Compared to the forest, the rainforest was flatter, and mountains were rarer.
This ravine was not big and taking in two hundred people along with a large quantity of supplies made it seem narrow.
The small ravine was lined with trees, and large amounts of vegetation, shrubs, and tightly packed vines layered on top of each other.
Besides the open space in the middle, everything else was covered with verdant branches and leaves.
Inside the small ravine, there were many large caves, some deep and some shallow, these were natural residences.
The ravine also had a deep pool of spring water, this steady supply of drinkable water was very valuable. It was also the main reason why everyone in the base camp chose to relocate here.
Unfortunately, that mysterious murderer also followed close behind.
After relocating here, more than a dozen people mysteriously disappeared, this affirmed that everything pointed towards disaster.
Resting and reorganizing for a night eliminated most of their exhaustion. Now, Zhen Jin, Cang Xu, and some others arrived at a cave.
This shallow cave was one of the crime scenes.
The person living here had already mysteriously disappeared.
It was obvious at a glance that after the person here vanished, no one dared to reside here again.
There were still some livelihood goods inside the cave, and inside, there was the faint smell of fungi as well as the reeking of blood.
The thing that attracted the most attention was a boulder.
The boulder was located below the cave mouth.
Zhen Jin glanced at Lan Zao, the latter soon understood, then stepped forward to move the boulder.
This master and servant had met in the forest, and had experienced the sandstorm, desert, volcano, and oasis……that adventure allowed a mutual understanding to develop between them.
After the boulder was moved, a tunnel immediately appeared.
This tunnel was roughly 1.7 meters in diameter, very deep, and pitch black. Even if a stone or torch was dropped in, one would not see either hit the bottom. The only way to reach the bottom, was for someone to dig to it.
This tunnel was extremely dangerous.
According to Que Shan’s speculation, the mysterious culprit came from this hole.
This was a natural opinion, after all it was extremely obvious when a tunnel suddenly appeared.
But everyone had no way of solving this problem, and no one wanted to risk digging down. This hole was extremely narrow, if one encountered the mysterious culprit, they would simply bring about their own destruction,
Zhen Jin and the others delicately sized up the tunnel entrance.
Cang Xu extended a wizen hand and stroked the tunnel’s edge. He felt the grease on the tunnel wall. .
Zi Di took out a potion bottle and sprinkled it around the tunnel.
The colorless liquid quickly reacted and disseminated a pungent and strange odor.
“That’s definitive proof, it should be that gigantic subterranean worm .” Zi Di affirmed.
Zhen Jin nodded, and the other also held similar expressions.
During the camp battle, everyone had discovered that silver level magic beast for the first time. It could dig through the ground, had a massive body, and a vigorous body. It had fought Zong Ge several times and for a time, was a massive threat to the camp.
When Zhen Jin was pursuing the blue dog fox wolf, Zong Ge crushed the worm to death.
Naturally its carcass was not wasted, after the others dragged it back, it was immediately dissected by Cang Xu.
This was Cang Xu’s analysis: the gigantic subterranean worm was assembled from at least three species of worms, with the bulk of it being made from a sandworm.
Sandworms were also called ocean earthworms. Under normal circumstances, they were as big as earthworms and mostly lived on the beach.
Everyone’s understanding of the gigantic subterranean worm immediately deepened. After Zong Ge and Tripleblade learned of this, someone guessed: was this the magic beast that had been attacking the base camp?
Beach terrain was different from other terrains, the holes the gigantic subterranean worm dug in the sand would collapse. Adding on the rainy weather and always moist beach, it was beyond human ability to distinguish any traces left behind.
If the magic beast attacked from below and escaped underground, then everything made sense.
Cang Xu made another analysis: The gigantic subterranean worm secreted a greasy bodily fluid, making it easier for the worm to rapidly dig and travel through tunnels.
Zi Di gathered this bodily fluid and mixed a specialized potion. If the potion encountered this bodily fluid again, it would react and produce a strange odor.
Now, the guess of Zong Ge and the others was confirmed.
After everyone examined a few more tunnels, Cang Xu spoke with a grave tone: “This gigantic subterranean worm grows quickly, the caliber of these tunnels makes that clear.”
