Master of Monster Synthesis-Chapter 53: The Water Scorpion in the Underground Dark River

Chapter 53: Chapter 53: The Water Scorpion in the Underground Dark River

"Splash splash splash..."

Before long, Qin Shou and the others reached the end of the passage.

The sound of rushing water echoed. A not-so-wide underground river appeared at a lower elevation ahead.

In the glow of blue light, the mildly flowing river shimmered with a faint blue sheen, resembling a breathtaking starry night painting.

The three were momentarily mesmerized, but soon came back to their senses.

"The road ends here," Long Xia said.

Qin Shou pointed at the underground river before them. "The waterway is still a pathway."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let’s get going!"

The voice of Fang Bao came from Storm Red’s cockpit.

With that, Storm Red activated its energy shield and plunged into the river with a loud splash.

"SPLASH!!"

The mecha’s entry into the water sent a cascade of spray flying, soaking Qin Shou and the other two completely.

"Damn! That guy is so annoying... But wow, his mecha is seriously cool, and waterproof too,"

Long Xia said enviously, dripping wet.

Qin Shou twitched the corner of his mouth and wordlessly wiped the water off his face, vowing silently to repay this splashy offense one day.

But then...

He instinctively glanced at Lin Xiaomei, who was drenched from head to toe.

Hmm, since Fang Bao didn’t do it on purpose, he would let it slide—this time.

Lin Xiaomei seemed to notice Qin Shou’s gaze. Her cheeks flushed red as she quickly turned away to adjust her clothing.

"Qin Shou, let’s head down too!" she said softly.

"Alright."

Qin Shou retracted Steel Garuru and King Kong, leaving behind the aquatic expert, the greedy snake.

Moments later, the Space Gate opened wide, and Zhi Yin dived boldly into the river, swimming freely.

"Heeheehee... Master, Big Sister, the water here feels amazing!"

A moment later, she bobbed to the surface and beamed with childlike glee.

Long Xia stared curiously at Qin Shou.

"Lao Qin, is that creature something you developed using the Merfolk Gene?"

Qin Shou chuckled and nodded. "Exactly. So, what do you think? Adorable, right?"

Long Xia looked at Zhi Yin’s cute face with a strange expression in his eyes.

"Lao Qin, you’ve got issues."

Qin Shou: "..."

"Enough chatter, let’s get moving!" Lin Xiaomei interrupted.

With that, she jumped into the river. Zhi Yin swished her tail happily, circling around Lin Xiaomei, and exhaled a giant air bubble that enveloped Lin Xiaomei, keeping her semi-floating at the water’s surface.

Inside the bubble, Lin Xiaomei curiously poked at the bubble’s membrane and smiled softly.

"Thank you, Zhi Yin."

"You’re welcome, Big Sister!"

With a happy squint, Zhi Yin then looked up at Qin Shou.

"Master, hurry and come down!"

"On my way!"

"Haha, this is fun! I want the biggest bubble..."

Qin Shou and Long Xia leapt into the river, and Zhi Yin created bubbles for each of them.

The difference was that Qin Shou’s bubble was vividly colorful and extravagantly stunning.

Meanwhile, Long Xia’s bubble was just plain blue.

Long Xia: "???"

Seriously? Even bubbles are treated differently?

Are you kidding me?

"Haha, Zhi Yin is amazing."

Qin Shou laughed as he praised her, then gestured for Rein Jia’er to appear. Zhi Yin produced another bubble, and he sent it along with the greedy snake ahead to scout.

Safety always comes first.

"ROAR!"

Soon, Rein Jia’er, holding a pair of Dragon Horns, dived into the water alongside the greedy snake, disappearing from view.

Underwater, the greedy snake moved its pliant body at lightning speed, reaching Storm Red in no time.

"Swoosh..."

A flick of its tail stirred up a current.

The rushing current swept Storm Red backward toward Qin Shou and the others.

