"Is something wrong?" I asked aloud.
"No... no..." Number One's expression was flustered. Although he tried his best to appear calm, I could clearly sense that his expression was somewhat unnatural.
"Are you hiding something from me?" I asked, looking at Number One's face.
"No... I'm not," Number One replied. "Can't you also feel that faint fluctuation? Although it's very small, that fluctuation does exist..."
I nodded. This was undeniable; I could indeed feel that fluctuation, but to be honest, I couldn't pinpoint its exact location yet.
I just had a general idea that it was likely within this massive area.
"Let's search around," I said.
Number One nodded, and we began searching the area, which was about the size of a football field.
The ground wasn't as flat as I'd imagined, and it was covered with a lot of dead branches and fallen leaves.
These things must have fallen from the vines and branches on the walls.
However, I wasn't in the mood to deal with this mess at the moment. What I really wanted to know was what was emitting that fluctuation.
This thing seemed to have some connection to the Shepherd's Power, but upon closer inspection, I realized this fluctuation was not the Shepherd's Power.
We searched the surroundings and found nothing out of the ordinary. Finally, my gaze fell upon the very center of the area.
At the most crucial spot, something seemed unusual.
The vines and wild grass growing in that area were exceptionally lush.
Compared to the relatively barren land around it, this place appeared peculiar.
"Let's go check over there," I said.
Number One nodded and followed me towards the center.
As we approached, I suddenly felt that something was wrong!
"Fall back!" I yelled, "There's something wrong here!"
Number One, who had been on high alert, instinctively took a few steps back and then looked at me. "What happened?"
I didn't answer. Instead, I drew my short sword and stared intently at the vines in the center.
The vines were as thick as an arm, covered in sharp thorns, and seemed to be dripping some unknown liquid.
The moment I saw these vines, I felt something was amiss!
Just then, as if pulled by something, those vines began to sway wildly.
"What's going on?" Number One frowned, drawing two handguns from his waist and also staring ahead.
At that moment, the vines, as if alive, began to thrash frantically. One vine shot out, slamming towards my position with great force.
The vine moved incredibly fast, reaching me in the blink of an eye.
But such speed was not a major problem for me.
As I dodged, I swung my short sword, imbued with the power of the Shepherd's Power, instantly splitting the vine in half!
"Be careful!" I shouted.
Number One's reaction speed was not slow. He fired his handguns rapidly, shattering the vine.
When I had used my sword, I realized the vine wasn't as sturdy as it looked.
At least, under my attack, it couldn't withstand it.
Furthermore, if Number One's handgun shots could shatter it, it meant this thing wasn't as formidable as it seemed.
"What exactly is this?" Number One's expression was grim. This thing completely defied normal understanding.
From our perspective, they were just ordinary vines, yet they could attack actively.
Was this thing a living creature?
I shook my head. "I don't know either. I haven't seen anything like this before..."
The severed vine fell to the ground, while the remaining ones retracted.
As if enraged by something, the vines began to lash out furiously towards us.
In such a situation, I naturally couldn't just stand still. I retreated frantically, my short sword flashing continuously.
Gleams of light flashed out one after another, colliding with the vines.
The vines were continuously shattered, only for more vines to lash out at us.
Number One's expression turned extremely grim. Although his overall combat ability was far superior to that of ordinary people, truthfully, dealing with something like this was difficult for him at the moment.
The most troublesome part was that handguns had limited ammunition, requiring reloading after the magazine was emptied.
"Damn it, what is going on?" Number One gritted his teeth. "It feels like octopus tentacles..."
I didn't say much, my eyes fixed on the vines, trying to find a weakness.