36: The second fragment

In the mist, the Consultant never thought of opening the door of the house to escape.

Because he knew that the door would definitely not open.

Instead of wasting time, it was better to adjust their status now, lest something strange emerge from the mist that would be difficult to handle.

Zuo Dao and Sun Wen also stood back to back, the three of them huddled in the center of the room, ready to deal with any unexpected events.

However... nothing happened.

The mist went from thick to thin. During this time, let alone the shadow of a magical beast, there wasn't even a sound.

After a long while, the mist dispersed, but the Consultant and the others were stunned!

"Where is this?!"

Zuo Dao waved his hand, fanning away the surrounding mist, looking around blankly.

Sun Wen also put down her short wooden staff, looking around in confusion, "This is... a swamp?"

The Consultant remained silent, his brows tightly furrowed.

As Sun Wen said, they were surrounded by... a swamp!

The dilapidated house had disappeared, and the mist, as if it had a teleportation effect, silently transported them to this strange place.

Aside from the soft patch of earth they stood on, everything around them was dark red mud!

A foul, fishy smell wafted over, and occasionally bubbles would emerge from the mud.

It looked like a burial ground for magical beasts!

The Consultant looked at the sky. Based on the current time and weather, he could confirm that they were still in Lange Forest.

But to leave here, they would inevitably have to cross the surrounding swamp.

The problem was, there was no path to leave.

Like an isolated island!

"What should we do...?"

The Consultant clicked his tongue, looking around with a worried expression.

There must be something terrifying in this dark red mud.

Well, even if there wasn't, he didn't want to step into this place that looked like a cesspit.

Isn't this just being a pervert!

In order to find a way to leave, the Consultant shamelessly asked System Bro:

"System, any hints? Give me one quickly!"

The system's reply was also straightforward—

[Hello, your system is online. Multiple options will now be provided for you.]

[Option One: Swim directly across, showcasing your dominance!]

[Option Two: Wait for the exam to end, showcasing your composure!]

[Option Three: Figure it out yourself. I am the system, not your father!]

“...”

These 'thoughtful' routes provided by the system were exactly as expected!

You son of a gun!

The Consultant casually picked up the Slime from his head, gently rubbing it to relieve his dissatisfaction.

"Gurgle... gurgle..."

The Slime in his arms made a sound of resistance, suddenly squeezed out of the Consultant's hand, and plopped onto the ground.

"Hey!"

The Consultant was startled, afraid that the fellow would fall into the swamp.

But before he could bend down to pick it up, the Slime had already rolled forward—

The Consultant would bet his head that if this fellow fell into the swamp, it would instantly merge with it.

At that point, even if he didn't want to go down, he would have to go 'pan for gold in the dung'!

"Stop, stop, stop!" the Consultant hurriedly shouted.

But this time, the Slime ignored him. Even Beast Taming Power was useless.

It approached the mud, its rolling speed increasing rather than decreasing, and then... it floated in the air!

"Uh... huh?"

Not just the Consultant, but Zuo Dao and Sun Wen were also stunned.

The Slime wasn't flying; it was more like it was stepping on an invisible path.

"Bro, what's going on?" Zuo Dao blinked blankly.

Sun Wen also asked from the side, "Consultant, how can your Slime float above the swamp?"

The Consultant didn't answer, because in that instant, a flash of inspiration struck him!

Bing Dwen Dwen can't fly. The fact that it's floating in the air right now isn't a Slime's ability, but... an illusion!

Or perhaps magic?

This place might not be real!

Magic-induced illusions only affect people, but have no effect on the tamed Slime!

"Bing Dwen Dwen, lead us out of here!"

Thinking this, the Consultant breathed a sigh of relief and commanded.

"Gurgle!"

The Slime made a sound like popping bubbles, as if responding to the Consultant's command, and continued to squirm forward.

"Brother, are you sure?" Zuo Dao was a bit uneasy.

Sun Wen, however, trusted the Consultant and followed silently behind him.

"Let's go, stick close!"

With that, the Consultant carefully stepped onto the path where the Slime had passed, moving forward.

Clink... a sound like glass colliding came from underfoot. The Consultant's heart trembled, but fortunately, the invisible bridge was sturdy, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The group followed behind the Slime, advancing along a winding path.

This path was not peaceful. During this time, strange disturbances continuously came from the swamp, with things swimming inside, stirring up many dark red mud spatters.

But luckily, those magical beasts did not come out to attack them.

Half an hour later, led by the Slime, the Consultant and the others finally reached the edge of the swamp from the muddy ground in the middle.

"Phew!"

The Consultant, successfully ashore, quickly picked up the Slime and let out a long breath.

Sun Wen and Zuo Dao quickly followed behind, sitting on the bank with lingering fear on their faces, looking back at the swamp.

Fortunately, the Slime led the way; otherwise, ordinary people who fell into the trap would likely not be able to get out.

And after they crossed this swamp, it seemed they also passed this trial under the judgment of magic.

A large amount of mist began to rise from the mud, once again enveloping the three of them.

After only a few seconds, the mist dispersed, and the Consultant and the others returned to the dilapidated house once more.

"It's over already?"

The Consultant looked around strangely, finding that their position hadn't changed at all, as if it had all been a dream.

Not far away was the chest that had just contained the 'malice' of the old man Jiang Cen.

However, at this moment, a faint light flickered within the chest.

The Consultant carefully stretched his neck to look, and to his surprise, he discovered that a map fragment had appeared in the treasure chest!

"This is the second one!"

"It seems we didn't come here for nothing!"

Zuo Dao and Sun Wen said with a smile from the side.

The Consultant nodded, putting this map fragment and the treasure chest into his space ring.

This treasure chest was golden, even more valuable than the previous silver treasure chest!

After leaving this dilapidated house, the Consultant and the others only had one last map fragment to collect.

Once they found it, they would be able to follow the map to the final gathering point!