Chapter 182: Dark Dodder (2)
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The area was a circular underground space, and around it were pathways that led in other directions. A constant stream of rubbish flowed along the dirty water in the direction of other channels, emanating a pungent stench.
Gao Peng had been disgusted by the smell in the beginning, but after a while, he got used to it. He thought that the smell was only a little strong.
Gao Peng appeared with his familiars alongside him.
Da Zi’s antennas wobbled left and right, using the blood contract to deliver its thoughts to Gao Peng. “Master, it’s here. The scent disappears here.”
“They didn’t leave using the sewer?”
“No.” Da Zi shook its head in confirmation.
Gao Peng nodded slowly. The Dark Dodder was a plant, so after it mutated, it had adapted to underground conditions, but it shouldn’t have been underwater. Gao Peng took out his flashlight and shone it over various pathways.
In the gap of a corner, a few big black vines shrank back slowly, attempting to hide deep inside the corner without leaving any trace.
“Found you,” Gao Peng said quietly. His sound reverberated in the sewer. A strong beam of light shone straight toward the corner. The black vines that were moving slowly suddenly stiffened, then it moved as quick as a python, wanting to escape into the water.
Flamy spouted a pillar of fire and predicted the direction the black vines were headed, a path that it would have to go across when trying to escape the sewer.
The black vine was so scared that stood up from the ground, then turned around and escaped in another direction.
Da Zi had long been ready to rush over. Although the vines were fast, they were still a lot slower than Da Zi.
A surging sound suddenly came from a stream of water on the side. Immediately after that, a splash appeared, and a huge black rat jumped out from the stream. It was a shiny huge black rat, at least ten feet long.
The huge black rat jumped up and opened its mouth, exposing its teeth, which were as sharp as knives, before hurling itself towards Da Zi.
Da Zi didn’t stop its footsteps. With each of its sharp limbs held firmly to the ground, it turned sideways, a powerful aura emanating from its gaze. It growled viciously as it stretched its dagger-like teeth outwards. Then it closed them quickly!
The two gigantic monsters collided together. Da Zi was struck and forced to move back. The huge black rat’s cheek was almost bitten through, blood flowing from its wound.
The huge rat’s front tooth hit Da Zi’s back, making Da Zi’s shell cave inwards and creating cracks around the sunken area.
However, the huge rat was also in severe pain from biting Da Zi. It was in so much pain that tears came out. It held its front tooth, nearly crying.
A spark flashed over Da Zi’s body, pushing the huge rat away. The huge rat felt as if the centipede in front of it had suddenly transformed into something else as it produced a bright purple light. In the dark underground space, the light was particularly glaring.
The huge black rat had never witnessed such bright light before, as it had lived in a dark environment its entire life, so the light almost blinded its rat eyes.
It was so frightened that it leaped seven or eight feet off the ground.
Then it turned around and attempted to escape. It didn’t matter how the black threads located in the head of the huge rat urged, it didn’t work.
This monster had probably become the host of the Dark Dodder; however, the current type of parasitic relationship was more similar to symbiosis, meaning the Dark Dodder couldn’t give a forced command to the host.
So this huge black rat had its own thoughts, and it would get scared when it faced danger. It would also escape, and when things became too dangerous, situations like the current one would also happen.
However, this was also good, as Gao Peng only needed the ability of this Dark Dodder, not its thoughts. It was the parasitic monster that he wanted.
Da Zi had already caught up, its sharp and strong limbs firmly stopping the vines of the Dark Dodder in place like a row of nails.
In the end, it was dragged back like a dead snake. When the Dark Dodder saw Gao Peng, it still tried to fight back, attempting to wrap itself around Gao Peng’s body, but it was taught multiple lessons by the familiars. At long last, it seemed to have accepted its fate, lying on the ground limply.
Gao Peng had noticed a special characteristic of these monsters, and it was that they always covered their ears while they were stealing bells. In short, they blinded themselves, thinking that others wouldn’t be able to notice them.
The Dark Dodder was put on Stripey’s back.
To be able to obtain something from underground was a pretty decent result.
The Dark Dodder on Stripey’s back kept waving its vines cautiously, wanting to sneak into the gaps in Stripey’s shell. Unfortunately, even if it was already in a bad situation, it still wouldn’t behave.
Then Stripey stopped and rolled on the floor two times.
The Dark Dodder was flattened and looked weak.
Gao Peng turned around, wanting to leave the sewer. A sudden roar came from behind him. Like a truck driving through the drain, Gao Peng’s face twitched. The sound gradually came closer and grew louder.
Gao Peng lowered his head. It was blueish beneath his feet. The dark shadow beneath his feet expanded in front of him as if someone had turned on their phone flashlight and projected it on his back.
The area suddenly turned silent. Only Gao Peng’s footsteps were left. A faint rustling sound came from behind him, as well as the looming sense of a threat.
Gao Peng’s expression turned solemn.
“Purr?” A sound filled with doubt came from behind Gao Peng.
“Boss, there’s a big guy back there,” Da Zi said in a panicked tone.
“But it looks like that big guy isn’t malicious,” Flamy asked, puzzled.
Gao Peng turned around, and behind him was an enormous figure that almost filled up the entire sewer. Beams of lightning surrounded its body like snakes, penetrating the air and making buzzing sounds that sounded like high-pitched hisses.
The lights that he saw in front of him came from these electricity sparks. He could only vaguely see densely-packed claws sticking out from beneath it.
The big monster didn’t seem malicious, as it only stared curiously at Gao Peng like there was something about Gao Peng that puzzled it.
Purring sounds kept coming from the mouth of the monster. Due to the bright lights from the electricity, one could only vaguely see that the giant monster had a tough shell on its back.
In the end, the monster retreated slowly and didn’t start a conflict with Gao Peng.
Gao Peng wiped away the sweat on his forehead.
It had been too scary. The monster just now had been level 39. If they had really fought, Gao Peng’s group definitely couldn’t have defeated it. In that kind of narrow and limited space, their only option would be to escape.
Why would such a scary monster be in the sewer?
Gao Peng was shocked and still not calm. It was like two blonde thugs going to a primary school to take money, then, upon opening the classroom door, seeing a group of muscular and tough-looking fellows with tattoos on their arms seated at the tables.
Wait, Gao Peng suddenly remembered that his grandpa had a familiar living in the sewers. Perhaps this was that familiar.
When they were back aboveground, Gao Peng took the Dark Dodder to the training ground first. Then, he grabbed the water pipe, aimed at the creature, and washed it.
Smelly and murky residue continued to come off the body of the Dark Dodder under the constant rinsing. Gradually, the black-colored Dark Dodder became brighter.
After it was cleaned, a light gray vine that was about twenty-five feet long lay on the floor. The vine had a lot of branches, and along the branches were dark green fruits. The surfaces of the fruit were covered in complex black patterns. This was what the Dark Dodder had originally looked like.