INSIDER Chapter 76

Song Gui looked puzzled and asked Yuan Kejie, “What did you say?”

Yuan Kejie, with a serious expression and straightforward tone, replied, “Soluble in water, they must be soluble in water!”

Song Gui shook his head, correcting her, “I don’t agree. I think they just get osteoporosis with a splash of water.”

Qian Zhen: “…”

Ro Qi took a couple of steps back, glanced at Yuan Kejie and said, “Science major?” Then she looked at Song Gui and added, “Brain damage?”

Yuan Kejie sheepishly scratched her head, “I was just trying to express my amazement that these creatures have a weakness.”

Song Gui ignored Ro Qi’s pointed sarcasm aimed at him.

Lu Chu, fully focused on the situation across the river, was incredulous and suspicious—had the enemy’s thousands of troops really been so easily blocked by a river?

“Let’s move away from here,” Lu Chu cautioned. “We don’t know what’s happening underwater. If they lose movement upon entering the water but don’t need to breathe and can come at us from below, we’ll be in danger. It’s safer to stay away from the riverbank.”

The others agreed it made sense but also wanted to confirm if the multi-armed monsters indeed feared water. Since they might encounter the same creatures again in future rounds, knowing their weakness would be crucial.

With this common concern, they moved twenty meters away from the river and had a brief discussion.

During the discussion, 7 said, “I’ll dive underwater to check.”

Lu Chu, worried, tried to stop him, “The current is so strong, and it’s nighttime. Diving now is too dangerous. I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Don’t worry,” 7 reassured him. “I’ll just be in the water for a few minutes and come right back.”

Lu Chu understood 7’s reasoning. With a long time before the tower reappeared the next evening, they might encounter these creatures again. Now was the best opportunity to discover their weakness.

Eventually, Lu Chu chose to trust 7. Before 7 jumped into the water, Lu Chu couldn’t help but remind him multiple times, “Safety first.”

7 nodded, putting down his extra gear and handing his knife to Lu Chu, “Wait for me.”

They had all protected their weapons during the run. Even Ro Qi had detached the handle of her shovel and tied the head to her back.

Lu Chu took the knife, “Okay, be careful.”

Their conversation seemed to create a private world, making it hard for the others to intervene. By the time they had a chance to speak, the decision was already made.

7 jumped into the river gracefully.

Despite the clear moonlight, it was still night. Holding his breath, 7 dove underwater and found the visible range as limited as expected. He cautiously swam towards where the multi-armed monsters had been.

The current was strong but didn’t hinder 7. He approached the creatures’ location carefully and soon saw what happened to them underwater.

7 frowned at the sight, then immediately swam back. He climbed onto the shore swiftly, his gaze first meeting Lu Chu’s clear eyes.

Seeing him return unharmed, Lu Chu, who had been worried, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Two swims across the river had soaked 7’s hair, making his already handsome face appear even more chiseled. Droplets of water glistened on his face and clothes, outlining his muscular physique.

Noticing this, Lu Chu felt a bit uncomfortable and averted his gaze.

Yuan Kejie excitedly asked, “So, are they soluble in water?”

7 replied, “Sort of.”

“…” Yuan Kejie fell silent for a moment, then said with a complex expression, “I was just joking…”

Her words shifted Lu Chu’s attention back to the multi-armed monsters, alleviating his slight embarrassment. He asked 7, “What happened underwater?”

The others also looked at 7, curious.

7 explained to Lu Chu, “When the flesh-covered monsters jumped into the water, their bodies quickly softened, their bones and flesh melting into their skin, making them look like soft-bodied creatures. The countless arms floated like underwater algae.”

Yuan Kejie exclaimed, “Amazing…”

Lu Chu asked, “They just softened?”

7 looked at the rushing water and said, “Not just that. After melting, their bodies intertwined, becoming indistinguishable from one another.”

Lu Chu murmured, “Intertwined… merged?”

“So,” Ro Qi concluded, “our final conclusion is that they dissolve in water?”

Song Gui tilted his head, “It seems so, but from Qi Li’s description, whether dissolving in water is good or bad is unclear.”

“Let’s hope it’s good,” Yuan Kejie prayed, “We’ve been running all night. If it’s bad, we’re too exhausted and will be caught sooner or later. Honestly, I haven’t thought of any way to fight such a large group of monsters.”

“If it’s good, great. If it’s bad, we’ll fight back,” Ro Qi said, taking the shovel head off her back and carefully cleaning it. She lamented, “Too bad I lost my sharpening stone.”

She found a long, sturdy stick nearby, attached the shovel head to it, and slung it over her shoulder, “By the way, we’ve run so far, and the tower’s appearance location isn’t clear. If we’re too far when it appears, can we still see it?”

This question stumped everyone. Lu Chu felt they could see it but couldn’t articulate why.

Just then, 7 confidently said, “We can see it.”

Song Gui raised an eyebrow, “How can you be so sure?”

“Because of the ‘rules’ twisted sense of humor,” 7 said. “Hope must be placed where it’s visible, so despair can be more profound.”

Lu Chu was startled by the words: hope must be placed where it’s visible…

Author’s note: This round establishes the core teammates of Lu Xiao Chu and 7. Future rounds may not be team tasks, but whenever there are multiple participants, it will be this group together. This round is essentially to build and deepen their camaraderie.