Through his screen, Fang Bao saw a black shadow flash by, followed by the sight of Qin Shou and the other two encased in bubbles, led by an adorable little merfolk, swimming his way.

"Uh... You caught up so quickly?"

Fang Bao asked in astonishment, sneaking a jealous glance at Zhi Yin.

The trio twitched visibly, ignoring Fang Bao.

Using Storm Red’s searchlights, Qin Shou pointed to a rock wall not far ahead.

"That rock wall up ahead is too low; we need to submerge deeper."

Zhi Yin nodded, swishing her tail as she guided the three bubbles deeper into the river.

The underwater world was unlike the surface. Enclosed in the bubbles, the trio not only didn’t feel suffocated but also didn’t experience any water pressure.

"Heeheehee..."

Zhi Yin led the way cheerily, pausing every so often to frolic with the fish, thoroughly enjoying herself.

"Swoosh..."

At that moment, Storm Red’s thrusters released a burst of energy, propelling it rapidly past the trio and scattering the surrounding fish.

"Hmph! What a meanie!"

Zhi Yin pouted angrily, but being no match for Storm Red’s speed, she could only sulk.

Lounging in his bubble, Qin Shou crossed his legs leisurely.

Seeing Fang Bao jetting off, he smirked and said, "Perfect. With Storm Red being such a big, noticeable target, if there are any monsters in this underground river, they’ll go for him first. It’ll also serve as an early warning for us."

Lin Xiaomei: "..."

...

They couldn’t tell how much time had passed.

The terrain of the underground river was perilous, with raging currents and dangerous reefs here and there.

But under Zhi Yin’s careful guidance, the trio easily avoided these unseen risks.

Suddenly, the river ahead glimmered faintly, and an energy cannon exploded. Torrential water surged toward them in a violent wave.

"Swoosh..."

Qin Shou’s face darkened. "Zhi Yin!"

"Master!"

Zhi Yin swished her tail and darted ahead. She began humming softly.

"La la la~"

In an instant, sound waves rippled through the water, dispersing in concentric circles.

Moments later, fish swarmed in from within hundreds of meters, surrounding Qin Shou and the others protectively.

"Swoosh..."

The raging currents battered the swarm of fish. The ordinary fish couldn’t withstand the force and eventually scattered.

"La la la~"

Zhi Yin sang again, and a group of Danger Level 5 monster fish from the distant river sped over, slicing through the turbulent waters to gradually neutralize the current.

As the situation stabilized, Qin Shou’s communicator beeped urgently on his wrist.

"Help, help, help! Qin Shou, come save me! I’m being attacked by a swarm of strange bugs..."

Fang Bao’s panicked voice crackled through amid the blaring alarm sounds.

"Strange bugs?"

Qin Shou looked puzzled. How had the greedy snake missed them?

He activated video mode to see the bugs Fang Bao was dealing with.

Onscreen, a dense swarm of bizarre water bugs had breached Storm Red’s energy shield, encasing the mecha layer by layer.

When the camera zoomed in, Qin Shou could see the bugs’ hideous mandibles piercing the mecha’s seams, draining its stored energy.

"Water Scorpions!" Qin Shou gasped.

"Water Scorpions? What are those?" Long Xia asked, bewildered.

Qin Shou cast him a disdainful look. "Water Scorpions are dragonfly larvae."

"If there are this many Water Scorpions here, that means..." Lin Xiaomei began, her expression contemplative.

Qin Shou nodded. "Exactly. It means there must be another exit nearby!"

Lin Xiaomei shook her head. "What I meant was, if there are so many Water Scorpion monsters in the water, then there must be no shortage of dragonfly monsters on the surface."

...Uh...

Qin Shou scratched his head awkwardly. A lack of chemistry sure makes things awkward.

...

...

PS: Day in and day out, tirelessly uploading illustrations. Wonder if I can fool—uh, I mean, inspire everyone to generously cast their recommendation votes...

A shy request for tips and recommendations...