Versatile mage c1 2021, p.156
Versatile Mage c1-2021, page 156
There was indeed a strong Earth Element presence nearby. There must be a Soul Seed being nurtured in the middle of the swamp!
They had put so much effort in just to acquire the Soul Seed. As such, any potential danger was treated as everything would be fine as long as they were careful enough.
They couldn't help it, as the Soul Seed was too huge of an incentive to them!
"We're here. What should we do now?" asked Captain Liang Dachui.
"I'll investigate our surroundings first," said Hong Niao.
The group of hunters had reached the land in the middle of the swamp. Their surroundings were still clear of Giant Lizards. Maybe they had gone somewhere else to take a nap...
Hong Niao took out an aluminum container. He explained to the group while setting up the special tool, "This is an Element Detector. By inserting it into the ground, we'll be able to distinguish the ratio of Elements within a kilometer. This land is soaked in the swamp, thus it should be showing a balanced ratio of brown, which represents the Earth Element, and blue, which represents the Water Element. If the result leans towards dark brown, it implies that the area is strong in the Earth Element, therefore the Soul Seed should be within a kilometer of the device."
"Alright, we're Magicians, not scientists. We don't need to know the details," said Huang Zhuosi impatiently.
Hong Niao wore a disdainful look. Who told you that Magicians don't need to use their brains? Who said that Magicians don't need to learn how to use different tools?
"Mm? This is strange!" The result was out fairly quickly. Hong Niao blurted out staring at the blank screen on the Element Detector.
"What is it?" asked Captain Wang Dachui. The rest of the team came closer too, eager to know if there was any treasure nearby!
"Why doesn't it show any color? Didn't you say it's supposed to be brown and blue?" Huang Zhuosi went up to the device and stared at the empty screen.
Hong Niao was confused too. He quickly checked the device.
Why isn't there any color?
It is just ordinary land. The device should at least show brown, but why is it showing nothing? Didn't that mean the land is not showing any Elemental reaction? This doesn't make sense scientifically... no, magically!
"Is this thing broken?" Huang Zhuosi laughed. He was never fond of devices like that
"Impossible, let me try again," said Hong Niao. If it wasland, it should have Earth Element's reaction...
Either the device is broken, or this ground...
"By the way, do any of you feel that we're rising?" someone blurted out among the group.
Hong Niao, who was about to use the device again, suddenly had a pale face. The hands holding the device began to tremble violently...
The device was not broken, but it still failed to detect any reaction.
Everything in the world was basically made of some Elements, but the only thing that would not show a reaction would be… a living thing!
A roar so powerful that it could shake the entire valley erupted suddenly!
The sound was extremely close to the group, it felt like it was occurring right beside their ears. Their eardrums were almost destroyed, while they felt like their brains were about to explode!
The first one to realize the truth was Hong Niao, whose mind was instantly overwhelmed with fear. He could not even move his body.
Following the roar, the land in the middle of the swamp rose rapidly!
It escaped the swamp and rose into the air. The giant body previously concealed under the swamp was exposed. It was huge enough to stir a great tide in the middle of the swamp!
The land began to tilt sideways as the giant black beast stood up. As it stood up, the island turned out to be its backbone!
The earth and mud rapidly came loose from its giant body. Its massive stood under the dim night sky. As the moonlight shone upon the enormous silhouette, the part which was exposed above the mud resulted in an epic scene!
The tiny humans on the giant beast's back were utterly terrified. They never thought they were actually stepping on the back of a giant beast...They completely lost their minds!
Some who were quicker in response immediately cast spells to aid their escape.
However, the beast was long aware of these intruders' presence. With just a slight shudder, it shook the humans off its back with ease.
Its movement was not too quick, but its size was enormous. A single step from it was able to cover the distance of a Wind Magician's Wind Path.
Liang Dachui, Hong Niao, Huang Zhuosi and the rest never thought they would be stepping into the jaws of death themselves. Even Magic could not save them as they fell through the air...
