Chapter 41: The Crimson Web

“We’ve been spotted!”

Watching the terrifying hyena pack charging towards them, Chen Chi’s complexion changed as he hurriedly warned:

“Although these creatures only possess the strength of high-ranking servants, their bodies have decayed, and their vital weaknesses have shifted. Even shattering their skulls will only allow them to survive momentarily. We must break their hearts to kill them.”

“Roger!”

“No problem!”

Zhao Bin and Songyue quickly responded, and complex summoning arrays swiftly appeared beside them, summoning their own pet beasts.

Zhao Bin’s pet was a high-ranking servant-tier Blast Fire Bull, two meters tall with a robust build, covered in red fur, breathing sparks with every exhalation. Its racial skill, Fire Armor, allows it to condense a suit of flaming armor.

Songyue’s pet beast was a blue Healing Jellyfish, surrounded by streams of water, capable of casting Healing Waters to restore the wounds of allies.

As for Chen Chi, he had a half-meter-long Phantom Leaf-tailed Gecko, with a body of silver-grey that could blend into the shadows. Its racial skill was Shadow Step, which briefly hinders creatures that have their shadows stepped upon.

At that moment, a large number of Berserk Blood Hyenas had also charged in, opening their massive jaws, the tentacles on their bodies writhing with excitement, ready to devour a hearty meal.

Chen Chi pushed up his glasses and shouted:

“Zhao Bin, charge!”

“Easy!”

Zhao Bin sneered, letting the Blast Fire Bull charge straight into the hyena pack, like a small truck, slamming into them.

Crack!

Accompanied by the sound of cracking bones, a Berserk Blood Hyena that was hit head-on was sent flying, its ribs almost entirely broken, it landed on the ground, issuing a pain-filled howl.

However, the Blast Fire Bull did not stop its motion, raising its front hoof high as if it were a giant executioner’s block and coming down hard on a nearby hyena.

Boom!

With the tremor of the ground and stones bouncing, the area where the Blast Fire Bull’s hoof landed revealed a web-like pattern of cracks, the ground caving in slightly. The hyena inside had been turned into an unrecognizable mash, and its heart crushed, spilling a large quantity of viscous liquid and dying on the spot.

Seeing this, Zhao Bin mocked:

“Haha, that was too easy!”

“Ooh…”

The remaining hyenas, seeing the demise of their fellow, hesitated to advance further, issuing doubtful growls and feeling a touch of fear.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

However, at the next moment, their heartbeats suddenly quickened, pumping massive amounts of blood throughout their bodies, turning all the Berserk Blood Hyenas red-eyed and entering a frenzy, desperately attacking the Blast Fire Bull without any regard for their lives.

Their tentacles also began to viciously flog the Blast Fire Bull, leaving behind one deep red mark after another as blood began to seep out.

They were acting just like real hyenas, showing no sense of decency and opting to outnumber their prey. They weren’t mindlessly charging—some were responsible for frontal attacks, some for drawing attention from the sides, some targeted fragile areas like the anus, and the rest lay in wait for an opportunity, much like strategic hunters stalking a massive prey.

Typically, a large creature facing attacks from all sides would eventually become exhausted and succumb to a deadly attack.

However, the trio had anticipated this and discussed strategies in advance. Zhao Bin bellowed:

“Blast Fire Bull, use Fire Armor!”

“Mo!”

The Blast Fire Bull roared into the sky, issuing a deep bellow as sparks spread across its fur, quickly solidifying into a blazing suit of flame armor. The intense heat caused slight distortions in the air.

Two Berserk Blood Hyenas that had jumped up to rip and tear were ignited by the flames, spreading across their bodies, causing them to roll on the ground in agony.

Meanwhile, the Blast Fire Bull seized the opportunity to stomp their hearts to pieces.

The other hyenas, seeing this, attempted to flee, but a silver-grey figure emerged behind them, stepping on their shadows.

“Hiss!”

The Phantom Leaf-tailed Gecko had somehow circled to their rear and pressed its limbs onto the shadows of four Berserk Blood Hyenas, paralyzing them on the spot.

“Roar!”

The Blast Fire Bull took this chance to reap their lives. During the process, the Berserk Blood Hyenas, in desperation, launched their blood tendrils like arrows, scorning the burning pain to strike back at the Blast Fire Bull.

But they were swiftly healed by the Healing Jellyfish’s watery streams. Although not fully healed, their injuries were light.

The trio depended on this tank-controller-healer rotation to rapidly kill off eleven Berserk Blood Hyenas. The remainder, seeing their dire situation, turned tail and ran.

“Hahaha, a bunch of cowards! Today, I shall take your dog teeth to exchange for a villa!”

Zhao Bin, flush with the thrill of battle, watched the fleeing hyena pack and rode after them on the Blast Fire Bull, his presence imposing.

Songyue’s face was flushed with excitement as she said, “This one-and-a-half-star mission is nothing much!”

“Haha, it shows how well we work together!” Chen Chi was also swept up in the joy of victory, and then, remembering the far-gone Zhao Bin and the collected dog teeth, he quickly chased after them.

