Starting Off Survival With A Small Treehouse

Chapter 808: Chapter 497: What Have We Unleashed Here?! (5,000 Words)

A few people took out their steel shovels and began to dig into the ground.

Then they immediately discovered the anomaly of this land.

Indeed, this wasn’t ordinary land.

Ordinary land could be quickly excavated with the advanced tools in their hands.

But this land...

Digging into it was like digging into Earth’s soil, requiring shoveling one scoop at a time.

The last time this happened, it seemed to be...

When digging a prison deep into the underground world?

The ground here was hard, making excavation extremely difficult for them.

”We’re not going to dig up some strange thing, are we?” Zeng Tao asked as he shoveled the clods of dirt to the side. ”It’s dangerous underground, right? Aren’t those mutated vines and the like all emerging from beneath the ground?”

The explorers hadn’t spread word about the underground world. Although survivalists around the globe knew about the ranking for underground world exploration activities, their understanding of the ”underground world” remained at the level of underground mazes and dungeons they had experienced previously.

Thus, Zeng Tao’s understanding of the underground dangers was limited to the vines emerging from those danger zones.

”Underground is not just a bit dangerous, Xiaotaozi.” Lou Fei’Er dug vigorously into the ground but couldn’t dislodge the clumps of dirt. ”Why is this stuff so hard!”

Jin Yue couldn’t break it by hand either; she only managed to take a chunk of hard soil by stomping fiercely with her leg.

Xu Xin didn’t feel any resistance since he was holding a purple-grade steel shovel, while the others had blue-grade ones, naturally making it more strenuous for them.

”You’re just too weak!” Zeng Tao looked at them smugly, ”I can dig easily!”

”The two of you should check the surroundings.” Xu Xin said, seeing Lou Fei’Er and Jin Yue weren’t making much progress. ”See if there are other areas like this.”

”Got it.”

”Okay.”

The two put away their shovels and began to explore the surroundings.

”Ying!” Keke followed Lou Fei’Er and ran over.

”Is that an advanced tool you have?” Zeng Tao glanced at the different tool in Xu Xin’s hand. ”Your strength shouldn’t be greater than the other two, right?”

”...My strength is somewhat greater.”

He took alchemic potions every day, after all.

Even though he couldn’t compare with Zeng Tao and Ma Hongwei, who had strength mutations, he was still better than Lou Fei’Er and the others.

Of course, he couldn’t match Jin Yue in leg strength.

”So, is it an advanced tool in your hand?”

”Yes, why?”

”Let me use it, your efficiency is low anyway, I’ll dig instead.” Zeng Tao reached out his small hand to Xu Xin, ”You relax.”

...Alright.

He handed the purple-grade steel shovel to Zeng Tao.

Then he realized Zeng Tao was right.

Her excavation speed with the purple-grade shovel was faster than the previous four combined.

The solid ground under her hands was like tofu, easily dug out, dirt and stones flying.

Very soon, the pit under Zeng Tao’s feet reached waist-deep.

...Do they really need to dig this deep?

”It’s easier from below.” Zeng Tao tossed out a shovelful of dirt from the pit, ”The soil below is soft, and moreover...”

”Xu Xin, something’s over here, come over!”

Just then, Lou Fei’Er’s voice came from fifty meters away.

Something’s over there?

”You keep digging, I’ll go check.” Xu Xin ordered, then asked, ”What did you mean by ’moreover’?”

”Hmm...” Zeng Tao hummed in confusion, then shook her head, ”It was probably my illusion.”

”...Explain clearly, don’t say it’s an illusion.” Xu Xin frowned.

”Ah, it was...just a strong urge to dig downwards, like something below was attracting me.” Zeng Tao looked up to explain, ”But now that feeling is gone.”

...Something attracting?

Xu Xin’s pupils slightly contracted.

He didn’t feel anything like that.

The difference with Zeng Tao was her mutation. Something that attracted mutated creatures wasn’t a good thing.

”Xu Xin? Come here quickly!” Lou Fei’Er continued to call for Xu Xin.

”Ying!” Even Keke’s voice carried over, ”Ying ying!”

”...I’ll check it out. Before I get back, you are not allowed to dig any further.”

”Huh? Why?” Zeng Tao puzzled.

”I’ll explain when I’m back.”

Xu Xin ran toward Lou Fei’Er’s direction. Even Keke called, indicating a significant discovery.

Upon arrival, he saw Lou Fei’Er crouched by a tree, examining something.

”Ying!” Upon seeing Xu Xin approach, Keke quickly ran over, climbed onto his shoulder, and pointed with a small paw at the foot of the tree, ”Ying ying ying!”

”Come quickly, it seems like Qin Fu left us a message!” Lou Fei’Er immediately stood up.

Qin Fu left a message?

Xu Xin was shocked, stepping forward quickly.

On the ground, beside the tree roots, were several crooked characters.

The characters looked abstract, like marks left by a child just learning to write.

But they were indeed Chinese characters.

[Leave quickly, do not approach here]

Just these few characters.

This...

”...What makes you think this is a message from Qin Fu?” Xu Xin asked, somewhat speechless, ”Is Qin Fu’s handwriting this ugly?”