"Once we act alone, we'll derail from the main quest. I believe the rewards for the main quest of the first world will definitely be no less generous than the blood orchid."
Shiki looked at Leon; they had to collect the materials for the Enhancement Potion, but they couldn't neglect the main quest either.
Moreover, the place where the blood orchids grew was fraught with danger. Even with their respective talents, they couldn't contend with dozens of Blood Pythons; even taking down a single Blood Python without injury required cooperation among the three of them.
"So we need to find a way to make the protagonists stay."
Lucas stood up, looked at the machete in his hand, and grinned.
The other two looked at him and didn't say anything more, instead quietly waiting for Lucas's next plan.
Lucas sheathed the machete back into the holster at his waist and continued.
"As long as the plot remains unchanged, Ryan from the pharmaceutical company will steal the raft under the cover of night. When the time comes, we don't need to stop him; we'll just pretend not to see. Once the raft is gone, we'll lead the protagonists to search for Ryan's tracks, then reveal ourselves and follow the development of the plot."
The biggest problem they faced now wasn't the Blood Pythons, but the fact that their inclusion had caused the main plot to deviate.
Only by correcting the plot could they complete the main quest.
"But what if they insist on leaving tomorrow?"
Faced with the Blood Pythons, the protagonists no longer had any desire to stay here. They wanted to leave as soon as possible; if it weren't dark out, they would likely have set off already.
Lucas turned around and looked at the protagonist group, his nearly 1.9-meter-tall frame casting a heavy shadow in the twilight.
"The first world is a bonus round, but it's also a screening round. Those who don't dare to fight won't survive three rounds. We aren't babysitters; there's no need to protect these people just for the sake of a rating. If they don't cooperate..."
A cold glint flashed in Lucas's eyes.
"Then we'll team up with Ryan to control them."
They couldn't lay a hand on the protagonists, nor could they coerce them into doing anything, so they needed someone else—and for that, the greedy Ryan was perfect.
If it weren't for the rewards of the main quest, they wouldn't care at all whether the protagonists were involved; they would just collect the blood orchids and leave.
Lucas glanced at the sky and began checking the equipment in his backpack.
realgar powder packets, a simple medical kit, rope, and three glass vials filled with a dark green liquid—Blood Python bile, which was one of the ingredients for making the Enhancement Potion.
Taking out the three vials of Blood Python bile, Lucas gave one each to Shiki and Leon, and they then stored them in their respective system spaces.
Once they took action tomorrow, all sorts of accidents could happen, so these materials had to be stored properly to ensure they wouldn't be lost... They didn't notice that deep within the tree canopy thirty meters outside the camp, a pair of scarlet eyes was watching everything.
Ultrasound fed back the trio's conversation, movements, and even their heart rates to Lilith.
So that's how it is. The Reincarnators really are after the blood orchids, and they plan to make their move tomorrow night.
Perfect. The more chaotic it is, the easier it will be for me to succeed.
Lilith's red eyes shimmered in the night sky as she began planning tomorrow's actions... Late at night, a sudden torrential rainstorm arrived.
Raindrops pelted the broad leaves with a rustling sound, masking all subtle noises.
Lilith hung upside down from a branch of a giant tree on the outskirts of the camp, her wing membranes wrapped around her body like a cloak. Her white fur clung to her skin in the rain, making her look like a white cocoon.
At two in the morning, the rain eased slightly.
Suppressed exclamations and gunshots came from the center of the camp; the sentries and the natives had been attacked. It wasn't Blood Pythons, but a herd of wild boars driven into the camp by the heavy rain.
The chaos lasted for ten minutes. When the gunshots ceased, the air was thick with the scent of blood.
Lilith moved.
She glided out of the canopy like a white ghost, her wing membranes cutting a silent path through the curtain of rain.
Her Ultrasound locked onto the carcass of the Blood Python that had been killed in the southeast of the camp; its internal organs had been hollowed out, but the remains were still there.
Upon landing, Lilith's claws firmly gripped the muddy ground without making a sound.
The Blood Python's carcass had already begun to rot, becoming bloated from being soaked in the rain.
Lilith walked to the head of the python and lowered her head. Her sharp Fangs pierced the gaps between the scales, and blood welled out, warm blood flooding into Lilith's mouth.
The Mutated Blood Python's metabolism was extremely fast, and for a short time after death, there was still a large amount of uncoagulated blood in its body. Lilith buried her tongue in the wound, her throat muscles contracting as she began to suck.
This was already the fourth time Lilith had sucked Blood Python blood. Compared to the juices of insects, blood was like nectar to Lilith.
The still-warm blood provided Lilith with ample energy while also supplementing her Blood Python genes.
Soon, the Blood Python was sucked dry and shriveled, the blood in its body completely emptied.
[Devoured Mutated Blood Python, obtained Blood Python Gene Fragment +1]
[Current Blood Python Gene Integrity: 12%]
Lilith let out a burp and looked at the shriveled carcass with lingering desire. Her scarlet pupils glowed terrifyingly bright in the darkness, and her mouth was filled with a mixture of the taste of rust and a strange fragrance.
One Blood Python could increase her genes by 3%. Now that she had 12%, it meant she still needed to devour 30 more Blood Pythons to synthesize a complete Blood Python gene.
This number might not seem like much, but for Lilith, it was an immense pressure. After all, she didn't have the strength to hunt Blood Pythons.
Therefore, she still needed to rely on the Reincarnators and the protagonists for now. Lilith forcibly suppressed her surging desire.
She turned, flapped her wings, and vanished into the rain.
Now that the Blood Pythons were all converging on the location of the blood orchids, the Reincarnators certainly wouldn't leave during this time. Nighttime, whether in the forest or the water, was unsuitable for movement.
Therefore, within this one-day period, at least a few more Blood Pythons would fall at the hands of the Reincarnators or the protagonists.
The chaos in the camp had subsided. The Reincarnator Lucas stood at the entrance of his tent, looking in the direction where Lilith had disappeared, his brow furrowed.
"What's wrong?"
Shiki and Leon poked their heads out of the tent and looked at Lucas by the light of the campfire.
"It seemed like something was over by the carcass just now."
Lucas narrowed his eyes and continued.
"Something white, and not small."
"White? Could it be a bird of prey?"
Shiki and Leon stepped out of the tent. Even with Lucas on watch and realgar scattered around, the two of them still couldn't sleep soundly.
"I don't know."
Lucas shook his head, but his hand was already pressed against the hilt of his machete.
"In any case, we'll act according to plan tomorrow. Get some sleep early; there's a lot to do tomorrow."
But neither of them slept. Instead, they sat under the tent, staring out at the dark night. In this kind of situation, it was simply impossible to fall asleep... The rain continued to fall.
Meanwhile, in her treetop nest several kilometers away, Lilith curled up in her homemade leaf nest, sheltering from the heavy rain outside.
At the same time, she scanned her surroundings, detecting the Blood Pythons crawling and gathering in the night.
She needed more.
More blood, more genes, and then to make herself stronger—strong enough to contend with Blood Pythons, strong enough to stand at the top of the food chain, and strong enough to no longer be ruled by animal instincts..."}],