Chapter 135: Section 136: Finally Converging


    Dark clouds engulfed the entire sky, and waves crashed upon the shore, slamming into the rocks, stirring up heart-stopping spray.


    The torrential rain reduced visibility to near nothingness; fifty paces ahead, sky and earth seemed to merge into one mass.


    Zhenjin’s team did not venture forward in the rain; rather, they moved off the beach and took refuge in the nearby rainforest.


    Though Zhenjin and Zong Ge were not afraid of such rain, most of their group were ordinary people. Even those at the Bronze Level like Lan Zao and Xi Suo did not have the constitution to withstand such a change.


    For them, marching on in the torrential rain while dragging heavy supplies was incredibly dangerous.


    Engaging in strenuous activity while soaking wet could easily lead to illness.


    ...


    Having just faced a trial by disease, Zhenjin and the others certainly did not want to invite trouble.


    At this time, the rainforest became a natural shelter for everyone.


    The lush branches and dense vegetation made it easy to find shelter from the rain, and in combination with the tents, they could even create a completely dry and warm space.


    Listening to the sound of the formidable rain from outside his tent, Zhenjin felt a sense of tranquility.


    He continuously released ultrasound waves, scanning everything around him.


    He found that, although ultrasound did not penetrate through rain and received good reflection, the dense raindrops and pervasive mist greatly reduced the range and clarity of the scan.


    Nevertheless, his ultrasound sweep still covered the entire encampment, ensuring he would be the first to notice any emergencies.


    According to the ultrasound scan, except for those braving the rain on watch, almost everyone else was huddled in their tents without any signs of restlessness or negative emotions.


    “Now morale is stable.”


    “The cheap banquet of a dozen bottles of rum the other night played a significant role.”


    “Just waiting for the rain to stop…”


    Zhenjin was hopeful.


    However, that hope lasted several days.


    As the rain poured on, people began to grow increasingly restless. But every time Zhenjin appeared before them, without him needing to say anything, their irritation and worries would greatly subside.


    Zhenjin’s authority had deeply rooted in their hearts.


    Food was being quickly consumed, but water had been stockpiled to the limit.


    The most anxious was the shipwright.


    He reported to Zhenjin alone, “The situation is getting troublesome, my lord. If the rain doesn’t stop, we’ll have to build a shipyard. It’s not a small project, and I’m very concerned we may not have enough lumber prepared for building the ship.”


    “Even if we build a shipyard, using all the timber from the rainforest, it will still consume a lot of manpower.”


    “In the original plan, many parts could be made outside. But now if the rain keeps falling, all work will have to be carried out in the shipyard. This means we’ll have to expand our shipyard many times over!”


    Zhenjin could only comfort the shipwright, “You are the most professional among us when it comes to building sea vessels. I don’t have any better ideas, but even if we build a shipyard, it only means spending more time and effort, right?”


    “As long as we successfully build the ship and leave this place, all the effort will have been worth it, don’t you agree?”


    The shipwright was stunned for a moment, then wholeheartedly agreed, “My lord, you posses a perseverance and patience that are beyond most. Hearing you say this, I feel much better.”


    Eventually, the rain started to lessen. sea??h thё novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sometimes it was a downpour, other times a drizzle, and sometimes the sky was overcast as the sea breeze blew coldly.


    When it wasn’t raining or was just a light sprinkle, the team would move on.


    When the rain grew heavier again, they would halt.


    “This damn rain!” Hei Juan cursed. Without the rain, according to the schedule, they should have reached the first campsite by now.


    “The timber, especially the dragon bone timber for construction, must be protected at all costs!” Shipwright Old Four was deeply concerned about this and kept a close eye on it.


    As night fell, Zi Di secretly visited Zhenjin’s tent, “My lord, this is a potion I’ve made, using a type of poisonous mushroom as the main ingredient. The potion has a slight toxicity that can invigorate the Spirit, especially good for warming the body and enhancing flavors.”


    It was a handy little gadget.


    Upon hearing this, Zhenjin’s eyes lit up, “Can you make more? Can it be distributed to everyone?”


    Zi Di shook her head, “Only those with strong physical constitution can ignore this toxicity. At the very least, they have to be at the Black Iron Level.”


    “Thank you, Zi Di,” Zhenjin said gently.


    Zi Di responded with a beaming smile.


    The downpour grew less intense, the drizzle lasted longer, sometimes going on uninterrupted for a whole day.


    The team pushed forward, bathed in the ceaseless drizzle.


    “It’s strange,” Xi Suo reported to Zhenjin, “According to the season, it’s not even the rainy season yet. But we’ve had rain for over a week in a row now.”


    Cang Xu speculated, “Perhaps, the weather on the island isn’t natural. The Island Master may control the weather here, which is why the island can have such distinctly different terrains. Each terrain must have its own climate, and over time, that’s what keeps the landscapes unchanged.”


    Zi Di raised a new question, “So now, why has there been a sudden climate change in the rainforest? Does it mean that the Island Master’s means of controlling the weather around the island is failing?”


