After circling the stone pillar twice, Unas's curiosity was completely worn off. It looked like a useless relic, most likely a product of totem worship by the ancient inhabitants of the Canyon.
He stamped his foot and asked Nightmoon, "Can we use the Black Soil here?"
After receiving an affirmative answer, he took out his tools and began digging and bagging the soil. He figured he had nothing better to do, and the Beautiful Spider and the Overlord Spider would need some time to recover their mobility.
His arms were a little sore and numb from the double-hammer technique, but he still quickly filled more than twenty bags. Just then, the Beautiful Spider suddenly spoke up, "There's something strange outside. Many Three-Headed Lizards are approaching the Cave."
"This is the nest of the Six-Headed Lizard. No other wild beasts dare to approach unless it returns!" Nightmoon shouted, standing up to warn.
The Six-Headed Lizard is a lord-type predator that can control a certain number of lizard subordinates. This was likely a probing attack launched by it to find out the intruders' strength. Perhaps it already knew that there were Overlord Spiders among them, which is why it was so cautious.
"Are you ready to move?" Unas asked loudly, turning around.
Rosebayne replied weakly, "Barely."
As soon as she finished speaking, she made the Giant Spiders she had just subdued stand up, and added with a worried expression, "But it's still very weak, so it's best not to participate in the battle."
Unas nodded, encouraging the troops, "To those beasts, we have two Overlord Spiders on our side, which is quite intimidating. It would be best if we could avoid conflict. If a fight breaks out, we'll fight our way out. There's nothing to be afraid of; they're just beasts."
After packing their things, the three of them put on black robes and lay on the backs of the Puppet Spiders, with two Giant Spiders sandwiching Rosebayne in the middle, and headed towards the ground at top speed.
Fortunately, they didn't encounter Three-Headed Lizards in the passageway, meaning they hadn't entered yet. However, once they exited the cave Unas realized he had been too optimistic.
The open space outside the cave entrance was completely filled with swarms of lizards, numbering no less than a hundred. Among them, however, there was no sign of the Six-Headed Lizard. The Swamp Lord was probably hiding in some dark corner, watching from the shadows.
The appearance of the two Overlord Spider caused the Three-Headed Lizards blocking the Cave entrance to retreat a considerable distance. Although they were all in abnormal condition—one was outwardly intact but had no breath, and the other was very weak and had a limp hind leg— the Overlord Spider had a formidable reputation, and for a moment none of the lizards dared to attack.
Under Unas's instructions, the Troll and the Beautiful Spider controlled two Overlord Spiders to emit threatening hiss simultaneously, and then advanced step by step.
The Three-Headed Lizards involuntarily began to scatter, and it seemed easy for them to break through. Just as Unas was about to order an acceleration, Nightmoon, who was lying beside him, nudged his arm and whispered, "Be careful. They seem to be intentionally making way for us. Don't follow their route. Stay away from the swamp to the north and the large puddle to the west. The Six-Headed Lizards are likely hiding in those two places."
So the only option was to head east. The Troll, of course, heard Nightmoon's words and quickly commanded the Puppet Spiders to turn around. This was indeed much more difficult, and the Three-Headed Lizards were not retreating so readily.
Unas drew a fine steel spear, ready to engage if the Three-Headed Lizard showed no sign of retreating. A stalemate was the worst possible outcome, potentially leading to encirclement. He growled, "Full speed ahead!"
The lead Puppet Spider suddenly lunged forward, startling the two Three-Headed Lizards in front of it. They hurriedly dodged and were almost trampled by the Puppet Spider.
Unas believed he had tested the limits of these beasts; they didn't dare block the path of the Overlord Spiders. The two Giant Spiders, flanking Rosebayne, charged forward at high speed.
In less than a minute, they reached the edge of the encirclement; a hundred meters ahead was a safe place.
Suddenly, a loud bang came from the left rear. A giant beast burst out of the swamp that Nightmoon had just pointed out. Its size was at least five times larger than that of an ordinary lizard. Six ferocious and ugly lizard heads swayed with its massive body as it frantically crawled toward the group trying to break through. Having failed to play dirty tricks, and seeing that its two weakened natural enemies were about to escape, it finally showed itself.
At the same time, the Three-Headed Lizards in front of the Puppet Spider stopped retreating, and the beasts on the left, right and rear surrounded it. Unas roared and jumped up, swinging his steel spear horizontally, and the two lizards that were lunging forward were sent flying into the air.
With her hands flying, Nightmoon swiftly unleashed her remaining seven silver darts, each one hitting its mark, instantly wiping out the surrounding enemies. She then drew her dagger, leaping forward with agile movements, closing in to slaughter any beasts that dared to block her path.
The hundred-meter distance passed in the blink of an eye, and the group finally broke through the encirclement. However, the Charge Six-Headed Lizards were getting closer to them and showed no sign of stopping their pursuit.
Nightmoon shouted from ahead, "Keep heading east, run into the Forest!"
The Forest was the spiders' territory, and no matter how angry the Six-Headed Lizard was, it wouldn't venture deep inside. Unas turned around, estimating that given their speeds, they would be caught before then.
To make matters worse, the sprint exhausted the Beautiful Spider's last bit of strength, her speed dropped sharply, and she had fallen behind the Puppet Spider, far behind.
Someone had to cover the rear, Unas immediately ordered, "Haikesi, you go down. I'll take control of the puppet."
The Troll obediently rolled off the ground, then got up and fled quickly towards the Forest, while Unas controlled the Puppet Spider to turn around and Charge backward.
Rosebayne, approaching unsteadily, looked as if she might collapse at any moment. Unas shouted encouragement to her, "Run if you don't want to die!"
Regardless of whether it would be effective or not, after brushing past the weakened Overlord Spider, he would face alone the six giant beasts that pounced on him, along with the Three-Headed Lizards behind them.
He had to hold them off for at least two minutes, and then escape on his own. It was incredibly difficult, but he didn't have time to think about it. The Six-Headed Lizard was already right in front of him!
The Puppet Spider beneath his feet Charge at full speed. Unas tucked in his waist and abdomen, gripped his spear tightly, and pointed it straight ahead. The Divine Protection Shield hummed and rose ahead of time. The thunderous footsteps of the Six-Headed Lizard seemed to be right next to his ears. The wind pressure made him squint. The next moment, with a loud bang, the two giant beasts collided violently.
The slightly lighter Puppet Spider was instantly knocked away, while Unas clung to the Six-Headed Lizard. His spear was deeply embedded in the giant beast's neck, green blood dripping down, but it was all blocked by the golden shield.
The six giant beasts thrashed their injured necks wildly, while Unas clung tightly to his spear, being tossed about in the air like a kite.
It's much more exciting and fun than a roller coaster. Unas wasn't nervous at all; his thoughts were soaring to the heavens. He was no longer a battlefield novice who couldn't even hold a sword properly, but a ruthless battlefield killer who had personally eliminated hundreds of creatures of various kinds, and would kill many more in the future.