Quick Transmigration: Underdog Turns out to be Untouchable
Chapter 180: The Apocalypse - I Am Not the Holy Mother 87

Chapter 180: Chapter 180: The Apocalypse - I Am Not the Holy Mother 87

Ever since Lin Shuangshuang acted as a psychological counselor for Chi Shaolong, the distant aura Chi Shaolong used to exude had noticeably diminished. However, his face remained as expressionless as a glacier, a trait that seemed unchangeable. Even Lin Shuangshuang found it hard to make both her facial expressions and language more expressive.

After seven days of travelling with Li Man, Monkey finally reported to Zhang Ling that Li Man had made contact with someone. The person who came was adept at using the trees to conceal their movements and presence. If Monkey, born in the forest and skilled in hiding, hadn’t been so observant, they wouldn’t have been discovered.

Li Man met this person at noon, under the pretense of answering nature’s call. Although Monkey was more intelligent and perceptive than some particularly mutated creatures, it wasn’t human and couldn’t comprehend what Li Man and the person discussed or did after their meeting.

Luckily, Monkey’s task wasn’t to understand; Zhang Ling had instructed Monkey to identify who Li Man was meeting and then locate their home base.

Monkey accomplished Zhang Ling’s instructions smoothly. The person’s concealment abilities were indeed formidable, such that many mutated creatures wouldn’t notice them, but Monkey was an exception. By tailing this person, Monkey easily found their base, which was quite a distance from Lin Shuangshuang’s group, about ten miles away!

Having located these people’s base, Monkey could now record their aura and track their movements, ensuring that their side wouldn’t be caught off guard by an ambush.

In the following days, Li Man cautiously refrained from contacting that person again, but Monkey already knew the exact location of the other party and could locate them at any time. So, it didn’t matter if Li Man contacted them again or not.

The path ahead grew increasingly difficult, and Li Man mentioned that they were not far from the energy stone. The group also noticed that the mutated creatures ahead were becoming more challenging to deal with, indicating that Li Man might be telling the truth this time.

After defeating another wave of mutated creatures, the group set up their mobile safety fortresses, eating and resting while Zhang Ling sketched out their path forward on the ground, saying to the others, "We are now at the entrance of a basin. To reach the energy stone’s location, we must pass through this basin."

During rest times, they always set up two mobile safety fortresses—one for their group and one for Li Man and Jia Shuyi. The fortresses could block sound and presence, so everyone felt secure in their discussions and deliberations.

Zhang Ling pointed at the depiction of the basin on the ground, "Li Man once mentioned that inside this basin lies a sea of flowers, within which are specially mutated bees and mantis swarms. Yet she never disclosed what dangers lie here, merely stating that beyond the basin, three particularly formidable mutated creatures guard the energy stone. She lost her teammates here, but I suspect the only misleading part of Li Man’s information might be here."

"Those mutated mantises are likely awakened with superpowers, and these mantises’ powers must have special attributes, such as the ability to coordinate group attacks or disguise and launch surprise attacks. All these are possibilities!" Lin Shuangshuang analyzed following Zhang Ling’s words. These superpowers were not imagined out of thin air but something Lin Shuangshuang had truly witnessed in her previous life.

"As for the area around the energy stone, Li Man probably underestimated the truly formidable mutated creature. Although mutated creatures have evolved some wisdom, they still possess animalistic thoughts, lacking the concept of sharing or cooperation. It’s improbable for three mutated creatures to peacefully coexist guarding the energy stone. It should be an extremely powerful mutated creature guarding the stone, with these three serving as the second or even third line of defense!"

Lin Shuangshuang believed the most likely scenario was that these three mutated creatures formed the third line, and inside there might be two more lines of mutated creatures guarding the energy stone.

Given Li Man’s nature, it’s entirely probable for her to orchestrate such a layered trap, where after dealing with three prepared mutated creatures, another one could unexpectedly appear.

The group, if unprepared, could face a loss. Even if they remained vigilant and defeated the next mutated creature that appeared, they might lower their guards, believing it to be the final challenge.

When they let their guard down to retrieve the energy stone, they could encounter an even more powerful mutated creature! At that point, the group could either perish alongside the final mutated creature or secure a grim victory. Then Li Man could easily resolve to eliminate them and take the energy stone herself.

Zhang Ling fully agreed with Lin Shuangshuang’s analysis and even considered something more severe. "Sister Shuangshuang’s assessment is most likely, and I think the actual mutated creature guarding the energy stone might also have the ability to command other mutated creatures."

"If it gets to the place you all described, and once it’s confirmed we’re in the trap, Li Man and Jia Shuyi should try to leave us," Song Yuhang said, biting into grilled meat wrapped in mutated green vegetables.

"Is Li Man planning to escape during the chaos when fighting with the mutated mantises outside or inside the basin?" Li Wenxuan asked, turning the grilled meat in his hand.

"No, Li Man will likely accompany us through the basin," Lin Shuangshuang believed that Li Man wouldn’t feel at ease leaving until she was sure they had fallen into the trap.

"Why? If there are indeed mantises with special abilities in the basin, won’t she expose herself by not telling us the truth? Isn’t she afraid we’ll kill her!" Li Wenbo found it unreasonable for Li Man to stay.

"Exposure?" Lin Shuangshuang sneered, "It’s just that the mantises’ abilities inside the basin don’t match what she said. Having chosen to face the dangers with us, she can easily backtrack, saying, ’I never encountered such formidable mantises or particularly mutated ones during my last visit, and had no idea these mutates were so fierce! If I knew, I would have said so. Besides, I’m entering with you; if I knew the dangers, would I have entered at all?’"

Seeing that Li Wenbo hadn’t thought of these, Lin Shuangshuang continued, "If Li Man is ruthless enough to injure herself a bit, by then, with nothing to substantiate, how could you prove she deceived us! She can completely shrug it off as mere misinformation."

Lin Shuangshuang thought that with Li Man’s character, who does anything for profit and dares to take risks, there’s more than a ninety percent chance she would do this!

"So, when do you think she’ll decide to leave us?" Li Wenbo clicked his tongue but remained silent, while Chi Shaolong, seldom sitting among the group, looked at Lin Shuangshuang to ask.

"It’s quite possible she will leave when we, as she mentioned, finish battling those three mutated creatures and are suddenly attacked by another or more mutated creatures, leaving us in disarray!"

Lin Shuangshuang considered Li Man’s temperament and felt that this would be the most likely time for her to leave, the moment she could be sure they were caught in the trap.

"Since Li Man is most likely to leave at that time, Sister Shuangshuang, Brother Chi, you two need to pay special attention to Li Man and Jia Shuyi when that moment comes, and you can’t let those two escape! Daring to scheme against us this way, we must make sure to leave her behind here this time!" Zhang Ling said with a tone that had already turned ruthless by the end of her statement!