A puppet?
The underground pipes, which are perpetually dark, are covered with thick, dark green mold. Water droplets constantly seep from the damp walls, slowly sliding down the rough surface.
The ground was covered with a layer of stagnant, murky sewage of varying depths, with gravel, broken bricks, and rotting garbage lying at the bottom, making it slippery and uncomfortable to walk on. The sound of dripping water from the broken pipes overhead was incessant, drip-drip-drip, echoing repeatedly in the enclosed and empty pipes, amplifying the deathly silence and oppressive atmosphere of the entire space.
The corners of the passageway were covered with dry, blackened spiderwebs, shrouded in insect carcasses and dust, which crumbled at the slightest touch. The air was stuffy and cold, a mixture of the stench of stagnant water, the musty smell of the walls, and a lingering, thick stench of blood, clinging tightly to one's nose and mouth, making every breath feel heavy and oppressive.
The view was severely restricted by the bends in the pipes and the pillars, making the near area dim and blurry, while the distant area was completely plunged into darkness.
In this enclosed, narrow, and utterly isolated underground battlefield, Lu Heng and the Bronze Tier Steel-Claw Spider faced off, a great battle about to erupt.
The Steel-Claw Spider suddenly stopped moving.
There was no probing, no warning.
The next second, the Steel-Claw Spider's massive body suddenly unleashed a burst of momentum.
Eight thick, spiky legs slammed into the ground, splashing up a cloud of muddy water. The body, covered in hard carapace and accompanied by a gale, pounced at full speed through the narrow pipe. Its two pairs of gleaming claws opened and closed in a sharp, tearing motion, aiming straight for Lu Heng's neck.
The space in the pipes was extremely limited, with the pipes pressed tightly against the walls on both sides, leaving virtually no room for maneuver.
Lu Heng's eyes were cold and his mind was as still as water.
He suddenly flipped his wrist, gripping the Rat King Bone Knife tightly and holding it horizontally in front of his chest, precisely meeting the slashing steel claws.
"Clang--!"
A piercing, loud crash rang out, causing the narrow pipe to vibrate and hum.
The bone blade clashed head-on with the spider claws, which were as tough as steel. The violent impact traveled through his arms along the blade, and Lu Heng's shoulder and back muscles tensed instantly. He lowered his body and rooted himself firmly to the waterlogged ground, managing to withstand the fierce attack.
But the moment he felt the touch, a chill ran through him.
Looking down, the once smooth and sharp blade of the Rat King Bone Knife was now marred by a clear chip.
This was only the first collision.
The Steel-Claw Spider is a Bronze Tier Aberrant, with physical hardness and explosive power far exceeding that of ordinary monsters. Its claws are exceptionally hard, far surpassing those of low-level Zombie and small monsters.
Before Lu Heng could finish his observation, the second wave of attacks had already followed.
The Steel-Claw Spider, fearless and relentless, used its close-range advantage to launch a frenzied attack. Its eight long legs took turns slashing, piercing, and smashing, its attacks dense and cunning, completely sealing off Lu Heng's space to dodge. The narrow sewer became its absolute domain, each strike causing debris to fall from the walls, sewage to splash everywhere, and the entire passage to shake violently.
Lu Heng dared not blindly engage in a reckless fight anymore.
He was well-versed in the rhythm of close combat, maneuvering nimbly through the dense claw shadows, keeping his body extremely low and constantly adjusting his position using the narrow gaps in the pipe. He only used his bone knife to accurately parry key killing moves, relying on his agility to evade all other attacks, minimizing weapon wear and tear.
After several consecutive hard-hit blocks, crisp impact sounds rang out continuously.
The Rat King Bone Knife has more and more chips on its blade, varying in depth. The once intact and sharp bone blade is now covered with dense, visible scratches and wear.
Lu Heng had already clearly understood the advantages and disadvantages.
The Rat King Bone Knife is a deadly weapon against low-level monsters, but against the Steel-Claw Spider, which also wields a sharp weapon, continuous brute force will only wear down the weapon. If this continues, it's only a matter of time before the blade completely shatters.
We must change our playing style.
During the struggle, Lu Heng's mental perception quietly spread out, instantly enveloping the entire Steel-Claw Spider.
With this investigation, he immediately spotted a fatal flaw.
