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墨書 Inktalez
Continuing along the winding highway, the thought of reaching the base in just an hour made Su Ruolan feel as if every pore in her body was relaxing. Kong Xiang and Cheng Xi also sensed the shift in Su Ruolan's emotions; the joy and sweet fragrance seemed to fill the air around them.
Suddenly, a massive boulder appeared ahead, blocking the entire road. Su Ruolan had no choice but to stop the car.
Cheng Xi opened the car door and jumped out. Using her Gold System Ability, she conjured a metal rod and a triangular iron frame, preparing to leverage the boulder away when a group of people suddenly charged out. Their faces were painted with camouflage, dressed in military fatigues, and armed with assault rifles, all pointing at the three in the car.
"Hands on your heads, get out of the car immediately," barked the leader, a man with a slight belly.
Su Ruolan glanced at the newcomers, raised her hands to her head, and slowly exited the vehicle. She walked over to Cheng Xi's side and exchanged a knowing look. Cheng Xi understood instantly; they both sprang into action simultaneously.
Su Ruolan unleashed her Hail Ground ability, sending countless ice shards flying toward the gun barrels, blocking them inside. Cheng Xi activated her Ability, twisting some of the gun muzzles upward. When the camouflaged group realized something was wrong, their shots either misfired or backfired, injuring themselves.
Cheng Xi swiftly threw a large iron hoop that ensnared several of them. The Belly Man sensed that things were turning against him and immediately turned to flee into the dense forest beside the highway.
Su Ruolan smiled slightly, raised her hand, and sent a Wood Vine shooting out rapidly to ensnare the Belly Man, dragging him back.
"Let me go! I was wrong! Please spare me!" pleaded the Belly Man repeatedly.
"Why did you try to rob us?" Cheng Xi asked as she collected all the weapons.
"We haven't eaten in a long time; we were desperate! We had no choice!" wailed the Belly Man.
"Alright, they don't look like professional soldiers; they can't even hold their guns properly or know how to disengage the safeties. So who are you?" Su Ruolan said playfully as she toyed with a handgun, clicking off its safety with a smile.
Looking at these two girls and then at his trapped companions, the Belly Man closed his eyes for a moment before reopening them, ready to speak.
"Think carefully before you speak. I don't like to hear lies." Su Ruolan suddenly fired a shot at Belly Man, the bullet striking the ground beside him and kicking up a clod of dirt.
"I-I promise it's the truth. We're villagers from nearby. After the apocalypse, we ran out of food and had no choice but to try to rob you. You were the first ones we targeted, but we didn't expect to fail," Belly Man stammered, clearly frightened.
"No food, yet you're so fat?" Su Ruolan tilted her head, eyeing Belly Man's figure with suspicion.
"Heh heh, it's just my body type; I gain weight even from drinking water. There's nothing I can do about it," Belly Man replied sheepishly.
Kong Xiang got out of the car and quietly moved to Su Ruolan's side, saying, "Sister Ruo Lan, it's a bit strange that these people showed up here. We should be cautious."
Su Ruolan maintained a calm expression and said, "Take us to your village."
"Okay, sure." Belly Man struggled to his feet, smiling awkwardly. "Could you let us all go? Look, we're no match for you anyway, and we've lost our weapons."
Su Ruolan nodded, and Cheng Xi removed all the iron rings.
"By the way, our village is on the mountain, and it's hard to drive there. You all will have to walk with us." Now free, Belly Man flexed his wrists and approached them eagerly.
"Lead the way," Su Ruolan instructed.
"Sure thing!" Belly Man nodded eagerly as he led the way ahead.
Cheng Xi couldn't help but feel disdain for his obsequious demeanor.
The other Oil Painters walked silently in front.
Su Ruolan sensed her surroundings with her spiritual awareness and found nothing unusual.
Next to the highway was a dense forest. Belly Man led everyone deeper into the woods while explaining, "This village originally belonged to City P Township. Before the apocalypse, everyone made a living from timber, but after that, no one wanted it anymore. We all rely on our stored food to survive now."
As Su Ruolan listened to Belly Man's introduction, she walked forward. Suddenly, the ground beneath her gave way, and she fell. Kong Xiang and Cheng Xi fell alongside her. From above came Belly Man's eerie laughter.
Su Ruolan immediately tried to summon Wood Vine to hook onto the cave's ceiling, but she discovered that some force had sealed it off. She couldn't muster any strength upward; when Wood Vine emerged, it merely drooped down, leaving her to plummet straight down.
The hole was very deep, a naturally formed pit. She descended rapidly, as if gravity had doubled; in the blink of an eye, she had fallen over ten meters, and below was an unfathomable darkness. Su Ruolan quickly called out, "Monet, come out!"
With a howl, Monet appeared out of thin air. It leaped and caught Su Ruolan. She pulled a rope from her space and tossed it toward the falling Cheng Xi and Kong Xiang, managing to catch them.
Monet activated Wind Elemental Power, creating a gust of wind that lifted Su Ruolan and the other two, gradually spiraling downwards.
After descending over a hundred meters, they finally reached the ground. Looking up from below, the pit resembled a teapot with a wide opening. Inside were numerous dark rivers and dense vegetation; several springs cascaded down the walls of the pit, while at the bottom, the Underground River flowed rapidly. Following the Underground River forward revealed a network of interconnected caves.
Which direction should they take? Cheng Xi looked at Kong Xiang with hopeful anticipation.
I don't know either; my Ability has failed again. Kong Xiang innocently shook his head at Cheng Xi.
The two eagerly turned their gazes toward Su Ruolan. Monet stood nearby, vigilantly observing their surroundings.
"Ruo Lan, let's take the farthest right path," Reset suddenly exclaimed excitedly. "I sense something good in that direction."
"Everyone follow the farthest right path," Su Ruolan said without hesitation.
With complete trust in Su Ruolan, the two giant wolves followed her without hesitation.
The dark cave was filled with the unknown, evoking both fear and excitement.
Su Ruolan took a flashlight from her backpack and shone it ahead.
"What is that smell? It's so pungent," Kong Xiang said, his senses heightened in the absence of sight.
"Ah, something is biting me!" Cheng Xi, who had been walking silently, suddenly screamed. Monet also began to fidget restlessly.
Su Ruolan directed the flashlight towards Cheng Xi, and the three of them gasped. A 9-centimeter-long Vampire Bat was perched on Cheng Xi's shoulder, licking the blood that had oozed out. Startled by the sudden light, the Vampire Bat looked up, revealing its grotesque features: a U-shaped pig nose, triangular pointed ears, a short conical snout, long sharp teeth, and large wing membranes connecting its fore and hind limbs to form powerful wings; it had no tail. Several Vampire Bats were also clinging to Monet's feet and back.
"Oh no, we've entered the Bat Cave," Cheng Xi realized in fear. "Ah, I'm terrified of mice!"
Monet kept kicking her legs and shaking her body, trying to shake off the Vampire Bats.
Several Ice Spikes swiftly grazed Cheng Xi's shoulder and Monet's body, knocking the Vampire Bats to the ground.
In the darkness where the flashlight beam did not reach, a gust of wind suddenly stirred the air as a swarm of Vampire Bats spread their wings and swooped toward them.
Su Ruolan immediately pulled out several flares and tossed them into the air. The Vampire Bats collided violently in midair, emitting high-pitched squeaks. The sound waves transformed into sharp blades, weaving an impenetrable net that surged toward Su Ruolan and her companions.
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