Chapter 47: Spiders

The subway came to a halt amidst the falling snow. Zhao Kuo held the ​**[Ore Vein Detector]**​ in his hands, which indicated that there was an ore vein not far ahead. However, the detector didn't specify the type of ore vein; it only emitted a rapid beep-beep-beep sound. Zhao Kuo didn't act rashly. Ore veins, as natural formations, were often guarded by monsters. The last time he detected an iron ore vein, he encountered Little White. This time, he wasn't sure what he would face.

Moreover, this ore vein had been detected immediately after he rolled the ​Lucky Dice, so it was undoubtedly something valuable. The more valuable the ore, the stronger the creature guarding it would naturally be. He decided to test the waters first. Zhao Kuo glanced at Tang Yingying beside him, and the girl, understanding his intent, summoned her ​Plush Bunny​ and ​Plush Crocodile. She then controlled the ​Plush Bunny​ to run in the direction indicated by the ore vein detector.

Halfway there, the bunny entered its stealth mode. It had to be said that the ​Plush Bunny's​ stealth ability was incredibly useful—not only could it ambush enemies unexpectedly, but it was also perfect for reconnaissance. It was a skill even Zhao Kuo envied.

But to Zhao Kuo's surprise, Tang Yingying reported that there was no danger near the ore vein. No danger? Zhao Kuo frowned. Even an iron ore vein had been guarded by a creature like Little White. This ore vein, which was clearly more valuable and had been enhanced by the ​Lucky Dice, couldn't possibly be unguarded.

"Maybe the bunny didn't see the danger?" Tang Yingying suggested. The ​Plush Bunny​ had been in stealth mode, and many things had been glanced over quickly without a detailed inspection. However, the ​Plush Bunny​ itself hadn't sensed any danger.

"Let the crocodile take a look," Zhao Kuo said, his cautious nature preventing him from acting recklessly.

Tang Yingying nodded and immediately controlled the ​Plush Crocodile, activating its ​Speed Boost​ skill. The crocodile shot forward like an arrow, leaving a blur in the darkness. But as it approached the ​Plush Bunny, something unexpected happened.

Both the ​Plush Crocodile​ and the ​Plush Bunny​ seemed to be grabbed by something and lifted into the air, suspended in midair.

"Not good! Use fire!" Zhao Kuo quickly instructed.

Tang Yingying, after a moment of panic, calmed down and issued the command. The ​Plush Crocodile​ opened its mouth, and flames lit up the surrounding darkness. In that brief moment, Zhao Kuo caught a glimpse of two strange black figures retreating into the shadows above the ​Plush Crocodile. Those things seemed to have many legs!

"Keep spraying fire, aim upwards!" Zhao Kuo continued.

Tang Yingying obeyed without hesitation. As the flames spread, something above the ​Plush Crocodile​ suddenly caught fire, as if an invisible thread had been ignited. The fire began to spread upwards.

A black, slender limb suddenly appeared and severed the burning thread. The ​Plush Crocodile, still spewing fire, fell to the ground, dazed and disoriented. But the ​Plush Bunny​ wasn't so lucky—it was pulled upwards, and a terrifying chewing sound followed.

"No!" Tang Yingying screamed. She knew her bunny was under a brutal attack, and in just an instant, it was on the verge of death.

Her scream also caught the attention of the two creatures hiding in the darkness. In the next moment, the two finally saw the monsters' true forms.

Two giant black spiders, their backs adorned with intricate patterns resembling skulls or ghostly faces, looked incredibly menacing. When the two spiders came together, they emitted a sound like a girl's weeping. At that moment, one of the spiders was using its legs to stab the ​Plush Bunny, which had already lost half its head.

But wait, it was just a plush toy. Aren't spiders carnivorous? How could they eat something like that?

However, now wasn't the time to think about that. Zhao Kuo sensed a threat from these two giant spiders. Individually, each of them was likely not much weaker than Little White!

Sure enough, the two spiders moved with incredible speed, charging toward the subway. Halfway there, one of the spiders spat out a strand of glistening silk, which landed on the subway carriage. Instantly, the sound of corroding metal could be heard—clearly, the silk had strong corrosive properties.

"Don't just stand there! As long as they're carbon-based life forms, they're afraid of fire. Keep your crocodile spraying flames!" Zhao Kuo grabbed his sniper rifle, trying to aim at one of the spiders.

But it was clear that these spiders had some level of intelligence. They kept moving erratically, giving Zhao Kuo no chance to aim.

"Damn it!" Zhao Kuo gritted his teeth and without hesitation used a ​**[Lucky Magic Missile]**​ to slow the spiders' advance.

Meanwhile, Tang Yingying controlled the ​Plush Crocodile​ to approach the spiders. With its mouth wide open, a wave of flames surged forward. She also raised her light machine gun, trying to aim at the spiders, but their speed made it difficult to lock onto them.

Looks like I'll have to wait until they're injured before unloading a full clip into them! Zhao Kuo thought.

He was right—carbon-based life forms had a natural fear of fire, even mutated ones. Back then, the White Snake, despite its strength, had also been afraid of being burned by flames.

The ​Plush Crocodile's​ attack significantly reduced the pressure on Zhao Kuo. He immediately aimed at one of the spiders and activated ​**[Super Potential Focus]**.

In an instant, everything around him froze. Zhao Kuo could even sense the spiders' heartbeats—faint yet powerful.

In that moment, Zhao Kuo aimed at one of the spiders' heads. It seemed their defenses weren't as strong as Little White's. With a gunshot, Zhao Kuo exited the ​Super Potential Focus​ state. The skill consumed 10% of his stamina and mental energy per second, and using it too much would leave him completely drained.

Fortunately, the bullet successfully hit the spider's eye. With a pained hiss, the two spiders seemed to realize that their prey wasn't easy to deal with and retreated into the darkness.

Just as the two of them breathed a sigh of relief, strands of silk shot out from the darkness, clearly targeting Zhao Kuo's subway, including the carriages at the back. The rear carriages were just ordinary ones and couldn't withstand the corrosive silk. If they were penetrated, the losses would be significant!

Zhao Kuo lunged toward the control panel and started the subway, reversing it to retreat. Watching the silk strands scatter in front of the windshield, he silently praised his wise decision.

He also realized that if these two spiders continued to hide in the darkness and attack from there, he might not have any way to deal with them. So, should he give up on this lucky ore vein and continue forward?

Zhao Kuo was conflicted. Under the influence of the ​Lucky Dice, the contents of this ore vein were undoubtedly precious. But wasting a lot of time and potentially suffering losses didn't seem like a wise choice either.

Just as Zhao Kuo was struggling with his decision, the ​Light Cocoon​ on the control panel, which had been dormant all this time, suddenly trembled.