Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

“If you’re interested in those vague legends, sir, you might as well ask those mystical scholars. Those guys love to meddle in these things all day long, chasing after secrets that have been deliberately buried.” As he spoke, Leonard cracked his whip, and the carriage lurched forward in the fine rain, splashing up a cloud of mud.

The carriage struggled along the muddy road, its heavy wheels grinding against the slippery layer of decaying leaves, making an unpleasant squelching sound that mingled with the patter of raindrops hitting the roof, creating a somber and oppressive background melody.

Lin Yin could sense that the carriage was moving slower and slower, and the horses pulling it were breathing heavily with unease, their hooves pounding the ground with obvious resistance.

Outside the carriage, Leonard's voice rang out again: "Sir, the road ahead... is not in good condition. Please hold on tight."

"Not good?" Lin Yi frowned slightly.

The road conditions that would warrant a special warning from a knight who had clearly been through battle must be more than just muddy.

He lifted a corner of the curtain on the side of the carriage again, and the road ahead was covered by the shadows of several ancient trees whose branches looked like arms struggling in pain.

Rainwater washed over the ground, revealing the dark brown soil beneath.

Right in the middle of the road, there was a huge obstacle.

It was a noble carriage that had completely decayed. The once magnificent gilded decorations were now just mottled remnants, and the peeling paint revealed moldy, rotten wood.

Several cart-pulling horse carcasses lay twisted in the mud, their flesh mostly rotten, revealing stark white bones, their empty eye sockets gazing up at the leaden-gray sky.

Rainwater washed over them, mixing with a viscous liquid, and meandered across the muddy ground.

Through the broken carriage panels, Lin Yi could see several human skeletons dressed in luxurious but equally decaying clothing.

One of the skeletons had its arm extended out of the window at an unnatural angle, with its finger bones digging deep into the mud, as if it were still desperately crawling in its last moments.

A sweet, rotten smell mixed with the stench of corpses stubbornly penetrated Lin Yi's nostrils, even through the rain.

Just as the carriage was about to round the horrific pile of wreckage, something unexpected happened!

The skeletal arm, deeply embedded in the mud, suddenly twitched eerily, its decaying finger bones twitching.

Immediately afterwards, the entire pile of wreckage seemed to be awakened by some indescribable force and began to tremble violently.

The scattered fragments of rotten wood made a teeth-grinding scraping sound, and several bones wrapped in decaying flesh rolled and pieced together eerily.

Two tiny points of phosphorescent light suddenly appeared in the empty eye sockets of those horses that were already dead.

"Heave-ho!" In front of Lin Yi's carriage, two strong black horses suddenly let out an extremely terrified neigh, reared up, and struggled frantically to back away. The enormous force almost overturned the entire carriage shaft, and the carriage shook violently, making a creaking sound as if it could not withstand the pressure.

Leonard instantly drew the massive two-handed sword that was leaning against his side. The silver-white blade drew a cold arc in the dim rain, and the deep green gem at the end of the hilt glowed slightly, emitting a chilling aura.

He stopped trying to control the horses and instead stood like a fortress in front of the frightened carriage, his eyes beneath his visor fixed on the assembling monstrous corpse.

Driven by the eerie green phosphorescent flames, the pile of carriage wreckage and body fragments was rapidly coalescing in a way that defied the laws of physics.

Broken axles, rotting wheels, horse leg bones, human ribs... everything is intertwined, accompanied by nauseating squeezing sounds of slime and rubbing sounds of bones, and a colossal creature made of slime, rotten wood and broken bones is rapidly taking shape.

It barely maintained a human-shaped outline, yet it was over two zhang tall, its torso covered with twisted and writhing limbs and remains.

"Damn it, it's a slime." Leonard's face instantly turned ugly when he saw this.

In this world, slimes are a very dangerous species.

As soft-bodied creatures, slimes have an amazing resistance to blunt force trauma.

Their viscous bodies can absorb most physical impacts, making them difficult to cause substantial damage even with heavy hammer blows.

