Grandmaster Long was captured by barbarians from the building cluster.
Though it was a humiliating event, the once proud Grandmaster recounted the incident in complete detail without omission.
Indeed, he was knocked out and brought back from outside a cluster of buildings by the barbarians.
Baiyu had a strong feeling that the building cluster Grandmaster Long saw and the exit noted on this map were likely the same place.
However.
On the route of the exit recorded on the map, there were numerous danger zones circled in red, and one had to go through these hazardous areas to reach it.
Moreover.
The exit marked on the map.
Was highlighted with the words "extremely dangerous" by the diary's owner as a warning.
Baiyu and the others pondered.
In the end, they decided to go and have a look. Since the person managed to mark it as extremely dangerous, it evidently proved he had been to the exit and returned.
A regular person without the mastery of Rune Power was able to retreat safely.
The four of them clearly could do the same.
Having made their decision.
The four of them used stones on the spot to build a stove, roasted the game they had hunted, and began to satisfy their hunger.
After eating.
Since Jiang Han was injured, Baiyu decided to leave Grandmaster Long to look after him, allowing the two to guard this temporary base.
Baiyu and Wulin, on the other hand, prepared to explore this point on the map.
Wulin was proficient in assassination, concealment, and tracking, combined with Baiyu's combat effectiveness, making them well-suited for this task.
No time to lose.
After preparing everything, Baiyu and Wulin set out.
Due to the map, the perilous areas along the way could be avoided when possible, and they acted extremely cautiously when unavoidable, so they traveled a whole day without encountering any danger.
The only real threat to them.
Was the kind of humanoid tribes like the barbarian camps, who ventured out on hunts. Their activity range was not standardized, meaning encounters could happen at any time.
Hence, the two kept a very low profile along the way.
It took a whole day to get from the base to the exit, and by the time Baiyu and Wulin reached the exit, night had fallen.
Unfortunately.
They rested for a whole night again.
Then, as the Sun rose the next day, following the map's description, they moved forward.
After crossing a small, tree-covered hill.
The terrain suddenly plunged downwards.
Below the mountain lay a spacious basin, barren of trees and vegetation, scattered with numerous stones.
Within the basin.
Buildings stood tightly packed together, forming an orderly cluster.
In the middle of this cluster lay a small stone-built castle.
The landscape below was funnel-shaped.
Surrounded by high mountains on all sides, leaving only this stretch of flatland, with a road on the other end leading out.
Indeed.
To go along this road, one must traverse the building cluster.
It's a deadlock.
Baiyu and Wulin stood on a large tree on the mountain, observing the movements of the entire building cluster.
There were living beings moving in and out.
Moreover.
The creatures coming and going were not unfamiliar to Baiyu; they were the same humanoid beings that closely resembled shell people, encountered earlier at the riverbank, who threw javelins.
They moved in and out of the building cluster.
Various different jobs were carried out in different buildings, constituting a small-scale society.
The residents of the castle were evidently the leaders of this small society.
The two carefully counted the number of these creatures below, totaling over two hundred.
In such a tribal setup.
Among these over two hundred creatures, at least 30-50 were Hunters.
Recalling the precision and power of the javelins they previously threw, Baiyu thought that if they charged through, they would certainly meet a grim end.
Wulin frowned beside him, feeling that resolving this matter was particularly difficult.
But at this point.
Remaining trapped in the forest, at best, would only result in corruption through pollution, ending up as a monster driven by primal instinct like the diary's owner.
If even unluckier.
They might die in the belly of a beast.
With the Sun constantly expanding Mount City's Simulation Realm, they had no time to waste sitting here idly.
Having confirmed the situation at the exit, Baiyu and Wulin returned to the camp.
With this round trip.
Three days were gone.
Jiang Han had rested for two days, his wounds improved significantly. After the four reunited, they crafted some primitive weapons and prepared to implement the escape plan.
A frontal escape was certainly unfeasible.
The disparity in strength between the two parties was on completely different levels, charging directly down would result in getting turned into pincushions by javelins.
Fortunately.
The terrain here allowed for preparation to cause significant losses and chaos among these humanoid creatures.
At that point, they could seize the opportunity to escape.
Though the plan was crude and full of loopholes, it was currently the only viable option.
The four began cutting round wooden pillars on the mountain above the castle and stacking them in the recesses of the cliff.
A few steps forward.
Was the plain with the building cluster.
Although it was unclear why these creatures built their homes in such a place, it provided a perfect opportunity for Baiyu and the others.
As long as these giant wooden pillars were ignited and pushed downhill.
With the addition of Baiyu's Fireball.
An instant sea of fire could be created.
When these logs rolled down, it would be their chance to escape.
Soon.
The four worked diligently all day, arranging all the wooden pillars at the cliff's edge, waiting quietly for nightfall.
Finally.
As night descended.
The four arrived at the edge of the cliff, with Baiyu holding a Fire Rune that suddenly burst into flames, igniting the wooden pillars instantly.
Wulin activated the traps he had prepared beforehand.
Rumble.
The logs rolled down the sloped mountain road at high speed, the flames on the logs spreading larger and larger, igniting all flammable materials along the way.
Already situated within a rainforest.
The air was hot and stifling, the trees extremely dry, with numerous dead branches and grass on the ground, which quickly caught fire when sparked.
From afar.
It appeared like a long river of fire descending from the sky, rushing down the mountainside toward the buildings below.
The four had no time to admire this magnificent scene.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, they followed closely behind the rolling logs, advancing towards the dimly visible exit ahead under the cover of night.
At this moment.
The tribe of humanoid creatures below also noticed something amiss.
They gazed at the fire rolling down the mountain, momentarily forgetting to respond.
Strange shouts erupted from the mouths of several humanoid creatures, and soon all the buildings around began pouring out people.
They only took one glance at the rolling fire from the mountain before shouting and fleeing in panic.
Seeing this, Baiyu and the others immediately quickened their pace.
The current situation was exactly what they had hoped to see!
A few seconds later, amidst the loud cries of the creatures, the fire finally collided with the building cluster…