Medusa glanced at Sword Demon, her disdain evident as she said, “If you doubt me, feel free to act on your own.”
“You!” Sword Demon was at a loss for words. He suspected that Medusa might be tricking them, but there was no evidence to back it up.
And with the endless desert sands, he wasn’t confident about finding his way out.
John spoke up, “Alright, we trust you.”
“Hmph, at least you’ve got some insight,” Medusa acknowledged, then explained, “The Senren area you’re aiming for is right on the edge of the Endless Desert. You’re lucky. If you were trying to get into the core of Dark City, I’d have no way to help you.”
John had already shared the purpose of their mission with her.
Rescuing people from Senren, he didn’t believe that just the few of them would be enough to do it.
However, he was only responsible for getting them into Dark City; everything else was up to them.
Curious, John asked, “Is Dark City really that big?”
Medusa nodded, her expression turning serious, “Bigger than you can imagine. Dark City is divided into five regions, each controlled by a lord. Senren is one of them.”
John pressed further, “How strong is this Senren?”
A flicker of fear flashed in Medusa’s eyes as she replied, “I’m no match for him. I’m not exactly sure about his full strength, but I’ll tell you this: once you enter Dark City, it’s all up to you. I won’t be able to help you.”
John frowned. The Serpent King was a nine-star powerhouse, and even he couldn’t compete with Senren? Was Senren a ten-star Emperor?
“As long as we can infiltrate Dark City, that’s enough,” John muttered. He didn’t hold high hopes for Medusa’s help.
Once inside the city, they would be in the shadows. As long as they were cautious, they shouldn’t run into any major danger.
Medusa gave him a glance but said nothing, continuing to lead the way.
The scorching sun blazed down as fierce winds whipped up, kicking up waves of sand that stung their faces like hot needles.
The group had long grown accustomed to this harsh environment, struggling onward.
In the distance, amid the rising sand, an oasis and a towering city began to emerge—Gran City, it seemed.
Sword Demon’s eyes widened in fury. “Serpent King, I knew you were lying to us! We’ve been going in circles and ended up back at Gran City!”
“Hmph, you really are clueless,” Medusa sneered, her gaze dripping with disdain as she looked at Sword Demon.
John, gazing at the mirage-like oasis and city in the distance, had already figured it out. “It’s a mirage.”
“A mirage? What’s that?” Sword Demon was still confused, his suspicion of Medusa unshaken.
John explained, “Simply put, it’s an illusion. The oasis and Gran City are being reflected here.”
“An illusion?” Sword Demon was completely lost, never having encountered something like this and unable to grasp the concept.
Medusa, however, was somewhat surprised. She looked at John with a deeper gaze.
It was the first time she had encountered someone who could recognize such a phenomenon and remain so nonchalant about it.
They continued their journey.
As they drew closer, the illusion of the oasis and city mysteriously faded away.
Sword Demon, deep in thought, finally spoke, “Could this be why Gran City is a mobile city?”
Medusa acted as if she hadn’t heard him, ignoring him completely.
But John didn’t think the same way. When he left Gran City, he had indeed sensed that both Gran City and the oasis had vanished.
Gran City must be hiding some dark secret.
He glanced at Medusa but didn’t ask her any questions.
Whoosh…
The wind howled, carrying with it a foul stench that made their stomachs churn.
The group instinctively covered their noses and mouths.
Tracy frowned and said, “Old man, what’s that smell? It’s terrible.”
John also furrowed his brows, his gaze fixed on the horizon where, at the end of the yellow sands, a dark shape appeared.
Medusa explained, “That’s Dark City. The stench is coming from there.”
“What? How can anyone live in such a horrible environment?” Ice Talker felt dizzy, the rancid smell overwhelming her senses.
Medusa’s voice was calm as she replied, “The people who live there are not human. If you can’t even stand this smell, I suggest you give up now.”
The group was silent, their expressions serious as they continued onward.
As they drew nearer to Dark City, the smell grew even more unbearable. Along with the stench, there was a thick gray smoke that clung to their skin, sending waves of burning pain through them.
It seemed to be the power of dark elements, but it felt far more malevolent, more sinister than just regular dark energy.
The yellow sand here had turned black, and not far ahead, a polluted river flowed like black oil. It slowly meandered through the area, and there was no sign of life anywhere along its banks.
This place was even more desolate than the desert.
The group arrived at the black river.
The thick liquid flowed slowly, and every now and then, a bubble would burst, releasing a sharp, suffocating stench.
Even when they held their breath, they couldn’t escape the stench, and their eyes watered, their noses running uncontrollably.
Medusa remained unfazed, observing the group’s discomfort with a slight smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “Can’t handle it? If we want to infiltrate Dark City, we’ll have to go through the sewer beneath this river.”
The group’s faces immediately changed.
Ice Talker frowned and asked, “Isn’t there another way?”
She looked towards the distant black city, which appeared to be a pile of discarded garbage. Infiltrating it seemed like it wouldn’t be difficult at all.
