Chapter 75
“Waah! Waah!”
A small figure ran past Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi, emitting strange cries.
Because of the Shadow Umbrella, it didn’t actually notice them.
Zhou Qi extended his flashlight beyond the Shadow Umbrella, and the beam pierced the darkness toward that figure. Then they saw that the blue-green figure was actually…
A mushroom!
Under the illumination of the beam, the blue-green mushroom was particularly eye-catching.
Before they could see how it moved, the strange-sounding mushroom had already burrowed into a hole in the corner of the wall and disappeared without a trace.
Only the “Waah! Waah!” sounds continued to echo in the empty corridor.
Tang Yu’an blinked and looked at Zhou Qi, who wore a contemplative expression, and couldn’t help but say, “Brother Xiao Qi, was that… the running mutant mushroom Sister Lin mentioned earlier?”
It was his first time seeing a mushroom that could run and make sounds!
Moreover…
“Did it just create illusions to control us?”
Recalling the illusions he had just seen, Tang Yu’an couldn’t help frowning. “But with the Shadow Umbrella, it shouldn’t be able to see us, right?”
Zhou Qi also furrowed his brows in thought. “Could it be an indiscriminate attack?”
He looked up at the quietly floating Shadow Umbrella, his expression becoming more solemn.
“It seems that even with the Shadow Umbrella, it’s not absolutely safe. It only conceals our whereabouts but can’t shield us from attacks.”
Simply put, the Shadow Umbrella only hides their traces; it doesn’t truly make them invisible.
They could avoid physical attacks by utilizing the enemy’s inability to see them, but silent illusions like just now were hard to guard against.
Zhou Qi retrieved the dagger he had thrown earlier.
He had thought he missed, but found that the dagger was stained with some blue-green mucus.
“An’an.”
“Yes!”
Without needing Zhou Qi to explain, Tang Yu’an very tacitly used an identification skill on the blue-green mucus.
[Do you wish to spend 2 points to use the “Item Identification (Beginner)” skill on this item?]
Just a tiny bit of mucus actually costs 20 points?
Tang Yu’an chose to identify it.
[Name: Unnamed]
[Value: 20 points / 2 drops]
[Origin: Plane MR176349]
[Description: Mucus secreted by a certain mutant mushroom, which exudes in large quantities when encountering danger. It has the effect of refreshing the mind; applying it under the nose can temporarily enhance resistance to hallucinations.]
Wow, mucus that can counteract hallucinations!
Tang Yu’an quickly told Zhou Qi.
Zhou Qi nodded and tried applying a drop under his nose.
The mutant mushroom’s mucus wasn’t unpleasant; on the contrary, it had a cool scent that continuously entered his nasal cavity, making him feel his mind becoming even clearer.
Hearing his description, Tang Yu’an also hurriedly applied a drop.
“Really! It feels like the rotten smell around us isn’t as strong anymore.”
Realizing this was good stuff, Tang Yu’an quickly looked around—once an item had been identified, a description bubble would appear in his field of vision if it was present.
Soon, he found another drop in the corner.
Although mixed with sludge and moss, they could take it back and use the item list function to separate it—
He also named the mushroom that had just escaped: Illusion-Running Mushroom.
Its ability was to create hallucinations and run away when in danger.
Straightforward and easy to remember!
Zhou Qi had no objections, but now he hesitated whether to continue exploring.
The situation had exceeded their original expectations.
They had initially planned only to clear out the dangerous creatures on the map. When they encountered a building suspected to be the giant lizard’s lair, they thought that since Lin Zhen had dared to explore it, they had no reason not to.
But now it seemed he had underestimated the danger level of the giant lizard’s lair.
“Brother Xiao Qi, let’s go.”
After naming the mutant mushroom, Tang Yu’an pulled Zhou Qi to continue forward.
Earlier, he had been so scared by the surroundings that he was trembling and pale-faced, but now Zhou Qi found that the boy’s expression had calmed down, a certain determination showing on his small face.
“An’an, aren’t you afraid?” he asked.
“Not afraid,” Tang Yu’an said. “I need to become stronger quickly so we can go home sooner.”
If he got scared like this, what about when he encountered greater difficulties in the future? Sister Lin had no abilities, and she could explore the giant lizard’s lair alone; they could do it too.
