The Mighty Mage
Chapter 322: Pythons

Chapter 322: Chapter 322: Pythons

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something—a pair of glowing, crimson eyes piercing the black void. A chilling voice echoed in her mind, low and sinister.

"Wrong choice."

"No!" Gu Jin shouted and woke up. She was breathing heavily and frantically looked around, only to find herself in darkness.

She greedily inhaled the oxygen, realizing she was in her tent and not in deep water. Coldness seeped through Gu Jin’s body.

’It was a dream! Just a dream.’ She consoled herself.

Yet the words before the dream end echoed in her mind.

"Wrong choice."

What wrong choice?

Did she truly make the wrong choice? But what did she do wrong. The only thing that she changed was not to save Long Yifan...

So if she didn’t save Long Yifan...would she have died too?

Gu Jin’s heart skipped a beat.

’No! Why would saving his life even save mine? I am thinking too much!’

For the next few minutes, Gu Jin tried her best to suppress the chaotic emotions in her heart. It was ineffective so Gu Jin thought of taking a walk.

Exiting her tent, she saw some of the students patrolling the area. There was no fire torch, it was to avoid attracting the attention of beasts.

However, it also caused a lot of trouble for the patrolling team.

Gu Jin stared at the small temporary base built by the professor and students. Other than girls, most of the boys were asked to hurdle together. Some didn’t have the tent to sleep.

Many of them were sleeping in sleep bags.

Now Gu Jin wondered whether others could access their storage ring or not. Otherwise, how could these tents appear? There were also sleeping bags.

The thought caused Gu Jin to experiment and she tried to access her space but just like before she couldn’t enter her space at all.

She tried to access the ordinary storage ring she had bought as a cover for her space. But even they were inaccessible.

’I couldn’t access the storage ring. I will ask Yan Mei whether she can access her storage ring or not.’

For some reason even before Gu Jin could get an answer from Yan Mei, her heart already had an answer.

’You know. Your bad luck is the reason!’

Gu Jin gritted her teeth and diverted her attention to some other matter. She had left one of her skeleton warriors on that island where the blue sludge-like monster was.

Closing her eyes, Gu Jin tried to reconnect her link with the skeleton warrior. Within moments the skeleton warrior sensing its master’s attempt to reconnect activated the link.

Now Gu Jin could see what it was seen.

The first thing that came into Gu Jin’s view was the blue leaves shimmering under the moonlight.

The scene was beautiful to the point even Gu Jin was mesmerized. The island seemed to be filled with sparkling blue light when in reality was all just the blue leaves and blue bushes that were sparkling under the moonlight.

’Beautiful.’

It was so beautiful that Gu Jin wanted to pluck some and store it in her space. She had seen blue trees and bushes but never such strange blue trees and bushes.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that these strange plants were something valuable, perhaps even a treasure.

"Pluck one of the leaves," she commanded her skeleton warrior, her voice calm but tinged with excitement.

The shadowy figure of the skeleton warrior moved toward one of the blue bushes, its form blending almost seamlessly with the darkness.

It reached out, skeletal fingers poised to grasp one of the glowing leaves.

But just as it was about to touch the delicate foliage, a sudden rustling noise broke the tranquility.

Gu Jin’s heart skipped a beat as crimson shapes slithered into view.

Several enormous red pythons emerged from the underbrush, their scales gleaming ominously under the moonlight.

Their eyes glowed like embers, fixed on the intruder.

What in the world?

Gu Jin’s pulse quickened as she saw one of the pythons rear its head, hissing menacingly.

Without hesitation, she barked a mental order to her skeleton warrior. "Move back! Quickly!"

The skeleton warrior obeyed instantly, retreating several paces from the bush.

Just as it stepped away, one of the pythons opened its mouth and spat a jet of viscous, dark green liquid toward the spot where the skeleton had been standing.

The liquid struck the ground with a sickening sizzle, and Gu Jin’s stomach dropped as she watched the earth bubble and dissolve.

