BUG Spider Sense

"Looks like yesterday really was just an accident."

When they got up early that morning, Xu Ai and the others found no trace of the Golden Silk Demon Spider.

According to Yu Fei, who had been the last to see it, it had—

"Run off!"

It had suddenly dashed far away, seemingly without any particular destination.

"We should still stay alert. In nature, spiders are usually predators."

Ye Yu reminded them.

That was true. If the Golden Silk Demon Spider had hidden itself, it would make sense that they hadn't found it. They still needed to be more vigilant.

"Don't worry. I'll keep a closer eye out."

Jun Xia nodded. Aside from when they were resting at night, she was always on guard.

"Mm-hmm."

"Let's go. We'll split up as before and deal with last night's 'trash' first."

"Got it!" ×6

They were in the middle belt of City 0551, where most of the monsters were Monster General Level. Scavenging here could earn them more than fighting desperately on the outskirts.

Of course, that depended on being able to survive here.

Xu Ai split them into three teams, and they soon finished collecting all the valuable materials nearby.

Along the way, Xu Ai and the others ran into a few teams out scavenging, just like them.

But none of them tried to strike up a conversation. They exchanged glances, then tacitly chose to leave.

There was no order in the Wilderness Zone, so it was best to be wary of others, especially teams they didn't know. It was better not to approach them in the first place.

"I ran into two teams while scavenging."

"We ran into three."

"Our team saw two."

Ye Yu nodded.

"There are too many teams nearby. It might seem safer, but it'll make hunting harder and introduce a lot of unpredictable factors. I suggest we move."

"I agree."

Liu Qingling was the first to respond, and Xu Ai and the others agreed right after her.

"Then let's move closer to the inner zone."

"Mm. Let's check the satellite map first and find a few good places to settle."

Liu Qingling opened her Communication Watch and projected the map, then marked a few promising locations.

"Let's go."

City 0551 was one of Huaxia's main target cities. Most of its information had been mapped out, and it had been divided into four zones.

The outer zone was dominated by Monster Soldier Level monsters, with a small number of Monster General Level monsters.

The middle zone was where Xu Ai and the others were now. It was dominated by Monster General Level monsters, with a small number of high-level Monster Soldier Level and Primary Warlord Level monsters.

The inner zone was dominated by Primary Warlord Level and Intermediate Lord Level monsters, with a small number of high-level Lord Level monsters.

The core zone was home to City 0551's three King-level Monsters, along with a small number of high-level Lord Level monsters.

Ye Yu's current target was the area where the middle zone bordered the inner zone, where Primary Warlord Level monsters could already appear.

They checked two places to settle, but other teams had already claimed both.

By the time they reached the third spot, it was already afternoon.

This place was a hotel, one of the tallest buildings nearby. It had a wide view and was in better shape than most, making it a better place to settle than the first two.

"Qingling, look! Instant noodles made in 2012! The packaging's still in good shape. What an antique!"

"Then keep it, I guess..."

Liu Qingling rolled her eyes at Jun Xia.

Jun Xia happily tossed it into her backpack. She loved collecting all sorts of random things, especially items from before the Great Nirvana Period.

"Xiao Ai, come over here."

Ye Yu was looking out the window when she called to Xu Ai.

"Look over there..."

Xu Ai looked. It was a ruin—or rather, a nest built from piles of ruins!

All kinds of monsters stood peacefully around the nest, guarding it.

"Is that a Lord-level Monster's nest?"

"That's right."

Ye Yu nodded.

She definitely had to teach them this. Otherwise, one of them might blunder into a Lord-level Monster's territory, and then they'd be in trouble.

"All right, everyone, keep looking for monsters!"

Yu Fei rested her adjusted sniper rifle on the windowsill.

They still had Yu Fei take the lead in sniping the monsters, but they changed their approach.

"We've reached the target. There are five monsters, confirmed."

"Okay. I'll count down, and then we'll attack together."

Yu Fei spoke softly through her Bluetooth earpiece.

On the other end, Ye Yu, Xu Ai, and Jun Xia acknowledged her, their eyes fixed on the five enormous gray wolves.

As Yu Fei fired, one monster was killed outright. Xu Ai and Ye Yu rushed out to face the four gray wolves that hadn't yet reacted.

Jun Xia's throwing knife killed one first, followed by Xu Ai's sword!

Xu Ai pierced a gray wolf's neck, then quickly pulled her sword free and slashed it across another wolf, sending it flying.

On the other side, Ye Yu killed a gray wolf with one slash, then swiftly pulled back. While the wolf was still in the air, she finished it off with another strike.

"All five monsters are dead."

"There are no monsters nearby. You can collect the materials."

Yu Fei said, and Ye Yu nodded.

"Okay. Keep watch."

Jun Xia stayed behind to keep guard while Xu Ai and Ye Yu quickly collected the gray wolves' claws and fangs.

Jun Xia's Spirit Force gave her a wide field of "vision," often allowing her to notice movements invisible to the naked eye.

"Wait, something's moving..."

Xu Ai and Ye Yu immediately stopped and came to Jun Xia's side.

Liu Qingling and the others, keeping watch from above, were also observing through binoculars.

"Could you be mistaken? Nothing seems to have changed."

Liu Qingling asked doubtfully.

"No, there's definitely something over there."

Jun Xia warily pointed toward the second floor of a nearby house.

"My Spirit Force was weakened there!"

"Completely weakened?"

Xu Ai frowned. There was only one possibility: her Spirit Force had hit a living being.

When Spirit Force came close to a living being, it would enter directly and be suppressed by the creature's own consciousness.

It had watched them kill five gray wolves from this close without making a sound. Either it had been frightened and was trying to keep a low profile to save its life, or... they were its prey!