Medusa shook her head. “This is the only way to infiltrate. The scent on your bodies will be detected by the guards as soon as you get close to Dark City. Only by entering through the sewers can you mask your presence.”
The group exchanged reluctant glances, all of them turning to look at John.
Sword Demon swallowed, his face twisted in disgust as he spoke. “Kid, can I change my mind? Is it too late to back out?”
He should have never agreed to Forest King. Staying in Forest City would have been so much easier. Now, they were caught in this mess.
John wasn’t happy about it either, but they were already here, and backing out wasn’t an option anymore.
He glanced at the others and said, “Get into my World-in-Hand. Medusa and I will enter the city through the sewers first, and then I’ll bring you in after.”
“No.” Medusa immediately refused. “Entering through the sewers is to mask your scent. Unless you stay permanently in World-in-Hand, the moment you step into the city, you’ll be detected.”
“Godslayer, I can handle it,” Cand-Dragon said, looking at the thick, black, sticky river. She gritted her teeth.
Sword Demon silently nodded in agreement.
John turned his gaze to the two women. “You should go into my World-in-Hand as well. If there’s any risk of exposure, I’ll bring you out when I need you.”
The two women looked at the dark, foul-smelling river ahead. Neither of them had the courage to jump in. They reluctantly nodded in agreement.
Moreover, their strength wasn’t as great, and if anything went wrong, they could end up dragging John down.
“Alright, stick close to me. The water here is toxic—make sure to cover your nose and mouth.” Medusa gave a final warning, then transformed into her true form: a massive golden serpent. Almost immediately, she shrank down, her size now about as thick as an arm.
“Stay close,” she hissed in human speech, taking a deep breath before sliding into the black river.
Cand-Dragon also shifted into her true form, her body shrinking even further than Medusa’s. She quickly followed, slipping into the water just behind her.
“You go first, kid.” Sword Demon walked to the edge of the river, staring at the dark, viscous liquid and the occasional bubbles rising from it. He couldn’t summon the courage to enter, hesitating before stepping back.
John said nothing, taking a deep breath, closing his eyes tightly, and slipping into the water.
Splash…
He sank straight into the thick liquid, a sharp burning pain coursing through his body. The foul stench hit him immediately, almost making him gag. He quickly sealed off his senses and focused mentally on Medusa, struggling to follow her.
Sword Demon pinched his nose, gritting his teeth. With a look of utter resignation, he reluctantly followed.
…
The group followed closely behind Medusa, passing through the river and entering the underground tunnels.
This was the sewer system of Dark City.
“Alright, climb up.” Medusa emerged from the water, pulling herself onto the shore, quickly shifting back to her human form and letting out a long sigh of relief.
The others hurried to climb out, their expressions filled with discomfort.
Gag…
John and Sword Demon immediately began dry heaving. The stench in the sewer was even worse, suffocating them with its sharpness.
No wonder there were no guards here—who would be able to pass through such a horrendous place?
Boom!
Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed from above.
John immediately tensed, scanning the area cautiously. “Is there a fight going on above?”
Medusa glanced up at the pipes overhead and replied, “Not necessarily. It could be someone experimenting with dark magic that went wrong. The people here are all insane, conducting all sorts of dark magic experiments, especially that Senren.”
Dark magic experiments?
John and the others were confused, exchanging uncertain glances.
Medusa didn’t elaborate, instead carefully listening and analyzing the surroundings.
The underground tunnels were a maze, with numerous passageways crisscrossing. John had already lost track of the path he took earlier when they escaped.
He randomly chose a tunnel. “Let’s go. If we’re lucky, we might run into a rat-catching squad.”
Rat-catching squad?
The group quickly understood what he meant.
Screech…
A series of shrill, high-pitched screeches echoed through the dark tunnel, and dozens of blood-red eyes flickered in the depths.
A pack of rats, the size of goats, was gnawing on a decaying corpse.
These were Dark Rats, a species unique to Dark City, mutated magical beasts that had been corrupted by dark magic. They were six-star magical beasts, and they traveled in packs—formidable in strength.
The Dark Rats, sensing the movement, turned their glowing eyes towards the group. With their claws outstretched, they charged forward.
“Foolish!” Medusa’s eyes gleamed with excitement. She transformed into her true form—a massive golden serpent—then opened her gaping mouth, unleashing an overwhelming suction force.
Screech…
The Dark Rats squealed in terror, struggling to escape, but it was futile. One by one, they were swallowed whole.
John and the others stared, dumbfounded, their scalps tingling in horror.
Gag! Sword Demon couldn’t hold it in any longer and dry-heaved again, stepping back a pace. He wrinkled his brow and muttered, “You actually have the stomach to swallow something so disgusting? You’re a freak.”
These Dark Rats had crawled out of the sewer, their bodies filthy with filth and grime.
Medusa sneered. “What’s so bad about it? If you were really pushed to the edge, you’d eat anything.”
She spoke nonchalantly, as if this was the most ordinary thing in the world.
“Let’s keep moving. There are Dark Rats here. A rat-catching squad shouldn’t be far off,” she said, continuing down the foul-smelling sewage, pushing deeper into the darkness.