The rotten stench in the passage was finally replaced by another, even more pungent acidic reek.
The damp soil underfoot had become sticky, making squelching sounds with every step.
The rock walls were no longer dry stone, but coated in a slick layer of dark green moss, with occasional corroded pits scattered across the surface.
Bone-Eroding Venom Spiders were strong, but they did not possess the same level of dominance as Parasitic Spiders. Even on the seventh floor, they still had to behave themselves. They could not simply hunt as they pleased.
“We are here.”
Chenxi lowered his voice and signaled Hongxu to stop.
With his back against a protruding rock, he removed his pack.
Then he took out his precious treasure!
He meant the M24, of course, and skillfully set it up.
Hongxu, carrying her double-bladed axe, rose onto her toes and looked toward the Bone-Eroding Venom Spider nest.
From her angle, all she could see was a stretch of pale white.
Aside from that, she could not see anything else.
Oh, right. She could also make out a few dark shadows.
Judging by their shape, they were probably adult Bone-Eroding Venom Spiders.
According to her boss, if adult Bone-Eroding Venom Spiders dared to enter the sixth floor, then it would no longer be as simple as clearing out the ones that had appeared there.
Chenxi watched the area through his scope.
The edge of the Rotting Marsh Woodland on the seventh floor was even harder to move through than the sixth floor. The mist was thicker.
The withered trees were hung with the skeletons of monsters and humans alike.
These were merely the leftovers after feeding.
Visibility was poor, but through the scope the target was captured clearly.
Not far ahead, beneath a rock wall, there was a concealed recess. Layer upon layer of enormous gray-white spiderwebs formed the entrance to a nest.
Several Bone-Eroding Venom Spiders far larger than Parasitic Spiders prowled nearby.
Their carapaces were a striking color, and the mucus dripping from their mouthparts scorched the moss beneath them, producing thin wisps of smoke.
The small monster carcasses scattered on the ground had all been corroded into pitted, uneven remains.
“The entrance is right there, behind the webs.”
Chenxi’s voice came through the mask.
“Do you see those big ones? Bone-Eroding Venom Spiders are troublesome. Be careful of their webs and venom. Although there is a good chance they will be ineffective against your armor. Still, it is better to be cautious. Move fast and follow the plan.”
Hongxu rolled her neck. “Understood. Leave it to me!”
She loosened her shoulders and neck, letting out a series of light cracking sounds from her joints.
Then she kicked off the ground with one foot. Her heavy body burst forward with astonishing speed, charging straight at the nearest Bone-Eroding Venom Spider at a terrifying pace!
Chenxi took a deep breath in helpless frustration.
What is she doing?
“Hey! You stupid bastard! Look over here!”
Hongxu shouted her taunts as she charged, her voice echoing through the empty cavern.
“You had fun chasing me yesterday, did you not? Today it is my turn to chase you!”
That Bone-Eroding Venom Spider was instantly alarmed. Its eerie green compound eyes locked onto Hongxu, and its abdomen contracted sharply. A nearly transparent sticky thread shot out, aimed directly at the arm with which Hongxu held her axe!
Almost at the same moment Hongxu rushed out, Chenxi’s scope had already locked onto a Bone-Eroding Venom Spider positioned beside the nest entrance, just as it was preparing to spit venomous silk at Hongxu.
Bang!
A dull shot rang out. The bullet tore through the air and drilled straight into the spider’s head.
Its skull burst like a watermelon dropped from the tenth floor.
Green slurry mixed with fragments of carapace exploded outward.
The spider did not even have time to scream. Its huge body stiffened violently, then crashed to the ground, all eight legs twitching weakly.
That made one.
Chenxi’s gaze was icy. His finger steadily ejected the spent shell casing, the crisp metallic clink nearly inaudible amid the fierce battle.
He immediately shifted the muzzle and searched for the next target.
The moment he looked through the scope, the passive ability 【Silent Hunt】 activated. His figure briefly blurred in the scope’s field of vision, and his presence nearly vanished.
On Hongxu’s side, facing the incoming web, she could not even be bothered to dodge. Her axe blade, carrying heavy wind pressure, chopped fiercely toward the Bone-Eroding Venom Spider’s head!
