A strong wind blew, stirring up rustling sounds through the forest.
The setting sun was bathed in Radiance that blended deep blue and golden light.
Rig stood on the tree trunk, gazing into the distance, his expression shifting between light and shadow.
"It's night again!" Rig gritted his teeth. Every night, that spider monster would attack, causing them heavy losses.
Beside a tree so large it would take several people to encircle it, seven or eight mercenaries were gnawing on cold food.
Their expressions were blank, and fear would occasionally flash in their eyes, especially when they looked into the depths of the desolate forest. The slightest rustle of wind would make them jump for fear. Only the weapons they held tightly in their arms seemed to bring these mercenaries a sliver of warmth.
Two days have passed.
After Rig and his men withdrew, the first day was relatively calm, which made him relax a little.
However, as Nightfall fell, the spider monster reappeared.
Appearing and disappearing like a ghost, killing without a trace.
Spider silk, which is more than ten times finer than a human hair, is often overlooked even by Rig's keen senses.
These seemingly frail spider silks, which could break at the slightest touch, possess unparalleled sharpness. While several mercenaries slept soundly, the spider silk appeared silently, like the scythe of God of Death reaching out, and with a gentle hook, severed their necks.
After that, no one dared to fall asleep; their nerves remained constantly on edge.
But then, what Rig feared most came.
Poison!
The poison that killed Margaret and Tula!
This poison doesn't need wind to spread; it seems to have a life of its own, splitting into streams that invade from all directions like venomous snakes.
Even though Rig had made preparations, several mercenary members still died from poisoning, and the rest were also in poor condition due to the toxins.
To Rig and the others' relief, the monster didn't attack again after releasing its poison a few times; they speculated that it had probably run out of poison.
And that was indeed the case. Gustavo's concoction of mixed poison was already running low, and even though he used it very sparingly, it was quickly exhausted.
"That monster isn't poisonous anymore. As long as we're careful not to get entangled in the spider silk, we'll be fine," a mercenary said somewhat reluctantly.
"We shouldn't have gotten involved in this. When we were fighting over the key, only a dozen or so people died, but now, even Lady Margaret and Tula have perished," a bearded mercenary complained. The other mercenaries' expressions changed slightly, and their eyes silently glanced upwards. Although they didn't say anything, it was clear that the mercenaries were very dissatisfied with Rig.
Just then, a lean mercenary chuckled and said, "If you're not prepared to die, don't take up arms and become a mercenary. Besides, the captain consulted us before acting. Don't blame the captain for every little setback."
This man's name was Fermi, and he was a die-hard fan of Rig.
After hearing Fermi's words, the mercenaries exchanged glances and remained silent.
Yes, it wasn't just Rig who was greedy; weren't they all blinded and ensnared by the seemingly readily available wealth, which led them to provoke that terrifying monster and result in their current predicament?
"Hold on, we'll reach Night City soon. Once we're there, it'll be our territory, and the monster won't dare chase us anymore." Rig leaped down from the tree trunk. He had heard everything the mercenaries had said, but he didn't care.
When faced with difficulties, people always habitually complain and subconsciously shirk responsibility. As a mercenary captain, Rig has seen this countless times in his decades-long mercenary career.
He knew that his men were just talking; once they returned to Night City and exchanged their spoils for real Ta Pound, the exquisite patterns and delicate feel of the banknotes would make all their resentment vanish.
but...
A shadow fell over Rig's eyes. Would that spider monster give them what they wanted?
In a patch of grass somewhere, Gustavo coldly observed the mercenaries in the distance.
After using poison to kill the mercenary team led by the old Mage in the valley, he went to find some prey in the surrounding area, quickly digested and absorbed it using the Star Swallowing Technique, and replenished his exhausted body with nutrients.
The Dragon-Hunting Spider's body is incredibly strong, with a regenerative ability that surpasses even that of True Dragon. Despite Gustavo repeatedly using explosive power to push himself to the limit, his combat strength recovered to 85% to 90% in just one day.
Throughout this process, Gustavo remained trailing behind Rig and the other remaining mercenaries.
The talent [Luck Deprivation] has a pattern: for a period of time after an unexpected event ends, no more unexpected events will occur, similar to an electrocardiogram during a low point in the heart.
Unless this talent is awakened to a later stage, unexpected events will come one after another like a barrage of bullets, giving people no time to breathe.
But now that we're in the early stages, after the unexpected mercenary intrusion, Gustavo doesn't have to worry about encountering any more troublesome things for at least a few days.
That's why he dared to pursue Rig and his mercenaries for four or five hundred kilometers.
Another day has passed, and his injuries have improved significantly and he has basically recovered.
Cells that had been shriveled up from overexploitation have become plump and energetic again, like a fully fueled engine.
The price of all this was that dozens of creatures of various types were hunted and devoured by Gustavo.
"We're almost in the Outer Zone of Night City. The number of intelligent creatures is increasing. We can't keep chasing them. Let's do one last job and then retreat!" Gustavo thought to himself.
Although he knew he would likely not be in danger even if the chase continued, he still wanted to play it safe.
Are you kidding me? I can grow into Epic creature just by eating and drinking. Why would I fight with you lowly species? You're not even worth a hair on my leg.
Even if it involves taking risks, the potential rewards must be substantial enough.
However, it's clear that wiping out these mercenaries wouldn't bring much benefit; at most, you'd get some Transcendent materials and equipment, but these things are useless to Gustavo.