Chapter 3258: Dead Frog

Just as Xia De's voice fell, Teresa, wearing her glasses, immediately objected:

"What are you saying, Xia De? Most of these funerary items were found by you. I will definitely help."

Miss Liyade also hurriedly expressed:

"Mr. Hamilton's words make a lot of sense. It is indeed safest to first find a special cemetery with lower danger to check the situation."

Xia De looked at Miss Violet again and found that she was still watching him. Even when discovered by Xia De, the blonde witch only faced him with a smile:

"No problem, I also support your approach. Teresa, you must remember to learn: sometimes when your task list is filled with all sorts of tasks, don't just focus on the most important one. In those inconspicuous details, the most important information might be hidden."

Since it was decided to first find the First Flame and then attempt to find the exit, Xia De selected seven items from the 24 funerary items and placed them into the box. He whispered his wish—hoping to find the location of the "First Flame" before opening the box—and to his surprise, a compass had appeared inside.

No matter how it was turned, the compass needle always pointed in the same direction; everyone understood what this represented. As for the compass itself, the holy emblem of the "Ancient Death God" was clearly marked on the flat back. Xia De guessed this was probably because everyone had already unraveled the secret of this small house.

"So Xia De, who do you want to go out with you?"

Miss Violet said. When Xia De looked at them, the blonde witch empress held her teacup and looked at him with a smile, the nun wearing an eye patch also lifted her head in his direction, Teresa stood beside her aunt with one hand on her waist in anticipation, while Miss Liyade stood before the fireplace with her hands clasped in front of her, also bravely looking at Xia De.

Although the four people were at different distances, they were arranged in a neat row at this moment. None of them would object to being chosen by Xia De; each had a reason for wanting to go out with him.

Xia De pressed the cat that was poking its head out again back down:

"Teresa!"

"I'm here!"

The young girl wearing glasses smiled, and then she heard Xia De say:

"Please stay behind and prepare the meal for when we return. The nun must follow me; I cannot handle the First Flame by myself. Miss Violet's combat power is very necessary when facing unknown dangers, and Miss Liyade's grave-robbing experience might be useful for this adventure—this time it shouldn't just be about digging dirt."

"How could you~"

The young blonde girl complained in a low voice, but after being glanced at by her teacher, she closed her mouth again:

"Alright then."

She rolled up her sleeves and gathered her energy again. Xia De still remembered that when he first met her at the "Lost Lake," she didn't have such a confident and active personality:

"I will act as the chef to prepare food for you all. Remember to come back early and be sure to stay safe."

"Do my daughter and I need to follow you all?"

The hound at the door asked. Xia De shook his head:

"You stay and accompany Teresa. After experiencing so many things, it wasn't easy for me to rescue you; now you need rest. When we are truly ready to head to the final stop, please exert your role again."

Since it was decided to go out, the group of four packed up and prepared to leave. Of course, before that, two more items were taken from the remaining 17 funerary items and replaced with shovels, and this time both shovels were carried by Xia De. Of the remaining fifteen funerary items, 7 items including the scepter were taken out for emergencies, and the last 8 were left for Teresa to keep.

At the same time, Teresa once again lent the 【One-Shot Kill Pistol】 to Xia De, and also gave him the ten-round magazine and the 【Vision Bullet】 from just a moment ago. When handing over the weapon, she glanced at her teacher, yet still boldly kissed Xia De on the corner of his mouth.

After preparing, the four said goodbye to Teresa and the hounds who were "house-sitting," and then, led by the nun carrying an oil lamp and Xia De holding the compass, they stepped into the mist of the Tombstone Wasteland again.

The direction pointed out by the compass needle was actually the direction the group had returned from earlier from the location of the 【Corpse Tree】. But Xia De, who had a very good memory, noticed that the path they were walking on now and the tombstones they passed were completely different from before.

Space seemed to have undergone a strange change during the short time everyone was chatting in the gravedigger's hut. The tree could no longer be seen in the mist in the distance; instead, a black shadow in the style of a bell tower stood in the distance.

And just when everyone thought that was the destination, the black shadow disappeared without a trace after a blink.

On the originally slightly damp wasteland soil, as they continued to move forward, some small puddles appeared out of nowhere, and the puddles contained pitch-black muddy water. Miss Violet, wearing high heels, was forced to change into boots provided by Xia De, while the professional grave robber Miss Liyade was already wearing boots.

