Chapter 31

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As the chilling wind whipped through the dense foliage, sending a shiver down his spine, Ji Wuye watched with intense, crimson eyes as an ominous procession of flickering torches approached the village's main entrance.

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Perched precariously on a gnarled tree branch near the edge of the enveloping jungle, he observed a horde of grotesque, green-skinned beings shambling forward.

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Their bare, sinewy chests heaved with each ragged breath, protruding bellies swaying, and maws twisted into feral snarls that revealed jagged, yellowed fangs.

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Narrowed eyes, beady and cold, fixed their malicious gaze upon the village ahead, its sturdy gate groaning as it slowly ground to a close.

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"A goblin," Ji Wuye murmured, the gravelly words escaping his lips in a hushed rasp as he recognized the peculiar, twisted creature found only within the Tower. "Similar to Yecha, but without armor and the discipline of martial arts."

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It was strange, he mused, how these vile, almost comically grotesque beings could instill such primal fear in the hearts of this world's natives.

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Upon closer inspection through the tangled vines, they seemed like mere twisted caricatures that could only terrify a child in his former reality.

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SWOOSH-!

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Amusement turned to piqued curiosity as Ji Wuye's sharp gaze was drawn to a razor-tipped arrow that erupted from the goblin's skull in a burst of gore and brain matter.

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The creature let out a final, gurgling shriek of agony before crumpling lifelessly to the ground. Judging by the considerable distance between the village's stout walls and the horde of goblins, which spanned approximately 219 zhang, it was clear the unseen archer had loosed the deadly shaft with remarkable precision and skill.

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The grinning and growling goblins came to a sudden, eerie halt, as if frozen in time by some unseen force, their torch casting a hellish, flickering glow over the clearing.

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Ji Wuye calmly observed the unfolding scene from his lofty vantage point, then shifted his penetrating gaze towards the village walls beyond. "That must be the elf with the long bow," he muttered to himself, the words a mere breath on the wind.

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With narrowed eyes, he noticed two distinct figures silhouetted under the murky night, standing resolute atop the village's sturdy battlements. "Everything remains just as it was in the past," Ji Wuye remarked with a slow, contemplative nod.

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The elf and the noble seemed to be handling the precarious situation with poise, but Ji Wuye couldn't quite shake the nagging sense of suspicion that slithered through his mind like a coiled viper.

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Observing the increased number of goblins massing before the gate, his crimson eyes flickered as he realized there were almost twice as many grotesque forms as in the previous timeline. 'It's quite unexpected... but, well, I believe they can handle it,'he mused.

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This ominous feeling had haunted him ever since he finished clearing the first floor, with increasing and intensified power in the elemental test on the second floor, as if encountering something brand new. And now this.

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He had a hunch, but for now, he thought these were all just his memories, not too clear since it had been a long time since he had experienced this again.

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'But it's still the same, right?' he thought inwardly. But no sooner had the thought echoed in his mind than the frozen, leering swarm of goblins let out a unified, bone-chilling war cry that shattered the tense silence.

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As one, the twisted horde surged forward with startling speed, their torchlights turning the clearing into a hellish vista as they rushed, howling, toward the village's sturdy walls.

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SWOOSH-!

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SWOOSH-!

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Two more arrows streaked through the night...

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In the blink of an eye, a relentless barrage of arrows began taking down the goblins one by one, their twisted forms crumpling to the loamy earth with anguished shrieks.

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...

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Meanwhile, Ji Wuye took swift advantage of the chaos and distraction, deftly slipping from his perch and retreating with silent footfalls deeper into the enveloping jungle before either side could detect his subtle absence.

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Immersed in the pitch darkness of the primordial forest, the inky blackness seeming to swallow all light and life, Ji Wuye ventured ever deeper, his steps sure and unhurried despite the impenetrable gloom.

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Previously, he had been able to discern his surroundings with clarity, guided by the flickering torchlight carried by the goblins and the guttering flames that lined the village's sturdy, wooden ramparts.

