Chapter 300: Leaving Abyss [3]
Liu i cradled the limp snakes with reverence, then shoved them into Alice’s hands.
Alice didn’t flinch. She simply smiled as she cradled the snakes like they were nothing out of the ordinary.
Then, with a spark of energy, she signed a few swift gestures to Liu i.
Liu i blinked, then turned toward their designated translator. “Betty?”
Betty pinched the bridge of her nose with the weight of a thousand headaches.
“She says…” Betty muttered. “Bring her so firewood. She’ll start the fire.”
Liu i clapped her hands. “Excellent! That’s my disciple! Everyone, assist the chef!”
Icehart muttered under his breath, “We’re seriously cooking snakes now…?”
Zhao Yun gave him a sideways glance.
“…I’ll gather the firewood,” he said, already walking off.
Within minutes, a modest campfire had been built.
Zhao Yun stacked the last bit of firewood with surprising grace, brushing her palms together. “Firewood’s set.”
Alice knelt beside it, her small fra moving with quiet efficiency.
She clapped her hands once, gathered a bit of soul energy in her palm, and gently tapped the wood.
Fwoosh.
A small fla ca to life, crackling cheerfully in the jungle’s otherwise wild hum.
Liu i leaned over Alice’s shoulder like a curious child. “Nice, nice. Oh! Don’t forget the glands. I heard if you eat snake at without taking them out, you will hallucinate for weeks or even months.”
Alice blinked, then nodded solemnly.
Liu i watched proudly as Alice skinned the snakes with clean precision, her hands swift but gentle.
She cut away the inedible bits and coiled the at neatly.
“She’s definitely my disciple,” Liu i said smugly. “So talented. So composed. And probably not a personal chef.”
“Probably?” Yuu echoed.
As Alice dropped the seasoned at onto a heated pan conjured with spirit energy, the aroma filled the clearing, earthy, spicy, and oddly mouth-watering.
Even Icehart sniffed the air, unwillingly intrigued.
“…Okay. That slls good,” he admitted, clearly pained to say it.
Just as the at began to sizzle and brown, Betty suddenly tilted her head.
“…Hold up. Anyone hear that?”
The jungle rustled.
Zhao Yun rose first, eyes narrowing. “Sothing’s coming.”
Alice calmly flipped the at, unfazed.
Liu i cracked her knuckles. “Whatever it is, better not ruin dinner.”
Yuu drew her blade with an exasperated sigh, casting Liu i a sideways glance.
“Maybe the heavens specifically told you not to eat snake at, and this is their way of doubling down.”
The trees in front of them began to sway unnaturally, parting with groans and cracks.
Then ca the rumble, soft at first, like distant thunder which was followed by the unmistakable tremor of heavy steps.
“What… is that?” Yuu murmured, blade already half-drawn.
The ground ahead bulged, rising like a slow, deliberate wave. At first glance, it looked like a hill was lumbering toward them.
But then the “hill” raised its head.
A moss-covered snout pushed through the treeline, followed by a massive, craggy shell that shimred faintly with protective runes.
Liu i blinked in excitent. “Wait… is that the tortoise Alice was chatting with earlier?”
Sure enough, it was.
The Ancient Tortoise, eyes half-lidded in the way of all extrely old, extrely tired creatures, erged from the jungle like a forgotten god going for a walk.
It blinked once, its gaze sweeping over the group, then slowly opened its mouth.
And let out a slow, guttural yawn.
“…He’s back,” Betty said, deadpan.
“Maybe he slled the food,” Yuu added.
Liu i held up a plate. “Hey, big guy! You want a bite?”
The tortoise blinked again… then took a single, monuntal step forward, causing a few birds to flee from nearby trees.
Zhao i didn’t speak but her hand was still on her weapon, just in case.
The tortoise lumbered to a stop just a few ters from the fire. The heat from its breath made the flas flicker.
Alice dusted her hands, rose from beside the fire, and quietly approached the giant tortoise.
The massive beast watched her with eyes half-lidded.
Standing just before its mossy beak, she raised her small hands and began signing.
The tortoise tilted its head slightly, and then
Grunnnnnt.
A deep, earthen rumble rolled from its throat. The sound alone sent a vibration through the ground, shaking stray leaves loose from the canopy above.
Hrunnnnnnnt.
Betty’s brows furrowed as her eyes scanned Alice’s movents.
The rest of the group was frozen, silent.
Zhao i and Zhao Yun had stopped mid-watch, leaning ever so slightly forward.
Yuu’s blade was half-raised, just in case, but her eyes were locked on Alice.
Betty’s lips moved silently as she tried to decode the signs.
Her expression shifted, confused, then wide-eyed, then slightly horrified.
Suddenly, Liu i froze mid-bite, eyes narrowing as if sothing deeply important had just struck her.
“Wait…” she said, slowly turning around. “Where’s the monkey?”
Yuu blinked. “You an… money?”
“No! The monkey! The ice monkey!” Liu i snapped, scanning the area frantically.
Her gaze swept past the group and landed on the now-empty spot where Icehart had been sitting.
Her brows furrowed.
The others turned as well, even Yuu included and then he realized the truth at the sa ti.
He was gone.
“…You an to tell he slipped away?” Yuu muttered.
Liu i gasped, dramatically clutching her chest. “Our billion taels of gold has dissapeared!”
“Yuu!” she barked, “Can you find the monkey?”
Yuu exhaled through her nose, lips twitching into a smile. “Luckily… I injected a tracker into his blood.”
She raised one hand, tracing a glowing sigil in the air with practiced ease.
A pulse of energy flickered, and a small portal blood open, showing a swirling image on the other side.
But just as quickly as it appeared, it snapped shut with a sharp crack.
Yuu’s smile dropped.
“…The portal rejected the link.”
Liu i gasped again. “You an, he broke it?!”
Yuu’s expression darkened. “No. He didn’t break it, he’s not strong enough for that. It’s likely Sothing—or soone—is interfering with the portal key..”
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