Zhou Qi looked at the boy’s side profile and suddenly felt that An’an was really starting to grow up.
He pressed his lips together, hiding the heartache he felt inside, and silently followed beside him, paying more vigilant attention to everything around them.
The experience just now made him understand that tools are not omnipotent.
Danger can descend silently; he must adjust all his senses, keep his nerves tense at all times, and not be careless in the slightest.
Fortunately, they didn’t encounter any more mutant mushrooms afterward.
Following the occasional footprints they saw on the ground, they came to a door. The door was ajar, and the footprints on the ground were noticeably more numerous.
It was clear that Lin Zhen had stayed here for a longer time.
“Swish—swish—”
Faintly, the sound of water came from behind the door.
Tang Yu’an glanced at the mini-map.
The red dot representing a dangerous creature was just behind the door.
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi exchanged glances, then carefully squeezed through the gap in the door.
The Shadow Umbrella also folded slightly, sneaking behind them. Once inside, it quickly opened up, diligently concealing the tracks of the two boys.
As soon as they entered, their field of vision noticeably broadened.
They were on an upper-level position, surrounded by rows of spectator seats. Many of the seats were damaged into debris, and ahead were railings broken into pieces.
Beyond the railings was a large pool.
This was originally a small swimming pool; they stood at the top of the stands and could overlook the entire venue.
The swimming hall was damp and stuffy, with exterior light blocked by plants, making the interior very dim. Directly below them, they could see a deep, dark hole.
That was the original exit position; now the door was missing, replaced by a passage leading to an unknown place.
The once-clean swimming pool was filled with turbid sewage, moss, weeds, and rotten flesh. Even from such a distance, foul odors wafted over.
One by one, lizard eggs were piled in the silt on the shore, like big, round stones. The white eggshells reflected a slight light, making them easy to find.
This was indeed the giant lizard’s lair!
Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but sigh with emotion. Fortunately, these lizard eggs weren’t laid in the pool water; otherwise, they’d have to fish for eggs in such filthy water…
Just thinking about that experience made his scalp tingle.
“Swish—swish—”
They heard the sound of water again.
Tang Yu’an looked down slightly and saw a moving shadow slowly shifting in the pool, which should be the mother lizard.
As Lin Zhen had described, it was much larger than the male lizard, at least five meters long and about two meters wide, slowly swimming in the sewage. Under the dim light, only its slowly moving shadow could be seen.
This was definitely the largest mutant creature they had encountered so far.
But because of the lighting conditions and the fact that they were far away, and the pool was large, the visual impact wasn’t too overwhelming.
On the shore, Zhou Qi also noticed a giant lizard corpse nearly half its size, which should be the male lizard that had chased Old Li.
Just as Lin Zhen had described, it had been killed by the mother lizard. Half of its body had been eaten, and the rest was rotting and stinking like the sewage in the pool, with wriggling bugs crawling and flying around it even from such a distance.
Fortunately, under the dim lighting, Tang Yu’an’s vision wasn’t as good as Zhou Qi’s, so he didn’t notice this disgusting and creepy scene.
However, when the mother lizard slowly climbed onto the shore, and its huge body was fully exposed before them, Tang Yu’an’s body stiffened.
This mother lizard was really huge!
He couldn’t help swallowing, feeling that this giant lizard could cause an earth-shaking effect with just a slap of its tail.
“Brother Qi…”
He instinctively lowered his voice and whispered, “We can’t use the Happy Marbles here, right?”
Even if making this giant lizard laugh was possible, the commotion caused by the mutated pig laughing earlier had already been so loud; this mother lizard would definitely be even more so.
This swimming hall already looked shaky; if the mother lizard went crazy, it might even bring down the entire building.
Staying inside the swimming hall, they would also be in danger.
Zhou Qi pressed his lips tightly together; he had also realized this point, and what was worse, the Doggy Frisbee probably couldn’t be used either.
The light was too dim, and the venue was very restrictive—
The Doggy Frisbee required the creature to see it first, then chase after it and bite it; after contact, it would take effect.
How to attract the mother lizard’s attention in such a restrictive venue, and retreat safely before it was attracted to the Doggy Frisbee, was also a huge challenge.
