Chapter 128: Chapter128-Mountain Toad

John looked at [Deception], who had fallen silent, and understood that he had successfully convinced him.

This was not John being deceitful; it was simply the truth.

Lies might work for a while, but they are lies after all, and will eventually be exposed.

It's all a gamble. Instead of betting on an uncertain unknown, it's better to focus on the present!

"[Deception], you were never this quiet before."

"Well... you were never this good at sweet-talking either. Although I don't want to admit it, you've convinced me.

I can help you find Tyr and Hera and take down that foul-smelling dead dragon. However, I have one condition."

"What condition?"

"Help me find someone, an item? Or a thing? I'm not sure where she is now, but I know her name, Seraphina."

Hearing this, John showed a trace of surprise in his eyes but remained expressionless, asking, "Who is Seraphina?"

"Your eyes give you away; you know Seraphina, don't you? Don't worry, I mean no harm. I just want to exchange this item with her."

As he spoke, [Deception] casually waved his hand, and a vibrant eyeball appeared in his palm out of thin air.

For a moment, John even felt that the eyeball was staring at him.

"Agree to it!"

At the same time, Seraphina's voice sounded in John's mind.

The undisguised joy in her tone revealed her inner surprise.

Without a moment's hesitation, John nodded slightly and said, "Deal. I will help you deliver this item to Seraphina."

"That's good. Now come with me. I know where the two of them are being held. They are not in the castle."

[Deception] took a deep breath, turned to look at the sleeping Falms, and lowered his voice, "Let's leave here first."

...

Meanwhile, at Mine Labyrinth!

Qing led the way, gripping a torch tightly in one hand and a halberd in the other, ready to face any threats that might emerge from the darkness.

"So, we're still in the mine shaft and haven't reached the labyrinth yet..."

Helena unfolded the map and pondered, "No... according to the map, we're already in the labyrinth. Everyone, be careful."

"Are you sure this is the labyrinth? Something feels... off," Exiled Immortal frowned, lifting his foot in disgust.

The sticky liquid clinging to his shoe and the ground emitted a foul stench.

"How could a labyrinth be this disgusting? It's gross!"

As they walked, Exiled Immortal could clearly feel the temperature rising and the air becoming increasingly humid.

He then helped Exiled Immortal and the others out of the liquid.

"Ugh! Damn it! I accidentally swallowed a mouthful when we fell!"

Exiled Immortal collapsed to the ground, his abdomen convulsing until he vomited a mouthful of black blood.

"This is mountain toad's stomach acid. It can dissolve even rocks. Your esophagus and stomach are likely corroded."

Old Mac helped Exiled Immortal stand, took the high-grade HP potion Lily handed over, and poured it into Exiled Immortal, restoring his HP above the healthy level.

After treatment from Lily and Elaria, Exiled Immortal's burned esophagus had mostly healed. However, their current situation had not improved at all.

Now, they were completely inside the mountain toad's stomach.

The ground beneath them was a powerful stomach acid capable of dissolving minerals.

On both sides were extremely slippery, almost impossible to stand on, fleshy walls.

Qing tried to damage them, but despite repeated attacks, the resilient flesh remained unharmed.

"It's no use! This stuff is too slippery and tough to destroy."

"With no wind field, I can't lift off the ground."

"This place isolates us from the outside world. I can't sense the stars, so even chanting won't make them respond."

Qing, Exiled Immortal, and Lily, the main combatants, all shook their heads, indicating their helplessness.

They had no choice but to pin their hopes on Elaria.

Unfortunately...

"Without the soil that sustains me, it's impossible to create anything out of thin air."

In other words, in a place filled with corrosive liquid and minerals, Elaria couldn't use her abilities.

As for Uncle Mac...

Well, his combat abilities were mediocre at best, but his primary profession was smithing, and this situation was clearly not his area of expertise.

"So, we're just trapped here?"

Exiled Immortal slumped down, smiling bitterly. "This is our first time acting without John, and we end up facing total annihilation?"

Though Exiled Immortal knew it sounded overly pessimistic, the fact remained that they were trapped here with no way out.

The atmosphere grew eerily silent.

"We can't just give up like this. Let's try again; there must be a way!" Helena bit her lip and encouraged everyone, "Isn't it too early to give up now?"

"Although I hate to admit it, Helena, we seem to be out of options. Moreover, the rocks beneath our feet are dissolving. Once we lose our last foothold, we'll probably be dissolved just like these stones."

"So, we just give up? We've been through so many hardships together. We even killed [Betrayal], and now we're being driven to despair by a toad? There must be a way!"

Helena gritted her teeth and looked at the bottomless stomach acid, which glowed with a faint green light. She said determinedly, "I will find a way for us to survive!"