Rip!
The sticky spiderweb wrapped around the joint between her vambrace and shoulder armor, yet her momentum did not slow in the slightest.
The enormous double-bladed axe smashed down with the force of a breaking gale onto the raised leg of the spider!
Crack!
A sickening shattering sound rang out.
The spider’s leg twisted out of shape instantly, and the tremendous impact knocked its body off balance, forcing it backward.
Using the momentum, Hongxu spun, sweeping the axe in a horizontal arc and slamming it into the spider’s flank!
Its red carapace shattered on impact. The axe blade sank deep inside, and green fluid gushed wildly outward.
The Bone-Eroding Venom Spider, as tall as half a man, let out an agonized screech before its enormous body crashed to the ground, convulsing violently.
“Hmph! Trash!”
Hongxu spat to the side, then flexed her arm and easily snapped the webbing wrapped around her armor.
Her Strength stat was maxed out. Combined with the formidable defensive power provided by the Red Wolf Breastplate, ordinary web attacks could not restrain her at all.
All the Bone-Eroding Venom Spiders around the nest had been alerted.
They let out sharp screeches, the eerie light in their compound eyes fixed on Hongxu.
Bang! Bang!
Two more dull shots rang out.
One Bone-Eroding Venom Spider that had just lifted its head to spit venom had its mouthparts explode into a splash of green slurry. Its head snapped backward, and its movement came to an abrupt stop.
Another spider that had been trying to circle around Hongxu’s flank had the area between its compound eyes blown apart in the same way. Its huge body stiffened, then crashed heavily to the ground.
The frontliner had already rushed forward to draw all the aggro, so as the ranged attacker, of course Chenxi was unleashing damage as hard as he could!
Every gunshot was accompanied by another Bone-Eroding Venom Spider falling or being severely wounded.
Chenxi used the cover of the passage to keep changing positions. Under the scope’s view, the seemingly tough body structure of the Bone-Eroding Venom Spiders appeared fragile, their vital points clearly exposed.
The pressure on Hongxu dropped sharply.
She realized that she only needed to focus on the enemies lunging at her from the front. The threats from her flanks and rear were all quietly eliminated by Chenxi.
“Come on! Send more of them!”
She laughed wildly and charged once more at a cluster of Bone-Eroding Venom Spiders.
The giant axe in her hands might as well have been a toy. Every swing carried terrifying force.
One Bone-Eroding Venom Spider tried to flee, and Hongxu directly grabbed a massive rock from beside her!
The boulder slammed into its body with fearsome power, sending fluid flying everywhere.
Another Bone-Eroding Venom Spider, determined to fight to the death, spat venom at her. Hongxu sidestepped, and the venom splashed onto a nearby rock, where it hissed and released white smoke.
She answered with a backhanded swing of her axe, smashing the spider’s head to pieces.
Chenxi fired again, taking down a Bone-Eroding Venom Spider that had been sneaking toward the nest entrance.
Watching the battle through his scope, he quickly replaced the magazine.
Bone-Eroding Venom Spiders were indeed much stronger than Parasitic Spiders. Whether it was the hardness of their carapaces, their reaction speed, or their methods of attack, they far surpassed Parasitic Spiders.
But…
He and Hongxu actually did not seem to fear them at all!
The true strength of Bone-Eroding Venom Spiders lay in single combat. And as it happened, both he and Hongxu excelled against single targets. They really were not that strong against groups.
The plan had changed. Prepare to wipe them all out!
…
“Captain, are we just going to watch? Are we not going to help them?”
“Are you stupid? Once they are exhausted and the fight is over, then everything will be ours!”
“Captain, is that really a good idea?”
“Shut up, useless trash. It is already generous enough that I even brought you along. What are you good for?! If we had not taken you with us, you would have starved to death sooner or later!”
“That is right, that is right! The captain is absolutely right!”
“Ever since you joined, none of our backstabbing or ambushes have ever succeeded. I really do not know whether you have been leaking information from the inside!”
In the darkness, several figures watched Hongxu, as well as the faint and elusive figure of Chenxi.
They were waiting for the two of them to collapse from exhaustion.