Be a lord in the world of Indian mythology

Chapter 64 Safe Zone

About ten meters ahead, there was a huge, withered tree with strong, ancient branches pointing straight to the sky.

Beneath the withered tree, the ground was no longer black mud; a few small flowers dotted the landscape, standing out starkly against the thick, gray-white fog.

"What happened now?"

"It's a flower!"

A few ordinary little flowers bloom here, as if they have blossomed in everyone's heart.

"Gentlemen! We've arrived!" Vijay stood up and gestured with his fist as he looked down at them.

Immediately, small cheers rose up one after another.

Just as Vijay was directing his troops to slowly drive into the meadow, it seemed as if he had startled the original owner of this small territory.

A black figure suddenly leaped down from the withered tree!

It was a lithe black panther with wide-open eyes, like two huge copper bells, gleaming with a ferocious light in the dim light.

What's most chilling is that it has two folded fleshy wings growing on either side of its back. They are slightly open, majestic and exude an extremely ferocious aura, making it look like it's not to be trifled with.

"You beast! How dare you block my way!"

Delanvila's eyes lit up, his fighting spirit surging again. Without a word, he grabbed his heavy longsword and charged towards the black panther: "Let me handle this!"

The black panther showed some restraint and did not attack immediately. Instead, it lowered its body and let out a low, strange roar at the intruder, its voice carrying a strong sense of intimidation, trying to scare the intruder away.

But how could such an arrogant man as Delan Villa be intimidated by a single roar?

He pushed off the ground with his feet, leaping high into the air, stretching his body, gripping his long sword tightly with both hands, and sweeping it horizontally.

The longsword flashed through the air like lightning, carrying immense force as it slashed fiercely at the black panther's body!

"Pfft!" Blood splattered everywhere.

The seemingly fierce black panther had no time to dodge and was slashed in the body by a knife.

It let out a shrill and venomous howl, the sound piercing and echoing in the mist.

But this was clearly not fatal. It flapped its fleshy wings on its back with all its might, turned into a black shadow, and instantly disappeared into the fog-shrouded sky.

Delanvila stood proudly in place, holding a blood-dripping longsword, a smug look on his face.

But just then, Bim's trembling voice reached everyone's ears: "By Brahma, we can't let it escape... This thing will take revenge! It remembers us; we can't let it go!"

Vijay's heart tightened, and he was about to order a pursuit, but it was too late.

The dark shadows in the sky had long since vanished without a trace, leaving only a thick fog that flowed silently.

It's too late to pursue it now.

Vijay stopped thinking about it and waved his hand, signaling, "The whole team, move onto the grass and settle down!"

Everyone collapsed to the ground, exhausted. They quickly set up the vehicles and formed a defensive formation. Someone took out a flint again and tentatively tapped it lightly.

This time, "Teng!"

The flames rose steadily.

It's finally lit!

Dry firewood was quickly stuffed into the fire, and with the help of the fuel they brought, a bright and warm campfire finally roared up in this wilderness.

The orange flames flickered, dispelling the dampness, darkness, and panic.

Warmth crept onto everyone's cold skin, gradually soothing their still-shaken hearts.

A brief period of peace has finally arrived.

A whole day of arduous trekking through the misty swamp had completely drained everyone's physical and mental strength.

The warm campfire flickered in the center of the camp, dispelling the damp chill and fear, like an invisible cradle that made everyone lose the ability to resist drowsiness.

After quickly finishing their dry rations and replenishing their water, the team members collapsed onto the ground in disarray and fell into a deep sleep almost instantly, their snores rising and falling.

Only a few soldiers assigned to guard duty huddled around the campfire for warmth, muttering complaints about their bad luck, their eyes somewhat glazed over.

Vijay was also extremely exhausted. Although he hadn't overexerted himself that day, his eyelids were so heavy he could barely lift them, and waves of drowsiness washed over him.

Throughout the entire camp, only the old servant Bim remained steadfast in his spirits.

He gripped his ever-present short spear tightly, his knuckles slightly white, his back ramrod straight, standing motionless beside Vijay, his eyes scanning the surrounding dark fog warily, silent and vigilant, keeping watch for his master.

Vijay barely opened his eyes and looked at Bim's bloodshot and exhausted face. His heart softened, and he whispered, "Bim, rest for a while. You've been guarding for a long time."

