The Informal Tomb Raiding Diary: She is the occupant of the tomb!-Chapter 126: Stone Forest

Qinghan was talking to the team leader. They lost a backpack, which meant a loss of a clean water source. Their team also encountered danger at sea and lost some equipment and fresh water during the battle with the sea monster.

With the four of us joining their team, it would inevitably divide their food and water, and while food could be managed, water was the biggest issue.

We need to find a safe water source in the jungle. According to the team leader, there’s still a few days’ journey from the square to the destination, and we can’t make it with the current stored water.

I thought this island was small, but it’s incredible that we can’t get out of the jungle after several days. According to the team leader, it would take a few days, and that’s if we’re lucky, to reach the central area of the island.

So what I saw at the shore was only a small part of the island; the deeper you go, the larger the space.

The plants and animals on this island are very different from those outside. We’ve seen many primitive plants in snowy mountains and forests, all relatively rare species from the outside world.

Yet the plants on this island are truly strange, beyond common understanding. The only person who understands them is Professor Liu.

Since he warned everyone that the flying ants are poisonous, I’ve been intrigued about his identity. The plants are peculiar, and the animals too, but the team leader, who is obviously experienced in jungle survival, knows less than Professor Liu.

At first, I assumed he was an expert in studying plants and animals, so it made sense for him to know characteristics unknown to us.

But later, when the team leader asked if he had any records of water sources in his journal, Professor Liu mentioned a map and then took out a notebook, with a laminated sheet on the first page.

That sheet looked like it was torn from a notebook. As they studied the water source location, I realized that Professor Liu’s way of obtaining information about this place wasn’t from books.

I edged closer to Qinghan and hadn’t forgotten to ask him about Meng Qingyu. Worried others might hear, I leaned close to Qinghan’s ear and whispered, "How advanced is breast augmentation surgery now?"

Qinghan’s body stiffened, showing a look of terror, but only for an instant. I felt his gaze intensely wanted to move downwards but he restrained himself tightly.

"Tsss, it’s not me. You mean... if someone’s chest gets flattened, would she be okay? Would she need to go to the hospital? Could it be life-threatening?"

Qinghan’s face changed slightly, and in an even lower voice, he asked, "Did you see clearly? Was it flattened?"

I nodded, and Qinghan seemed thoughtful, but at that moment the team leader called everyone to continue the journey, interrupting our conversation.

To find water, we must first leave this Stone Forest. Professor Liu’s two students obviously hadn’t rested enough, only just catching their breath.

But the team leader felt the Stone Forest was very eerie. The surrounding jungle was thick with vegetation, but in this Stone Forest, not a blade of grass grew, and not a single bug or creature was seen in the crevices.

"Why don’t we go around this Stone Forest?" Meng Qingyu suggested.

"Those ants are still lingering at the edge." Zhou had been watching that group of ants intently.

"Let’s go, quickly, maybe nothing will happen." The team leader didn’t have a better solution now.

The fuel had just run out, and bullets weren’t effective against these ants.

I was quite looking forward to seeing them use some black technology to drive away the ants, but unfortunately, they didn’t have any.

My Karmic Fire can’t be used carelessly. If there are side effects, and I sleep another few hundred years, I might not be so lucky to wake up unscathed.

The team leader asked everyone to spread out a bit, so if someone in front encountered trouble, those behind would have time to react.

The Stone Forest was full of white stones, the shorter ones were only knee-high, while the taller ones were two to three meters high.

Because of these tall stones, walking inside affected our line of sight.

We walked about fifty meters when Cong Zhibo said he felt unwell, very dizzy, so the team leader called everyone to stop. He asked Zhou to check on Cong Zhibo, but on turning around, Zhou was nowhere to be found.

Zhou had been wary of those ants and had always walked at the back of the team. He was also the one who was watching the ants from the edge of the Stone Forest.

After setting off again, he still walked at the back, alongside a young man named Gangzi.

The team leader asked Gangzi where Zhou went. Gangzi shook his head, saying he didn’t see him. From his expression, he seemed confused about something.

But he couldn’t be sure, looking quite conflicted. Under the team leader’s questioning, he finally admitted that they were walking side by side but split to go around a stone pillar, and just in that blink of an eye, Zhou disappeared.

The stone pillar was about two meters high and half a meter wide. The two went around it on either side, and then one was missing.

The team leader called out Zhou’s name, but the Stone Forest was eerily silent with no response.

Gangzi found it unbelievable too, which is why he didn’t speak up right away—could a person just vanish silently by going around a pillar?

Meng Qingyu wanted to examine the pillar, but the team leader stopped her, saying that the priority was to get out of here, not find out where Zhou went.

Although it sounded cold and ruthless, it was very practical. Known to be strange, staying around here would only increase losses.

"Everyone, walk next to each other. Do not separate, not even for a second." This was the new order from the team leader.

Bi Shi carried He Su; the two of them would not be separated. I grabbed Qinghan’s arm, and as we circled the stone pillars, we made sure not to let go.

Cong Zhibo said his dizziness was severe. Meng Qingyu frowned, looking like she hated to just leave him there, but seeing how Professor Liu cared for his two students, he certainly wouldn’t agree to abandon him. So, they had a strong man carry Cong Zhibo instead.

She now seemed lazy to disguise herself, directly commanding the strong man, and her attitude towards the team leader was no longer as submissive as before. Sometimes she spoke to him in a commanding tone.

Her emotions had clearly changed, becoming a bit anxious and increasingly impatient with Professor Liu’s two students.

Initially, she spoke gently to Cong Zhibo, and Cong Zhibo even spoke for her. Now her attitude had completely changed, constantly urging him on when he could walk by himself.

Cong Zhibo found himself in an awkward position. He couldn’t control his body, and even vomited twice while being carried by the strong man.

It perfectly illustrated the essence of the word ’burden.’ Liu Professor’s other student, the young man named Guan Hai, couldn’t bear it and argued back a couple of times on behalf of Cong Zhibo. His attitude toward Meng Qingyu was similar to Professor Liu’s, seemingly looking down on her.

Just as the two began bickering back and forth, the team leader asked, "Where’s Cong?"

Everyone looked at where he had been crouching and vomiting, but aside from a pile of vomit, there was no sign of Cong Zhibo.

This time, he vanished right under our noses...