Chapter 381: A Race Against Time?
Chapter 381: A Race Against Time?
Creak... Creak...
Kaghi walked through the tunnels within the Arborium, his heart turning cold as the cold light above and around him illuminated the surroundings.
Pursuing a Phase Seven Organizer was already terrifying enough.
But the reality of the situation was that there were unknown enemies within the Arborium, along with hidden dangers from ancient times.
These elements combined to create a situation that was beyond the imagination of a Phase Four Sensor like Kaghi.
What had he done to end up in such a place?
Thump...
Kaghi followed the scent, leading the way.
Although the smell in his nostrils was clear, guiding them forward, his sensitive hearing and the tactile sensations from the ground beneath his feet gave him a constant sense of illusion.
It was as if within the wooden walls around him, deep within the cold-glowing wood, there was something sinister slithering, like the sound of snake scales scraping against the ground.
"Huff..."
Kaghi took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
He listened intently, but the faint sound seemed to disappear from his ears, as if the experience was just an illusion.
"..."
Kaghi turned to look behind him.
Diablo, or Lindsey as he was truly named, had a much more serious expression on his face than before. The sense of crisis was evident, and it wasn't without reason.
Thud, thud, thud! Kaghi's heart raced, and he was about to speak to Diablo when—
Thump, thump, thump—
At that moment, the ground beneath the Perceiver's feet gave a different feedback.
He jerked his head up, looking ahead.
In the tunnel lit by the cold tree glow, it seemed as if time itself was sealed here. The quiet air showed no signs of change.
The usually gentle glow from the walls now seemed dazzling.
Kaghi, through his tactile perception, was certain that the 'thump, thump, thump' noise was real and approaching them! This time, he was sure he hadn't misheard!
"Lord Diablo!" Kaghi exclaimed, jumping back and hiding behind Lindsey. He pointed to the tunnel ahead and said, "There's something... something is approaching us!"
Lindsey furrowed his brows, "Something is approaching us?"
Lindsey held his breath, trying to listen for any sounds in the air. Even with the aid of his equipment, his perception couldn't match that of the specialized Perceiver.
The tunnel remained eerily quiet to Lindsey's ears.
"Tsk—" He decided to take a more direct approach, lying down on the ground and pressing his ear against it.
There was indeed a sound coming from the distance.
Thump... Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump—
Kaghi, with his heightened perception, was certain of the approaching presence. He stepped aside, allowing Lindsey to take the lead.
Lindsey, standing at the forefront, reached into his bag and pulled out the Iron Horn Bow.
Running his hand along the familiar bow, he felt a sense of nostalgia.
Since his arm injury, this old companion hadn't been of much use, but now it was finally time to put it to good use again.
"It's been a while..." Lindsey sighed, skillfully using the Silent Edge to prepare his arrows.
He checked the arrows in his bag—wooden arrows, armor-piercing arrows, black-feathered arrows, venomous thorn arrows, and frost venom arrows.
Among the various options, Lindsey chose one that didn't require armor penetration but could still cause damage.
Before long, the sound that had been faintly echoing through the tunnel grew louder.
Thump, thump, thump—
At the end of the straight tunnel, a man dressed in a white and gray single-piece garment appeared, rushing out.
As Lindsey stood in the center of the tunnel, he spotted a figure blocking his path, and his face lit up with joy.
Ignoring the threat of the bow and arrow, he rushed forward without hesitation, simultaneously tossing a coin that shimmered with golden light.
"Help me!"
"Friend, lend a hand! This place has some strange things going on!"
"..."
In an instant, Lindsey's hostility was suppressed.
The newcomer wasn't Mullernahun; instead, he threw a Twin Serpent Coin, and Lindsey even recognized this guy.
It was Kuai Te, a prominent merchant from the Riverbank Merchant Guild!
Apart from the Phase Seven Organizer, another person had entered the Arborium, and it was this merchant!
"It's Kuai Te, the big merchant from the Riverbank Merchant Guild!"
At this moment, even Kaghi, standing behind Lindsey, recognized the man's identity.
Sensors didn't harbor any ill feelings towards merchants, as there were no conflicting interests between them.
Seeing a living person and under the influence of the Twin Serpent Coin's allure, Lindsey felt a sense of calm. He even advised Diablo, "Lord Diablo, he's a merchant from the Forest Courtyard World, not an enemy!"
"..."
Lindsey remained silent.
He desperately wanted to release the arrow.
However, the powerful temptation of the Twin Serpent Coin was affecting reality, preventing him from making an attack.
Lindsey opened his attribute panel.
Sure enough, a 'Interest Temptation' status appeared on his status bar.
The effect lasted a full 15 minutes!
"Datafication—"
Lindsey, of course, didn't want to be subjected to this and tried to use his skills to resolve the issue.
As the 'Datafication' took effect, Lindsey's conceptual understanding of his body changed. The allure of the Twin Serpent Coin diminished significantly, dropping from 15 minutes to just 5 seconds!
"5...4..."
Seizing this brief moment, Kuai Te rushed towards the two of them.
"3..."
The merchant was panting heavily.
He casually spent some money to buy Stamina and restore his condition.
Then, he ran past the two figures, continuing his mad dash, and shouted to Lindsey and Kaghi, "You're Awakened, right? Think of a way to stop that thing behind me!"
"2..."
The last two seconds.
The effect of the Twin Serpent Coin was still in place, so Lindsey couldn't take action immediately.
Following the direction Kuai Te had appeared from, Lindsey's sharp vision spotted vines spreading from the end of the corridor, heading towards them.
"1..."
More and more of the vines came into view.
It seemed to be a climbing plant, but it displayed a ferocity unlike that of normal plants!
At this moment, it was spreading along the corridor.
The green branches were pointing directly at Lindsey and the other two humans on the opposite side! Without even touching it, Lindsey could tell that this thing was full of malice, clearly intending to kill!
"0!"
In an instant, the control effect of the Twin Serpent Coin on Lindsey's body ended.
Naturally, he had no interest in helping Kuai Te block this strange and dangerous creature.
So, Lindsey turned around and left.
He grabbed Kaghi, who was standing next to him, and rushed in the direction the merchant had fled, feigning sincerity as he called out, "Lord Kuai Te, wait for us!"
"This thing can't be resolved with just ideas. Let's discuss what to do together, okay?"
Kuai Te, still running, turned around and was immediately stunned.
"Huh?"
"How is this possible?"
The merchant was in complete disarray; his original plan was shattered by the scene before him.
He had clearly felt the allure of the Twin Serpent Coin taking effect.
Why wasn't this person obedient, and instead, he was chasing after him?
Even with the ability to purchase Stamina and a decent physique, the merchant's speed couldn't compare to Lindsey's 49-point agility!
Kuai Te watched as Lindsey ran with someone in his arms, but his legs were like the wind, and he caught up effortlessly!
(End of Chapter)
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