“This is the most likely situation. There were worm larvae under the beach, after being attracted by human activity, some began hunting.”
“At the time it was still young, thus it could only hunt, it could not drag a person under or swallow them whole.”
“Later, when the people began to migrate and abandon the base camp, the gigantic subterranean worm sensed it and followed underground, treating the small ravine as its new hunting ground.”
“Because it had a steady flow of food, it grew quickly. Its body became huge, and its strength was increased greatly, now the gigantic subterranean worm already possesses the ability to pull people down or consume people whole!”
“Because of this, the people on the beach were murdered, but there were only mysterious disappearances in the ravine.”
Everyone approved of Cang Xu’s analysis.
Zi Di added on: “We have surveyed a few tunnels and we have not found any bloodstains near them. If a person was dragged down by the gigantic subterranean worm, it would have definitely left traces. As a result, I am more inclined to believe the gigantic subterranean worm is eating people whole.”
“It always attacks during the night. It seemingly takes advantage of sleeping people. With this kind of tactic, swallowing a person became an easier affair.”
“How should we deal with it?” Zong Ge expressed his worry.
The amount of gigantic subterranean worms was currently unknown.
It would only dig when it was hunting.
But this is where the challenge lay, through its sense of touch, it could precisely detect the movements of living beings.
As a result, until now, it had always struck at the weak points and found those that were alone. This was the reason why Zong Ge and the others, despite patrolling all night, were not able to catch it or even see its shadow.
Purposely hiding, setting traps, or even everyone hunting it seemed to have no effect on the gigantic subterranean worm.
“Be at ease, I have a way.” Zhen Jin’s heart said.
He had ultrasound, when the gigantic subterranean worm moved, he would know.
He also had the perfume, controlling the gigantic subterranean worm was not difficult.
He could dig into the tunnels as a spear scorpion or as another form.
However, Zhen Jin also publicly displayed a confused expression.
“Zi Di, I hope you can mix a potion that can attract the gigantic subterranean worm, I think the best option is to have the potion give off a flavor it is fond of.”
“Since the gigantic subterranean worm likes killing isolated targets, Zong Ge, I ask you and everyone else to do your best to rest together.”
“As for me……”
“Don’t disturb me, I must be alone at this time.”
“I will pray to my master!”
Hearing Zhen Jin’s final sentence, everyone’s eyes shined.
A black cloud enveloped the sky over the beach, neither the moon nor sun could be seen. The sky was drizzling, and a burst of sea wind made Mu Ban shiver.
“The Hog’s Kiss……” Bai Ya looked at the snapped hull on the beach, his complexion complex.
He wanted to become a knight, his dream was to stand out among his peers, and for these things, he had suffered his hunter father’s rebukes and opposition. However, those rebukes instead excited Bai Ya’s rebellious nature, the youngster had stolen his family wealth to barely buy the cheapest ticket on the Hog’s Kiss.
He could have never anticipated the Hog’s Kiss, the ship he chose to ride on, would be shipwrecked.
“I will go investigate around first, after confirming our safety, you guys can tear apart the boat.” Tripleblade said, “If I don’t come back, don’t help me, it would be better to report back to either Lord Zhen Jin or Lord Zong Ge.”
Mu Ban and Bai Ya nodded at the same time. They knew they had weak battle strength, if Tripleblade fell, running in to help him was the same as throwing away their lives.
Mu Ban, Bai Ya, Tripleblade, and some others were dispatched by Zhen Jin to dismantle the Hog’s Kiss.
The Hog’s Kiss’ supplies were already raked clean, however the abandoned boat wreckage still had enormous value.
There were many usable planks, masts, and especially boat nails, these were all things Zhen Jin, and the others had a scarcity of.
Tripleblade’s figure quickly appeared on the tilted forward deck.
He waved to everyone on the beach and yelled: ”Come up, this place is safe.”
Mu Ban, Bai Ya, and twenty others walked in a line with hammers, saws, and other tools.
The Hog’s Kiss had two decks, a deckhouse in the ship’s bow, and a deckhouse in the aft. With only half the hull currently here, the aft and so on were naturally gone.
