Published at 8th of October 2024 3:08 am

Chapter 1248: Fleeing in the Face of Danger

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Bohemia, ensnared within Puppeteer’s firm grip, increasingly entertained the notion that the gray-white shadows she had glimpsed were akin to tree roots. Numerous slender entities extended beneath Lin Sanjiu’s feet, intricately intertwined and deeply embedded within the earth, only slightly dislodging when she raised her foot. If that were the case, then the present predicament could be explained.

“Beneath her feet?” Puppeteer murmured, giving her a slight nudge, prompting Bohemia to lower her gaze once more toward the mountain forest.

Lin Sanjiu, appearing to have detected that everyone’s attention was focused on her feet, abruptly retreated several large steps, her posture rigid and limbs stiff. Yet, what captured everyone’s notice was that each time she lifted her boot, a few streaks of shadow would flicker between her foot and the ground, establishing a connection between her and the earth.

The intense pain encircling Bohemia’s neck abruptly dissipated, and her skin, flesh, and soul seemed to realign in unison. She staggered back two steps, bent over, and drew a deep breath. The air soothed her lungs, which had nearly ignited. Subsequently, she felt someone approaching from beyond the railing, gently patting her back.

“Breathe slowly,” Yuan Xiangxi advised, seemingly in more agony than her. “It will get better soon.”

Who asked him to act so familiar with her?

Bohemia pushed his hand away, wiped her mouth, and asked in a low voice, “Sir… Did you see it?”

“Of course,” Puppeteer said in a deep voice, smiling. “It’s much simpler now.”

“Well, it appears she’s assimilating into a tree,” Bohemia said.

If alternatives existed, Bohemia wished to turn and flee. However, for now, she needed to muster the courage to remain, suppress her trembling, and endeavor to converse composedly with Puppeteer. “Sir, if you forcibly extract her, will she…”

In theory, uprooting a tree would kill it. In Lin Sanjiu’s case, would she die or revert to her original state?

Puppeteer glanced at her. “Do you have any alternative ideas?”

She swiftly reconsidered. She must fend for herself.

“Hold on!” Yuan Xiangxi suddenly called out, capturing both of their attention. “P-Pulling her out might not be effective. If she’s tethered to the roots, and we place her back on the ground, what if the roots manipulate her? I think we should sever those roots.”

“You’re quick with your brain now?” Bohemia felt greatly irritated by him. “What were you doing just now?”

“It’s because… Earlier, I asked her why she seemed to walk somewhat stiffly,” Yuan Xiangxi honestly replied, “but she mentioned her lower back always bothers her, so…”

So, he simply took her at her word?

Bohemia was about to retaliate when Puppeteer impatiently interjected with a “shut up,” causing her to swallow her retort. In the mere span of a conversation, Lin Sanjiu had already retreated into the forest. She was now peering from behind several trees, and in the pre-dawn light, the bandage around her neck appeared distressingly pale. Her face and body were shrouded in darkness, making her difficult to see clearly.

What the hell, these trees can still run and move!

From this distance, even Puppeteer might find it challenging. Not only there was a fence between the woods and the trees, but there was also a clearing of about ten meters between them. Lin Sanjiu was hiding behind a few trees, and she was about the same distance from the edge of the woods. The most troublesome part was that she was surrounded by trees for cover, making it difficult for them to approach, while she could simply turn her head and disappear into the depths of the forest.

Should we force her to come out? With this thought in mind, Bohemia felt a pang of pain in her neck and the lower half of her body, and she couldn’t help but shout angrily, “Come out!”

“Come in.”

“If you don’t come out, I won’t go in!”

“If you don’t come in, I won’t go out,” Lin Sanjiu replied woodenly. Perhaps even the trees felt that this situation was not viable. She suddenly added, “I haven’t actually turned into a tree because I have Higher Consciousness protection. I’m telling you, in the deeper parts of this forest, there are Special Items all over the ground. In fact, I have several right next to me now… Aren’t you coming in to pick them up?”

“Are you trying to fool us?” Bohemia almost burst into laughter.

Just then, the forest seemed to explode like a landmine, and the black sea of treetops suddenly swayed in waves, sinking deeply into a large area. Accompanied by a thunderous roar like rolling thunder from the mountain, countless branches, leaves, and gray soil erupted into the air, obscuring a large part of the view. Bohemia almost fell flat on her face but managed to stabilize herself by grabbing onto the fence. When she finally raised her head, she saw that the forest ahead looked as if it had just been struck down by divine punishment, collapsing into chaos.

Lin Sanjiu stood there unscathed, surrounded by emptiness. The trees that had been blocking her were now shattered and felled. Some tree trunks were rolling down, quickly filling up most of the open space. Broken branches and twigs floated in the air, revealing their woody interiors, creating a somewhat desolate scene in the dim light.

