Translator: Ashish
Translation Checker: Silavin
Listening to the woman’s mockery, the team fell into silence.
For a moment, the atmosphere within the team became a little tense.
Indeed, this was their fate. They were worthless. Unlike those bigshots who merely had to give orders…
At this moment, as if sensing the strange atmosphere, the brash man in the group waved his hand dismissively and nonchalantly asked, “What are you thinking?
“We offer our services and resolve other people’s problems, that’s our job. Besides, what danger could there be in Misty Mountains? It’s just that Prehistoric Crocodile…”
Just then, an untimely voice interrupted him, “Um… haven’t you heard the recent rumors?”
“Rumors? What rumors?”
The brash man was taken aback, which rarely happens.
“Misty Mountains has been classified as a Red Zone. It is said that there may exist unknown life forms similar to the mist.”
“Uh…”
The brash man’s expression stiffened slightly before looking in astonishment at the fog enveloping the mountain.
To be honest, he had no idea. He had been recruited into the team on a temporary basis. And only because he had Enhancement-Type Innate Talent, which made him a decent combatant.
However, he had no specific knowledge, not even about the mission, let alone Misty Mountains. Now, gazing at the mist that had covered the mountains, a trace of skepticism appeared on his face.
[The mist can actually give birth to life!? How is this possible? How can something that defies all common norms possibly exist?]
…
Meanwhile, not far from the skeptical young man, in another location…
*Boom!* The mist swirled about as a seemingly slender figure emerged. All around the figure, crimson vines happened to be swaying here and there, swirling the mist further.
Though the figure possessed a beautiful countenance, it was exuding an icy coldness.
“Are they my so-called trials?” Murmuring in a soft voice, Thorns’ gaze turned toward another figure that had appeared within the swirling mist – Golden Ant.
“They have already set foot in the inner area. It’s about time to take care of them.” At this point, Golden Ant crossed his arms and added in a low tone, “I don’t want to see any of them leave alive.”
Hearing Golden Ant’s order, a faint smile tugged at Thorns’ lips as she asked, probing, “You seem quite hostile toward Humans?”
“Hostile toward Humans?” As if hearing a joke, Golden Ant could not help but snort disdainfully. Then, he cast a cold glance at Thorns and retorted, “If you had experienced waking up each day, only to witness your fellow kin being subjected to the cruelest experiments by Humans since the moment you gained sentience, you would understand.”
And then, as if remembering something, Golden Ant could not help but sneer, “Oh, I almost forgot, you were once a Human too.”
“That was in the past.” Listening to Golden Ant’s mockery, Thorns’ expression changed slightly, and she quickly corrected herself.
“Well, the past is the past. But you’d better understand, if you, as you are now, got discovered by Humans, your fate will be a hundred times more miserable than mine.” With those words, Golden Ant did not spare another glance at Thorns, whose face bore a complex expression. He turned around and disappeared into the thick mist.
At that very moment…
Thorns clenched her fists tightly as her expression changed, and then changed again.
Certainly, what Golden Ant had said had a certain impact on her.
At least, his words once again shook her last bit of resolve.
Yet, after a moment, as if realizing something, Thorns’ gaze suddenly shifted to the nearby Human team. Her eyes flickered incessantly.
“Perhaps I’m overthinking things.” Saying this, Thorns retracted the vines that had been gently swaying in the air.
Then, raising her toe, she strode forward.
…
*Tap, Tap, tap…*
Clear footsteps resounded in the mist, causing the expressions of each member of the Human team to subtly change.
Everyone exchanged glances before collectively focusing their gaze toward the source of the sound.
After a moment, in their bewildered gazes, a vague humanoid figure began to materialize within the dense mist.
“A Human!?” said the brash man in a perplexed voice, his eyes could not help but widen.
It was definitely lucky to run into a Human in Misty Mountains. After all, Misty Mountain was like a labyrinth. Furthermore, the mist could confuse the five senses. It would be a tall achievement for an ordinary person to not get lost in it.
As for the seven of them, due to their unique Innate Talents as Superhumans, they had not lost their way in Misty Mountains. As such, encountering a Human in Misty Mountains was not an everyday occurrence.
At this point, the outline in the mist gradually became clear. It was a woman. Tall and slender, with long crimson hair.
However, what caught everyone’s attention was her plump peaks covered by the leaves heaving up and down, provoking all kinds of thoughts.
*Gulp* Involuntarily swallowing saliva, the brash man wiped the corner of his mouth.
Certainly, he had no defenses against a woman dressed like this. Only after a moment did the brash man’s gaze travel upward.
Then, he finally noticed the beautiful and stunning features of the figure.
However, her beautiful and delicate features, when compared to the woman’s current expression, was undoubtedly overshadowed.
Her large, beautiful eyes carried a hint of playfulness, and her red lips were slightly pursed into a charming smile.
“Um…” The brash man could not help but notice that the figure was not wearing pants. Rather, her long and slender thighs were wrapped in leaves.
What made him widen his eyes even more was that the figure was wearing anything on her feet as well.
However, before he could say anything, a voice tinged with jealousy suddenly resounded in the fog, “Hmph, have you never seen a woman before, have you? You really think I don’t exist?”
Coldly snorting, the only female in the team took a couple of steps forward and sized up Thorns, who had emerged from the mist.
“Oh my, no wonder why these men can’t seem to walk properly. So it was because of this tramp…” While speaking, the woman’s gaze toward Thorns revealed an unmistakable tinge of envy.
“…” Thorns remained silent, simply observing.
But just then, as if realizing something, one of the middle-aged members in the seven-person team suddenly had a subtle change in his expression as he shouted, “Take a closer look, I have a feeling that there is something wrong with this woman.”
Saying this, his gaze focused on the vines coiling around the Thorns’ body. For some reason, he felt like those vines were alive.
“Something wrong? What do you mean?” the brash man casually asked before taking a few steps forward and asking with a smile, “Hey, are you lost?”
Saying so, his gaze could not help but flit around Thorns, while his right hand unconsciously reached out toward Thorns’ shoulder.
[Damn, she is really beautiful. If I can… pinning her…]
As if thinking something, a knowing smile appeared on the brash man’s face, a smile that only men understand.