Chapter 67: A Desperate Gamble

Chapter 67: Chapter 67: A Desperate Gamble

He was patiently searching for the source of the danger.

Lin Ji sighed inwardly.

If only his [B+ Grade Insight Eye] could level up one more time.

Although it currently had three skill branches, he could only choose to activate one of the two active skills (Intelligence Information, Fortune Prediction) per day.

And today, to avoid risks, he had already used his chance on [Fortune Prediction].

Now, he could only rely on the most basic passive effect of the Insight Eye for detection.

But unlike the talents of the women on the raft, which could be upgraded simply by consuming Evolution Points, his skill was different.

To upgrade his talent, he had to find a Taboo Artifact of the same origin.

Or, he had to forcibly extract the Primordial Force from an Awakened who possessed a similar talent.

The difficulty of this was countless orders of magnitude greater than upgrading with Evolution Points.

Just as Lin Ji stared intently at the tree trunk, trying to find even the slightest flaw—

"Squeak! Squeak squeak!"

The three little mice that had been quietly resting in Bai Taotao’s pocket suddenly became restless.

Especially the largest one, Big Black.

It actually poked half its body out of the pocket, its dark green eyes filled with extreme terror.

It stared fixedly at a spot about ten meters high on the tree trunk, emitting a shrill warning cry.

As if sensing some incredibly terrifying natural predator!

Almost at the same instant.

Everyone clearly saw.

On the tree trunk, ten meters above the ground, a withered branch that looked exactly like the color and texture of the bark, and even had a few dark Red leaves growing on it.

It... actually began to move slowly!

The feeling was like an illusion caused by blurred vision.

But Lin Ji’s back instantly broke out in a cold sweat, a chilling sense of crisis shooting straight to the top of his head!

"Everyone, scatter! Stay alert!"

Lin Ji suddenly shouted a warning, pulling the women back several meters.

And just as that withered branch completely detached from the tree trunk, revealing its true form—

The passive scan of Lin Ji’s [Insight Eye] finally succeeded in capturing its information!

Several lines of cold data quickly appeared before Lin Ji’s eyes.

[Level 3·Withered Wood Reaper (Mutated Hidden-Wing Mantis·Larval Form)]

[Danger Level: Extremely Dangerous (Highly Lethal!)]

[Ability 1: ?]

[Ability 2: ?]

[...]

[Current Status: Target Locked, Preparing to Launch Hunting Attack!]

Looking at this series of crimson question marks before him, cold sweat instantly broke out on Lin Ji’s forehead.

Since obtaining the [Insight Eye], this was the first time he had encountered a situation where, apart from the name and status, all other information was completely undetectable!

And this was just a Larval Form!

Most critically, the passive Danger Perception of the Insight Eye.

Was now blaring a piercing alarm in his mind: Run! Run now! Staying here means certain death!

"Damn it..."

Lin Ji gritted his teeth, forcing himself to calm down.

He suddenly remembered the [Fortune Prediction] he had used this morning.

Although the prediction result was "Great Misfortune," the madwoman Qin Yao who killed him in the vision was not this mutated mantis before him!

What does this mean?

It means that although this Level 3 monster is terrifying, it’s not powerful enough to instantly kill him. There is absolutely still a sliver of hope!

"Everyone, fall back behind me!"

Lin Ji roared, his gaze becoming razor-sharp as he stared at the Withered Wood Reaper.

"Bai Taotao, activate your talent now! See if you can pacify it, make it give up its attack!"

"If you can’t, then do your utmost to disrupt its mind!"

Although Bai Taotao’s little face was pale with fright, upon hearing Lin Ji’s command, she quickly nodded.

She closed her eyes, desperately urging the faint [E-Grade Affinity] energy within her body, trying to transmit signals of friendliness and submission to that Withered Wood Reaper.

However, less than two seconds later.

Bai Taotao let out a pained groan, her petite frame swaying violently as she gasped for breath in great heaves.

"Captain brother... I can’t..."

"It... its killing intent is too strong. My Talent Level is too low, I simply can’t persuade it to retreat!"

Receiving this answer, the last shred of hope in Lin Ji’s heart was utterly extinguished.

Only a fight to the death remained!

"Bai Taotao, keep disrupting it!"

"Gu Yihan, shoot it!"

Gu Yihan, who had long been waiting on the side with her bowstring fully drawn, instantly turned ice-cold in her eyes.

Between her slender fingers, she held three specially crafted Armor-Piercing Bone Arrows.

"Twang!"

A sharp, explosive twang of the bowstring rang out.

The three arrows transformed into three grayish-white streaks of light, flying in a triangular formation.

With extreme precision, they shot toward the mantis that had just revealed its true form on the tree trunk.

Yet, in the very next second, a chilling scene unfolded.

Those three bone arrows, powerful enough to pierce steel plates, actually passed straight through the spot where the mantis was, embedding themselves deeply into the tree trunk.

A miss?

No, it wasn’t a miss.

It was that the mantis had vanished into thin air right before everyone’s eyes!

No one even saw how it moved, as if it had instantly dissolved into the air!

"Where is it?"

Gu Yihan looked around in panic, her [Eagle Eye] skill frantically scanning, yet she still couldn’t locate the target.

"It’s behind you!"

Right at that moment, Bai Taotao’s terrified scream suddenly pierced the air. She desperately pointed behind Lin Ji and the others.

"Whoosh—!"

An incredibly faint, yet impossibly fast sound of something cutting through the air exploded right behind Lin Ji’s head.

Lin Ji only felt a chill run down his spine as an unprecedented sense of mortal danger instantly enveloped his entire being.

He whipped his head around.

He saw a terrifying mantis, its body the size of a small calf, covered in a camouflage carapace resembling withered wood.

It was moving at an almost imperceptible [Extreme Speed], vibrating its nearly transparent, hidden wings.

Like a cannonball, it was hurtling straight toward him!

Those two saw-toothed forelimbs, like scythes of death, were already raised high!

"[C-grade · Rock Armor]!"

Lin Ji’s eyes widened in fury. In an instant, he pushed the earth element energy within his body to its limit. A thick layer of grayish-brown rock armor instantly covered his entire body.

However, facing this terrifying kinetic energy moving at an extreme speed, he knew this layer of defense simply couldn’t withstand it.

At this critical moment of life and death!

A cool, aloof figure suddenly rushed out from the side, without the slightest hesitation, placing herself in front of Lin Ji.

"Boom!"

The [Frostglove] of [Red Quality] worn on Su Qingyue’s right hand instantly erupted with an intensely dazzling blue light.

A thick frost shield had just formed when the mantis slammed into it with an extremely violent force.

"Crack!"

The Ice Shield instantly shattered into countless shards of ice.

The powerful impact sent Su Qingyue flying backward.

Mid-air, she violently coughed up a large mouthful of blood.

Her already somewhat tattered school uniform tore apart completely under this Great Strength, the fabric that had barely covered her chest now completely ripped open.

Large patches of delicate, snow-white skin were exposed without reservation to the air.

The two proud, perky mounds that had been suppressed now swayed violently with her falling motion, straining into a deep, alluring cleavage.

Beneath the disheveled pleated skirt, a pair of long, straight, pale legs lay weakly crossed.

Even a hint of something tantalizing could vaguely be seen, enough to make one’s blood boil.