Deadly Game: Almighty Boss’s Guide to Making Money

Chapter 1340. The Crimson Farm (13)

After a short rest and some water and food, the group set off again.

As soon as I stepped out of the warehouse, I found that the surrounding environment had deteriorated even further.

The ground tremors became more frequent, the cracks widened, and in some places even ravines half a meter deep appeared.

The mucous membrane that originally covered the ground began to peel off in large areas, revealing the dark, sticky soil underneath. Stepping on it felt like sinking into a swamp, and every step required a great deal of effort.

Dark red seedlings kept sprouting from the black soil.

These seedlings are entirely scarlet, covered with tiny barbs, and grow at an astonishing rate, reaching half a meter in height in just a few seconds. They writhe wildly, trying to entangle passersby.

"Watch out for the seedlings under your feet, don't get tangled in them!" Lin Xi warned.

She summoned a longsword and severed the sapling that was wrapping around her ankle. Dark red sap splattered onto her shoe, leaving faint burn marks.

Everyone took out their weapons and quickly advanced, pushing aside the growing seedlings.

After walking for about twenty minutes, an open area appeared ahead. The seedlings on the ground suddenly disappeared, replaced by a slope covered with gravel.

The slope is nearly 100 meters long and is scattered with rocks of different sizes, some of which are still rolling.

"Everyone be careful, this slope is unstable!" Lin Xi said after observing for a moment. "Try to step on the larger rocks to avoid triggering a landslide."

The group carefully stepped onto the slope, the rocks beneath their feet were loose and slippery, and they would slide if they exerted too much force.

They had only walked a dozen meters when they suddenly heard a loud "boom" from above. Several rocks the size of millstones rolled down from the top of the slope and crashed down on them.

"Get out of the way!" Wen Yang shouted, shoving Yu Chen aside.

The rock grazed Yu Chen's shoulder as it fell, crashing into the middle of the slope and shattering into countless small pieces, triggering a chain reaction that caused even more rubble to tumble down.

—Oh my, Wen Yang and Yu Chen are such a good couple.

—Yes, Wen Yang and Yu Chen entered the instance together.

—There are 123 more.

—What time is it? You guys still have the mood to ship couples?

—I'm nervous too, but I still have to ship the couple.

Everyone scrambled for cover, some hiding behind huge rocks, while others quickly lay down on the ground, letting the loose stones whiz past them.

With his agile skills, Yu Chen weaved through the rain of gravel and shot an arrow at a rock that was about to hit Lao Chen, deflecting it.

"This can't go on, we have to get through quickly!" Lin Xi said while dodging.

Guo Yuelang then took out his small shield and used it as a wall of light to block the enemy in front of him.

Everyone followed closely behind, moving quickly through the rain of gravel.

The shield was hit by the rubble with a "bang," and it was quickly covered with dents.

After finally reaching the top of the slope, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Looking back at the slope behind them, it was completely covered by the fallen rocks, and their original appearance was no longer visible.

—Holy crap!
That was so close!
Teamwork is extremely important.

—This journey has been so arduous; who knows what dangers lie ahead!
—It feels like the farm could collapse at any moment. Will they be able to reach the lab before it does?

After a short rest, the group continued on their way.

The road ahead became increasingly difficult, with deeper and deeper ravines on the ground, some requiring leaps to cross.

The surrounding air grew increasingly murky, and black smoke billowed in from the east, carrying a pungent sulfurous smell that made people cough. After walking for another ten minutes or so, a strange thicket appeared ahead.

The branches of these shrubs are deep purple, the leaves are dark red, and they are covered with small, black fruits that are smooth and resemble black pearls.

"Don't touch these fruits, they look strange," Lin Xi warned.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a passing field mouse accidentally bumped into a bush, causing the fruit to burst open and spray out a cloud of black powder.

After the field mouse was exposed to the powder, its body immediately convulsed, and within seconds it collapsed to the ground, motionless, its body rapidly shriveling up.

The crowd watched in terror and quickly avoided the bushes.

However, the thicket grew larger and larger, almost blocking the entire path.

"There's no other way, we have to force our way through," Lin Xi said, summoning many masks. "Everyone, cover your mouths and noses, try not to inhale the powder, and get through quickly!"

Everyone immediately put on their masks and cleared a path through the bushes.

—123 has really put a lot of stuff in the dungeon!

—When did she put the mask down? I didn't know.

—I don't remember very clearly either.

—I vaguely remember that in one instance, she brought a lot of things, like she was moving house.

—Which copy did I miss?
—I haven't seen that instance either.

Black powder continued to spray out, landing on everyone's clothes and leaving dark marks.

Fortunately, everyone took proper precautions and did not inhale any powder, managing to pass through the bushes safely.

After walking for about forty minutes, the outline of the valley finally appeared in the distance.

The valley is flanked by steep cliffs, hundreds of meters high, covered with dense, dark purple plant stems that intertwine to form a natural barrier.

A faint hissing sound came from deep within the valley. The black smoke grew thicker and thicker, almost obscuring the sky. The pungent smell in the air became increasingly strong, making people dizzy.

"The Valley Laboratory is just ahead, everyone be careful," Lin Xi said.

Everyone gripped their weapons tightly and cautiously entered the valley.

The ground in the valley was covered with black ore fragments, which shimmered faintly and illuminated the path beneath our feet.

The surrounding dark red seedlings had grown thicker and stronger, reaching chest height. The dark red fruits hanging on them were larger than those seen before, emitting a faint fishy smell, and looked particularly eerie.

As you walk further into the valley, the cliffs on both sides become increasingly steep, and the plant stems become denser, some even hanging down from the cliffs and blocking part of the view.

Within the black smoke, some blurry shadows could be vaguely seen moving about; it was unclear whether they were puppets or other unknown creatures.

"Everyone, stay alert and keep an eye on your surroundings," Yu Chen said.

Suddenly, a strange movement came from the seedlings ahead, and several smaller puppets rushed out.

Although these puppets were not large, they were exceptionally agile, wielding sharp stones as they lunged at the group.

“These puppets seem more agile than the ones we’ve encountered before!” Guo Yuelang said, raising his shield to protect most of the people.

Lin Xi and his group immediately stepped forward to fight and quickly dealt with the puppets.

However, more puppets burst out from the seedlings, numbering more than a dozen.