Chapter Sixty-Six: The Sudden Gleam of Cold Light

The predicament faced by Nanyang Sheng was not hard to imagine. Five people traversed the nest of rats, inadvertently stepping on a tail, which provoked an angry family of rodents—grandparents, grandchildren, and an endless succession of kin, all hell-bent on chasing them down.

They were pursued to the far side of a wall, which they promptly broke through.

He ran in a frenzy, and within three or four seconds had outpaced the others, quickly forging ahead and leaving behind a striking figure.

A massive swarm of zombie rats was closing in.

Zhao Nan wanted to speak up; if Nanyang Sheng continued in this direction, he would inevitably run into another horde of zombie rats. But now wasn’t the time for warnings—escaping was paramount.

Though reluctant, he turned to flee.

Gao Mingyang was already cursing Nanyang Sheng furiously from behind. He was somewhat frustrated to begin with, and now cared little about whether others found his tirades vulgar. He cursed as he pleased, with abandon.

Zhao Nan found Gao Mingyang’s curses oddly satisfying; he himself muttered a few choice words under his breath, audible only to Fenina, who said nothing of it.

…

The sensation of being hunted by monsters was like a bone stuck in the throat—agonizing, suffocating. The zombie rats surged behind them, so numerous that even the Zephyr of Perception could not gauge their exact numbers. Zhao Nan had switched off the Zephyr of Hearing; with so many shrieks, his eardrums would have been shattered.

There was no way forward.

This wasn’t only Zhao Nan’s realization; it struck both guilds at once.

Three minutes later, Nanyang Sheng abruptly stopped. He had crossed two shattered stone walls and now paused.

His massive sword suddenly whirled, stirring the air and producing a resounding “whoosh” amid the cacophony of the zombie rats.

Boom!

He cleaved open a side wall, dust billowing, and dove into the opening without hesitation. The others followed in quick succession.

“He seems to have found his resolve,” Ximen Yu muttered, secretly hoping to witness Nanyang Sheng’s expression upon encountering another swarm of zombie rats ahead.

The guild master was rather petty… Zhao Nan shook his head, glancing behind. His raw attributes made him swift, but that didn’t mean other mages could keep pace.

At the rear, the distance between Jiang Lun and Xu Yang widened by several meters.

Ice Crystal Wall!

Mud Trap!

A series of skills appeared behind Jiang Lun and Xu Yang; Zhao Nan stopped, watching the two pass him by on momentum. He tapped his staff, conjuring two whirlwinds. At that moment, a golden electric net soared over his head, over the Ice Crystal Wall, landing at the forefront of the zombie rat swarm.

“Thank you,” Zhao Nan exhaled softly. Behind him, Ximen Yu smiled faintly and was the first to dive into the opening Nanyang Sheng had made.

“Nan!”

“Zhao Nan!”

“Brother Nan!”

Voices rang out in unison. Zhao Nan waved and said, “I’ll cover the rear. Don’t worry.”

—

Zhao Nan drew a deep breath. He had no intention of fighting the zombie rats to the death, but a brief delay was hardly difficult.

Once even Fenina had entered the opening, the zombie rats ahead failed to advance beyond the Ice Crystal Wall. Their flesh turned to sludge, filling both sides of the wall.

Zhao Nan chuckled quietly, then followed Fenina into the opening.

“Nan, don’t come!”

At that moment, Fenina’s voice echoed, anxious and terrified. Instinctively, he lunged forward, only to plunge into emptiness as the wind howled past… His body was now plummeting straight down!

The opened passage led directly into a terrifying vertical drop.

…

The impact was brutal, his body shaken as if struck by a vehicle. Coldness washed over him, and icy liquid flooded his mouth. A surge of warmth spread through him—the potent restorative power from having drunk the water of immortality.

Zhao Nan regained consciousness, closed his mouth and held his breath, adjusting his body and struggling upward… When he finally inhaled air, he had no idea where he was.

