The Frail Guide Who Devoured an Entire Pollution Zone

Chapter 63: Chapter 63: A Glimmer of Hope and Certain Death

Seeing Xu Qingsui grit her teeth and hold on, Lu Jingyu couldn’t help but be moved.

Few people could endure as she did.

And since Xu Qingsui was holding on, Lu Jingyu knew he couldn’t just give up either.

He immediately put his back into it, channeling all his strength into the hand holding Xu Qingsui.

The Mutant’s suction was too strong. After a brief stalemate, Lu Jingyu’s footing began to give way.

The moment his foot slipped for the first time, Lu Jingyu raised his other hand and grabbed onto Xu Qingsui with both hands.

As the pull grew stronger and stronger, veins bulged on Lu Jingyu’s arms and forehead as he fought for everyone.

But his footing was still slipping. He clenched his jaw as the power of his berserker state slowly began to well up from within.

Suddenly, the painful suction force vanished, and everyone’s bodies plummeted downward.

Even though they would probably be knocked senseless by the fall, they were all filled with relief.

Taking a tumble was better than being sucked into the Mutant’s body.

But their joy lasted only an instant. The suction returned, stronger than ever.

Caught completely off guard, everyone was suddenly lifted into the sky, pulling Xu Qingsui’s body into mid-air as well.

The reappearance of the suction caught Lu Jingyu off guard, and his body began to float slightly.

The moment he felt his feet leave the ground, a low growl escaped Lu Jingyu’s lips.

Then, his body grew heavy, and his feet landed firmly on the ground once more.

Xu Qingsui had been watching Lu Jingyu the whole time. Now, his eyes were once again stained blood-red.

Black markings appeared on the back of his hands, slowly creeping up his arms.

Xu Qingsui frowned. ’Lu Jingyu is going berserk again, but I can’t soothe him this time.’

In this situation, the current peace wouldn’t last long.

Once Lu Jingyu entered a full berserker state, even if they weren’t sucked into the Mutant, they would be torn to shreds by him.

Thinking of that second possibility, Xu Qingsui sucked in a sharp breath.

’Being sucked into the Mutant’s body might offer a sliver of hope for survival,’ she thought, ’just like that time I took a tour of the giant mutant turtle’s stomach.’

’But falling into the hands of a fully berserk Lu Jingyu, with no way for me to soothe him... that’s a dead end.’

Weighing her options, Xu Qingsui made a swift decision.

After holding on for so long, she was the first to let go of the team member’s hand on her other side.

She watched helplessly as the team members, crying out in alarm, flew toward the opening beneath the Mutant.

Then, Xu Qingsui mustered all her strength to reach for the hand Lu Jingyu was using to hold her, and began to pry his fingers open, one by one.

Even though Lu Jingyu was already starting to go berserk, when he felt someone prying his fingers open, he instinctively tightened his grip.

Losing his sanity, Lu Jingyu couldn’t control the strength in his hand. The intense pain made Xu Qingsui’s brow furrow.

But she knew it was because he refused to give up on her.

A flicker of warmth touched her heart as she continued trying to pry open his fingers.

The moment she succeeded and her body flew away, a pained expression crossed Lu Jingyu’s face, as if he sensed something precious slipping away.

The next second, Lu Jingyu looked up, his red eyes fixed on Xu Qingsui as she flew toward the Mutant’s orifice.

He suddenly pushed off with the balls of his feet, launching himself into the air and flying after Xu Qingsui.

With the help of his own momentum and the Mutant’s suction, he easily reached her side.

Seeing Lu Jingyu willingly walk into the trap, Xu Qingsui was filled with complex emotions.

Seeing the markings that had almost reached his neck and the confusion on his face, Xu Qingsui ignored their current predicament and pulled him into her arms.

Nestled in Xu Qingsui’s embrace, Lu Jingyu instantly seemed to find his sense of belonging, resting his head meekly on her shoulder.

Xu Qingsui seized the opportunity to place a hand on his forehead and said softly, ”It’s okay, you can relax now. You’re just a normal person, too. You don’t have to carry such a heavy burden.”

Xu Qingsui’s words were like a lullaby. Lu Jingyu’s red eyes closed, his head lolled onto her shoulder, and he let out a soft snore.

Their bodies continued to rise, while the black markings on Lu Jingyu’s arms slowly faded away.

Under the immense suction, the two of them finally reached the crater-like opening and were sucked in together.

The other team members had already been sucked into the opening when Xu Qingsui had let go.

After being sucked in, the group landed in a massive space.

The ground beneath their feet was soft, with a sticky, viscous feel.

Since they were all wearing headlamps, they were able to quickly see their surroundings.

It was a pink space, surrounded by walls that were a fleshy-pink color, soft to the touch, and covered in slime.

Considering how they had gotten here, everyone quickly guessed that they were inside the Mutant’s body.

The so-called walls were the Mutant’s flesh.

Understanding their situation, there was no joy of survival. Instead, their faces were grim as they wondered if there was any way to get out.

Just as everyone was lost in their own thoughts, Xu Ruming’s shrill voice rang out again.

”We’re actually inside the Mutant’s body! This is so disgusting!”

Everyone shot her a glance, but no one was in the mood to deal with her.

Seeing that she hadn’t captured everyone’s attention, Xu Ruming looked resentful.

A thought struck her, and she spoke again. ”We’ve all been swallowed. Looks like there’s no escape for us now. We’ll either be digested until not even a speck remains, or what little is left will be... expelled.”

Xu Ruming seemed to imagine her final destination, shuddering involuntarily with a look of disgust on her face.

”But have you noticed? We’re the only unlucky ones here. Someone else didn’t end up like us.”

Everyone looked at Xu Ruming, vaguely guessing who she was talking about.

Everyone had noticed the situation with Xu Qingsui and Lu Jingyu earlier, but some had been too far away to see clearly what had happened.

And although Xu Ruming had been the farthest away, she now spoke as if she had witnessed it all firsthand.

”Captain Lu clearly had a hold on us! If he was there, we never would have ended up like this, but...”

”Someone couldn’t handle the strain. They were afraid of being dragged down with us, so they deliberately let go and fed us to the Mutant.”

Hearing Xu Ruming’s words, some of the team members who didn’t know the truth immediately paled, while others looked doubtful.

The team member who had been holding hands with Xu Qingsui frowned. It was true that Xu Qingsui had been the one to let go.

But it was also true that before that moment, she had been gripping his hand tightly. He could feel her unwavering determination not to give up.

’If Xu Qingsui didn’t give up at the start, why would she suddenly do what Xu Ruming was describing?’

Just as the team member was about to say something, the spot from which they had been spat in began to ripple and bulge.