Chapter 62: Deepening
The troglodytes Su Xiao had seen earlier were just laborers. Those holding long whips were the overseers, four in total.
The purpose of the steel machinery in the clearing was unclear. Large bursts of steam frequently sprayed from the gaps between the machines, making work in the area dangerous.
"Ah!"
A scream rang out. A troglodyte was scalded by steam, large blisters covering its body as it writhed in agony on the ground.
The surrounding troglodytes cowered back. One of the overseers roared in anger, seemingly displeased with the incident.
"Gulu baba... (Unknown language)"
The troglodyte overseer pointed at the scalded troglodyte and said something unintelligible.
After the overseer spoke, the laborer troglodytes all swallowed hard.
One laborer stepped forward to examine the injured troglodyte, then shook its head, indicating it wouldn't survive.
The overseer tilted its chin, and the laborers began dancing excitedly.
The laborers hastily lifted the injured one and carried it to a gap where steam was venting most fiercely, tossing it inside.
"Ah!!"
A heart-wrenching scream echoed, but after a few seconds, the steam fell silent.
About a minute later, the laborers fetched an iron hook from somewhere and dragged the half-cooked troglodyte out of the steam.
Drool dripped from the laborers' mouths. Their gaunt, sallow appearances made it clear they hadn't eaten their fill in a long time.
"Ta tututu... (Unknown language)."
The overseer shouted, and the laborers obediently stood still.
The overseer leaped from the steel machinery, covering over ten meters in a single bound.
With a thud, the overseer landed, its gaze sweeping over the cooked troglodyte before finally tearing off an arm and eating it leisurely.
Once the overseer had chosen its portion, the laborers swarmed in. In less than two seconds, the cooked troglodyte was devoured without a trace.
Watching this scene, Su Xiao's eyes remained fixed on the overseer. That leap was no ordinary feat.
"Ugh~."
The young emperor behind him let out a dry heave, his face pale.
"What do we do now... these troglodytes seem... really dangerous."
The young emperor looked fearfully at the troglodytes in the clearing.
Su Xiao knew full well how dangerous these troglodytes were, but he had to pass through here.
If they were outdoors, Su Xiao would have no way to deal with them, but inside the cave, it was a different story.
Taking out a bright red test tube, Su Xiao opened it and tossed it into the clearing like a bowling ball.
The test tube rolled steadily across the ground before rolling under a large piece of steel machinery.
A faint red mist drifted out, gradually dispersing into the air.
Su Xiao pulled out three gas masks, tossing one to the young emperor and helping Bubuteni put one on.
Seeing Bubuteni with the gas mask on, Su Xiao almost laughed out loud.
Fitting the mask over his own mouth, Su Xiao waited for the chemical agent to take effect in the clearing.
This stuff was made by some chemical genius, also a contractor, who sold such items in Reincarnation Paradise at low prices with excellent effects.
This wasn't a sedative; it was dozens of times more vicious, permanently damaging the nervous system. However, it worked slowly and required a semi-enclosed environment, so it cost only 50 Paradise Coins.
After about ten minutes, Su Xiao frowned. The troglodytes' poison resistance was astonishingly high. Normally, it would take effect in three minutes, but ten minutes had passed, and they showed no reaction.
It took a full half-hour before the troglodytes in the clearing reacted. One staggered twice and collapsed, its body twitching like a fish out of water.
A chain reaction quickly followed as troglodytes fell one by one. This infuriated the overseer, who swung its whip, lashing the fallen laborers indiscriminately. After a few lashes, one troglodyte was literally shattered.
After a few seconds, the overseer sensed something was wrong. Its body swayed but then steadied, showing no signs of falling.
The overseer roared, likely ordering the laborers and other overseers to leave the clearing.
But the overseer suddenly noticed that all the laborers had collapsed, leaving only the four overseers unaffected.
Seeing this, Su Xiao stepped out from his hiding spot. To pass through, he had to eliminate these overseers.
"Tuta."
The overseer shouted, dropping its whip and drawing a one-meter-long spiked hammer from its waist, the head stained with blackened blood and dried, shriveled flesh.
The four overseers charged at Su Xiao barefoot, their feet slapping loudly against the ground.
This time, Su Xiao guessed what the troglodyte had said. 'Tuta' probably meant enemy.
"Bubu, lure two away. Just hold them off."
Bubuteni barked and rushed toward the overseers, moving quickly. As it approached, it made a sharp ninety-degree turn, having somehow learned to 'drift.'
The overseers clearly had never seen a creature like Bubuteni. Three of them shouted and chased after it. This was good news.
The overseers staggered slightly as they ran, indicating the chemical agent had some effect, though not much.
One overseer charged at Su Xiao, baring its blackened teeth as if it wanted to devour him alive.
Reaching Su Xiao, the overseer raised the one-meter-long, arm-thick spiked hammer high.
A gust of wind rushed toward him. Su Xiao had already positioned Dragon-Slaying Flash in front of him, but sensing the force of the wind, his expression changed, and he quickly shifted to a sidestep dodge.
Boom!
The hammer slammed down right beside Su Xiao, cratering the ground half a meter deep.
If that had hit Dragon-Slaying Flash, even if the blade didn't break, Su Xiao wouldn't have been able to hold it. The force was terrifying.
Su Xiao took out [Havana's Eye] to check the enemy's stats. The troglodyte overseer might be very strong.
Name: Troglodyte Overseer (Poisoned by Chemical Agent)
Type: Alchemical Creature
Health: 86%
Mana: 100
Strength: 30
Agility: 22
Stamina: 30
Intelligence: 10
Charm: 2
Skill 1: Hammer Smash (Active) - Smashes the hammer forward with full force, dealing Strength × 3 damage and a bone-shattering effect to the target. Costs 30 Mana.
...
Su Xiao's pupils contracted sharply. The troglodyte overseer was clearly a minor minion of the 'Bilumak Alchemy Testing Ground,' with only one skill.
But this minion's stats were too strong. Both Strength and Stamina were as high as 30 points.
Considering the overseer's small build, 30 Strength could unleash devastating lethality.
Su Xiao remained alert. With 30 Strength and 30 Stamina, the overseer's vitality should be tenacious.
Dodging the overseer's hammer strike, Su Xiao gripped Dragon-Slaying Flash tightly, lowered his waist, stepped sideways, and slashed at the overseer's chest.
Pfft.
The blade cut into flesh, but after a few centimeters, resistance appeared, as if cutting into tough rubber.
Su Xiao withdrew the blade and retreated. The overseer ignored its wound, swinging its hammer wildly at Su Xiao.