Chapter 164: Chapter 164: Valley of Decay (Please Subscribe)
A total of 14,000 energy points were gathered, enough to enhance a second attribute to 50. The energy harvest outside the Wall this time was indeed bountiful.
But before enhancing his attributes, he still needed to deal with the Jet-Propelled Omni-Directional Mobility Gear.
Continuous use had made this belt, which originally had only a 10-minute lifespan, look worn and torn.
Fortunately, just like the lifespan of a cannon barrel is only eight seconds, the belt still had about two minutes of use left.
He now possessed Third Tier Exotic Species eyeballs, and plenty of them, at that. What he needed to do was optimize the Jet Belt.
[Fusioner Recipe: Little White Flower + 250 energy points + Third Tier Exotic Species Crystalline Lens or Stardust = Increases equipment usage time by 1 hour.]
[The Fusioner is optimizing your equipment, please wait.]
[Little White Flower Jet Belt Model I, usage time increased to: 62 minutes.]
Over an hour of usage time is more than enough for me to splurge for a long time! Perfect.
Besides optimizing the Little White Flower Jet Belt, Lu Luo also made two "swords" for himself using crab legs, though they could hardly be called swords.
The shell of a Third Tier Exotic Species was very tough, and after some optimization by the Fusioner, it could be reluctantly used as a blade.
Beyond that, Lu Luo used the Fusioner to make a set of crab bone breastplates for Qi Xinzhu and Gu Fangyi.
The set for Gu Fangyi was just plain and ordinary, without any special features.
But the set for Qi Xinzhu was more exquisite. First, it needed to emphasize her curvaceous figure and highlight her physique. Then, it also had to maintain sufficient defensive power.
Although Lu Luo was very curious about how Qi Xinzhu managed to put it on, whether it fit well, and whether it was comfortable. If it was uncomfortable, he could take it and make some adjustments. She would just need to tell him in detail where it didn’t fit.
But it was clearly not the time to think about these problems, and Qi Xinzhu’s peculiar look indirectly rejected him.
After preparing equipment for his companions, Lu Luo was left with about 12,500 energy points and began to allocate them.
"Enhance Agility to 50."
[8,150 energy points consumed, Host’s Agility enhanced to 50.]
[Enhancement complete, your Sequence Chain B-00-Extreme has been strengthened.]
[Effect - Agile Removed, new effect - Swiftness added.]
Effect-Swiftness: Your overall speed is increased by 29%. This includes thinking speed, reaction speed, and attack speed. It also reduces damage from high falls and improves jumping ability.
Swiftness?
The improvement to Agility at 50 was significantly more pronounced than before. The increases to thinking and reaction speed were almost like having a small overclocking state constantly active.
It seemed that Agility’s special effects also had the potential for qualitative change.
"Continue, enhance Strength."
[3,800 energy points consumed to enhance Strength to 33.]
After the Enhancement was complete, Lu Luo moved his body a little to get used to its new strength. Then he said to the two people beside him, "Let’s go! Let’s try our luck in this high-risk area, Rotten Valley."
「...」
In the Hongtu Arms team, Lin Zhiming was clutching his nose and retching.
In less than three hours of walking, he had already thrown up four times; not just food, even his stomach acid was completely expelled.
There was no helping it. Rotten Valley was a secluded valley atop the C13 Cliff, the burial ground for myriad Exotic Species.
This place was rich in Dark Energy, breeding a large number of Exotic Species. It also became unbearably foul-smelling due to the lack of normal air circulation.
"Why is there such an anti-human place, and why do we have to come to such an anti-human place?" Lin Zhiming lamented.
The two women Lin Zhiming had brought along had already fainted from the stench.
The cost of fainting was cruel. They were directly abandoned by Lin Zhiming, becoming food for the Exotic Species in the valley.
Here, everyone was uncomfortable, including the Transcendents. No one cared for the lives of two ordinary humans.
Moreover, Lin Zhiming himself was well aware of the danger level of Rotten Valley.
So, if the two women were lost, then they were lost. There would be plenty more women once he returned; he really didn’t care.
In fact, not only did Lin Zhiming feel sick, but even Li Tanya was very upset.
These ordinary people had already put on gas masks, which could filter out toxins in the air but could not completely block the foul stench.
"Bear with it. You’re not the only one who finds it stinky," Li Tanya said, unusually not berating Lin Zhiming. The foul smell made her dizzy, and she simply lacked the energy.
But even though the mission was difficult, she had reasons why she absolutely had to complete it.
Under the leadership of Zuo Mingliang and Liu Yu, the team moved in silence.
Liu Yu paid close attention to what lay ahead, but what she didn’t notice was that after the team passed, several giant human faces gradually emerged on the wall behind them.
These human faces were two to three meters high, their expressions either ugly or beautiful, making "TSK TSK TSK" sounds as if they were conversing in some language.
After making sure that the Hongtu Arms team had moved far enough away, one of the human faces suddenly burst through the wall and stood upright on eight spider-like long legs.
