My 100th Rebirth a day before the Apocalypse novel Chapter 648

"Buddy, thanks for catching me… and sorry I can’t take you with me," Sparrow murmured, giving the corpse a slight bow of respect. He wished he had the time to offer a proper farewell, but survival came first.

The buzzing grew louder—his brief moment of pause had cost him. The mutated insects were already swarming toward him again.

Gritting his teeth, Sparrow forced himself to his feet, his body sluggish and unsteady. Despite the dizziness clouding his mind, his willpower kept him moving.

Staggering, he launched attack after attack, cutting down the oncoming swarm while his sharp gaze scanned the cave for an escape. He had no choice—he had to get out of here alive.

Sparrow had no idea how long he had been trapped inside the dark cave. He had been fighting the relentless swarm of mutated insects non-stop, yet he couldn’t find an exit.

Digging his way out wasn’t an option either—the insects gave him no chance to focus on a single spot. They were like a swarm of killer hornets, refusing to let up until he was dead.

Then, suddenly, the ground trembled. A deep rumble echoed through the cave, and dust and dirt began raining down from the ceiling. The massive dangling roots overhead stirred like awakened serpents, twisting and writhing.

Sparrow immediately recognized what was happening—something aboveground had triggered the mutated tree, causing it to react violently.

This was his chance.

But even with the chaos shaking the cave, the mutated insects remained locked onto him, determined to finish what they started. They weren’t letting him go. Sparrow clenched his jaw. He didn’t need much—just one opening, one opportunity to break free.

Desperately, Sparrow looked up at the ceiling. If his guess was right, the mutated tree was preparing to make a big move.

It could be extending its roots to hunt for more prey to stockpile in its lair, or perhaps it was engaged in a battle outside, causing the massive tremors.

Whatever the reason, this was his chance.

As Sparrow unleashed ’Wind Blade’ after ’Wind Blade,’ his gaze never wavered from the ceiling. He ran frantically around the cavern—stumbling, falling, crashing—but he never stopped. Each time he hit the ground, he forced himself back up and kept going.

Fortunately, the lingering sweet scent that had dulled his senses worked in his favor. He couldn’t feel fatigue or the depletion of his spiritual energy.

Though he was disoriented and aching from the relentless battle, the pain and disorientation were nothing more than minor inconveniences.

Then, a faint ray of light pierced through the darkness from above. A massive tree root shifted, pulling out of the cave and leaving behind a small opening—just big enough for Sparrow to squeeze through.

Though the ceiling was several meters high, Sparrow didn’t hesitate. He took a deep breath, then leaped with all his strength, conjuring a whirlwind beneath him to propel himself upward.

As he ascended, he noticed the roots beginning to close in around the opening again. His heart pounded—he had only moments to escape.

Sparrow conjured another ’Whirlwind’ to propel himself faster, then summoned ’Wind Blades’ in each hand. As he neared the opening, he hurled the blades forward, crossing his arms in front of his face to brace for impact.

The sharp gusts slashed through the smaller mutated tree roots, weakening them just enough. With his enhanced defense and strength, he forced his way through, shattering the remaining obstacles.

The moment he broke free from the cave, the force of his escape sent him hurtling outward. He instinctively used his crossed arms to absorb the impact as he hit the ground, rolling several times before coming to a stop.

But the moment Sparrow emerged outside, relief was the last thing he felt. There was no time to celebrate—right before his eyes, the mutated tree was engaged in a fierce battle, its vine-like tentacles lashing out aggressively.

In his current state, facing any enemies would be a death sentence, so he didn’t even attempt to fight off the insects trailing him. Instead, he focused solely on escaping. _{frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓}