Chapter 31 | The Otherworld Journey That Starts From a Slime

“Giao!” A cry rang out in the forest as a figure leaped between giant trees.

Zhang Ye was maneuvering his Magic-version Omni-directional Mobility Gear, flying through the trees at high speed, while a dense swarm of Vine Snakes pursued him from behind!

【Vine Snake: Tier Five wood and poison dual-attribute magical beast. A venomous snake with wings. It is agile, highly toxic, and lives in swarms!】

“Did I poke a nest of these giaos or something?!” Zhang Ye couldn't help but shout as he heard the cries of the Vine Snake swarm behind him.

These Vine Snakes could not only fly but also had fleshy wattles like chickens, which emitted a “giao” sound.

At this moment, at least two or three hundred Vine Snakes were chasing him. As they pursued, they emitted a chorus of giao cries, a dense mass that made one’s scalp tingle!

“There’s no helping it. Vine Snakes are social magical beasts; if you mess with one, you mess with the whole nest.” Leona flew beside him with her arms crossed.

Even though she was flying, she looked as if she were standing on flat ground—relaxed and effortless. In contrast, Zhang Ye was busy scurrying up and down, frantically fleeing from the Vine Snake swarm.

“Besides, the edible parts of a single Vine Snake are so small that one isn’t nearly enough. You need to hunt a few more... a few dozen more,” Leona said.

Zhang Ye glanced back at the Vine Snake swarm and sucked in a breath of cold air.

Although the Vine Snakes were only Tier Five, their numbers were overwhelming!

Furthermore, Vine Snake venom was extremely potent, even capable of affecting magical beasts of a higher tier. With two or three hundred of them lunging at once, even a Tier Eight magical beast would have to keep its distance!

“It’s not that easy to eat my cooking. Keep at it, kid.” Leona gave a slight smile, and with a flash, she disappeared.

Zhang Ye felt like cursing.

What was he supposed to do about these two or three hundred Vine Snakes?

Vine Snakes could fly and were incredibly fast. Even with his Magic-version Omni-directional Mobility Gear at full power, he could only barely stay ahead. If he lagged even slightly, those Vine Snakes would spit venomous arrows at him.

The venomous arrows were highly corrosive, immediately eating through the trees they hit. They were just like Tei Tei’s phlegm; Zhang Ye had no desire to test that sensation himself.

Leona wouldn't step in unless his life was in danger, so he couldn't count on her. Zhang Ye could only rely on himself.

Glancing back at the giaoing snake swarm that was hot on his heels, Zhang Ye gritted his teeth.

I’m going for it!

He turned around in mid-air, relying on his perception to navigate while controlling the mobility gear to keep moving forward. He spread his arms, and countless magic circles appeared around him.

Hundredfold—Exploding Fireball!

Vine Snakes were wood-attribute and feared fire. Moreover, they weren't known for their defense. On the contrary, to maintain high speed, their defense was only comparable to a Tier Four magical beast. Thus, releasing the Tier Three Exploding Fireball with a Tier Six cultivation could cause significant damage to them.

After all, with a high tier, the power of low-tier spells would not be weak either.

Zhang Ye didn't expect this hundredfold Exploding Fireball to wipe out the swarm of two or three hundred snakes; he only hoped to slow them down.

A hundred red magic circles rotated, and instantly, a hundred massive Exploding Fireballs shot out simultaneously, slamming into the swarm.

Seeing this, the snakes immediately dispersed to dodge, but the fireballs were too fast and dense for them to avoid completely.

Dozens of explosions rang out, and dozens of Vine Snakes fell from the sky with miserable shrieks.

While the Exploding Fireballs weren't enough to kill them, they were enough to strip them of their ability to pursue.

After the explosions, the swarm was scattered in alarm. Only about twenty or so Vine Snakes were still chasing Zhang Ye.

Zhang Ye grinned; his goal had been achieved. Next, he would stretch out the battlefield and lead these twenty-odd Vine Snakes away to separate them from the main swarm. Only then would he have the chance to take them down one by one!

“Giao!” Their companions had been attacked, and the twenty-odd Vine Snakes grew even more furious. Green light flashed on their bodies as the speed of their bat-like green wings increased dramatically. Their bodies pulled taut like twenty-odd sharp arrows as they shot toward Zhang Ye.

Tier Three innate magic—Soaring Snake Projectile!

Seeing this, Zhang Ye quickly analyzed the spell, then hurriedly opened two Bursting Flame magic circles at his sides. He injected mana, and the erupting flames allowed him to rapidly change direction.

Thud, thud, thud! The twenty-odd Vine Snakes slammed directly into a giant tree, boring through to the other side. The holes were instantly corroded.

Good heavens, if he got hit by that, he wouldn't just turn into a sieve; he’d be poisoned into a pile of mush!

Cold sweat poured down Zhang Ye’s face as he marveled at the terror of magical beasts.

This forest was home to too many bizarre creatures.

For instance, while dodging the Vine Snakes' attacks, Zhang Ye accidentally crashed into a large web, startling the massive spider perched upon it.

Zhang Ye hurriedly performed an analysis.

【Tree-net Bird-catching Spider: Tier Six poison-attribute magical beast. A giant spider that likes to weave webs between trees to hunt bird-type magical beasts, though it doesn't mind having a human as an appetizer before its meal.】

Zhang Ye: “!!!”

