Chapter 638: Fleeing for one’s life
Translator: Translation Nation Editor: Translation Nation
Regardless of humans or beasts, being impaled by such a thick wooden pike would be detrimentally fatal.
Yet immediately after the pike punctured through the Licker’s lungs, and despite having its brain mutilated earlier on, the Licker bolted abruptly towards the direction where the pike had flown in. Counter-attacking with such terrifying pace, could it even be described as gravely wounded?
This crafty beast was seemingly immune to pain, or only feigning being incapacitated, determining the location of its foe by exploiting the moment they attacked. Only when its opponent was most relaxed, did it retaliate wildly with thunderbolt impetus; sacrificing its body to attack!
Seeing that his attack had landed, Mbenga immediately broke into frantic fleeing. Yet how could his speed be compared to that terrifying monstrosity?
After brief moments, Mbenga had already sprinted 50-60 metres away. Instead, the gap between both parties continued to shrink rapidly.
Yet of all moments, Mbenga actually slipped as he tumbled pathetically forward.
Moments later, the maroon fork tongue of this obnoxious beast could already lick Mbenga’s forehead, as a pungent nauseating stench surged into Mbenga’s nostrils!!!
Within the next second, just a single second, the massive claws of this Licker would drill holes in Mbenga’s body, before ripping it asunder into fleshy shreds.
Yet in this instant, the distantly spectating Sheyan was instead heaving a sigh of relief. Because he had noticed, that where Mbenga had tripped, was simply a plot of levelled ground. It was actually impossible for him to trip.
This goes to say, Mbenga had purposely reduced his speed…...
It also indicated that unless Mbenga was truly courting death, he must have a solid reason to be confident that the Licker would be incapable of assaulting him.
All of a sudden, a large cloud of dust puffed up, as a fence of 5-6 thick pikes drilled out from the ground. Differing from other pikes, these pikes shockingly shone with a metallic brilliance. Though forged with an ordinary material, one could tell this fence had been crafted with utmost care; possessing both the lightweight tenacity of wooden pikes and the hardness of the metal.
The fence thrust towards the Licker with full force, appearing as though it had moronically clashed into a pike fence itself.
Within a flurry, its body was penetrated by the ‘forest’ of pikes!
Following that, the Licker did it utmost to scramble forward but had evidently lost its fanatical and frightening demeanour. Instead, it impressed a miserable and comical sensation, like that of a skinned frog being hung in a wet market.
Pools of turbid blood trickled down the pike fence, as acrid white fumes spiralled up as though the fence was being corroded.
Mbenga then stamped down forcefully, seemingly triggering yet another mechanism. Within an instant, that pike fence that was still puncturing the Licker’s body, forcibly ripped towards another direction. Turbid blood and chartreuse-coloured bodily fluids splattered in all directions, as the Licker’s body was torn into mangled chunks!
By this point, Mbenga was already frenetically spearing forward. Right before the Licker could lower its head, another pike drilled in and punctured through. Following that, Mbenga lifted his hand up high, as he faced the altar and released a terrifying roar!
It was as though even the dreadful encompassing thick fog was being dispersed by his roar.
In this instance, Sheyan suddenly felt like this unfamiliar, honest, straightforward and loyal black guy, Mbenga, had seemingly transformed into a whole new person.
However, Sheyan’s attention was instantly entranced by something else....indeed! An item all contestants dreamt of and pursued. A key, a silver glittering key!!!
But when Sheyan picked up that key, he suddenly felt something was amiss.
It was a mystifying sensation, as though an incorporeal pair of humongous eyes were staring down at him from the blue dome of heaven; callously and ruthlessly eyeing their souls. A complete sense of helplessness floated up the depths of his heart, as though the entire world was now his enemy; crazily attempting to banish his existence.
At this instance, Mbenga stood rigidly where he was with jaws dropped, seemingly suffering from a much harsher backlash.
Sheyan frantically rushed to his side and delivered a vicious slap to Mbenga’s face; smacking his face till blood streamed out his nostrils. Then, Sheyan howled feverishly.
"Run!!!"
Mbenga immediately recovered his senses upon being slapped. His pupils returned to its original shape, and his reddened scar similarly soothed.
Sheyan hauled him along as they fled in panic, but after sprinting for a couple dozen of metres, Mbenga abruptly lost his senses again; yelling aloud ‘waliwala’ gibberish as he clutched his head. Somehow, he then grabbed Sheyan and dashed towards the direction of that elevated altar.
Knowing that Mbenga must’ve recovered a certain portion of his memories, Sheyan followed him as they sprinted frantically.
