The system is four years ahead of schedule, but Weird is still a cub.

Chapter 567 Life is a series of farewells
"Watch out!" Camille shouted, his short blade slicing through the air with a piercing sound as it struck one of the monsters lunging at Sherry. However, when the blade struck the scales, it only sparked a few flecks and left a shallow white mark. The immense impact sent Camille's arm numbing, and he staggered back two steps.

Another eerie giant claw had already reached for a Ghost Warrior who had broken his leg and was unable to move.

The two ghost warriors desperately raised their arms to block—

puff!

The sound of flesh being torn apart was horrifying. The ghost warrior's arm, along with half of his shoulder, was instantly ripped open by the terrifying claws, and blood gushed out!

"Ah—!" A piercing scream ripped through the jungle!

The next second, red light flashed through the forest, and Xiao Qi, wearing secondary armor, suddenly expanded. Dozens of thick tentacles formed from rotten blood emerged like pythons from their caves, carrying a pungent bloody smell, and precisely coiled towards the oncoming monster.

The moment the blood-soaked tentacles wrapped around the bizarre body, the powerful corrosive effect of the crimson mist's energy took effect immediately. The bizarre, dark green scales hissed and emitted wisps of smoke. Then, the bizarre let out a painful screech and twisted and struggled frantically.

However, these strange powers were astonishingly large. The erosion of the strange energy did not seem to be instantly fatal. One of the strange creatures suddenly opened its huge mouth and bit down hard on the rotting blood tentacle. Its sharp fangs tore off a large chunk of writhing, rotting blood flesh.

These bizarrely high-speed healing abilities were clearly beyond everyone's expectations, forcing Xiaoqi to increase the output of the Red Mist Armor's bizarre energy.

At the same time, several more bizarre creatures bypassed the blood-sucking tentacles and pounced on the crowd from tricky angles. One of the monster warriors was sent flying, crashing heavily into a tree trunk, spitting blood.

York roared, swung a thick, hardwood stick, and slammed it hard into the side of a strange creature, making it stagger, but the stick snapped instantly.

His strike stunned Shen Ge, who was about to step forward to help. With just a simple, unadorned strike from a mortal body, he was able to knock back a fourth-level monster by a step with a wooden stick.
There's probably more to York's story...
Shen Ge's hesitation lasted only a second. Then his eyes narrowed, and his strange energy surged wildly. Instead of attacking the strange creature directly, he stomped his foot.

An invisible, space-distorting fluctuation suddenly spread out from him, and the strange creatures that were rushing at high speed suddenly stopped moving, as if they had crashed into a clump of sticky glue, and their speed was reduced sharply.

Their enormous olfactory organs opened and closed violently, seemingly extremely uncomfortable with this spatial disturbance, emitting anxious hissing.

With the restriction of the Immovable Ghost Domain, these monsters immediately stood still like statues, and Xiao Qi and the group of anti-ghost warriors quickly seized the opportunity to counterattack.

Camille and York, both seasoned warriors, seized the fleeting opportunity. Camille moved like a ghost, his short blade flashing like a cold light, piercing the enormous, gaping maw with pinpoint accuracy, piercing through the massive olfactory organ.

"Hiss—!" The eerie creature let out an unprecedentedly shrill scream, its body convulsing violently before collapsing limply as if its spine had been removed.

York roared and used the sharp edge of the broken piece of wood, like a spear, to plunge it deep into the relatively vulnerable throat of another strange creature, exposed by the spatial stagnation.

Xiaoqi's putrid tentacles seized the opportunity to exert their power, tightly constricting and corroding the sluggish and entangled monsters. A pungent blue smoke and a burnt smell filled the air, and in the blink of an eye, a large number of monsters were dismembered.

The battle erupted instantly, but thanks to Shen Ge's precise control and the desperate counterattacks of Xiao Qi, Camille, York, and others, the tide of battle was quickly turned.

A bloody battle was brutally fought in this ancient and unfamiliar jungle, with every second accompanied by screams and the loss of life.

Shen Ge's gaze pierced through the chaotic battlefield, landing on the deep, seemingly treacherous jungle. He knew that these sharp-nosed, swift "hunters" were likely just appetizers in this deadly jungle.

True terror may be slowly creeping in from the shadows. The sweet, metallic scent in the air seems to grow even stronger as the stench of blood spreads.

As more and more bizarre, dismembered objects appeared around them, the stench of blood and burnt flesh mingled in the damp air, becoming so intense it was nauseating.