The puddles on the ground gradually merged into a sheet further ahead. Although it couldn't be considered a lake or river yet, this place could already be counted as "wetlands." The stench that was originally in the air became even more unbearable in this soggy area. Xia De, who remembered the monster list given by the hound, reminded everyone to be careful.

His worry was correct, because as the team continued to move forward, the figure of a strange creature really appeared between the tombstones ahead.

It was a frog-like thing with pitch-black skin and a tadpole-like tail. Its body size was a circle larger than the house-sitting hound, and its bulging eyes were as round as the lamp shades of gas lamps, and the number of eyes was far more than two.

Its limbs were lying on the ground, and because of the color of its skin, it almost blended into the small puddle. When the advancing team noticed it, it also noticed the group of four. So, at a distance of nearly twenty meters, the black "frog" opened its mouth, and its tongue shot towards Sister Beren, who was walking at the front, with a *whoosh*.

The lantern in the nun's hand vibrated slightly, and then a barrier made of crimson flames blocked the tongue that had been ejected. And while that tongue was rebounding, the 【Great Sin Chain】 thrown out by Xia De tied up that black tongue.

He frowned slightly; a chilling sensation actually came from the other end of the chain, which was something that had never happened before. And as Xia De pulled hard, the "frog" lying in the puddle flew towards the group.

"Moonlight Wheel!"

The buzzing silver light wheel slashed vertically at the frog, but after touching its body, it only continuously rotated and splashed silver light spots, failing to split it open immediately. So Miss Violet raised her hand and pointed, and the gold and silver light turned into a light spear that pierced the frog's abdomen, and it exploded silently in mid-air.

But what exploded was not blood mist or rotten flesh, but a mass of thick black mist.

Sister Beren reminded softly:

"Decay Mist, it has an instant-death curse effect. Even if the instant-death resistance is sufficient, one will lose lifespan because of being contaminated by this mist."

She wanted to lead the group around the black mist that lay ahead, but Miss Violet suddenly reached out and pressed her shoulder:

"Wait a moment, Sister."

Xia De and Miss Liyade also quickly learned why she stopped the nun from moving forward, because behind that mass of black mist, from behind the densely arranged tombstones and the depths of the white mist, dozens more black "dead frogs" appeared.

This kind of strange cursed creature seemed to have gregarious characteristics, and they were obviously not afraid of the "Decay Mist." After gathering together, they crawled towards the group, looking very disgusting.

"There are some behind us too."

Miss Liyade reminded in a low voice, trying to stay as close to the group as possible. Little Mia poked its head out from between the buttons of Xia De's coat again, but before it could meow in fear of these ugly frogs, Xia De pressed it back down.

"Does anyone know the Anti-Death Barrier?"

Xia De asked.

"Xia De, there is no need for an Anti-Death Barrier. Now let me teach you some common sense when facing dangerous alien creatures."

The blonde witch empress was not panicked at all; instead, she said in a very light tone:

"Common alien creature classifications have different sayings in different eras, but the category of 'cursed creatures' will definitely not disappear. Cursed creatures themselves are regarded as the concrete manifestation of some kind of 'curse.' They are different from creatures with curse abilities. Like the dead frogs in front of us, sometimes they are even difficult to define as 'life'."

Light lit up on the fingertips of her right hand, but it was a verdant green light:

"Cursed creatures are usually extremely difficult to deal with, but as long as you know the content of their curse, you can use power opposite to their curse characteristics to suppress them. The opposite of the instant-death effect is bestowing life. Although I am not a great witch of the Earth or Creation seats, for me who maintains eternal beauty, creating life is not a difficult problem."

She flicked the light from her fingertips toward the top of her head:

"Witch Secret Art: Fountain of Youth."

The verdant vitality turned into a spring at the top of the four people's heads, but the "spring water" that fell afterward was not a real liquid, but an existence close to a semi-energy state of spirit.

The Fountain of Youth cleansed the body and soul. Xia De first felt as if he were bathing in the spring breeze while running, then felt as if he were drinking sweet spring water when he was most thirsty, and finally, he even felt as if he had become several years younger.

【That is impossible.】

"Why?"

"She" smiled and did not answer.

The black "frogs" slowed their approach amidst the abundant life force. After the group, constantly washed by the spring water from above, continued on their way, they merely followed the team in clusters. It was not until the living left this wetland area that they hid back behind the tombstones and into the white mist, falling back into silence as the mist drifted away.

?? PS: Figure 1 of this chapter "Teresa Schultz" seems to have been released before.

? Figure 2 of this chapter "Dead Frog" is not silk stockings.

? (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 3259 =====