This Aberrant possessed a formidable physical body and deadly attacks, but its mental core was exceptionally weak, its consciousness chaotic and shallow, and it had almost no capacity for independent thought. Its relentless attacks, pounces, and defenses throughout the entire process were characterized by a rigid and inflexible pattern, completely unlike the instinctive fighting of a wild Aberrant.
Ordinary monsters act on instinct, but this one seems to be controlled by an invisible force, carrying out commands.
This faint spiritual energy is precisely the perfect prey for the Mind Spike.
Seizing an opening in his attack, Lu Heng stopped focusing on physical combat.
His brow furrowed slightly, and an invisible spiritual force instantly coalesced and erupted.
A silent, invisible Mind Spike pierced through the darkness and physical barriers, striking straight into the fragile core of the Steel-Claw Spider's consciousness.
There were no booming noises, no earth-shattering commotion.
The effect, however, was extremely deadly.
The Steel-Claw Spider, which had just been frantically attacking and launching a brutal offensive, suddenly froze completely in mid-air.
All movement came to an abrupt halt. The raised claws froze, the long legs that had been pushing off the ground lost their power, and the dark compound eyes instantly dimmed, the ferocity and murderous intent in their depths vanishing in an instant.
The Mind Spike directly and completely extinguished its remaining faint consciousness.
A body without mental control is nothing more than a lifeless shell with brute force, and has no chance of fighting back.
Lu Heng's eyes were calm; he was determined not to leave any future troubles.
He stepped forward, and in the instant of his death throes, raised his wounded Rat King Bone Knife high and brought it down with all his might.
The sharp bone blade pierced through the gaps in the carapace, tearing open the flesh and vital organs.
Thick, foul-smelling blood gushed out, landing in the murky water and quickly spreading into a dark red hue.
This Bronze Tier Steel-Claw Spider is completely dead.
As the commotion subsided, the sewers returned to their deathly silence, save for the faint sounds of dripping water and the slow flow of blood.
Lu Heng sheathed his sword and stood still, briefly catching his breath.
Instead of leaving immediately, he extended his mental perception again, slowly reaching towards the spider corpse at his feet.
Upon this investigation, an extremely eerie feeling instantly welled up in my heart.
The Steel-Claw Spider's body structure is a standard feature of post-apocalyptic Aberrant, with its flesh, exoskeleton, and meridians all perfectly normal. However, deep within its body after its consciousness has vanished, there lingers an extremely subtle and unfamiliar invisible aura.
This force does not belong to it.
Like invisible threads, they tightly bind its flesh and soul, controlling its guarding, feeding, fighting, and interception from the shadows.
No wonder its movements were so stiff, lacking any independent spirit, like Puppet the whole time.
Lu Heng instantly connected all the anomalies on the surface.
The Zombie in the city mysteriously disappeared, then gathered in unison, systematically besieged the city, and were sacrificed. Countless dead bloodstains lingered on the battlefield, all sinking into the ground.
From the Zombie horde to the underground gatekeeper Aberrant, everything was controlled by the same unknown force from beginning to end.
The fighting that engulfed the entire city was never a disaster or riot.
It was truly a meticulously planned harvest of nutrients.
Upon realizing this, Lu Heng felt a pang of hesitation and inner conflict.
He possesses spiritual perception, enabling him to see through the hidden manipulations concealed beneath flesh and blood. Ordinary people, however, can only see the hordes of corpses, the flames of war, and the outward appearance of the military's desperate defense, never able to touch the true darkness beneath the earth.
Should he have reminded him?
Should we tell everyone that they are not facing chaotic, post-apocalyptic monsters, but rather Puppet army controlled by some unknown entity?
But in an instant, Lu Heng suppressed the impulse.
I can't say.
No one would believe such an absurd secret if it were just spoken out of thin air; it would only be considered alarmist.
In the dark and cold sewers, blood silently spread.
Lu Heng looked down at the Rat King Bone Knife riddled with nicks and cuts, then at the Puppet corpse beneath his feet, his eyes filled with a cold indifference.
The surface artillery fire and hordes of corpses are merely illusions floating on the surface.
The truly terrifying thing lurks in the unexplored darkness of this underground place, silently reaping death, growing stronger, and controlling the life-and-death game of the entire city.