"No, Master..." Bim shook his head slightly, his voice low but unusually firm. "That flying leopard that was injured today will definitely come back for revenge. It was the same last time. The old master's caravan was surrounded by ferocious beasts and panicked, wandering into the mud... My own brother died on that trip!"

"This cunning beast is extremely vengeful; it will never rest until it gets its revenge!"

Upon hearing this, Vijay shuddered instantly, forcefully suppressing his overwhelming drowsiness, and abruptly sat up from his half-asleep state.

He looked around at the extremely rudimentary camp, where vehicles were haphazardly arranged in a circle, offering virtually no defense against a surprise attack from the sky.

Once the winged black panther swoops down from the mist, the entire team can only passively take the hits.

At times like this, it seems we can only rely on the gods! His gaze involuntarily drifted towards the eyes.

This person, who usually floats in mid-air to meditate, has now landed on the ground without anyone noticing.

The large, heavy robe completely covered his body, with only his huge pupil showing. Upon closer inspection, a faint, almost imperceptible tentacle could be seen protruding from beneath the robe, gently supporting his body on the ground.

The next second, Mu seemed to sense Vijay's gaze, and those eerie tentacles instantly "whooshed" back into his robe, returning to a motionless state.

This scene sent chills down Vijay's spine, and a bone-chilling coldness rose in his heart.

But just as Vijay was feeling alarmed, a sudden change occurred.

A faint, almost inaudible whooshing sound suddenly filled the air.

Extremely fast, eerily quiet.

The next second, the horses and camels that had been sleeping soundly in the camp were suddenly jolted awake as if pricked by needles, letting out extremely shrill screams.

The sound, filled with fear and pain, was like a sharp thorn, instantly piercing the tranquility of the night and waking everyone from their slumber.

Everyone scrambled to their feet in a panic, still half-asleep, looking around blankly.

But when they saw what was in front of them, everyone's blood almost froze.

It's all over.

A strong, sturdy horse lay in a pool of blood, its body severed in two. The upper half of its head had vanished without a trace, leaving its internal organs spilling out onto the ground, and the stench of blood instantly filled the entire camp.

The scene was extremely gruesome and disgusting.

Even Bim, who had been on guard the whole time, was completely caught off guard.

Vijay was even worse off; he didn't even see how the shadowy figure attacked or how it left.

"Who?! Who did this?!"

Delanvila leaped to his feet, his armor not even fully on.

Seeing the horses dead and the terrified looks on his team members' faces, he instantly flew into a rage and roared furiously.

Vijay took a deep breath, suppressing his fear, and gave the answer in a low voice: "It's that black flying leopard from today. It's back, back to take revenge on us!"

"A black flying leopard?" Delanvila was stunned for a moment, clearly not understanding. He had clearly severely injured the beast, yet it still dared to turn back and launch a sneak attack.

This was clearly a disregard for him, and after a brief moment of astonishment, rage completely overwhelmed his reason.

He furiously brandished his long sword, hacking wildly at the thick fog, shouting like a madman: "Damn beast! Come out and fight me head-on!"

"Fine! Since it dares to come, I'll stay here!" Delanvila roared, turning to grab a bucket of water. "I'll extinguish the campfire right now, stand in the shadows and wait for it. I want to see if it dares to come again!"

"Indra above, Lord Delanvila, you mustn't!" Vijay exclaimed in alarm, rushing forward to stop him. "The campfire is the only source of warmth for the whole group, and it's also a bulwark to keep everyone calm. You mustn't do this!"

"Shut up!" Delanvila abruptly shoved Vijay's hand away, slamming the bucket to the ground. Her eyes widened in fury, her face contorted with rage. "During the day, I advised everyone to rest, but you refused. Now the ferocious beasts are at our doorstep, and you're telling us to swallow our anger! This isn't how a brave warrior should act, nor is it how you protect the team! This is cowardice!"

His roar echoed throughout the camp, and all the team members lowered their heads in silence, not daring to speak.

Vijay was speechless after being rebuked, but he could only patiently reassure him in a low voice: "It has already successfully launched a sneak attack once, so it will definitely not dare to come again tonight. Why don't we send two more teams of soldiers to take turns on guard duty and gather all the mules, horses, camels and cattle in the center of the camp? That way, even if it comes again, we can detect it immediately."

