Chapter 624: Enter
Translator: Translation Nation Editor: Translation Nation
Without a reconnoiter like Mogensha, Sheyan couldn’t analyse much from the outskirts of this place. Hence, he could only enter shoulder to shoulder with Reef.
After infiltrating this deserted village, they started a hasty investigation.
The door of a hut was pushed open, allowing a smell of stale decaying timber to rush into Sheyan’s nostrils.
Despite the utterly decomposed state of the wooden flooring, and the obstructing surrounding walls, shoots of verdant grass had sprouted out at a tiny area. Directly above the patch of grass, a hole could be seen in the ceiling; permitting sunlight and rain to irrigate through. That was the reason why the grass could carry on growing here.
Perceiving that the patch of grass seemed to be extraordinary, Sheyan plucked it and instantly received a notification.
[ You obtained a Greenspot ]
[ Type: Herb medicine ]
[ Description: Year in and year out, this herb resides in the harsh environment of the marshland. It now possesses immune capabilities against the vile surroundings ]
[ Usage property: Instantly restores 33% HP upon consumption, and suppresses the calamitous buff effects for 100 minutes ]
[ Details: When this herb withers, it will lose its medicinal properties. You must consume it within 48 hours ]
[ Details: Perhaps you can follow a fixed prescription to concoct a more potent medicine. Of course, that is if you can acquire other herb medicines ]
Upon obtaining this herb and as he was about to speak, Reef suddenly strolled towards him while frowning.
"There isn’t a soul in this ghost town, but something feels wrong."
Sheyan nodded and replied.
"Indeed, going by logic, this place would be used to guard this major road leading to the inner reaches. Regardless of what, it should be heavily fortified. No matter how regressed the Ndipaya tribe may be, this logic should still be understood. Moreover, this very village is proof of that. Those lofty erected watchtowers serve as evidence of this fact. There shouldn’t be any logic in forsaking this fort."
Reef then added.
"After a brief search, I realized one thing. The previous owners probably made many preparations and their withdrawal had been done in an orderly fashion. All their essentials have been thoroughly taken away, leaving behind only their huts. I didn’t even see a single of those white and decorated potteries, or even minutely valuable items."
Sheyan muttered irresolutely to himself as he paced several steps forward.
Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of something that appeared like dried withered leaves. Instantly, he picked it up.
To his horror, it wasn’t a mere leaf. Instead, it was a stiff piece of skin. Human skin!!
Sheyan’s eyes flashed with a glint and right before he could speak, a despondent scream abruptly pierced in from outside.
This scream only happened for an instant before coming to a spontaneous end, like slaughtering a chicken by cutting through its neck.
At once, Reef roared angrily.
"Shit, my servant!"
As his words faded, Reef had already charged out with his shield blocking his front. Indeed, he had activated his special ability ‘Courage’, smashing through the wooden hut as wooden splinters sprayed out in all directions!
Already decayed by the vile environment to the verge of collapse, the hut couldn’t withstand such a severe blow. Swaying a little, it crumbled with a boom as dust clouds spiralled into the air.
Despite his attempts, a basin-sized fiend had already gripped around the neck of his servant!
This fiend was coated in striking yellow and red stripes, with arthropod limbs sticking out of its body like a centipede. It took on an identical appearance to a fiendish looking spider but had eight incisive crab claws. Lastly, it had a long tail resembling that of a scorpion.
At present, its eight incisive claws were tightly constricted around the neck of Reef’s servant.
That servant had rolled up white eyes, where his neck had swelled immensely and was seemingly being choked by that fiend!
Sheyan immediately employed his helmet to probe out that fiend; obtaining a list of first-hand information.
[ Mutated Arachnidacrab ]
[ ????? ]
[ ????? ]
[ Description: A long long time ago when the Kijujur Marshland was still a bay, it housed multitudes of toxic and enormous Arachnidacrab, also hailed as the bay’s monarch. After the geology of the place experienced monumental changes into the vile terrain of today, these Arachnidacrabs gradually mutated into fiendish creatures. They survive in packs and possess high intellect, knowing to select advantageous ground before attacking. To all preys that trespasses its territory, it would massacre with unrivalled ruthlessness! ]
Upon retrieving this list of information, Sheyan only latched onto a single line.
‘They survive in packs!!"
He instantly shouted thunderously.
"Careful! Everyone fall back towards the hut to my left. Mbenga, quick lead them over, Reef and I will intercept them!"
By this point, Reef was already waving his lightsaber towards that mutated Arachnidacrab crawling over his servant’s neck. Instead, its eight limbs instantly contracted, as it abruptly launched away and evaded Reef’s lightsaber.
At this moment, Reef noticed a strand of transparent thread trailing from the Arachnidacrab’s butt!
Swinging his hand across, Reef enveloped his semi-unconscious and poisoned servant with his ‘Faith-guard’ ability, before immediately flinging him towards the hut Sheyan had indicated.
