novelDeath crisis!
| ← Ch.0942 | Ch.0944 → |
Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales
"What happened?"
A dazed voice sounded. Those few men were obviously clueless regarding what was actually happening. Looking at everyone's expression, they shifted their gaze to their feet.
There the sand suddenly became soft, and their feet unknowingly sank into it. What was even more unbelievable was the speed was still increasing.
"Sand?"
"Stuck?"
A man sneered, "Oh, I was wondering what you guys were afraid of. It turned out to be quicksand. Ridiculous! As a world esper, you guys are actually afraid of mere quicksand!"
"Rise!"
The Rule Force of that man appeared. Just as he was ready to get his body out, who would have known that the moment the Rule Force emerged, the originally calm sand became berserk.
His Rule Force got absorbed!
"Retreat!" Su Hao shouted.
The crowd fled in a hurry. The moment when they left the danger zone, the quicksand whirled wildly, escaping towards the surroundings. In an instant, those few men were drowned as if they had fallen into a horrifying swamp. The Rule Force, which had been rendered ineffective, couldn't contribute anything to their resistance.
The quicksand spread.
Even several people, who were slow in escaping, were caught at the edge of the quicksand. As those few men struggled, they activated their Rule Force, causing the speed of the expanding quicksand to increase dramatically. They did this even though they knew that such effort would be in vain, that doing so would only stimulate the quicksand even more, but that was the only thing they could do to escape.
"Help me!"
"Help me... Aahhhh!"
Those few people who ridiculed everyone in the beginning, after seeing that everyone didn't have any desire to save them at all, they grew madder, urging all their Rule Force in their body.
"Since I am going to die, don't think that you all will have a good life!"
Boom!
The quicksand rioted more.
"This lunatic." Liu Ping's complexion changed, "Quickly flee!"
"Run!"
"Run!"
Without having any thought of provoking nature, everyone was running wildly.
However, the slowest ones would always be affected. Each time when the quicksand was about to stop, those dying world espers would struggle and ended up stimulating the quicksand.
The only source of this quicksand...
It was Rule Force!
Two minutes later.
When the quicksand finally stopped, everyone had goosebumps all over their body. No matter who saw this scene, their faces didn't look good.
This exploration team of forty-eight people, only thirty remained.
In other words, the quicksand that appeared randomly actually managed to kill eighteen men!
This was simply hard to believe!
Everyone stared at the scene in disbelief. Even Liu Ping's heart was beating rapidly.
Quicksand...
In the past, for a world esper, let alone quicksand, with just one step, calming down an entire desert wasn't an issue, but in front of this quicksand, they all vanished.
It was such a sad and pitiful incident.
Everyone was awakened.
One drop of water could kill a world esper.
One grain of sand could destroy a world esper.
The first and second stages were all terrifying.
It was just that it was their first time that they were in high spirits. Thus, even though the first hurdle was difficult, with unity and prudence, they persisted to the end. Then during the second stage, due to Kintaro's comical character and also the reward from the first stage, everyone had forgotten how fearsome this place is.
They had forgotten the fear they had of this Great Despair.
Here...
Was still a Great Despair.
Nine Great Despairs, how could any of them be an easy place?
The sad thing was this quicksand could only destroy a few world espers originally, but due to those victims' suicidal attempts and jealousy of the others, more than a dozen others were eventually dragged along. Especially the resentment of that prideful guy at the beginning, his act caught many people off guard.
Even if he died, he would pull others along.
This guy...
Looking at the endless desert, Liu Ping suddenly felt that this problem needed to be solved first. That man might be the first, but definitely wouldn't be the last.
What if there was such a person again when the quicksand appears again?
Very likely, the entire team would be wiped out!
After all, this sand absorbed Rule Force for its fuel.
"Remember two points." Liu Ping's eyes suddenly became terrifying. Looking at the remaining thirty people, "First, never ever use Rule Force again. At least, not while we're still in the desert."
Everyone nodded.
This wasn't a joke.
Having experienced the scene earlier, who would have the guts to use Rule Force?
"Second..." Liu Ping's gaze was full of murderous intent, "If one has bad luck and quicksand happens to appear under their feet, then stop moving and let the desert devour. Using Rule Force to struggle will only affect the others instead."
Everyone went silent.
Logically it was so, but who could do it?
When one was about to die, why would they care about this?
To struggle during the final moment of death, with different kinds of Rule Force, what if there was a chance to break free? Why not give it a try?
As for affecting others...
Is this some joke? I'm about to die, what's there to be afraid of?
Indeed!
Not using Rule Force and letting the desert devour them without a struggle was the best move for the team, but it would be a dead end for that individual. Right now, everyone didn't dare to voice out.
"You all can't do it?" Liu Ping calmly asked.
After entering the Great Despair, he had been maintaining his demeanor of a leader because he believed that those problems would not make his life hard, but now... He wasn't sure whether the World Force would be absorbed or not. After all, World Force is just a stronger version of Rule Force.
Since Rule Force was able to trigger the desert...
Then would World Force be feasible? What if it stimulates the desert even more?
Then everyone would be unable to escape death!
Worrying about his concern, Liu Ping finally lost his cool.