Even Vijay himself felt a little guilty about what he said.

The black panther was so fast that it was beyond the reach of the naked eye and so fast that it was silent.

No matter how tight the defenses are, they are useless against absolute speed.

But at this moment, this was the only way he could temporarily stabilize morale.

Delanvila's face turned ashen, filled with resentment, yet he could find no reason to refute her. He could only stomp his foot angrily and fall silent.

The night, still reeling from the shock, was barely endured amidst panic, vigilance, and oppression.

The sky was just beginning to lighten in the early morning.

The so-called dawn is not the sunlight dispelling the fog, but the tiny water droplets condensing in the fog reflecting a faint light, making the surroundings slightly brighter, no longer pitch black.

A new journey begins.

The horses that died tragically last night are no longer usable, so the vehicles they used to pull have to have all their cargo dismantled and distributed to other vehicles.

The heavy loads increased the burden on each cart, and the dilapidated oxcart that was left empty could only be ruthlessly abandoned in this dangerous swamp.

After finishing his preparations, Vijay approached Mu with a respectful expression and an urgent tone: "Brahma above, Lord Mu, the fog and miasma ahead are still thick. We implore you to once again protect us and ensure the safety of the entire team."

However, this time, there was no response.

His huge pupil was filled with dense blood vessels, making him look tired and even in pain.

He just stared at Vijay, but as if he had lost the ability to speak, he didn't say a word.

Only a slight tremor in his pupils silently conveyed a message: he was powerless to do anything more.

Vijay's heart sank to the bottom, but he did not insist.

Without proper protection, if they inhale the miasma and fog from outside, they will suffer from dizziness or even poisoning and fainting. How can they possibly move forward?

Reluctantly, he pulled a torch from the campfire and carefully extended it beyond the boundary of the safe zone.

A bizarre scene unfolded.

As soon as the torch was extended, the flame went out with a "whoosh".

There was no wind, no water, just like there was no air in the outside world to fuel combustion.

Using torches to light the way forward is completely unworkable.

Vijay stood still, his eyes quickly scanning the entire room.

Just as he was getting extremely anxious, his gaze fell on the camel lying quietly to the side.

It seems that cow urine has detoxifying properties, right?

Vijay no longer hesitated. He tore off a piece of cloth in front of everyone, walked straight to a llama, and, ignoring the pungent smell, soaked the cloth in the llama's urine until it was completely saturated.

He then covered his nose tightly, put the urine-soaked cloth over his mouth and nose, and tentatively stepped out of the safe zone.

Sure enough, his breathing wasn't significantly affected this time, but the smell...

Seeing Vijay's demonstration, the team members were stunned at first, then suddenly realized what he meant and began to imitate him.

A few camels and oxen became the team's "lifeline".

Everyone rushed to soak scraps of cloth in urine and wrap them around their faces as makeshift gas masks.

Even more extreme, some people would fill their water bags with camel and cow urine and drink a sip from time to time, instantly feeling so refreshed that they would shake their heads and sway as if they were drinking fine wine.

With preparations complete, the caravan embarked on its journey once again.

From that point onward, the road ahead underwent incredible changes.

Vijay was surprised to find that every few hundred meters they advanced, a safe zone of varying sizes would appear.

The smaller ones are only a dozen square meters, barely enough for a few people to stand in, while the larger ones are over a hundred square meters, enough to accommodate the entire team for a short rest.

These safe zones resemble a broken chain, winding its way through the boundless black swamp.

Within the area connected to the safe zone, the fog noticeably thinned, the miasma weakened, the underground stench dissipated, and even the danger was greatly reduced.

Before Bim could even speak, Vijay already understood.

They are finally on the right track.

This hidden path, connected by countless oases, must be the ancestral secret passage that Mittal's ancestors repeatedly explored.

Only such a safe passage can explain how their ancestors' caravans safely crossed this deadly swamp!

"Let's all give it our all!"

Vijay couldn't help but wave and shout, with a confident smile on his face.

The relatively safe journey at this moment has allowed the team members to relax their tense nerves considerably, boosting their confidence and prompting them to quicken their pace.

In this way, they passed through dozens of safe zones in succession, encountering many close calls but ultimately escaping danger.

Just when everyone thought this trade route was nothing special, the surrounding oases suddenly disappeared.