In the Forest of the Strong, Detective Loli and Gold-rimmed Glasses Guy sat around a campfire.
"We're running low on food," Detective Loli sighed, her once fair face now covered in dirt. Just ten minutes ago, they had encountered a few 'guests' whose food supplies had caught their attention. They had attacked these 'guests' but with poor results; they hadn't managed to steal the food, and Glasses Guy had nearly lost his life. These 'guests' could burrow into the ground and completely disappear. Their escape had been due in part to luck.
"We need to be more cautious when choosing targets next time. We..." Glasses Guy suddenly turned his head as if hearing something.
"Something's off," he muttered. Just as he spoke, two figures rushed towards them. Seeing one of them, Detective Loli tensed up.
"Is he trying to reduce the number of players?" she wondered, standing up as she watched Su Xiao rapidly approaching.
"That doesn't seem right. It looks more like he's... running for his life?" Glasses Guy said, puzzled.
"Brother Bai Ye..." Detective Loli began.
Whoosh!
Su Xiao sped past them, followed closely by Bubuwang, without acknowledging Glasses Guy.
The campfire was blown out by the wind from their passing, leaving Glasses Guy's hand frozen awkwardly in midair.
Rumble...
The ground started to shake. Detective Loli and Glasses Guy looked towards the source of the noise, their faces turning pale.
"Oh my god..." Detective Loli's voice was almost a sob.
"Split up!" Glasses Guy shouted, and they ran in opposite directions.
The army of Parasite Crabs surged past, ignoring Detective Loli and Glasses Guy, fixated solely on Su Xiao. It seemed that Su Xiao's action of drawing water into their territory had provoked an unrelenting pursuit.
Ignoring the terrified Detective Loli and Glasses Guy, Su Xiao contemplated why these crabs were so persistent. Their pursuit suggested he had committed a serious offense against them.
Su Xiao hadn't done anything drastic, but a former Shadow of Extinction named Karn Celis had a history of burning the homes of Parasite Crabs. To Shadows of Extinction, these crabs were pests that had to be eradicated. The destruction of planets by Parasite Crabs far exceeded that caused by wars, shattering the elemental balance in the void. Shadows of Extinction would destroy these pests on sight, earning the crabs' eternal hatred. Unfortunately for the crabs, a grown Shadow of Extinction could easily annihilate them, leaving them trembling in fear.
In this instance, the Parasite Crabs were treating Su Xiao as a nemesis due to his pure Qinggang Shadow energy, mistaking him for a Shadow of Extinction who had tormented their kind.
Su Xiao found himself a target by association. His inheritance of the Shadow of Extinction was not traditional, and he did not know its past enemies.
The presence of Parasite Crabs on the castle's fourth floor might not be a coincidence. Alice wouldn't have brought such a dangerous species into the castle without reason.
As the chase continued, Su Xiao and Bubuwang sped through the forest. Despite the crabs' rapid, tide-like movement, the pair managed to widen the gap between them and their pursuers.
Realizing this, the crabs accelerated, leaving behind a trail of broken shells.
The Parasite Crabs closed in again, entering Su Xiao's direct sense range of seven meters.
Irritated, Su Xiao abruptly stopped. Bubuwang, startled, barked frantically, "Master, calm down!"
Su Xiao was calm. Continuous fleeing was too exhausting; he needed to make the crabs pause or deal them a heavy blow. He hadn't planned on this due to the risk of being surrounded, but the crabs had pushed him too far.
As Su Xiao halted, a swarm of crabs surged forward.
The Reversal Shield activated, forming a circular barrier around Su Xiao.
Clattering noises filled the air as countless crabs collided with the shield. Su Xiao crouched, maintaining his balance.
Cracking sounds indicated the shield was being rapidly gnawed and corroded by acid.
"Not dense enough yet," Su Xiao muttered, waiting for the crabs to gather more densely around him. Encased in darkness, he knew that once the shield broke, he would be devoured instantly.
Not far away, Bubuwang saw Su Xiao encircled by crabs. Tears welled up in its eyes, and it charged towards the crabs, ready to fight to the death.
Whoosh!
A red wave of energy radiated from the crab swarm. Any crab touched by the wave exploded into fragments.
The sheer number of crabs shattered. Su Xiao reappeared, surrounded by a shield full of holes.
This was the active effect of his aura, which emitted an energy wave dealing 100 points of damage plus five times his willpower to all enemies within 30 meters, ignoring armor, magic resistance, shields, and equipment defenses.
With their low stamina, the crabs' defenses relied on their white shells. The aura's active effect wiped them out.
Using the brief window provided by the cleared area, Su Xiao dashed out of the crab swarm and continued to flee.
Bubuwang, initially ready for a desperate fight, made a sharp U-turn, silently appreciating the value of life over combat.
The pursuit continued, with the crabs hesitating to advance further, perhaps recalling their instinctive fear of Shadows of Extinction.
Soon, Su Xiao and Bubuwang reached the depths of the Forest of the Strong.
Finding the crabs no longer pursuing, Su Xiao relaxed, leaning against a tree to rest. Bubuwang, panting and cooling off through its mouth, noticed the increasing temperature as they delved deeper into the forest.
Su Xiao, shirtless and smoking, noticed Bubuwang eyeing its fur coat. Although hot, Bubuwang couldn't take off its natural coat.
"Thinking of shaving?" Su Xiao asked, exhaling smoke. He imagined Bubuwang shaved all over except for its back and head, resembling a donkey.
Bubuwang lifted its head defiantly, indicating it wouldn't shave.
Despite their harrowing escape, they had gained something valuable.
Su Xiao retrieved a bucket of fresh water from his storage, poured two cups, and handed one to Bubuwang. Together, they drank cup after cup.
Bubuwang let out a satisfied burp. Despite their frantic escape, they had secured a reliable water source.