"By the way, Xu Xin, there’s one more thing. Isn’t there a really big lake beside your treehouse?" Li Wenxi gestured a circle with her arm to indicate the large lake.
"What’s up? Is there a mine in the lake?"
"...You guessed it right away!" Li Wenxi was a bit surprised. "Indeed, it seems like... hmm... at a depth of 30 to 40 meters? I noticed it when I left; there are metal ores inside! And I feel that the ores in your lake are ones we’ve never seen before!"
Isn’t that the green ores he saw while scuba diving last time?
Could it really be copper ore?
Xu Xin’s heart skipped a beat.
If it truly is copper ore, once he mines it, he should be able to make electrical appliances, ushering his treehouse into the electric age!
However, since last time Keke stopped him from getting close, saying there was danger in the water, he has hardly approached that lake apart from fetching water.
Who knows how it is now, if there’s still danger. Since eating the blue-grade fish maw and enhancing his resistance to water pressure, he hasn’t dived into the lake.
This time when I return, I’ll take another look.
"Alright, you all carry on chatting, I have to go too."
Looking out the window, Xu Xin saw the Silver King standing up. As Xu Xin poked his head out, it immediately let out a howl, signaling that it had recovered.
"Alright, be careful on the road!"
Picking up Keke, who was still rolling on the sofa, Xu Xin was lowered down from the treehouse by Li Wenxi.
Instead of leaving immediately, he went to the coordinates.
He wanted to experiment with the transport token.
Keke’s transport wristband was now in his backpack.
"Keke, activate the transport gate to go back." Xu Xin placed Keke down several meters away.
"Whimper?" Keke tilted its little head, not quite understanding what Xu Xin wanted to do, but it still hopped over and touched the metal pole with "Xu Xin’s Treehouse" inscribed on it, then hopped back again.
Accompanied by the change in purple glow and peculiar sound, the transport gate was activated, with a purple-black vortex reappearing.
Even without holding the wristband, Keke managed to activate the transport gate. It seems correct, even if the wristband isn’t held, it can control the coordinates, not needing to be worn at all.
Just now, Keke was several meters away from him, yet the transport wristband still worked, indicating the effective range is indeed quite large.
This is much more convenient.
Having understood this matter, Xu Xin rode the Silver King, heading towards Qi Xuefei’s treehouse.
He needed to first reach the west treehouse ruins, then pass north through Li Yajun’s treehouse ruins into Ma Hongyu’s treehouse ruins, before finally entering Qi Xuefei’s protection zone to the east.
Although along the way, they passed through protection zone ruins left by dead treehouses, there’s still a deterrent presence, temporarily not worrying about any danger.
Soon, they entered the original protection zone of Li Yajun’s treehouse, and the blood patterns on the Silver King’s body gradually illuminated.
Passing through this special region again.
The Silver King’s stamina was once again rejuvenated; after running for a whole day, it’s now full of energy.
This enhancement effect is truly excellent, especially for mutant beasts like Mimi with strong burst attacks but poor endurance; it practically equates to a superpower.
When capable, I must find the source of this enhancement effect and acquire it!
Just as Xu Xin was contemplating this matter, Keke suddenly uttered a warning cry.
Upon hearing Keke’s call, Xu Xin instinctively called for the Silver King to halt.
Silver King slid to an emergency stop in the barren forest.
Under the starlit night, the blood-red patterns on its body were distinctly visible.
"What’s the matter?" Xu Xin vigilantly scanned the surroundings. "Is there danger nearby?"
"Whimper!" Keke nodded its tiny head, pointing its little paw forward.
Xu Xin didn’t doubt Keke’s sense because Keke had rarely been wrong.
He checked the map but found no red dots indicating threats around.
Nothing on the ground. Could it be... mutant underground creatures again?
But why appear now? Isn’t this area a protection zone?
Xu Xin suddenly remembered something and looked up at the sky.
...Tonight, it’s a no moon night!
And this place is a special area where the blood patterns on Silver King light up!
Moreover, the current location isn’t within a true protection zone, but a deterrent-type protection zone.
This type of zone is like a scarecrow in a wheat field, effective only for intimidation without actual protective functions!
Under the combination of these factors, this vicinity may be very dangerous right now!
What to do? Could the area upfront already be a danger zone?
...Maybe it’s better to wait until tomorrow when it’s sunny before going to Qi Xuefei’s place to connect; the special area of a no moon night is indeed somewhat perilous.
These mutant creatures should be considered as the pawns of the so-called "Blood Pattern Race," right?
Xu Xin immediately took out the energy core fragment he obtained from the cave from his backpack.
Upon extraction, the surroundings were bathed in soft, shimmering white light while the temperature, initially only six or seven degrees, climbed instantly to over twenty degrees, making the Keke in his arms let out a contented mewl.
Could this core prevent those underground mutant creatures from emerging?
"Keke, can we proceed forward now?" Xu Xin asked Keke while holding the energy core fragment and patting its little head.
"...Whimper?" Keke looked forward inquisitively for a moment, then nodded. "Whimper!"
"Awo!" Silver King also turned its head and barked, indicating that the front should be free of danger.
"Alright, let’s continue. If there’s any danger, Keke, don’t forget to alert; Silver King, make sure to halt."
Silver King instantly sprung into motion, darting forward.
The range illuminated by the energy core fragment wasn’t small; within at least several dozen meters, the glowing white light illuminated it like daylight. Even further away, the light reached, though slightly dimmed.
The actual affected range was approximately... a hundred meters?
As Xu Xin advanced, he observed the surroundings and the disturbances on the map.
"...Huh?" Xu Xin’s pupils contracted, and he furrowed his brows.
Something unexpected appeared on the map.
A round of red dots emerged unexpectedly in the vicinity they had just traversed.
Silver King’s speed was tremendous, especially enhanced by the blood pattern augmentation on its body, allowing it to swiftly maneuver through the forest without a hitch.
On the map, waves of red dots quietly appeared behind them, glowing briefly before dimming.
The red dots behind resembled a red tide, rising and receding, unsettling to witness.
These are underground creatures!