Chapter 154: Desperate Struggle
Chapter 154: Desperate Struggle
In the darkness of the night, an arrow sliced through the air, its trajectory silent and stealthy due to the enchantment of the Silent Blade and the power of the Horned Great Bow. Even under the moonlight, it left no trace of its path.
The five-stage Corrupted Venom Spider, feeling triumphant, continued its journey through its territory, occasionally encountering foolish beasts that ventured too close to the edge of the world, providing it with rare meals and a moment of celebration in its otherwise mundane existence.
But just as it savored this moment, its compound eyes, capable of a 270-degree field of view, detected something amiss.
Something was shooting towards its left rear!
Instinctively, the spider curved its legs and leaped with all its might. As a five-stage demon beast, equivalent to a five-stage Awakener and a newly ascended Ascender, its speed and strength were far superior to ordinary beasts.
Yet, this time, it was a fraction too late.
The sudden shot, completely silent, was almost upon it before it noticed, allowing it to leap away at the last moment.
The arrow, aimed at its long and fat abdomen, still managed to strike its body at the very end.
A soft 'crack' sounded.
As the five-stage Corrupted Venom Spider landed, it felt a sense of bewilderment.
This was clearly an ambush, yet it felt no pain, not even a prick, only a simple impact.
It was as if...
This wasn't an attack but a mischievous prank, a nudge with a wooden stick.
What creature in this mountainous forest region dared to play such a game with it?
The spider turned around, and its eight red eyes immediately spotted the attacker.
It recognized the object.
It was an ordinary arrow, a common long-range weapon used by humans, and one that had left a lasting impression on the spider due to a previous injury.
But this arrow, which had struck its abdomen, lacked the sharp, essence-disrupting head.
Instead, where the arrowhead should have been, there was a small indentation, as if something was meant to be attached there.
"Ssssss!"
The next moment, intense pain coursed through its body.
The parasitic wasp egg, when entering the body, releases a numbing substance, preventing the host from noticing.
But once it starts feeding, there is no such mercy.
As the five-stage Corrupted Venom Spider wondered about its predicament, the parasitic wasp egg had already begun its parasitic activity with cold indifference.
Starting from the rear of the spider's abdomen, it greedily devoured flesh and blood, like an insatiable beast, not missing any nutrients that came its way.
In less than two seconds, the spider felt its silk glands completely destroyed. If this continued, it estimated it had only about a minute left before total death!
In reality, during Lindsey's first experiment, an ordinary Corrupted Venom Spider could only endure for a little over twenty seconds.
The five-stage Corrupted Venom Spider's ability to withstand the attack for a full minute was already an impressive display of resistance.
And with the difference in physical strength, this disparity also extended to intelligence.
The five-stage Corrupted Venom Spider immediately assessed its situation and knew that its life hung in the balance.
"Ssssss!"
It made its decision.
With its legs designed for managing silk, the spider could easily reach its abdomen with its hind legs.
Snap!
The black-ringed pedipalps pierced its own body, directly impaling itself.
Its hemolymph, more accurately its blood, immediately spurted out from the wound.
At the same time, the agonizing pain from its abdomen finally ceased.
Through this act of self-mutilation, the Corrupted Venom Spider had impaled and destroyed the parasitic wasp that had been devouring its flesh within.
The cost of this success was also immense.
The next second, it collapsed to the ground, unable to move again.
The spider's vital organs, including its digestive system, were all located in its abdomen, and a regular rupture was already a deadly threat, let alone a piercing wound like this.
Only with its robust physique did this Fifth Stage Corrupted Venom Spider manage to survive.
At this moment, its chelicerae began to rub against each other, emitting a rapid sound.
"Drag me, get me out of here!"
"Protect me!"
"..."
There was no movement around, and naturally, no other spiders came to its aid.
Usually, the Incubating Venom Spiders had a strict hierarchy, and its subordinates would immediately obey orders, even to the point of suicide, without daring to resist.
What had happened?
What was going on?
The immobile Corrupted Venom Spider rolled its eyes, and then it understood everything.
On the towering tree behind it, a frail human figure was perched on a branch.
The moonlight shone behind him, and a white, veil-like radiance flowed over the earth. In this sacred light, the Corrupted Venom Spider recognized the identity of its foe.
This was the same person who had come to Black Mountain a few months ago.
And more importantly, this was the enemy who had left a wound on its abdomen! But unlike a few months ago, this person now emanated a terrifying aura that filled the Corrupted Venom Spider with fear. Even a Fifth Stage spider like itself felt an immense sense of crisis, as if facing a natural enemy.
The weaker Corrupted Venom Spiders, seeing this figure,
And their leader was now gravely injured.
They hadn't fled immediately, all thanks to the strict order of the Corrupted Venom Spider!
Amidst the surrounding crimson spider eyes, Lindsey once again drew an arrow, nocking it on the Horned Great Bow while igniting a red flame!
It was doomed.
The Corrupted Venom Spider realized that its end had come.
But as the human's attack approached, something even more incomprehensible to the spider occurred.
This human, speaking in the spider's language, delivered its verdict:
"This arrow is my revenge for Uncle An Rui. Go and die obediently."
"..."
"Human, stop!"
"I remember you. I want to buy my life!"
"I have treasures, human treasures. They're all hidden in my lair. Spare me, and they're all yours!"
In the eyes of this Fifth Stage Corrupted Venom Spider,
Its final struggle before death had worked.
After offering this proposal, the human on the tree truly lowered his bow and arrow, jumped to the ground, and approached it.
But in reality...
Lindsey wasn't particularly interested in the Corrupted Venom Spider's treasures.
However, he realized that this was an intelligent enemy capable of communication and dialogue.
This foe was a loyal follower of the Dragon Beast on Black Mountain.
The Dragon Beast was Lindsey's ultimate target, the one he must defeat, according to the information provided by Uncle An Rui.
This creature was willing to be corrupted by essence, sacrificing itself to enhance the Dragon Beast's chances of successful advancement.
Lindsey muttered softly,
"Before killing this guy, I need to extract more information."
(End of Chapter)
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