The last of the monsters was crushed by Xiao Qi's rotten blood tentacles, turning into a pool of viscous liquid emitting blue smoke, and the battle finally ended.

The forest clearing was a scene of devastation: broken giant ferns, pitted and corroded ground, scattered eerie limbs and severed arms, and... several newly added remains of the anti-monster warriors, torn apart by sharp claws.

Silence descended once more, heavier than before. Suppressed breathing and the muffled groans of the wounded were the only background noise. Including those who had fallen to their deaths, succumbed to their injuries, and the few who had just perished, the once large group of survivors was now reduced to only thirty-two.

Camille shook off the slime from his dagger and, pale-faced, examined Sherry's injuries. Little Seven quickly retracted its tentacles, and the crimson armor's light dimmed slightly. It immediately released a large number of tiny blood spiders, which surged into the depths of the dense forest like a scarlet tide, forming a protective network.

"Rest here for ten minutes." Shen Ge's voice broke the silence.

No one objected.

The exhaustion of surviving the ordeal and the fear of the unknown weighed heavily on everyone, making it hard to breathe. Cheng's mother held Cheng's cold hand tightly, her eyes filled with sorrow.

Shen Ge walked to Cheng's mother's side, squatted down, and placed her hand on Cheng's uncle's wrist. His pulse was so weak that it was almost imperceptible.

"Medical agents... can only maintain the minimum activity of his cells."

Shen Ge's voice was low and somber, "Uncle Cheng's organs... are completely shattered. Auntie, Uncle Cheng might... sigh. I'm sorry."

Mother Cheng trembled violently, tears silently streaming down her face, dripping onto Uncle Cheng's ashen face. In the end, she simply gripped that hand tighter, as if trying to transfer her life force to it.

This loyal "housekeeper" had been with her for decades and was more important than her family, but now he was going to his death while protecting her.

...He couldn't even give his last words.

Ten minutes passed incredibly slowly in the deathly silence. Xiao Qi efficiently treated the wounded's external injuries, while York, along with a few remaining tribal warriors, silently and swiftly disposed of the bodies of their fallen comrades, burying them beside the shallow pits they had dug earlier. Their movements were practiced yet numb, as if they had long been accustomed to death.

“Let’s go.” Shen Ge stood up, his gaze sweeping over everyone. “We must move. The smell of blood will attract more things.”

He wasn't afraid of these fourth-order anomalies, but that didn't mean he didn't care about the lives of others.

Corpses and supernatural abilities are likely to attract the attention of other strange entities. The longer you stay here, the more strange things you will attract.

Although these eyeless "hunters" were only at the fourth rank and not very large, they were incredibly fast. Apart from Shen Ge, Camille, and York, most of the anti-monster warriors present couldn't even catch a glimpse of them, which was the biggest reason for the surge in casualties.

What's most troublesome isn't just their exaggerated speed, but also their rapid healing ability, which is arguably the fastest among all the fourth-tier monsters Shen Ge has dealt with.

If it weren't for the fact that the Crimson Mist Armor was already at Tier 5, and that it had the "Endless" trait as a backup, Xiao Qi wouldn't have been able to complete such a large-scale wipeout in such a short time. After the bizarre attack, the team set off again, the atmosphere as heavy as a funeral procession.

Shen Ge walked at the front, his eerie eyes scanning the huge and strange plants around him warily.

Camille stood guard beside Cheng's mother and Shirley, who was carrying a makeshift stretcher. On the stretcher lay Sally, who was still unconscious, and Uncle Cheng, who was only kept alive by Xiao Qi's supernatural abilities.

Xiaoqi's blood spiders act like invisible sentinels, traversing the dense forest, and the information they send back is chilling—

The terrain of this primeval jungle is more complex than one can imagine.

Towering trees with intertwined roots, their massive buttress roots blocking the way like walls; dense ferns and vines layered upon each other, forming a natural labyrinth; bottomless swamps hidden beneath seemingly solid layers of fallen leaves; and the eerie energy fluctuations permeating the air were chaotic and disordered, interfering with perception.

Everything is like a rainforest from the dinosaur era on Earth magnified several times, mixed with the distorted characteristics of eerie space, forming a vast and dangerous green labyrinth.

Time passed arduously during their journey, an hour, ten hours, a day... Shen Ge and his group were like a lone boat lost in a green ocean.

During the day, they traverse under the dense canopy of trees, and at night they seek out relatively safe spots at the base of giant trees or in caves to set up camp and rest.

Fortunately, with Shen Ge's mysterious space as a safety net, the group didn't have to worry about water and food.