"You all can't do it?" Liu Ping once again asked. No one answered.
"Then I will make the decision for all of you." Liu Ping's murderous intent skyrocketed, "From now onward, if anyone dares to use Rule Force in attempting to get out from the quicksand, hehe... No worries, right? Are you all sure that you don't have any worries?"
Liu Ping's eyes were cold.
"If you died under the quicksand, it was all for the Great Despair, a noble sacrifice for humanity. Your family would get to enjoy supreme honor. However, if you cause harm to others like that guy earlier..."
Liu Ping revealed a cruel smile and looked back at his underling beside him.
"Remember that guy earlier. When we go back, we will get rid of his roots. Whether it's a force or family, everyone related to him will be wiped out without leaving a living mouth! As for his crime, let's just define it as betraying mankind."
Betraying mankind...
Everyone's heart turned cold. They could already imagine what kind of scene that would be.
"If you all have thought it through well, then let's go." Liu Ping said indifferently.
Everyone was silent.
"Liu Ping..."
Su Hao jotted down this name. Now, this was how a level three world esper should act, right? He didn't feel that Liu Ping's decision was anything wrong. Obviously, those guys who still insisted on dragging others along were too hateful. Even if they arrived in the beast domain, they belonged to those who wouldn't die in a good way.
"Be careful." Su Hao reminded Zheng Tai.
At this time, everyone knew that once they were caught in the quicksand, they would definitely die! After going through the first stage when one becomes a corpse when touching a water droplet, this second stage with the quicksand became an even more terrifying crisis.
Thus, the exploration team became even more careful.
"Never use Rule Force."
"Walk slowly."
"Don't rush."
Liu Ping said in a low voice.
From the outside, such a scene looked ridiculous. He had been saying the same thing over and over again, but no one laughed because they could see Liu Ping's nervousness. Even someone like Liu Ping, who had no change of expression when facing Kintaro, was so afraid of his death at such a moment.
Who wouldn't be afraid of his own death?
Even a world esper was no exception!
The reason they looked so calm in normal days was because those guys had not encountered any murderous crisis. Would a wolf be afraid of pheasants? No, but what about lions and tigers?
They would still be fearful!
Right now, in this desert, before that quicksand, no one dared to act arrogantly.
"Is there something similar in Taihu Territory too?" Liu Ping looked at Su Hao.
"Yes." Su Hao calmly said, "Once one falls into the water, death is inevitable."
Liu Ping laughed at himself, water and sand... Indeed, they deserved to be Nine Great Despairs.
Within the desert, there was no longer anyone speaking. Everyone was walking with muffled voices. In front of a crisis, the atmosphere turned scary, and no one dared to break the silence.
No one dared to use their Rule Force.
There wouldn't be any problems again by doing so, right?
After walking for over five minutes, everything remained calm, which made them feel relieved. It seemed that in this desert, as long as one didn't use Rule Force, there wouldn't be any issues.
If it was as they thought, then this place wasn't that...
Just when everyone thought of it.
Crack!
A distinctive footstep rang. Everyone stiffened and looked quickly toward a certain direction behind them. One man, a world esper of the Origin Ability Association, had one foot stuck.
Over there...
Quicksand appeared.
"Huh?" That man was obviously panicking, "I didn't use any Rule Force!"
"Stop moving!" Liu Ping shouted out loud, "Don't move."
"I'm not moving." That man said in horror. His emotions were in chaos, "But my feet, my feet are moving."
Yes, the sand moved again.
Although there was no stimulus from the Rule Force, its radius wasn't large, but it was still expanding.
"Remember what I said before?" Liu Ping comforted that man in a soft voice.
At this time, not only that man but the others also did not dare move either because it was too close! Once that man's Rule Force goes havoc, everyone here might die!
Perhaps only Liu Ping's speed could have a chance in escaping?
Right now, never ever trigger that man.
"Remember."
That man's face turned pale.
"I recalled you having a daughter." Liu Ping smiled, "I remember that kid is very cute, and she had gone to the Origin Ability Association before. Everyone was treating her like their own daughter..."
"Her name is Ling Er, right?"
That man's eyes were showing a soft gaze.
"Sorry, but I can't save you." Liu Ping looked solemnly, "But I will definitely take care of her well! If there is a chance... If there is a chance for me to go back alive, I will treat her as my own blood daughter!"
"Alright." That man nodded, "I believe in you!"
Being together in the Origin Ability Association, their relationship wasn't bad. Although Liu Ping was strong and his personality was irritable, his promise was absolutely credible.
Suddenly both no longer had any words to add. That man had also lost his desire to struggle.
The crowd looked at that figure gradually becoming engulfed like that. In front of everyone, he was swallowed by the quicksand, and he shed tears until the final moment.
"You must..."
"Take good care of her."
One man died.
No one was dragged along, but the atmosphere within the team was quite heavy.
No one spoke again. Everyone continued to walk slowly, and their footsteps were unconsciously accelerating at a slow rate as they were trying to get out of this nightmarish place. A few minutes later, a soft noise was heard once again.
Su Hao's foot that was about to step forward, suddenly halted.
| ← Ch. 0942 | Ch. 0944 → |