Everything had happened too quickly!
The place fell silent fairly quickly. The group of elite Magicians had only seen the giant beast's backbone, before they were devoured by darkness without a hint of struggle!
For a few seconds, there were screams and shouts, but now, the giant black beast was slowly sinking into the swamp again.
The entire place returned to calm, as if nothing had actually happened...
Chapter 336 - Holy Shit, Xiaohou?
Somewhere in the distance, on top of an old tree growing away from the rest of the plants, a fairly skinny young man was sitting on a branch. His eyes were wide, as he could not believe what he had just witnessed in the center of the swamp.
His teeth started grinding subconsciously. It took him quite some time before he could collect his thoughts. He even stared at the ground below him, which was overgrown with weeds...
After taking a close look, Zhang Xiaohou was confident that it would not rise all of a sudden. Half of his shirt was soaked with cold sweat.
What the hell is wrong with this place!
Zhang Xiaohou was utterly terrified. He was planning to track the corpses, but considering that he would not be able to move freely in the valley, he decided to tailgate the group of hunters while maintaining a certain distance from them.
To his surprise, the whole group was wiped out within a few blinks of an eye!
The hunters, consisting of Intermediate Magicians, were considered an elite group, but had just been wiped out so easily!
Not knowing if he should feel lucky or pessimistic, Zhang Xiaohou somehow lost track of his direction. The valley was scarier than he had imagined. The enormous creature at the center of the swamp had definitely surpassed the Warrior-level.
Should he leave the valley at once, or...
Damn it, how could he leave before finding the person he was looking for!
He would just avoid going to the center of the swamp at all costs! The giant beast would most likely stay in its area due to its incredible size!
Clenching his teeth, Zhang Xiaohou immediately left the area. The further he was away from the swamp, the better!
"F**k me, are you being serious now? The Giant Lizards are returning to their lair at this time?" As Zhang Xiaohou was about to leave, he saw the Giant Lizards, which were supposed to be gathering to the west of the mountain, were instead making their way toward him.
The group of beasts seemed to be taking a stroll after enjoying a satisfying bath, and were on their way back to their nest to call it a day. It was definitely bad news for Zhang Xiaohou, as he just happened to be close to their nest.
As a matter of fact, the valley would normally be empty for two to three hours, as the Giant Lizards would gather on the west of the mountain. They would show up on time like housewives turning up to dances being held at the public squares { TN: yes, this is a thing in China} , living their quality lives.
The Hunter Group had planned to finish their job within this gap of two to three hours. Regardless of if they succeeded or not, they would leave instantly once time ran out, and would resume the operation the next day.
Unfortunately, none of them expected there to be an enormous beast hiding at the center of the swamp!
Zhang Xiaohou was out of luck to bump into the housewives… err, the Giant Lizards when they were returning to their nest. He was clueless about the Giant Lizards' regular routine. He assumed they would stay on the west side of the mountain until daylight.
Seeing more Giant Lizards crawling toward him, Zhang Xiaohou felt his scalp turning numb. He immediately used all his capabilities to flee for his life.
---
The swamp to the south of the valley was poisonous. Not only was the poison able to spread rapidly, its gaseous substance could also permeate through a living thing's skin.
The creatures residing in the swamp were totally immune to the poison, while outsiders trespassing in this area would most likely end up like the countless corpses at the bottom of the swamp.
"You're still not cleansed from the poison. Why are you following me?" Mo Fan was left speechless, glancing at the stubborn woman.
"I'm fine, but are you sure that disgusting fruit is enough to resist the poison?" asked Li Man.
"Of course, otherwise, I would be dead by now," answered Mo Fan.
"We should find the group of hunters as soon as possible, then try to find the Wind Magician," said Li Man.
"If they executed their plan tonight, they are most likely dead by now. As for the guy you mentioned who was hiding in the dark, to find him in such a huge valley..." Mo Fan lowered his body to cross the wall sticking out above him. He paused his sentence as soon as he made it to the other side.
