Begging for mercy

The five people formed a fan shape and surrounded the area, completely blocking all escape routes.

A blatant smile graced his face, his eyes gleaming with a naked and piercing greed, as he confidently took control of Lu Heng, who was weak and alone after the battle.

Looking at their expressions, Lu Heng was speechless.

There's no need for unnecessary arguments or verbal sparring. This group is full of malicious intentions, and they dare to ambush and kill at will just because they have a slight advantage in numbers. It's a waste of time to say another word to them.

What's even more ridiculous is that the Blood Taisui Mycelium that he had previously spread throughout the area had already covered the ground all around and wrapped around their feet and bodies.

From beginning to end, the five people were completely unaware.

Ignorance is bliss, that's pretty much it.

Lu Heng did not respond to the other party's threat verbally, but his thoughts subtly shifted.

Countless filamentous Mycelium that had been dormant underground and among Withered Branch instantly sprang to life.

Without a burst of light or shadow, without the slightest sound, the blood-red threads, completely invisible to the naked eye, suddenly tightened, rose, and coiled, instantly wrapping around the limbs, torsos, and necks of the five people.

The group, who had been baring their teeth and speaking arrogantly just a second ago, suddenly froze in place.

The air remained empty, and the view was desolate.

But the real feeling of being bound was truly felt.

Their limbs were tightly bound, their waists and necks were locked, and their bodies were stiff and unable to move. A clear sense of touch spread throughout their bodies, and they finally realized that countless tiny things were wrapped around their bodies.

After the initial shock, the first reaction was fury.

The leader's face was contorted with rage, and he began to curse, his tone filled with resentment and ferocity. He never imagined that his five-man encirclement and ambush would result in them being imprisoned by some inexplicable force without even seeing how the other party made a move.

The arrogance on the faces of the other four completely vanished, the color draining from their faces instantly, leaving them as pale as paper.

Having lived in the apocalypse for so long, they knew in their hearts that the unseen enemy was the most deadly.

The person in front of them was no ordinary survivor they could handle; he was a truly ruthless character who had kept his true abilities hidden.

Panic instantly gripped the five people.

No one was thinking about robbery and double-crossing anymore; all that remained was the extreme will to survive.

They twisted and struggled frantically, swinging their steel pipes, machetes, and short spears wildly at the air around them, trying to cut the silken threads binding them.

But all the struggles were in vain.

The invisible Mycelium overlaps layer upon layer, becoming denser and tighter with each layer.

The range of his struggles diminished, his bones ached from the constriction, and his breathing became labored.

In just a few seconds, I came to a complete realization of reality.

The arrogance and rage vanished completely, replaced by panicked pleas for mercy.

Their tone changed abruptly, without the slightest embarrassment; their faces showed no regard for appearances as they hastily began to defend themselves.

"Brother, you've misunderstood! We're just passing through!"

"Yes! We just happened to be passing by and had no ill intentions whatsoever!"

"Let go, brother! We made a mistake. We're leaving right away!"

One after another, cries of explanation and pleas for mercy rang out, utterly devoid of any moral compass, completely disregarding their previous ferocity and greed.

Lu Heng watched the changes in their expressions quietly, his face remaining completely expressionless.

Such insincere nonsense is not worth his time.

There was no response, no pause.

Lu Heng directly gave the command to Blood Taisui devour it.

The taut, intertwined Mycelium instantly changed shape, and fine threads slowly burrowed into the pores, wounds, and crevices of the five people's skin.

An icy, itchy, and eerie sensation instantly swept over the five people.

They panicked instantly.

The intermittent pleas for mercy turned into a frantic, shrill outburst, completely chaotic. Some screamed and cursed wildly, unwilling to accept this outcome; others cried and begged for mercy, apologizing and admitting their mistakes again and again, swearing never to do it again.

But it was all in vain.

The Mycelium invade the body at an increasingly faster rate, and their phagocytic force intensifies.

Life force is being stripped away continuously, and physical strength is rapidly depleted.