With the first one appearing, the second and third quickly followed.
After all the human-faced creatures detached from the wall, they did not head directly toward the bottom of the valley.
Instead, they each used their long legs to anchor themselves on the valley walls and began to crawl in the direction of the Hongtu Arms team.
Ahead, the progressing team saw their leader, Zuo Mingliang, suddenly raise his right hand, signaling them to stop and be on guard.
"Boss, what did you find?" Liu Yu asked. She hadn’t noticed any danger, so she was unclear why Zuo Mingliang had the team stop.
"Something’s not right. Get ready for battle," Zuo Mingliang ordered.
Zuo Mingliang was not like Liu Yu, a genius who possessed a scouting Sequence and had reached the Third Tier at a young age.
His talent was far inferior to Liu Yu’s, but he had one thing she couldn’t compare with: the experience of a team leader in battles beyond the Wall.
"It’s been too quiet on this stretch of the road," Zuo Mingliang stated.
"What do you mean?" Liu Yu asked.
"Under normal circumstances, there should be many Exotic Species in Rotten Valley. Even if there aren’t any large Exotic Species around, there should be some smaller ones along this section. But along the distance we’ve covered, there’s been no sign of any Exotic Species, not even the usual rodent-type species that often appear near the valley entrance. This is clearly abnormal, and there’s only one reason for this: the Exotic Species in this area have been driven away, slaughtered, or eaten by some entity capable of hiding."
Hearing Zuo Mingliang’s explanation, the team members familiar with him grew tense, gripping their firearms, preparing for a battle that could erupt at any moment.
Zuo Mingliang may not have been the strongest in terms of power within Hongtu Arms. However, years without a single mishap or accident proved his leadership abilities. His experience had always been trustworthy.
Liu Yu tied up her hair, trying not to let any strands obstruct her vision.
Although Zuo Mingliang had issued a warning, Liu Yu still couldn’t find any threat, which puzzled her.
Out of trust for Zuo Mingliang, she even began to doubt whether there was something wrong with her Sequence.
"Hidden entities? Boss, what should I do now? I can’t find the enemy," Liu Yu said.
"Don’t panic. The more critical the situation, the less you can afford to panic. Fifth Tier Lords won’t allow the existence of other Fourth Tier Exotic Species in their territory. Therefore, here in Rotten Valley, as long as Ganmu doesn’t appear, the highest tier among other Exotic Species is only Third Tier. With our strength, even if we encounter a Third Tier swarm, we needn’t be overly afraid."
"Yes, I understand," Liu Yu acknowledged.
Though he said this, Zuo Mingliang’s sense of crisis intensified.
Until moments ago, there had been sounds in the valley, such as the calls of avian Exotic Species or species hiding in wall cavities.
But now, the entire valley was eerily silent; even the slightly heavier breaths of the team members could be clearly heard.
Li Tanya’s face looked a bit pale. Though she was usually assertive, this atmosphere of danger made her uncomfortable.
Fortunately, the woman in the hooded cloak put her hand on Li Tanya, which made her feel slightly better.
Lin Zhiming was even more pathetic; his calves were trembling.
He also sensed the uneasy atmosphere in the team. He might be a spoiled brat and arrogant, but he wasn’t foolish. At this moment, he didn’t dare to throw any tantrums.
"Li Tanya, should we just wait here now?" Lin Zhiming whispered.
"Quiet. Zuo Mingliang and the others can handle it," Li Tanya hissed back.
"Oh!"
Silence continued for a while. The long stretch without any incidents, coupled with the stiffness in their limbs from excessive tension, caused some team members to relax slightly.
"Anything up there?" someone asked.
"No," came the reply.
Above them were the steep cliffs of the valley, covered with numerous vines. Some places were lit, but most of the area was very dark.
Just as the team members were starting to relax and Liu Yu had also checked above the valley—
From a higher spot that Liu Yu hadn’t monitored, a mass of green slime fell from the sky.
"Careful! Above!" someone yelled.
SPLAT!
The green slime, like strong acid, instantly corroded a man’s weapon, along with half of his body.
His open mouth and terrified face froze at the same moment.
After the green slime hit the ground, it started bubbling, and the gas it emitted was clearly toxic.
This sudden attack from above caused everyone to look up, but at the same moment, two giant Human-Faced Spiders appeared at the front of the canyon.
SPLAT! SPLAT!
The Devourers opened their large mouths and spat out two more balls of acid.
The two balls of acid, like deadly streams, flew toward the crowd, their target the center of the team, where Li Tanya was.
"They’re Third Tier Human-Faced Spiders—Devourers! Protect Doctor Li!" Zuo Mingliang shouted.
"Yes, sir!"
Just as Li Tanya was in danger, Zhou Qingyu, the hooded woman who had been inconspicuous in the team, took action.
She raised her hand, and a huge wall of ice appeared in the center of the team.
BOOM! BOOM!
