Chapter 48: The Ticket
Bang, bang...
Gunshots rang out in succession. Under the joint assault of Old Bal and Su Xiao, Carlo only lasted thirty seconds.
Old Bal grabbed Carlo's head, the high temperature from his hand incinerating Carlo's skull.
"Scorch."
"Ah!!"
Carlo screamed in agony, collapsing to his knees a few seconds later.
Su Xiao tossed the Spider Empress to Bubu Wang and walked out of the passage.
Old Bal slumped to the ground, his body temperature nearing the point of self-detonation.
"Thanks."
"Hm?"
Su Xiao looked at Old Bal.
"Sorry, I should say 'pleasure working together.'"
"Hm."
Su Xiao walked over to Carlo. Only his torso and half his head remained, like a charred piece of deadwood, sparks still flickering on his blackened body.
"What a stupid thing I've done."
Carlo spoke, letting out a self-deprecating laugh.
"The Primordial Seed has already clouded my mind. A Primordial Seed that's been transplanted once is far too unstable."
Carlo looked up at Su Xiao.
"A survival trial?"
Su Xiao didn't answer. He stepped on Carlo's head, crushing it. The guy talked too much and loved to pompously reveal secrets.
Some things were fine to know oneself; there was no need to say them out loud.
"It's time to fulfill your promise."
Su Xiao kicked Carlo's corpse aside. No Scarlet Card or treasure chest appeared on the ground.
"What do you want to know?"
"I want to witness the ritual with my own eyes."
Hearing Su Xiao's words, Old Bal's pupils contracted, but then he understood.
"Fine, but that means returning to the tribe. The ritual can only be performed on the back mountain. You want to become a Blood Vine Warrior?"
"No, I just want to witness the ritual."
Su Xiao had no interest in becoming a 'bomb.' Although Blood Vine Warriors were powerful in combat, they were far too unstable.
"Alright then, I'll find a tribesman to perform the ritual."
Old Bal stood up, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "My ally, can I trust you?"
"You have no choice, unless you want to be blown to pieces."
Su Xiao guessed what Old Bal intended to do. The old man was so desperate to obtain the Regeneration Egg; it must be able to suppress the drawbacks of the Blood Vine Warriors.
"Buy me five minutes. After we return to the tribe, I'll let you witness the secrets of the Yasaman Tribe. All of them."
Without waiting for Su Xiao's answer, Old Bal had already taken out a transparent egg. This was the Regeneration Egg.
A Regeneration Egg could heal fatal injuries. Su Xiao naturally wanted this item, but compared to the reward of a hidden quest, this was nothing.
Old Bal's chest gradually split open, revealing a red sphere inside his abdominal cavity. The high temperature of his body was due to this sphere.
The Regeneration Egg was crushed, and the transparent liquid dripped onto the red sphere.
"Haah~."
Old Bal took a deep breath, seeming to draw all the surrounding air into his lungs.
"Hoo~."
Old Bal let out a long exhale, the air around him becoming scorching hot.
Blood-red vines burst through Old Bal's skin and flesh, wrapping him inside. In less than a few seconds, Old Bal had turned into a vine cocoon several meters high.
Old Bal was very vulnerable now. Su Xiao could finish him off with one slash.
Old Bal revealing such a weakened state was a last resort. He was about to self-destruct. Even if he didn't trust Su Xiao, he had to start absorbing the Regeneration Egg.
As a partner, if Su Xiao didn't do something at this point, he would be incredibly foolish.
Don't be fooled by Old Bal's current humble attitude. Once he recovered, whether this old fellow would keep his word was an open question.
Su Xiao took out the remaining few high-grade Alchemy Bombs. The bombs in his hand gradually turned into a fine powder, dispersing into the air.
...
Lower level of the Mother Nest, on a fleshy wall formed by biological tissue.
The image on this fleshy wall was of Su Xiao and Old Bal. This was a unique surveillance method of the insect race.
Ada was holding a strangely shaped fruit, taking a big, delicious bite. Sweet juice exploded in her mouth.
Ada was now watching the 'screen' on the fleshy wall intently. She saw Old Bal's fight with Carlo, and Su Xiao suddenly raising his gun.
The series of reversals in the situation made Ada want to applaud. The basic trust between people in that passage had been flushed down the drain.
Honestly, if Ada had to choose, she might have chosen to help Carlo. Although she knew the gains from doing so would be smaller, she hated the treacherous old man, Old Bal.
Ada was the type to act based on personal preference because she had no specific goal or obsession.
Ada and the Bug Girl watched intently until Su Xiao took out the Alchemy Bombs. Both of them knew in their hearts that the final winner was Su Xiao.
"Ah~, a contest between two old schemers."
Ada took a bite of the fruit in her hand, sweet juice trickling down the corner of her mouth.
"You humans are so complicated. What were those three guys after?"
The Bug Girl had been in a state of confusion. Neither of the two girls was particularly cunning; otherwise, they wouldn't have become friends across different races.
