Extraordinary Voyage-Chapter 558 - 497: The Frog God’s New Bride

Outside Kunsai City lies the "Frog Cry Forest," where the warm and humid climate, crisscrossing rivers providing abundant water, combined with dense trees blocking sunlight, make the entire forest appear dark and damp, with mosses all over and fungi growing in clusters.

At best, it's only slightly better than a swamp where it's hard to tread.

Moreover, it's home to a variety of colorful frogs, giving the forest its name.

In the afternoon, when the sunlight is at its best.

Accompanied by the incessant croaking of frogs, an adventure team of six fully armed and skillful combat members was moving forward slowly along a creek in the forest in a search formation.

Equipped with firearms, crossbows, long knives... everything necessary, along with insect repellent, tightly fastened cuffs, waterproof boots, and cloaks, they were evidently a group of experienced jungle combat experts.

"Captain, do you think those young ladies who have been missing for as long as a week, or at the shortest, for three days, are still likely to be alive?

Even for an untrained adult male, surviving alone in this forest unscathed for a week is quite challenging.

The dysentery merely caused by a lack of clean water and food is enough to take half a man's life."

A young man with short hair, holding a bow and arrow instead of a firearm, scanned the forest with eyes sharp as an eagle's but found nothing. Long drawn out fruitless search efforts had him somewhat discouraged, leading him to quietly ask the captain next to him, separated by a few ranks.

"You're aware of their slim chances of survival, so what do you want me to say?

I wish those missing girls were kidnapped by people, rather than getting lost on their own or dragged away by wild beasts. Although they might experience something dreadful, at least their chances of surviving are slightly higher.

Besides, since we're paid, whether they're dead or alive, even if it's just to confirm a death notification, we must bring the news to their families."

The captain, Titus, wielding a long knife and being the only one in the team with the rank of Official Knight, glanced back at the young man, then reminded him not to lose focus and miss crucial clues.

The short-haired young man discreetly avoided a small blue-green snake on a nearby treetop and glanced behind him:

"Uh... Captain, those two people are still following us. Should we chase them away?"

Captain Titus also subtly glanced back.

Several meters behind them, a young couple who looked well-matched and attractive were holding hands, stepping casually on the rocks by the creek, strolling in the forest as if on a leisurely walk.

While Titus and his team were cautiously wary of all forest dangers, the couple even had spare moments to whisper intimately to each other. They wore obviously expensive noble hunting attire, clean and tidy, but didn't carry any decent weapons.

Especially the beautiful girl, smoothly leaping from one rock to another like a deer, holding hands with the tall young man, as if on a date outing.

Being a middle-aged single man, Titus internally emitted a defeated wail:

"It's not right for you to flaunt your affection like this, ugh... I mean, behaving so carelessly in the forest is irresponsible to yourselves!"

This is definitely not a place for a casual outing.

A city-state typically comprises a primary city and many subsidiary villages. Beyond the city, most areas are wilderness, and Kunsai is no exception.

Especially considering young female tourists have been disappearing outside the city recently, to some extent causing an atmosphere of tension.

During this era, those who can afford to travel far are not low-income individuals ignored like insignificant weeds. Combined pressure from their families still exerted some influence on the city-state's Governor.

However, the Utopia-like Kunsai, being long devoid of warfare and having a simple economic structure, has a sluggish administrative response.

Taking a long time to provide a reasonable explanation to the families of the missing individuals, they merely posted missing persons notices in the city and a notice prohibiting solo entry into the Frog Cry Forest as their solution.

This is the outward appearance of the city-state. The true situation is unclear, and ordinary people lack the ability to question a Governor.

Thus, entrusted by several families of the missing girls who disappeared near this area, the team entered the most likely place for accidents after the missing individuals were last seen leaving the city - Frog Cry Forest for a search.

In reality, many warning signs reading "Trespassers will be eaten, keep out" are posted around Frog Cry Forest. Captain Titus could not understand why those girls would want to come near here.

Under normal circumstances, even without wild animals, the mere fact that the forest is desolate and uninhabited would be enough to scare away those pampered young ladies.

Unless they thought it was safe here? Or they had some "perceived" reliance?

After pondering for a while, Titus still spoke to the young man beside him:

"They must be young nobles.

Let's not bother them; we're not on a secret mission. It's safer to have them under our noses if they followed us here.

Dalron, you are responsible for watching over them, making sure they don't wander off and get lost."

"Hahaha, Captain, you're such a kind-hearted fool..."

...

Behind the adventure team.

"Hesi, careful, careful, don't fall down."

Olivia watched Aiven, who always stayed protectively by her side and seemed to wish to carry her along, placing her hands on her slender waist, giving him an annoyed glance:

"Hey, we women are tough creatures who bleed for seven days a month without dying. What about last night's little scene? Don't underestimate us, huh!"

Looking at Olivia, who no longer referred to herself as a girl, Aiven chuckled, lightly tapping her perky nose:

"Then who was the one who refused to get out of bed this morning, causing us to leave the hotel only in the afternoon?"

The girl's face reddened as she softly cursed under her breath:

"Puh, brute!"

