Chapter 210: Who’s The Real Danger?
The two companions beside ate up the buns in just a few bites.
Everyone was having breakfast and lunch together; one bun definitely wouldn’t fill them up. They also knew food was precious; getting one for free was already pretty good. They munched on their own compressed biscuits while reminiscing about the taste of the buns.
They silently sighed in their hearts: so this is the life of a big shot. So envious.
Actually, Yu Jiang and the merchant caravan also ate compressed biscuits. They had stock on hand, so they couldn’t waste it.
Although it didn’t taste good and required more drinking water to go down, compressed biscuits were still the most convenient and easiest-to-store food in doomsday, able to quickly fill the stomach and ensure survival.
Of course, when there were other choices, who would want to keep eating compressed biscuits until their mouth blistered.
With some stamina recovered, everyone continued studying the map, looking for a way out of the deep rainforest.
According to the instance setting, the tribe should be located in the center of the route, meaning there was still half the journey ahead. Getting out on foot wouldn’t be easy.
They had to collect the next map fragment before dark, find a place to set up camp for the night, and couldn’t stay long at the tribe.
Everyone’s health bars were topped up with meds to over 90. Yu Jiang’s sprain treatment on her foot still had over an hour left, so the team had to set off.
Before leaving, Yu Jiang dragged her sprained foot to pick up her own worn-out backpack.
The three new companions thought it was because she had important supplies in the bag, but upon inspection, it was just an ordinary worn-out backpack, even one stripped from a zombie’s back, cleaned, and reused.
It looked a bit familiar; some elite monster zombies that dropped supplies carried this kind of bag.
The trading platform still had people selling them. At the start, everyone picked up scrap to use, but later when they had more supplies, they got lazy to pick them up as they took up space. Storage space was also very precious!
Unexpectedly, the big shot still picked them up. She was already wealth ranking number one and still so thrifty.
Was this why they couldn’t make the wealth ranking?
Leaving the tribe, Han Jiang Gu Ying scouted ahead.
Yu Jiang’s foot sprain wasn’t serious, but in the complex terrain of the rainforest, it was quite taxing. Any force on it made her ankle hurt, affecting her movement and slowing her down.
She walked in the second row of the team; she couldn’t pass up gatherable supplies when they appeared.
Some people just had OCD; low-grade medicinal herbs weren’t worth much money, and many higher-level players wouldn’t waste time gathering them themselves but chose to buy them directly. If Yu Jiang saw them, not gathering would make her feel uncomfortable.
“How about I do it?” Number 8 healer Yao Yao Qie Ke Nao suggested.
“Sure, everyone shares.” Yu Jiang readily agreed; this way the effect was better.
The team’s path was blocked by a muddy swamp, and they also obtained the last map fragment, confirming the exit direction.
However, the swamp ahead was even more dangerous than the river channel. The river channel had live water, while the swamp had stagnant water with who-knows-how-many invisible dangers.
Two options: go along the left side near the edge of the river channel tributary; the water wasn’t deep, just slippery.
Or return the way they came and take a big detour.
The second option was time-consuming and laborious. After discussion, everyone unanimously agreed not to go back.
“Come up, I’ll carry you across.” Shi Xu turned his head to look at Yu Jiang.
“Will this work?” Yu Jiang’s mind blanked for a moment. “The path is pretty tough, and carrying an extra person’s weight.”
“If you get injured again, using bruise and injury ointment will make the healing time even longer.” Shi Xu said softly. “Don’t worry, I won’t drop you.”
“I think it’s fine.” Kuang Kuang Kuang came up from behind and said very seriously.
Yu Jiang was silent for a moment, then placed her hands on Shi Xu’s shoulders. She was a bit embarrassed, but this wasn’t the time to fuss over it.
He was right; enduring a few more hours of the healing buff would make her uncomfortable, and her teammates would have to divert attention to watch out for her.
