Chapter 2724: The Item Beneath the Giant Plant
So that's how the metal box is used...
However, just as those few snake vines retreated, a massive explosion sounded from deeper underground, accompanied by a tremor that shook the earth. Thicker snake vines burst up from below, not only destroying the tunnel floor but also punching through the rock walls above. In an instant, the underground passage collapsed, and a torrent of rubble crashed down, turning the area into a sunless death trap in the blink of an eye.
Xu Huo pulled Yan Jiayu along, using a space barrier to block the constantly compressing rocks while clinging to the snake vines that were still rising—regardless of whether the snake vines could break through the underground rock, being buried under the rubble was the most dangerous outcome.
Feeling the outer space tangents and space barrier shrinking continuously, Yan Jiayu said, "The way above is blocked. Follow the snake vines underground—there must be a larger space beneath that crack!"
Otherwise, the snake vines wouldn't be dwelling below, and the golden-eyed player and his group clearly understood the situation, repeatedly trying to provoke the snake vines. Their goal was likely to lure them out, making it easier for them to act!
The snake vines were covered in hard scales, and every time they drilled, they carved deep grooves into the solid rock walls. It wasn't hard to imagine the connection between them and these underground passages. If their lair was even deeper underground, there might be a place for them to hide before the vines fully calmed down.
Xu Huo nodded to Yan Jiayu. The two were about to carve an opening into the snake vine when a deep, muffled roar came from the depths of the earth, rattling their brains. At the same time, the rocks within a hundred meters around them began to converge toward the center. In the blink of an eye, the already shattered stones and newly scraped rock walls piled up above their heads. Then, several layers of calyx covered with hard scales closed in, forming a ball that rapidly sank underground!
Xu Huo and Yan Jiayu were buried in the rubble for nearly a minute before they felt solid ground beneath them. After cutting through the outer calyx and crawling out of the stones, they hadn't even made a move before sensing snake-like vines coiling everywhere around them. They truly nested and twisted here like snakes, with some main trunks reaching dozens of meters in diameter. Although it was unclear how large this underground cavity was, these things already filled Xu Huo's entire perception range, and it was easy to see that this was only a small part of the snake vine's main body.
"Those three bastards!" Yan Jiayu quickly spotted the metal box, which was rolling deeper into the vine nest with the snake vines' movements. "Is it worth them taking such a risk? Could there be a super item down there?"
Given Xu Huo's current spatial evolution and mental evolution, he hadn't detected any items resembling super items within his search range. However, the mental energy within the snake vine nest was indeed much higher than outside.
"I'll take the box down." Yan Jiayu lay on top of Xu Huo's metal box. "Can't let them get ahead."
Xu Huo nodded. The specially made metal box carried a scent that the snake vines were insensitive to, so whether hiding inside the box or staying beside it, it wasn't easy to provoke an attack. The same applied to mental power. So, he let Yan Jiayu take the box down while he released his spiritual realm, following the gaps created by the snake vines to descend rapidly.
Several thousand meters further down, he finally saw the true source of the snake vines. The dozens or even tens of meters of snake vines above were merely branches. Near an underground water source, a main vine trunk as thick as a python or dragon, hundreds of meters in diameter, grew out of the rock. Its body was covered in pitted scales, far less attractive than those on the branches, but these scales made it look like an ancient coiled tree. When it breathed, it was like a beast inhaling and exhaling, exuding immense pressure.
It was unimaginable what would happen if it fully awakened. At over twenty thousand meters underground, aside from using a ticket or a cross-district teleportation item, there was likely no better escape method.
Scanning the vine branches buried in the underground river, Xu Huo first went up to catch Yan Jiayu. She was lying on the box, controlling its descent speed, arriving near the underground river faster than the golden-eyed player's group hiding in their box.
"Found it?" Yan Jiayu asked.
"The strongest energy here is the snake vine's main trunk, buried deeper underground. If we stir it up, we'll have to leave this district immediately," Xu Huo said.
"We need someone experienced to lead the way." Yan Jiayu pointed toward the underground river. "How about we wait for them?"
Xu Huo had the same idea.
The two discussed it briefly, then moved the box and crouched behind a protruding rock beside the underground river.
Not long after, another box rolled down, wedging into a crack and falling into the underground river. But a few seconds later, the box floated back up, and the golden-eyed player's three emerged. They dragged the box to the shore, now wearing new protective suits and each carrying a device to block mental interference on their backs. Even so, they didn't dare linger, lifting the box and heading toward the snake vine's main trunk.
The three walked back and forth half a circle, and the player with the broken finger asked, "After all these years, this scale vine has grown so big. Where exactly is the item? If it's grown into the scale vine, how do we dig it out?"
"After all, it's an item. Mutant plants can use an item's power to grow, but they can never devour it completely. Otherwise, it wouldn't have grown this large," the golden-eyed player said. "Back then, a distant relative of mine died here. He didn't want to benefit the game, nor did he want later players to get it, so he threw the item into the underground where the mutant plant took root."
"He probably never imagined that his item would be so compatible with this district, causing a scale vine to mutate to this scale."
"Enough talk. Hurry up and find a way to get the thing out," the third player, who had been knocked unconscious twice, said irritably. "If we drag this out any longer, even if we leave here, we might have lasting side effects!"
The golden-eyed player wasted no more time. He took out a pre-prepared detection device. Since it was a similar type of device, activating it would disable their anti-interference equipment, so they only had a very short window to locate the item.
"Beep, beep, beep!" As the device emitted faint sounds, the three, who had been walking along the giant scale vine, soon stopped and quickly shut off the device.
"It's still underground," the third player said. "Below is the scale vine's main trunk, and there's no gap to pass through. Even carrying the box, we can't avoid disturbing the main trunk entirely. If that thing moves even a little, we'll be crushed to death down there!"
But that wasn't the worst news. The worst news was that the devices and items they had prepared weren't sufficient to retrieve the thing from five thousand meters underground. And long-distance teleportation space items, once activated, would not only alert the scale vine but also be disrupted by mental energy. They might fail midway, leaving them stuck in between—a true dead end.