Chapter 537: Chu Mo Island (Iii)
Chapter 537: Chu Mo Island (Iii)
After confirming they couldn’t take an aerial route, the five people entered the thicket beside the beach.
Tian Ma Xing Kong led the way, clearing the path with his blade, followed closely by Fei Chai Shu. Behind them came Hong Hu, Feng Bu Jue, and Young Noble Ji Bu. Pushing through brambles and thorns, the group advanced steadily toward the island’s interior.
The first stage of the main quest had a time limit. At first glance, this seemed fortunate. Based on this, Feng Bu Jue deduced that the "Faith Temple" couldn’t be too far from their starting point—at least in theory. They should definitely arrive within three hours.
“Is it possible the shrine is near the coastline?” Ji Bu suddenly asked as they walked. “Maybe we don’t need to go deep inland. We might find it just by following the beach.”
“That’s possible,” Feng Bu Jue replied with a smile, “but if that’s true, we’ll face a new problem.” He turned his head. “On the beach, should we go left or right?”
“Hmm…” Ji Bu hesitated, then retorted, “You’re just arguing for the sake of it, aren’t you?”
“No,” Feng Bu Jue said before Hong Hu interjected, “Feng Bu Jue makes sense. Left, right, or deeper inland—there’s no real difference.” Hong Hu paused, scratching his neck. “We don’t have a map or any clues. Any direction is just guesswork.”
Feng Bu Jue continued, “However, based on experience and logic, the shrine is more likely inland than on the coast.” He pointed ahead at Tian Ma Xing Kong. “Earlier, Brother Horse instinctively chose to go inland, so…” He abruptly stopped speaking.
The next second, Feng Bu Jue’s expression shifted. “Don’t move!” he barked.
The others didn’t know who he was addressing, but all four froze.
“Hong Hu, don’t move,” Feng Bu Jue added in a firm, steady voice.
“Why?” Hong Hu responded tensely, his body now as still as a sculpture, lips the only moving part.
“There’s something on your neck,” Feng Bu Jue said, stepping behind him.
The other three, realizing they weren’t the target, relaxed slightly and turned to watch.
“Hmm… strange,” Feng Bu Jue said, raising his hand but pausing mid-motion.
“What is it?” Hong Hu asked, now aware his neck had been itching for a reason.
“A leech,” Feng Bu Jue replied.
“From your tone, this isn’t an ordinary leech?” Hong Hu guessed.
“Right,” Feng Bu Jue confirmed. “I can’t see it.”
“What do you mean?” Hong Hu pressed.
“I can see the wound on your neck oozing blood,” Feng Bu Jue explained, leaning closer. “But I can’t see the creature feeding on you. Based on the wound’s shape, I’m guessing it’s a leech.”
“Transparent leech?” Fei Chai Shu suggested.
“No, definitely not transparent,” Hong Hu countered. “If it were, my blood inside its body would reveal its silhouette. This thing is invisible even after feeding.”
“Then let’s call it a ‘ghost leech’ for now,” Feng Bu Jue concluded.
“Is this really the time to name it?” Hong Hu snapped, clearly impatient.
Humans were like this—sometimes ignorance brought peace, but once aware of a problem, it felt like thorns in the back or fish bones in the throat.
“Stay calm, I’ll handle it,” Feng Bu Jue said, then sniffed Hong Hu’s neck. “Hmm, the smell is slightly fishy. Definitely a leech.”
“Are you planning to eat it or something?” Ji Bu shot him a sidelong glance. Truthfully, he wouldn’t be surprised if Feng Bu Jue ate the ghost leech.
“Just confirming,” Feng Bu Jue replied, pulling out his [Compound Anti-Gravity Catapult] from his satchel. “For regular leeches, forcibly peeling them off could leave their mouthparts under the skin, causing infection.”
A low buzzing filled the air. The wound on Hong Hu’s neck loosened, and blood trickled down his skin—a sign the leech had detached.
“This device avoids such issues,” Feng Bu Jue said, examining the wound. “Judging from the size, this one was huge. Curled, it was a lump. When stretched, maybe ten centimeters long.”
“I was careless,” Hong Hu sighed, covering the wound to stop the bleeding. “I felt itchy but didn’t check my vitality value.” He paused. “Thankfully, I only lost 7% vitality. I just wonder how long it’s been on me.”
“The problem isn’t solved yet,” Feng Bu Jue muttered, his expression odd. “If the leech interacts with us physically, calling it a ‘ghost’ might be inaccurate.”
“You’re still stuck on the name?” Ji Bu said.
“He’s not stuck on the name,” Hong Hu interrupted, adjusting his glasses. “He’s questioning the creature’s nature.” After a pause, he proposed, “Could it be changing color based on its surroundings?”
“A chameleon?” Tian Ma Xing Kong finally chimed in from the front.
“Much more advanced than a chameleon,” Feng Bu Jue said, aiming his catapult at a tree trunk. The device activated, emitting a beam of light. “My catapult is holding the leech here, but the light reveals no shadow on the trunk. That means either it bends light around itself, or it interferes with our vision directly.”
“That’s not so strange,” Hong Hu added. “This scenario is clearly set in the game’s main universe—a fantasy setting. Creatures defying logic are normal.”
Feng Bu Jue pondered briefly, then asked, “Fei Chai Shu, can you see the leech?”
“No,” Fei Chai Shu replied instantly.
“Not visible under light, not visible through sunglasses…” Feng Bu Jue glanced at Hong Hu. “It doesn’t show up on a 37°C surface or at 15°C ambient temperature.” He looked around. “Does anyone have a device or skill that emits infrared?”
“You’ve got a lot of demands,” Hong Hu grumbled, but retrieved an egg-shaped device from his satchel and activated it. A glowing screen unfolded.
Suddenly, infrared radiation enveloped the area.
“Holy crap!” Everyone’s terror values spiked—except Feng Bu Jue’s.
Under the infrared light, the players finally saw the leech—and thousands of its kin. The area was an ocean of invisible leeches. Tree canopies, muddy ground, trunks, grass, rocks—even their clothes—were crawling with them.
“At least our attire is thick,” Feng Bu Jue said calmly. “Our exposed skin is minimal. Plus, these leeches move slowly.” He looked at Hong Hu. “You just had bad luck. This one probably fell from a branch and landed on your neck by chance.”
“Can you stop joking around?” Ji Bu yelled, panic rising as he stared at the creatures on his clothes. “What do we do now?”
“No need to panic,” Feng Bu Jue tossed the leech off his catapult. “With this density, we’ll just pick them off later. Every step we take, more will stick.” He shrugged. “Let’s keep moving. We’ll clean up when we reach an area without them.”
“What if the next forest is like this too? Or the entire island?” Ji Bu asked.
“Then we’ll figure out how to turn these ghost leeches into emergency rations,” Feng Bu Jue mused.
“Let’s just hurry,” Tian Ma Xing Kong’s face darkened. “I have a phobia of tight spaces.” Even heroes had fears.
“Alright, onward!” Feng Bu Jue said cheerfully.
Hong Hu took a deep breath. “Feng Bu Jue, I have to admit—you’ve got nerves of steel.”
“Right,” Ji Bu agreed. “Can a normal person stay so calm after learning this?”
“Heh,” Feng Bu Jue chuckled. “If you’re scared, sing a song to distract yourself! Come on, follow me: Brother Horse walks west, Fei Chai Shu follows, trailing three fools.”
“Hey! You even insulted yourself to make the rhyme work!”
(End of Chapter)
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