Though uncertain of his location, he realized he was submerged in a river… Deep within Locke Forest, the lowest level contained an underground river. Zhao Nan paddled with force, slapping at the rushing water and angling toward the riverbank.

Moments later, he lay at the river’s edge, gasping desperately until he recovered.

“How many are still alive?”

Zhao Nan took a deep breath, opened the team channel, hesitated, and asked with concern.

“Nan, I’m fine,” Fenina’s voice answered first. “But I don’t know where I am.”

“I’m safe too,” Xu Feng replied, sounding weak.

“I’m not dead either—damn, where the hell is this!” That was surely Gao Mingyang.

“Luckily, I’m with Brother Xu Fei.”

“Mm!”

Jiang Lun and Xu Fei spoke up together.

For the next ten seconds or so, Xu Yang and Gao Xiang remained silent… The worst scenario was that they had drowned in the river, or perhaps were simply swept away.

The team channel had a limited range; beyond that, communication was impossible. Realizing the two might be in danger, everyone fell silent for a moment.

“Were you conscious after falling into the river?” Zhao Nan asked after a pause.

The most pressing issue was regrouping. If anyone encountered the zombie rat horde alone, only he and Fenina might survive; Gao Mingyang and the others were less likely.

“Conscious!”

Everyone replied in haste.

“Good!” Zhao Nan nodded alone. “Everyone, head upstream. Since you’re alert, get to shore—we should escape around the same time, and the distance swept by the river shouldn’t be too far.”

“Understood!”

Fenina responded first, already moving.

“Stay in contact.”

—

With this, Zhao Nan began walking downstream.

“Wait, I found someone… Damn, it’s that little sissy! He’s unconscious—pity he’s not dead.” Gao Mingyang’s voice rang out.

The “little sissy” was Gao Mingyang’s nickname for Ximen Yu’s younger brother—a grievance only their group knew.

“That’s enough, Mingyang. We don’t have much enmity; after all, ‘Inferno’ once helped us out,” Xu Fei said. “If you can save him, do it—consider it repaying a favor.”

“Don’t need you to tell me,” Gao Mingyang muttered, then fell silent—presumably rescuing him.

Everyone moved on separately.

Zhao Nan looked around; the darkness made it impossible to see his surroundings, with only the river’s flow for company. He opened his character panel and quickly checked the pet system tab. Fenina’s icon flickered occasionally, indicating their distance was drawing closer.

He swiftly closed the panel—this was never visible to Fenina, who didn’t know his true circumstances.

Normally, Zhao Nan and Fenina could sense each other if not separated by more than a hundred meters, but that sensation was absent now.

Gao Xiang and Xu Yang still hadn’t spoken on the team channel. Zhao Nan entertained grim thoughts, furrowing his brow and feeling increasingly troubled.

The darkness was like a snake devouring his soul; his body was still soaked and uncomfortable. Zhao Nan’s palm produced a crystal for illumination. There were no zombie rats here, so he didn’t fear attracting them with light—in fact, it could serve as a beacon for teammates.

Zephyr of Hearing.

Zhao Nan had to use a skill on himself. Now, any sound within a hundred meters was clear as day. A faint breath reached his ears.

Zephyr of Perception!

No one within thirty meters.

Rock Armor!

Zhao Nan quickened his pace, and finally, at fifty meters, spotted a figure slumped by the riverbank.

Gripping a sword as massive as a door, the figure lying on the ground was unmistakably the “Guardian Knight” guild master, Nanyang Sheng.

Zhao Nan approached; Nanyang Sheng was motionless, half his face visible, eyes tightly shut—apart from breathing, he could not move. Evidently, he had fallen unconscious.

After a moment’s hesitation, Zhao Nan poked him with his staff—still no response.

At that instant—

A flash of cold light! The giant sword swung from stillness to explosive motion, slicing out.

Zhao Nan gasped, instinctively stepping back half a pace, but the sword struck his waist!

-1000!

Rock Armor’s health dropped to a mere 200 points.

The massive sword’s gleaming blade flashed again, brimming with murderous intent!