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However, now that he had distanced himself from those meager sources of illumination, he remained outwardly calm and composed, betraying no hint of trepidation.

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Without panicking or rushing, he uttered in a low, controlled tone, "Inventory."

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With a resounding metallic click, he summoned forth a sturdy torch, its crackling flames casting a wavering circle of orange light over the shadowed foliage and revealing the jian gripped firmly in his other hand.

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"Now, let's find the clue 'he' mentioned," Ji Wuye murmured, his crimson eyes now glowing like smoldering coals in the torchlight as he scanned the dim, unfamiliar surroundings with a penetrating gaze.

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[!] Your passive skill, Quick Adaptation(E), has been triggered!

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Beneath his narrowed scarlet eyes, Ji Wuye noticed a slight, unnatural depression marring the moist, leaf-strewn ground - a distinctive claw mark pointing deeper into the shadowed heart of the primordial forest.

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He took a few deep, measured breaths, filtering the myriad scents carried on the chill breeze, and his eyes narrowed further. "Leaves, damp earth, and something else..."

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A faint, predatory grin spread across Ji Wuye's features as he realized that every subtle clue was precise, just as the enigmatic 'he' had assured.

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'How much free time do Senior Brother have to so thoroughly explore the entire jungle while dealing with this tiresome horde of goblins?' he pondered aloud, the whispered words hanging in the still air.

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'He must be dreadfully annoyed and bored enough to wander far afield, considering that these goblins are nothing but soulless, mindless beings armed with crude weapons.'

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Chuckling lowly to himself and shaking his head in bemused wonder, he then turned to follow the trail deeper into the unknown depths. But before that, there was one more item he needed to use.

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CLICK!

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A strange, glimmering mote of light materialized abruptly before him, rapidly taking physical form before dropping with a muted thud to the loamy earth as he instinctively lowered his body into a defensive crouch, setting aside the guttering torch.

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Unscrewing the lid of the object - a tiny glass jar - Ji Wuye poured its viscous contents over his jian.

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The sticky, magenta-hued substance emitted an overpowering, acrid odor that caused his eyes to water and a slight burning discomfort in his throat and nostrils.

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Once he had meticulously spread the pungent liquid over every inch of the gleaming steel from hilt to razor-sharp tip, he discarded the now-empty jar with a flick of his wrist.

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Without hesitation, Ji Wuye summoned forth another strange item from his inventory, a small glass bottle materializing in his outstretched palm.

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Unhesitatingly, he unstoppered the fragile container and upended it over his parted lips, swallowing the entire contents in one fluid motion - a coarse mixture resembling crushed pebbles and dried leaves that slid down his throat with surprising ease.

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GULP!

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[!] You have consumed 1 Antitoxin Vial!

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[!] Your body will be immune to toxins from any kind of snake for 10 minutes!

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As soon as the last dregs of the antitoxin passed Ji Wuye's lips, the entire primordial forest seemed to shift and distort before his very eyes in a dizzying whirl of sensory overload.

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'What is this…' His jaw dropped momentarily, his perspective altering as everything snapped into an almost unnatural, hyper-clarity, every detail standing out in stark relief though the torchlight now seemed fainter, the dancing flames casting a sickly, greenish pall over the surrounding foliage.

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A whirlwind of disjointed thoughts and questions raced through Ji Wuye's mind as his senses were overwhelmed by the sudden onslaught of stimuli.

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His mouth opened as if to give voice to the turmoil, then clicked shut once more as he found himself gently stroking the unexpected length of his eyelashes rather than his cheeks.

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'I see.. I see…'Drawing in a slow, steadying breath through flared nostrils, his enlarged eyes gradually narrowed to mere slits as a wide, predatory grin split his features, finally realizing the astounding cause behind this dizzying metamorphosis.

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His crimson irises still flickered with an eerie, vibrant inner light.

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"What an...unexpected surprise, the real effect of Quick Adaptation! " Ji Wuye exclaimed.

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