Chapter 253: Giant Creatures 11

It was a rare trip out, so even though they had already found a water source, they had no intention of heading back so soon.

The two of them conferred, wondering if they could hunt some bugs and get a few cards to drop.

Perry Yates walked down the plant-overrun streets, sensing the vegetation around her. Suddenly, she felt something distinctly different.

Communicating with these plants became incredibly smooth. It turned out that plants, too, had sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Their perception wasn’t the least bit inferior to humans; in some respects, it far surpassed it.

It was as if these plants had gotten smarter.

Having decided to hunt for cards, Perry Yates and Amber Sheridan put away all their Insect Repellent Incense.

Without the interference of the Insect Repellent Incense, it took only a few minutes before a rustling sound came from the grass. A green figure then shot out like a bolt of lightning.

BANG!

The green figure slammed into—no, its weapon slashed viciously at Perry Yates’s Cold Moon Guardian.

Only then did they finally get a clear look at it: a green mantis.

This mantis was well over half a meter long, with sharp, scythe-like forelimbs and a head that had been magnified countless times. It resembled a Xenomorph, and a single glance was enough to give you nightmares.

Amber Sheridan, at her side, reacted in a flash. He materialized a sharp blade and dispatched the ambushing mantis with a single strike.

Unfortunately, the mantis didn’t drop any cards upon death.

Just as the two were about to leave, Perry Yates suddenly sensed something was wrong.

’The mantis is dead, so why is its stomach still moving?’

A certain possibility dawning on her, Perry Yates immediately summoned her Cannibal Flower and had it devour the mantis corpse on the ground, paying special attention to the stomach.

As the Cannibal Flower’s digestive fluids went to work on the corpse, the thing hidden inside the mantis’s body could no longer sit still. It began to struggle violently within the flower’s maw.

Because the Cannibal Flower’s maw wasn’t completely sealed, the creature actually managed to escape.

It was a Horsehair Worm, its body magnified countless times over.

The Horsehair Worm is a classic parasite. It leeches nutrients by living inside a host. Once mature, it seizes control, forcing the host to enter the water and drown itself. Only then do the worms emerge from the corpse to mate.

Horsehair Worms are most commonly found living inside mantises.

After emerging from the Cannibal Flower, the Horsehair Worm began moving toward Perry Yates and Amber Sheridan.

’Is it trying to make us its new hosts?’

Without a moment’s hesitation, Perry Yates had her Cannibal Flower eat the Horsehair Worm again, making sure it had no chance to escape this time.

Unfortunately, even this tenacious Horsehair Worm failed to drop a card.

After that, Perry Yates and Amber Sheridan went on a rampage, slaughtering the surrounding insects and plants. Anything that tried to attack them or simply got in their way was eliminated.

Eventually, a disheartened Perry Yates found herself leaning against Amber Sheridan.

Earlier, they had passed a tree that was completely infested with bugs. The densely packed insects were each half the size of an adult’s fist—a sight that made one’s skin crawl.

From that moment on, Perry Yates refused to go near any trees or similar plants.

As for whether Amber Sheridan minded Perry Yates getting close, that was out of the question. With the Cold Moon Guardian active, he was more than happy to have her stay near him.

"I just want one card. Why is it so hard?" Perry Yates complained.

"Sounds like you’ve had it easy until now," Amber Sheridan suddenly remarked.

Perry Yates asked, confused, "What’s that supposed to mean?"

"And you’re already complaining? This is nothing. You know, back in the game, there was this one time in an insect dungeon... I killed tens of thousands of bugs by myself and not a single card dropped."

Why was Amber Sheridan’s mindset always so unshakable? Simple: he’d been conditioned by experience.

Perry Yates had no retort for that. After all, getting cards in the old game had been ridiculously easy for her; people usually just handed them to her.

It was best for her to keep quiet. No matter what she said, it would sound like a humblebrag.

They pressed on, encountering other survivors along the way.

After they passed yet another group of survivors, who watched them leave with unnerving focus, Amber Sheridan couldn’t help but ask, "Why does everyone keep staring at the tops of our heads? Also, how long are they going to keep tailing us?"

"You really haven’t noticed?" Perry Yates asked, surprised. ’How could Amber Sheridan have missed something so obvious?’

"Noticed what?"

"Their hair."

With Perry Yates’s reminder, it clicked for Amber Sheridan. The men in the groups they’d passed all had their hair shaved short, like they’d just gotten out of prison. The women’s hair wasn’t as extreme, but it was uniformly short.

It was just that the barbers’ skills were lacking; every cut looked like a dog had chewed on it.

The advantages of this, however, were obvious.

First, short hair is easy to manage. In this sweltering heat, it’s more comfortable, better for survival, and less likely to attract lice.

In contrast, Perry Yates had her long, glossy black hair tied into a bun, while Amber Sheridan sported a head of permed and dyed golden-brown curls.

Combined with their clean clothes, it all screamed that they had supplies in abundance—so many, in fact, that they could afford to be frivolous, even keeping their hair so perfectly styled.

No wonder they were being targeted.

Understanding now, Amber Sheridan listened to the faint footsteps behind them, scratched his head, and said, "We should probably find some time to deal with the people following us."

Perry Yates nodded. "It’s getting late. We won’t be heading back tonight."

As night fell, Perry Yates expanded her Cold Moon Guardian from its usual form wrapped around her body. To ensure a peaceful, undisturbed sleep, she created a barrier that blocked out both insects and the hot air.

’I really have to thank my past self for merging with the Cold Moon Guardian card,’ she thought. ’When I get back, I should merge with a Fire Attribute Barrier Card, too.’

After starting a fire, Amber Sheridan produced a large grasshopper he’d caught somewhere, skewered it on a branch, and began roasting it over the flames.

"Still haven’t given up, huh?"

Meanwhile, in the darkness, a group of people watched the distant firelight and the two figures around it, a vicious glint in their eyes.

"Boss, are you sure this plan will work? What if we fail and tip them off?"