It was seemingly the largest and sturdiest wooden hut across the entire dilapidated village.
Following that, Reef hurriedly exclaimed for his other servant to flee into the hut.
Spectating everything, Sheyan took in a deep breath. His perceptive sense was much keener than Reef’s, and he could clearly sense rapid scuttling noises approaching in from all corners of this village.
This time, they had really landed in deep shit.
He could fathom that the horde of mutated Arachnidacrabs was seemingly innumerable.
With backs facing each other in vigilance, both Reef and Sheyan swiftly retreated into that largest wooden hut.
This was probably the place which the Ndipaya elder used for assemblies in the past. A fire dyke was still present, where greyish ashes had coagulated into solid chunks; leaving an impression of brittle human bones.
Sheyan then released a probing stomp against the wooden pillar that was supporting this hut, before nodding silently. It seemed like it could still hold on, and was definitely not something creatures of that size could easily topple.
Through this, one could tell that a hierarchical preferential treatment was also deeply adopted by even primitive barbarians. The quality of a leader tier’s residence was much superior in this aspect.
An assailing fishy odour flooded the air. As one observed the spongy and moist village ground that was covered in dead weeds, one could distinctly notice oval lumps the size of a basketball bulging out of the ground. Slushy swampy mud, rotten leaves and twigs were repetitively and sporadically swept into the air. Those living lumps shuttled through the ground speedily.
This assembly hut had no doors, but a single Reef stood guarding its entrance.
Bracing his shield to cover his face, he released a demeanour of one sweeping a thousand aside; while Sheyan stood behind him.
Although both of them had sufficiently raised their immunity against the virus effects of this world, they had now arrived inside the inner core reaches of the Kijuju Marshland.
This could also signify that if the previous difficulty was ‘A’, the current difficulty was most likely ‘A+’. If they could continue advancing deeper, the difficulty level could very possibly inflate again. Eventually, they may even break into the terrifying realm of ‘S’ class difficulty!
Sheyan awaited in strict formation as he observed the feverish underground shuttling of those mutated Arachnidacrabs.
His heart was filled with an unprecedented crisis because prior to this, he had frequently ‘borrowed’ foreign powers to deal with all the predicaments he faced. Just like in the Lord of the Rings world, Pirates of the Caribbean world and the Avatar World.
Yet now, it was a pity he couldn’t borrow power from elsewhere. An utter powerlessness!
Before this, the hardest difficulty he faced straight on was a ‘B+’ mission of the Starship Trooper world. That was when he squared off against the direct subordinates of the Blade Empress. Moreover, he still had some assistance in the Blackthorn tribe’s hydralisk and zerglings.
But now? His only assistance was 4 native servants and one Mbenga. Whats more, one of the servants looked as though he was crippled. Even one of the trio core, Mogensha, had lost his battle capabilities and had retired from this world.
"What should I do?" Many notions rapidly flashed past Sheyan’s mind.
By this point, those famished mutated Arachnidacrabs could detect their food source, as they barrelled swiftly through the spongy and moist mud to encircle their prey.
Their rounded bellies rapidly secreted out cyanide and amide, blending them with unique digestive enzymes. These Arachnidacrabs awaited the moment of sinking their sharp venomous fangs into the reddened flesh of their prey, before channelling those toxins to paralyse them. After disintegrating all edible portion into creamy paste, they would finally satiate their absorptive mandibles.
Pu! Pu! Dried leaves and slushy mud splattered as these weird fiends were spurred to labour by their insatiable appetites.
Suddenly, 4 mutated Arachnidacrabs propelled out from underground.
Unfolding their incisive limbs in mid-air, they dragged along a sparkling thin silk behind their buttocks. Indeed, their target was Reef who was presenting guarding the hut’s entrance.
Without a doubt, Reef was long prepared as he sliced his lightsaber towards a mutated Arachnidacrab, while simultaneously blocking his front with his dark-golden shield.
Radiating brilliance shone forth, and though the other 3 mutated Arachnidacrab possessed razor-sharp venomous fangs, they utterly failed to chomp through Reef’s shield. Moreover, despite their hard outer shell, they were all blown away giddy.
Meanwhile, Sheyan wasn’t one to cower. With his right hand covering his eyes and other vital areas, he leapt towards the mutated Arachnidacrab that Reef had attacked, before chopping down with his long saber.
Kacha! That mutated creature inevitably couldn’t withstand the daunting might of Sheyan’s ‘+7 West’, as greenish pus splashed out from the chop.
A large chunk of its thick shell dangled out, as white fluids spilt out from the exposed crack; a scene that resembled a Chinese mitten crab of Yangchen lake being trampled on. Looking as though it was semi dead, another complimentary blade would suffice to end it all.
However, upon witnessing this scene, Sheyan’s countenance completely sank.....so much so, that his earlier expression before his fatal chop was much more pleasant.