Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The three black men and their familiars were now back in the ruins of the city. Even though they were no strangers to death, none of them were in the mood to talk, especially after seeing their comrades being turned into frozen popsicles.
Despite being completely frozen, the corpses, which were laid out in the car under a camouflage tarp, still exuded a faint smell of decay in the air.
“We’re lucky to still be alive,” said one of them, frowning and letting out a sigh. “Who knew that such a powerful trainer existed in the Huaxia region? I don’t think someone like that even exists in the African region.”
“What about Kokang’s Lion King?” asked one of his companions.
“I don’t think even the Lion King would be a match for the likes of him,” said Ciwey grimly.
“Well, it’s not a total loss for us.” Ciwey suddenly realized something. By opening a trade route in the other world, the Huaxia region would be able to bring all kinds of resources into the Lusaka base city through the Spatial Rifts. He had to let his brother know about this so that he could make the necessary preparations.
Ciwey glanced at his comrade sitting on the passenger seat, who just so happened to be from Zimbabwe. “A trade route between the Spatial Rifts in Lusaka and Huaxia would definitely bring in a lot of profit for us. I don’t think the Black Wolverine group or your group in Zimbabwe would be able to handle all that profit alone without raising a few eyebrows. What do you say we work together to figure this thing out?”
“That would be great,” said the man from Zimbabwe with a sigh. He smiled a toothy smile at Ciwey, revealing a set of pristine teeth.
When Ciwey turned his gaze away, the man from Zimbabwe sighed inwardly. He had been worried that Ciwey would go as far as to kill everyone there in order to keep this trade route all to himself. Thank god things didn’t turn out that way…
…
“Don’t worry, we mean you no harm.” At the foot of the Black Phoenix Mountain Range, a group of familiars had formed a ring around what appeared to be a tortoise-like monster.
Gao Peng stepped forward and squatted beside the monster. He rapped his knuckles against its shell, making a hollow, metallic sound.
The Golden-Striped Tortoise’s head remained stubbornly inside its shell. Two gleaming black eyes peered at Gao Peng warily from within.
“We really mean you no harm. We just wanted to ask you something,” said Gao Peng, desperately trying to show his more affable side to the tortoise.
In a corner, Da Zi was acting as Gao Peng’s translator, relaying his words by baring its mandibles and claws menacingly at the tortoise.
Like a rock, the Golden-Striped Tortoise remained unmovable. No matter how much these people tried to sweet-talk it, it wouldn’t budge from its shell.
It wasn’t like the other, younger tortoises. It was an ancient tortoise who had seen and heard much in this world.
Goldie yawned as he listened to Gao Peng trying to coax the tortoise out of its shell. After yawning three times, it stepped forward and gave the shell a good kick, flipping it over so that the tortoise’s white underbelly was now facing upward.
“Come out, you b*stard! My boss is talking to you here!” shouted Goldie angrily, before smacking the tortoise’s shell with its wing. The Golden-Striped Tortoise’s heart beat rapidly, worried that the duck might reach into its shell and pull its head out.
That is one violent duck, it thought.
“Oi, Goldie, stop it,” said Gao Peng. “We’re the good guys here. We don’t push people around like common thugs.”
“Gao Peng, this guy’s just outright disrespecting you. That’s the same as disrespecting me, and anyone who disrespects me…” Goldie balled its right wing into a fist and ground it against its left wing.
“Well, you heard Goldie. It has quite a temper. Not even I can control it sometimes,” said Gao Peng with a sigh. “We just wanted to ask you something. Do you know where the Guise Fruit is in the Black Phoenix Mountain Range? It’s a fruit that grows on a tree. It has a white, speckled surface, and it can shrink anyone who eats it.”
After a period of silence, a dull moan could be heard from inside the shell.
“Gao Peng, Gao Peng, it said that it’s seen the fruit on the eastern side of the mountain range and that it’s five mountains away from here in that direction,” said Da Zi excitedly.
“Since it’s already told us where it is, we might as well let it be our guide,” said Gao Peng cheerily. The Golden-Striped Tortoise shook its head blearily inside its shell when it heard what Da Zi told it.
“Please take us to the mountain range’s eastern side,” said Gao Peng, climbing on the tortoise’s shell. “I just know that the mountain’s master is a kind and generous host.”
The Desolate Frost Lion also leaped up onto its shell alongside Da Zi.
After a while, one of the tortoise’s knobbly legs poked out shakily from the shell, followed by another, then another. Finally, its head stretched out from its shell and looked around at its surroundings. After taking a good look at Gao Peng, who had seated himself comfortably on its shell, the tortoise’s wrinkly face contorted in displeasure.
It wouldn’t have let these people ride on its back at all if it wasn’t for the fact that any one of them could have easily killed it in combat.
“I’ll give this to you when we reach our destination,” said Gao Peng, producing a Commander-tier monster core crystal from Silly’s portable space and waving it in front of the tortoise.
After making sure of where it was supposed to go, the Golden-Striped Tortoise began walking as fast as its knobbly, stunted legs could carry it. The only thing on its mind right then was to get these hooligans off its back as soon as possible.
With the Golden-Striped Tortoise as their guide, Gao Peng and the others were able to avoid the territories of all the dangerous monsters that lurked in the mountains. After following a rather roundabout path through the mountains, the tortoise finally came to a stop. The sun was now slowly sinking on the horizon.
In front of them stood a pitch-black mountain that was covered in equally blackened trees. The mountain was stained red as the setting sun cast its final rays on it. At that moment, it looked like a monstrous behemoth baring its bloody teeth at Gao Peng and the others.
“Mmm…” The Golden-Striped Tortoise shook its head as it came to a stop.
“It said that the fruit is on this mountain. It can’t go on any further, as the mountain is full of scary monsters,” said Da Zi.
After giving a Commander-tier monster core crystal to the tortoise, Gao Peng led the others up the mountain.
As soon as it swallowed the core crystal, the Golden-Striped Tortoise turned around and shuffled off in a hurry. The only thing it wanted right now was to put some distance between itself and these delinquents.
Visibility on the mountain was poor. The trees’ thick canopies had completely blocked the sun. Night was coming soon, and visibility was going to be even worse than before.
“Flamy, fly up and let me know if you spot anything unusual in the vicinity,” said Gao Peng.
Flamy nodded and took off into the sky.
…
In the mountains, a couple of strange trees could be seen growing out of the face of a mountain near its peak. Their leaves were a shade of blue, and the fruits they bore were white.
The cliff face was riddled with cavities, all of which seemed to be carved deep into the mountain.
Suddenly, a white-shelled monster emerged from one of these holes. It stood only three feet tall. On the surface, it looked like a crustacean-type creature. Its movements were agile, its physique resembling that of a praying mantis. However, it looked a bit too fat to be a praying mantis. Its lower limbs were muscular and as thick as a log.
It flew to one of the trees and stuffed one of the white-colored fruits into its mouth.
Like a balloon, its body began to inflate. Soon, it grew into a 30-foot-tall behemoth that sprang and pranced across the cliff face.