Even more terrifying is that even if you split it open with a sharp blade, the severed parts will quickly regenerate and heal under the action of the mucus.

The mutated slime in front of us, made of rotting corpses and decaying wood, is so enormous that even conventional methods of control like fire and acid would probably be ineffective.

Encountering a large slime in the wilderness often means a fierce battle with a slim chance of survival.

Lin Yi did not leave the carriage, but simply sat in the carriage and glanced at the slime's attributes.

[Comparing intelligence attributes of both sides... Comparison complete. Our intelligence attribute is overwhelmingly superior. We have obtained 100% of the enemy's data.]

Giant Slime

Category: Slime

Health: 100%
Mana: 1000/1000
Power: 70
Agility: 60
Real physical strength: 85
Intelligence: 5
Charisma: 1
Skill 1: Gel Body (Passive, LV.30): Immune to some physical damage (blunt and piercing effects reduced by 30%), but the effect is increased by 20% when taking fire or ice damage.

技能2：分裂增殖（被动，Lv.21）：当生命值低于50%时，可主动分裂成2-4只小型软泥怪（继承部分属性）。

Skill 3: Slime Spray (Active, Lv.25): Sprays corrosive slime, dealing (Strength x 0.5) damage and reducing the target's armor by 5% for 5 seconds.

Skill 4: Cell Fusion (Active, Lv.32): Merges with 2 or more nearby slimes of the same type to form a [Giant Slime]. Combined HP +50%, Attack +30%, size increases, and gains the skill "Crush (Area of ​​Effect Damage)".

This slime isn't particularly strong, but it's far more troublesome than ordinary monsters.

Leonard's massive two-handed sword was already drawn. He no longer tried to calm the two black horses that were about to break free of their reins, but instead focused all his attention on the monster that was "standing" up from the putrid mud.

The giant slime, forcibly pieced together from broken carriages, rotten wood, horse carcasses, and human bones, finally took shape.

It stands three meters tall, its torso a twisted carriage panel, with a few horse legs haphazardly serving as supports and arms, and a half-rotten horse head crookedly embedded in its "shoulder," with green phosphorescent flames burning eerily in its empty eye sockets.

Several human skeletons were glued to the main body with a viscous, translucent gel. The arm of one of the skeletons, the one that had been dug into the mud earlier, was now stiffly raised like a conductor's baton, pointing towards the carriage.

The deformed arm, composed of wheels and broken axles, carrying a foul, putrid stench, crashed down on Leonard at an astonishing speed.

Leonard roared and advanced instead of retreating, his greatsword slashing upwards with a whooshing sound, the silver blade striking the falling "arm" with precision.

The blade sank deep into that translucent, gelatinous body, as if cutting into a lump of extremely viscous asphalt.

The immense impact caused the mud and water beneath Leonard's feet to explode violently. His body sank, but his sword momentum did not wane, forcefully pushing away the heavy "arm".

At the cut opening, the viscous gel writhed wildly, beginning to heal almost the instant the blade was withdrawn, leaving only a shallow dent on the surface. Several pieces of rotten flesh and bone fragments, brought out by the blade, fell to the ground with a thud.

"Troublesome indeed!" Leonard spat, his brows furrowed beneath his visor, the effects of blunt weapons and slashes greatly reduced by his gelatinous body.

"Alright, step back." With Lin Yi's keen eye, he could tell that Leonard was capable of dealing with this giant slime, though the process would be a bit troublesome.

There are still enemies lurking in the shadows, and Lin Yi has no intention of wasting time on this lump of flesh.

“My lord.” Upon hearing Lin Yi’s words, Leonard retreated as instructed, his massive two-handed sword pointing diagonally at the ground, reflecting the mud and water.

His eyes, hidden beneath his mask, were filled with surprise and disbelief. He couldn't understand why Lin Yi had suddenly called a halt—he clearly still had the strength to fight.

The next second, a chilling coldness gripped him.

Silently, the viscous black liquid, as if it were a living thing, spread out of thin air on the ground around the carriage.

