The Survival Rules of NPCs

Chapter 125 Crushing Victory...

The quiet river, like a mirror in the winter sun, was so clear that you could see every little fish in it. The thin mist could not obscure the messenger's powerful eyesight, and the young human standing on the water did not cause any danger.

Perhaps... this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that comes by chance.

The messenger raised his mental energy to its limit, and because of his highly concentrated mental energy, the air within three meters of him became as viscous as water.

This is the method used by high-level magic-based professions when facing assassins. The mental energy detection of the surrounding area has already spread to a range of several dozen feet. Even some high-end assassins, if they do not have the level of a hundred feet of smooth detection, simply cannot get close to them.

It should be fine...

The envoy took a deep breath. He had another ability that no one knew about: he could return to the Shadow Kingdom at any time. Although it would be difficult to come out again once he returned, he would not be punished as long as he reported this information back. He would even be rewarded.

No problem...

If things get bad, activate the teleportation; at the very least, you'll be credited for discovering the World Tree!

As he considered the various consequences, his steps became firm, and the tension in his heart gradually dissipated. He cautiously approached Bright in the center, step by step.

Bright looked at the other person, feeling nervous. If his guess was wrong, would letting this old man into the World Tree's range be considered betraying his fellow villager?

Given Xiaobaicai's level and abilities, is he confident in dealing with such an old man?

For a moment, Bright felt that his recent behavior was becoming increasingly gambler-like.

"Sis, how do we break this ability?"

Looking into the distance at the shadow sorcerer's terrifying mental power, Li Gou Dan cautiously asked...

Bai Cai picked at her earwax with a leaf, saying nonchalantly, "How would I know? I don't have much practical experience... But judging from mental strength, you're probably about the same as me."

"Huh?" Li Gou Dan was taken aback and looked at the guy next to him. Was he just bragging? Were you two evenly matched?

Are you so amazing that you hide inside all day?

Bai Cai frowned and looked at the other party. She had actually seen the battle between the two sides clearly, but she was not sure if she would be able to say for sure if it were her. After all, she was in the forest and under the protection of the Elf Tree, she rarely took action herself. Even when hunting, she only needed to lure the prey into the range of the tree, and she did not need to fight herself.

But she didn't think those two were particularly skilled. They were slow; to her, their movements, when she concentrated, were like a TV series slowed down sixteen times—so slow that she could yawn just watching them.

But when it came to what she should do in front of that old man in black, she really had no idea.

"Sis, really? He's coming over soon."

2

"He probably won't be able to make it..." Bai Cai suddenly said quietly.

"Forehead?"

Li Gou Dan was stunned and hadn't reacted yet when suddenly, the black figure that had been unstoppable just moments before was split in two!

Li Gou Dan didn't see what happened at all. Not only him, but also Bright, who was nearby, and even the messenger who had been cut in two didn't see it.

He felt a wave of numbness wash over his body, and the whole world seemed to turn upside down. When he could see his surroundings again, he saw a huge, black hole-like maw, and inside the maw, sharp, jagged teeth like a mountain of knives!

It wasn't until the world was completely dark and he was about to fall into those terrifying saw teeth that he realized what was happening and tried to gather his mental energy to activate teleportation.

But then he immediately realized that his whole body was limp and he had no strength at all, including his brain nerves. He couldn't mobilize any of his massive mental energy, just like a strong man who was so soft that he couldn't even hold chopsticks.

toxin?

When did this happen? I am a Shadow Spirit, I should be immune to toxins, so why is this happening?

The key question is, when did the other party approach?

Why is this happening?

"When did it get close?" Li Gou Dan asked, equally bewildered.

"Um...

...Probably...you were already a hundred meters away when you asked me if it was true or not.

"You can see clearly?" You, Gou Dan, looked at the other person in astonishment.

"I can see a little bit more clearly now..." Bai Cai sighed. She had lost count of how many times the crab had chopped off her dog's head. Only in the last two years had she been able to see a little more clearly, but she still couldn't completely prevent it.

This thing is so big, yet it's so agile, unlike a crab at all. Its stealth skills are top-notch; even with my perception maxed out, I still have a hard time spotting it.

