Pretending To Be A Boss

Akasi was moved; this idea was different from what Tang Xian had mentioned, but the beast tide migration was also a first for Tang Xian to witness.

So even if he had overlooked something, it was quite normal.

The intensity of the rain was slowly starting to diminish.

Li Zheng and the others began to quicken their pace.

Akasi said,

"If you encounter danger, make sure to send up a signal flare. I'll go ahead and explore deeper into the Red Soil Forest."

Li Zheng nodded, and in the blink of an eye, Akasi's figure had disappeared into the curtain of rain.

...

...

Deep within the Red Soil Forest.

s004 and Black Serpent each carried a bag holding Soul Crystals.

By constantly plundering other teams along the way, they hardly ever had to fight any creatures, but the crystals they obtained were the most among all teams.

The cruelty of the Hunting Festival gradually unveiled itself on the path leading deep into the Red Soil Forest.

Qin Qian, who had been cautious not to take any risks at the rear, had lost count of how many foreheads with bullet holes and bodies shattered by frost they had encountered along the way.

s004 and Black Serpent had sensed a team in the far distance behind them long ago.

Neither of them had the habit of looking back, showing complete disregard for the team behind them.

As the massive bodies of the Zudun Giants disappeared from view, they hastened their steps forward.

Among all hunter groups, s004 and Black Serpent were leading at the very front.

They had killed all those who had ventured deeper into the Red Soil Forest than themselves.

By this time, the rain had significantly lessened.

"A figure is rapidly approaching at high speed; in about ten minutes, it will be here," said s004.

Black Serpent raised an eyebrow and said,

"Akasi?"

"Possibly," replied s004, always expressionless.

"What a bountiful night this has turned out to be."

Black Serpent and s004 continued to move forward.

At the deepest part of the Red Soil Forest, the rain was like sunlight falling through dense foliage, becoming ever finer.

The surrounding Earth-Lodged Trees and Red-Tailed Trees were covered in a type of red luminescent moss.

The eerie red light drove away the shadows.

Black Serpent, a powerful subject from the evolution area, was also one of the researchers there.

He possessed a vast reserve of knowledge, and these strange luminescent mosses made him think of a certain creature.

He approached the depths of the dense forest enveloped in red light, while s004's ears twitched, hearing the footsteps of countless creatures in the darkness.

Fear and excitement gradually filled Black Serpent's gaze.

"Of course! Of course!" he exclaimed, with uncontrollable joy lacing his voice, yet there was an underlying sense of fear.

s004 furrowed his brow and said,

"What have you found?"

"It's the sapling of the Zudun Sacred Tree! Without a doubt! It's this thing—the Zudun Giants are herding the beast tides here, surely at the calling of the sapling! Hahahaha!" Black Serpent's eyes were filled with fervor.

"What is that?" s004 was seeing his partner this frenzied for the first time.

"You can think of it as the emperor of the forest, a creature whose juvenile stage is as powerful as a Cataclysmic Boss Creature."

"But this creature is not simple; it doesn't need any evolution, just continued growth. Once it reaches maturity, it will have the might of a disaster-level boss creature. Most importantly, it's not an animal, but a plant," Black Serpent continued to explain.

"The sapling of the Zudun Sacred Tree, the Cleveland of Red Lotus Hell, the Shadow Dragon of Magic Dragon Valley, the Sea Demon of the Ashen Sea—they are all among the most legendary of beings! It's said that once it matures, it will have the form of the World Tree from myths."

"Legend has it that only the ruins of Eden have ever played host to such a miraculous plant. I never expected to find one here. We must seize its crystal before it turns into a disaster-level creature!"

s004, still with the same mechanical demeanor, said,

"I must remind you, ahead there lie thousands of mining area creatures, starting at elite level. And if our hunting target is a Cataclysmic Boss creature, we stand no chance."

Black Serpent sneered,

"Even the weakest Cataclysmic Boss creature is definitely not something we can stand against. But plants are different."

"A sapling state Zudun Sacred Tree, without a complete self-consciousness, wields formidable strength to control the entire forest, but it does not know where its enemies are. When it goes berserk, it will indiscriminately destroy everything."

s004 understood.

"Including those creatures protecting it?"

"Correct. A berserk Zudun Sacred Tree will turn the Red Soil Forest into the most dangerous area. And we have a horde of greedy hunters behind us; they will create the opportunity for us to approach the Zudun Sacred Tree," Black Serpent was already hatching a plan.

"While Lincoln Fortress and Fortress Thirty-nine are fighting over the Cataclysmic Boss Creature Soul Crystals, what price could a Cataclysmic Creature's Soul Crystal fetch? Control over an entire level of the fortress? Or tons of minerals?"

"Plus those things embedded inside the sacred tree's trunk could certainly help us create even more outstanding experimental subjects," Black Serpent grew more excited.

s004, meanwhile, gazed into the distance.

This was the depths of the Red Soil Forest, where the breaths and heartbeats of countless creatures could be heard.

And there was a figure, constantly approaching the depths of the Red Soil Forest.

He said to Black Serpent, Explore stories at empire

"Before that, we should deal with the traitor first."

...

...

Akasi, sprinting through the rainy night, was like a swift arrow.

This was the furthest Akasi had ventured away from Li Zheng.

He possessed the speed to travel from the Southern Territory to the Northern Territory in just a few days.