NABC Chapter 871 Swallow
Chapter 871 Swallow
Although Anjie's body can recover quickly by activating her innate skill of eating, her instincts seem to be loudly warning her about something that is clearly malicious and polluting—this thing must, absolutely must not be touched!
—Eating it might drive you crazy.
Anjie pursed her lips and gripped the props hidden in her pocket.
At this stalemate—
"Oh dear, I'm so sorry, Grandma Field Mouse."
Yu Shijiu suddenly spoke, her face showing just the right amount of apology and shyness, "We just woke up and came straight to the kitchen, we haven't had time to wash up yet, and besides, we both seem to be experiencing some water and soil acclimatization issues..."
As Yu Shijiu spoke, she pointed to Xu Han, whose face was deathly pale, and whispered:
"You see, he's the one who's really sick among us. He's been feeling unwell since last night..."
Upon hearing this, He Lingling and An Jie immediately began to feign stomach discomfort and dizziness.
Xu Han coughed exaggeratedly several times, pretending to be in terrible pain, and leaned weakly against Chen Yi, groaning:
"Waaah...waaah...I feel so awful...I'm afraid I won't have any appetite...Brother Chen...Brother Chen, do you think I'll throw up if I eat? That would be such a waste of the food that Thumbelina carefully prepared for Grandma Field Mouse..."
Xu Han's words were perfectly tactful, expressing that "it's not that I don't want to eat, it's just that the conditions don't allow it," pointing out the disadvantages of "wasting food," and even using Thumbelina as a shield.
Chen Yi, who was being leaned against, breathed a sigh of relief and began to comfort Xu Han:
"No, as long as we don't eat it, it won't be wasted. Sigh, we're all poor souls taken in by Grandma Field Mouse, we can't repay kindness with enmity and waste her food..."
The two sang in perfect harmony, their voices perfectly synchronized.
The old field mouse narrowed its small eyes, stared at Yu Shijiu for a few seconds, then glanced at Xu Han, who was almost fainting on Chen Yi's body, and let out a hoarse, leaky laugh.
"Uncomfortable? Living underground all of a sudden can easily cause this..."
The old field mouse actually didn't insist; instead, he handed the bowl of "food" to Thumbelina beside him, saying:
"Since they have no appetite, you should eat more, my good child. You look too thin and need some 'nutrition' to take good care of your body..."
Everyone saw Thumbelina's body stiffen almost imperceptibly.
But as she looked at the bowl of thick, horribly colored paste, a fleeting, complex emotion—a mixture of fear and…desire—flashed in her eyes.
A moment later, Thumbelina reached out her slightly trembling hand and took the wooden bowl.
"Thank you... thank you, Grandma Field Mouse."
Under everyone's gaze, Thumbelina lowered her head and began to eat the bowl of paste-like substance, the contents of which were unknown.
Her swallowing motion gradually changed from initial hesitation.
Thumbelina's swallowing speed suddenly increased, and towards the end, she even made a faint, impatient sucking sound.
The five of them did not look too good.
Countless guesses flashed through He Lingling's mind—by the time she was sure her guess was probably true, Thumbelina had already finished the bowl of paste.
Thumbelina's complexion seemed to become a little rosier after she ate the stuff.
However, the rosy cheeks had an unhealthy, dyed look, with a slight purplish tinge.
And the "foreign object" and "stiffness" on her body seemed to become more obvious as a result.
He Lingling's heart tightened at the sight.
Thumbelina's current changes are related to the "food" provided by the old field mouse... But is it really a matter of "food"...?
"It seems only 'good kids' deserve to enjoy delicious food."
Grandma Field Mouse nodded in satisfaction after Thumbelina finished explaining, then looked at the players again, her tone turning cold.
"Since you're not going to eat, then go and get to work. Some parts of the cave need reinforcement, and the warehouse needs tidying up. I kindly took you in to shelter you from the snow, but you can't just stay here for nothing, can you?"
Having said that, the old field mouse pointed with his cane in another direction of the passage and said succinctly:
"The tools are in the warehouse over there. Go find them yourselves. I want to see the fruits of your labor before sunset."
After saying that, it ignored everyone and began to enjoy the strange breakfast on its own, making loud chewing noises.
