Shen Lu: I've Mutated into Multiple Game-Breaking Abilities

Chapter 43: The Anomaly in Breeze Canyon

Before long. With their combined efforts, the group burned a small hole—about one meter in diameter—in the vine wall. They didn’t dare make the hole any larger, for fear of being spotted by the wind elementals on the other side. A one-meter diameter was just about right. “All right! The hole’s open!” A red-haired young man standing in front of the small opening whispered to the others on either side. Then, without waiting for them, he eagerly peered inside. He’d expected to see a group of wind elementals roaming about, but at first glance he saw absolutely nothing! “Huh!?” Thinking he might have been seeing things, the red-haired young man closed his eyes, rubbed his temples, and then opened them again. Although his vision was indeed a bit clearer, the scene before him hadn’t changed one bit from before. In the canyon within his field of vision, there wasn’t a single wind elemental—only an unknown, pale white gas permeating the air. A few other players nearby leaned in to take a look. Seeing this, they were all taken aback. “Huh? Where are the wind elementals? Why can’t we see a single one?” “Maybe they’ve all wandered off somewhere else?” “That must be it.” “But what’s that white gas? I’ve never heard of anything like this in this canyon before.” “I’ve never seen it either. Wind Elementals don’t have any skills that release that kind of gas.” The area they could see was just this small section at the canyon’s entrance. To truly see the full extent of the canyon, they’d have to pass through this bottleneck-like entrance, which was fifteen meters wide and fifty meters long. One daring fellow poked his head through the opening, glanced left and right, and, seeing no Wind Elementals in the vicinity, immediately pulled his head back excitedly. He said to the others gathered there, “Why don’t we go check it out?” “I checked—there isn’t a single Wind Elemental at the entrance.” Hearing this, the dozen or so people all began to get excited. “I don’t think that’s a good idea…” someone hesitated. “If you’re too scared to go, then just don’t.” “Who said I’m afraid!? I’m just worried I’ll lure them here and put everyone in danger.” “What danger? Do you really think they could chase us all the way back to camp?” “Uh… you’re right.” Soon, the dozen or so people gathered by the cave entrance all reached a consensus. One by one, they began to file through the opening in an orderly fashion. Someone not far away saw this and shouted, “Hey! What are you guys doing!?” The shout immediately caught the attention of other players nearby. They were currently walking back in small groups, intending to return to the plains outside the camp to kill monsters and earn some experience. Even a small amount is better than nothing; one or two experience points is a decent haul for many. Upon hearing the shout, many turned around in surprise. When they saw people trying to squeeze through the small opening into the second stage, their eyes widened in astonishment. “What are they doing? Heading to the second stage right now? Have they lost their minds?” someone muttered in disbelief. “Aren’t they going to lure the Wind Elemental out?” someone expressed concern. “It would be strange if they didn’t.” “Could there be something unusual over there? Otherwise, if there’s a Wind Elemental, they certainly wouldn’t go over there to get themselves killed, would they?” “Well…” The group, which had already walked several dozen or even a hundred meters, saw people crawling through the hole to the other side. After an initial moment of shock, their faces quickly shifted to expressions of confusion, bewilderment, and curiosity. Many even began to consider going over to take a look themselves. “With so many people already over there, what difference would one more make? I’ll go check it out too.” Someone said this to themselves, as if trying to convince themselves. They then set off, running quickly toward it. As one or two players turned back, it soon prompted many more to follow suit. Before long, with the exception of a few who weren’t interested, most of the over a thousand people nearby had returned. Once they gathered, everyone began chattering away. “What’s going on? Why did they go over there?” “I don’t know. I just saw everyone coming over, so I followed them...” “I heard it’s because they didn’t see the Wind Elemental, so they want to take a look over there.” “No way, is that it?” A mere one-meter-wide hole was simply too small for over a thousand people to pass through. As soon as many players arrived, they boldly used fireballs to blast open other large holes in various places. Although some tried to stop them, their efforts had little effect. Before long dozens of holes of varying sizes appeared in the vine wall, scattered here and there, leaving the base of the wall riddled with holes. Through these openings, the group following behind quickly made their way into the entrance of Breeze Canyon. As soon as they arrived they saw people stepping off the entrance path and into the vast canyon. “Huh!?” “Aren’t they afraid the wind elements will attack them?” The latecomers looked at one another in confusion. With these doubts weighing on their minds, they quickened their pace. A few breaths later. When they, too, emerged from the entrance and found themselves in the flat, boundless canyon, they, like the others, immediately wore expressions of astonishment and confusion. As far as the eye could see The canyon was completely empty! Not a single one of the thousands of wind elementals that had been flying above this canyon was to be seen. Vast swaths of land were moistened by clear water of unknown origin. Pure white mist lingered low in the air, drifting here and there with the breeze. “W-w-w… where did all the monsters here go?!!” The group of latecomers cried out in shock. But no one could give them an answer. The group was like a bunch of ordinary people who’d discovered a glitch in reality—shocked, surprised, and at a loss. A damp, chilly breeze brushed against their bodies, and the bone-chilling cold sent shivers down everyone’s spines. The players, dressed in short sleeves and shorts, were jolted back to their senses by this sudden cold breeze. One by one, they began to snap out of their stupor. “No, no—this is weird.” The players who had entered first were the first to catch on. “Isn’t the wind in Breeze Canyon supposed to be hot? How can it be this cold!?” “And wait—the Wind Elemental doesn’t have any cooling abilities, nor does it have any abilities that create water. Where on earth did all this water on the ground come from?” “And what’s with that white mist!?” “Something must have happened here!!” Realizing this, the players exchanged glances. They saw fear reflected in each other’s eyes. Since Shen Lu first appeared, no players—in any year, month, or server—had ever encountered a situation like this. The players present had every reason to believe that this anomaly in the second stage was definitely a major event capable of capturing the attention of the Global Players’ Alliance and even nations around the world! At this thought, many began to feel a quiet thrill. Some quickly opened the forum and activated its built-in camera function, intending to record the anomaly. Others, quick on their feet, turned on their live-streaming cameras, hoping to make a name for themselves by broadcasting the strange events unfolding before them. Most, however, furrowed their brows, racking their brains to figure out exactly what was happening here.