To avoid affecting Mora and Bradley, Gustavo decided to move out.
After advancing to the Tier Five and awakening the Star Capture User profession, his strength increased significantly, making him capable of protecting himself.
Moreover, in the early stages, they only left the cave, and their activity area remained within the Spider Mom's territory.
With Spider Mom's strength, she can rescue him in time if he encounters danger, but before that, Gustavo needs to fully develop his soul talent.
The [Predator] talent and [Luck Deprivation] are indeed a perfect match. The probability of stealing excellent gene fragments, which was originally extremely low, is greatly increased to about 20% with the support of high luck attribute, which is quite good.
Gustavo's rapid growth during this period was largely due to the various superior gene fragments he absorbed and integrated during his feeding process.
Take the [Exoskeleton Hardening] talent for example. When a normal Dragon-Hunting Spider activates its ability, the increase is nowhere near as large as Gustavo's. Physical resistance is said to increase by 65%, but an increase of 50% is already considered top-tier.
Furthermore, Gustavo possesses bloodline talents such as [Furious Roar] and [Spider-Sense], all of which are stronger than those of Mora and Bradley.
Mora always thought that she couldn't beat Gustavo because of the suppression of life rank. Little did she know that even if they were at the same life rank, she would still be far from being Gustavo's match. This was not only because of the Epic Combat Skills, but also because of the suppression of talent strength.
Strictly speaking, soul talent is also a type of bloodline talent.
In the Astral Realm, bloodlines are not only manifested in the material world, but can also carry idealistic power. Spirit, soul, and will are all influenced by bloodlines.
This is a great power that transcends illusion and reality, occupying an important position within the Transcendent system.
Therefore, theoretically, Predator talents can also be enhanced by plundering soul-type gene fragments.
However, there is a problem: races with soul talents are extremely rare.
Gustavo has never eaten a creature with such a talent since birth, so how could he be talking about plundering its genetic fragments?
So what should we do?
As the old saying goes, if you're in trouble, go to your parents!
With such a powerful backer like Spider Mom, it would be foolish not to use her.
Even if we're going to be self-reliant, shouldn't we at least have the strength first?
At my age, isn't this the perfect time to whine and act cute to get things from my parents?
With this in mind, Gustavo suddenly felt justified.
So he naturally spoke up and made a request to Spider Mom.
"Hmm? You want me to help you hunt creatures with soul talents?"
The Spider Mom was somewhat bewildered. How could such a young child already be making her work? (Gustavo had been inside the spider egg for several years; his actual age was probably 6 or 7 years old, much younger than his other two offspring.)
More importantly, the Dragon-Hunting Spider Clan is generally very proud, and they rarely make demands, even when facing their closest relatives.
I've never seen or even heard of a Spider Mom -Dragon-Hunting Spider as shameless as Gustavo before.
But since it's the first time my son has made a request, I can't just deny it outright, can I?
Otherwise, wouldn't it damage the mother-child relationship?
Spider Mom fell into deep thought.
Gustavo was a little apprehensive. He knew the Dragon-Hunting Spider's style of doing things; he was definitely an anomaly. But what could he do? To awaken his soul talent as soon as possible, he had to rely on the Spider Mom's help. Otherwise, wouldn't it take forever?
Improving one's strength is always a race against time. Making use of all available resources is the right way. This is an insight etched deep in one's soul from a previous life, which all three avatars have perfectly inherited.
After a long pause, Spider Mom finally spoke. Her voice was magnetic, like that of a cool and aloof older sister, "My son, the Dragon-Hunting Spider follow the principle of equivalent exchange. I can grant your request, but only if you complete the task I assign you!"
"What mission?" Gustavo asked without hesitation. He couldn't negotiate with Spider Mom now. The Dragon-Hunting Spider were ultimately of the Evil faction. Although Spider Mom spoke in a consultative tone, she didn't allow Gustavo to refuse. If he dared to negotiate, it would be very difficult for him to ask Spider Mom for favors in the future.
Seeing that Gustavo was so cooperative, Spider Mom was quite pleased. He was truly worthy of being Index's child.
"330 kilometers east of the lair, there is a settlement of the Nilat Cyclops. Your mission is to raze this settlement to the ground and slaughter more than 90% of its members."
"Limited timeframe: 6...3 months!"
Spider Mom originally wanted to say six months, but quickly considered her baby's growth rate and cut the time in half.
"My great mother, within three months you will see the fresh, warm head of the Nilat chieftain!" Gustavo bowed his body, a violent and bloodthirsty light flashing in his four pairs of pupils, and then he slowly left the cave with small, hesitant steps.
The Land of Falling Stars encompasses a vast area, but its Core Zone is only a hundred kilometers centered on the spider's nest. This area is considered a forbidden zone by the intelligent beings living nearby; once entered, they will be torn to pieces by the energy threads that permeate it.
Monsters with low intelligence are not included in this list. Perhaps the Spider Mom understands that the greatest threat to her cubs often comes from species with some intelligence.
It was dusk, the sun was setting, and the crimson sunlight shone through the trees. A strong wind blew, creating rustling sounds in the trees. The cries of birds and beasts rose and fell. Every now and then, huge birds of prey would swoop down from the sky, and a moment later, they would return to the heavens with their desperately struggling prey.
The forest Land of Falling Stars covers an area of several million square kilometers. Located near the equator of Planet Pandora, it has a hot and rainy climate with abundant sunshine and rainfall, which has made it full of towering trees.
He released strands of spider silk, which entwined around the tree branches, and Gustavo swung through the air like an ape, moving swiftly.
Even though it was the dry season, the area was still shrouded in thick fog. Gustavo had only gone a short distance when a series of dewdrops condensed on his exoskeleton, flowing down the low-lying grooves of the skeleton, falling to the ground, and trickling into the humus soil along with the withered branches and fallen leaves.
But he didn't care. Since birth, he had rarely left the cave, and his activities were limited to the vicinity of the nest. Although the Inherited Memory contained various scenes of the outside world, they were ultimately not as real as what he had experienced firsthand.
Sensing the vibrant life force around him, Gustavo's fur trembled slightly. This was excitement, a strong desire to plunder life. Dragon-Hunting Spider were always messengers of death and fear; they were not benevolent.
Suppressing the surging urge to Slaughter, Gustavo remained calm and clear-headed. If Mora were in this situation, she would definitely have gone on a killing spree to vent her bloodlust.
But he was different after all; his strong willpower suppressed the Slaughter beast that roared and howled deep within him.
"You can only come out when I let you out of your cage..." Gustavo murmured to himself. Those who are controlled by their own desires are always the weak. The strong will only make their desires submit to them and become the driving force on their path forward, rather than being driven by their desires.
Half an hour later, Gustavo's eyes narrowed. "We've arrived!"