Chapter 49: The Azure-Backed, Golden-Eyed Crocodile

Trailing behind the group in frustration.

Zhao Kai was still tasked with helping to carry the unconscious Hu Jianming—Yu Yan had recently dismantled the hammock from those two trees and handed it to Sun Ruohua, making it easier for Sun Ruohua to transport the unconscious Hu Jianming.

She glanced at the front of the procession, where Yu Yan strode as if she were simply taking a stroll in the park, despite the dangers lurking in this Class A dungeon.

A flicker of malice crossed Zhao Kai's eyes.

If not for her meddling... Yu Yan sensed the watchful gaze behind her and her eyes grew cold. She knew Zhao Kai was not to be trusted; keeping him in the party was a constant risk. Yet, for the moment, she was still an outsider to this group, and it would be inappropriate to expel Zhao Kai without cause.

Besides, Yu Yan was confident in her own strength; it would be more than enough to keep a close eye on Zhao Kai.

As for the future, she would just take it one step at a time. If Zhao Kai knew his place and behaved, it would be acceptable. But if not... In such a formidable Class A dungeon, Zhao Kai’s lives would hardly be enough to fill the gap.

With a casual accident, she could ensure Zhao Kai would never return.

Dusk was creeping in.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the rainforest—already shadowy beneath dense layers of leaves—became even more eerie and sinister. Yu Yan and her daughter were unfazed; after all, they were fourth-tier enhancers, their senses heightened above normal.

Even in total darkness, they would not lose their vision entirely.

"Crack!"

For the fifth time, Sun Ruohua stepped on a branch, the sharp sound slicing through the silence of the rainforest, chilling and unnerving. Sun Ruohua stiffened, cold sweat beading across her forehead.

As a postdoctoral botanist, she spent much of each year exploring plant life across the globe.

She had ventured into many rainforests untouched by humans.

Even after sunset, a normal rainforest would never be this silent. There would always be the chirping of insects, the calls of birds, and the subtle movements of nocturnal creatures. The current silence meant only one thing—they were being hunted by a powerful predator, or perhaps a group of them!

Song Yi, a martial artist, was highly attuned to danger.

Zhao Kai, with his enhanced mental faculties, was even more sensitive to threats.

Even Qu Zi Mo, who had spent days fleeing through the dungeon world, had developed an instinctive response to danger.

Unconsciously, the four clustered tightly around Yu Yan and her daughter, placing the unconscious Hu Jianming and Rong Xue’er at the center, forming a closed circle, back to back.

Huanhuan, the Chow Chow owned by Sun Ruohua and her husband, had regained some of its spiritual energy.

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By chance, it had awakened an ice-based ability within the dungeon. Its comically sorrowful face now wore a look of alertness and caution.

Huanhuan nervously scraped its paw against the ground and shrank back.

"Big sister, something’s not right."

Along the way, Yu Yan had treated Sun Ruohua with special regard, and Song Yi and the others were well aware. At this critical moment, the spot nearest Yu Yan was naturally reserved for Sun Ruohua.

Sun Ruohua whispered to Yu Yan, who nodded. Unlike the others, who weren’t even first-tier enhancers, Yu Yan, as a fourth-tier enhancer, could access far more information.

She not only knew they had entered the territory of a sixth-tier Blue-backed Golden-eyed Crocodile.

She also knew that the crocodile had just hatched several newborns!

It was a peculiar sense unique to spiritual vein enhancers once they surpassed the Mysterious tier. Any creature within a certain range, as long as its strength didn’t surpass her own tier by too much, she could roughly gauge its level.

Of course, if the opponent’s power far exceeded hers, or was separated by an entire tier, Yu Yan’s sense would fail.

And the Blue-backed Golden-eyed Crocodile was the apex predator of Giant Crocodile Island, the origin of the dungeon’s name.

Adult Blue-backed Golden-eyed Crocodiles were at least fifth-tier, and could even surpass the limits of the Mysterious tier to reach the Earth tier. Even the newborns, though lacking in combat prowess, had crocodile flesh rich in spiritual energy, reaching the second-tier Yellow grade.

If she weren’t in the rookie phase, carrying a group of wounded and weak companions, Yu Yan would have kept as far away from here as possible!

She wasn’t confident she could protect the five weak humans and a dog against a fully powered sixth-tier dungeon monster. Even though the crocodile was at its weakest after hatching a brood, Yu Yan would never risk it.

But now... Yu Yan’s mind stirred.

The aura concealed by her Mysterious tier "Transformation" skill—a unique presence belonging to her and Yun Duo’er as fourth-tier spiritual vein enhancers—spread swiftly outward.

Yu Yan snorted coldly as wind-element spiritual energy surged within her.

The overwhelming pressure unique to the sixth-tier dungeon monster receded like a tide.

In its place was a wary and guarded gaze!

"Windstep."

Yu Yan, holding Yun Duo’er, flew to a nearby large tree. An eighth-tier Featherleaf Banyan leaf appeared in her palm, and with swift strokes, she cut away several tangled branches.

She took out a soft cushion and placed it across the intersecting limbs, creating a comfortable lounge chair.

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"Duo’er, you’ve had a long day. Rest here for a while."

After settling her daughter, Yu Yan flew to other branches of the same tree and repeated the process.

Soon, three relatively comfortable resting spots were set up—indeed, she intended to leverage the formidable intimidation of the sixth-tier dungeon monster, feigning the crocodile’s presence, to enjoy a peaceful and relatively safe night.

Mainly, there were too many wounded in the group.

Not only the unconscious Hu Jianming and Rong Xue’er, but Song Yi and the others bore numerous injuries.

Under such circumstances, night in a Class A dungeon would be especially hard.

Creatures below the Mysterious tier were often slow to sense the strength of enhancers. They wouldn’t care if Yu Yan and Yun Duo’er were fourth-tier spiritual vein enhancers; the scent of blood would draw swarms of low-level dungeon monsters, overwhelming Yu Yan and her daughter.

But the intimidation of the sixth-tier Blue-backed Golden-eyed Crocodile changed everything.

Creatures below the Mysterious tier didn’t dare enter the crocodile’s territory; even fourth and fifth-tier dungeon monsters would need courage to challenge the overlord of Giant Crocodile Island! Yu Yan would thus avoid much trouble.

The best part—

The crocodile was at its weakest, having just hatched its brood.

Coupled with the rookie phase’s suppression of its power, it could at most fight Yu Yan and her daughter to a draw.

To regain its strength, it needed to hunt.

Yet, with Yu Yan and her daughter present, it dared not leave the nest, lest it expose the defenseless hatchlings to danger. Even for a not-so-bright crocodile, it knew that leaving the nest would doom its young.

So it was forced to stalemate with Yu Yan and her party.

A mighty sixth-tier dungeon monster, unable to fight Yu Yan and her daughter for fear of harming its own brood, unable to hunt to restore its strength, and forced to stay vigilant against Yu Yan—a truly humiliating predicament!

As for Song Yi and the others... Ha.

Though the crocodile’s fortunes had waned, it still didn’t regard these insignificant ants as worthy of notice.

If not for Yu Yan and her daughter, it would have devoured them all in a single bite, barely enough to fill the gap between its teeth.

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