The shouts, cries, and pleas for mercy gradually faded, subsided, and disappeared.

The entire forest quickly fell silent.

In just a few minutes, the five men who had been so aggressive were completely devoured by the Blood Taisui, leaving only a few scattered homemade weapons behind, with no trace of the living.

The forest has returned to its quiet state.

Just as Lu Heng was about to retract the Mycelium that had spread all around him, his mental power instantly detected three figures quietly approaching.

He kept his breathing extremely low, moved cautiously, and deliberately concealed his whereabouts.

Unlike the five reckless and greedy lone warriors from before, these three had more stable auras, stronger composure, and their overall strength was clearly superior.

Clearly, the commotion had attracted the attention of others who were following them.

Lu Heng showed no surprise, standing quietly in place, making no move, waiting for the other party to appear.

Three figures quickly emerged from the shadows of the trees, closing the distance between them.

The leader was a man with a special Talent: Danger Sense.

Even before he and two others had finished their pursuit, Talent had been sending out intense warning signals.

The warnings grew increasingly intense, repeatedly reminding everyone that the area ahead was extremely dangerous.

He was just hoping for the best.

Having observed Lu Heng's movements and seen him alone and weakened after the battle, they concluded that there was an opportunity to exploit him. Forcibly suppressing their inner warnings, they followed him with the other two, hoping to seize the chance to steal something.

But the moment the three of them stepped into the woods and saw the scene before them...

The Danger Sense suddenly exploded in my mind, and an extreme sense of crisis instantly overwhelmed my entire body.

It wasn't just a psychological warning; it also triggered intense nausea and dizziness, making every hair on my body stand on end, and a chilling coldness shot up my spine to the top of my head.

A dense sense of danger enveloped me, leaving me nowhere to escape.

The three men's expressions changed drastically; cold sweat instantly soaked their clothes, dripping down their chins.

They finally realized that their previous perceptions were correct.

The dangers here far exceeded their imagination.

The traces left on the ground, the eerie atmosphere lingering in the air, combined with the method used to silently annihilate the five people, made the three instantly realize the reality—they had kicked a hornet's nest.

In an instant, only one thought remained in the minds of the three: run.

An overwhelming sense of crisis gripped their entire being, clearly telling them that they were too close and it was too late.

There was absolutely no chance of escape.

The fact that these three individuals have managed to survive in the apocalypse to this day, relying on their intense curiosity and daring to gamble, shows that they are not fools.

After a brief moment of panic, they exchanged a glance and instantly reached a tacit understanding.

Abandon escape, fight to the death.

Since death is inevitable either way, we might as well fight back and perhaps there's still a glimmer of hope.

The three men steadied themselves instantly, gripping their weapons tightly, their bodies tense, their minds highly focused, sensing the unknown threats lurking all around them.

The next second, all three attacked simultaneously.

One person raised their hand and flung out a homemade Molotov cocktail. It shot out with a whoosh, tracing an arc in the air before crashing down toward the area in front of Lu Heng, the flames poised to explode and spread at any moment.

The other person raised his hand and flung out a large cloud of lime powder mixed with impurities. The dust instantly spread, obscuring the entire field of vision, attempting to interfere with the opponent's sight and hinder their movements.

The methods used are all ruthless combat techniques developed by survivors in the apocalypse. They are highly targeted, decisive, and ruthless, with no hesitation whatsoever.

Lu Heng remained calm, showing no sign of emotion.

With a thought, the King Snake, with whom the contract had already been made, quietly moved out.

Using the King Snake's unique field of vision, he could clearly see all the movements, attack trajectories, and rhythms of the three opponents.

The landing point of the Molotov cocktail, the spread of the lime powder, and the three men's hidden follow-up actions were all under control.

The three opponents thought their attack was clever and cunning, but little did they know that from the moment they appeared, all their cards and actions had been completely exposed.

The forest was still, yet a deadly undercurrent was brewing.

A new battle is imminent.