The Enigmatic Return (Neera and Jean) novel Chapter 1184

“Could they possibly have ill intentions? Could they have set up a trap ahead?”

“What was the point of reminding us just now?”

“Perhaps... it's a ploy to make us lower our guard, only to catch us off guard and stab us in the back when we least expect it?”

Err... Neera was listening ahead, inexplicably speechless, yet couldn't help but chuckle.

She turned around and looked at them. “I don't think so. The gentleman who just left, Mr. Medicina, has helped me before, more than once. I believe he must have reminded me out of good intentions.”

Shane's impression of Caleb was neither good nor bad. After some thought, he also said, “I suppose so. From what I know, Caleb is a decent person. He probably wouldn't do something so double-dealing.”

At that moment, Charles keenly noticed something.

“Ms. Garcia, Mr. Gordon, it seems that the Medicina family's route is quite similar to ours. Even though they're not traveling with us at the moment, there's really only one main road in this area. It is surrounded by dense forest, and it's isolated from any other routes.”

Neera didn't think there was anything unusual about it. “After all, we are in a competition now. It's quite normal for each faction to go their own way. Since we didn't join forces with the Medicina family, we should each follow our own path. Choosing the same route doesn't matter, as there are only a few main routes after all. For now, let's not overthink it and focus on the road ahead.”

Since she had said that, naturally, it wasn't appropriate for others to say anything more.

...

At three in the afternoon, they indeed came across a swamp.

Just as Caleb had warned them earlier, one could faintly see snakes slithering through this swamp.

Upon seeing a snake, Neera felt extremely uncomfortable, her goosebumps rising in waves.

“Although this swamp isn't large, it seems like there's no other way around it. What should we do?”

She suppressed the primal fear welling up within her, taking a moment to survey her surroundings, feeling somewhat headachy.

Shane and Charles were also looking around, racking their brains for a solution.

They had never anticipated that a swamp would exist within this dense forest, so they hadn't been able to prepare in advance.

But before they could come up with a good plan, the people from the Medicina family had already arrived.

“Hi, Ms. Garcia, we meet again.” Caleb greeted Neera with a very relaxed demeanor.

Neera nodded in agreement, “Yes, indeed, as you said, there is a swamp here.”

Caleb took a look and said, “Indeed, it's true. Actually, I heard about it from my family, but this is my first time seeing it.”

After he finished speaking, he asked her, “Have you figured out a way to move past this?”

Neera felt somewhat awkward for no apparent reason. she rubbed her chin and gave a wry smile. “Not yet,” she said. “This is the first time I've encountered such a situation, so I can't think of a solution to get through it safely for the moment.”

Upon hearing those words, Caleb laughed. It wasn't a mocking laugh, but a very kind one.

“I see, no worries. It's quite normal. Actually, I do have a solution. It is something my family told me.”

Neera's eyes lit up. “What's the plan? Can you share it with us?”

Caleb smiled slightly. “There's nothing that can't be shared. Look, these vines hanging in mid-air, they can all be put to good use.”

Shane was the quickest to respond, his face lighting up with realization. “Are you suggesting,” he asked, “that we use these vines to swing across?”

“That's right. The tree trunks wrapped in vines are the branches of centuries-old trees, thick and sturdy, capable of bearing the weight of several people without any problem. So, you don't need to worry about falling mid-air. As long as you hold on tight, you'll be able to get across smoothly.”

Upon hearing this approach, Neera and the others here began to ponder. Subsequently, she found the method feasible.

They were all experts, so accomplishing such a small task would be a piece of cake for them. Therefore, there was absolutely nothing to fear.

However, it might not work for Neera.

As she watched each person in her gang pass by, her anxiety grew increasingly.

We have to fly over the swamp, what if...

Hold on! I can't let my imagination run wild. There should be absolutely no overthinking! That's bad luck!

Thinking of that, Neera was somewhat tense.

Only Shane and Charles remained here. Seeing her expression, they became somewhat worried. “Can you make it? Do you dare to cross over?”

If she could, Neera would certainly prefer to say it outright, but she didn't dare.

But at this moment, she didn't want to be a burden to anyone, nor did she want to cause trouble for others. Therefore, she had no choice but to face it head-on.

Having mentally prepared herself, she kept repeating “it's okay” in her mind, and also voiced it out loud.

“No worries. I can give it a try. All I need to do is hold on tight to the vine and not let go. If it doesn't work out, I'll just try a few more times. There's bound to be a moment of success.”

Even though she said so, Shane still felt uneasy.

“Don't worry. Neera you don't have to swing across by yourself. If you don't mind, I can carry you over. This vine can easily support both of us. It's no problem at all.”

Before Neera had a chance to respond, a cold female voice rang out suddenly.

“No need, I'll carry her over. We're both girls. It'll be easier that way.”