Chapter 344: Cowering and Scurrying

The surroundings were dim and forested, and still terrifying, and Jiang Tang's little heart thumped.

Beside her stood Cheng Shuili, expression calm, quickly scanning the environment.

"B‑Boss!" Jiang Tang's voice had a whimper, and she instinctively clutched the hood of her little dinosaur pajama, "This is too sudden! My afternoon tea! My chips!"

Cheng Shuili, expressionless, cut her off: "Even if you call back, you won't get to eat it."

Jiang Tang immediately covered her mouth, shifted her position, and edged closer to Cheng Shuili.

It seemed safer this way.

She quieted down, and the two of them began to seriously look at the Instance panel that popped up.

This Instance was a treasure‑hunt type that Cheng Shuili had never taken part in before.

【Welcome to the Deep Dark Mine Team Instance!】

【Instance Objective: Find the hidden treasure in the Dark Mine within two hours!】

【You may use hints provided by any Friendly Unit, but beware of dangers from hostile units! Finding the treasure within the time limit counts as victory; otherwise you fail!】

【Note: After clearing the team‑run Instance, each player receives attribute‑point rewards; failure carries no penalty!】

Cheng Shuili read the text carefully, closed the panel, and happened to notice Jiang Tang's little dinosaur pajama.

She frowned, "Why aren't you changing clothes?"

Jiang Tang felt aggrieved, "I entered right after clicking; I thought there would be a waiting period."

Cheng Shuili: "......"

Cheng Shuili was silent for a moment, then said nothing more.

After all, she was pulled in at the last minute; you can't blame her.

Cheng Shuili shifted her gaze to the deep cavern ahead, pulled two tactical flashlights from the Abyssal Ring, tossed one to Jiang Tang, then produced a dagger and handed it to her, briefly explaining the purpose of their visit.

Jiang Tang understood at once, blinked, and asked, "The thing the boss is looking for—could it be the treasure?"

It really could be.

Cheng Shuili wasn't sure either, so she simply said, "We should go down."

After all, there were only two hours; they had to hurry.

The tactical flashlight's beam tore through the thick darkness, illuminating the winding tunnel ahead.

Cheng Shuili led, and Jiang Tang followed closely behind.

It was still her first time acting alone with the boss, especially without any preparation.

Jiang Tang lightly bit her lip, feeling a bit guilty and fearing she might hold the boss back, so she clenched the dagger Cheng Shuili gave her, and with her other hand she cradled the tail of her dinosaur pajama.

The air was damp and chilly, carrying a strange mix of iron rust and decayed earth; occasionally cold droplets fell from fissures above, ticking, their sound strikingly clear in the silent mine.

The path beneath their feet was rough, strewn with rubble and pools of water of varying depth.

The rock walls still bore abandoned minecart tracks and rusted pickheads, testifying to former human activity, now only desolation and death.

After a few quiet minutes of walking, a fork appeared ahead.

Cheng Shuili furrowed her brow, thought briefly, then stepped back silently, eyes on Jiang Tang: "Which way?"

"We… should we follow my lead?"

Jiang Tang pointed at her own nose, frozen.

With no information and no situation known, a fork like this is just a matter of luck.

Cheng Shuili, expression unchanged, glanced at the brocade carp bracelet on Jiang Tang's wrist, thinking luck must favor the two of them.

While pondering, Jiang Tang decided, "Let's go this way? It feels gloomier over there…"

She said that, looking up at Cheng Shuili, still asking.

Cheng Shuili nodded and continued along the path her finger indicated.

Jiang Tang jogged to keep up, "Boss, what if I chose wrong and there's danger on this path?"

Cheng Shuili didn't even lift her head: "If there's danger here, it only means the other path is even more dangerous."

Before Cheng Shuili finished speaking, a heavy, heart‑pounding scraping sound came from deep within the tunnel, without warning.

Jiang Tang froze abruptly, the flashlight beam trembling violently, pointing straight toward the source of the sound.

At the trembling beam's edge, a huge, twisted shadow slammed onto the rock wall at the tunnel bend! One could clearly see the outline of a snarling skull and the sweeping shadows of massive limbs, as if it would break free from the wall and lunge out the next second!

Jiang Tang instinctively leapt backward, clutching her head and crouching, the whole motion startlingly fast, "Boss, a monster! I'll protect myself, don't worry!"

A textbook case of cowering and scurrying.

Cheng Shuili tugged at the corner of her mouth, stepped forward, the tactical flashlight steady on that rock wall, while her other hand silently gripped Night Hunt, clearly ready for combat.

The massive shadow shifted on the wall twice more, accompanied by a clumsy crawling rustle, as a creature sluggishly shuffled out from behind the corner.

The cold light of the tactical flashlight fell on its body.

It was a rather robust creature, its body covered in dark‑red scale armor.

It supported itself on four short, stout legs, a thick tail lazily sweeping the stones on the ground behind it.

On its conspicuously huge head, a pair of amber eyes squinted under the bright light, blinking in apparent confusion, even letting out a yawn specked with tiny sparks.

It looked… a bit dull, even downright simple‑minded.

But… with a Screaming Chicken ahead, Cheng Shuili naturally didn't dare to relax.

【Insight Success】

【Giant Fire Lizard】

【Description: A massive, incredibly strong reptilian creature. Its body is covered with thick, armor‑like dark‑red scales that effectively resist physical attacks and insulate its own high temperature. Its mouth and glands store large amounts of flammable chemicals, which can be mixed with saliva to spew high‑temperature flames or dense smoke. Its temperament is relatively gentle; it usually remains in a semi‑dormant state to conserve energy, often inhabiting geothermal‑active or mineral‑energy‑rich areas.】

【Weakness: An absolutely non‑aggressive large creature; killing it is not recommended.】

Absolutely non‑aggressive.

The tense atmosphere froze instantly, then deflated cleanly like a punctured balloon.

Cheng Shuili's tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and the hand holding her weapon also loosened.

She silently stared at the giant Fire Lizard blocking the way, then turned back and glanced at the ginger candy that had been clinging to her for who knows how long.

Cheng Shuili: "……"

I won't bring her next time, really.

The atmosphere deep inside the cave dropped suddenly from extreme terror into an awkward silence.

Cheng Shuili looked at the giant Fire Lizard that still seemed out of its senses, then glanced at the ginger candy clutching her hem, wanting to curl up into a ball, and let out a silent sigh.