Chapter 650: Recent Developments in the Green Swamp
Chapter 650: Recent Developments in the Green Swamp
Shi Quan heaved a long sigh. He clenched his fist, feeling the immense power within him being severely suppressed, reduced to a mere fraction of its potential.
After being escorted to the Forest City, this Phase Six Warrior found himself imprisoned in a facility designed to hold even the mightiest of beings. His Phase Six strength was simply too powerful to be left unchecked.
Despite the suppression, he retained the strength of a Phase Three or Four warrior, a testament to his formidable abilities. Warriors possess the courage to acknowledge defeat.
He waited quietly in his cell until he saw Lindsay pushing Hilda towards him.
Shi Quan didn't even bother to stand up. Instead, he calmly observed Lindsay and the girl in the wheelchair. Lindsay, the one who had defeated him using Devastation Power, was a formidable opponent whom Shi Quan couldn't help but acknowledge.
As for the girl in the wheelchair, she appeared frail and vulnerable, a typical image of weakness. But the moment Shi Quan's gaze fell upon Hilda, his battle instincts screamed a warning—Monster!
Beneath this delicate girl's appearance lay a creature far beyond imagination, not a mere mortal being.
"Lindsay, aren't you afraid I'll turn this story into a tragedy?" Shi Quan asked.
"This is the city you've worked so hard to build," Lindsay replied.
"..." Shi Quan was silent.
"At least for now, I believe someone who yearns for heroism deep in their heart can be trusted," Lindsay added.
"..." Shi Quan was taken aback.
"It's not fair to blurt out a girl's secret thoughts like that!"
Shi Quan listened intently as Hilda and Lindsay conversed. His body tensed, and he couldn't quite grasp the intentions of these two foes.
He averted his gaze, steadying his emotions. As they approached, he stepped aside, addressing Lindsay directly:
"The lord of this land—Lindsay?"
Lindsay nodded slightly.
"I introduced myself during our last encounter," Lindsay said.
Shi Quan got straight to the point, "You didn't kill me; instead, you had me transported and imprisoned here, which means I must be of value."
"Speak plainly, what must I do to keep my life?"
As Shi Quan awaited Lindsay's response, unexpectedly, Hilda spoke first:
"Lindsay, this guy's thoughts are quite intriguing."
"..." Shi Quan's mind raced.
Perceiver? He wondered about Hilda's identity.
But Hilda's words shattered his assumptions.
"He's thinking of escaping this prison, challenging you again, and leaving after defeating you in a fair fight," the writer girl stated.
"A warrior from Nark Bondak, indeed, they don't know when to give up," she added.
Shi Quan was speechless.
This mind-reading ability was something he had only witnessed in a select few Awakened ones. Typically, only the most powerful Essence holders could achieve such a feat.
Artist? The name flashed through Shi Quan's mind.
Before he could question further, Lindsay reacted, "Nark Bondak... Red..."
Hilda interjected, "Oh, right! Your child is over there, specially nurtured by the Unconquered King, Djir. They have a bright future ahead."
"?" Shi Quan's emotions were on a rollercoaster.
Fear and disbelief quickly turned into incredulity. He was indeed from Nark Bondak, and the mention of the Unconquered King held significant weight.
A legendary figure, the Unconquered King was a Phase Nine myth, the ultimate goal of all warriors, an undefeated symbol of strength.
Even in his wildest dreams, Shi Quan never imagined discussing the Unconquered King. Yet, these two individuals casually brought up the topic as if it were a mere joke.
"You two! Even if you're playing with me, there's no need to make up such a ridiculous story!" Shi Quan exclaimed.
"Pfft—"
Hilda burst into laughter at Shi Quan's fury, even playfully tapping Lindsay's knee, "Look, he thinks we're joking. We were just talking about your kid, Djir, and how he's being specially trained by the Unconquered King."
"This is the shackle of mortals - their vision is limited, unable to see the higher realms."
Lindsay didn't pursue this line of questioning, instead turning to Shi Quan with a specific inquiry: "With your strength, you must have tried to venture to other worlds when the Barren Land became like this, right?"
Shi Quan's tone was somewhat unpleasant, but he replied, "The teleportation array here is unattended, so even if we wanted to leave, there's hardly any chance."
Lindsay pressed further, "Then, can't you use your legs to go elsewhere?"
Shi Quan raised his eyebrows, "The Western world is plagued with calamities, it's an apocalyptic land where everything is torn asunder. As for the Eastern world, the Dust Path World—forgive me for being blunt, but that place is no better than the Mooncry Mountain Range here."
Had the man been to the Dust Path World?
Lindsay recalled the disrupted world connection, "Which place did you visit? And when?"
"The last time was ten years ago," Shi Quan was about to retort, but seeing the smiling Hilda beside him, he felt a cold sweat break out on his back, "That place, its sky was completely torn apart, and the world was plunged into total darkness. Not only ordinary people, but even Awakened ones who aren't strong enough would have to entrust their fate to others there."
"Compared to that, at least here in the Mooncry Mountain Range, we can rely on our own fists to gain everything."
Lindsay turned to Hilda.
The writer girl nodded slightly, indicating that the man in front of her wasn't lying, so he continued, "Tell me about the Green Swamp."
"You were sent to raid the Forest Capital, what's the plan?"
Shi Quan scoffed, "What else could the plan be?"
"We heard that the ruins of Aro Camp have been revived, and the development is astonishing, so we're here to clean things up."
"With our strength, who in the Barren Land can stand against us?"
"I didn't expect that in this desolate world, someone like you would appear. Even in those world's capital cities, with your abilities, you should have been given top priority for cultivation, not left to venture into such a place."
Lindsay ignored Shi Quan's probing and asked his own question, "Then, what will they do after your failure?"
Shi Quan answered with absolute certainty, "It'll take at least six months for the news from here to reach them, and for them to react."
"But if Emerald Bird is attentive enough and calculates the time, they'll realize we haven't returned. By then—perhaps more people will come, but that's not something a prisoner like me can guess."
Lindsay inquired about the combat strength of the Green Swamp.
After hearing about the numerous Phase Five Awakened, he brought up a special name, "The current ruler of the Green Swamp, that Snake King, is a Phase Seven Awakened, right?"
Shi Quan nodded again, "He's a Phase Seven Eroder, but something he ate has driven him completely insane."
"..."
A Phase Seven Eroder.
When rescuing Dune, Lindsay had personally taken down an Eroder.
Although the Eroder's skills were only at Phase Four, the ability to feed on others' vitality and essence was still fresh in his memory.
Now it seemed that a Phase Seven Eroder had gone insane from absorbing something.
Lindsay thought of the odd artifact in the Green Swamp that allowed the Purple Leaf Vine Branch to grow.
He asked his final question, "In the Green Swamp, have you heard of an adventurer's exploits?"
Shi Quan blinked, shaking his head in confusion, "Adventurer? Never heard of it."
(End of Chapter)
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