    Cang Xu shook his head, “It’s unclear. We haven’t been on the island long enough, and rain like this is actually quite normal for a rainforest. But if the desert, forest, volcano, and other terrains are also experiencing rain like this, then that would be abnormal.”


    Regrettably, no one could know what was happening in the desert, forest, volcano terrains at that moment.


    Zhenjin’s ultrasound scan also couldn’t reach that far.


    That afternoon, with the fine rain still falling and dark clouds overhead, a Half-Elf Scout came with a report: “I’ve seen it; the first campsite is right ahead!”


    Everyone was momentarily stunned, then erupted in unanimous cheers.


    After such a long and arduous journey, braving life-threatening dangers multiple times, they finally made it back to the first camp.


    Zhenjin wasn’t surprised, his ultrasound had already detected the first camp.


    “But… why is there no one in the camp?” Zhenjin’s heart weighed heavily.


    The scouts brought back good news that greatly boosted the team’s morale, and everyone’s pace quickened unconsciously.


    Realizing this, Zhenjin immediately gave an order, and the team quickly returned to their original pace, while also dispatching a scout squad to make contact with the people at the first camp.


    Zong Ge quietly appreciated this cautious and prudent approach.


    The Half-Beast volunteered to go to the first camp first.


    Zhenjin granted his request, and told him to be very careful.


    Actually, Zong Ge was somewhat impatient; at the beginning, he had hurriedly left to pursue Xi Suo and the shipwright, taking a large number of combat personnel with him. He only left a deputy leader and eight combatants behind at the camp.


    “Is everything safe at camp?”


    Zong Ge, leading several people, arrived at the first camp.


    There was no one to greet them, not even a guard.


    A completely silent campsite gave Zong Ge a bad feeling as he carefully entered to investigate.


    Moments later, he emerged completely intact with the scout squad, his formerly furrowed brows slightly relaxed.


    After regrouping with the main force, Zong Ge handed a deliberately left note to Zhenjin.


    Zhenjin read it and understood what had happened.


    It turned out that incidents of mysterious beast attacks and killings had been happening at the first camp for a while. Zong Ge himself had patrolled the camp at night, which had contained the frequency of the killings.


    But after Zong Ge left to pursue Xi Suo and his group, the killings happened again, and with increasing frequency.


    The hearts of those at the first camp were gripped with fear; no one could find the murderer, nor could anyone protect everyone’s lives. As time went on, almost every day someone died.


    Even the deputy leader left by Zong Ge was killed.


    Their emotions collapsed, and they came to believe that the first camp had become a cursed land, that an invisible devil was taking the lives of their comrades.


    They all left the first camp, finding a small valley in the nearby rainforest.


    The last people who left were worried about Zong Ge or the first exploration team returning, so they left a note indicating the exact location of the small valley.


    Understanding this, Zhenjin breathed a sigh of relief and immediately ordered the team to continue on, turning towards the small valley.


    In the small valley.


    Panicked people gathered together.


    “Gone, another person has disappeared!”


    “It’s here, it’s right here!”


    “The devil didn’t stay at the first camp, it followed us. It won’t stop until it kills us all!”


    Their loud cries spread the panic, making everyone even more terrified.


    Without a leader.


    The deputy leader was dead, and the situation with the mysterious beast attacks had become even more terrifying—before there were bodies left, now not even the bodies could be found.


    “I think it’s not a devil, but a Magic Beast. It comes from underground, and every time there’s a mysterious disappearance, there’s a hole at the scene. Usually, it’s a burrow, sometimes holes in the cliffs, and at other scenes near water, we can’t see the hole, but I think it’s likely covered by the river water or vegetation,” a clear female voice rang out.


    Everyone was stunned, and countless pairs of eyes focused on her.


    It was Queshan.


    She wore a dark green long dress, with black hair that reached her waist, fair features, but with green eyes, a full figure, and an explosive body shape, like a mix of Eastern Empire and Westerner.


    Suddenly under so many gazes, Queshan seemed a bit constrained and nervous, but still continued, “We need to unite and must fight back, otherwise we’ll be defeated one by one by that mysterious Underground Demon Beast!”


    Queshan’s analysis was logical and well-founded, revealing a corner of the veil of the mysterious culprit.


    However, the crowd was hesitant about her proposition to fight back.


    “Can we really deal with it?”


    “Is it really a Magic Beast?”


    “So many have died, even the deputy leader. What can we do to it?”


    “Xi Suo and the others have run off, out of fear. It’s likely the same with Zong Ge and his people. They say they went after Xi Suo and his group, but what’s the truth?”


    “I think fighting back is just courting death, we should split up and run. That’s what Xi Suo, Zong Ge, and they did.”


    “Bullshit!!!” Suddenly, a booming voice echoed through.


    The Half-Beast, wearing full steel armor (missing the left arm brace), strode forward confidently out of the bushes to appear before everyone.


    It was Zong Ge.


    Everyone was astonished, then overjoyed.


    “It’s Lord Zong Ge!”


    “You’ve finally returned.”


    “My god, am I having a hallucination?”


    The crowd surged towards Zong Ge, but he stepped back half a step and made way for a path.


    At that moment, a young knight calmly walked out.