Chapter 39: Nemesis
Thud, thud…
The sounds of bodies hitting the ground came in succession. Hundreds of scorpions around them collapsed one after another, their green blood staining the surrounding soil.
The land near the insect nest was unique, covered by a layer of green moss. This was a type of insect race facility called decomposition fungus. Any creature that died on the decomposition fungus would quickly be broken down, and the nutrients obtained would be transmitted back to the mother nest.
Killing several hundred scorpions with a single strike surprised not only Old Bal and the others, but also Su Xiao himself. Just now, he suddenly had an irresistible urge to strike. Although this slash consumed a fair amount of stamina, its power exceeded all expectations.
Steadying his breathing, Su Xiao couldn't help but feel excited internally. The higher the level of blade techniques, the more miraculous they became. He could now use some supernatural moves, and they were self-created.
A gurgling sound came from nearby as over a thousand scorpions crawled out of the incubation pool. The pool had visibly shrunk by about a third.
"Do it again."
Old Bal lay on the ground, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he looked at Su Xiao.
"Impossible. That kind of move can't be used consecutively."
Although that previous technique was extremely powerful, it placed considerable strain on his arms. He couldn't use it more than three times in a single day.
"Then what do we do? I'm at least 160 degrees now, Carlo."
Old Bal looked at Carlo, who bluntly spat out a puff of steam. He was already over 200 degrees.
Old Bal gave a wry smile and looked at Su Xiao again.
"Bai Ye, I'm counting on you, my ally."
Old Bal pulled two crystalline gems from his bosom. They were Soul Crystals (Medium).
"Take me into the insect nest. I mean you no harm. I just want to survive. I know you're a contractor, from a mysterious place."
Old Bal laid his cards on the table directly. He hadn't wanted to, but according to his original plan, he and Su Xiao would have fought their way into the mother nest together. He had overestimated his body's endurance. His body temperature was now above 160 degrees. Blood Vine Warriors would self-destruct when their body temperature exceeded 210 degrees.
"Help me get the Regeneration Egg, and I'll show you something many contractors dream of seeing!"
Old Bal finally revealed his sincerity.
[Tip: You have triggered a hidden quest: Sun Tribe.]
[Sun Tribe]
Difficulty Level: Lv.16
Quest Brief: Understand the secrets of the Blood Vine Warriors.
Quest Info: Understanding the secrets of the Blood Vine Warriors requires guidance from the plot character Old Bal.
Quest Time Limit: 3 days.
Quest Reward: This is a chain quest. Rewards are given based on quest completion.
Quest Penalty: None.
Seeing the triggered hidden quest, Su Xiao's eyes flickered. Hidden quests always had very generous rewards and extremely high value, often granting rare items. Old Bal must have had ulterior motives before, but under the pressure of the situation, he had no choice but to be more honest.
"Not bad."
Su Xiao took the two Soul Crystals (Medium) from Old Bal's hand.
"Traitor."
Carlo glared at Old Bal, who instantly flew into a rage.
"Bullshit! Don't you want to live?! If you want to live, stop being so hypocritical. To hell with tribal honor! If you weren't my 'firstborn,' I would have killed you long ago for that incident."
Old Bal slapped Carlo hard across the face, even sending the leaves growing on Carlo's cheek flying.
"Coward."
Smack.
Another heavy slap. Old Bal glared at Carlo with a look of frustration.
"As long as I can lead my people to survive, all that damn honor can be thrown away. The Sun Tribe chased honor, and now not a single one of them is left."
After being slapped several times by Old Bal, Carlo became even more dull-witted. Su Xiao suspected this kid had been beaten stupid by his father.
The precarious cooperative relationship became a bit more solid. Although Old Bal still had many secrets, the two sides were now formally allied, with the notarization of Reincarnation Paradise.
Blade light flashed in all directions. While Old Bal was slapping Carlo, Su Xiao had already begun clearing the surrounding scorpions.
"Cross."
Su Xiao slashed twice in the air, forming a cross-shaped blade light in midair. The blade light slashed forward, shattering every scorpion in its path.
"Move."
Su Xiao charged forward quickly. Old Bal grabbed Carlo and followed behind, with Bubu Wang bringing up the rear.
Along the way, blade light flickered. Su Xiao cut his way through over a thousand scorpions, carving a bloody path straight through.
A scorpion lunged at Bubu Wang. Just as Bubu Wang was about to counterattack, a wooden spike shot over.
Pfft. The wooden spike pierced the scorpion's body, and the scorpion exploded. If one looked closely, the scorpion's bodily structure had already transformed from animal to plant.
