A Corpse That Shouldn't Be Here

What the two talked about is unknown to outsiders, but after an unpleasant exchange, Hong Lin the Big Cat strolled off in the direction the group had set off, while Feathered Brother disappeared.

He watched Hong Lin's departing figure, then turned and walked into the deeper, denser fog.

On the other side, the Hunter leading the group moved quickly. This Hunter from "Truth" was very pragmatic, maintaining a cold expression and speaking little throughout, only frowning and muttering to himself softly when faced with a fork in the road:

Left or right?

After a moment of contemplation, he made another choice and led the group to continue the pursuit.

Following the tracks visible only to Hunter for a long time, the four finally found a new clue under a Twisted Night Python tree. This time, the clue was not a footprint, but a human corpse!

A torn and chewed-up corpse carelessly discarded under a tree.

The Hunter's gaze darkened, and he looked around warily.

"Something's not right. The wound is very fresh. Be careful of your surroundings. The real Hunter may not be far away."

Everyone immediately tensed up, and even Cheng Shi secretly gripped a Scalpel in his hand.

It's okay to be slacker, but you can't be oblivious to danger. At the very least, you shouldn't be a burden to your superiors in dangerous situations.

In this respect, the master of slacking off is very self-aware.

Just then, the Big Cat caught up. Before she could revert to human form, she used her front paws to examine the shattered corpse, her gaze hardening as she said:

"This person was chewed up and spat out. If we only consider the biting force, the beast or monster that attacked him must have been no smaller than me."

It's strange that no easily identifiable traces like saliva or hair were left at the scene. The chewed-up corpse alone isn't enough to determine the attacker's type, but it at least confirms that the unfortunate victim was...

The Fungus-Footed People.

!!

Fungus-Footed People?

How could they be Fungus-Footed People? How could they be underground?

Cheng Shi one with doubts. Seeing the others frowning, Hong Lin examined the corpse and continued to explain:

"Although his feet have been eaten away, look here, you can still see fungal-like blood vessels in the flesh of his knees."

This is the most easily identifiable biological characteristic of Fungus-Footed People.

And this, half a skull fragment, look at these remaining hair strands, they're exactly like fungal hyphae.

He is indeed a Fungus-Footed People, so this Trials is very strange. Why would a Fungus-Footed People appear in the Sighing Forest?

Even if this is His trial, it still doesn't make sense.

Indeed, this is very strange.

Cheng Shi knew a little about the Fungus-Footed People. He knew that Fungus-Footed People were a group that Faith "prosperity" and lived in the rainforest in the southwest of Isle of Hope.

Like the Wood Elf, this race is the most devout Believer in [Prosperity]. Their appearance is basically no different from humans. They can be barely distinguished by their hair if their feet are not examined, because the hair of the Fungus-Footed People is relatively long and resembles fungal hyphae.

But if you could see their feet, their identities would be much easier to identify.

As the name suggests, the feet of the Fungus-Footed People are not fleshy feet, but mimicking human feet made up of countless fungal roots that are piled up together. Their legs gradually transition from the knee down to clusters of fungal roots of varying thickness. These fungal feet that grow in the ground not only allow them to walk freely like ordinary humans, but also allow them to take root in the ground at any time to absorb nutrients.

Therefore, the Fungus-Footed People are a race that does not need to search for food at all. They only need to "stand at attention" to feed themselves in the fertile soil, or even transform into real fungi and sleep standing up.

In some ways, they are similar to the Twisted Night Python that were transformed by "Decay," both being two-state beings.

The problem is that the Fungus-Footed People are too dependent on the rainforest ecosystem and fertile land, which makes them almost never travel far. It seems unbelievable that they would appear in other places on the Surface, let alone underground.

Hong Lin, who knew the [Prosperity] clan inside and out, frowned deeply after confirming the identity of the Fungus-Footed People, and the frown never relaxed.

Cheng Shi knew what she was thinking, or rather, he could guess what everyone was worried about.

Everyone is worried that this dead Fungus-Footed People might be the "spark" that is about to be extinguished...

Surely I can't be that unlucky?

The beginning is the end?

Isn't Destiny on my side?

Before, he might have been absolutely certain of his good fortune, but now that he has regained his Faith in [Deception]... he's a little less sure.

