Escape

Clutching the Fine-Thorn Sword, Liu Zhi quickly assessed his chances of escape.

But he regretfully realized he didn't have the strength to fight them head-on. His Z-Secret Sword was only level 1, learned from Perkin. He was essentially as skilled as someone who had only studied it for three months, making victory difficult.

His Sailor's Basic Swordsmanship was level 4, granting him Supernatural Ability, but he'd lost his suitable Scimitar fighting the giant snake. Without it, the Fine-Thorn Sword couldn't unleash the full potential of his Sailor's Basic Swordsmanship.

With that thought, Liu Zhi raised his hand, planted the Fine-Thorn Sword in the ground, and gripped his backpack.

Seeing Liu Zhi's actions, Mr. York and the others stopped closing in. They merely watched from a distance with cold sneers as Liu Zhi seemingly abandoned his map.

However, they didn't know Liu Zhi's eyes weren't on them at all.

He was bringing up his status screen, forcibly dumping his saved experience into Jungle Survival Knowledge.

[Jungle Survival Knowledge Level 4 (0/10000): Jungle Survival Expert. Can survive in dangerous jungles even with nothing. Navigating dangerous forests is like strolling through your own backyard.]

[Jungle Survival Knowledge (Supernatural Common Sense): Gained some understanding of supernatural creatures in the jungle. As long as you don't excessively provoke them, you can easily avoid most supernatural beings.]

[Description: Jungle Survival Knowledge is not easily learned by ordinary people, but for rangers or druids, it is instinctual.]

After forcefully raising Jungle Survival Knowledge to level 4, Liu Zhi felt as if the jungle was his home. Without looking up, he could sense that the giant snake which had attacked him hadn't left and was still lurking nearby.

Liu Zhi slowed his movements, pretending to take off his backpack. The moment he lowered it, he kicked the Fine-Thorn Sword planted in the ground.

The kick didn't send the Fine-Thorn Sword flying. Instead, he used a subtle force, causing the Fine-Thorn Sword to emit a hum.

As everyone's attention was drawn to the Fine-Thorn Sword, Liu Zhi turned and sprinted towards the giant snake's hiding spot.

Seeing Liu Zhi trying to escape, Mr. York and the others gave chase without a second thought. The mercenary leader ran at the front, realizing his performance had been poor and he needed to do better to survive.

But just as the mercenary leader was about to catch up to Liu Zhi, Liu Zhi suddenly crouched down and rolled to the left. His movements were so dramatic that everyone could hear the sound of him snapping branches.

The mercenary leader was still wondering what Liu Zhi was doing when a foul, fishy odor hit him.

When the mercenary leader looked up in confusion, he found the giant snake had appeared before him without him noticing, its mouth wide open to bite him.

Mr. York and the others stopped in their tracks. Time seemed to freeze.

In the next instant, the giant snake snatched the mercenary leader in its jaws and slithered back with a whoosh. Mr. York and the others didn't even have time to react, only able to stare blankly as the mercenary leader disappeared before them.

After a long moment, the Female Knife Thrower exclaimed, "Where's Sandru? Where did he run off to?"

By the time everyone looked for him, Liu Zhi was already far away.

Having escaped to a safe location, Liu Zhi finally breathed a sigh of relief. He set down his backpack, his mind already formulating a plan against Perkin's group.

He wasn't the type to passively accept being targeted. His decision to join the Tortuga Port fleet to fight the Fishmen showed he was someone who eliminated threats in their infancy.

If there was no opportunity, he might cower for a while, but now that the chance was before him, he wouldn't let it pass.

After setting down his backpack, Liu Zhi didn't rush to act. He seriously closed his eyes, recalling the Jungle Survival Knowledge that had been forcibly instilled in his mind.

Through the details he'd observed while moving forward, Liu Zhi gradually formed a judgment about the jungle.

Regardless of what Perkin was looking for, their path ahead was not just the two giant snakes Liu Zhi had encountered today.

Further ahead, there were snakes of the same size, or even larger.

Moreover, these snakes would become increasingly numerous in the coming period, as Liu Zhi noticed they were in mating season, seemingly summoned towards a specific location.

This was his opportunity.

Liu Zhi's mind raced with a plan. He shouldered his backpack and prepared to head towards the landing point Perkin's group had initially chosen.

However, just before departing, Liu Zhi gave a wry smile. He reached into his backpack and pulled out a silver dinner fork with a patterned handle. He had no weapons left, and this small item was all he had to fight with.

With the fork in hand for protection, Liu Zhi finally felt a sliver of confidence.

He quickly scanned his surroundings and chose a safe path, moving swiftly.

Compared to his previous cautious progress through the jungle, Liu Zhi now moved as if he were in his own backyard. He no longer had to constantly watch his back for sudden beasts, nor worry about taking a wrong turn into a dangerous area.

Every time he looked up, he found the correct and safe direction. Sometimes, in inconspicuous places, he found things others would miss.

Soon, Liu Zhi arrived at the landing point Perkin's group had initially chosen.

Just as his map indicated, a God Tree could be seen from the landing point.

It wasn't actually a tree, but a mountain peak shaped like one. It rose significantly above the forest, appearing quite abrupt on the river-carved plain.

The entire peak was devoid of trees, instead covered in crimson vines that, from a distance, resembled leaves. If one didn't look too closely, they might mistake it for a giant, sky-piercing God Tree.

After confirming Perkin's group's landing point, Liu Zhi slowed his pace. He walked along the river upstream and downstream, finally finding traces left by Perkin's group.

It was clear they had relaxed their guard upon reaching the landing point and had rested there for a period.

Judging by the footprints they left, those who escaped here were Perkin, Lloyd, Mr. York, the guide, the Swordsman, and the Female Knife Thrower.

Upon reaching this point, the Swordsman and the Female Knife Thrower still had enough strength to maintain their guard. The others had collapsed on the ground for some time before regaining the energy to move. They had already entered another part of the jungle, and judging by the time, they had left less than an hour ago.

"So it really is six people. Then the first target to eliminate is... Mr. York."