Chapter Fourteen: The Inferior Races of the Abyss

“So this is the Tumor Flesh Mountain?!” From afar it looked somewhat passable, but up close, it didn’t resemble anything of the sort. Instead of a mountain, it was more like a massive mound of flesh. Still, the prompt couldn’t be wrong—it never had been before.

“The flesh of the Tumor Flesh Mountain…” Mu Chen distinctly remembered that this was one of the missing ingredients in the Carrion Beast Recruitment Scroll.

Yet, the enormous thing before him filled Mu Chen’s heart with conflict.

They were far too large. Even with a five-meter limit on their range, if he were attacked, there might not even be scraps left. Skirting around was certainly the best outcome, but the material for the recruitment scroll was right there before him.

He exhaled softly.

Shaking his head to himself, he dismissed any notion of snatching meat from a tiger’s jaws. Trying to carve flesh from these things was even more foolish than stealing food from a tiger.

At least there was some gain—he now knew where the required material was. There was no rush; he could return once his legs had recovered.

Rubbing his chin, he considered the information about the “Tumor Flesh Mountain.”

Upon being attacked, they would lunge at the attacker. That “lunge at the attacker” was interesting—what about ranged attacks? Would it come flying over?

They had neither sight nor hearing—was that the “advantage” mentioned in the prompt...?

“Sade, find some stones on the ground for me. Yang Zhiying, push me around to the side so I can have a look.”

“Huh?” Yang Zhiying was surprised. She couldn’t understand why Mu Chen would call on her to join in, especially since she was the least experienced among them. But since he’d asked, all she could do was grit her teeth and obey.

Mu Chen’s reasoning was simple: it hadn’t been long since they’d killed the three juvenile aberrations, and now both he and Mu Jiu’er had their repulsion skills active. While both were using their abilities, they might as well scout the area. The prompt hadn’t issued any warnings, which meant that aside from these “lazy things,” there were no other monsters nearby—it was safe enough.

...

Yang Zhiying trembled as she pushed the wheelchair, bumping over stones several times in less than thirty meters. Mu Chen said nothing, but he regretted his decision. At her current state, she might just abandon him and run at the first sign of real danger.

They took a side path for nearly fifty meters, but still, the Tumor Flesh Mountains blocked the way. Their true gregarious nature gave Mu Chen a headache.

“Don’t panic… We’re already this close and they haven’t reacted. That means we’re safe for now.” Mu Chen had no choice but to reassure her.

Yang Zhiying only managed a faint “Mm…”

“You have to trust me…” Mu Chen weighed a stone in his hand.

Yang Zhiying replied again, “Mm…”

“Bang!” A stone struck the Tumor Flesh Mountain.

“Push me and run!”

Yang Zhiying cried out, “Mm!!!” Perhaps startled, she pushed the wheelchair so fast Mu Chen nearly flew off.

“Boom!!!”

The giant creature lunged at the spot where they’d just been.

...

He now understood how to “activate” the Tumor Flesh Mountains. It reminded him of a dumb “move the car” game, except instead of playing for tries, he was playing with his life.

On second thought, as a cripple, there was no reason for him to play so recklessly. Why not let those with legs do it?

“Let’s head back. There’s no point going any further.”

...

Mu Chen turned his head, only to see Yang Zhiying looking utterly traumatized, leaving him at a loss for words.

He had no choice but to message his sister for help, deciding to wait for the others before figuring out how to get through the flesh mountains.

When Mu Jiu’er arrived with the two servants, they saw that one Tumor Flesh Mountain had lunged outside, leaving a vast open space where monsters had once been packed together—a strange sight, like a tightly packed crowd suddenly parting.

“Brother, how did you get that big guy to move? Didn’t it attack you?”

“Praise the Master!” Sade and Lilia bowed in unison.

“It’s nothing difficult. I’ll explain in detail later. For now, check on Yang Zhiying—she seems a little worse for wear.”

Mu Jiu’er: “…”

Leaving the comforting to his sister, Mu Chen looked over the scene, his mind racing.

...

Mu Jiu’er supported Yang Zhiying, feeling the stiffness in her legs and the tremors running through her body—she was so shaken, she could barely move.

“Don’t worry… We’re this close to the monsters and they haven’t reacted. That means we’re safe. And although my brother looks like this now, he’s always steady and cautious. You can trust him…”

Under Mu Jiu’er’s gentle coaxing, Yang Zhiying gradually recovered, though for some reason, those words of comfort seemed oddly familiar.

Before long, everyone was back on the main road at the toll station.

On the way, they gathered several hundred stones, stuffing their backpacks full—uncertain of how many Flesh Mountains awaited, they collected as many as they could.

Once Mu Chen shared what he’d learned, everyone took their positions.

Sade threw the first stone down the road.

“Boom!!!”

The massive mound of flesh lunged at the spot where Sade’s stone had landed, clearing the way that had been blocked.

[Upon discovering the flaw of the Tumor Flesh Mountain, you realize a golden opportunity lies within it. If you miss it now, you will likely never have another chance. After all, it has only recently arrived here, and to it, the bloodsucking mosquitoes that have appeared in this strange place must all be eradicated.]

Mu Chen: “???”

This message made Mu Chen sense that something was amiss.

“An opportunity? Helping it clear out mosquitoes? Who is ‘it’... If even it wants to clear them out, why mention it here? Rather than helping, perhaps it’s a race—”

Before he could think further, Mu Jiu’er and Sade had already thrown a second stone.

Another deafening boom forced Mu Chen to focus ahead.

With each resounding crash, the mounds of flesh scattered in twos and threes, revealing even the remnants of the toll station that had vanished before.

“Brother, we’ve cleared the level!” Mu Jiu’er exclaimed.

Mu Chen rubbed his forehead. He knew his sister was treating these monsters like a game.

The main road out of the city was now completely cleared, the thirty-meter-wide roadway fully exposed.

As they walked on, Mu Chen scanned the road for anything unusual, but there was nothing. They were drawing ever closer to the exit as time went on.

Could it be hidden under a monster that hasn’t been moved yet? Or had he missed something in the process?

If there truly was something here,

How, then, could it be found?