That's not all; the speed is also ridiculously fast. I tried the mental energy detection technique that old man used fifty years ago, and it was useless. Mental energy is reflective, and the wider the range, the longer the reflection time. For example, if your mental energy detection range is 100 meters, the time from when the enemy comes into contact with your mental energy detection range to when the mental energy feedbacks to your brain seems very short, only a fraction of a second, but for some highly agile creatures, that time is enough to kill you many times over.

As it turns out, the old man's practical experience was not much better than his own. He had realized this decades ago when he encountered a large blue bird.

For things like mental energy detection, the smaller the range, the better.

"Didn't that old man have a lot of powerful spells just now? Why didn't he use them?" Li Gou Dan couldn't help but ask.

Because it took at least several seconds for the other person to react while the crab was being grabbed and put into his mouth, right?

"There's no chance... Once that thing catches you, there's no chance." Cabbage shook her head: "It's surrounded by a poisonous gas field, which is also a kind of magic. As long as you get close, if your physical condition is poor, your body will be disordered in less than a tenth of a second, your muscles will atrophy, your mental energy will be scattered, and you won't be able to use any means."

She could only withstand it for two seconds at most. This thing's various attributes were simply insane. She just couldn't understand why there was such an exaggerated thing in her newbie village.

Li Gou Dan fell silent. No wonder the other party said she couldn't get out. Who could get out of this newbie village boss?

But the question is, why didn't anything happen to me and Mr. Bright?

Are they still able to leave now?

Bright was facing the same problem. The crab wasn't close to him, but Bright knew that judging from the speed at which the crab had instantly killed the messenger, even if the distance were increased tenfold, he wouldn't be able to react in time. If the crab wanted to kill him, he would have no chance no matter what.

Judging from the fact that the cabbage has been unable to step out of this place for so many years, this thing must be guarding this river to the death. As long as you get close, it will make a move.

Why are I and Li Gou Dan the exceptions?

Are players the exception? Definitely not. Little Cabbage is clearly a chosen player, with a much better starting privilege than other miserable players. She's had her dog head chopped off countless times. How could players be the exception?

The only possibility is... that I am the exception!

Just as the messenger, with a look of terror and despair in his eyes, was stuffed into the mouth of the giant crab, followed by a nauseating chewing sound, Bright dared not move. He was a spirit, but he could clearly feel that this thing could definitely harm a spirit.

Sure enough, the thing came closer the next moment. Crabs have very small eyes, but their bodies are large enough that their exposed eyeballs are bigger than their heads. As it came closer, its two fleshy eyes looked at it over and over again.

Being stared at so closely by such a powerful creature, if he weren't in his spirit form, Bright felt he would have wet his pants, but now he was 80% certain that he was the exception.

The next instant, the monster retreated, slowly disappearing into the river from a strange, shadowy spot.

At that moment, Bright understood why he couldn't find the river even though it was so clear. This guy...

It is a shadow-type creature, capable of hiding in the shadows like Wang Gou Dan, ready to attack at any time.

That messenger probably never imagined that he would die at the hands of a shadow-type creature.

Now, Brett probably understands why he was the exception.

"Mr. Bright?"

Seeing the monster retreat from a distance, Li Gou Dan cautiously asked, "What's going on?"

Little Cabbage also looked at Bright cautiously, because Bright had indeed not been killed by that crab, could that mean...?

He possessed something that made the crab wary.

Bright fell silent and began to think about the current problem.

If I'm not mistaken, the fact that the other party didn't attack me is related to the legendary item in my inventory.

Previous intelligence reports indicated that the rivers in this forest are home to many dangerous creatures from the Shadow Isles.

As previously reported, Park Young-joon of Seoul possessed a notebook and a legendary artifact that both originated from Shadow Isles.

What exactly is the Shadow Isles?

Why is it that, despite being of the same shadow element, they seem to be on a completely different path from the Shadow God Kingdom?

If the crab doesn't attack me, does that mean I can get the cabbage out?

But the question is, if we remove an 80th-level druid now, will it disrupt the balance?

The most crucial point is that now that the Shadow Messenger is dead, the Shadow Kingdom will definitely take action. If I take a high-ranking figure from the Elven forces with me, will it provoke them to send out even more troublesome figures?

These are all problems, and all things considered, I cannot take the cabbage back with me.

But we need an explanation...

How can I convince Bai Cai that I'm on her side, but without taking her out?