A ripple stirred within the thick concentrated fog behind them, as it was pregnant with an astronomical danger. Instantly after, a crimson blood forelimb emerged and heavily stomped onto the ground, sending debris scattering wildly. The creature, alarmed by Sheyan’s previous battle, was shockingly a boss Licker!!!
It was as if this creature was utilizing a spirit based mystical link to lock onto Sheyan and Mbenga, as such at this moment, their bodily camouflage was rendered completely useless.
Fortunately, Mbenga had once again managed to recover certain fragments of memory, as he led Sheyan with utmost clarity; making lefts and rights, while repeatedly triggering the mechanisms of the remnants of the traps the Ndipaya tribe had left behind.
The rumblings of mechanism snares thundered incessantly. Although they ended up like dried and rotten twigs in the face of that boss Licker, the snares had sufficed to cause slight inconvenience to the Licker; thereby hampering its movement speed.
At present, Sheyan once again realized Mbenga’s capabilities had improved substantially. Or perhaps, from another perspective, he was gradually recovering his original capabilities?
Throughout their journey here, it had been Sheyan leading Mbenga. Yet their roles had reversed, and Mbenga was now dashing forward while dragging Sheyan behind.
In a flash, Mbenga hauled Sheyan back into the plaza. This place remained a scene of mournful ghostly eeriness.
Instead, Mbenga charged straight for that monumental serpent statue, before hurling out two javelins he picked up earlier at statue’s eyes of gem. Not only did those eyes not shatter, they were instead pushed inwards. Within a second, two congealed beams shot out and converged on the floor right ahead of the statue.
Mbenga dashed towards the incandescent spotlight of the statue’s beaming eyes. Unexpectedly, he reached out his hand and lifted the stone covering that area. Then, he grasped a ring handle beneath and tugged it.
Boom! A sonorous rumbling resounded, as the entire plaza tremored. Mbenga then led Sheyan as they charged towards the largest grand hall hut.
Not far from where Sheyan picked up that golden egg, was shockingly a black and narrow hole; one that could roughly squeeze two individuals in.
The duo darted in frantically, as thunderous smashing sounds reverberated above; as though the heavens were falling, and the earth rumbling. That boss Licker was nearing them indefinitely, its tremendous claws cleaving around in all directions.
Within an instant, the solidly unbreakable grand hall hut was being flattened like a matchstick box, as massive shockwaves from the collapsing swept through that secret tunnel, and into Sheyan from behind. Its intensity was seemingly not one bit inferior to the shockwave of an airstrike. Sheyan felt as though a humongous invisible pillar had pounded his back, as he was sent flying with limbs dancing about, before crashing heavily against a wall of this secret tunnel.
Upon impact, Sheyan momentarily saw swivelling golden stars as blood streamed from his face. Even worst, he could smell an unbearably fishy stench. It seemed like that boss Licker had activated a toxic halo ability....
Cursing ‘shit’ silently in his heart, mere seconds past since smelling that fishy stench, before his body disastrously numb. Thinking about the rapid effects of this toxin, his eyes soon saw darkness as Sheyan passed out.
[ Warning! Warning! Contestant no.1018’s duration of stay in this world has expired ]
[ Warning! Warning! Contestant no.1018 has entered the core inner reaches of the Kijuju Marshland in this hidden world. A fee of 5,000 utility points will be deducted for every hour ]
[ Warning! If you have insufficient utility points, your equipments will be forcibly used as mortgage. If still insufficient, you will be forcibly transported out of this hidden world ]
Startled away by this list of notifications, Sheyan slowly opened his eyes. Amidst the indescribable peace and serenity all around, Sheyan could only feel sores throughout his weak body.
Scanning around, he noticed distinct traces of artificial constructions.
The round ceiling was around 7-8 metres high and curved with an astonishing radian. The stone boulders that made up the walls had evident vestiges of chiselling and hacking with hatchets. Evidently, this engineering project had been broad and powerfully done.
The ground was exceedingly dry and coated with white fine soil, and an awful fishy stench pervaded the air here.
At present, Sheyan could feel a slight stickiness at the corner of his lips. Touching it a little, he noticed light cyan traces on his fingertips. Upon careful inspection, it was probably herb medicines that were force fed to him; possibly an act by Mbenga.
Within this magnificent space, was a broad stone table, and atop that table…...was surprisingly something bewildering.
It was actually a sandbox.
An enormous sandbox!
This sandbox was probably constructed with a material analogous to cement; a material with excellent plasticity when moulding, but solid as a rock upon drying.