Chapter 561: The Most Urgent Crisis
Chapter 561: The Most Urgent Crisis
Strange, very strange!
This eccentric's refusal was within Lindsey's predictions.
He had prepared for the possibility of the other party angrily attacking or being willing to talk, but he was caught off guard by the eccentric's demeanor and mental state during their conversation.
This half-man, half-insect hybrid seemed to be indifferent to the matter at hand, as if his yellow neutral marker was a mere facade.
Lindsey probed, "If you're not willing, I won't force you."
"But regarding this land, the plants here, and the plague within those insects, I still hope to get some answers out of concern for the environment."
A moment of silence followed Lindsey's question.
He kept a close eye on the eccentric, whose attitude remained consistently yellow neutral.
After a long hesitation, the hybrid spoke again, "Human, how did you figure it out?"
Lindsey replied frankly, "Awakened skills."
"I can even tell that these insects' birth shows signs of interference. I'm being honest to show my sincerity and to negotiate with you with the right attitude."
As his words fell, the longsword in front of Lindsey was encircled by a lava surge.
The orange flame that lit up seemed to raise the temperature in the canyon, causing the mist to become viscous.
Whoosh—
Lindsey drew his longsword and sheathed it in his bag.
The towering flames instantly disappeared.
His display of force had a clear message—if I had come with hostile intentions, none of you could resist.
At this moment, Silude behind him understood Lindsey's intention.
She pushed her wheelchair forward, and her overwhelming emotional reality spread throughout the canyon, overwhelming the eccentric.
"..."
The insect-like eccentric could no longer remain calm.
Lindsey's show of force was beyond his ability to resist, and Silude's soul pressure was something he couldn't even begin to comprehend.
Fear gripped the eccentric, and his raspy voice stammered in a distinctly human manner, "You... what stage of awakening are you at?"
Silude threw the question back at him, "Guess what stage of awakening I'm at."
Lindsey continued, "So, can you give me an answer now?"
The eccentric, in his panic, replied, "I can't make the decision on this matter."
Lindsey pointed to where the eccentric had appeared, "Then go back and discuss it with your other companions hiding underground. We can wait here."
Lindsey took two chairs out of his bag and placed them on the ground.
He invited Dune to sit, and the three of them formed a circle, ignoring their surroundings.
The insect-like eccentric stopped watching and turned to retreat in the direction he had come from, as if fleeing for his life. In an instant, he disappeared underground.
Nearby, the mutated scythe bugs still surrounded Lindsey and the others.
These insects lacked high intelligence and were merely tools following orders, so they showed no reaction to what had just happened.
Surrounded by the mutated scythe bugs, Lindsey spoke to Silude, "What do you think?
Silude pondered for a moment, "Hybrid life technology, life scholars from Volcanic City, those with exceptional skills could definitely achieve this; as for artists, we rarely create such bizarre things. The few I know with such interests would probably place their creations in the Mirage Dream."
Silude continued to recall, "Hmm, and there's also a more obscure skill..."
"In Starhorn City, those involved in beast taming sometimes stray from the right path, dabbling in hybridization techniques. Among the faithful who revere natural creatures, those with unique objects of worship can also play with such methods. Or there are the Life Forgers among the artisans, the ones shunned by the mainstream. And then there are the Simulation Masters who have gone astray..."
Silude began to speak passionately.
After all, she was a seven-stage Awakened, with knowledge and perception far beyond ordinary people.
Even in this secluded insect-modified state, she could list numerous examples.
Lindsey paused for a moment, unable to resist interrupting:
"You sure know a lot about this 'type' of skill!"
Silude tilted her head, revealing a smile that seemed to say, 'I was never a good person.'
"When creating, one must gather materials, right?"
"Knowing more is natural."
Lindsey shook her head:
"What about the situation here?"
Silude conceded readily:
"It's definitely not something an artist would create. As for the specifics, that's where I can't quite discern."
"Of course!"
"If I could recover my Quintessence Technique and follow the flow of fate, it would be simple to see everything clearly."
"..."
"Then I wish you success soon."
Lindsey's words stopped Silude in her tracks, and she turned to ask Dune beside her:
"Dune, do you see any changes in the state here compared to when we left?"
"Changes? There shouldn't be any." Dune carefully observed the surroundings, and after answering Lindsey's question, he expressed his concern, "Lord Lindsey, are we really safe waiting here? Look at them; they barely even qualify as humans!"
Lindsey reassured him:
"Don't worry, they have no good intentions, but neither do they bear any hostility."
"And even if we end up in battle later, I guarantee I'll bring you back to the camp safely."
Dune's expression became complex and fearful:
"I... I'm not questioning your strength, but..."
Lindsey could see his anxiety:
"Rest assured, everything is under my control."
The three of them chatted as they waited.
After resting for half an hour with insects surrounding them, there was finally some movement within the misty canyon nearby.
This time, more than one strange creature appeared.
Among them, a clearly higher-ranking creature, although still insect-like, had some grass-woven material attached to its body, specifically covering the skin between its shell segments.
The mutated scythe bugs cleared a path.
The leader, surrounded by other strange creatures, slowly approached the sea of trees:
"Respected human warrior, since you've discerned the presence of a plague here, you should understand the danger it poses."
Lindsey shook her head:
"Plagues can be cured, and right now, it's dormant."
"The real, main, and most urgent crisis is the vitality depletion issue facing the wasteland world."
"If we don't find a way to set things right and get back on track, even if this plague doesn't spread, the decaying world will eventually bring about a complete end to everything, including this place."
"..."
Lindsey's response left the creature silent.
After waiting a few more seconds, the creature spoke again:
"We're merely following ancestral teachings, guarding and preserving our survival here."
Having explained his stance, the uniquely-shaped creature took out a notebook from his clothes and handed it to Lindsey:
"We cannot stop your arrival."
"But as for the truth, this is all we have to offer."
(End of Chapter)
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