Chương 16: Section 17: Someone is asking for help
Biên tập viên: Henyee Translations
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In choosing the direction, the boy and girl both did their best.
Identifying direction by the stars was not their forte.
Zi Di's true expertise was business, with potions and magic secondary.
Zhenjin had basic knowledge but fragmented memories; he discovered his talent lay in fighting.
They were both aiming for the position of White Sand City Lord. Who could have foreseen a shipwreck? Who could have imagined ending up on such a perilous, monstrous island?
They moved in a straight line most of the time, occasionally searching nearby to confirm their direction.
Unlike yesterday, with a different exploration strategy, they quickly surpassed yesterday's range, reaching new territory.
"Be careful," Zhenjin warned.
Beside them was a steep cliff, with a large tree growing at its edge, still towering straight up. Only its roots were exposed, sprawling over the cliffside.
At the bottom of the cliff, many trees grew, their canopies rising several meters above the cliff edge.
Zi Di nodded, following Zhenjin, carefully avoiding the cliff.
The cliff was very high, and falling would have severe consequences.
Head injuries and fractures would be normal.
In this forest, human fragility was truly beyond imagination.
A simple twisted ankle could cost one's life. A twisted ankle would hinder movement, lead to an attack by a beast, and prevent escape—a series of tragic consequences.
Even for someone with Zhenjin's abilities, a slip could still cause great trouble.
After all, he could not activate fighting energy.
After moving away from the cliff, Zi Di glanced back with lingering fear.
This kind of cliff terrain was easy to avoid during the day but not at night.
It was too difficult.
Human vision was greatly limited at night.
Without the aid of fighting energy or magic, relying solely on eyes was almost like being blind.
When you thought you were walking on flat, safe ground, you might part some obstructing branches and suddenly step into thin air, falling off a cliff!
"Fortunately, we didn't encounter this terrain while escaping," Zi Di said with relief.
"Yeah," Zhenjin agreed, feeling the same fear.
If they had fallen off a cliff while being chased by the Fire Poison Bees that night, they would now be skeletons at the cliff's bottom.
After moving away from the cave, the cliffs became more frequent.
The terrain's undulations became more pronounced.
This change wasn't entirely bad.
Sometimes, the boy and girl would stand at the edge of a cliff—where the view was more open—and observe from a distance.
Of course, this was occasional. Most of the time, even at the cliff edge, large trees with dense canopies and branches blocked the view.
Trees everywhere.
In such an environment, it was too easy to lose direction.
Zhenjin kept marking the map, recording the route—he drew a straight line.
But had they really walked a straight line?
They couldn't be sure; in fact, they felt guilty. Without reference points, it was hard to ensure a straight path.
So, they cherished every moment they could look out from an open cliff.
Most people couldn't imagine this.
In forest exploration, a simple distant view could bring joy and confidence to those deep within.
This was also because Zhenjin wasn't good at climbing trees.
Knights' training never included tree climbing.
It wasn't surprising.
Knights, mastering fighting energy, could easily jump onto protruding branches, not needing special tree climbing training.
Knights never fought alone.
They had mounts, squires, and battalions with auxiliary soldiers scouting ahead.
Zhenjin tried climbing trees.
After three meters, he gave up.
He would have to reach at least ten meters high to see over the canopy.
This height was risky.
A fall would result in injury.
He was a knight, one of the Holy Emperor's elite Holy Temple Knights, but he couldn't activate fighting energy. Without it, his body couldn't withstand such a fall.
During tree climbing, any attack would find him and Zi Di vulnerable.
Also, climbing tall straight trees was much harder than climbing rainforest trees with slanted branches and vines.
Finally, he had to consider his physical strength.
Climbing consumed too much energy.
Overexertion led to sweating, hunger, and the need for lots of food and water. Their supplies were limited.
Zhenjin took a high vantage point.
"Look there, that low depression," Zhenjin said.
They aimed for low areas.
Such terrain likely had water.
Water would help them replenish and might lead to a river, which could guide them out of the forest.
Being an island, all water flowed to the sea.
An ideal river would end in a beach or reef.
After sprinkling some bright powder potion at the cliff edge, the boy and girl slightly changed direction.
Soon, they reached the depression.
They were disappointed; there was no river, not even water.
The terrain was like a giant bowl, filled with trees.
But as they were about to change direction, they stopped.
A black panther unexpectedly appeared in their sight.
Its body was covered with black scales, with a horn on its forehead.
It was a Scale-Horned Black Panther!
As they spotted the panther, it noticed them too.
Instantly, both sides froze. The encounter was surprising to both.
Zhenjin silently gripped his long spear, feeling tense.
