NOVPUB[Vol. 5] Chapter 241: Exploring the Primal Forest
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone looked at each other, unsure of how to respond. After all, the green-haired girl’s description was rather ambiguous.
Finally, seeing that Miss White Fox had no intention of speaking, Mr. Dead Soul hesitated for a moment before asking further.
“Miss Theresa, putting aside how exactly you’re able to hear the voices of plants, what do you mean by ‘something is changing underground’?”
“Uh… even if you ask me, I’m just repeating what I heard…”
“The earth veins?”
The one who suddenly spoke, with a tone that seemed both questioning and oddly certain, was the most silent and oldest supporter among the four members of the ?Reaper’s Scythe?, Mr. Ferryman.
As always, he wore the same raincoat and straw hat, seemingly unchanged. Every time Violet saw him, he was dressed exactly the same, as if his clothes possessed an “auto-cleaning” ability.
The fact that this usually silent person spoke up at a crucial moment naturally drew everyone’s attention. Yet, as he muttered to himself, the Ferryman quickly fell silent again, showing no interest in further discussion.
Already accustomed to his ways, Mr. Dead Soul rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought.
“The earth veins… hmm, that does make sense. If it’s really as Miss Theresa described, something is happening underground that threatens the life and growth of these trees, then the most likely explanation would be the energy veins deep underground, flowing like the lifeblood of the world.”
“But what about the strange beings and terrifying things…?”
Theresa cautiously voiced her guess.
“Could it be… a demon?”
The grey-clad swordsman immediately dismissed the idea.
“Unlikely. While demons are invaders, they operate with a certain set of principles. They see this world more as a hunting ground to harvest energy or a place to cultivate resources, but they rarely cause outright destruction to the world itself.”
“Besides, most of the demons’ attention should currently be focused on the war with the Holy Empire’s main forces in the eastern Fulan Province. They shouldn’t have the time or resources to be plotting strange schemes in what would be their rear lines.”
“More importantly, as beings from another realm, demons are repelled by our world. The earth veins, being the lifeblood of this world, are not defenseless. If an entity repelled by this world approaches them, they would immediately face a powerful backlash from the world’s law, which is far more severe than simple suppression.”
“Is… is that so?”
“Yes, the merchant guild’s secret records contain detailed information on this, so it should be accurate.”
With no clear answers, everyone naturally turned their gaze to a certain white fox lady, who was both the strongest and the most authoritative figure in the group.
But Violet did not respond to their looks. Instead, she exchanged a glance with her dragon, then directed her attention toward a specific area deep within the shaded parts of the primal forest.
“In that case, it does seem like there’s something unusual at work here.”
“Miss Dawn… do you want to check it out?”
“Of course. The very reason we came here was to investigate any oddities that might exist… and besides…”
Miss White Fox turned and beckoned to a certain pink-haired girl.
“Eudora, come over to me.”
“Okay!”
Holding the soft, delicate hand of the little girl, Violet gestured with her eyes to the capable adults behind them, then took the lead, parting the bushes alongside her dragon as they ventured forward.
They pressed on.
The forest was called the “primal forest” because most of it had yet to be touched by civilization. There was hardly anything that could be called a “path.”
All around, towering ancient trees stretched high, their dense canopies forming an umbrella that nearly blocked out the sunlight, casting a dim and damp atmosphere over the surroundings.
The climate of the Holy Empire was shifting from spring to summer, the most humid and biologically active time of the year.
Snakes, insects, rodents, and ants naturally became the primary dangers to guard against while exploring the primal forest. Many of these creatures were highly poisonous, and a single bite could prove fatal if not treated quickly.
The primal forest was rife with endless swarms of mosquitoes and insects, a constant annoyance.
Fortunately, none among them were ordinary people, common creatures naturally dared not approach. Even though the dragon girl hadn’t activated her unique passive skill, ?Dragon’s Aura?, the faint trace of a pure-blood dragon’s presence emanating from her was enough to make most wild animals and mindless insects flee.
Of course, there were always exceptions.
“Watch out!”
A faint blue shadow suddenly darted out from the dense canopy above, rushing straight toward the exposed fair neck of the white fox girl at the front, with the grey-clad swordsman shouting a swift warning.
*Slap.*
An elegant, slender hand moved with lightning speed, intercepting the shadow effortlessly and gripping it in her palm.
With a slight squeeze.
*Hisssss!*
The small blue snake, about as thick as two fingers and no more than a meter long, squirmed violently in her grasp, emitting a piercing wail of pain.
But the snake, whose species was unknown, was especially vicious. The dragon girl, intending to spare its life, loosened her grip slightly, which only seemed to trigger its deep-seated ferocity.
In an instant, the front of the snake expanded like a stretched rubber band, revealing a gaping mouth several times wider than its body. The sight was so grotesque that the green-haired girl nearby exclaimed, “Eek!” as the snake aimed its strange-colored fangs viciously at Xiao Guang’s exposed wrist.
However, the dragon girl merely smirked disdainfully, letting the strange snake bite down.
*Ding!*
With a sharp, metallic sound like clashing weapons, the snake’s triangular fangs flew off, embedding themselves in a nearby tree. Blood sprayed from the broken fangs deep within the small blue snake’s mouth as it began thrashing even more violently.
“Hmph, foolish pest.”
*Squish!*
With another squeeze, she crushed the snake’s body into a distorted shape, as if it were putty in a child’s hands. The dragon strength burst through, reducing the snake’s insides to pulp and leaving it with no chance of survival. Only after it lay dead did Xiao Guang toss the snake aside with distaste, brushing her unscathed white hand.
“Are you alright?”
Glancing at the dragon girl, who seemed to skip the formalities of addressing her properly, Violet only shook her head with a hint of exasperation.
“I’m fine. Luckily, you acted quickly.”
“Miss Dawn!”
Only now did the others snap out of the flash-like attack and counterattack, quickly moving closer to the white fox girl. Mr. Dead Soul, still shaken, glanced at the twisted corpse of the strange snake lying nearby.
He was surprised not only by the speed, ferocity, and strangeness of the snake itself but also by the terrifying strength of the blonde girl named Xiao Guang, who had rarely shown her power since he’d known her.
He saw it clearly, Miss Xiao Guang had shattered the snake’s toughest, most venomous fangs using nothing but her bare skin, without any armor or magical items. It seemed like she just used her skin to block the attack.
If he didn’t know better, Mr. Dead Soul would have almost mistaken her for some kind of mechanical puppet.
First, there was Miss Theresa, who could somehow understand the language of trees, and now Miss Xiao Guang, with such a formidable body… 𝓷ℴ𝓋𝓅𝓊𝒷.𝒸𝓸𝓶
Birds of a feather really do flock together.
“Oh, no need to be so shocked. It’s just a little snake.”
Mr. Dead Soul could only smile wryly at Miss White Fox’s calm, unblinking reaction.
“If I’m not mistaken, that snake was a ?Shadow Emperor Serpent?, at least a fourth-tier dangerous magical beast, incredibly fast. Even legendary-level fighters would have a hard time if it bit them unexpectedly.”
“Anyone without a special defense would turn into a puddle of sticky liquid within seconds of the venom spreading. It’s one of the world’s top ten most aggressive and venomous snakes and probably only found here in this primal forest.”
“Alright, alright, I get it. It was impressive!”
