed his gaze on the builder of this market.
A streak of light shot over.
{Brother, Brother Zhuang has a favor to ask.}
–Go ahead.–
{There’s a cave in your mountains that just swallowed a friend of mine’s team. Can you help get them out? Don’t worry, they’ll give you compensation.}
It seemed he was truly desperate, even pleading everywhere for assistance to persuade me to act, even tracking down the solo-in frequency inn. I’m afraid Lao Zhuang made quite a profit from the hush money this time.
–Since it’s an old brother personally asking, fine, I’ll do it.–
Yang Zicang finished speaking, picked up the sword Lyu Zhi handed over, turned around, went out, found a nightmare motor that earned courier fees, and rode it buzzing into the mountain.
Inside the pit beneath the cave.
A strange, ink-green plant had already devoured three lives. Without uttering a single sound, they became prey to those glowing tendrils, their movements quite swift.
–Be careful.–
Yang Zicang and the motor rider, who had come down the collapsed slope, held up their lamps solemnly at the sturdy tendrils.
Whoosh—suddenly, the vines on the ground twisted toward the duo like snakes.
–Ah!– The long-haired man panic-screamed on the spot, only to see the great client, in-charge, Cargo Crew Commander, instead of retreating, step forward and swing his sword.
Boom! Blaze Blade art activated!
Flames spread, and the vines quickly recoiled.
–Good, they fear fire.– Yang Zicang was quite satisfied.
This damned Paleshade Wyrm couldn’t even lock onto a bead of psychic thought form, leaving it impossible to strike with psychic abilities.
Fortunately, it still abided by some natural laws; otherwise, a team challenging a Crimson Moon-level convergence site like this in the city would need to be exceptionally strong to successfully stabilize it.
Yang ZiCang turned his head to look at the pale-faced rider beside him: –You get out. I’m going into the cave to see what’s really going on with this monster.–
The long-haired man’s eyes swept over the tiny, verdant magic crystal formations newly sprouting on the wall beneath these vines, and he nodded.
–Then be careful, Captain Jia.–
–Thanks, I’ll watch myself. Just wait for me outside.–
–These should be wood-element magic crystals. Usually, places where magic crystals form have very dense elemental energy… Don’t, don’t you ever let your guard down.–
–Yeah, I get it. Go now, hurry.–
–Captain of the Jiazi TermCargo Crew, if anything happens to you, the station will lose its pillar. People like us don’t have an easy time earning those Chronos…–
Yang ZiCang took a deep breath, turned his head to look at the man emanating a palpable air of timidity, and spoke word by word with a faint smile:
–Get… out!–
–Uh… okay. Just make sure you—– The rider glanced at the Paleshade Wyrm phantom emerging behind Yang ZiCang, swallowed hard, and said, –I’m off now.–
As the man climbed up the dirt slope, the longsword gripped in Yang ZiCang’s hand instantly burst into roaring flames.
He made his way toward the pitch-black cave, where faint traces of green light flickered.
Whizz! The tips of vines shot forth!
Slash! The long sword swiftly hacked through them.
[I nullified 1050 N.]
But this time, the vines didn’t recoil swiftly; as if realizing that Yang Zicang could threaten its core, the burnt plant stalks instantly sprouted fresh green branches, which, joined by more tendrils bursting from the depths of the dark cave, charged at him in a overwhelming, sky-covering wave.
Yang Zicang swung his blade rapidly, unleashing a steady chorus of consciousnesses narrating nullifications of Chronos.
[I nullified 550 N.]
[I nullified another 1050 N.]
–It’s hopeless…–
Suddenly, a sluggish voice drifted in. After advancing several meters, Yang Zicang heard it, leaped backward to dodge a few lashing plant vines, then looked upward.
By the firelight, he saw an indistinguishable human figure suspended in the heights.
–It’s Kargo… Crew Long… Thank you for the scent on you, which let me… stay lucid before my death…–
–Save your strength. Don’t speak.–
With a resolute breath, Yang Zicang swung his sword and charged again.
–It’s useless… It has thirty to forty thousand Chronos, boosted to nearly a hundred thousand after its enhancement… And the nullified Chronos regenerate as virtual zero Chronos.–
–Void Zero Chronos?–
Yang Zicang’s expression flickered slightly as he looked ahead at the thick plant stalks lining the cavern wall.
–Yes, it restores fifty years worth of Void Zero Chronos every two to three seconds. You should run now, and don’t let anyone near here. This isn’t something a being of our strength can deal with… a monster.–
Recovery every second! Yang Zicang stared in shock at the grotesque tree, its main body embedded deep within the tunnel.
Spreading like ivy, it occupied the entire depths of the cave, its main trunk emitting a faint jade-green glow, clearly no ordinary thing—almost like a celestial vine nurtured by gods.
Around the flames, the vines writhed slightly, like a nest of serpents guarding their territory, glaring at intruders with predatory menace.
Raising his head solemnly, Yang Zicang said to the person entangled in the vines, –How do you know all this?–
–They’re consuming me,– the man replied in agony. _-**I’m now somewhat one with the plant. I can sense it—unless you keep up a continuous assault with greater frequency than its recovery rate…
–Or call more people to destroy it all at once. Otherwise, you can never drain the Chronos it holds… As for being brought to Shibin Wastes, it’s already had many of its restrictions lifted…–
Yang Ziꜰang couldn’t help but sweep a glance at those wood-type mana crystals. No wonder this plant could spawn such things—its regenerative power was truly astonishing.
–If this continues, do you have any idea what it might become?–
–Perhaps… it’ll turn into something of the old world that can coexist here as long as humans do.–
–I see!–
If it ever came to that, it would be far too dangerous. The reproduction rate and aggression of this thing would make it nearly impossible for common folk to fend off its invasion.
Yang Ziꜰang surveyed the pit. It was not large—failing to hold too many people.
He had to finish it off—now.
A diagonal beam shot over—Boss Zhuang again. This past half-month was the most diligent Zhuang had ever been. He could not stop stopping by to check on him, and now was no exception.
{Brother Ziꜰang, need a hand? I can fund a rotation for you. Just name the price each time; say, how’s 3,000 sound?}
[Boss Zhuang wants to Pro€Invest3000€N for me.]
[I declined Boss Zhuang’s Invest.]
–No need. The Chronos armament is enough against this.–
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