Chapter 113: Escape Route
“Can I still be cured?” Drake looked at the youth with a pale face in surprise, seeing the hope of transforming back into a human from the other’s affirmative nod.
Drake and Li Nuowei walked down the stairs leading underground, Drake was overjoyed, but Li Nuowei’s heart was calm like still water.
Li Nuowei was already somewhat numb. In over a thousand reincarnations, Drake always died from various misfortunes. Despite countless attempts to avoid Drake’s death routes, inexplicable death would still descend upon him.
Li Nuowei had witnessed all sorts of bizarre death methods for Drake and was no longer surprised by his death scenes, even if he died at the hands of the muddy swamp, drained dry into a husk with his soul integrated into part of the muddy swamp; he didn’t find it particularly eerie horror.
While advancing underground, Li Nuowei was thinking and summarizing in his mind.
The current situation was violent merman pursuers above and soul-devouring muddy swamp blocking the road below.
After 129 death verifications, they had no effective method against the mermen, and the quantity of mermen was too great. Retreating or fighting them head-on offered no way to survive, so they could only escape from the mermen side.
After 212 death verifications, the muddy swamp could not be forcibly broken through. In the face of the muddy swamp’s absolute power and defense mechanism, whether trying to outsmart or forcefully seize the green light gemstone, they were unable to seize the gemstone.
The only thing that made the muddy swamp retreat was the treasures piled like mountains behind that stone wall. Among those treasures seemed to exist certain special treasures that made the muddy swamp instinctively loathe and fear them; this was something he had only discovered in his most recent deaths.
Li Nuowei had considered drilling directly into the tunnel and breaking the stone wall, but eerily, that narrow tunnel was currently sealed by those “green light lives.” Without alerting the muddy swamp, those “green light lives” would not move a step for any of their behavior before sensing the death threat from the muddy swamp, so they naturally could not pass through the tunnel to break the stone wall in advance.
Therefore, in summary, there were three things they needed to do.
First, shake off the merman pursuers, and the only escape route was this spiral staircase, but underground was the soul-devouring muddy swamp, so there was nothing to say about it; this was a matter with no choice.
Second, escape the danger brought by the muddy swamp, but due to the pursuers above, without “opening” another escape route, they could not sit and wait for death in place, which was just death. They could only continue forward, and opening the other escape route required direct contact with the muddy swamp as a necessary condition, so facing the muddy swamp head-on was inevitable.
Third, ensure Drake’s safety during the process of opening the hidden escape route, and absolutely prevent him from dying inexplicably again.
These three points were the core mission Li Nuowei had to accomplish in every reincarnation, but the first two were already routine for Li Nuowei; he could do them with his eyes closed. The third point was the most difficult because it was full of unknown variables.
Drake was always that Drake, but he always walked into those unknown variables.
“This time, I’ll hold him and jump to a place where he can land safely, with me cushioning him underneath. That way, even if he’s hurt, he won’t die so easily, right.” Li Nuowei thought.
Everything seemed scripted as destined. The two arrived underground once again. Drake was once more lured and bewitched by the strange phenomenon, then awakened by Li Nuowei.
Li Nuowei once again charged into that narrow tunnel with Drake, crashing through the wall together with him. Then, before the stone wall was completely shattered, he pulled Drake in front of himself, while he himself fell as the cushion into the golden ocean full of precious treasures.
When pulled to his side by Li Nuowei, Drake was somewhat surprised. He didn’t understand Li Nuowei’s behavior of voluntarily cushioning under him. On which of his reincarnation lines had he moved him so deeply? What great favor had he bestowed upon him to make him treat him so kindly?
Unfortunately, these were also Drake’s fleeting thoughts; he himself might not even remember them, because the pursuit of the muddy swamp “ropes” shooting from the broken stone wall opening had arrived. Compared to the confusion about Li Nuowei’s behavior, the fear of the immediate reality was more disconcerting and forcibly impressive.
And as expected, after the muddy swamp sensed the “power” of the gold, silver, and jewels, it sheathed its sword and withdrew dejectedly and weakly, emitting waves of unwilling and angry roars during the process.
Drake landed safely. Though there was a person cushioning underneath, the pain from falling from a height was not lessened at all.
“Li Nuowei, are you okay?” Drake turned over and inquired of Li Nuowei, who was groaning in pain behind him, to check his condition.
The pallor on Li Nuowei’s face now added several degrees of pathological pallor. He crawled out from the pile of treasures adorned with colorful gemstones, then silently reached behind and to the back of his head, pulling out several sharp weapons embedded inside.
Seeing this, Drake couldn’t help but feel shocked. He really couldn’t imagine how Li Nuowei could still get up and stand after suffering such harm, as if he had the vitality and willpower of a monster.
“I’m fine.” Li Nuowei grabbed Drake’s outstretched helping hand and crawled out from the round pit he had crashed into.
Drake looked at the treasures at the scene and felt a slight sting in his eyes. Unsure if it was influenced by the mermaid disease transformation, he then seemed able to see images from another world. He saw that every treasure in the mountain-like pile before him was emanating a special glow.
Furthermore, Drake discovered that when he looked at himself, he was also emanating the same light as these gold, silver, and jewels.
Regarding this, Drake felt no joy like a rise in status; instead, his heart was filled with immense worry.
And not long after, the worry in his heart came true.
Drake felt waves of pain from his wrist. He bit off the gauze used to bandage the wound on his wrist and saw large patches of dark blue-black scales rapidly growing. The original wound on his wrist had long healed and was covered by scales. His hand was transforming into the peculiar claws unique to those mermen, and what caused him pain was actually the scales drilling densely out of his pores at a visible speed—hard and sharp. Each growth brought Drake immense pain.
“Am I going to turn into a merman?” Drake looked at his trembling hands, his pupils growing increasingly dull and yellow.
After a moment of daze, Drake came back to his senses and finally realized that the reason his condition was accelerating was the mountain-like treasures before him. These treasures were emitting radiation that accelerated mutation.
One update today. Mental state isn’t great, too sleepy. Will make it up to everyone later.
