Chapter 304: Pure Water

This was truly terrifying, Cheng Shuili decisively used Insight.

【Insight Complete!】

【Insight Activated】

【Name: Lamenting Sludge】

【Origin: Born from a grotesque fusion of acid rain, discarded biochemical reagents, and radiation. It is the embodiment of the institute's disaster, a conglomerate of countless leaking substances wailing in corrosion, bearing the despair of this land's total pollution. When someone intrudes, these hissing slimes awaken from the depths of the ruins, greedily devouring everything, attempting to draw all things into a uniform rot.】

【Weakness: Fears pure substances, especially unpolluted water, because its very existence negates "pollution".】

Lamenting sludge? Afraid of pure water?

Others might already be at a loss, but the stock inside Cheng Shuili's Abyssal Ring can actually purify it right where it stands!

No wasted words; Cheng Shuili pulled out several bottles from the large barrels of mineral water she had previously stockpiled in the Abyssal Ring, and each person was handed a barrel.

Although a great enemy loomed, distributing this kind of thing at such a moment was indeed odd, but Qi Wan Yi and the other two still chose unconditional trust.

Jiang Tang snarked, "Lao Da, you aren't planning to have the few of us pour water into it and then drown it, are you?"

"Enough chatter," Cheng Shuili said calmly, her movements swift, "It's not pouring, it's splashing! Aim at its body and splash the water onto it!"

Before she finished speaking, the massive Lamenting Sludge emitted a teeth‑aching hissing, and several thick, foul‑smelling purple tendrils snapped away from its main body, lashing like whips toward the nearest Ailin and Jiang Tang!

"Don't just stare! Splash water!"

Cheng Shuili shouted sharply and was the first to fling an entire bucket of water with force!

The moment the clear water met the dark‑purple slime, a violent reaction erupted as if scorching iron were plunged into icy water!

"Sss!"

A shrill sound suddenly rang out, and a massive plume of white vapor billowed!

In the area drenched by the pure water, the slime seemed scorched, rapidly contracting and fading, shifting from an unsettling deep purple to a grayish pallor, then shattering into rigid, ash‑like fragments that fell away!

The Lamenting Sludge let out an inhuman, sharp wail mixing screeches and moans, its massive body convulsing violently with pain, instinctively recoiling backward!

"It actually works!" Xinxue's eyes lit up, and without hesitation she splashed her own bucket of water out!

Huh… so this one also didn't believe, just didn't say anything.

Qi Wan Yi and Ailin followed closely behind!

Jiang Tang, though snarking, moved no slower, even precisely splashing water onto a tendril that tried to ambush her; that tendril instantly stiffened, turned gray, and snapped!

Several large buckets of pure water sprayed out, carving glaring blanks into the dense ink‑darkness.

On the massive body of the Lamenting Sludge, several huge rotting cavities gaped, constantly exhaling white vapor; its writhing became sluggish and painful, and its shrill cries now bore obvious fear.

The corrosive aura in the passage seemed slightly diluted.

This resource‑eating monster is still too easy to defeat!

Cheng Shuili said nothing, silently pulling out several more barrels of mineral water; this time the others didn't say much either, each scrambling to grab one and splash it at the monster!

After the buckets of clear water were spent, the nauseating purple monster had turned into patches of gray‑white, rigid sludge on the ground, hissing out its last faint bubbles, motionless.

The passage was filled with a strange odor, like the scent of rain‑soaked earth mixed with disinfectant, forcibly suppressing the previously suffocating rotten sweetness, but becoming even more foul.

Silence returned, heavier than before, leaving only the slightly rapid breaths of a few.

Jiang Tang stared at her empty bucket, then at the lifeless debris on the ground, murmuring, "That's… it? It really can kill?"

Her tone carried disbelief, even a hint of absurdity. Such a terrifying thing, solved by a few buckets of commonplace mineral water?

Xinxue lifted her hand to pat Jiang Tang's back; she was a bit winded and still catching her breath, but wanted to tease Jiang Tang, so she pointed earnestly at Cheng Shuili, meaning clearly: "Can Lao Da's words be false?"

Cheng Shuili ignored them, silently retrieving the empty bucket.

Better stash it inside the Abyssal Ring first; such a large plastic barrel is rare, and who knows if it'll be useful later? Better keep it.

She thought, her gaze passing over the debris, turning toward the deeper, darker corridor behind.

She didn't know what lay ahead.

Insight still had two uses left; if she used them, she'd have to weigh it carefully.

Qi Wan Yi crouched, gently prodding a gray‑white hard piece with the tip of her dagger; it easily shattered.

"It's like… being burned," she whispered, brow slightly furrowed, "How amazing, it's water yet it produces a fire‑like effect."

That remark sounded a bit poetic, Cheng Shuili thought.

Ailin took a bottle of mineral water from her backpack, unscrewed the cap, took a small sip, the icy liquid sliding down her throat, slightly calming her racing heart. "Using this to guard the gate…"

She scanned the twisted, dim surroundings, her voice tightening, "What could be locked inside, or left behind, in there?"

Qi Wan Yi replied, "Lao Da's here, what's there to fear?"

Exactly, what's there to fear?

Just a small broken Instance's tiny broken zone, and Cheng Shuili really hasn't been cowardly!

Her gaze fell on the doors on either side sealed by slime; she noticed that as the Lamenting Sludge died, the dark‑purple blockage in the door cracks lost some luster, becoming a bit desiccated and even slightly cracked.

In other words, the doors should now be openable.

Cheng Shuili approached the nearest door, drew her Night Hunt, and forced a crack open.

"Crack…"

A crisp sound rang out, a small piece of gray‑purple, dried‑mud like matter was pried off, revealing a rusted metal door panel beneath.

Cheng Shuili's voice cut through the silence, "The monster is dead, the stability of these things has weakened as well."

She sheathed her blade, looked at the others, "Come, let's see if we can push this door open."

No one questioned.

A few moved forward in unspoken agreement, weapons wedged into the gap, shoulders pressing against the cold, deformed metal door.

"One, two, three… push!"

The hinge moaned with a teeth‑aching sound, stubbornly resisting.

The desiccated slime blockages fell away. Finally, after a sharp metallic scraping, the door was forced open into a narrow slit barely wide enough for a single person to slip through sideways.

A more intense, more stale sweet smell, mixed with the scent of dust and iron rust, surged out instantly from behind the door and blew onto the face.