Having escaped the immediate crisis of needing to eat, a new task has arisen, and it is under the command of this clearly ill-intentioned "master."
Yu Shijiu was the first to respond, his smile still innocent and kind:
"Okay, Grandma Field Mouse, we'll go right away."
He seemed completely unaware of the danger and stepped in the direction the old field mouse had pointed.
Anjie took a deep breath and gave Chen Yi and He Lingling a look.
Since they could avoid a direct confrontation, they decided to first familiarize themselves with the surroundings and see if they could find the "swallow" before considering anything else.
The four of them immediately followed Yu Shijiu.
After walking a distance from the kitchen, Xu Han patted his chest and whispered, still shaken:
"My God, that thing looks like it was cooked with some kind of rotten meat and...I don't know what it is...Shi Jiu, thank you!"
Yu Shijiu turned around upon hearing this, blinked, and said, "You're welcome. I'm just stating the facts." His gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on An Jie's face, and he said softly, with a hint of meaning:
"However, if we don't eat anything... I'm afraid that won't work, will it?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the faint sound of flapping wings came from the front of the passage, along with a faint, fresh air current that was different from the decaying smell of the cave.
Everyone was cheered up.
Are the swallows about to appear?
However, at the same time, the ground beneath their feet seemed to twitch very slightly, and the shadows cast by the candlelight on the walls seemed to twist into even stranger shapes as well.
Just like the area beneath their feet, something was slowly awakening.
At this moment, Yu Shijiu's words about "hunger" pierced everyone's brains like an ice pick.
In this eerie cave, anyone, regardless of their own physiological needs, could be twisted into some kind of trap they couldn't have imagined.
The five people waited in place for almost five minutes, but nothing happened.
"It seems that the swallows will not appear for the time being."
He Lingling broke the silence, "Don't we need to keep an eye on Thumbelina?"
"I don't think so," Yu Shijiu continued. "If Yanzi really does appear... she should arrive very soon."
"..."
The others felt a chill run down their spines. Xu Han rubbed the goosebumps on his arms. "Shi Jiu, what you're saying is a bit scary..."
"Scary?"
Yu Shijiu smiled and said, "What's so scary about it? Isn't this part of the original story?"
Xu Han opened his mouth, then remembered that in the original story, "Swallow" was discovered by Thumbelina while she was cleaning.
He was stunned for a moment, and the fear in his heart dissipated considerably as a result.
“Yeah…” Xu Han scratched his head, “Yanzi should be showing up around this time…”
After all, they're almost done with this guild tournament dungeon...
After a brief discussion, the five of them followed the direction indicated by the old field mouse and headed towards the so-called "warehouse".
The tunnel leading to the "warehouse" was narrower and damper than the tunnels they had passed through. The candlelight on the earthen walls seemed much dimmer, and the flickering, dim light stretched and distorted everyone's shadows, casting them onto the uneven earthen walls, as if something invisible was following closely behind them.
This time, it wasn't just Xu Han who felt the temperature around them starting to drop; even An Jie and Chen Yi couldn't help but frown.
He Lingling quickly licked her dry lips and whispered, "It's daytime now, so there shouldn't be any deadly monsters... but for safety's sake, we'd better not stray too far apart."
As she spoke, she reached out and pulled Yu Shijiu, her words coming out very quickly:
"Shi Jiu, don't go too far away."
Upon hearing this, Yu Shijiu raised an eyebrow and said with a grin, "Don't worry, Sister Lingling, I'll cover your retreat."
"..." He Lingling's face flushed slightly, a little embarrassed. "Actually, that's not what I meant..."
That's not what she meant at all; she simply wanted to get the rest of them closer together.
Just then, a sound came from the depths of the dark cave ahead.
Anjie and Chen Yi, who were leading the group, stopped in their tracks instantly.
Anjie's heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously asked, "What does that voice sound like?"
"..."
The cave was completely silent, except for the sound of the candle wick burning slowly.
Xu Han listened carefully, then hesitated before saying, "It sounds a bit like... a bit like that thing—"
"It's the sound of birds flapping their wings."
He Lingling frowned and continued Xu Han's words, "The place ahead is very likely where Yanzi will appear."
"..."
The five of them exchanged glances, and Yu Shijiu even had a slight urge to rush over and take a look—but he restrained himself.
