Chapter 34: Saint-level

After Su Ze finished forming his Regeneration Core, he swallowed two more Body Health Digestive Pills to speed up the digestion of the remaining Undying Salamander extract in his body.

After an Evolver absorbed an extract, it would take some time to completely digest the Evolutionary Material and energy within it. Certain drugs could speed up this process, saving time.

By this time, the sky was already beginning to brighten.

Most of the group had gotten enough rest. Mrs. Yun gathered everyone and prepared to move on.

At that moment, however, more and more people announced their intention to leave the team and abandon the escort mission.

Su Ze wasn’t surprised by this. After last night’s vicious battle, the Hunters had realized how dangerous this mission was. It was only natural that many would back out.

Besides, everyone had taken the job for the money. The spoils distributed last night had already earned them more than they’d expected. There was no need to risk their lives for a paltry commission.

Further ahead lay the summit region of the Black Rock Mountain Range, where third-rank mutant beasts roamed.

Turning back now, having already made a profit while avoiding greater risks, was the sensible choice.

Liou Wenxin and Mrs. Yun didn’t force anyone to stay; they let those who wanted to leave go.

"The Beast King’s Roar skill has a two-day cooldown. By the time it’s ready again, we might already be out of the Black Rock Mountain Range. So, now that we’ve survived last night’s wave, we probably won’t be attacked again. There’s not much point in them staying with us."

Liou Wenxin explained to Su Ze, seemingly trying to comfort him as well.

"No matter what dangers we face, I swear I will protect you and see you safely to Luofan Country!"

Su Ze spoke with righteous conviction. ’Others could back out, but I can’t. Turning back means death for me.’

They watched as one Hunter after another departed, the once-thirty-person team suddenly feeling desolate.

The Pupa Stage members were almost all gone; only four remained, including Su Ze. As for the Cocoon Stage members, four of the six had left, leaving only two.

In an instant, only eight people were left to continue the journey.

It was worth noting that Li Gaojie, the man Su Ze had been wary of, had also stayed behind.

Su Ze, Liou Wenxin, and Mrs. Yun walked at the rear of the group. Su Ze lowered his voice and asked, "Miss Liou, Mrs. Yun, have you ever wondered how the person hunting you knew your route?"

"Are you suggesting he planted a mole in our team?" Mrs. Yun’s expression was calm; she had long since considered this possibility.

Liou Wenxin was just as composed. "There’s definitely a mole," she said, "but we don’t know who it is, or how many there are."

Mrs. Yun said, "There’s no point in trying to find the mole now. After that man’s attack failed last night, he lost his only chance. His Beast King’s Roar is on cooldown, so he can’t launch another surprise attack. The mole has most likely already left our group."

"Doesn’t the one hunting you have any other accomplices?"

Liou Wenxin shook her head. "He’s been chasing us all the way from the Ancient An Country to here, crossing the entire Mu Country. To avoid alerting the Mu Country’s authorities, it’s unlikely he would bring too many people with him."

Mrs. Yun agreed. "I’ve clashed with him several times along the way. If he had backup, they would have made their move by now."

Su Ze nodded and glanced at Li Gaojie up ahead. ’Could I really just be paranoid? Maybe Li Gaojie isn’t the mole?’

Noticing Su Ze’s gaze, Mrs. Yun said, "That Li Gaojie you’ve been watching is indeed a bit suspicious. But during the time he was missing, he did kill two first-rank mutant beasts, one of which was A-grade. And, just as he claimed, I did find a pile of human feces near the camp."

"If he really is the mole, then his cover story is incredibly thorough. Plus, he chose to continue with the group today. I’m inclined to believe he’s not the one."

Su Ze let out a breath. "I hope I’m just being paranoid."

...

After they entered the summit region, the temperature dropped sharply.

Fortunately, they were all Evolvers and quite resistant to the cold.

"Full speed ahead! Let’s try to get out of the summit region before dark!"

At Mrs. Yun’s command, everyone quickened their pace.

Perhaps it was true that good fortune follows a narrow escape from death. By dusk, they had crossed the summit and were already halfway down the other side without having encountered a single third-rank mutant beast.

Then again, it wasn’t that their luck was particularly good, just not bad. Although third-rank mutant beasts were active in the summit region, they were rare. Some hunting parties couldn’t find one even when searching specifically for them, so not running into one was perfectly normal.

"It’s not dark yet. Why don’t we travel through the night and reach the base of the mountain today? What do you think?" one of the Cocoon Stage Hunters in the group suggested.

His suggestion met with unanimous approval. The path downhill was different from the path up; they should be able to reach the mountain’s base before nightfall. That area was mostly home to first-rank mutant beasts, so even traveling at night wouldn’t be very dangerous.

"In that case, let’s not rest tonight. We’ll push on and get out of the Black Rock Mountain Range in one go," Mrs. Yun decided.

"Alright!"

"Let’s move faster! We might be out of the Black Rock Mountain Range by dawn tomorrow."

Everyone voiced their agreement. After being attacked by the beast horde last night, none of them wanted to camp in the mountains again.

But just then, the sky, which had still been reasonably bright, suddenly darkened. Not just dimmed, but plunged into pitch-black darkness!

The last rays of the sunset were devoured, as if by some unseen entity.

Darkness flooded Su Ze’s vision. He couldn’t see a thing.

"What’s happening?"

"This is a skill’s effect! We’re under attack!"

Someone reacted quickly and pulled out a flashlight, but its beam flickered for only an instant before being swallowed by the darkness.

Someone else lit a lighter, but its tiny flame, though burning defiantly, failed to illuminate even a millimeter of the surroundings.

All light was being devoured!

"Everyone, group up!" Mrs. Yun’s voice came from the darkness, her tone more serious than ever before.

Su Ze moved toward Liou Wenxin’s direction, and after a moment, his hand found a delicate one with long, slender fingers.

"Miss Liou?" Su Ze called out.

"Yes," Liou Wenxin responded, taking his hand.

Feeling the cold sweat on Liou Wenxin’s palm, Su Ze whispered comfortingly, "It’s okay. Mrs. Yun can definitely handle this."

But just then, Mrs. Yun spoke again, her voice trembling slightly. "How can this be! Why would a Saint-level expert be here?!"

Saint-level?

Everyone’s heart sank. A Saint-level expert! In their minds, such a being was an absolutely invincible existence!

What had they possibly done to attract the attention of a Saint-level expert?

Immediately after, a flash of green evolutionary light lit up the sky, confirming Mrs. Yun’s words.

A Saint-level lifeform that had evolved four times!

’We’re done for...’ Su Ze’s heart went cold. He had considered countless possibilities, but he never imagined Liou Wenxin and her guardian would actually attract a Saint-level expert to hunt them down.

As the Saint-level expert appeared, Su Ze suddenly sniffed the air and caught a familiar, foul stench.

A Corrupted!

’Could it be someone from the mysterious organization?’

’Don’t tell me I was the one who led this Saint-level expert here.’