"Let's move closer. Jun Xia, get your throwing knives ready. Yu Fei, keep your eyes on it."

"Understood."

Yu Fei had already fixed her sights on the second floor as soon as Jun Xia finished speaking.

"Let's climb straight up!"

Ye Yu jumped, her fingers punching through the wall as she stopped at the second-floor level.

Xu Ai jumped onto an air-conditioning unit. She exchanged a glance with Ye Yu, then cut through the window grille with her sword. Ye Yu jumped inside.

"Golden Silk Demon Spider!"

Ye Yu blocked a claw, then used the impact to flip out of the house.

Yu Fei fired. Even the Golden Silk Demon Spider didn't dare take a bullet capable of killing a Lord-level Monster head-on, and it jumped out of the house.

"Go!"

Xu Ai cried, then leaped toward the Golden Silk Demon Spider.

The Golden Silk Demon Spider jumped backward, dodging Xu Ai's utterly ordinary sword strike, while one of its claws blocked Ye Yu's slash.

It dodged my sword, but blocked Sister Ye's slash?

Xu Ai focused. Combined with the feeling that it had been watching her all along, the spider must have sensed her strength with its spider sense!

"Yu Fei, watch the area around Jun Xia. Qingling, come help us!"

"Understood!"

Liu Qingling moved in, while Yu Fei trained her scope on the area around Jun Xia.

Jun Xia's throwing knives were as relentless as ever, locked onto the Golden Silk Demon Spider's spinnerets.

Unlike last time, Xu Ai had joined the fight too!

Five times the Force Amplitude!

The Golden Silk Demon Spider had most of its attention on Xu Ai. The moment it sensed her movement, it dodged, not caring whether she could hurt it or not!

Xu Ai's sword blurred into a flurry of shadows, thrusting and slashing at the Golden Silk Demon Spider without pause.

The Golden Silk Demon Spider dodged again and again. After a while, even Ye Yu and the others, slow as they were to react, began to notice.

But they didn't ask questions. They were still in the middle of a fight!

"How is this even possible!? That spider's reaction has to be an Innate Secret Technique!"

After it dodged several attacks in a row, Xu Ai even tried ten times the Force Amplitude, but still couldn't land a hit. It seemed to know every attack in advance. The feeling was infuriating.

Then she'd try going all out!

Xu Ai was getting angry too. She used everything she had: the Apprentice Level limit, twenty times the Force Amplitude, and swordsmanship and footwork that surpassed the Artistic Conception Level!

The Golden Silk Demon Spider suddenly shuddered. Ignoring Ye Yu's attack, it took her slash head-on, then turned and fled.

"Don't even think about escaping!"

Xu Ai applied twenty times the Force Amplitude to her legs and leaped. In an instant, she reached the spot where the Golden Silk Demon Spider had been.

Well, where it had been. The Golden Silk Demon Spider had jumped ahead of time and dodged early, landing on a tall building.

Xu Ai's sword stabbed empty air. She immediately stamped her foot to stop, then pushed off and charged toward the rooftop. Ye Yu and the others followed close behind.

Unfortunately, by the time they reached the roof, the Golden Silk Demon Spider had vanished.

"Zizhen?"

"There's no need to chase it. After reaching the rooftop, it quickly jumped off the other side. That's my blind spot. I couldn't see it."

Gu Zizhen gave a wry smile.

Ye Yu sighed, but wasn't disappointed. The Golden Silk Demon Spider was exceptionally difficult to hunt.

Perhaps that was why Lord-level Golden Silk Demon Spiders were so rare, and why there wasn't a single King-level Monster of its kind.

"It got away again. I hate spiders..."

Xu Ai was disappointed. This was definitely the worst trip she'd ever taken to the Wilderness Zone!

They went back to having Yu Fei snipe the monsters while Xu Ai and the others worked together to surround and kill them, with Liu Qingling now joining in.

Sometimes they ran into a passing monster pack, sometimes one containing dozens of monsters.

There was nothing they could do. Xu Ai and the others had to abandon their prey and look for a suitable target elsewhere.

A few times, they were cutting up materials when a hunting pack happened to pass by. Before they even noticed it, the monsters had spotted them.

There was nothing they could do but run. It wouldn't be worth it if fighting drew a Lord-level Monster to them.

Xu Ai could win a fight, but Liu Qingling and the others might not.

They even had to abandon some of their spoils to escape.

"That was close. We even alerted that Lord-level Monster."

Jun Xia breathed a sigh of relief.

They had moved to another base, since the previous spot was too close to the Lord-level Monster they'd disturbed.

"By the way, Xiao Ai, the Golden Silk Demon Spider seems afraid of you. Why is that?"

Ye Yu looked at Xu Ai. The fact that Xu Ai had frightened the Golden Silk Demon Spider had been on her mind.

They couldn't get distracted to talk about it earlier, but now she had to satisfy her curiosity!

"Yeah, I noticed that too."

Jun Xia looked at Xu Ai, and everyone else turned to stare at her as well.

"Well..."

Xu Ai thought it over. She'd keep hiding some of the truth, as before.

"I can use ten times the Force Amplitude..."

That was true. Xu Ai really could use ten times the Force Amplitude!

Everyone froze when they heard that.

"What did you just say? You can use ten times the Force Amplitude?"

"Ten times the Force Amplitude? Even Ruthless Councilor can only... Oh, right, you're her disciple!"

"It's normal for Ruthless Councilor's disciple to use ten times the Force Amplitude, right? No, wait! Ruthless Councilor can only use ten times the Force Amplitude too!"

"Maybe my master was holding back?"

Xu Ai said cautiously...