He wasn't afraid of one Scale-Horned Black Panther; he could easily injure it. But what about a group?
Worse, what if it wasn't the group that had attacked the Monkey-tailed Brown Bear, but a complete panther group?
Although most Scale-Horned Black Panthers were only bronze-level, collectively they could hunt together, even daring to attack a Silver Magical Beast like the Monkey-tailed Brown Bear.
If Zhenjin faced the panther group's attack, protecting Zi Di would be difficult.
At present, there was no good solution; everything depended on the situation.
Both sides remained motionless, the air seeming to have solidified.
Zi Di held her breath, feeling increasingly pressured, her face paling.
After a brief standoff, the Scale-Horned Black Panther abruptly turned and fled.
A surprising development!
"Follow it; it might lead the entire panther group here," whispered Zi Di urgently.
Zhenjin nodded, recalling the Fire Poison Bees driving away a panther, which then returned with reinforcements, leading to a battle with the Monkey-tailed Brown Bear.
"Follow me. If we—" Zhenjin began, but Zi Di interrupted.
"Trust me, we have potions to mark and regroup!" Zi Di responded quickly.
They had agreed on this method to avoid getting lost.
Zhenjin sprinted off.
Trees seemed to rush at him, but he deftly dodged them.
Wind whooshed past his ears. Focusing entirely, Zhenjin tracked the panther while staying alert for sudden attacks.
It was daytime, and Zhenjin had a clear view.
He breathed heavily, his heart pumping blood, his muscles contracting forcefully, generating strong momentum.
Zhenjin's speed increased, closing the gap with the panther.
The Scale-Horned Black Panther wasn't fast.
As they neared, Zhenjin noticed the panther was injured.
"Injured? Did it join the attack on the Monkey-tailed Brown Bear?"
Zhenjin felt somewhat relieved.
The panther group had suffered greatly; their leader was dead, and the survivors scattered.
"Still, be cautious!"
"What if this is to lure me in?"
Remembering Zi Di's account of the cunning Blue Wolf repeatedly ambushing the exploration team, Zhenjin knew island beasts defied common reasoning. A lure tactic wouldn't surprise him.
Unexpectedly, the fleeing Scale-Horned Black Panther stopped ahead.
It whimpered, circled nervously, agitated.
Zhenjin approached cautiously, the panther still anxious as if fearing something in the forest far more than Zhenjin.
For a moment, the boy wore a grave expression.
He delayed attacking the panther, instead, observing the surroundings.
Soon, he noticed the forest was gloomier here. Trees remained tall but appeared decayed, with sickly green leaves. Fallen leaves thickened the ground, air filled with a chilling aura.
Seeing no other beasts, Zhenjin refocused on the Scale-Horned Black Panther.
He advanced slowly; as they closed in, the panther finally fled again.
Zhenjin followed closely.
Awhoo—!
Shortly after, the panther shrieked.
White spider silk shot up, enveloping the panther.
The web recoiled, suspending the panther mid-air.
The more it struggled, the tighter the sticky silk bound it.
Soon, the panther was almost entirely enmeshed.
A pale blue spider descended from the canopy onto the web.
The spider's body was as large as a millstone, its long, thin legs, at least two meters each.
It moved on the web like gliding on ice, skillfully and smoothly.
It started working, its legs weaving swiftly and elegantly.
The damaged web swiftly mended under the spider's deft weaving.
The panther's struggles slowed, its body tightly bound between trees about six or seven meters high.
Watching the successful hunt, Zhenjin felt a chill.
He retreated slowly, nerves on edge.
He watched the weaving spider, mindful of his footing.
Perhaps a web was nearby.
Fortunately, the spider didn't attack him, returning to the canopy, disappearing.
Zhenjin remained vigilant, strings strung tighter.
He noticed more prey in the canopy.
Carolled in white silk, shapes varied.
Most were panther-like.
Zhenjin guessed: Was this the resting place of the monkeys and Scale-Horned Black Panther, driven by the Monkey-tailed Brown Bear?
He understood the fleeing panther feared the spider. Only one had escaped the ambush but was caught by Zhenjin.
In addition to the panther shapes, he saw deer, foxes, rabbits, even tigers and rhinoceroses in the webs.
Why rhinoceroses lived here baffled him.
Witnessing this, Zhenjin's heart raced faster.
Though seeing only one spider, many more were likely hidden in the canopy. A lone spider couldn't decimate the panther group, nor catch large prey like tigers and rhinoceroses.
These spiders probably lived in groups.
Zhenjin wasn't surprised by this behavioral change.
As he prepared to leave, a faint voice called, "Wait."
"Don't go."
"Please, help me, save me."
Someone was pleading for Zhenjin's help!
"""
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