This bird-catching spider was a full five meters wide—absolutely massive. After Zhang Ye hit the web, it immediately began crawling toward him.

Half of Zhang Ye’s body was stuck to the web. The web was incredibly sticky and tough, like steel wire.

Zhang Ye hurriedly reached out his hand.

Tier Five—Blazing Hand Blade!

The analysis time for a Tier Five spell was only one day, and it was already complete. At this moment, Zhang Ye used it without hesitation.

He formed his palm into a blade, and blazing mana flames condensed in his hand, forming a fiery blade a full two meters long. Then, he slashed down.

As expected, the spiderweb was weak against fire and was instantly sliced through. Zhang Ye fell from the tree and hurriedly used his Magic-version Omni-directional Mobility Gear to escape.

With this delay, the twenty-odd Vine Snakes had already closed in, and the chaotic swarm in the distance was gradually recovering and giving chase once more.

Zhang Ye didn't dare linger.

He led the twenty-odd Vine Snakes away to put distance between them and the main swarm while attacking his pursuers as he moved at high speed.

“Tenfold Exploding Fireball!”

“Tenfold Fire Blade!”

“Stay back! Take my Fire Ring!”

“Damn, you’re taking it too far! How dare you spit at me?!”

“Do you think you’re Tei Tei?!”

“I’ll—Full Fire Magic Release!”

“I’ll apologize first, then say goodbye, wish you an early Happy New Year, and then—die for me!!!”

With a loud roar, over a hundred red magic circles opened around Zhang Ye. Large and small, Tier One to Tier Five, all were released at once. The mana in Zhang Ye’s body was instantly depleted.

He landed on the ground, his face pale.

“I feel completely drained...” He gave a wry smile. This feeling of being nearly out of mana was truly miserable.

Fortunately, the effect was powerful. Nearly everything within a hundred-meter radius was covered by fire magic. The twenty-odd Vine Snakes had nowhere to hide and were instantly engulfed by flames, falling from the sky with miserable cries.

Before the main swarm could arrive, Zhang Ye hurriedly ran over and delivered finishing blows to the Vine Snakes that weren't quite dead. He then used condensed vines to tie them together, slung them over his back, and took off running.

After running for half an hour and confirming the swarm wouldn't catch up, Zhang Ye breathed a sigh of relief.

“Whew... I’m exhausted...” Zhang Ye panted as he leaned against a tree. Running while carrying the corpses of these twenty-odd Vine Snakes was truly taxing.

They weighed several thousand jin. If Zhang Ye’s physique hadn't reached Tier Six, he probably wouldn't have been able to carry them.

Is it really this hard just to eat lunch?

At that moment, Leona appeared before Zhang Ye and gave a satisfied smile. “Not bad. This is enough to eat.”

“However, there was a major flaw in your mana release just now.”

“Being able to release so many spells at once is impressive, but it’s also quite foolish.”

“Doing that consumes an extreme amount of mana and has low killing efficiency. Next time, you need to minimize your mana consumption as much as possible and kill your targets at the lowest cost.”

“On the battlefield, a pyrrhic victory is a defeat. You must remember that.”

Zhang Ye nodded. “I’ve got it.”

Next, Leona explained to Zhang Ye how to pair spells to cause the most damage with the least amount of mana, and how to use Divine Sense to lock on, greatly increasing the accuracy of his magic.

So-called Divine Sense was the combination of perception and mental power. Divine Sense perception was like the fire control system and radar of a turret—it was vital. Zhang Ye had to master this; otherwise, even if he could release a thousand spells in an instant, it would be useless if he couldn't hit anyone.

As Leona explained, she prepared and roasted the Vine Snakes. Zhang Ye benefited greatly from her lessons while simultaneously drooling.

As she sprinkled on the chilies, the combination of fire and chili caused a large fireball to flare up. Thus, a spicy and savory Chili-roasted Vine Snake was completed.

“Give me an evaluation, great gourmet?” Leona asked with a smile, crossing her arms.

Zhang Ye waved his hand with a humble expression. “I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare... Let me have a taste...”

“Mmm~~”

“With one bite, the first thing you hit is the snake skin. The surface is crispy and charred, but the collagen underneath hasn't been damaged at all, making it incredibly springy! The combination of springiness and crispiness creates a truly wonderful texture!”

“Going deeper, when your teeth hit the snake meat, you find that the moisture has been locked in perfectly. The skin is roasted crisp, but the meat is firm and bouncy without being tough. There isn't a hint of fishiness, and that’s when the spiciness truly explodes, giving one a sense of release!”

“It’s truly—marvelous~~~”

“So spicy, so good!”

Zhang Ye gave Leona a thumbs-up. “A divine chef! No, you’re a God of Cooking descended to earth!”

“I thank the heavens for letting me meet you and taste such a rare delicacy!”

“Yet I also hate the heavens for letting me meet you. After eating your cooking, how am I supposed to eat ordinary food ever again?!”

“Sigh, it’s heartbreaking,” Zhang Ye said with mock grief, not forgetting to take another bite of the snake meat.

Leona couldn't help but smile.

Who doesn't love being praised?

Women all love to be complimented.

Even a tomboy like Leona was no exception.

After being showered with such intense praise by Zhang Ye, Leona was in an excellent mood. She couldn't help but laugh and pinched Zhang Ye’s cheek.

“You certainly have a way with words!”