Soon, the trio passed through the narrow alleys and arrived at an abandoned garbage dump. Below a cover of rusty iron, heaps of garbage piled up like small iron ore hills.

“Awoooo!”

Two Berserk Blood Hyenas stood tenaciously below a small garbage hill, staring at them. Their tentacles writhed and they growled lowly, seemingly trying to scare them off with this display.

“Puppies, stop struggling. You’re surrounded by us… impossible!?”

However, before Zhao Bin could take a few more steps forward, his smug smile froze.

Because… from behind those garbage hills, one after another, Blood Hyenas emerged, like dominoes falling in succession. Seventy to eighty of them, eyeing them, saliva dripping from their jaws.

“How can there be so many Berserk Blood Hyenas!?”

Chen Chi looked grim, completely unprepared for the two Berserk Blood Hyenas to be so cunning as to lure them into a monster’s lair.

Although fearful, Zhao Bin still tried to keep up his bravado, saying, “It’s okay, it’s just more hyenas. As long as we work together well, we should be able to retreat safely…”

Rumble!

Before he could finish, the center of a small iron mountain four to five meters high suddenly started to tremble. Countless rusty pieces of garbage rolled down, making a clattering sound, raising a rust-colored cloud of dust.

And from within the dust, a huge silhouette slowly walked out. It resembled a Berserk Blood Hyena but stood three meters tall with giant fangs. Its huge heart, like a lump of flesh, stretched out numerous blood-red tendrils covering its entire body, looking as if it was clad in a crimson war suit.

A pair of blood-red eyes loomed over the three people on the ground, an unstoppable tide of tyrannical aura spreading forth, seeking to dye the world red.

“This is… the Berserk Blood Hyena’s evolved form after overcoming madness, an elite mid-tier Blood Frenzied Hyena! Damn it! We’ve been tricked into a monster’s lair!”

Chen Chi’s jaws trembled, his fear turning to despair as he quickly made a decision, and yelled to the other two who were frozen in shock:

“Run for your lives!”

The Phantom Leaf-tailed Gecko emerged, stepping on the Blood Frenzied Hyena’s shadow in an attempt to hold it in place and buy time for the others to escape.

However, the Blood Frenzied Hyena looked on with disdain as one of the blood-red tendrils whipped out like a long lash, sending the Phantom Leaf-tailed Gecko flying like a lead ball, smashing into a garbage hill, raising clouds of rust dust.

“Phantom Gecko!”

Chen Chi’s eyes split with rage. Although he had anticipated a huge gap in strength, he hadn’t expected that they wouldn’t be able to distract the Blood Frenzied Hyena for even a second.

Zhao Bin regained his senses, his body trembling uncontrollably, as he roared:

“You damned dog, I’ll fight you to the death! Blast Fire Bull, use Fire Armor, then charge!”

“Mo!”

The Blast Fire Bull ignited its Fire Armor and launched a charge, like a flaming chariot, powerfully ramming forward.

However, the Blood Frenzied Hyena faced this desperate strike with a simple extension of a claw, effortlessly pressing down on the head of the Blast Fire Bull to block the charge.

Then, with a surge of strength, it pushed the bull’s head into the ground.

Bang!

As stones flew, the flames went out instantly, and the Blast Fire Bull lay on the ground, knocked out cold.

The act was done with such ease, as if swatting a fly.

That moment plunged the three of them into complete despair. The remaining Healing Jellyfish wasn’t adept at combat, and with hyenas blocking their path, they were utterly unable to escape.

“It’s all my fault!”

Chen Chi was overwhelmed with guilt, bitterly regretting his underestimation that led them into this monster’s den.

“Damn it, ahhhh…” Zhao Bin’s face contorted in agony as he howled at the hyena pack.

But when you’re weak, even your threats are nothing more than cuteness in the eyes of the strong!

“Awooo!”

The Blood Frenzied Hyena waved its paw, and the two pursued hyenas howled skyward. Along with the rest of the pack, a dozen hyenas charged, leaping high, ready to pounce on these few humans, consume their flesh, and exact revenge.

“Are we going to die…?”

Songyue collapsed in despair on the ground, her body trembling uncontrollably as she stared at the maws of the hyenas, their fetid breath nearly touching her face.

Just as she was waiting for the moment of death, suddenly, the attacking Berserk Blood Hyenas stiffened in mid-air, expressions of horror streaking across their fierce visages.

Snap! Snap! Snap!

The next moment, accompanied by an eerie rip through flesh, they burst apart, turning into countless evenly sliced chunks of meat raining down.

Some of the blood even splashed onto the faces of the three, reflecting their bewildered expressions.

“What is this…?”

Songyue came to her senses, witnessing the floating beads of blood in front of her. At first, she was stunned, and then, upon closer inspection, her pupils dilated with shock.

No, not floating!

Before them, there were countless, almost invisible, delicate threads. If not for the numerous droplets of blood clinging to them, they would have been nearly imperceptible to the naked eye.

These blood-stained threads interwoven to create a hunting ground for all manner of creatures…

A crimson spiderweb!