Rumble, rumble, rumble...
As the three flew, tremors from deep within the valley kept reaching their ears.
Reilo gazed toward the depths of the dark valley, shrouded in rolling mist, and said calmly, "Looks like the thin crustal plates here are nearing their limit. The resistance is getting more and more frequent."
At his side, the silent Nine Nether Rat Demon shuddered slightly at his words, but said nothing.
The canary Painted Skin saw it all. A trace of mockery at the Nine Nether Rat Demon's overestimation of itself flashed in her eyes, but she too kept quiet.
Soon,
they arrived at a vast marsh where Fudi Giant Mantises lay in wait—the entrance to the secret route provided by the Nine Nether Rat Demon.
"Did you kill the Shadow Cat?"
Suddenly, the Nine Nether Rat Demon stopped at the edge of the marsh and asked.
"Yeah. That rambling pest was incredibly annoying and put me in a bad mood, so I slapped it to death."
Having already secured the resources in the Nine Pools Dark Valley, Reilo was even less restrained than before. He made no attempt to brush off the Nine Nether Rat Demon's question and openly admitted it.
"You!"
The Nine Nether Rat Demon suppressed its anger and swallowed the heaviness in its chest before saying, "Its Two-Phase Soft Shadow is one of the few abilities that can evade attacks from the Fudi Giant Mantises here. Without its soft shadow, we'll have to force our way across this marsh. Believe me, even with your strength, dealing with these primitive, bloodthirsty creatures won't be easy!"
"Oh?"
A trace of surprise crossed Reilo's face.
"So the reason we weren't attacked earlier wasn't the secret route, but its ability. No wonder..."
Though he said this, Reilo waved for Painted Skin to