Ninth class citizen

Chapter 288 Dilemma
Chen Hao's attitude was so obvious that the other gladiators understood. The few people who had just gathered around Nan Rong also silently stepped back, isolating her.

Nan Rong didn't take it seriously, and simply waved his hand casually, causing the illuminating fireball to suspend even higher, illuminating the entire acid pool.

The acid pool is over a hundred meters long, spanning the entire passageway, with only a narrow stone step about 20 centimeters wide on the right side.

Chen Hao said no more and led the way up.

"Everyone must act quickly," he said as he walked. "The acid pool will spew out acid fountains from time to time, so we must try our best to avoid them. If you have any defensive equipment, use it immediately."

Most of the group consisted of martial artists of the second to fourth rank, and they moved at a very fast speed, quickly passing through the acid pool.

Besides Nan Rong, there were three other extraordinary individuals in the team. They were being escorted by martial artists arranged by Chen Hao, and were less than twenty meters away from the opposite bank.

However, at that moment, a sudden change occurred.

Without warning, a green wave more than two meters high suddenly surged up in the pool and rushed straight towards the people in front of them.

Those martial artists reacted extremely quickly, almost instantly using their martial arts techniques to charge forward, rushing to the edge of the pool like arrows.

The superhumans, left standing still, were in a state of panic.

The third-tier transcendent being of the metal element erected a protective shield, but due to the time constraints, the shield was extremely small, only able to block himself.

As for the fire-type superhumans and Ji Jun beside them, they had no way to deal with it and could only watch helplessly as the acid wave rushed towards them.

"Sister!" At the critical moment, Ji Jun subconsciously called out to Nan Rong for help.

Nan Rong, who was at the back, narrowed her eyes, and a wall of wind, almost tangible, met the dark green acid wave.

The acid waves, churning with viscous foam, repeatedly crashed against the wind wall, but were unable to break through its defenses.

Upon seeing this, Chen Hao, standing opposite, had a flicker in his eyes, but the other team members looked at Nan Rong with different expressions.

Although the data shows that this low-level gladiator is a second-tier transcendent being with both wind and fire elements, many people can see that the thick wind wall in front of them, which can withstand the acid waves, must have at least the strength of a fourth-tier or even a fifth-tier being.

But at times like this, nobody cares about minor issues like inaccurate data.

Everyone hopes to have such a reliable and capable teammate in a critical moment.

"Now's the time, you few go down and bring them all up!" Chen Hao called on a few intermediate gladiators.

At the same time, a faint rumbling sound came from the depths of the acid pool, and a large amount of dark green liquid surged onto the steps, causing the pool level to rise continuously.

Nan Rong and the others were wearing the standard combat boots issued by the arena. The three-centimeter-thick soles were made of anti-slip and acid-resistant silicone material, but the leather boot bodies could not withstand acid.

Even a few drops of acid splashed on the leather boots while walking can corrode holes of all sizes. If the leather weren't relatively thick, many people's legs and feet would have been burned by the acid.

Without needing any prompting, Ji Jun and the other two strode forward. The metal-type superhuman transformed the metal protective wall into a half-foot-high metal platform, which they used to avoid the acid.

The bottom of the platform kept softening and collapsing, but they held on until the three of them met up with the people who came down to meet them.

Joy shone in Ji Jun's eyes as he eagerly grasped the warriors' outstretched hands and was pulled forcefully to the edge of the pool.

After their initial shock subsided, they remembered Nan Rong, who had been left behind.

The girl's slender figure appeared quite small in the face of the massive, dark green waves. Her feet dangled in the air, her expressionless face framed by outstretched arms, as if she had become one with the wall of wind, resisting the increasingly violent acid waves.

But most people understood that she was already in a predicament and unable to extricate herself.

This dilemma is unsolvable: if one wants to use wind power to fly away from the acid pool, one cannot continue to manipulate the Wind Shield spell.

The moment the wind shield is dispelled, she will be engulfed by the overwhelming acid, her flesh and bones will dissolve, leaving nothing behind. But if she remains stagnant like this, until the source energy crystal core is depleted and she can no longer use the wind shield technique, the outcome will be the same.

Chen Hao narrowed his eyes and shouted at Nan Rong, "We're leaving first. Be careful!"

With that, he waved his hand and led everyone forward.

No one objected, and no one wanted to stay with her.

Without the light source provided by Nan Rong, the road ahead gradually darkened.

At this moment, a mid-level gladiator who had once cleared the Crimson Labyrinth took out an extraordinary item. Upon activation, a small silver-white orb of light popped out, illuminating the area five or six meters in front of him with crystal clarity.

"I just remembered that I still have this little gadget on me," the intermediate gladiator said with a simple smile.

Chen Hao glanced at him, but instead of showing the same ruthlessness he had shown Nan Rong before, he smiled and nodded approvingly: "Not bad."

Ji Jun couldn't help but turn back to look at Nan Rong again, and slightly pursed his lips.

The dark green acid liquid has already experienced three waves, and the overall level is still rising continuously.

She is still trying to maintain her balance, but it won't last much longer.

To be fair, this woman is quite capable, but she is too soft-hearted and doesn't know when to back down.

Hao had given her two chances, but she was stubborn and didn't know how to cherish them.

If she had used her wind-based extraordinary technique to reach the other side earlier, she would never have fallen into this dilemma.

A saintly heart could not survive in such a place.

Ji Jun turned around and continued forward, pulled along by the martial artists around him.

Even if it weren't tonight, she would have died at some other time, so he can't be blamed.

Perhaps many years later, he will remember her when he reminisces about the past, and add her name to his autobiography, which can be considered as repaying the kindness of that gene-optimizing agent.

Just as Ji Jun was thinking this, he suddenly heard a scream from ahead.

The sound was extremely shrill, but it disappeared in an instant, as if it were just a hallucination.

But the team is indeed missing a low-level gladiator.

"I already told you to watch your step and not to step on solid ground. Otherwise, if you accidentally fall into the acid trap, no one can save you!"

Chen Hao did not stop because of the recent loss of personnel; on the contrary, his voice sounded somewhat anxious:

"Hurry up, hurry up!"

The sound of dripping water gradually became clearer from a muffled murmur.

Screams rang out one after another in the next moment.

The dark green acid rain fell on the team members' heads and faces, instantly burning holes that penetrated deep into their flesh.

"Damn it! How could it be acid rain protection!" Chen Hao shouted, immediately activating the defensive supernatural item he was wearing on his collar, covering himself and several people around him.

The order of chapters 287 and 288 was reversed earlier. Xiao Hai has now corrected it, but readers who subscribed before 0:21 may feel a little confused. We apologize for the inconvenience. Please download and read them again!