The two balls of acid struck the ice wall and were instantly frozen by the Dark Energy-reinforced ice.
In this frozen state, the acid lost its previous strong corrosive nature and also stopped spreading toxic gas.
So strong! The display of power from a Fourth Tier expert was beyond everyone’s imagination; a single move had stabilized the team’s morale.
"Let’s move! Don’t waste time here. It’s just a few Human-Faced Spiders," Zhou Qingyu said calmly.
"Yes!"
Zuo Mingliang had already raised his large-caliber rifle. As a member of Hongtu Arms, he was naturally very familiar with the method of imbuing bullets with Dark Energy.
RATATAT!
Bullet after bullet struck the Human-Faced Spiders’ faces, sending showers of green ichor splattering.
The effect of the Dark Energy Bullets was striking. The firepower of Zuo Mingliang and another Third Tier expert instantly suppressed the two Human-Faced Spiders at the front.
Liu Yu picked up her sniper rifle and aimed at the clifftop.
BANG!
A special energy bullet pierced through a glob of acid and exploded on a Human-Faced Spider’s face!
Once they found their combat rhythm, the quality of Hongtu Arms’ personnel immediately became evident.
They eliminated all eleven Human-Faced Spiders at the cost of four dead and one injured.
The corpses of the Human-Faced Spiders were strewn across the ground. The Hongtu Arms team resumed their journey deeper into the valley.
After a long time, Lu Luo and his two companions, who had been trailing the Hongtu Arms team, arrived near the Human-Faced Spider corpses.
"The venom fangs and venom sacs of these Human-Faced Spiders have been taken. It was probably the people from Hongtu Arms," Qi Xinzhu said, pointing at the relatively fresh bodies.
"Shall we rest for a bit?" she suggested.
"Sure," Gu Fangyi agreed.
Lu Luo, however, had already begun dragging corpses.
Because the corpses were not intact, the eleven Human-Faced Spider corpses provided Lu Luo with approximately 4,000 energy points.
It’s incredibly satisfying to scavenge without having to hunt! A strong team definitely has its advantages. That’s why I always wanted to tag along with one.
Hunting Exotic Species on his own always required caution; attracting too many was dangerous, while too few was inefficient.
Lu Luo currently lacked the ability to draw monsters together for a kill like Hongtu Arms could.
"Enhance Strength."
Lu Luo once again used a portion of his energy, enhancing his Strength to 40. He was not far from the threshold of having all three attributes at 50.
Following Hongtu Arms’ movements like this, while carrying certain risks, allowed for much faster energy collection than acting alone.
Lu Luo picked up the damaged gas masks from the ground.
Can they be repaired?
[Repairing Hongyuan A3 gas masks requires 158 energy points for one, 61 energy points for the other, and several fiber leaves.]
The two gas masks were damaged to different extents, hence the energy consumption varied.
Lu Luo tore some leaves off the wall and used the Fusioner to repair the two gas masks, then handed them to Qi Xinzhu and Gu Fangyi.
"Put them on," Lu Luo said. "The toxin levels here are rising rapidly."
"What do you mean?" Qi Xinzhu asked.
"Ganmu is known as the Rotten Lord. Deadly poison is just one of his abilities. I think the team ahead must be close to Ganmu now," Lu Luo said with great certainty, looking at the quiet, deep chasm.
「...」
"Get back quickly!" someone screamed.
THWUMP!
A blue-green poison ball, several times larger than the acid sprayed by the previous Human-Faced Spiders, flew directly towards the team.
BOOM!
Zhou Qingyu immediately raised a barrier, but this attack was clearly different from those of the Human-Faced Spiders.
The poison ball exploded instantly, the impact shattering the barrier.
An indescribably foul stench and potent toxins erupted, causing severe casualties in the team in an instant.
Watching this somewhat desperate scene, Li Tanya stared in horror at the monster before her...
「Ten minutes before this tragic poison explosion」
Deep within Rotten Valley, the expressions of Zuo Mingliang and the others gradually became strange.
Unlike the previous areas of Rotten Valley, this part was somewhat illuminated by light filtering down from above.
Although there was no sun, the light piercing through the dark clouds could still brighten this area.
And the environment here was very different from other areas of Rotten Valley.
It was a flower-filled vale, adorned with decorations, as if intentionally trimmed. Not only was there flora, but there were also stone tables and chairs set against the valley walls, evidently constructed by humans.
With birdsong and the fragrance of flowers, calling it the "Peach Garden" of Rotten Valley would not be an exaggeration.
Such surroundings always made people unwittingly let their guard down.
The captivating aroma of flowers and the stunning tranquility could easily lull one into a daze; only Zuo Mingliang and a few other experts remained vigilant.
This environment is too human-like. It’s clearly abnormal! Never mind the behavior of Exotic Species; even a Fifth Tier expert couldn’t live in a place like this for long.
"Boss, there’s someone up ahead! A woman!" a team member suddenly called out.