After all, the encounter with the mutant mushroom had already told them that the Shadow Umbrella only concealed their tracks and couldn’t shield them from attacks.
Fortunately, they had come to scout in advance; otherwise, if they had come with Old Li and the others and something dangerous happened, their means would have been limited and unable to exert their proper power, which would be troublesome.
Now that they had obtained enough information, they needed to decide on the next strategy, which could be discussed after they went back.
Zhou Qi looked at Tang Yu’an. “Shall we go back now?”
Since it was the first time experiencing such a dangerous place, Zhou Qi instinctively wanted to take Tang Yu’an back to a safe place.
However, Tang Yu’an showed obvious hesitation.
Since they were already here, wouldn’t it be a pity to leave just like that?
“Shouldn’t we steal an egg before going back? And…” he whispered, “Should we try the Super Mouse Trap?”
If they acted together with Grandpa Li and the others, they probably wouldn’t have a chance to use the Super Mouse Trap. If they had to come alone again, why not try it today?
If they could really turn the mother lizard into a mouse, it would be a one-and-done solution!
Since they were already here…
Zhou Qi stared at the mother lizard lying on the edge of the pool. It was lying there motionless, as if resting after swimming.
If they could eliminate this mother lizard in one go, then they wouldn’t have to worry about the rest, and Old Li and the others wouldn’t be in danger when they came to steal the eggs.
“Alright, let’s give it a try.”
Zhou Qi finally made up his mind and said seriously, “But we’ll only try once. If it doesn’t work, we’ll run away immediately.”
“Okay!” Tang Yu’an nodded. “So what should we do next?”
The two then huddled together to discuss.
The Shadow Umbrella concealed their figures and voices. Even if they were discussing their strategy right in front of the mother lizard, the mother lizard would be unaware, still lying on the shore without moving.
Their goal was to steal a lizard egg and then test whether the Super Mouse Trap would work on the mother lizard.
Now the mother lizard was too close to the lizard eggs, estimated to be only four or five meters away; the operational space was still too small. If they went rashly, it would be easy to fail.
So they needed to wait a bit longer, wait for it to move away from the eggs.
As for the Super Mouse Trap, holding it by hand and pushing it onto the creature like they did with the Dark Green Spider was definitely not feasible.
So they could only place it on the mother lizard’s path, hoping it would trigger, and they needed to be able to retrieve it.
“If only we had the illusion ability of the mutant mushroom,” Tang Yu’an couldn’t help saying.
“The illusion mushrooms grow in the giant lizard’s lair; it’s possible they have a symbiotic relationship with the mutant lizards. Even if not, the giant lizards probably have high resistance to hallucinations,” Zhou Qi analyzed.
Hearing Zhou Qi’s analysis, Tang Yu’an nodded. “That’s true…”
As for the skill of placing items remotely, since the current use range was only two meters, it was also unusable.
Thinking of something, Tang Yu’an looked around.
Soon he found another mutant mushroom in the corner—although the venue was dim, the system’s marked “Illusion-Running Mushroom” bubble was really bright; it was hard not to notice.
It seemed there were quite a few mutant mushrooms growing in this swimming hall. Since he and Brother Qi had applied the mucus under their noses, they would no longer be affected by them.
Tang Yu’an quickly told Zhou Qi the information he had obtained.
Even if the mother lizard might not be afraid of the mutant mushroom’s illusion ability, couldn’t they use these running and screaming mutant mushrooms to do something?
*
About ten minutes later, the mother lizard finally moved again.
It turned around and slid back into the sewage of the pool, stirring up a splash.
In addition to the mother lizard, Zhou Qi also noticed that there seemed to be other smaller creatures in the pool, possibly fish. Who knows how they got into this sewage pool; they seemed to have become the mother lizard’s reserve food.
The mother lizard swam into the pool to start hunting, no longer paying attention to the lizard eggs on the shore.
The opportunity finally came.
As they had discussed, Zhou Qi bent down and carried Tang Yu’an on his back, tying him securely with a rope.
Tang Yu’an held the Shadow Umbrella tightly in his hand, and his legs wrapped around Zhou Qi’s waist, gripping tightly.
