Chapter 574: Chapter 290: Three-Person Squad, Eerie Wrath (Part 2)
Activities are unpredictably distributed at any point throughout twenty-four hours.
They observed for a full three days!
Yet, they couldn’t find a single safe mont with sufficient leeway, where they could infiltrate the lair to search for and collect the Gray Ointnt Scale Fungus.
“Perhaps… our team could have soone follow a Petrified Lizard when it goes out hunting, while the other two seize the opportunity to enter the lair and collect the mushrooms.”
“When the Petrified Lizard has an intention to return from hunting, the person following can quickly co back to warn us?”
The last mber of the team, a bulky bald man much larger than Adeline, suggested to the other two with a ticulous thought and exploratory tone that contrasted with his fierce appearance.
Furrowing his brows, he pondered briefly.
Adeline gently shook her head:
“The uncertainties are too great, offering no margin for error, and it easily leads to unnecessary danger. Plus, executing the plan as imagined during the actual process would be quite challenging.”
“First, although we’ve prepared ample scent-blocking sprays and have pre-purchased the Petrification Resistance Potion, the person tailing the Petrified Lizard would undoubtedly face the highest risk. If discovered… You’re aware of the sudden burst of speed that creature can achieve, attempting to flee might require so luck.”
“In this regard, who would be the right person for the job?”
Seeing the bald man beside her hesitate, seemingly wanting to volunteer for the position, Adeline waved her hand to signal him to let her finish speaking.
“Secondly, if as you said, we leave soone outside to keep watch before entering the lair, sending another one out to follow the Petrified Lizard ans only one person would be left to delve into the lair to collect the mushrooms.”
“We haven’t even figured out the specifics within the cave, going alone, who knows what other dangers might be encountered.”
“If unfortunate enough to get trapped, unable to escape, and the Petrified Lizard happens to return, it would lead to a dead end, wouldn’t it?”
There were clearly many more loopholes in the bald man’s proposed plan, but the two points Adeline raised were enough to entirely dismiss his suggestion.
Even though the bald man looked fierce and nacing, he remained unexpectedly calm, naturally accepting the rejection of his proposal.
After all, they were genuine temporary teammates, sharing a common goal and interests, and they possessed decent professionalism as “adventurers.”
It was naturally impossible to act recklessly like many foolish people who don’t know their limits, throwing fits when things don’t go their way.
“So now… we just wait, right?”
The bald man glanced towards the cave entrance from a distance, his gaze quickly shifting as he quietly asked.
“Yes.” Adeline’s expression was serious as she responded sternly, “We’ll just wait.”
“Anyway, there’s still plenty of ti before the task deadline, and our supplies are sufficient. We could last at least a couple of weeks in the forest, giving us ample ti to observe every move of this Eight-legted Lizard.”
“With patience, an opportunity will eventually arise.”
The two continued discussing the upcoming plan in low voices.
Suddenly, a low shout from nearby made their hearts skip a beat.
“Stay alert!”
“The crawler is about to co out!”
It was the emaciated man who had his ear pressed to the ground. He suddenly half-rose, warning the other two.
“How is that possible? It just returned not long ago, and it seed to have eaten quite a lot. It should at least sleep for a couple of hours, right?”
The bald man showed slight surprise on his face, yet his body tensed up at the other’s warning, ready to spring into action.
Adeline’s frown deepened, trusting her temporary teammate’s judgnt, while the abnormal behavior of the Petrified Lizard also stirred a vague sense of unease within her.
She made a quick decision and spoke up:
“Sothing’s not right, let’s retreat for now!”
Her words had just fallen when a high-pitched beast roar filled with violence and boundless anger erupted from the depths of the cave, seemingly causing the surrounding air to tremble slightly.
Dust and rubble fell in showers, a sense of ominousness pervading as two ghost fire-like erald vertical pupils abruptly appeared in the darkness, followed by a massive, unwieldy, frightening silhouette erging from the deeper shadows.
Sharp claws tore through the shadows, falling harshly onto the ground at the cave entrance. The blunted claw edges under the pressure of its heavy body instantly embedded into the soil.
Muscular, knotted short legs exploded with force, and brown bone spurs resembling subterranean crystals burst forth from the skull, spreading to the back and tail, revealing beneath them a lizard head covered with bluish-gray scales, filled with rage.
The body of the Petrified Lizard was too plump, charging too hastily, causing its bloated belly to get stuck halfway through the opening while trying to exit.
Like an overly fat groundhog, its four front legs frantically struggled and pulled at the edges of the ground and cave entrance.
Only when the entire cave entrance almost collapsed did the massive, bloated Eight-legged Lizard finally manage to crawl out amidst the rubble and dust.
Yet, its face bore an anthropomorphized, unprecedented fury.
Unsure of what had happened, Adeline and her two teammates had already retreated a few seconds ago.
Clearly, in the current state of the Petrified Lizard, there was no chance of sneaking into its lair to steal anything. A direct confrontation would be a fight to the death, definitely not sothing they could approach!
And it was at this mont, as if sensing so sort of elusive scent, that the Petrified Lizard’s facial expression softened just a bit, replaced by an unprecedented focus.
Its neck abruptly straightened, and while its head moved gently from side to side, its nostrils flared, seemingly sniffing for sothing.
Despite the considerable distance, already beyond the range of the Petrification Gaze, Adeline saw very clearly.
The amplitude of the Petrified Lizard’s head movent… was gradually diminishing.
As if it was confirming the direction of its target.
And they were within its gaze.
Adeline suddenly felt a chill run from the base of her spine straight to the top of her head, and cold sweat broke out on her back.
Quickly retreating, her concentration intensified, nearly fixated on the gradually slowing movent of the lizard’s head.
Until those ghostly cold vertical pupils stopped abruptly… amidst the brush shadows!
Eye contact!
“Buzz…”
Her heart seed clutched by an invisible hand, her breath frozen at that mont, as if the entire world plunged into an indescribable silence.
Exhale—
Like barely resurfacing from a drowning fit of sleep, Adeline gasped sharply, and the sounds of the surrounding world flooded into her ears.
Without any hesitation, and no attempt to lower her volu,
A near-hysterical female voice burst through the forest:
“Drink the potion!”
“Prepare for combat!!!”
Her sudden behavior caught her two teammates off guard.
Amidst the urgency, there was no ti to reflect; in the next mont, they watched as she used her mouth to uncork the pre-readied Petrification Resistance Potion and swallowed it whole.
anwhile, a loud crash from not far ahead announced the breaking of tree trunks.
Only then did the two realize the reason behind Adeline’s sudden actions and followed suit, drinking down their potions.
To be honest, the response of these two professionals wasn’t slow; in fact, thanks to Adeline’s heads-up, their reaction ti was actually quicker than what naturally would have been.
Yet even so, compared to this figure who had earned the nickna “Green Blood” among the low-level adventurers, they were still a whole 1.5 seconds too late.
It was precisely this 1.5-second delay.
That allowed the Petrified Lizard, fueled by rage, to explosively close the distance to within the effective range of the Petrification Gaze.
The efficacy of the resistance potion Adeline consud had fully kicked in just in ti, while the other two had only just swallowed theirs, not even having ti to toss away the empty bottles in their hands.
In that instant, the bald man’s entire body stiffened, then returned to normal.
While the wiry man’s speed massively dropped, as patches of gray-white appeared on the surface of his arm joints, chest, and face.
Roar—
A beastial roar full of boundless rage resonated deep within the forest.
Above the canopy, countless birds scattered in panic.
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