Chapter 547: Chu Mo Island (Thirteen)
Chapter 547: Chu Mo Island (Thirteen)
Ghostswamp—the fetid odor where miasma lingers.
Moonlight spilled down, casting stark contrasts across the terrain.
If one could even call it a swamp at all, this place was more akin to a colossal shit pit... The murky, dark-brown muck roiled like living sludge, belching noxious vapors that clawed at the throat.
Narrow, serpentine mudstone paths crisscrossed the swamp’s surface like tangled veins. These were the only viable routes across—a labyrinth of necessity, chaotic and unyielding.
Five players emerged from Taunting Forest and halted at Ghostswamp’s edge.
Fei Chai Shu had already donned the [Pessimist’s Skull]. Stepping forward to lead the group, he clamped a hand over his nose. After a moment’s observation, he removed the helmet, glanced at it, then replanted it firmly. "When I wear this", he rumbled, "a semi-transparent green ‘light path’ appears in my vision."
"Hmm… So we just need to follow this path only Wokolfollowers can see to safety-cross the swamp?" Hong Hu interjected.
"Ugh—" Ji Bu suddenly succumbed to nausea. Empty-stomached, he could only heave a puddle of bile.
"Hey, you okay?" Hong Hu tilted his head.
"Ha… ha…" Ji Bu gasped, then spat viscous fluid from his lips. "Even after vomiting, I still feel wretched! No relief at all!"
"Best learn to adapt", Feng Bu Jue’s icy voice cut through the air. "A while longer, you’ll be trudging these mudstone paths. The stench will only intensify." He snorted. "If you can’t endure this, you’ll be in real danger…"
"What—what danger?!" Tian Ma Xing Kong, standing beside Feng Bu Jue, demanded.
"Isn’t it obvious?" Feng Bu Jue turned, pointing at the swamp. "If foul odors cloud your focus, dulling your mind and reflexes… Then a single misstep might send you plunging into—"
"Stop saying such horrifying stuff!" Ji Bu barked, face contorted.
Tian Ma Xing Kong’s complexion turned deathly pale. "Damn it… As a hero, I refuse to die here…"
"Indeed… Unthinkable…" Even Fei Chai Shu muttered grimly.
Hong Hu added, "And in that case, no one might help you—because you’d likely drag others down too."
"Hehe… Seems you finally grasp the shit swamp’s peril", Feng Bu Jue sneered. "Exactly… We now face one of the world’s most horrific death forms—drown in sh*t."
"You actually said that word out loud like it’s normal?!" Ji Bu roared. "And before this, it was called ‘Ghostswamp’! Even if it’s full of shit, it’s still Ghostswamp!"
"One wrong step", Feng Bu Jue ignored him, face solemn, "is an abyss of no return." He sounded grave. "If you fall, don’t expect salvation. I certainly won’t reach for you."
"What a heartless line…" Fei Chai Shu muttered.
"But I can’t deny I feel the same", Feng Bu Jue continued. "Even if you claw your way out, your teammates might abandon you."
"If I fall, I’ll force-quit", Brother Horse declared resolutely.
Hong Hu adjusted his glasses. "Same here."
"I won’t fall", Fei Chai Shu wiped sweat from his temple. "If I slip, I’ll force-quit before touching the sh*t surface."
"Tch… I wanted to force-quit two hours ago…" Ji Bu scowled, eyes half-closed.
"Oh, right—" Feng Bu Jue suddenly seemed to recall something. Turning away, he threw a double-fisted strike at empty air.
"Hey, that’s the third time you’ve done that!" Hong Hu noticed. "Every hour, you repeat this motion—‘stretches,’ you said. But you’re secretly leveling skills, aren’t you?"
"Fine… You got me", Feng Bu Jue deadpanned. "This is the legendary Dragon Claw Hand—Grabbleep. Even if you begged me on your knees, I’d never teach you."
"Who’d believe that!" Hong Hu shouted. "This game couldn’t have such a vulgar technique! Even if it did, only you’d waste time learning it!"
"Enough bickering", Feng Bu Jue shifted topics. "We’ve an hour left. Taking the shortcut gives us buffer time. Unless something goes wrong, we’ll cross the swamp in half an hour." His gaze swept the group. "Now, face the drown-in-shit with reverence and march forward!"
"First, let’s confirm our crossing order", Fei Chai Shu interjected. "The paths are narrow—we’ll need single-file." He patted his chest. "I’ll lead. As for the rest—"
"I’ll guard the rear", Hong Hu volunteered. "My reconnaissance proficiency is decent. From behind, I can oversee everything and watch for distant attacks."
"I’ll follow Fei Chai Shu", Tian Ma Xing Kong decided.
Ji Bu glanced at Feng Bu Jue. "That leaves third and fourth. Ahead or behind?"
"I’m not going with you", Feng Bu Jue shocked them.
"What?!" Collective disbelief.
"You go first. I’ll scout the swamp", Feng Bu Jue explained. "Based on my years of gaming experience, maps with brutal environments often hide rare treasures—usually in secluded dead-ends. I’ll claim them."
"Are you joking?!" Fei Chai Shu warned. "The setting’s clear—following the [Pessimist’s Skull] path ensures safety. Other routes likely lead to traps."
"Or sudden collapses… or things dragging you under", Hong Hu added.
"I won’t step on those paths", Feng Bu Jue shrugged. "I’ll walk one meter above the swamp’s surface." He turned to leave. "If needed, I can hover briefly. Failing that, I can even walk on sh*t itself." He scanned the swamp’s edges. "As long as my soles face down, I’ll never fall."
"Normally, I’d warn you", Hong Hu contemplated. "But with you? It’s your funeral. Don’t expect sympathy."
"Hmph…" Feng Bu Jue smirked. "When I was dodging fireballs in Dos games, you were still drawing stick figures."
"Huh?" Hong Hu blinked, confused.
The others exchanged baffled glances. Their generation’s cluelessness about Dos games was evident—they’d missed recognizing [Wild Ball Fist] earlier.
"Never mind", Feng Bu Jue covered his nose and leapt forward. "You go ahead. Enter Faith Shrine first—I’ll catch up."
With that, he sprang. Moon-step after moon-step, he hovered a meter above the swamp, gliding like a dragonfly into the distance…
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