But no matter what, at least now I am Believer in "Destiny" both outwardly and inwardly, and I hope that my Lord of Grace will not be as heartless as before.

Cheng Shi let his mind wander for a while, then continued to examine the Fungus-Footed People's corpse.

"Where's that... Feathered Brother? Why didn't he come back with you?"

He's Believer of "Decay," so perhaps he knows more about the creatures of the Sighing Forest? Maybe he knows...

"He doesn't know."

"..." Cheng Shi looked at Hong Lin, who directly denied Feathered Brother's abilities, and thought to himself, "Big sister, you didn't really kill him, did you?"

Hong Lin sniffed without saying anything, and turned her head to look around.

Cheng Shi that she did not respond, Cheng Shi pointed to the hand of the Fungus-Footed People corpse.

What is he holding in his hand?

Zuo Qiu bent down and picked up the object from the corpse's hand. After studying it for a moment, he said:

"It's a lamp similar to an insect lamp, except that the fluorescent insects are replaced with a fluorescent liquid. The pale blue fluorescent traces we saw earlier should have leaked from this lamp."

"But this fluorescence..." Cheng Shi his fingertips, held it up and examined it for a moment, and said, "It can't illuminate the mist of the Sighing Tide, so why is he carrying a lamp that can only light up but is useless?"

Everyone fell silent after hearing this; indeed, the behavior was too strange.

"Don't dwell on things you can't understand. When we can't figure out the answer, it means we're missing clues. Hunter brother, can you still find any traces?"

Zuo Qiu wiped his hands, which had touched the corpse, on the decaying leaves, put away the broken lamp, and looked at the Hunter. The Hunter, who seemed to have some kind of tracking method, nodded confidently and then continued to lead the way with a cold face.

The group's expressions changed slightly as they followed. The players were now only praying that the end of this road would lead to another new clue, rather than a dead end.

Cheng Shi lagged behind, walking alongside Hong Lin the Big Cat. He lowered his head and whispered:

Don't you find it strange?

"Of course it's strange; Fungus-Footed People shouldn't be here."

"No, that's not what I meant." Cheng Shi shook his head, his vision limited by the thick fog, but he still looked around.

"You mean the beast that attacked him didn't swallow him but instead spat him out?"

"No, don't you think his body is too well-preserved?"

Whole?

Hong Lin was taken aback, thinking that the corpse had been chewed up like that, how could it be considered completely dead...?

Etc!

Big Cat paused, suddenly realizing what Cheng Shi wanted to say.

Apart from the wounds from being attacked and chewed, the dead Fungus-Footed People's body showed no signs of Decay, aging, or decay!

"You figured it out, didn't you? It's strange, isn't it? The reason we're unharmed is because of the Newborn's Baptism you provided."

Feathered Brother is Believer in "Decay," so going home doesn't count. He's Hunter, after all, so he probably has his own little tricks to hide.

How could a Fungus-Footed People, a Fungus-Footed People who Faith prosperity in a place where there is no will of prosperity, not be affected by the Sighing Tide?

Moreover, how could he dare to walk alone amidst the Sighing Tide with only a lamp when he was unarmed?

Who gave him the courage? Isle of Hope doesn't have Fish Leong, does it?

"..." What does this have to do with Fish Leong?

Hong Lin was speechless, but she still understood what Cheng Shi meant. She gave him an approving glance and said, "There's something strange about the lamp!"

Cheng Shi nodded and looked at the Historian's back in front of him.

"Zuo Qiu had already discovered this, but he didn't say anything, and even took away the lamp in front of us."

It looked like he was preserving props or collecting 'artifacts', but he cut off that lead.

Our Historian is quite remarkable.

"Ha, all this roundabout and troublesome, just ask directly."

Hong Lin chuckled, took a few big steps, and slapped Zuo Qiu on the shoulder with his paw, causing the Historian to stumble.

"You..."

Just as she was about to voice Cheng Shi's earlier question, she heard Zuo Qiu exclaim in surprise at a thick fog not far in front of them:

"Mist Gate! We've actually run into the Mist Gate!"

The Hunter's eyes narrowed, and he took a half step back, saying, "The fluorescent traces of the Fungus-Footed People have disappeared from here. Be careful, the power of [Decay] here is too concentrated."

Upon hearing this, everyone froze, their hearts immediately tensing.