Ada organized her thoughts and said, "Carlo's goal was to fully take over his body and return to some place. Old Bal wanted to gain a longer lifespan to control the Yasaman Tribe. As for the guy with the knife... not sure~."
The Bug Girl suddenly understood, slapping her right fist into her left palm.
"I see. Looks like I still have a lot to learn. But Ada, I just received an invitation from some existence. I'm hesitating whether to accept it."
Ada was startled.
"Don't tell me it's..."
"Yeah, the same place as you. If I agree, I'll lose some abilities, and some will be strengthened. In that existence's words, it would give me a profession called 'Insect Race Awakener.' Basically, it simplifies the Mother Nest, loses the mass-production capability, and focuses on powerful insect types. Overall, I can become a bit stronger."
Ada nodded.
"I won't give you advice. As a friend, I can remind you: that place is dangerous, more dangerous than you can imagine."
Ada took a risk and gave the Bug Girl a hint. Don't underestimate this hint; it was already toeing the line.
The Bug Girl chuckled softly.
"Dangerous, huh~. The current Void is even more dangerous. Ever since that Sword Demon appeared, all the kings in the Void have either submitted or been killed."
Ada remained silent. There were some things she couldn't say, for the sake of both the Bug Girl and herself.
"I've already accepted."
"What?"
Ada was stunned.
"Only by accepting can we go on adventures together. You're my first friend, and I don't want to be separated from you. I've already lost too many family members; I don't want to lose my only friend."
A wave enveloped the Bug Girl. She gradually became aware of the existence of Reincarnation Paradise. After a long while, the Bug Girl opened her eyes.
"I'll leave with you in six days. The Mother Nest will disappear by then."
The Bug Girl patted Ada on the shoulder.
"Don't worry. As long as we don't go looking for trouble in the Black Forest, we can survive these six days safely. I've got your back."
The Bug Girl puffed out her chest, her tone of voice already similar to Ada's, with no trace that she was once an insect queen.
"Is that so... Ah~."
Ada sighed. She actually didn't want the Bug Girl to enter Reincarnation Paradise. She had a deep understanding of the survival-of-the-fittest rule there.
But entering Reincarnation Paradise meant a chance to get stronger quickly. So Ada didn't make the choice for the Bug Girl; she let her decide for herself.
Since the Bug Girl had already chosen, Ada decided to team up with her to face the dangers ahead. The Bug Girl was also her first friend.
"Don't be upset. Not everyone in Reincarnation Paradise is as strong as that guy, right?"
The Bug Girl pointed at Su Xiao on the screen.
"No. That kind of abnormally strong, scheming bastard is rare. As long as we don't provoke him in the future, it'll be fine. There are so many derivative worlds; the chances of meeting again are slim."
"Slim?"
The Bug Girl's heart tightened. 'Slim' meant there was still a possibility of meeting.
"If we're really unlucky, it's still possible. But don't forget, I'm the Goddess of Fortune. Relax."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. You fake Goddess of Fortune."
"I'm the real deal, you flat-chested girl."
Hearing the term 'flat-chested,' the two antennae on the Bug Girl's head stood up.
"You're the flat-chested one! Even though, even though~... Anyway, there's something there if you squeeze hard enough."
"Oh really? Looks like your arm strength is pretty good."
The Bug Girl gritted her teeth and pounced on Ada...
...
Inside the passage.
The vine cocoon split open, and Old Bal crawled out. The vines on his body had disappeared, his body temperature had dropped to around 50 degrees, and his appearance had returned to its original state.
"My friend, you've worked hard."
Old Bal gritted his teeth. He had already sensed the bombs inside his body. Although they were all micro-bombs, there were thousands of them, enough to blow him to pieces in an instant.
"It's nothing, my ally."
A gentle smile appeared on Su Xiao's face. Bubu Wang beside him looked at Old Bal with sympathy. Whenever its master showed that kind of smile, it usually meant trouble.
Old Bal took a deep breath. The tables had turned. Earlier, he had threatened Su Xiao with the compass; now Su Xiao was threatening him with the bombs.
"I will fulfill my promise and let you witness the ritual. In return..."
Before Old Bal could finish, Su Xiao nodded.
Remove the bombs? Of course, that was impossible. At most, he wouldn't detonate them. The Alchemy Bombs distributed throughout Old Bal's body were too numerous. They were in his blood, his bones. Removing them all was impossible.
The two walked out of the insect nest. Su Xiao was about to witness the secrets of the Yasaman Tribe.
"I forgot to ask you earlier. What is the Primordial Seed?"
Hearing Su Xiao's question, Old Bal paused in his steps.
"The Primordial Seed is the foundation of a Blood Vine Warrior, and also a kind of 'ticket.'"
"Ticket?"
"Yes, a ticket to the Black Forest. Without a certain number of Primordial Seeds, entering that place means certain death."
[Remaining survival time: 154 hours. Number of surviving contractors: 342.]