They weren't like water, but more like some kind of flowing shadow, instantly enveloping the giant slime that was still struggling and hissing.

"Crackling... Sizzling..."

Leonard clearly heard the sound coming from the black liquid.

It wasn't the bubbling sound of boiling water; it was more like countless tiny electric arcs leaping wildly.

"Roar—wooo!" The gel slime, touched by the black liquid, let out an unprecedented wail. Its body, pieced together from corpses and rotten wood, convulsed and twisted violently, trying to break free of its restraints.

The gel, rotten flesh, and broken bones that make up its body, once they come into contact with the Dark Surge Lightning, are like ice and snow thrown into a furnace, instantly melting and carbonizing, emitting wisps of foul-smelling blue smoke.

Soon, the giant slime was completely swallowed up by the Dark Surge Lightning.

The slime's struggles were in vain; its "arms" disintegrated, its horse head melted, and its supporting leg bones turned to ashes.

Under Leonard's incredulous gaze, the massive body collapsed at a visible speed, eventually disappearing completely into the constantly writhing and shrinking black swamp.

"Alright, let's continue on our way."

After dealing with the slime, Lin Yi did not receive any notification from the Paradise of Reincarnation.

Judging from the appearance, this kind of monster should be considered a weak monster in this world. Moreover, the source of the world is already difficult to obtain in this world, so Lin Yi did not expect to get anything good by fighting a slime.

“Yes, sir.” Leonard’s voice was more respectful than before, even carrying a hint of barely perceptible fear.

After getting into the carriage, Leonard suddenly cracked his whip, the tip snapping crisply in the rain, urging the terrified but fiercely survival-driven black horse to move forward with all its might.

The wheels rolled over the scorched, blackened earth, scorched by the dark thunder, making a dry, harsh screeching sound before sinking back into the slippery, rotting mud of decaying leaves, squelching and gurgling.

On the carriage shaft, Leonard gripped the reins tightly. Cold rain streamed down his helmet, trickling down his neck and bringing a chill, but it could not cool the turbulent waves in his heart.

Leonard was left with only a chilling fear. He was a seasoned veteran whose experience as a former Crusader had taught him to assess situations and to bully the weak while fearing the strong.

Stealing the valuables of a seemingly unsuspecting young nobleman is a risk-controlled endeavor with tempting rewards.

But to provoke someone who can wipe out giant slimes at will? That's no different than sticking your head on the gallows!
He even began to feel fortunate that he had not shown any disrespect before, otherwise... would that pool of black liquid that devoured slimes have been his final destination?

The thought sent a chill down his spine. He gripped the reins tighter and straightened his body instinctively, as if that would give him a tiny bit of security.

He needs this job, at least for now, and he must perform impeccably.

“Sir, there seems to be a road sign ahead.” Leonard’s voice broke the oppressive silence, carrying a hint of relief.

He pointed ahead into the misty rain, where a crooked stone pillar could be vaguely seen, with what appeared to be indistinct characters carved on it.

How much further?

"After passing this sign, it should be almost there in about 15 minutes."

Leonard's tone was noticeably more relaxed when he spoke to Lin Yi, indicating that they were not far from a safe place.

"Hiss—!!"

The two black horses neighed mournfully almost simultaneously, their voices filled with extreme pain.

Immediately afterwards, a tremendous pulling force came from the front, and the entire carriage was overturned as if by an invisible giant hand!
Boom! Click!
The sounds of violent impacts, cracking wood, and twisting metal mingled together.

The carriage tumbled and disintegrated like a fragile toy, its heavy wooden wheels spinning futilely in the air before crashing heavily into the mud, splashing up large amounts of filthy water.

Lin Yi absorbed most of the impact as the carriage rolled over. Just as the carriage was about to slide along due to inertia after completely overturning, Lin Yi kicked the deformed top of the carriage hard with his right leg.

boom!
The already precarious roof was kicked open with a huge gash!

Lin Yi's figure soared into the air amidst flying wood chips and muddy water, landing steadily on the slippery, decaying leaves beside him, untouched by the mud, with hardly any mud stains on his robes.

