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墨書 Inktalez
The green vines of the ghostly plants twisted slightly to the side, while some curled around behind him. Without that precious item for protection, he might have been consumed by the vines. Having accomplished this, he jumped down from the mushroom as if it were an effortless feat.
"Indeed, it has avoided us," many exclaimed in astonishment.
"Yes, my guess was correct. This kind of precious vine will autonomously become a nemesis after a certain period of growth, so using this method is the best choice. But you don’t know how many lives were lost before anyone understood this principle. Otherwise, do you think I would have made it back alive?" Ross chuckled bitterly, a hint of sadness flickering in his eyes. Returning to this place brought back memories of lost companions; he was now alone. Shaking his head, he forced himself to focus on the present and not dwell on the past.
"Guess? Uh, alright, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to remind you of those painful memories," Freyr replied, quickly calling over others nearby to start collecting the black vines that lay on the ground.
Xiong Tai had it easy; he had completely wrapped the vines around his neck several times, resembling a belt that Parker had fashioned. It looked quite sturdy. Freyr also followed Ross's example and coiled some around his arm.
Once they were all prepared, they stood in a line around the mushroom. However, it seemed they still hadn’t found a way in. It was becoming increasingly troublesome; without even trying, they realized it was impossible. Ross had just demonstrated by walking straight in.
Wait a minute, could there be another way up? Freyr carefully probed the ghostly vines before him; they recoiled as if they had encountered disinfectant. He didn’t appear overly flustered and gradually pushed his way through. Soon enough, he saw a dark surface ahead and reached out to touch it. His arm was engulfed by the darkness, yet he felt no discomfort or pain—indeed, it seemed to be an illusion.
He stood aside, pondering silently as he touched various spots; every area felt similar and quite subtle. Ross observed him with indifference, hands on his hips as he walked around searching for a point of entry. Both men wore thoughtful expressions.
After a long wait with both remaining still, the others nearby grew anxious. Xiong Tai, known for his straightforwardness within the group, never hesitated to voice his thoughts. He spoke up immediately: "Hey, have you figured anything out after all this time? Why don’t we eat something and then take another look? Climbing up now might just complicate things."
"Eat, eat, eat! That’s all you think about," Parker Parkinson chimed in impatiently.
"You think you're our Commander? Only the Commander has the right to say such things! You should learn from Relock—always following the Commander without a word, completely still and silent—that’s true mastery! Unlike you—ugh! I don’t even care about you!" Xiong Tai couldn’t hold back his sarcasm and shot him a glare.
Parker stuck out his tongue and turned away nonchalantly. He became contemplative while Maggie watched them with amusement.
"I can't take it anymore; I need to sit down and eat something." Xiong Tai seemed unable to resist the temptation and sat down on the ground.
He rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a large pot. Indeed, they all looked like they hadn't eaten in a long time, and the others were unwilling to pay him any mind. Fine, he would prepare a meal for several people first; after all, they would come over to eat once he was done. They didn't plan to push themselves in their current exhausted state, as that would be quite unsafe. Their stamina was lacking, and relying on a single vine for safety was risky—who knew what other dangers lurked above?
If they continued like this, they would starve. Those on the battlefield or on missions always made sure to eat well before starting; after all, human needs are urgent, and nothing is more important than food—even when facing execution, one would still request a good meal.
The others truly ignored him as Xiong Tai began to stir up the large pot.
It was challenging to start a fire and boil water in such a high-altitude area, but the military-grade equipment they carried was a pressure cooker, so they didn't have to worry about the water not boiling due to the climate.
"I'll go in and take a look," Ross said after a moment of hesitation, leaving little time for others to think. Freyr looked surprised and stared at him blankly for a moment.
Before Freyr could say anything else, Ross had already stepped inside. In this place, there was nothing that could stop them anymore. Even if they encountered problems, it wouldn't lead to total annihilation. This was the advantage of Ross's approach; he preferred to act alone rather than drag his teammates into danger with him.
Moreover, if danger arose, he could shout to disperse his companions and urge them to flee.
As he entered the pitch-black void, it felt as though he had been consumed entirely—like bones left behind after being devoured. But it wasn't that he had been eaten; it was more like stepping through a portal. Freyr peered around cautiously before leaning in slightly and softly called out, "Stay calm."
Ross nodded in acknowledgment without saying much else. If he needed weapons, he only had that relatively sharp dagger with him. Oh? He remembered that he also had the Windrunner bow slung across his back along with a quiver of arrows attached behind him, making him look more like a Priest now.
He silently walked deeper into the darkness. During this time, nothing unusual occurred. After circling around some mushrooms for quite a while, he finally heard footsteps coming from within.
Ross emerged from the darkness with a pale face, looking worse than when he had entered. In his hand were several bronze tokens.
The bronze plates seemed to be military tags, each engraved with a personal name and identity. These tags were not only worn by soldiers but also served as proof of identity for hunters.
Ross held the military tag in his hand, his expression grim. Freyr immediately walked over and patted him on the shoulder, asking, "What's going on? What happened inside?"
"Not good. They're all in there... they’re dead," Ross shouted as if he had lost his soul, choosing to sit down on one side, his head lowered as he fiddled with the military tags in his hands.
"What happened? What exactly took place?" Freyr shook his head in frustration.
"Alright, time to eat," Xiong Tai shouted from the side, and soon the aroma of food wafted through the air.
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