Chapter 131: Threading the Needle

Chapter 131: Threading the Needle

You have got to be kidding me, Jack said in disbelief.

A hundred feet below him, the giant grinned, revealing a set of sharp, yellow teeth. Its eyes stared into Jacks, and there was no emotion there, only malice.

Forest Giant, Level 122

Great. And its even stronger than the last one! Jack cursed out loud, still unable to believe what was happening.

Brock, on the other hand, was very much up-to-speed. He shot to his feet and looked at Jack for instructions. He seemed ready to go down fighting.

Jack bit his inner lip. The giant still stared from below, and he knew that he couldnt defeat it. Its level was simply too high. One hit from that club would flatten him like a fist pancake.

Bro, Brock said, his gaze serious. He mimicked running. Jack shook his head.

Its description says its fast, he replied. I think staying up here is our best shot. Maybe it cant climb.

But thats not safe either, he realized immediately. Even if it cant climb, what are we supposed to do? Wait here until it grows tired? Will it ever? And what if the cultivators come here to investigate, then wonder what the giant was hunting? Theyll tear us apart. That Animal Kingdom minotaur will eat me alive.

Does the giant want to eat me alive?

He looked back down. The giants teeth were sharp like a carnivores. It was even salivating. Jack gulped. It wants to eat me alive. Fuck whoever decided to put giants in an insect forest.

Oh. Thats why its called the Giant Ring.

Unfortunately, trivia about Trial Planet werent very helpful right now.

We must escape, he realized. But how? We can try to run, but it will catch us as we climb down. Maybe I can fall on it like a meteor? Or will it baseball-club me into the cave ceiling?

At least it cant climb, so we have time.

Come on, Jack, think. What do we have? A guy who fists a lot, a buff brorilla who can say two words, the height advantage What else?

He looked around. The bee stared back at him. Jack felt like a lightbulb just shone over his head.

The bees wings shook a bit like itd read his thoughts. But that was impossible. Right?

Brock, Jack said quietly, trying to act nonchalant, I have an idea. Prepare to run, okay? I will count to

The tree shook a bit. Jack looked down. The giant had abandoned its club and was hugging the tree trunk with both arms, slowly but surely making its way up. In scale, it was like a human baby climbing a normal-sized tree, except they were both a hundred times larger.

Jack cursed. If you can climb, why wait until now!?

The giant growled, its face stuck to the tree as it struggled to climb. It wasnt good at it, but it was trying.

The bee saw him too. Suddenly, its flight shifted. It jerked to the right to avoid him. Jack could no longer reach. Even if he struck it with a Meteor Punch, Brock might not survive the fall, and Jack couldnt fly.

Or could he?

GHOST STEP! he shouted. The world obeyed. His body moved contrary to physics, changing directions mid-air and dashing to the right. Unlike when he used the skill on land, the strain this time was immense. He immediately felt out of breath. He couldnt do this again.

But he didnt need to.

He fell on the bee, grabbing on to its wings and fighting to stay there. It tried to shake him off, but his fist smashed into its face, obliterating it. Its wings stilled as it fell from the sky.

Brock! Jack shouted, reaching out. Brock reached out, too, and managed to grab his arm. Jack pulled him in a hug. Hang on! he shouted.

They smashed against the forest floor like a cannon ball. Leaves went flying, and a dull thud echoed in their ears. Jacks Iron Fist Style told him to roll, but he couldnt do that while holding Brock. He landed on his feet. His knees creaked but thankfully held. Brock was ripped off his arms, tumbling on the soft soil with a pained grunt, but he looked fine.

Oh, thank God, Jack said. He quickly grabbed Brock under his armpit and bolted off. Behind him, the floor was littered with dead bees, some flattened and some simply crawling without their stingers, but the giant wasnt in better condition. Its skin was bloated and red. Bees covered it still, walking all over it without stingers and trying to bite, determined to do everything they could to save the hive.

The giant opened its mouth and screamed. It couldnt walk anymore. Its club was on the ground, covered in the blood of its cracked palm. Its eyes met Jack, and they were full of hatred. Then, the giant collapsed.

Jack didnt look back anymore, either. He ran into the trees, determined to open as much distance as possible. Not only was he afraid of the bees seeking him for revenge, but the battle had been extremely loud. The cultivators would certainly come to check, and more giants might arrive, toothey were probably attracted to sound, which would explain why this giant had arrived in Jacks territory so soon after its predecessor died.

Jacks leg throbbed. The stinger was still there, burning him on every step, but he powered through the pain.

They had to get the hell away.

He ran until the sounds disappeared beside him. On the way, he met a bunch of conqueror ants but ignored them. He was injured and exhausted. He needed a moment to rest and recover.

Suddenly, more notifications appeared.

Level Up! You have reached Level 63.

Level Up! You have reached Level 64.

Was it due to the giants death? That was interesting. Jack quickly willed all twenty pointshed leveled up four times in totalinto Physical. A little bit of extra energy entered his body, giving him the power to reach his destination.

There was a spot relatively near the anthill that hed marked for future rest, back when he thought theyd stay here for days. It was a little cave carved in the base of a large tree trunk. It seemed natural. And, most importantly, empty.

The moment he made it there, he let Brock down and sat on the ground, leaning his head back and panting hard.

Fuck, he said. He fished his pockets for the strips that remained of his old shirt. When he grabbed a handful, he pulled the stinger out, gnashing his teeth to avoid screaming. He tossed it aside.

Idly, he wondered how hed managed to run this far with a wrist-thick hole through his leg. Had the stinger missed all vital spots, or was it somehow due to Iron Fiend Body and his Dao Seed?

The sight of his streaming blood drew him back to the present. He wrapped the cloth strips around both ends of the wound and tightened them to slow the bleeding. The Iron Fiend Bodys regeneration would do the rest. Hed be fine in a few hours as long as no cultivators, giants, or mega-insects attacked them in the meantime.

I fucking hate this place, he muttered. Listen up, Brock. The moment I recover, we trick the fucking ants, and then were out of here.