"Would swallows appear at this time?"
Chen Yi hesitated for a moment: "But Thumbelina isn't here either..."
As they spoke, the sound of flapping wings and a faint breath of fresh air coming from the depths of the cave ahead kept reaching their ears, as if something was trying to entice them to quicken their pace.
"Thumbelina might be here soon."
Yu Shijiu was getting anxious. He said, "Why don't we go over and take a look?"
"..."
He Lingling glanced at Yu Shijiu, who was speeding up beside her, and nodded helplessly.
“This time… I agree with Shi Jiu.”
While they need to be cautious in game instances, being overly cautious might cause them to miss out on more progress... Since it's daytime and there are many of them, going to check it out shouldn't be a big deal.
The five people followed the sound, turned a corner, and walked forward for a while until a relatively open cave appeared before them.
The cave was filled with all sorts of odds and ends, such as withered yellow grass, broken pottery shards, some rusty metal parts of questionable use, and a few rough wooden tools—a few chipped shovels and several brooms that looked like they might fall apart at any moment.
It is the "warehouse" that the old field mouse mentioned.
Anjie's gaze lingered on those brooms for nearly ten seconds.
These brooms look very similar to the ones that the long-haired female monster dragged last night.
Something flashed through Ange's mind, but she found it difficult to connect the brooms with the long-haired female monster and the dungeon's plot.
It's just that they look alike... or maybe that female ghost just grabbed them by chance?
The air in the "warehouse" was filled with the musty smell of dust, and even under the candlelight, you could see the dust swirling around, which temporarily overpowered the omnipresent, sweet and pungent odor in the cave.
But none of the five men's gazes fell on the dust dancing in the candlelight; their eyes were fixed on the deepest part of the warehouse.
In a relatively dry corner near the cave ceiling, there was a simple "nest" piled with black feathers.
The moment they saw the black nest, all five of them started breathing rapidly.
Even from a great distance, the five people could clearly see a swallow with dull feathers and a thin body huddled in that corner. It seemed to be injured, with one wing drooping unnaturally at the edge of the corner, and its entire head tucked under its feathers, its life hanging in the balance.
And that faint, refreshing breeze that everyone could feel came from the direction it was located in.
Above and to the side behind the swallow, there appears to be an extremely narrow slit leading to the ground for ventilation.
"It's Yanzi!" Xu Han exclaimed in surprise, hope igniting in his eyes.
"In the original story, it was it that led Thumbelina away!"
At the same time, the system's female voice sounded again.
【Ding. 】
[Congratulations to the guild "Alive" for currently leading in exploration progress among all players.]
[Current guild exploration progress of "Eye of All Things" is 40%]
[Guild "Alive" Exploration Progress 45%]
[Game Hint: All players in the "Living" guild have successfully located - the dying swallow]
"..."
All five people paused in their breathing at the same time.
Anjie looked up at the motionless swallow in the corner and squinted as she said:
"After discovering the swallow, the exploration progress increased by a whopping 22%..."
Yu Shijiu looked at her, somewhat puzzled: "Isn't this a good thing?"
He Lingling sighed: "It's a good thing, but it's not a good thing either."
The good thing is that they have indeed taken the lead in the Eye of All Things again, but the bad thing is... after discovering the swallow, their exploration progress increased by 22%, leaving them with only 15% exploration progress.
Forty and forty-five.
The difference in exploration progress between "The Eye of All Things" and "Living" is only five percent. Under these circumstances, it's hard to guarantee that Fang Youhua won't drive Yang Hua mad...
Yu Shijiu didn't quite understand He Lingling's concerns. He looked up at Yanzi, who was huddled in the corner, and asked:
"So, our next task is either to move the swallow away, or to save its life?"
Chen Yi observed the swallow's drooping wings and the narrow gap diagonally above and behind it with a solemn expression.
"According to the original plot, the swallow was not only frozen stiff but also seriously injured... and the exit behind it... was too small; we couldn't get through at all."
Upon hearing this, Xu Han quickly scanned the entire warehouse, his gaze lingering on the tools and miscellaneous items.
"The old field mouse just sent us to get the cleaning supplies. Maybe... there's something here that can help the swallows, or something to expand our outlets?"