Li Man followed behind and lowered her body to pass through the gap below the wall. She took over Mo Fan's sentence, "He should be nearby...Err..."
Mo Fan was staring blankly ahead at the swampy area. He saw a large group of Giant Lizards chasing after a skinny young man who was sprinting in front of the beasts.
The young man seemed to be unaware of the gap under the mountain wall. He had stumbled into a dead end. His eyes flickered with firm determination.
"You assholes, your Grandpa Hou is definitely going to beat the shit out of you!" Knowing there was nowhere left to run, Zhang Xiaohou took a deep breath and prepared himself to have a lengthy battle with the Giant Lizards until daylight.
There were at least seventy Giant Lizards chasing after him. They were significantly larger than the usual Servant-class demon beasts. Their only weakness was their slow movement speed. They were trying their best to catch up, despite only being a hundred meters away. Their grinding teeth could not wait to tear the seafood apart. Well, the swamp was their habitat, so humans who lived on the shore were considered their seafood.
"Is he the person you were talking about?" Mo Fan tried to take a closer look at the person, but all he could see was a shadowy figure.
Li Man nodded after also taking a glance. "Most likely."
Li Man was lost in her thoughts. She assumed that they would need some time trying to find the person. To their surprise, they had somehow bumped into him as soon as they got closer to the valley. It was just too coincidental.
"Hey, I wouldn't want to have a rumble with them! There's a path here, come quick!" Mo Fan waved at the idiotic young man from the gap below the mountain walls.
Zhang Xiaohou turned around and saw a wild-looking man and the mysterious woman who was with the group of hunters before.
"Oh, coming!" Zhang Xiaohou crawled his way toward the gap below the wall.
---
The Giant Lizards were unable to make it through the gap, so they had given up on the chase.
The trio continued to move in the pitch-black darkness. Zhang Xiaohou was the first to break the silence, "Thanks for saving my life."
"Don't worry about it, we do have something to discuss with you, too… By the way, friend, your voice sounds familiar..." Mo Fan responded in the dark.
"Strange, your voice sounds familiar to me, too!"
The two had just walked out from the dark as they spoke. Four eyes stared into one another as the moonlight shone upon their face.
A soft breeze c.a.r.e.s.sed their faces. A crow somewhere in the mountain let out a weird caw...
"Holy shit, Xiao Hou?"
"Brother Fan!"
Chapter 337 - Kill the Giant Beast in the Swamp?
"Hell yeah, Brother Fan, I knew you were not dead!" Zhang Xiaohou gave Mo Fan a great hug, although his body was soaked with smelly mud.
It had been two years since they had bid each other farewell in Bo City.
When Mo Fan learned that his friend had come specifically just to look for him, he felt a surge of warmth rising in his heart.
Mo Fan knew how dangerous Dongting Lake was, and yet Zhang Xiaohou was willing to come on his own. He was quite speechless about his friend's recklessness.
Returning to the cave, Li Man fell asleep, as the poison in her body was not cleansed yet.
"Oh right, Brother Fan, this is for you." Zhang Xiaohou slowly took out two containers from his backpack and shoved them into Mo Fan's hands.
"What are these?" Mo Fan took a glance at the containers, but he could not tell what they contained.
Mo Fan was rather familiar with the containers. They were commonly used to contain Soul Essences.
"There are two Soul Essences inside. Boss Zhan Kong told me that your soul is in a critical state, and you'll need a huge amount of Soul Essences to maintain it. I brought two Soul Essences from Biyi City along my way here..." Zhang Xiaohou blurted out in excitedly.
Knowing Mo Fan was still alive was the most exciting good news to Zhang Xiaohou. After all, he had treated him like his own brother.
"Where did you get the money from?" Mo Fan held the two containers. He could feel something flowing in his eyes.
Mo Fan was barely able to retain his normal appearance since his soul had a breakdown. However, the Demon Element was extremely unstable. He did not dare to return to the safe zones yet, not until his soul was completely stabilized.