The deckhouse in the ship’s bow had the captain's quarters, half of the sailors’ quarters, and normal commodities at the bottom.
Based on the boat craftsman’s orders, everyone tore down the masts first.
In a rare occurrence, the front mast was well preserved. Meanwhile, the central mast was snapped in half, but still had value.
These were torn down, inside and out.
For a moment, the wreckage of the Hog’s Kiss was filled with the shouts of everyone, the sound of sawing wood, and the sound of hammers smashing things.
They arrived in the morning, rested at noon to consume the rations and water they brought, and continued to work in the afternoon.
There were no beast invasions or accidents.
Earlier, the survivors investigated the boat wreckage, cleaning out anything they could use and eat.
By dusk, Bai Ya and some others tore open the captain’s quarters and made a small discovery.
In the corner, Bai Ya found a small bottle of ink, a damaged quill, and a folded paper in a drawer.
Bai Ya showed a happy expression.
Hu!
A strong breeze blew through and fiercely rocked the entire ship hull.
“Get out, the Hog’s Kiss is collapsing!” Bai Ya heard Mu ban roar.
The ship wreckage was unsteady of course, after being dismantled all day long, only a skeleton remained of it,
Bai Ya and the others immediately ran away.
But just as he was about to exit the captain's quarters, Bai Ya bit his teeth, suddenly turned around, and ran in the opposite direction!
The others at his side did not pull him back, after hesitating once, they ran out first.
After ten breaths, the ship loudly collapsed, lifting smoke and dust as far as the eye could see.
“Bai Ya?”
“He suddenly ran back in!”
He is still inside!”
After discovering this, everyone ran back into the smoke.
They quickly saw Bai Ya.
Bai Ya was lying on the beach, he was covered in dirt, and just half a meter from him, there was a mountain of shattered hull pieces.
Seeing this, Tripleblade, Mu Ban, and the others feared for Bai Ya.
But nothing harmed the youngster, he soon stood up and ignorantly smiled.
That night, while holding lit torches, everyone returned to the ravine to unload their supplies.
The atmosphere in the small ravine was enthusiastic, while Tripleblade and Mu Ban were scouting, Zhen Jin and the others found the mysterious culprit and killed it. It was a gigantic worm, malevolent and hideous!
Everyone was happy, after an exhausting day, this news seemed to sweep away all the tiredness from their bodies.
That same evening, Zhen Jin and the others held a celebratory banquet.
At the edge of a cliff cave, Bai Ya leaned against a wall and sat on the damp ground.
He carefully opened a paper on his thigh, then he dipped a quill pen into a bit of ink and in the light of a fire, he began to write.
My respected and loved Miss Xi Qiu,
I haven’t written a letter to you for a long time, please forgive me.
The shipwreck occurred too suddenly, and the things afterwards were challenging, dangerous, and marvelous, all of it was beyond anything I had previously experienced.
……
……
Bai Ya wrote many things, but not everything could not be put into writing, thus he stopped for the time being.
At the end of the letter, he wrote——
When we returned, we saw a gigantic dead worm in the small ravine.
The subterranean worm was still young, it did not have the physique of the worm that attacked the forest camp.
People were cheering, circled around to beat the worm’s corpse, cursed at it, and vented their feelings.
I can imagine their shocked hearts, their joy, as well as their adoration of Lord Zhen Jin!
Lord Zhen Jin achieved this.
This is entirely unexpected to me.
This is simply a trivial matter to him. How does the eastern empire say it? Easy as a hand turn, is that it?
Lord Zhen Jin saved my life, he is a true templar knight. I think the gods caring for him is inevitable and right. If they didn’t care about this person, who would they care about then?
I believe everything will get better.
As long as we make a new boat, we can leave this island.
I can fight bravely in the Wilderness Continent and reap glory.
Because I follow Lord Zhen Jin!
Notes
Welp, there goes that worm, poor bastard got killed off screen. I wonder if the greasy worm burns well and be used to make lubricant to grease the wheels of the carts. Also, I wonder if Bai Ya just stole spare paper, or did he find the captain’s last words hidden in his quarters?