The Favor

Standing before the completely sealed passage entrance.

Xu Feng didn't look panicked at all. Instead, a faintly amused smile crossed his face.

He folded his arms and stood off to the side, perfectly at ease.

His gaze fell on Cheng Xiaoyu, whose expression was so dark it seemed water might drip from it.

"Are you still not going to make a move?" Xu Feng teased. "I'm just a fragile archer. If that giant spider charges over here, I'm not sure I can take it."

Cheng Xiaoyu's pupils contracted slightly. He seemed surprised that Xu Feng could remain so composed in a situation like this.

But he soon met Xu Feng's calm eyes.

There was no fear in them, only an almost playful curiosity.

Cheng Xiaoyu seemed to understand something.

He nodded silently, his gaze sharpening once more.

"Uh, Big Brother Xu, Brother Cheng, what are you talking about? What do you mean, make a move? What... what do we do now?!"

Liu Chenhao looked bewildered and terrified as he watched the enormous spider slowly approach, radiating a terrifying aura. His legs were trembling.

He was still young. He didn't want to die.

He still wanted to go home and inherit his family's trillion-dollar fortune!

But Cheng Xiaoyu didn't waste any more words.

He blurred out of sight, leaving a faint afterimage behind. Like an arrow loosed from a bow, he shot toward the spider leader!

He was so fast that even a note of approval flashed through Xu Feng's eyes.

"His speed is about mid-level B-class. Not bad."

Xu Feng assessed him silently.

"But his strength... is obviously lacking. He'd probably struggle even against a peak C-class.

"With speed alone, killing this giant spider—with its leader template and astonishing defenses—will be tough."

Cheng Xiaoyu held an unremarkable black dagger and darted around the spider leader's massive body like a ghost.

The dagger flashed as he repeatedly stabbed at the relatively vulnerable joints and gaps in its carapace.

His attacks were fierce, each one aimed at inflicting as much damage as possible.

But the spider leader's carapace was tougher than he'd imagined. The dagger usually left no more than a faint white mark. On the rare occasions Cheng Xiaoyu managed to stab into a gap, the wounds still weren't decisive.

Enraged by the pesky fly, the spider leader shrieked and swung its thick, jointed legs at him, spraying webs with powerful corrosive properties.

Thanks to his astonishing speed and ability to anticipate its moves, Cheng Xiaoyu narrowly dodged each attack.

Xu Feng wasn't idle, either.

He drew his longbow and fired a rapid succession of arrows.

But he was deliberately holding back. His arrows still hit with force and landed accurately, but he aimed for the thickest parts of the spider's carapace, such as its back and flanks. They only buried themselves a little way into its body and did no real damage, serving more to harass it and draw its attention.

"Big Brother Xu! Shoot its eyes! Shoot its eyes!"

Liu Chenhao shouted anxiously from the side.

Xu Feng acted as if he hadn't heard, continuing to fire at an unhurried pace.

His goal was clear.

He wanted to give Cheng Xiaoyu a chance to fight at close range while observing the protagonist's fighting style and limits.

Distracted by Xu Feng's ranged attacks, the spider leader tried several times to change targets and attack the annoying archer with webs or venom. But Cheng Xiaoyu kept it occupied, preventing it from doing so.

Liu Chenhao watched with his heart in his throat. Part of him thought Cheng Xiaoyu was absurdly strong for an E-rank hunter, while another part wondered why Xu Feng, a B-class archer, seemed to do so little damage.

How could someone with strength like that only be E-rank?

Could he be one of those freaks who deliberately hid their hunter rank?

He'd heard those people were all seriously messed up.

Now that Cheng Xiaoyu had revealed his hunter rank, would he kill them all to keep them quiet later?

He instinctively edged closer to Xu Feng and whispered, "B-Big Brother Xu, I'll protect you! I'm a D-rank swordsman. Leave the close combat to me... Uh, if Brother Cheng starts losing, that is!"

Xu Feng chuckled and glanced sideways at him.

"Then you'd better protect me well, fragile archer that I am."

The battle dragged on. Cheng Xiaoyu had the advantage in speed, but he was rapidly tiring, and the spider leader's defenses were so high that his attacks barely worked.

Before long, wounds began appearing on his body.

A spider leg grazed him, and corrosive fluid splashed onto him...

His movements seemed to slow with exhaustion.

The spider leader seized an opening and swept a spiked limb across. It was about to cut Cheng Xiaoyu in half!

Even Xu Feng was readying his bow, an arrow aimed at the spider leader's head.

At that critical moment!

A look of grim resolve flashed through Cheng Xiaoyu's eyes, and an indescribable aura suddenly erupted from him!

His sluggish movements instantly returned to their peak—and became even faster!

The small wounds on his body healed and vanished before their eyes!

Like a tireless machine, he unleashed another fierce assault. This time, his attacks were more precise and cunning!

"Instant recovery? A full stamina refill?" Xu Feng narrowed his eyes and thought, An interesting ability... So he doesn't rely on speed alone.

Cheng Xiaoyu seemed to have found the spider leader's weakness—

Its eight glowing red compound eyes!

Risking a bite from its fangs, he suddenly closed in. The black dagger in his hand became a streak of darkness as he drove it viciously into one of its eyes!

Squelch!

The dagger plunged deep!

The spider leader let out a pained shriek, its massive body freezing for an instant!

Cheng Xiaoyu seized his chance. Like a madman, he furiously twisted and stabbed the dagger around the eye.

Once, twice, three times... The spider leader's resistance grew weaker and weaker.

Finally, after who knew how many stabs, its massive body crashed to the ground. Its eight long legs twitched a few times, then lay still.

Cheng Xiaoyu gasped for breath and dropped to one knee. Sweat soaked his bangs, and the hand gripping the dagger trembled slightly. That sudden burst of strength had clearly taken a heavy toll.

He looked up at Xu Feng.

Xu Feng smiled sincerely and gave him a thumbs-up.

"Beautiful! You turned the tables at the last moment. Impressive!"

Liu Chenhao peeked out from behind Xu Feng. He looked at Cheng Xiaoyu as if he were some kind of terrifying monster and muttered, "E-rank... Yeah, right... He's definitely a freak hiding his rank..."

After catching his breath, Cheng Xiaoyu stood and walked over to the spider leader's corpse.

Xu Feng went over as well and spoke first, his tone earnest.

"The materials from this leader, along with the unrefined magic stones, are yours.

"Also, I can buy the leader's corpse for one million, 20% above market price.

"With the ore included, it's worth about thirty million in total. I'll give you thirty million for everything."

Cheng Xiaoyu froze. He looked at Xu Feng, confusion and wariness in his eyes.

"You helped, too. Your arrows drew its attention and eased the pressure on me. You have a right to part of the spoils."

Xu Feng waved a hand and smiled warmly. "I'm not short on money. Let's just say... I like you, and I'm making an investment."

His gaze swept over Cheng Xiaoyu's faded old hunter gear and rather shabby equipment.

"You could use the money, couldn't you? Take it. Improve your living situation and get some better equipment. I believe you have potential."

Cheng Xiaoyu fell silent.

He thought of his mother in the hospital, in desperate need of expensive medical treatment. He thought of his younger sister, who was still in school, and of the pitiful balance in his account.

He couldn't refuse this investment.

He looked deeply at Xu Feng. For the first time, a complicated emotion showed in his usually cold eyes. At last, he gave a solemn nod.

"...Thank you. I'll remember this favor."

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