Love and passion, cutting up the wasteland

All members of the caravan have stepped into the black swamp one by one.

The originally tight and high-hanging hemp rope was soaked in the mud under the tugging of everyone. Fortunately, it showed no signs of loosening and breaking. Instead, it became stronger because of the water.

Everyone just climbed on the hemp rope and pushed away the mud while moving forward carefully.

Because it was just after the rain, even if they stepped on the boulders laid by the swamp people, the deep mud had already reached people's chests, making it difficult to breathe.

The water flow in this black swamp is not as calm as it seems on the surface. The undercurrent is rapid and slow, and in some places there are whirlpools formed by huge holes.

If it weren't for a swamp dweller like Asheng who had excellent water skills, others would never be able to get through without the traction of hemp rope.

The night is getting darker and the view is blocked.

The person behind could only see the back of the person before him, and in the distance it was pitch black. Only the sound of stirring water with different movements could indicate the presence of other people.

It's just that this black swamp is wider than they imagined when they saw it on the shore, and they don't know when it will reach the end.

Thinking of this, everyone in the caravan couldn't help but feel another layer of depression.

Such an atmosphere permeated the air, and no one had the intention to speak.

The grease-soaked torches made occasional crackles, and silence reigned.

Ariel was among the team, with steady steps and skillful movements.

He looked around, feeling a little surprised.

In fact, the situation for them walking in the middle is much better.

They don't have to worry about finding the direction, they just need to follow the footsteps of the people in front of them; sometimes if they miss a step and slip accidentally, the two people in front and behind can support you in time.

The people taking the lead were different.

Although there is a hemp rope to guide in the general direction, he still has to personally explore the location of the stones under his feet to guide others; if something happens ahead, only the guide can deal with it alone. Both the physical and psychological pressures are far beyond ordinary people. .

This kind of work is not something that ordinary people can do.

Therefore, Ariel first asked himself to be in front, not only arrogantly, but also with a responsible attitude.

You must know that even among the swamp people, the person who leads the way has the highest casualties. If he is unfortunately washed away, the next person will immediately take his place, and there is no need to rescue him if he is unable to do so.

Unfortunately, as the businessman Lao Su said, there is still a gap between them and they don't trust each other.

Once the leader Ariel betrays and cuts the rope, it is equivalent to throwing everyone behind him into the black swamp.

The caravan cannot bear such a risk.

Therefore, at most one of the two most critical positions at the head and tail of the team can be reserved for these swamp people.

For them who want to continue to move forward, the leader of the team is naturally more important.

That Mr. Lu made such a judgment in an instant.

In other words, he had already planned it in his heart.

Behind Ariel was the exaggeratedly tall Shaq female warrior Ryan. Everyone else was covered in mud up to her chest. She had just sunk in half-waisted. At this moment, she was holding a torch high to show the way for future generations.

Of course, he is also monitoring Ariel.

Even if Ah Sheng at the end of the team can escape with water, Ryan can kill his companion at any time.

In the worst case scenario, if Ariel and Ah Sheng cut the rope at the same time, the caravan would only lose half, but not the whole army would be annihilated.

Ah Sheng understood this clearly and did not feel offended.

This arrangement is how it should be.

But in this case, Mr. Lu must take on the responsibility of guiding the way.

It is too challenging for a foreigner to do this kind of work.

Ariel was already prepared for an accident.

I just didn't expect that the caravan had already traveled more than half the distance in the black swamp. Apart from everyone being a little uncomfortable at the beginning, there were no other stumbling blocks. As the leader of the group, Mr. Lu did not deviate, and the entire group moved in an orderly manner. Follow the direction he has opened.

Dots of torches were connected together, like a long snake swimming across the black swamp.

This almost made Ariel feel like he was following the experienced hunters in the village, rather than a group of foreign traders who had just entered the swamp.

If Mr. Lu's accent hadn't sounded like he had never lived in a swamp, Ariel would have doubted whether he had ever been a swamp dweller.

"Pah." Lu Mengqu flicked an incoming flying fly away with his finger.

Its body was as big as a hand. After falling into the water, it started spinning and then fell into the black marsh.

Lu Meng's eyes shimmered, like a cat at night.

The eyes of most nocturnal animals collect and reflect the faint light in a dark environment, both to enhance vision and to send signals.

At some point in history, dust blocked the sunlight, or people lived in dark cave environments, forcing some humans to evolve habits and vision similar to those of nocturnal animals.

They are the children of the Scorched Earth.

Coupled with a perception ability of more than 60 points, Lu Meng's sight range is far beyond that of ordinary swamp people.

He ignored this undercurrent, jumped off his feet, jumped out of the swamp, and slowly landed on the next stone pier, becoming more and more skilled at it.

[Life Skills: Swimming 8→9 (Beginner)]

As mentioned before, Lu Meng himself could swim before coming to this world.

Although I am not a good swimmer, I am only at the level of wild swimming in Xiaohe Reservoir. But these experiences he has mastered, once recalled, can also help his current body to get started quickly, not to mention the bonus of the experience module.

It's just that he still lacks stable muscle memory. In the short term, he won't be able to cross the river like Asheng.

even so.

This also surprised Kang, who was behind Lu Meng.

He was holding on to the hemp rope tightly without letting go, and he was also careful with his steps.

As a Shaq native born and raised in the Stan Desert, he is a complete landlubber.

Kang insisted on following Lu Meng because he was worried that if his brother slipped and fell into the water, he would be the only one who could react and have the strength to catch him.

Now it seems that this is no longer necessary.

Before today, Brother Lu seemed to be a swimming genius even though he had never taken a dip in the water? Just like that Asheng.

At first it was still flopping around like myself, but within a few steps it became as nimble as a fish.

——At least in Kang's eyes.

Even if he followed Lu Meng's example, he gained a lot of experience along the way.

However, when Lu Meng just stood firm on the big stone, his expression changed.

He turned around quickly and shouted in a low voice: "Put out the fire!"

With this order, everyone in the caravan immediately reacted, changed hands and immersed the torches in their hands in the muddy water.

From front to back, like a strong wind blowing, the fire went out one after another.

The merchants tightened the bridles of their pack animals to prevent them from making noises; the guards ignored the torches and pulled out the weapons on their backs, focusing on alert.

Although I don’t know what the road leaders mean, they are well-trained in order and prohibition.

The only torch that was not extinguished was the one stuck in the Iron Bull.

Soon after saying it, Lu Mengqi stepped forward, pulled out the torch and threw it into the sky.

The firelight drew an arc, like a shooting star in the heavy darkness, only illuminating the ferocious intertwined branches above the head.

Before the torch fell to the ground, there was a sudden clang and sparks exploded in the air.

In that flash of light, everyone in the caravan could clearly see that a long feather arrow penetrated and split the torch.

At the same time, Lu Meng threw himself into the water, pulling out a straight-edged knife and holding it above his head.

With a rustling sound, a series of feather arrows broke through the wind and shot into the black swamp like raindrops.

From the direction of the other side, someone whispered.