Chapter 104: The Biological Campaign (1)

After briefly introducing Vayne’s identity to the viewers, eliciting a wave of astonishment, Ling Mo set off with the two of them on a long trek across the wilderness.

Starting from the livestream’s two o’clock broadcast, the trio had already ventured nearly two hours deeper into the wilds. Not a single word was spoken during this time, for Ling Mo’s pacing was perfectly measured. To keep up, Catherine and Vayne had to engage every muscle, conserving energy with meticulous care, even planning each breath in advance—leaving no room for idle chatter.

Monotonous. Pure, unadulterated monotony.

For several days, the livestream had showcased all manner of fascinating, bizarre, and awe-inspiring creatures and scenes. Yet this was the first time such a long stretch of dull travel had occurred. Many viewers, having tuned in with high expectations, were deeply disappointed. Though the three ran swiftly, what was there to watch in mere traveling? The landscape—before, behind, and to either side—was an endless plain, unchanging and barren. Occasionally, one might even suspect that a patch of scrub had been seen before, wondering if the broadcast was simply replaying a previous scene.

After three hours of this tedious journey, many viewers finally lost patience:

“I heard this was the hottest livestream right now—are you seriously watching this the whole time?”

“Can’t take it anymore, folks, I’m out!”

“Don’t even know how I’ve lasted this long!”

“This feels like driving down Highway 99 forever—pure torture!”

“Guys, I’m leaving first. Let me know when something exciting happens!”

“The platform should have alerts for high-energy moments! Otherwise, just staring blankly like this is such a waste of time!”

“If the scenery doesn’t change soon, my patience is gone!”

“Peace out! I’m bouncing.”

“…”

One after another, viewers dropped off, leaving the chatroom noticeably quieter. The viewer count had even slipped below one million, and the flood of comments thinned considerably. Soon, some lamented:

“The audience quality these days just isn’t what it used to be.”

“Well, after all those fair-weather fans left, the chatroom finally feels like it used to.”

“This is real wilderness streaming. You can’t expect constant novelty!”

“Traveling is part of wilderness streaming—it’s arguably the most important part.”

“This kind of trek really tests one’s endurance!”

“They’re running so fast, it’s not just endurance being tested!”

“I feel sorry for Sister Catherine—she’s only in leather jacket and pants, while Lady Vayne is fully equipped!”

“Mask, sunglasses, windbreaker, agile running shoes, weighted belt… a perfect wilderness outfit!”

“But Catherine is an intermediate martial artist, right? Didn’t Master Ling say Vayne was only a junior martial artist?”

“A junior martial artist keeping up? Could Lady Vayne be a martial prodigy?”

“Who knows… Look! It seems we’re about to leave the wilderness!”

“Really! The scenery’s changed!”

“Viewer ‘IAmAnAccessory’ just gifted the streamer five Hellfire Flames, commenting: Congratulations, streamer! We see the dawn!”

“Viewer ‘TigerClam’ gifted five Hellfire Flames, saying: After running so long, it’s time for a break! I think Sister Catherine’s skin tone’s even darkened!”

“…”

No matter how strange the Thanatos River was, its influence was limited. Heading southeast, away from the dry black fog wilds, the air gradually grew more humid. Green vegetation began to thicken on the ground, with trees of varying sizes appearing, slowly taking on a rainforest-like appearance. Catherine suddenly realized she was still within the “Beast Rainforest” zone.

After three and a half hours of running at over one hundred yards per hour, Catherine deeply felt her own inhuman constitution. Seeing Ling Mo make a “pause” gesture ahead, she hurriedly adjusted her breathing, slowed down, and stopped. Turning back to Vayne, she praised:

“You’re incredible, little junior sister! Only a junior martial artist, yet you’ve kept up for so long! This racial advantage is no joke. When I was a junior martial artist, I didn’t have stamina like this at all!”

Vayne lifted her sunglasses slightly, giving Catherine a disdainful glance.

“I’m already an intermediate martial artist.”

Catherine was stunned, blinking in disbelief.

“When did you breakthrough?”

“Woke up from a nap and suddenly realized I’d mastered the breathing technique described in the book,” Vayne replied casually. “If I hadn’t advanced to intermediate, I’d have collapsed from exhaustion long ago. How else could I have kept up with you?”

Catherine was baffled. She herself had fought several brutal battles to gain understanding of her body’s internal structure, only grasping her own breathing method at her physical limit—and here was Vayne, breezing through it all. What was going on?

She forced a smile.

“Congratulations, junior sister, congratulations on your promotion…”

“Congrats to both of us! Got any red envelopes?”

“…”

“Alright, enough joking,” Ling Mo’s voice came through. “We’re close to our destination. Vayne, just to confirm again, you want the mucus from the ‘Venomous Slug,’ right?”

“Yes, that’s the one,” Vayne replied quickly upon hearing their master speak. “I’ve heard the venomous slug secretes mucus with extremely high adhesion to biological materials, and it doesn’t change properties even at very high temperatures. It’s incredibly rare! But the venomous slug only exists in the Beast Rainforest and is very difficult to find; it hides deep within. Over the years, I’ve only ever managed to buy one bottle, and the price was sky-high.”

“That’s only because you don’t know how to find them,” Ling Mo said calmly, with a faint trace of pride mixed with solitude. “Those who live long in the jungle always learn things others don’t. The venomous slug can change color, like a chameleon, blending perfectly into its surroundings. Just this ability alone makes it hard to spot. Worse, due to the unique nature of its venom, it ‘erases’ any scent trail it leaves behind. Together, these two traits make it impossible for 99% of predators to track it.”

“However, in the rainforest, aside from the apex predators, all creatures exist in a balance of mutual checks and balances. To find the venomous slug, we must first start with its natural enemies.”