Chapter 253

Chapter 253: Launched by a Snail

Zhu Miao explained in a slow voice: “The Giant Beetle is an insect Demonic Beast from tens of millions of years ago. They are extremely rare, ancient, and strong. Their main ability is to shrink everything, including people and Demonic Beasts, even if that power is not very useful. Giant Beetles are very warm and gentle. They do not attack and love to interact with the people and things they like. They are definitely high-need Demonic Beasts. But because they are so tiny, others often overlook them, which hurts their very proud hearts. So when they meet someone or something they like, they use their skill to make the other side just a little smaller, so they can interact.”

Shen Sang Ruo finally understood the name. If they made everything else small, then they looked “giant.” But as time flowed on, the Giant Beetles faded from sight and almost disappeared from the Cultivation World. No wonder she and the Dodder Flower Sprite had never heard of them. Zhu Miao was also surprised that Starfield Plain still had Giant Beetles.

The red beetles, well, to Shen Sang Ruo they were big beetles now, nodded like pounding garlic, fully agreeing with Zhu Miao’s explanation. Then they linked legs and formed a circle around her, hopping happily. They even left a space in the middle for her, clearly wanting her to join.

Looking at the Giant Beetles waving at her with such heat, Shen Sang Ruo did not know if she was lucky or unlucky. Unlucky, because being liked by ancient Demonic Beasts from millions of years ago had just shrunk her and would slow her treasure hunt. Lucky, because how many people could say such creatures liked them?

Rubbing her temples, she remembered how much attention they needed and could not bring herself to refuse. She stepped into the circle first and joined them. After that, she planned to explain her situation.

When she joined in, the Giant Beetles got even more excited and pulled her hands as they danced their signature steps. Zhu Miao and the Dodder Flower Sprite became the audience, trying hard to see what the tiny dancers were doing.

After one round, she stopped the Giant Beetles right as they started on the next. She said with a small bow: “I’m honored that you like me, but I have important work to do. I can’t play with you right now.”

The Giant Beetles tilted their heads. They looked a bit down, but they listened carefully.

She added in a kind voice: “If you don’t mind, I can carry you with me. When I finish my business, I’ll play with you again. For now, please change me back to normal, okay?”

A few Giant Beetles huddled together and whispered like they were holding a meeting. A moment later, the talk ended. They nodded at her, agreeing to her idea.

Just as they were about to change her back, a super fast unknown object shot toward them. The Giant Beetles were knocked over in a heap, all flipping onto their backs. They kicked their legs like crazy but could not roll upright.

Shen Sang Ruo was hit even harder. She was sent flying and landed on the back of the thing that hit her. The creature held up two long eye stalks. One eye looked at her, and the other stared straight ahead at the road. The eye that looked at her seemed puzzled. Very soon it turned away again, not planning to deal with this accident.

Shen Sang Ruo blinked and asked herself: “Is this a Snail?” [Did a Snail really just send me flying?]

The Snail was shockingly fast. By the time she reacted, it had already carried her several li away. Even from Zhu Miao and the Dodder Flower Sprite’s point of view, those Snails were moving so quickly they left afterimages.

Even more unbelievable, a few more Snails were racing behind it, holding their breath and pushing themselves to go faster. It looked like a race.

Yes. Snails. Racing.

Shen Sang Ruo went silent for a beat. [The world is truly full of wonders.]

There was no time to sigh about the absurdity of a Snail race. What she needed to do was get off this Snail fast, or who knew where it would take her. The scenery streaked by. Her plan to search for treasure was a mess again.

Now she finally felt like her luck might be a little bit bad. She entered the Secret Realm and landed right in a Flood Dragon’s cave, got shrunk by rare Giant Beetles, and then bumped into racing Snails. She had not gotten a single chance to look for treasure.

Thinking of this, she grabbed the Snail’s two eye stalks and shouted: “Brake!”

[Driver, wrong passenger. I want off.]

Spiritual Power gathered in her hands. It worked. The Snail under her stopped, its eyes rolling back from the pressure of her grip. The other racing Snails also stopped around her.

They were now in a patch of woods. The trees were spaced out, and knee-high grass covered the open ground so thickly that it blocked almost all of her view.

Shen Sang Ruo slid off the Snail and waved: “You can keep going.”

But after they stopped, the Snails did not want to race anymore. Instead, they studied her with great curiosity. At ant size, even a Snail was a giant to her. One after another, they stretched their eye stalks toward her. Each eye was about as big as her head and almost poked her in the face.

The Snails seemed to make a face: o.O They were confused. The Human Race in their memories was not like this. Why was this one so small?

One Snail even bit off a piece of grass from the side and dropped it in front of her, trying to feed her. Their fresh, excited looks said they had decided she was a tiny pet.

[……]

When the two companions noticed she was gone, they rushed after her. The Dodder Flower Sprite swept up the still-flailing Giant Beetles with its vines. They would need the beetles to lift her shrinking spell. Following the link of the Spirit Pact, Zhu Miao found her position fast.

The Snails understood they were here for her and very politely backed away, opening up a clear space for the reunion.

Looking up at the vine tip on Zhu Miao’s head, Shen Sang Ruo said very seriously: “I think you were right earlier.”

Her luck really was one of a kind. No one else could have a string of events this strange.

She sighed and refocused: “Let the Giant Beetles change me back first.”

The Snail that had sent her flying looked full of apology. Drooping its eye stalks, it rubbed one eye gently against her to say sorry. Shen Sang Ruo blamed the string of accidents on her bad luck and did not hold the Snail responsible. She lifted a hand and patted its eye to show she accepted the apology.

As she lowered her head, her gaze slipped through a gap in the grass and landed on something on a tree trunk. Her hand froze mid-air. Tilting her head, she walked closer for a good look.

The Snails followed her, just as curious.

Parting layer upon layer of grass, she saw a wide sheet of dark red, stacked in layers, spread across the bark.

Her eyes lit up at once.