“Ready?”
“Yes!”
Then Zhou Qi leaped high, approaching the nearest mutated lizard egg.
Under the Shadow Umbrella, they were concealed, and their footsteps and sounds were silenced, leaving only the pounding of two nervous hearts.
“Thump—thump—”
Tang Yu’an felt his heart was about to jump out of his chest.
The more dangerous the moment, the calmer Zhou Qi became.
His speed was greatly enhanced compared to usual, and in just a breath’s time, he crossed the ten-meter distance, successfully approaching the mutated lizard egg.
Just as he landed, the mother lizard, which had been slowly diving into the water, suddenly increased its swimming amplitude.
It was rapidly swimming upward.
The mother lizard seemed to have discovered them!
Zhou Qi had no time to think. He reached out and touched the lizard egg, and the egg was stored into the already emptied personal warehouse.
“Roar!!!”
An angry roar from the mother lizard echoed in the swimming hall; it must have really discovered them.
Zhou Qi quickly jumped away, and at the same time, he shot out the metal arrow in his hand.
“Waah! Waah!”
The metal arrow accurately hit the location of the mutant mushroom. The blue-green mushroom jumped up, emitting a series of sharp strange cries.
The mother lizard’s roar and the mutant mushroom’s cries echoed one after another, completely breaking the tranquility of the swimming hall.
Originally sprinting towards the location of the lizard eggs, the mother lizard suddenly turned its direction and looked at where the mutant mushroom was.
At the same time, a strong wind mixed with sewage, mud, iron pieces, and plant debris roared up, blasting towards the stands where the mutant mushroom was located.
The screaming mutant mushroom suddenly fell silent, not sure if it had time to escape.
In any case, that half of the stands was instantly shattered by the gust of wind.
“Boom—”
A corner of the wall collapsed, and the outdoor light flooded in, clearly displaying the effect of that strike.
Zhou Qi, carrying Tang Yu’an, was floating in midair. Due to the effect of the Shadow Umbrella, their descent was slowed, and with the sudden gusts of wind in the venue, they were blown upward a bit more.
They looked from afar at the destroyed stands, their backs drenched in cold sweat.
Fortunately, they hadn’t chosen to use the Cat Teaser Wand and the Doggy Frisbee; otherwise, before the mother lizard could be controlled, they might have been killed by this gust of wind.
Earlier, the mother lizard hadn’t used its ability immediately, perhaps because it was concerned about the lizard eggs.
So the mother lizard had awakened a wind attribute ability? Was it originally possessed, or did it evolve after eating the male lizard?
With such a powerful mother lizard guarding, if Old Li and Lin Zhen dared to come to steal the eggs again, they would be courting death.
The mother lizard had climbed ashore, moving with a speed that didn’t match its huge body, swiftly charging toward the lizard eggs.
Angry roars echoed in the swimming hall.
Zhou Qi keenly felt a strange wave similar to a gaze sweeping over their position.
He knew this was the mother lizard’s mental power; Chi Hao had used it before.
If it weren’t for the strong protection of the Shadow Umbrella, they would have been exposed now!
Soon, the feeling of being scanned disappeared.
The mother lizard’s roar, mixed with anger and mourning, sounded again. Apparently, it had confirmed that the lizard egg was missing and, without discovering the thief’s whereabouts, assumed that the one who dared to steal the lizard egg had already escaped.
It went berserk, lashing its tail and cracking the ground with fissures.
However, the swimming hall seemed to be really well-built; despite being battered like this, the roof didn’t collapse, and the situation Tang Yu’an had worried about before didn’t occur.
They slowly floated down, carefully using the Shadow Umbrella to control the direction of their descent.
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
The mother lizard was still lashing its tail, venting its anger furiously, stirring up dust and causing debris to fall from the roof.
At a certain moment…
An unidentified object connected with a thin, transparent silk thread fell from midair, landing on the ground where the mother lizard was lashing its tail.
“Plop!”
The mother lizard’s tail just happened to slap down on it.
The next second, a crisp strange sound echoed in the swimming hall.
“Snap—”
With this sound, the mother lizard’s tail-slapping suddenly stopped, and the entire swimming hall, apart from the echo of the previous slap, fell into an eerie silence again.
