Saving the World in an Apocalypse-Style Text Game

Chapter 80: Chapter 82: The Fallen Primitive Ancient Tree_1 Chapter 80: Chapter 82: The Fallen Primitive Ancient Tree_1 In the Shell column, the Dancer Shell lay there intact.

Lin Xun swiftly clicked on Possess.

[You have possessed the shell of ‘The Fallen Old Theater Dancer.’]

[The three-headed lion beneath you dashes wildly, yet the deafening footsteps behind you are getting closer…]

Using the swift hand speed of Lone-Wolf Dog, he opens the item column and clicks on the ‘Bronze Whistle’ again.

[You have cancelled the call of ‘The Fallen Three-Headed Lion’. The three-headed lion beneath you turned into specks of stars and vanished with the wind.]

[After canceling the call of the Three-Headed Lion, the massive inertia from the sprint catapults you forwards. The nimble Dancer rolls on the spot and continues the wild dash.]

[The deafening footsteps behind you are close. Even the pebbles and dirt stirred by the Giant Tree Man’s footsteps are splashing onto your back…]

Opening the panel, Lin Xun, swiftly as a thunderclap, presses heavily on ‘Blood Shadow Dance’.

[You have used ‘Blood Shadow Dance’, nimbly stepping out and running. The figure of your Shell gradually fades away.]

Lin Xun had no way of knowing whether becoming invisible would allow him to smoothly evade the pursuit of the Primitive Ancient Tree.

He stared hard at the game text, fearing the words [You Died] would appear.

[Your vision goes dark as the giant tree foot descends from above, intending to squash you into a pulp…]

That’s it, he’s done for.

Lin Xun watched the text changes, somewhat unwilling.

If he had switched to the Dancer shell and used the invisibility skill earlier, perhaps he could have escaped the dog’s fate.

[You look up, with the giant tree foot covering your entire field of vision. It’s about to crush down like a thunderbolt and grind you to pieces…]

[The ‘Lucky Coins’ you carry shimmer a faint light.]

[The ‘Fallen Primitive Ancient Tree’ suddenly stumbles, seemingly tripped up by something.]

[The giant tree foot grazes past your body and lands on the ground!]

[A trembling roar echoes out as the powerful wind of the tree foot striking the ground sends you flying. The intense impact leaves you dizzy, almost unable to maintain the invisibility.]

That was a close shave!

The Lucky Coins really did their job, the 1500 spirit points were well spent!

Having evaded the Primitive Ancient Tree’s stomp, Lin Xun did not let down his guard.

He knew the real danger was just beginning!

[The ‘Fallen Primitive Ancient Tree’ sways, and scarlet leaves fall. It gradually steadies itself, ready to check the ground beneath it for confirmation of its success…]

Lin Xun remained invisible, but he was far from safe.

In his mind, he envisioned the coming scene, the Primitive Ancient Tree searching for his body, but not giving up when it found nothing.

What if it went berserk, stomping about heedlessly? Given the stomping range of the large tree foot, he would have no chance of surviving!

Lin Xun had dodged the Primitive Ancient Tree once before, but it didn’t mean he could dodge it every time.

[Distressed Apostle, will you continue to run and resist, or just sit and wait for death?]

The blood-red text trembles non-stop, indicating that the Primitive Ancient Tree is about to discover that it didn’t squash him with a foot.

At this critical moment, Lin Xun’s heart grows colder, his brain processing rapidly.

The choices the Underworld game offered, whether to run or stay, both led to death.

If the game options are ineffective, then he must rely on outside help.

He rapidly opens the item column, searching for an item that could save the situation.

As his gaze swept over, it seemed like no items were applicable in this situation.

[The ‘Fallen Primitive Ancient Tree’ lowers its canopy, slowly raising that tree foot. Its huge scarlet eyes look down at the ground beneath it…]

He’s out of time!

Lin Xun frowned and muttered to himself.

Suddenly…

He spotted a piece of junk forgotten in the corner.

Yes, that’s it!

If he could trick the Primitive Ancient Tree into thinking it had stomped him to death, he might be able to turn the tide.

He swiftly selected the piece of junk and clicked Discard.

[You have discarded ‘Rotten Flesh*5 (Junk)’ on the ground.]

[The ‘Fallen Primitive Ancient Tree’s large scarlet eye looks below, only spotting a pile of blackened, rotten flesh on the ground.]

