Chapter 363: The Great Rift Gorge

Waiting until powerful creatures appear before leaving would be too late.

With such a commotion, it wouldn’t just attract one or two creatures, but countless from all directions.

If they didn’t leave in time, they’d be surrounded in an instant.

After a moment’s thought, Bawei said, “Pack up, dismantle the array, and let’s go!”

They couldn’t wait for Buck any longer; the situation was urgent, and they needed to leave quickly.

The rest of the exploration team immediately began packing up the camp.

By the time they were ready and the array was dismantled, the Crawler horde was upon them.

With the array gone, the hill’s illusion vanished, revealing Bawei and his team.

They glanced back at the approaching Crawlers, feeling uneasy.

Though they were at least first-level wizards and not afraid of Crawlers, the sheer number was overwhelming.

Bawei said, “Let’s go! There’s a Great Rift Gorge ahead. Fly over it to escape them.”

As a seasoned explorer in the polluted zone, Bawei was familiar with the terrain.

Ahead lay a massive gorge the Crawlers couldn’t cross.

As wizards, they had means to traverse it, prepared before entering the zone.

Flying overhead, Helag noticed the group.

Using Deep Blue’s detection, he saw them, and they saw him.

About a kilometer apart, they silently moved forward.

Helag noted a second-level wizard among them, sensing potential trouble.

He veered away, distancing himself from them.

Helag’s biggest disadvantage was being alone.

Solo travel in the polluted zone was dangerous, facing threats from creatures and humans.

A lone wizard, especially at the liquefied stage, was vulnerable to other exploration teams.

Even as a Seranthiel member, his death would go unnoticed, and his spatial ring would be an easy prize.

Continuing forward, Helag adjusted his path, avoiding the group.

“Gorge?”

Using Deep Blue, he saw the massive gorge ahead.

He was relieved, finally a chance to lose his “fans.”

Minutes later, Helag reached the Great Rift Gorge.

The gorge, like a scar from a god, was a kilometer wide, bottomless, with sheer cliffs reaching the sky.

Wind echoed through, like ghostly wails.

At the edge, Helag marveled, “Such a massive gorge…”

The gorge was over a thousand meters wide, its length unknown.

Looking down, it was a dark, foggy abyss.

Deep Blue couldn’t gauge its depth, over 1,500 meters.

Cautiously, Helag dropped a stone over the edge.

It fell in a normal arc.

Still wary, Helag didn’t know what lay within.

If something lurked below, crossing could be dangerous.

Glancing at the approaching “fans,” Helag grabbed a Crawler, tossing it into the gorge.

Its cries echoed as it fell.

The gorge remained calm.

Reassured, Helag flew across the gorge.

The Crawlers reached the edge, hesitating to advance, howling at Helag.

But they were soon pushed over by those behind.

Crawlers fell like dumplings, tumbling into the abyss.

Helag found it oddly amusing.

Flying over the gorge, he felt uneasy.

The silence from the falling Crawlers was unsettling.

Crawlers couldn’t die from the fall; they’d still howl.

Yet, despite many falling, the gorge remained silent.

Whether the gorge was too deep or another reason, Helag felt uneasy.

He sped up, eager to cross.

The unease grew until he landed on the far cliff, his back cold.

Unsure of the problem, he instinctively wanted distance from the gorge.

Landing, Helag sprinted away from the gorge.

He knew something was wrong and couldn’t linger.

As he ran, he abruptly stopped, halting his advance.

A massive fireball exploded ahead, showering sparks.

The sparks sizzled on his armor but caused no damage.

Had he been a second slower, the fireball would have hit him.