Feeling a bit embarrassed himself after what she said, Aiven scratched his head, quickly changing the subject:

"Ahem, today at the Four Seasons Flower Hotel, wasn't the money tree performing?"

Earlier, when they passed through the hotel lobby, they heard several young ladies arguing at the theater entrance, as the performer wasn't Prince Dolphin Vitas.

The hotel's attitude was polite yet firm, stating that the opera of the Prince Dolphin is only performed once every three days, and no matter how much those love-struck ladies protested, it was to no avail.

"What was that term you used before? Right, hunger marketing, they are doing a good job with it.

The Cat's Eye Stone showed no reaction, proving that the Prince Dolphin did not use any witchcraft like spirit charm; it's truly his own charm."

Upon hearing Olivia's praise for the breathtakingly handsome Prince Dolphin, Aiven just gave a serene smile, unaffected.

Having achieved a dual milestone transformation both physiologically and psychologically as a man, he no longer paid attention to such trivial matters.

As a married man, he had already moved beyond the superficial interests of competing for attractiveness with other men.

And as they were about to enter the forest, they happened to encounter this group of equally forest-bound and seemingly experienced military personnel. Anyway, the "Flesh Sacrifice" did not record the specific locations of the alternative biological hosts, so why not tag along with them? 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

He was hardly concerned about the adventure team's objective either. In the human kingdoms of the Old Continent, besides the Kingdom Guardians, a Tier 3 Extraordinary could walk anywhere they pleased.

If he revealed his identity, even the local Governor would have to personally receive him.

Currently, it's been three to four hundred years since the time recorded by the Snake-man Hibekrite, not to mention that as a creature, it could have moved elsewhere even if it ran to another place.

Just as Olivia said, maybe they would find it while going around?

The only thing Aiven somewhat missed at this time was Milan's powerful divination art.

The Seagulls have been released, but unlike the open sea, searching through the forest inch by inch, no good news has come back yet.

Suddenly,

they heard an exclamation of joy from ahead.

"Captain, we found a woman's handkerchief, it has Miss Nala's name embroidered on it.

The route is correct, it really is here."

"Increase speed!"

Aiven and Olivia exchanged a glance:

"Let's go check it out as well."

...

Approaching the inner layer of the dark and damp Frog Cry Forest.

By a clear pond shaded by layers of trees, a circle of people wearing dark green robes, five in all with hoods, stood of varying heights and sizes.

In the pond before them, a cluster of giant semi-transparent frog eggs was piled together densely, each frog egg containing a young woman of at least above-average looks, curled up and sleeping with eyes closed.

Seeing that they had finally assembled twenty young women, a short and plump man in a green robe let out a breath of relief:

"Thankfully, the Frog God awakens only once every ten years, otherwise we wouldn't know where to find so many suitable brides as sacrifices for the god."

In this world, beautiful women are also precious societal resources. Meeting this number while minimizing impact had already exhausted their efforts tremendously.

Among the other four, a magnetic, pleasant male voice suddenly rang out:

"Do not harbor disrespect towards the Frog God. There must be sacrifice for gains. Think about what we have received from the god, not what we have lost."

"Yes, yes...you are right."

The short and plump green robe who spoke first quickly apologized, knowing his slip of the tongue, but in his heart, he held a different view.

'It's easy to talk when you're not the one struggling. How can we easily find suitable sacrifices when you can just wave your hand and countless infatuated women come throwing themselves at you like moths to a flame?'

However, it was indeed as he said, these few people had all received gifts from the Frog God.

Whether it was ten, twenty, or thirty years ago, their impressions of this ancient deity were consistent. It was a large green frog wearing a golden crown, part of its body was flesh, while another part was made of green moss, fungi, and branches.

Kneeling before it and promising a price could fulfill their wishes.

However, although the "Frog God" was known as a god, it resembled a beast with little wisdom; conversely, the crown on its head was incredibly mystical, capable of discerning each person's heart, realizing what the supplicant most desired.

Of course, the wishes had limitations—extreme beauty, immense power, countless wealth, long life... and so on. These could all be realized, akin to a fairy tale world, but once one left Kunsai, they would immediately become twisted and perverted.

No one dared to personally test this.

Now the ten-year limit was here again, and those who initially were nobodies in the society had soared to become dignified figures in the city-state due to the Frog God's gifts. Naturally, they had to unite to protect their shared interests.

Even the lifelong Governor of Kunsai City State couldn't know this secret!

Suddenly, a faint rustling in the nearby forest alerted the five.

Another green robe gently opened their mouth:

"Heh, indeed we have guests, the money spent on bribing the City Guard wasn't wasted."

This person, though the slimmest in frame, was an "elder" who had acquired the chance of wish fulfillment thirty years ago. Their depth was unfathomable, and they were the leader among the five.

"Mike, you take the Divine Envoy and go greet them. The Frog God's brides are ready, but there isn't enough feed for the god. Let's just finish them off to fill the gap."

"Alright."

One stepped forth, setting off like the wind.

Behind them,

Ribbit, ribbit...

With a chorus like rolling thunder, a large group of at least thirty to forty Frog Monsters, covered in yellow-green moss-like fur and larger than cows, charged into the forest.