Chapter 287: Aberrant Toad, Betrayal

Chapter 287: Chapter 287: Aberrant Toad, Betrayal

Seraphina Sullivan immediately locked onto the giant toad ensnaring the player. She activated her [Eye of Resume], and the toad’s stats instantly materialized:

[Name: Mutated Toad]

[Gender: Female]

[Professional Skills:

1. Radiation Acid Liquid: Sprays a highly corrosive and radioactive slime.

2. Giant Tongue: A flexible and incredibly powerful tongue that can be launched over ten meters to capture prey or attack.

[Weaknesses: Flame and Ice]

Seeing this information, Seraphina understood.

’It seems the main danger in this instance really is these creatures, mutated and strengthened by radiation.’

They weren’t just huge; their attacks had become far more lethal.

At that moment, the mutated toads spotted Seraphina standing nearby, along with the two "unusual" chickens at her side.

They immediately turned toward their newfound "prey."

The player, still tightly coiled in the toad’s long tongue with his skin slowly corroding, also saw Seraphina. A final spark of hope for survival ignited in his eyes. He summoned all his remaining strength to call out, his voice hoarse and weak:

"Save... save me... Please..."

Seraphina didn’t immediately rush to his aid.

Her eyes quickly scanned the surrounding shrubs, mire, and dilapidated buildings as a sliver of doubt crept into her mind.

’Where are his teammates?’

’How could they just stand by and do nothing while their teammate was being captured by a monster?’

’Were they already dead? Or were they hiding, using their teammate as bait? Maybe they were just waiting to swoop in and profit from the situation?’

In such a strange and dangerous environment, anything illogical could be a trap.

Sometimes, the evil in people’s hearts is more lethal than any monster.

Seraphina had to be cautious.

However, before she could find any trace of the man’s teammates, the mutated toads lost their patience and charged at her, Chubbs, and Tubbs!

They kicked off with their hind legs, their massive bodies hurtling forward with a foul gust of wind as they opened their mouths, preparing to spray their acid!

"Chubbs, Tubbs, they’re all yours!"

Seraphina calmly issued the order, taking half a step back. A syringe of [Anesthetic] quietly materialized in her hand as she waited for an opening.

"BAWK BAWK! Understood!"

Chubbs let out a shrill crow, brimming with battlelust!

It gave its wings a powerful shake.

Several feathers with edges that glinted like cold steel shot out like crossbow bolts, accurately striking the two mutated toads in the lead!

"PFFT! PFFT!"

The Steel Feathers easily pierced the disgusting pustules on the toads’ backs!

The pustules burst instantly, spattering yellow-green slime and pus everywhere and releasing a sickening stench.

The mutated toads let out agonized croaks, their movements faltering.

Tubbs watched the slime fly, shaking its feathers in disgust. "BAWK BAWK! Gross! My turn!"

It took a deep breath, puffing out its chest.

It then opened its beak and spat out four or five fist-sized, blazing fireballs. They whistled through the air, leaving scorching trails as they slammed into the remaining toads!

"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"

The fireballs exploded against the toads’ bodies. The intense heat instantly set their slimy coatings and dry skin ablaze.

They croaked in agony, frantically rolling in the mud to try and extinguish the flames.

Thanks to Chubbs and Tubbs’s perfect coordination, the battle was over quickly.

Chubbs’s Steel Feathers precisely disrupted the toads’ balance and senses, while Tubbs’s scorching fireballs dealt devastating blows to the irradiated creatures.

The flame damage was immense.

After all, Flame was one of the mutated toads’ Weaknesses. Tubbs was their natural counter.

Amid a few muffled pops and the stench of burnt flesh, the last mutated toad collapsed with an indignant shriek. Its massive body twitched a few times, then fell still.

With the battle over, the man who had been ensnared by the Giant Tongue was finally free, released from its deadly Binding.

He lay limp on the filthy ground, coughing violently and gulping down the scorching, yet liberating, air.

Seraphina approached cautiously, keeping a safe distance.

The man was in terrible shape. Most of his skin was ulcerated, and the areas that had been in direct contact with the mutated toad’s slimy tongue were a gory mess of torn flesh.

The tissue beneath was faintly visible, and the wound gave off a foul smell.

The intense pain sent tremors through the man’s body, and his face was ashen.

However, perhaps because of the immense relief of having just been snatched from the jaws of death, his gaze toward Seraphina was filled with the exhilaration of a survivor.

It temporarily overshadowed the fear and pain from his injuries.

"COUGH! COUGH... Th-thank you for saving me." His voice was hoarse, and every word was a struggle.

Seraphina said nothing, merely scanning his data.

[Name: Simon Holt]

[Gender: Male]

[Level: Level 2]

[Professional Skills and Talents: Geographical Perception: Can clearly perceive the detailed physical environment, topography, resource points, and potential danger zones within a ten-kilometer radius. Can also render this information in real-time as an accurate map.]

[Skills: None]

[Weaknesses: Extremely weak; lacks any self-defense ability. Nearly any threat is lethal, e.g., his current critically injured state.]

’A classic support Talent. No combat Ability, but invaluable for exploration and intelligence.’

Seeing his Ability and recalling how his teammates had just abandoned him, Seraphina started to piece together the truth.

"Where are your teammates? Why didn’t they try to save you?" Seraphina asked, her voice flat and devoid of emotion.

Upon hearing her question, Simon Holt shuddered. The light that had just appeared in his eyes instantly faded, replaced by profound anguish and despair.

He lowered his head, his hands clenching the mud beneath him so tightly his knuckles turned white.

He and the girlfriend he thought he’d spend his life with had joined Samson Sharp’s team to survive, thinking they’d be safe under his protection.

But cruel reality dealt him a heavy blow.

He hadn’t just trusted the wrong people; he had witnessed firsthand that according to the law of survival in these instances, weakness was the one unforgivable sin.

Simon Holt never would have imagined that the girlfriend he loved so dearly would betray him for his lack of combat ability—and that she’d been having an affair with Larry Olsen all along.

His attack by the mutated toad was no accident. Larry Olsen had deliberately pushed him toward the monster, trying to get it to do his dirty work!

And the entire team, his girlfriend included, had just stood by and watched. They were probably even relieved to be rid of a "burden"...

The pain of being betrayed by the person he held dearest was far more suffocating than his physical injuries.

Seeing him silent, radiating an aura of grief and despair, Seraphina didn’t press him.