Chapter 879: The Rich Person's Way of Doing Missions
When Zhuang Mengtian was disarmed, Xu Huo had already discovered that the green vegetation below was hollow. The ground they were stepping on was actually composed of a continuous layer of vines, thick enough to support the growth of the flowers, grass, and some trees above.
Taking advantage of Zhuang Mengtian being flung into the air, he used the Kite String to secure her and moved back in their original direction.
At that moment, Zhuang Mengtian had already cut the vines around her feet. Pulled by Xu Huo, she quickly broke free from the spot. However, before they could get far, the nearby vegetation seemed to awaken all at once. A massive number of vines flew in from all directions, precisely capturing the two of them!
"Effective Range!" Zhuang Mengtian used an item. The vines approaching her actively drooped in mid-air, crossing and tangling with the vines behind them to form a net-like barrier, successfully intercepting a large swath of greenery.
But soon after, many giant flower buds descended from above. When they burst open, they sprayed out a large amount of white powder.
There was no need to guess that this stuff was poisonous. Xu Huo, running ahead, made a sudden stop, tossed out two bottles of burning agent, and pulled out a lighter to set a fire.
In such a humid and densely vegetated forest, a small fire was hard to sustain, especially since these mobile vines would actively try to extinguish it. Thus, the flames only burned for a few seconds before being completely smothered by the surging greenery.
"I have accelerant!" Zhuang Mengtian, still in mid-air, threw bottles down without restraint. The rekindled fire was much larger in scope than before. Even if the greenery covered it, it wouldn't go out for a while. Then, the two watched as the ground overturned—the vegetation automatically abandoned the burning parts, wrapped the fiery area into a ball, and tossed it into the deep valley below.
The gap barely allowed them to see the situation below, which was no better than above. It was filled with hanging vines. The fireball fell into the darkness without any sound of hitting the ground, nor did it illuminate the valley's appearance.
Xu Huo and the other had already landed in a safe spot. Standing at a distance, they watched the greenery slowly slow down and stretch out, feeling a chill in their hearts.
All these flowers and plants had evolved into hunting varieties, with their roots intertwined. It seemed the entire botanical garden was in a similar state.
They both instinctively looked up. The same oppressive greenery awaited them above. Even if they left the ground, going up would still make them potential prey.
Their mission was to go to a designated place and paint a panoramic view. Not only were they still a considerable distance from their destination, but they also had to climb a steep slope covered in vegetation.
"Missions done by two players together have different difficulty levels," Zhuang Mengtian said. "I saw that poison agent you used yesterday was pretty strong. Why not just poison all the plants in this area to death?"
"Are you sure?" Xu Huo replied. "Do you have an antidote for A-class toxins?"
"I'll buy it from you," Zhuang Mengtian said directly. "There's no need to be so clear-cut at a time like this, right? Shouldn't friends help each other?"
"I don't have that many potions," Xu Huo said bluntly. "Take a look at how big this forest is."
What effect could a few bottles of potion have? Even the bacteria in Yu Guoduan's hands couldn't multiply indefinitely, and the speed wouldn't be that fast.
This method was thankless and inefficient.
Zhuang Mengtian looked ahead. "Small animals are smarter. They probably know which paths are safe."
Unfortunately, there were no birds or beasts nearby.
If all the greenery in the valley was predatory, it was possible that animals either avoided the area or had been completely hunted down.
There was no good way other than to tough it out.
"We need to speed up," Xu Huo said. "Although these plants have evolved, their reaction speed isn't fast. As long as we run fast enough, it won't be easy for them to catch us."
As he spoke, he adjusted his shoes and vanished from his spot in a flash.
The trait "Straight-Line Distance" allowed for rapid movement between two points within a hundred-meter range. Not only could he move at high speed, but he could also change direction at will midway. Therefore, crossing this jungle was not difficult for Xu Huo.
Zhuang Mengtian had a harder time. Although her protective suit could prevent scratches from the vegetation, the biggest problem inside was the overly dense plants. Sometimes, charging headfirst into them didn't lead to an open path but instead risked being entangled by vines.
However, this wasn't a major crisis. With Xu Huo clearing the way ahead, they spent an hour crossing the valley.
At the foot of the mountain, the ground was no longer suspended vegetation, but it was covered in slippery moss. Finding their own path made progress difficult.
Not long after, Zhuang Mengtian suddenly cursed: "Damn it!"
Xu Huo turned around, simultaneously tilting his head to avoid a worm falling from above. "Is your protective suit broken?"
Some worms had corrosive mucus.
"No, it's not that," Zhuang Mengtian said with disgust. "Those flesh worms are too disgusting. They're as long as fingers, crawling all over my body. I've got goosebumps!"
"Is the insect repellent not working?" Xu Huo continued walking forward, asking casually.
"They're all in the trees. It just drove them down instead." Zhuang Mengtian had to put away the potion, but soon after, she was bitten by a venomous snake.
After taking an antidote, her numb legs forced her to rest in place.
Xu Huo also stopped to replenish his stamina.
"You're completely fine," Zhuang Mengtian said, choosing to drink a stamina recovery potion.
"I'm wearing thick clothes," Xu Huo replied flatly. In fact, the outer layer of his protective suit had several small holes—some melted by worms, others bitten by poisonous insects. But he had enough suits to change into midway.
"Rich people, huh." Zhuang Mengtian sized him up and brought up the topic of clearing the instance again. "Why do you insist on choosing the white ball?"
"Don't tell me it's to show sincerity. Normally, in a situation like this, others would just see you as a sucker, trick you into the mission first, and forget about gaining friendship. You wouldn't even have a chance to make friends."
"Just giving it a try. If it doesn't work, failing the instance is no big deal," Xu Huo said indifferently.
Zhuang Mengtian didn't quite believe him, but seeing that he wasn't willing to say more, she dropped the subject.
Ten minutes later, they set off again. But as they walked, Xu Huo sensed something was wrong.
"We're going in circles."
Zhuang Mengtian first checked her watch. "The direction is fine, and we've been walking uphill the whole time. How could we be lost?"
Xu Huo bent down, pushed aside the grass, and dug into the ground with his sword. Sure enough, although the surface was covered with a layer of soil, the layer below was filled with plant roots—not naturally grown ones, but with obvious gaps for movement.
"I'll go up and take a look." Zhuang Mengtian took out an iron chain gun, aimed it at the sky, and pulled the trigger. The automatically retracting chain pulled her entire body out of the forest.
Leaves rustled down. Xu Huo waited in place for half a minute, sensing subtle changes beneath his feet. These plants were more like an underground river—hard to detect but endlessly flowing.
It seemed that going up through the air was the most economical way.
A minute later, Zhuang Mengtian still hadn't returned.
(Chapter End)