Cornflower Witch

Chapter 169 The Hidden Monster
"This is the gate to the distant mountains."

Looking at the archway at the end of the steps, Bad Apple took a deep breath, feeling both excited and nervous.

Once he reaches that door, he can obtain the 'Water of Stone Mist'. However, he also knows that such a treasure is bound to be guarded by creatures of the same 'nature'. The 'Water of Stone Mist' is a treasure for humans, and it is also an extremely precious thing for the monsters in the Shadow World, as it can make them grow stronger.

"You all stay here, I'll go check the situation first." He took some things out of the horse's pack and began to prepare.

First, he took out a bottle of strange potion and sprayed it on his body to remove his own odor. Then he applied talcum powder to his fingers to prevent sweating. After that, he put on a special mask to cover the sound and airflow of his breathing. Then he put on a hood that covered all his hair to avoid unnecessary air resistance and disturbance.

After doing all this, he poisoned his two commonly used daggers, applying different poisons to each, and then tucked them into the sheaths at his waist. He also strapped a spare dagger to his calf and kept three kinds of potions at his waist: a potion to enhance his agility and speed, a potion to grant temporary invisibility, and a potion to reduce subtle noises in his body.

After doing all this, he turned around and waved his hand, then ran towards the end of the mountain path, his figure gradually disappearing like an ice cube falling into water and vanishing.

Seeing that the captain had made these preparations, the other three nodded and watched him leave.

“Let’s start preparing too. In case he encounters an accident and a battle breaks out, we can quickly get there to support him,” Karl said, turning to Hilti and Yann.

“No problem.” Yann nodded, but then quickly became a little embarrassed.

"I think I just eat something to recover my strength; I don't know any other ways to enhance my abilities." His fighting style is simple, and he rarely considers situations that require a burst of power.

"Then let's eat something and get ready." Karl will temporarily take on the responsibility of leading the team.

Then he looked at Hilti, "Hilti, what about you?"

“My words…” the girl pondered for a moment.

Actually, this was her second time participating in an adventure, and she hadn't prepared many methods, as she was still in the process of familiarizing herself with and exploring the area.

"I guess I'll just eat something and get myself in a better state."

After saying that, she took out the best food supplies from her luggage and handed them to the two of them.

【Alfalfa Snacks】(Perfect): Made with high-quality wheat flour and alfalfa flowers as the main ingredients, these cookies are baked with the finest olive oil. They can quickly replenish nutrients, restore physical strength, and enhance one's physical appearance.

These are the best ingredients she has. Paired with baked tea snacks and cookies, they can be stored for a long time. The benefits they bring have surpassed those of common 'Tier 1' potions, reaching the level of 'Tier 2' potions.

"Oh, this is the first time I've seen these cookies." Yann ate them out of curiosity, but found them a bit small, so he stuffed seven or eight into his mouth in one bite.

Then, intense nutritional energy instantly spread from his stomach to his entire body, making his whole body feel like it was on fire, overflowing with power. Not only that, his long-dormant 'castle' sexuality also became active, something he had never experienced before.

The 'castle' aspect, as the most stable concept emphasizing the foundational role, is difficult to shake or influence, but unexpectedly, this time it has changed.

On the other side, Karl didn't eat that much; he only ate three or four, but he also felt something was wrong, as if a burning energy was spreading through his body.

Taking a deep breath, he took out the black skull from the pouch at his waist and channeled his overflowing power into it. Then, wisps of black mist continuously moved and condensed, refining and transforming the shattered spirits stored within the skull into pure 'deathly' elemental power. Hilti, of course, understood the effects of the cookies; she only ate two before stopping to experience their effects.

The Moonlight Breathing Technique operates within the body, rapidly absorbing the energy contained in the blood and gradually strengthening one's physique. This feeling is similar to bathing in moonlight while practicing the breathing technique.

The three adjusted their state, and at this moment, at the end of the mountain path, 'Bad Apple' Rodriguez was also carefully approaching the misty spring water in the crevice between the rocks.

The air here was exceptionally quiet, and he didn't see any living creatures around. Even so, he still dared not let his guard down and moved forward with the utmost care and caution.

After turning past several large rocks, he stepped onto the stone slabs and slowly walked forward, approaching the spring. His gaze turned to the clear spring water that was gradually flowing out of the crack in the rock.

I carefully dipped my fingers into the water, and the icy sensation spread from my fingertips to the back of my hand, arm, and forearm.

The spring water here contains the 'Mist Shadow' property, but to obtain the most valuable part, you need to take out a container and scoop out the bottom part of the spring water, where the 'Mist Shadow' property is most concentrated, and that is the real 'Stone Mist Water'.

With tension and vigilance, he took out the container he had prepared at his waist and slowly lowered it into the water.

The pool, which was only half a meter deep, took nearly a minute to slowly reach the bottom, which was, of course, to minimize any noise.

However, once you start filling the container with water, you can't worry about anything else.

He carefully opened the cap underwater with his fingers, and bubbles overflowed from the bottle opening, then burst at the surface, making a soft gurgling sound.

The icy liquid at the bottom was poured into the bottle, and then he pressed the bottle opening to take it out. At this moment, Rodriguez's tension and joy reached their peak. What he didn't notice was that the stone behind him was gradually transforming into a giant lizard, opening its white and gray vertical pupils and staring at the thief stealing the spring water in front of it.

White mist breathed out from the lizard's mouth, silently enveloping Rodriguez, who had obtained the 'Water of Stone Mist'. At that moment, 'Bad Apple' Rodriguez, who hadn't had time to seal the bottle cap properly, froze instantly, unable to move.

"Damn it!" he thought frantically. In this final moment, he only had three seconds to react, otherwise, once petrified, he would be left to die.

Unfortunately, in those three seconds, his body was already stiff and he was unable to make any effective moves. In the end, he could only use all his strength to loosen his fingers, causing the bottle to fall to the ground and splash water.

Faced with the rare 'Stone Mist Water' being wasted on the ground, soaking the mud and soil, the lizard behind the bad apple finally became angry. He let out a low roar, breaking the silence of the mountains.

Even though the sound wasn't loud, the black-haired girl at the foot of the mountain heard it clearly and realized that something was wrong.

"We have to go. I hear a deep, angry roar from some kind of monster. The battle has begun."

"Let's go."

The remaining two had no objections and quickly ran towards the steps, rushing towards the stone archway at the end of the mountain path.

Save your comrades now.

(End of this chapter)