A small crater formed where the liquid landed, steam rising from the scorched ground.

Her body chilled as she realized the potency of the attack.

If that acid had touched the skeleton warrior—or worse, a human—it would have been devastating.

What kind of monsters are these?

She clenched her fists, forcing herself to remain calm.

Her initial thought was to have the skeleton flee entirely, but something strange happened.

The pythons, instead of pursuing the intruder, began to retreat.

Their massive forms coiled back into the dense foliage, their glowing eyes still watchful but no longer aggressive.

It was as if they had only intended to ward off the skeleton warrior, not hunt it down.

"They’re guarding the blue leaves," Gu Jin murmured to herself, her brow furrowing. "They won’t attack unless something gets too close."

This realization brought a mix of relief and frustration.

The pythons weren’t mindless killers—they were protectors of the glowing plants.

But their presence made the idea of retrieving one of those leaves infinitely more dangerous.

Gu Jin decided to give up on the idea and asked the skeleton warrior to explore some other area.

She was filled with confidence in finding other treasures. But to her dismay, anytime she liked something it was guarded by some high-rank ferocious beast.

Looking at the treasures she could have but couldn’t have at the same time, Gu Jin was filled with resentment.

Just a few minutes ago she found a valuable plant that was guarded by a black mamba-looking snake.

’Will gain nothing from my trip?’ Gu Jin thought with sadness.

Just as she was about to give up, a beautiful view came in front of her eyes. A waterfall cascaded down a series of jagged rocks, the water shimmering silver under the moonlight.

It flowed into a crystal-clear pool surrounded by lush blue bushes and plants the scene seemingly untouched by the chaos and dangers of the rest of the island.

Fireflies danced in the air, their soft golden glow adding to the enchanting ambiance.

What stunned her though was

Gu Jin’s breath caught as her vision through the skeleton warrior’s link revealed a figure emerging from the cascading mist of the waterfall.

It was unlike anything she had ever seen—a woman-like being, ethereal and radiant, with skin the color of fresh bark and hair that shimmered like strands of silver entwined with moss and flowers.

She moved with an unearthly grace, her bare feet stepping lightly across the stones as if the earth itself welcomed her touch.

Her translucent gown seemed woven from moonlight and leaves, flowing as if it were alive.

Blue light from the bushes reflected on her form, making her look like a part of the luminous forest.

"What is that?" Gu Jin whispered, her heart pounding in both awe and unease.

The skeleton warrior remained hidden in the shadows, blending perfectly into the surrounding darkness.

Gu Jin mentally urged it to stay still, her instincts warning her against drawing the creature’s attention.

But as if sensing the presence of an intruder, the being paused mid-step.

Her serene expression shifted into one of alertness, her luminous green eyes scanning the darkness.

Then, her gaze locked onto the shadowy silhouette of the skeleton warrior.

"Who lingers in my domain?" the Dryad spoke, it was as if the forest itself had spoken.

Gu Jin stiffened, gripping her ring as if it might somehow shield her from the creature’s awareness.

She willed the skeleton to retreat silently, but before she could issue a command, the Dryad took another step forward, tilting her head as though listening.

"Come out of the shadows," she said gently, though her tone carried a weight that brooked no defiance. Her gaze did not waver.

Gu Jin’s panic spiked.

No! Don’t move! Stay hidden! she mentally screamed at the skeleton warrior.

But to her dismay, the warrior responded to the Dryad’s command as though compelled by an unseen force.

It stepped out of the shadows, its skeletal form fully revealed under the moonlight.

Gu Jin clenched her fists, cursing inwardly.

The skeleton warrior was bound to her will, yet it had moved as if the Dryad’s voice carried a power stronger than her own commands.

The Dryad’s expression shifted as she took in the sight of the skeleton.

Her glowing eyes flickered with recognition, then dimmed with disappointment.

She raised a delicate hand, her fingers brushing the air as though she were reaching for something lost.

"You are not what I remember," she murmured, her voice tinged with sorrow.