Chapter 548: Chu Mo Island (Fourteen)
Chapter 548: Chu Mo Island (Fourteen)
After leaping a distance forward, Feng Bu Jue glanced back over his shoulder.
Though not far, his teammates' silhouettes had already blurred beyond recognition. Clearly, the swirling stench in the air wasn't just foul—it actively reduced visibility.
"Visibility really is abysmal", Feng Bu Jue muttered. He swept his gaze around the area. "Better mark this location first..."
Having spent two months in Terrifying Paradise, even a pure newbie would've picked up some survival tricks. For Feng Bu Jue, this was second nature.
He'd developed his own "map memorization method" by now. It involved breaking down vast spaces into chunks. Stand at a clear vantage point, scan the surroundings, lock onto several distinct landmarks, and mentally store them as puzzle pieces. Repeat this process, and the brain gradually assembles a complete map through spatial relationships.
To him, even a swamp like this—where others might struggle to memorize—was easy to navigate. There were only two types of maps he couldn't master: first, endlessly repeating spaces with identical rooms separated by doors; second, randomized, ruleless confusion zones where the same door led elsewhere each time.
In short, Feng Bu Jue pressed forward, methodically memorizing the poop-covered wasteland.
About ten points later, anomalies emerged.
"Ugh..."
"Oh..."
Groans erupted from all directions—male and female voices intermingled with eerie, animal-like wails.
(To clarify, these weren't lustful moans but bone-chilling horror screams.)
"Hm... It's started", Feng Bu Jue observed, using Tavrin Step's special effect to hover mid-air. Below, filth-covered arms clawed upward from the muck. Their mud-streaked hands, hooked like talons, convulsed upward in desperate grasps.
Despairing death cries bubbled up from the swamp's depths, a curse-like dirge drilling into players' ears. But Feng Bu Jue remained unfazed, analyzing coolly.
"Triggering events means something's ahead", he noted, keeping his feet safely out of reach. Scanning below, "No real forks in the path. Just one trail remains..." He observed the muddy path. "And it's not the main quest route." That much was certain—Fei Chai Shu's team had gone the opposite direction. "Hmph... So I'm close. What could it be?"
Ahead lay three possibilities: reward items, a gateway to new regions, or deathtraps. Feng Bu Jue aimed for the first option. With a one-in-three risk in uncharted territory, it was worth the gamble. Besides, he had contingency plans.
He smartly retrieved the adamantine bell from his satchel, activating its third special effect: five minutes of "Death Warning" protection.
By now, even against powerful monsters, his skills usually ensured escape. Yet Feng Bu Jue's caution was legendary. Whenever possible, he always prepared escape routes and maximized safety precautions.
Such decisive judgment separated experts from commoners. What seemed trivial to others became crucial decisions for seasoned players. Sacrificing skill/item cooldowns to avoid game-over was foolish—saving them might cost everything.
Dingling... Lingling... Lingling...
The bell chimed steadily but not frantically.
"Not urgent", Feng Bu Jue mused. "This frequency..." His eyes tracked the grasping arms below. "Must be warning about these fiends." He resumed cautious hovering. "Drowning in shit and becoming vengeful spirits... If caught, instant deathplot... Yep."
He wasn't wrong. Any player snagged by those arms here got dragged down 100%—no escape. Strength merely prolonged the despairing struggle.
Further ahead, the muddy path narrowed to a single thread. Air thickened with heat and stench. Even moonlight dimmed—not from weather, but the area's inherent gloominess.
"Oh... So it's here." His tone stayed flat, face unchanging.
As he spoke, Feng Bu Jue reached the path's end—a five-meter-radius circular mudflat. Arms from the quagmire couldn't reach its center.
Yet he hovered, studying the only object in the middle: an electric shaver. His in-game vision confirmed its appearance—pristine despite surroundings, no footprints.
This mundane item clashed absurdly with the setting. Like finding penguin corpses in deserts or underwear in fridges.
But this was Terrifying Paradise—anything could happen. Even old cellphones might become god-killing artifacts.
"Reward item?" Feng Bu Jue muttered. "Better check attributes before touching."
Focused and alert, he landed slowly, crouching while maintaining a defensive posture. At twenty centimeters distance, the item description appeared:
[Name: Chuck Norris' Shaver]
[Type: Other]
[Quality: Legendary]
[Special Effect: Grants a stylish appearance]
[Can be Taken Out of Scenario: Yes]
[Background: One of the "CN" series items. Records one of Chuck Norris' 100 famous facts. Binds on pickup.
—"Chuck Norris' beard hides no chin—only another fist."]
"Huh?" Feng Bu Jue blinked. "'Grants a stylish appearance'? What the heck is this?" He sighed at the vague description. "CN means Chuck Norris series? Does this game have a hundred such joke items?"
Despite confusion, the "Legendary" quality and portability were irresistible. He grabbed it—already regretting this decision moments later.
Unbeknownst to him, this triggered a shocking plot—the hidden boss battle of Chu Mo Island.
Indeed, he'd stepped into the secret spawn point. He'd realize later: this location was impossibly secluded. Few would willingly seek such a place—those who stumbled here got blocked by grasping arms. Normal players stuck to paths, requiring extreme skill to evade attacks and reach here.
But Feng Bu Jue's legendary-grade boots gave him safety. Hence the adamantine bell's calm response.
Coincidence or fate? Either way, it happened.
Rumble...
A thunderous sound rolled in—like concrete mixing.
"Hm?" Feng Bu Jue had just stashed the shaver when the noise struck.
Hardly hesitating half a second, he flipped backward, soaring three meters into the air. Lightning-fast eyes swept the area...
The source materialized ahead—a vortex swirling in the previously pathless swamp.
Rumbling Intensified. The whirlpool spun faster.
Suddenly, a massive hand burst from the vortex, hurling fecal waves skyward.
Feng Bu Jue activated Moon Step, narrowly dodging the filth shower. Simultaneously, the adamantine bell's gentle jingle turned deafening, rapid-fire Clatter...
(End of Chapter)
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