Terrifying Mutant Fish

The Therizinosaurus lived over a hundred million years ago during the Cretaceous period. It's a close relative of the Velociraptor, but the difference between the two is as stark as that between a male lion and a Persian cat. The Therizinosaurus, one of the most famous dinosaurs, was twice the size of the Velociraptor, boasting scythe-like claws that could slice through rhino skin. When a group of these menacing creatures appeared, even the large carnivorous dinosaurs would think twice before confronting them.

After Leng Yun fell, the Therizinosaurus gripped her backpack, trying to drag it away. Without hesitation, Leng Yun released the backpack and got back on her feet to run. But as she did, the Therizinosaurus lunged at her, raking its sharp claws across her back, leaving deep gashes that almost exposed bone. Her already low health dropped by a staggering three-quarters.

The excruciating pain from the wound almost made Leng Yun faint, but her will to survive saw her through. However, having fallen once, how could she outrun a Therizinosaurus? As the creature leapt towards her, Leng Yun's face went pale with fear.

Just in the nick of time, Zhang Mu dashed from the side, stabbing the Therizinosaurus's neck with a dagger held in reverse grip. However, the thick skin proved a challenge, causing only a minor 8 points of damage. Taking advantage of the creature's momentary distraction, Zhang Mu activated his "Glide" skill and sped away on what seemed like a skateboard, taking Leng Yun with him. The beauty of this skill was that it could be activated without any running start, requiring only that both feet touch the ground.

Leng Yun had narrowly escaped death's door.

"Don't stop for anything!" Zhang Mu shouted, turning his head, "Qin Min, drop your backpack!"

While running, Qin Min quickly unbuckled her backpack and tossed it aside. Being a summoner, her agility and constitution were relatively low. She couldn't match the speed and endurance of the others. Without lightening her load, she would surely be caught by the Therizinosaurus.At that moment, another woman was knocked down. The terrifying Claw Dragon bit down, gruesomely tearing half of the woman's face off, her eye bulging out of its socket. Her face, smeared with blood, looked as though it was ravaged by a demon straight out of hell. In her terror, she clung to an old tree root on the ground, crying out for help while trying to move forward. The Claw Dragon targeted the fleshy parts of its victims, such as the waist or hips, tearing off large chunks of flesh. Players wouldn't die until their health points reached zero. This superhuman resilience, instead of being a blessing, became a curse tormenting her.

Zhang Mu didn't have the ability to save her. The screams became even more piercing, echoing in everyone's hearts like a death knell. The group frantically navigated through a dense jungle filled with weeds and sprawling tree roots. Pushing themselves to their limits, after a few minutes of running, they finally came across a broad river.

The river was vast and home to numerous large trees, likely dozens, each so thick that it would take multiple people to embrace its girth. Many vines hung low, obstructing the view, so the river's end wasn't visible. The water was somewhat murky, with a layer of algae on the surface and a lot of broken branches and leaves floating atop. Thankfully, the current was gentle and not strong enough to sweep them away.

Upon reaching the bank, the Claw Dragons, unable to swim, hesitated to enter the water. Instead, they prowled quickly along the riverbank, roaring continuously. The group felt as if they'd been granted a reprieve from death. After traveling about seven to eight meters, they realized that the water was nearly two meters deep, suggesting a depth of six to seven meters at the river's center.

Suddenly, the chubby guy missed a step and plunged into the water, gulping down some of the murky liquid. Panicking, he shouted, "Damn it, I can't swim!"

Zhang Mu quickly found a large piece of driftwood and threw it towards him. To stay afloat, the chubby guy quickly took off his backpack, stuffing his ax inside, and clung to the driftwood, allowing the current to carry him while barely managing not to sink.

As some of the group swam to the middle of the river, the Claw Dragons lingered on the shore for a while but eventually lost interest and retreated back into the jungle.

Qin Min, still in shock, asked, "Are we safe now?"

"Not necessarily," Zhang Mu responded, scanning the area. "The water's moving too slowly, which might make it even more dangerous. We need to get out of here as soon as possible."

From not far off, Sun Bing exclaimed in confusion, "Wait, is there something in the river?"

Suddenly, ripples began to form all around them in the water. It was clear that something was moving beneath the surface, causing the group's faces to pale.

A burly man with a dark complexion shouted, "Look out! There's something in the water! Swim to the other bank!"

The water's surface was abruptly broken by a horde of menacing creatures. These monsters resembled centipedes, their grayish-black bodies spanning about a meter in length and as thick as a human thigh. They were armored with a thick carapace and had around ten pairs of legs. The front pair of legs was especially large and sharp, measuring at least two feet in length, with edges like serrated scythes.

"Spined Centipede Fish – Level 4, HP: 30, MP: 30."

The river was teeming with these grotesque bugs. In just a few seconds, hundreds of them swarmed the water, sending shivers down everyone's spines.

These monstrous creatures, thick as thighs and at least a meter long, were a horrifying sight. Imagine encountering a meter-long insect in real life! The average person, let alone a young woman, would probably faint at the sight. And it wasn't just one – there were at least a hundred of them! Encountering such creatures in the middle of a vast river was a nightmarish scenario, evoking pure terror and a deep sense of despair.