In addition, Xiaoqi's Blood Spider can also find some edible giant fungi, water-rich vines and berries, and occasionally hunt some small primitive creatures that have not been severely eroded by the strange power. The resources in the primeval jungle are much richer than imagined.

However, in the past few days, the "hunters'" bizarre attacks have become commonplace. They appear and disappear unpredictably, relying on their powerful sense of smell and ability to shield themselves from detection, always able to launch surprise attacks from unexpected angles.

But just as Xiaoqi initially judged, these strange individuals were only around the fourth rank in strength, and no longer posed a threat to Shen Ge, who was gradually recovering his strange abilities.

Shen Ge even used the Immovable Ghost Domain to freeze them, giving Xiao Qi enough time to collect and analyze the data.

But as Shen Ge kills more and more of the "hunters," these creatures seem to be "evolving," even developing chameleon-like abilities to hide in the grass and launch surprise attacks.

If it were anyone else, they would have been killed by these extremely well-hidden and bizarre sneak attacks long ago. Unfortunately, after Shen Ge's bizarre abilities began to recover, he kept his bizarre eye open.

No matter how strange or well-concealed something is, if its rating doesn't exceed Shen Ge's, then all its disguises will be exposed under his uncanny eyes!

However, not all injuries can be resolved by Shen Ge's strength.

On a damp morning, as the first faint ray of light struggled to penetrate the thick canopy and fall upon the temporary camp, Uncle Cheng's life force, like a candle flickering in the wind, was completely extinguished.

He lay on the simple stretcher, his face peaceful, as if he were just asleep.

Cheng's mother sat quietly beside him, holding his hand, as if frozen in time. Her tears had long since dried, leaving only a bottomless sorrow.

Shen Ge walked over silently, squatted down, looked at Cheng's mother, wanting to say something, but found that any words would be pale and powerless at this moment.

"Let him...rest in peace." Mother Cheng's voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible, yet it carried a heartbreaking calmness.

There were no unnecessary rituals.

Shen Ge personally blasted a deep pit at the base of the giant tree, and everyone stood solemnly. Mother Cheng took one last look at Uncle Cheng, gently folded his cold hands in front of her chest, and then Shen Ge and Camille gently placed him into the pit. Huge leaves covered his body, and the soil slowly buried him.

Shen Ge stood silently before the grave, his fingertips gathering strange energy to carve a few words on the rough tree trunk: Cheng Yong, rest in peace.

The team set off in silence once again, a sense of sadness enveloping everyone like an invisible fog, especially Cheng's mother, who became even more silent, yet her eyes held an indescribable resilience.

The two-week trek felt like going in circles; apart from the endless dangers and dwindling strength, there seemed to be no way out.

That evening, the team set up camp in a relatively dry open space surrounded by huge buttress roots.

As Xiao Qi controlled the Blood Spider to explore the dense forest, it suddenly detected spatial fluctuations: "Master, an abnormal, persistent source of eerie energy fluctuations has been detected approximately 15 kilometers to the northeast. The intensity... far exceeds any 'hunter' encountered before, and it exhibits obvious spatial distortion characteristics. Analysis results: 97.3% probability of a stable spatial rift node, possibly a passage to other eerie spaces or... the material world!"

This news was like a boulder thrown into stagnant water, instantly stirring up waves in the exhausted team!
"A spatial rift? An exit?" Hope ignited in Shirley's eyes.

Camille perked up: "Finally, a lead!"

The ghost warriors were also excited; after half a month of desperate trekking, this news was undoubtedly a ray of hope in the darkness.

Shen Ge asked, "Can you detect what's happening on the other side of the crack?"

"The Blood Spider is moving towards the location of the fluctuation, trying to find an entrance. The fluctuation is currently stable, but it cannot penetrate the crack to probe the environment on the other side. The energy signature indicates that the crack appears to be in a 'semi-open' state, with energy dissipating," Xiao Qi replied quickly.

"Alright! Break camp immediately and head northeast!" Shen Ge decisively ordered. His goal had never changed: to safely bring Cheng's mother out of this damned, eerie space.

However, just as everyone began packing their meager belongings, a deep voice rang out: "Captain Shen... please wait a moment."

It was York who spoke.

Behind him stood the dozen or so survivors of the Stone Forest tribe, including Xiaoya. Their faces showed little excitement, but rather hesitation and a kind of... almost numb weariness.

"York?" Shen Ge looked at him.

York took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over the towering trees and dark jungle around him, his voice heavy with a sense of reality: "Captain Shen, we... don't want to go any further."

(End of this chapter)