[The ‘Profane Primitive Ancient Tree’ flickered with scarlet eyes before nodding its satisfaction through its vast foliage. Shifting its colossal tree legs, it began to step toward the forest fire you caused nearby…]

Lin Xun finally caught his breath.

“Thankfully, I was smart.”

He lit up a cigarette as a silent reward for himself.

Just now, the game text revealed that he had narrowly escaped being trodden on by the Primitive Ancient Tree due to the effect of the ‘Lucky Coins’.

Thinking on his feet, he threw the dropped items he collected from defeating the ‘Profane Scavenger’ previously in Saint Lance’s moat. (Chapter 68)

He tricked the Primitive Ancient Tree into thinking the ‘rotting fragments’ were the remnants of his crushed corpse.

Indeed, in this Underworld game, even the most insignificant item can play an unexpected role.

[After the ‘Profane Primitive Ancient Tree’ extinguished the forest fire, its entangled roots slowly unwound and reverted to their original sturdy form.]

[Carrying the survival little tree-people, it squirmed toward the depths of the forest…]

[Do you wish to secretly follow them or continue towards the direction indicated on your map?]

Is it possible to track the tree-people?

Various reward events flashed through Lin Xun’s mind.

As the saying goes, fortune follows upon a narrow escape from disaster.

Having survived the pursuit of the Primitive Ancient Tree and accomplished such a difficult task, it made sense that the Underworld game would reward him.

He had a map on hand, and the Ancestral Giant’s Mausoleum wasn’t going anywhere.

But if he didn’t follow the Primitive Ancient Tree right now, he might miss out on this hard-earned reward event!

Although this Primitive Ancient Tree was terrifyingly powerful, Lin Xun’s gambling spirit wouldn’t let him pass on this fleeting reward opportunity.

Without any hesitation, he pressed ‘follow secretly’ on his screen.

[You maintain your invisible state and follow behind the tree-people at a distance.]

[With the towering Primitive Ancient Tree as your target, you remain invisible and hang far behind them.]

[The tree-people move slowly, and you maintain your distance, following them through the forest…]

Lin Xun was worried that there would be a brief moment when he becomes visible while renewing his invisibility skill.

In case he becomes visible and gets spotted by the tree-people, he would likely receive a bright red ‘veggie’ mark.

He dared not be careless, so whenever invisibility wore off, he quickly reinstated it.

Fortunately, such an occurrence has yet to happen.

[You continue to follow the tree-people stealthily, maneuvering through the scarlet trees…]

Lin Xun needed to constantly use ‘Blood Shadow Dance’ to maintain his invisibility. His dancer’s shell also had to perform a marathon alongside the tree-people.

Before long, the game displayed the text [You are feeling somewhat tired].

Checking his inventory, he still had the herbs he purchased from the blind merchant last time.

[Profane Red Orchid (item), a valuable herb tainted with a profane power. It can alleviate some fatigue for the devout followers of the Blood Sun.]

He had five fatigue-relieving herbs. Even if he had to climb another peak, he could still persevere.

Whenever his dancer’s shell was about to faint from fatigue, Lin Xun would consume one Red Orchid herb.

After he had consumed two Red Orchid, the game text finally changed.

[The scarlet trees by your side began to thin out, and the enormous tree-people in your sight gradually stopped moving.]

[Will you approach for a closer look?]

Lin Xun initially chose ‘no’, as to wait for the invisibility state to wear off before reactivating the invisibility skill.

In such a way, he could ensure he had ample time to explore without being discovered halfway through due to the invisibility wearing off early.

[You continue to maintain your invisibility and step forward silently…]

[As you approach, the scarlet trees around you completely disappear.]

[At the end of your sight, you could see many ‘Profane Forest Tree-people’ rooted in the ground. Their human-like features on their trunks had vanished as if they had entered into a deep slumber.]

[The ‘Profane Forest Tree-people’ have formed a semi-circle, with the other end occupied by the ‘Profane Primitive Ancient Tree’.]

[Dozens of tree-people were rooted here, forming a colossal circle. Through the gaps between the tree-people, you could see the gleaming surface of a lake. It is a miniaturized lake.]

[Shifting your viewpoint a little, you spot a red tree sapling growing on a floating patch of soil in the center of the lake the tree-people are circled around.]

[Its intense scarlet color was so vivid, much like dried, darkened blood. The sapling is only about the thickness of a human wrist with branches swaying in the wind, so red they appeared black.]

[At a glimpse, you seemed to spot a dark red fruit hidden amongst the sparse branches of the sapling.]

“Treasure!”