Did it succeed?
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi nervously stared below.
As the dust settled, they saw that the spot where the mother lizard had been was now empty, replaced by…
A mouse caught by a mousetrap!
That mouse with green eyes stood blankly on the spot, its two paws curled up in front of its chest, showing a bewildered expression.
Zhou Qi, carrying Tang Yu’an, finally landed on the ground at this time.
Seeing that the mother lizard had successfully been turned into a mouse, the two boys let out a long breath.
It was really too dangerous!
This mother lizard was definitely the most dangerous mutant creature they had dealt with so far!
The thin thread attached to the components of the Super Mouse Trap was the spider silk they had collected from the Dark Green Spider.
Perhaps because the spider silk was too thin, and the mother lizard was in a state of rage, it didn’t notice that they were right above via the spider silk.
If the mousetrap hadn’t worked, Tang Yu’an would have directly retrieved these two items into the personal warehouse, and Zhou Qi would have carried him and quickly fled.
Fortunately, they had succeeded without any danger!
“Squeak—squeak—”
The giant lizard-turned-big mouse finally came back to its senses from the confusion of suddenly shrinking in size. It struggled violently, biting and gnawing at the mousetrap that had clamped it and turned it into this form.
However, the mousetrap remained firmly fixed to the ground, no matter how much it struggled and tore, it didn’t budge, as if it weighed a thousand pounds.
Facing the mother lizard that had been turned into a mouse, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi did not let their guard down.
To prevent it from having any other means, like unleashing a gust of wind as before, they still hid under the Shadow-Hiding Umbrella, not revealing their presence.
Naturally, the mother lizard didn’t discover them, nor did it understand why it had suddenly turned into another weak creature.
Tang Yu’an took out his slingshot, preparing to give the mother lizard a Happy Marble.
However…
It had to be said that the mother lizard was indeed the most troublesome creature they had dealt with.
As the Happy Marble shot out beyond the Shadow Umbrella’s range, the mother lizard seemed to sense the impending danger. It decisively bit off its own tail before the Happy Marble could hit it!
“Squeak! Squeak squeak!”
Freed from the restraint of the mousetrap, the big mouse dragged its bloody severed tail and burrowed into the rubble in the corner.
The Happy Marble missed, bouncing and rolling into the shadows.
On the scene, only the mousetrap clamping a piece of “mouse” tail remained, along with over forty unprotected lizard eggs.
Tang Yu’an looked at the scene before him, which had finally settled, and felt somewhat unreal.
Lying on Zhou Qi’s back, as if exhausted, he said dazedly, “Brother Qi, did we succeed?”
After Zhou Qi had carried him and jumped down from the stands, Tang Yu’an felt like every second was like a year. When the gust of wind rose, he was so scared his heart almost leaped out of his throat.
When they set down the mousetrap, he was even nervous to the point of suffocation.
Now… they had succeeded!
Tang Yu’an retrieved the spider silk connecting the mousetrap and the half piece of mouse tail into his personal warehouse, then looked at the task panel.
[Clear the Giant Lizard’s Lair]
[Task Description: Clear the giant lizard’s lair, destroy all lizard eggs or take the lizard eggs away from the mother lizard (1/43) ]
[Time Limit: …]
Because he had only taken one egg, and the mother lizard was still in the swimming hall, according to the judgment, he hadn’t completed the task yet.
“I guess… so?”
Zhou Qi approached the lizard eggs, stored three in the second slot of the personal warehouse, and was about to continue when Tang Yu’an said, “Brother Xiao Qi, more mutant creatures are coming!”
Although they were still at a distance, having just experienced the danger, they didn’t have the energy to deal with it now.
“Let’s go back!”
As for the remaining lizard eggs, they would have to collect them another time.
So Zhou Qi carried Tang Yu’an, directly exiting through the collapsed corner of the wall caused by the mother lizard’s gust attack, and then left the place.
The mother lizard, hiding under the rubble, didn’t know this.
It watched helplessly as the trap that had turned it into a mouse disappeared, and its eggs vanished one by one before its eyes.
The big mouse pressed tightly against the stones behind it, its body uncontrollably trembling, and its spirit had been terrified to the extreme.