However, he could not help but admit that it was quite lonely living out here.
Mo Fan was incredibly touched knowing that Zhang Xiaohou had come all the way here looking for him, and yet had still prepared two Soul Essences for him.
It was true that Mo Fan was in desperate need of Soul Essences, which was the main reason he stayed at the valley here in Dongting Lake. He had no choice but to maintain his fragile soul with a huge amount of Soul Essences, and the source of them was the Giant Lizards...
He had no idea how many Giant Lizards he had killed so far, and how many Soul Essences he had acquired. As a matter of fact, Zhang Xiaohou's Servant-class Soul Essences were no longer effective for him. However, when he recalled that his bro had come all the way here just to give him the Soul Essences, he could feel his eyes getting wet...
Mo Fan always thought he was a heartless person, but surprisingly he was incredibly touched by Zhang Xiaohou's actions.
"Money is never the problem. Besides, I'm more or less a soldier now. By the way, is your body okay now? I was so worried when I heard the details from Boss Zhan Kong!" Zhang Xiaohou asked him.
"Take these back. Sell them and get yourself a piece of good defensive equipment." Mo Fan did not want to take the gift.
Although the gift was not too useful for him, the intentions behind it mattered more than anything else, especially to someone like Mo Fan, who had been living a lonely life in the wild for more than three months. The Servant-class Soul Essences would still work, but Mo Fan could easily acquire them. Zhang Xiaohou had most likely spent all his savings on the two Soul Essences.
"I already have some equipment. Boss Zhan Kong told me that you need lots of Soul Essences. Just make them count, since I've managed to find you. Brother Fan, just focus on treating your injury, I'll gather the Soul Essences for you. To be honest, those Giant Lizards are nothing against me. I've also taken a Soul Container from the army. I know it's rare to find Soul Essences, but I can kill a lot of them. I believe it would eventually appear..." Zhang Xiaohou had come prepared. Judging from the things he had brought, he was definitely planning to stay for quite a long time.
"You little prick, alright, stop boasting how capable you are now. I do have my own hands and legs. What do you think I've been doing for the past three months?" cursed Mo Fan.
"That's right, let's kill the beasts together. With us working together, I believe even the Deathbringer of Dongting Lake has to clear a path for us, HAHAHA!" Zhang Xiaohou burst out laughing.
Mo Fan smacked his lips. He was hesitating if he should tell Zhang Xiaohou the truth about the Deathbringer of Dongting Lake.
On second thought, he decided not to tell him the truth, so he would not destroy his confidence. Besides, Zhang Xiaohou had come at the perfect time, as he desperately needed a helper.
---
Mo Fan had been camping in the valley for a few days. His target was actually the monster at the center of the swamp.
It was a Commander-level demon beast, which was currently injured. Mo Fan had no idea how it was injured, but he did fight against it in his demonized state, thus he was confident that he could kill it.
Mo Fan desperately needed a Commander-level soul, either a Soul Remnant or a Soul Essence.
The injured Commander-level demon beast was Mo Fan's only hope. Otherwise, if the Demon Element were to lose control again, his soul would definitely crumble, as it would no longer be able to endure the overwhelming burden.
The Demon Element did give him incredible strength, in exchange for the energy from his body and soul. In fact, Mo Fan did not run away from Zhan Kong because he had lost control of his body, but rather because he clearly knew that the military would not be able to provide a sufficient amount of Soul Essences for him, thus he had decided to find them himself.
With the help of the Little Loach Pendant, Mo Fan could easily collect Soul Essences. All he needed to do was kill demon beasts!
He was able to collect Soul Remnants, which would eventually be refined into Soul Essences.
If he were lucky enough, he could even get Soul Essences straight away, which definitely would aid his recovery.
To Mo Fan's surprise, the first Soul Breakdown almost cost him his life. Mo Fan had no choice but to massacre the demon beasts in his demonized state.