Reacting swiftly, Zhang Mu commanded, "Stop swimming! The shore's too far. We won't make it in time. Staying in the water is a death trap. Find the nearest tree and climb it! Now!"The river was lined with numerous trees, most of which stood about thirty meters tall. Their trunks were so thick that it would take several people to encircle them. The dense branches and leaves shielded the sunlight, resembling large umbrellas planted within the water. These trees were the only lifeline. Zhang Mu approached the nearest one. Its bark was covered in slick moss, but its irregular surface provided places to grip. With his agility, he scaled the tree in just a few movements.

Others swam towards the closest trees. One hefty man couldn't swim, but he was fortunate enough to drift near a thick tree. He quickly let go of his wooden float and started climbing the trunk.

Suddenly, a shrill squeaking noise pierced the air.

Two bizarre insects leapt from the water. One landed on the hefty man's back, while the other landed on his rear. Their scythe-like forelimbs quickly left bloody gashes on him. He screamed in pain, his back drenched in blood, but he didn't dare let go and continued his desperate ascent. Sun Bing, who was nearby, quickly used a shield to knock off the creatures.

Others weren't spared from the insect attacks either.

A man with a dark complexion was halfway up a tree when he slipped due to the slippery moss. He plummeted into the water, where a dozen of these creatures swarmed him. Their sharp, relentless limbs tore at him mercilessly.

"Ahh! Ahh!"

The dark-skinned man was covered in the insects, his agonized screams echoing as he struggled. The water around him turned a deep red. Although these "sickle-legged fish bugs" weren't particularly strong adversaries, being surrounded by a dozen of them in the water made escape nearly impossible. He met a gruesome end, torn apart in the river's depths.

Zhang Mu reached the top of the tree, followed by a woman named Leng Yun, who struggled to climb up. A group of the creatures followed suit, showing some ability to climb, albeit at a painfully slow pace due to their short legs.

"Hurry!" he shouted.Zhang Mu quickly pulled Leng Yun to safety, drawing his short sword and slashing at two strange creatures. Even though these creatures were level 4, they had surprisingly low life and defense values. If you hit their weak spot, it was practically an instant kill. Zhang Mu swiftly took down four of these creatures that were attempting to climb up, while Leng Yun unsheathed a sharp dagger from her waist. Together, they fended off the creatures. Sensing resistance, the creatures hesitated, retreating and leaping back into the water.

Not far away, on a large tree, a chubby man managed to climb up and used an ax to fend off five or six creatures that tried to follow him. Sun Bing, with his shield, effectively blocked any attacks from the creatures. On another tree, Qin Min and an unfamiliar couple successfully ascended, brandishing short knives and wooden sticks to drive away the creatures.

Finally, the swarm retreated.

A man with a dark face, who unfortunately met his demise at the hands of these creatures, was now being torn apart by them. Dozens surrounded his corpse, frantically slicing and feasting on his flesh. The others, perched on the trees, could only watch in horror as a once lively man was dismembered and devoured.

The creatures circled the body, two layers deep, feasting intently. A disturbance rippled through the water nearby, hinting at another approaching entity. This sent the creatures into a panic, causing most to dive back into the water and scatter in every direction. A few remained, probably too engrossed in their feast to react in time.

Suddenly, a massive, dark figure emerged from the water, revealing a gaping mouth that could easily swallow half a car. In one bite, it seized the body of the man and the few lingering creatures. With a loud splash, it submerged, leaving no trace behind.

​1​, Level 9 Bronze Elite. Health: ??? (100%), Magic: ??? (100%).

The difference in power was so vast that the group couldn't even see its exact health. This monstrous creature bore a striking resemblance to the legendary Deng Fish from the tales.The Dunkleosteus was a prehistoric marine creature that roamed the oceans around 400 million years ago during the Devonian period, over a hundred million years before the appearance of dinosaurs. This monstrous fish grew over 10 meters in length and possessed a bite force ranging from 5 to 10 tons, strong enough to snap a Velociraptor in half with a single bite.

It's truly spine-chilling to think that a creature that went extinct hundreds of millions of years ago could suddenly appear in the middle of the jungle.

Zhang Mu remained calm even upon witnessing the gigantic fish. He only raised an eyebrow slightly and remarked, "This beast is huge, but it lacks agility. We're at a safe height; it can't reach us here."

Leng Yun, still in shock, exclaimed, "That was... utterly terrifying!"

Emerging from the water, everyone was soaked through. Water dripped continuously from Leng Yun's hair, which hung down to her chest. Her wet clothes clung to her figure, accentuating her curves, while three deep gashes across her back—courtesy of the Velociraptor—bled profusely. She felt cold and dizzy, likely a result of significant blood loss and a potential wound infection.

Leng Yun removed her jacket, revealing a white short-sleeved T-shirt. Due to her figure, the shirt was taut across her chest, revealing some of her fair skin. Despite the seductive sight, the situation was dire, and Leng Yun began to tend to her wounds.

Zhang Mu surveyed their surroundings. The tree branches were dense, but their surfaces were covered in moss. Beneath the decaying bark lay numerous brown-green cocoons and caterpillars. From his vast adventuring experience, he knew that caterpillars in such primordial forests were often venomous.

"It'll be dark soon; we'll have to spend the night up here," Zhang Mu commented, glancing upward through the thick canopy. Drawing his short sword, he added, "Let's clear a space for us."After tending to her wound, Leng Yun put her coat back on and helped Zhang Mu clear away the surrounding branches and debris.

As darkness began to fall, the cries from the forest grew louder and more frequent. Anyone with a bit of experience knows that the jungle is most dangerous at night!