“Sir—” Just as Bohemia realized who had taken that action, Puppeteer had leaped into the air once more. Given Lin Sanjiu’s rigid stance, there was little chance of her fleeing into the distant woods before Puppeteer could reach her. It appeared that the situation was resolved, and Bohemia even heaved a sigh of relief.

Yet her relief proved premature.

As Puppeteer’s dark silhouette soared towards Lin Sanjiu, she remained motionless. However, a spherical red light suddenly radiated at her feet, revolving and flashing like police lights. The distant forest echoes were abruptly silenced by an electronically feminine voice declaring, “Attacked once, intensity 27, Retribution System activated.”

Was there really a Special Item next to her feet?

Bohemia was shocked for a moment, but the next moment, all her thoughts were gone. She wasn’t the primary target of this overwhelming force; the main target was Puppeteer, who had launched an attack towards the forest just moments ago. However, when she was just brushed by the edge of the tsunami-like force, all her thoughts were swept away from her mind, and for a moment, she could only see the world spinning around her.

After she hit the railing on the other side of the road with a thud and fell from the road, she lay there for a while, feeling dizzy. Only then did she manage to sit up slowly, using her hands and feet for support. Puppeteer had collided head-on with the retaliation from this Retribution System while still in mid-air. According to all logic, he should have been severely injured and thrown into the sky. However, when she gasped and raised her head, she found him standing firmly in the middle of the road without moving.

This is even worse than being thrown away. Bohemia’s mouth opened slowly, and the biting cold wind sent shivers down her skin.

Puppeteer must have summoned his power to resist the Retribution System’s assault at the last moment, enabling him to land firmly on the road. However, the clash between his power and the Retribution System’s energy occurred above the road’s railing. The former fence had been obliterated, replaced by a chaotic landscape of debris. Countless broken tree trunks and branches hurtled through the air, tumbling down the slope and flooding onto the road like a relentless tide through the gap in the fence. The tents and elevated structures of the campsite lay scattered and half-buried beneath the deluge of fallen tree parts.

Puppeteer’s feet found precarious footing on a few broken tree parts, with the closest half-trunk dangerously close to his black boots. The area around him was littered with forest debris, leaving no room for movement or jumping. Despite his extraordinary abilities, he was still human and required space to maneuver. Without objects to assist him, he couldn’t effortlessly launch into the air.

Did this mean he was temporarily trapped?

Broken tree parts—touching them shouldn’t pose a threat, right?

On the opposite side of the road, Lin Sanjiu waved at them from a distance and responded to Bohemia’s unspoken concerns, “You broke all the trees, so they’re no longer dangerous. Do you want to come over now? Just step on them to get here. I didn’t lie; there really are many Special Items in the forest.”

Hearing this, Bohemia hesitated to suggest Puppeteer to attempt another leap. She was still some distance away from the fallen debris. She took a few steps away from the fence and then had an idea.

“Yuan Xiangxi! Yuan Xiangxi!”

Since he wasn’t a living person, perhaps he could move the debris out of the way?

However, despite calling out several times, Bohemia couldn’t spot Yuan Xiangxi’s floating figure anywhere, and there was no response. Bohemia inwardly cursed him for his utter uselessness. Just as she was about to circumvent the fallen debris, Puppeteer suddenly turned his head.

“These broken tree parts are taking root,” he said, sounding almost nonchalant, as if discussing the weather, “and any part of the road that comes into contact with them is cracking.”

“Cracking?”

Bohemia was taken aback and quickly bent down to closely inspect the dim road surface. In the faint light, the tree branches and broken parts appeared to writhe like countless small worms, forming undulating shadows. Some of the branches were already sprouting roots, rapidly thickening and emerging from the road surface. She suddenly realized, “They will gradually transform the area where they take root into a forest?”

“No need for gradualness; this process won’t take long,” Puppeteer replied icily.

Lin Sanjiu stood as a living testament to what happened when someone stood within such a rapidly transforming forest.

“What do we do then?” Bohemia asked anxiously.

She recalled that Puppeteer possessed a floating ring, but if she wasn’t mistaken, that ring should still be with Lin Sanjiu. As the wood swiftly took root and turned into new trees, they had no means to push them aside. Using force to create a path would be even riskier. Once the impact force struck, it would be challenging to control the direction in which the debris and branches scattered. If the person standing at the center was inadvertently struck, they might gradually transform into a tree.

Puppeteer fell silent for a few moments, likely contemplating an escape strategy.

“Sir, can’t you move at all right now?” Bohemia said, raising her voice suddenly.

“Of course, I have a way,” Puppeteer replied.

Bohemia pretended not to hear him.

“Sir, you’re on the verge of becoming a tree,” she bravely said, turning her head to gaze at the figure amid the wreckage on the hill. “You refuse to come down to the road, don’t you?”

Lin Sanjiu didn’t say a word.

“So, if I leave now, does that mean no one can stop me?” Bohemia asked, word by word.

When Puppeteer suddenly turned his head, she had already lifted her foot and sprinted into the distance.

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