Old Bal breathed heavily, a smile appearing on his weathered face.
"Are you alright?"
Old Bal's body temperature was rising higher and higher.
"Woof."
Bubu Wang barked, and the Snow Goddess's Halo enveloped Old Bal. Old Bal's temperature, which had reached 190 degrees, rapidly dropped. Before long, it fell to 150 degrees.
Old Bal was stunned, looking at Bubu Wang with amazement.
At the front of the team, Su Xiao halted the blade light he was about to unleash. It seemed Old Bal was about to show even more sincerity.
The team was harmonious, but don't be naive. This harmony might only last until they obtained the Regeneration Egg. Compared to Old Bal, Su Xiao felt his son Carlo was even less trustworthy. Old Bal was an old fox, but he had a clear goal. Carlo was different. Su Xiao could vaguely see a death wish and madness in his eyes.
Old Bal regained his combat effectiveness. His fighting style involved generating a wooden spike from his arm. Any creature he stabbed would have its bodily structure altered, transforming from biological to plant-based. It was extremely lethal. More importantly, any scorpion stabbed by Old Bal, after leaves sprouted from its body, would gather around him and obey his commands.
After Old Bal and Carlo regained their combat power, the speed of their assault increased. The scorpions couldn't stop them from breaking through.
Two minutes later, Su Xiao was the first to kill his way to the front of the mother nest. Standing before it, he shouted to Old Bal behind him, "Hold them off!"
"No problem."
Old Bal clasped his hands together. The dozen or so plant-scorpions around him formed a protective circle, tearing into the charging scorpions.
Su Xiao pressed his hand against the wall of the mother nest. The wall felt like flesh, with veins running across its surface. He slashed at the outer wall of the mother nest. Green liquid splattered. Unexpectedly, although Dragon-Slashing Flash broke through the defense, the wound it created wasn't deep.
Su Xiao relaxed his body, letting the hand holding the blade hang naturally.
"How much longer!"
Old Bal's body temperature spiked again, directly reaching 200 degrees. His lips were cracking, and his eyes were like two small suns.
"Twenty seconds."
Su Xiao was adjusting his state.
"Then I have no choice but to go all out. I hope I can hold on."
Old Bal kicked away a charging scorpion, extended one arm straight, palm forward.
"Sun's Radiance."
A brilliant light bloomed from Old Bal's palm, and astonishing heat spread out.
Crackle, crackle…
The scorpions in front of Old Bal were roasted and exploded. Flames surged. In an instant, two to three hundred scorpions before him turned to charcoal. But the surrounding scorpions were already densely packed. The Insect Queen sensed the crisis and began frantically spawning troops.
Clang!
The sound of a blade rang out. Although Old Bal didn't see Su Xiao's slash, he could feel how powerful it was from the sharp sensation at his back.
A wound five meters in diameter appeared on the outer wall of the mother nest. Su Xiao was the first to charge inside.
If Old Bal had come for the Regeneration Egg, then Su Xiao had come to rob the insect race. Old Bal was just a guide for him. Each sought what they needed.
The three people and one dog rushed into the mother nest. The scorpions outside stopped at the entrance, not daring to cross the threshold.
…
Deep within the mother nest, a stunningly beautiful woman was meditating with her eyes closed. On the back of her hand was a golden mark, the number 8. This was the Arena Champion's Mark, representing her ranking in the arena.
The woman's name was Ada. Ada opened her eyes. A gold coin flipped between her fingers. She looked at an ornate insect egg not far away.
"Insect Queen, they've broken in. One of them is similar to me."
Ada was not the Insect Queen. The Queen was resting.
"My friend, please help me stop them."
The Queen's voice was very gentle, naturally inspiring goodwill.
Ada shook her head.
"Although you say that, that guy is a bit strong. He's covered in blood energy and looks troublesome. I don't want to make an enemy of someone like him for no reason. We have no conflict."
The Insect Queen was silent for a moment before speaking after a long while.
"I agree to that matter."
"Bingo. I'll be back soon. If I don't come back, it means I'm dead or have fled. Then you can choose to escape back to the Void."
The Queen inside the egg sighed.
"You must come back, my friend. You are the most trustworthy human I have ever met."
Ada stood up, letting out a silvery laugh. Although Ada was ranked eighth in the arena, she had no arrogance. She was very humble.
"Who knows? But I am the Goddess of Fortune."
Mid-sentence, Ada might have felt she was being a bit chuunibyou.
"Uh~, a fake Goddess of Fortune, haha~."
Ada wasn't lying. She was a Luck Attribute specialist, the bane of unlucky people!