Lin Yi looked up and saw two strong black horses pulling the cart lying in the mud, convulsing in pain.

One of the horses' forelegs was twisted in the opposite direction at an impossible angle, the white bone fragments piercing the fur, mixed with blood and mud.

The other horse was spitting blood from its mouth and nose, its neck seemingly snapped instantly by a tremendous force, and it was clearly beyond saving.

The heavy carriage shaft broke completely and lay scattered to the side.

Not far away, Leonard struggled to get up from a puddle of mud.

His helmet flew off somewhere during the tumbling, revealing a rugged face covered in mud.

His left arm hung limply, and the chainmail on his shoulder was deeply dented, clearly indicating that he had suffered a huge impact when the vehicle overturned.

Not far behind the two, a rope as thick as a baby's arm, dark brown to almost black in color, was taut across the middle of the road, about a foot off the ground.

The two ends of the rope were deeply embedded in the rough bark of the ancient trees on both sides of the road, almost becoming one with them.

In the dim light and under the constant rain, the color of the rope blended perfectly with the muddy road, making it extremely difficult to distinguish, not only from the bumpy carriage but also up close.

It was clearly a carefully planned trap.

"Damn bandits, I can't get rid of these filthy worms no matter where I go!" Leonard saw the dark brown noose and, combined with his experience of dealing with such despicable tactics countless times during his time in the Crusades, instantly understood the cause and effect.

He couldn't help but spit out another mouthful of bloody saliva. These hyena-like creatures were masters at using terrain and weather to launch a fatal attack when travelers were most exhausted.

This carefully disguised tripwire was placed near the road sign, taking advantage of the moment when travelers' attention was momentarily distracted upon seeing the sign.

Leonard struggled to reach for his two-handed sword, which had fallen into the mud, but his injuries made him move slowly.

Just as Leonard was about to administer the medication to himself, a healing spell was cast upon his body.

"Thank you, my lord!" Leonard paused for a second, then realized that this was a healing spell cast by the lord.

Just then, a murderous intent erupted from the shadow of the road signpost ahead.

His fighting instincts made Leonard look up, and an arrow gleaming with a cold light tore through the rain.

The distance was too close! Leonard's body simply didn't have time to make an effective dodge!
Finished!

Just as Leonard was in despair, a shield appeared in front of him, blocking the hidden arrow for him.

"Hehe, boss, looks like we've run into a fat sheep." A somewhat sinister voice appeared in Lin Yi's ear.

Accompanied by the sounds of branches being roughly pushed aside and mud being trampled, more than a dozen figures emerged from the dense forest on both sides of the road.

They wore clothes pieced together from animal hides and rags, their faces smeared with mud or strange paint, and their weapons were a motley collection: rusty machetes, chipped spears, crude wooden clubs, and a few holding simple crossbows.

The leader, a shifty-looking fellow, was holding a crossbow that was still emitting blue smoke. Clearly, the arrow that had been shot earlier was his "masterpiece." At this moment, he was greedily scanning Lin Yi's exquisite clothes and Leonard's expensive armor with the eyes of someone eyeing prey.

“A crusader, a priest…tsk tsk, looks like we’re in for a few more good days!” Another rough voice rang out with ecstatic joy.

Boom!Boom!Boom!
The ground seemed to tremble slightly, and the bandits blocking the way retreated automatically to both sides with awe and fanaticism, like the Red Sea parted by Moses.

A colossal creature slowly emerged from the shadows of the forest.

It was a giant nearly four meters tall. He stood there like a moving mountain of flesh, almost blocking out the already dim light behind him.

His muscles, gnarled and twisted like old tree roots, bulged exaggeratedly, tearing through the rough, unidentified vest he wore.

His head was enormous, with only a few sparse tufts of hair on his bald head. His face looked as if it had been smashed flat by a giant hammer, with a crooked nose, thick, everted lips, and jagged, yellowish-black fangs.

The armed bandits and henchmen were as insignificant as dogs huddled at the feet of a mammoth before this giant. (End of Chapter)