On Shi Xu’s back, Yu Jiang’s head poked out from over his shoulder, also observing the surroundings.
Perhaps because she’d never been this close to someone before, her body was a bit stiff. Except for her head, she tried not to move.
This river channel tributary wasn’t deep; at Shi Xu’s height, it was at thigh level. Yu Jiang separately gave Strawberry Candy and Kuang Kuang Kuang a pyrethrum each.
Number 8 healer Yao Yao Qie Ke Nao had her own passive protection; walking between her and the other two was perfect.
Girls entering the water in the rainforest faced greater risks and could easily get sick and lose health value.
The water level wasn’t dangerous; the dangers were in the water and surroundings, with vegetation too dense.
So close, Yu Jiang could clearly feel Shi Xu’s heartbeat and breathing. She had no energy to think random thoughts; all her attention was on scanning the surroundings.
This path was longer than they imagined. When they got down, Yu Jiang’s healing time still had 36 minutes left; now the time was up, but they hadn’t gotten out yet.
“My healing status is done.” Yu Jiang softly reminded, signaling Shi Xu could put her down.
Not having to walk was very comfortable, but her foot injury was already healed; continuing to burden her teammates wasn’t right.
“Mm, just stay like this. We’re halfway through; no need to get back in the water.”
Shi Xu continued carrying her forward without any intention of letting go. “If you really feel bad, compensate me with a qi replenishing drink.”
“What do you mean? Underestimating my wealth value? I’ll give you 5!” Yu Jiang turned her head, looking at his clear jawline, her tone firm.
“Alright.” Shi Xu’s mouth corner lightly curved up.
The three new companions nearby looked at Shi Xu enviously, practically writing “let us have this good thing next time” on their faces.
The big shot picking up things might just be a hobby, but she was truly generous with supplies.
After walking a bit further, abnormal ripples appeared on the water surface. Han Jiang Gu Ying’s underwater trap device worked, netting a bunch of piranhas.
Number 6 Qian Lai Qian Lai looked at the piranhas baring their big teeth and excitedly asked, “Can this be eaten?”
“Theoretically yes, but only once.” Beast Tamer Tiger is Also a Cat answered straightforwardly.
“.” Qian Lai Qian Lai quickly pulled back their hand.
“There’s something else behind; judging by the size, it’s either a snake or a crocodile.” Han Jiang Gu Ying reminded.
Yu Jiang: “Crocodile hide can apparently make backpacks. The merchant caravan has someone who’s collected them before. Mutated crocodile hide is tough, and the backpacks made from it are sturdy too. Worn on the back, they provide 2 points of defense armor, lighter than ordinary bulletproof vests.”
“.Doomsday edition crocodile platinum backpack?” Kuang Kuang Kuang hissed. “Expensive?”
“Mutated crocodiles are pretty hard to kill, and it requires high manufacturing level too. A bit expensive, 500-600 crystal coins.”
At these words, the thing following them underwater seemed to suddenly stop, then swam off in the opposite direction.
“It can understand?” Strawberry Candy asked in shock, mouth agape.
Han Jiang Gu Ying analyzed: “Probably not. It just thinks there are too many of us, hard to deal with, so it changed targets. Or maybe it just ate and was passing by. Judging by the water wave shape, not a big guy; should be a crocodile.”
“Not a big guy?” Kuang Kuang Kuang took out their bow and arrow and shot one into the ripples on the water.
It hit, but mutated crocodile skin was thick and tough; one arrow couldn’t kill it. In pain, it thrashed wildly and swam toward them.
Then it was caught by Yu Jiang’s whip and Han Jiang Gu Ying’s trap. In a flash, it was gone—passed away.
“2 points of defense, and it doesn’t add body load. Us squishies really need this.” Kuang Kuang Kuang said sincerely.
The crocodile looked like her expression was cursing it dirty.
Yu Jiang nodded repeatedly. Kuang Kuang Kuang had also learned: when looting supplies, hands had to be fast.
