373: spore

Su Han's pupils trembled violently in the eerie blue water light, and the spore powder sprayed by the gigantic creature was like fine silver mist, condensing into strange light bands in the humid air.

He ripped off his collar to cover his mouth and nose, while his other hand tightly gripped Bi Yao's nape, pressing her towards a concave section of the rock wall.

Those slender tentacles brushed past the tops of their heads, the dense barbs on the suction cups scraping the stone wall with an ear-piercing sound, and shattered rock fragments rustled onto Bi Yao's bleeding knees.

"To the left!"

Su Han suddenly pulled Bi Yao and rolled, a tentacle brushing past her hair tips, leaving five charred scratch marks on the rock wall.

The spore powder fell on the tentacle wounds, causing plumes of green smoke to rise, and a corrosive sour smell mixed with Fishy smell assailed them.

Bi Yao choked, tears streaming down her face, but when she turned her head, she suddenly froze—at the broken ends of the corroded tentacles, new suction cups were growing at a visible speed, like some kind of evil regeneration.

The gigantic creature let out a deafening roar, and hundreds of small Monsters leaped out of its mouth like raindrops.

Su Han drew his dagger with a backhand, the cold light cutting a sharp arc in the eerie blue water light, pinning the first three Monsters that pounced onto the rock wall.

But the Monster swarm instantly changed tactics, no longer attacking rashly, but instead splitting into small teams, approaching along the rock wall and cave ceiling in a pincer movement.

"They're surrounding us."

Bi Yao's voice trembled, her fingertips fumbling for a foothold on the rock wall.

Su Han followed her gaze, his pupils contracting sharply—the Monsters actually knew how to use the shadows of the stalactites to conceal themselves, their eerie green compound eyes flickering on and off in the darkness, forming some kind of strange array.

Even more terrifying, the crackling sound imitating fire rang out again, this time no longer a single sound, but interspersed and interwoven, as if invisible flames had ignited throughout the various parts of the cave.

"Be careful!"

Su Han suddenly tackled Bi Yao to the ground, a burning piece of wood flying past her back, exploding into a shower of sparks on the rock wall.

The Monster swarm seized the opportunity to attack, sharp claws striking from all directions with a whistling sound.

Su Han wielded his dagger to block, the sparks from the collision of metal and claws illuminating his tense profile.

Bi Yao, meanwhile, curled up behind him, using rocks to strike the rock wall and create noise, attempting to disrupt the Monsters' judgment.

The spore powder in the air grew thicker and thicker, Su Han felt his breathing becoming increasingly difficult, and his vision began to blur.

He glimpsed the gigantic creature slowly sinking to the bottom of the lake, only its wrinkled back exposed, those glowing spores in the darkness like stars, yet more deadly than any trap.

Bi Yao suddenly tugged at his sleeve, pointing towards the bone "island"—

The half-burned torch that had been stuck in the eye socket of a human skull was now eerily burning, the flame flickering in the windless cave, yet never extinguishing.

"It's the spores!" Bi Yao suddenly cried out, "They're using the spores to fuel the fire!"

Before her voice fell, the Monster swarm suddenly let out a collective sharp cry, and burning pieces of wood rained down on the moss on the rock wall.

The flames instantly spread, forcing the two towards the lake.

Su Han felt a burning pain in his back, and turned to see tentacles twisting wildly in the sea of fire, when the suction cups opened, they could actually spray a viscous liquid, extinguishing the flames while also leaving large corrosive marks on the rock wall.

"Jump!"

Su Han suddenly grabbed Bi Yao's wrist, and at the moment the Monster swarm pounced, he leaped into the lake.

The eerie blue lake water instantly swallowed the two, and in the bone-chilling cold, Su Han felt countless tiny suction cups adhering to his skin.(End of Chapter)