Global Catastrophe: I Became the World Tree-Chapter 203 - 160: Asking for Help_2

But now these scales had thickened, each at least the size of a palm, and they appeared layered, giving a sense of heaviness.

At this moment, these scales were like a thick coat of scale armor covering the King Cobra’s body.

Besides that, there was the bulge on the opponent’s forehead. During the Third Order, it wasn’t particularly noticeable—if one didn’t look closely, it could easily be overlooked.

But now, that bulge had grown to a meter in length, and it was very thick, with its tip flickering with a cold light.

Clearly, this was no mere ornament—if needed, it could also become a terrifying weapon for attack.

Of course, these were just exterior changes. In fact, the most significant change for the Mutated King Cobra after its breakthrough to the Fourth Order was the acquisition of new abilities.

Indeed, just as Ye Feng had speculated, these Mutated Beings, upon reaching the Fourth Order, did indeed awaken their own powers or, so to say, superpowers.

The superpower awakened by the Mutated King Cobra was all related to venom.

The first was the Poison Arrow, where the Mutated King Cobra could condense venom into arrows and spit them out from its mouth.

The maximum range of the Poison Arrow could reach 200 meters, and its speed exceeded that of an ordinary arrow.

This move could be described not merely as a ranged attack. When engaged in close combat, if one were to suddenly spit it out, the enemy would most likely be hit.

As long as the Poison Arrow hit, a Third Order Mutated Creature would be killed on the spot.

Even if it were a Fourth Order Mutated Creature, although it might not die, after being poisoned, symptoms such as dizziness, slower reflexes, and sluggish movements were inevitable.

Besides the Poison Arrow, the Mutated King Cobra could also exhale a wide range of toxic fog.

This was an area-of-effect attack, and the toxic fog wouldn’t dissipate immediately. If one stayed within it for a prolonged period, even Fourth Order Mutated Creatures would be gravely affected.

As for those of lower levels, there was even less need to say.

Level 1 and 2 Mutated Animals, no matter how many came, were simply courting death.

It could be said that after awakening these two potent venom abilities, the current combat power of the Mutated King Cobra had undergone a qualitative transformation.

Looking at the Mutated King Cobra approaching the clearing, Zhang Ji couldn’t help but ask, "Parrot Messenger, has the Dragon King broken through to the Fourth Order?"

Although he had expected this day to come, Zhang Ji still found it difficult to stay calm.

From the terrifying aura emanating from the Mutated King Cobra, Zhang Ji was uncertain whether deploying a battalion of troops would be sufficient to withstand the creature.

"Yes, it just broke through two days ago," the Mutated Parrot nodded and said.

"Then that is truly a cause for celebration!" Zhang Ji congratulated, albeit reluctantly.

Ye Feng simply nodded indifferently.

The following process was the same as before. The Mutated King Cobra summoned the Altar Sky Terrace and then condensed the Power of Heaven and Earth to create 10 Spirit Fruits.

Zhang Ji quickly stepped forward to pick them.

However, after plucking them, he didn’t leave immediately but turned towards the Mutated King Cobra and said, "Dragon King, aside from the Spirit Fruit trade, I have another request for which I seek your assistance."

The Mutated King Cobra lowered its massive head to look at Zhang Ji, hissing softly.

The Mutated Parrot hastily translated, "Dragon Lord asks, what is the matter?"

"You must have noticed the recent disturbances in the Donglin Mountain Range."

"A large number of Mutated insects are organizing and moving toward Yang City. According to our experts’ assessment, they will launch an attack within two days at most."

"I hope that Dragon Hall can send troops to help us survive this crisis," Zhang Ji respectfully said.

Indeed, this was only the third true Mutated Creature crisis brought on by the Spiritual Energy Resurgence.

And the previous crisis that erupted within the city was merely minor trouble.

The reason for the peace over the past ten days was that these Mutated Beings in the mountains were busy fighting over territories.

Now, after more than ten days, almost every territory had birthed new rulers and established new orders.

In other words, the struggles among the mutated beings had ended.

With the end of the strife, naturally, their next instinct was to strengthen themselves and to reproduce.

For both, food was essential.

And as for what constituted as food, it of course meant creatures weaker than themselves.

These mutated beings determined strength and weakness based on scent.

In their eyes, humans who had not undergone mutations were a group of incredibly delicious food.

Thus, in these past few days, a large number of mutated insects had gathered around the outskirts of the human cities.

However, the sheer number of humans, along with their larger size, made the mutated insects hesitant, preventing them from launching an immediate attack.

But with the continuing convergence of mutated insects and their escalating hunger, an attack was only a matter of time.

Ye Feng had long anticipated that Zhang Ji would come seeking help.

Therefore, he immediately controlled the mutated king cobra to make a hissing sound.

Then he had the mutated parrot translate, "Dragon Lord says, the alliance formed with Yang City was for mutual assistance. Sending troops to help is not a problem."

A smile immediately appeared on Zhang Ji’s face, but before it could fully bloom, the mutated parrot continued speaking.

"However, as said before, all help comes at a price. Are you prepared to pay the cost?"

Zhang Ji nodded somewhat uneasily, "Of course, but how much money is needed?"

"That will depend on how much effort you need from us. Actually, we at Dragon Hall already have a plan. You can listen first and then make a decision back home," Ye Feng said.

"Certainly!" Zhang Ji assumed an attentive posture.

"This time, Dragon Hall can deploy any amount of forces you need, but you will have to pay a fee for each mutated being sent over," he said.

"Calculating 30 million for a Third Order mutated creature and 2 million for a Second Order mutated creature, just tell us how many you need when the time comes," Ye Feng stated.

Hearing this pricing, Zhang Ji’s eyebrows couldn’t help but knit slightly.

Hiring a Second Order mutated creature for 2 million was somewhat expensive, but still worth it.

After all, a Second Order mutated creature’s combat power was not inferior to a Second Order superhuman. If they were to hire a Second Order superhuman from among the humans to fight desperately, it would likely cost even more.

But 30 million for a Third Order mutated creature was admittedly quite steep.

"Isn’t this price a bit high, especially for the Third Order mutated creatures? They’re fifteen times more expensive than the Second Order ones," said the Parrot Messenger.

According to our assessments, ten Second Order mutated creatures can equal the combat power of a Third Order one from the same species," Zhang Ji remarked.

"The situation you’re describing could only happen if both sides are locked in a desperate struggle," Ye Feng replied.

"But in actual combat, why would a Third Order mutated creature be so foolish as to stand still and fight to the death? They can fully utilize their speed advantage to create distance and then break the enemy one by one," he explained.

"But we’re fighting a defensive battle; we’re supposed to be locked in a struggle, aren’t we?" Zhang Ji said.

Ye Feng was somewhat speechless and explained, "But you’ll mainly be dealing with Second Order mutated insects! A single Third Order mutated animal can release a wave of oppression that is more effective than ten Second Order mutated animals."

Hearing this, Zhang Ji was briefly taken aback, having never considered this aspect.

After a moment’s hesitation, he asked, "Then how many Second Order mutated creatures can one Third Order mutated creature match?"

"20-30, at least! For you, the most cost-effective choice would indeed be to hire the Third Order mutated creatures from Dragon Hall," Ye Feng stated.

"One last question. After we pay, can we choose which mutated animals to hire?" Zhang Ji asked.

Ye Feng thought for a moment and nodded, "You can!"