And this thing didn't always hide in the muck. Sometimes it lay right beside the path, wrapped in a thick shell of mud and indistinguishable from the rotting ground.
The Rogues carefully worked their way along the edges, inspecting every stretch of ground the caravan would cross. Whenever they couldn't be sure a spot was safe, they stepped on it themselves. Mist Poison Crocodiles were cunning. Sometimes one would ignore a Rogue's provocation and wait until the main group passed, then pick off an easy target.
Like a carriage in the middle of the caravan.
Ye Chuqi rode Starry just ahead of the carriage. Her clear gaze swept over a patch of ground not far away, and she smiled. Plenty of people had already walked across it. They might have felt a slight bump underfoot, but even a second look revealed nothing amiss.
Taking advantage of a lull, Ye Chuqi tossed a stone at it.
A howl of pain rang out. The unremarkable patch of ground suddenly sprang up, shrieking as though it had suffered some terrible injury.
Given Ye Chuqi's strength and the speed of that little stone, San San suspected the unimpressive-looking blow had cracked part of the crocodile's skull. It might even have given it a mild concussion.
If the Mist Poison Crocodile hadn't been so well hidden, Ye Chuqi would have aimed straight for its most vulnerable spot: its eyes. That would have been enough to kill it.
Enraged by the searing pain, the Mist Poison Crocodile abandoned its disguise and launched a frenzied attack on the humans before it. The people in the caravan were quick-witted and knew how to protect themselves. Despite the surprise, they reacted swiftly, clearing the area and leaving the fight to the Red Fang Mercenary Corps.
Their practiced retreat was