Published: February 12, 2025
Chapter
“Ready?”
Suddenly, a low male voice emerged from beneath a patch of lush green moss, clearly tinged with tension.
Then, the moss began to shift and move forward until it reached the vicinity of three massive trees. Seven humanoid figures slowly emerged from the flat mossy surface.
The three trees were towering, each standing over a hundred meters tall, impressively thick; ten adult men couldn’t wrap their arms around one.
These trees displayed a magical bright purple hue, lacking bark and instead adorned with curtain-like strands of pearls hanging from their trunks. The silver beads emitted a soft glow, making the three towering trees, arranged in an equilateral triangle, appear like Christmas trees.
The canopy of the big trees was expansive, and together they created a shaded area spanning several kilometers.
The branches and leaves were peculiar, with thick trunks supporting spirally hanging long red leaves. In the oval-shaped spaces formed at the center of the leaves, many dazzling red fruits could be seen, about the size of strawberries, smooth as jade, and radiating a strange fragrance that filled the entire area.
The ground was covered in these red long leaves, most of which had wilted, turning into a tattered dark red, no longer spirally twisted, but restored to a flat surface.
The dark red here contrasted sharply with the green outside.
Upon closer inspection, one would notice that these seemingly motionless fallen leaves occasionally twitched slightly.
The seven protruding humanoid figures were moving slowly, seemingly engaged in some activity.
At a certain moment, all seven jumped up and rushed toward the center of the three trees.
As they stepped into the forest, the fallen red leaves on the ground began to tremble; initially, only a few moved, but once the seven figures draped in green moss covered several meters, all the leaves began to sway.
They whirled up like a whirlwind, and before long, countless ‘leaf serpents’ made of leaves, each over two meters tall, appeared around them.
Upon closer inspection, behind each leaf was a wriggling black insect!
“The Insect Towers have appeared. If we don’t take action here, we’ll be in trouble!”
It was the same initial voice.
As he spoke, the others pulled out a strange metallic device from the green moss, resembling a compass. As they took it out, metal spoons launched from a metallic plate toward the spiral red leaves on the tree canopy, flying at high speed.
“Guard!”
The seven formed a defensive formation, facing the serpentine insect towers created by the leaves clinging with insects. They clearly had experience dealing with such situations. The moss covering their bodies, except for their feet, exploded at this moment, transforming into hard green projectiles that flew in all directions.
Despite appearing soft when worn, these green mosses hardened into iron-like projectiles upon being shot. The insect towers closest to them were shattered by the barrage of moss, splattering foul-smelling fluids that mixed with the fragrant air, creating an odd scent.
The seven did not revel in their initial success but instead nervously retrieved a metallic tube, prying open the lid. Instantly, a watery liquid sprayed out.
Presumably due to this metallic tube, the liquid shot far, dispersing the insect towers it hit. The liquid also had corrosive effects; any insects that got splashed emitted green smoke and died after writhing on the ground for a while.
Seeing this, the seven were visibly pleased.
Unable to contain their excitement, they looked up, where the metal spoons had reached the tree canopy and were diving toward the spiral leaves bearing fruit. The fastest one had already struck an oval leaf, breaking through its barrier and scooping up a red fruit.
Before the leaves could tighten, the spoon retreated, spinning in mid-air before descending back down.
They succeeded!
Everyone was thrilled, sensing they would gain a lot this time!
However, just as they believed they would return with a bountiful harvest, the liquid in the metallic tubes suddenly diminished, and then stopped entirely.