Chapter 74: The Spider Cave’s Ominous Signal

The Spider Cave, a notorious location, lay nestled deep within the southwestern swamps of the Yadel Continent. It was renowned as the game’s inaugural small-scale dungeon, and indeed, the very first dungeon instance to be discovered.

Dungeons were categorized into small, medium, and large, with distinctions drawn primarily by their difficulty and the number of participants they could accommodate. Small dungeons were designed for five players, while medium ones could host anywhere from twenty to a hundred. Details regarding large-scale dungeons remained undisclosed at present, but the Spider Cave firmly fell into the ‘small’ category.

Yet, despite its classification as a mere five-person dungeon, players had only managed to conquer the Spider Cave on its simplest difficulty setting. This was due to the fact that an increase in difficulty didn’t merely buff monster statistics; it fundamentally altered the entire dungeon’s progression, even introducing numerous additional bosses.

For instance, the hard difficulty iteration of the Spider Lair diverged drastically from its easy counterpart. It not only introduced a formidable Spider Queen, an adversary that had thus far stymied every elite player, but also began to impose severe limitations on player positioning and movement. As for the Hell difficulty, its monstrous nature remained a complete mystery, given that no team had yet managed to clear the Hard difficulty.

Lihuanhuan, also known as Xiang Ling, had arrived alongside the guild leader of the Sword Sweeping the World’s 29th branch. Today marked the dungeon activity day for this particular branch, and their leader had marshaled the entire guild, a formidable force, to descend upon the Spider Lair, intending for every member to secure a clear of the easy difficulty.

Naturally, with five hundred members present, it was impossible for them all to funnel into a single Spider Lair instance. After all, this particular dungeon strictly capped entry at five players, necessitating their division into dozens of standard five-person teams to enter. The decision to bring the entire guild together was a strategic one: it fostered a collective pioneering spirit within the guild channel, significantly boosting member morale and, consequently, dramatically improving dungeon clearing efficiency.

A sneer of mockery played on Lihuanhuan’s lips as her gaze fell upon the sole access point to the Spider Lair—a narrow, rune-etched log bridge. This precarious crossing permitted passage from only one direction at a time; should players attempt to cross simultaneously from both ends, one party would be forced to retreat, lest both find themselves awkwardly trapped in the middle.

Beneath the log bridge stretched a virulent swamp, its waters so toxic that even the slightest touch promised certain death. An unfortunate plunge into its depths would not only guarantee demise but also offer the agonizing sensation of being slowly consumed by the mire. Thus, any player who stumbled from the bridge would be well-advised to end their own life swiftly, rather than endure the prolonged torment.

Though the Spider Lair remained the sole discovered dungeon on the Yadel Continent, its notorious difficulty for players at their current stage of progression meant most were loath to risk a futile death and the accompanying experience loss. Consequently, the area outside the dungeon gate saw sparse player activity. Apart from the Sword Sweeping the World’s 29th branch, who had arrived in force, only a handful of elite members from other major guilds lingered, awaiting their companions.

It was precisely for this reason that the members of Sword Sweeping the World’s 29th branch had effectively seized control of the log bridge. While they refrained from levying a toll, they had nonetheless contributed several additional corpses to the swamp below.

At this very moment, Lihuanhuan stood personally at the dungeon-proximate end of the log bridge. She meticulously scrutinized every passing female player, examining their names and appearances. Should a female player attempt to conceal her name or refuse to disclose her identity, one of Lihuanhuan’s henchmen would inevitably step onto the log bridge with a sinister grin, forcibly casting the offender into the swamp.

Attractive female players were always cherished within guilds, and Lihuanhuan herself possessed a distinct allure. Consequently, numerous male players vied for her favor, and these very individuals served as her loyal enforcers and henchmen.

Her objective was crystal clear: a female player by the name of Ning Beibei.

An informant embedded within Gunfire Rose had furnished her with Su Yingning’s game ID, ensuring that the moment Su Yingning appeared, Lihuanhuan would detect her presence instantly. She would then humiliate her thoroughly before unhesitatingly shoving her into the swamp, forcing her to experience the agonizing torment of being consumed by the mire!

It would be even better if that foolish brother of theirs were to accompany her; Lihuanhuan could then kill two birds with one stone, sending them both to keep each other company in the swamp’s murky depths!

Just as she was meticulously plotting the precise manner of her rival’s humiliation, her eyes, along with those of everyone else nearby, suddenly gleamed with an intense, burning anticipation, all gazes fixed upon the opposite end of the log bridge.

How could one even begin to describe that young woman? Was she ethereal? Enticing? Did she simply evoke a profound sense of inner peace in all who beheld her?

Every male player felt their heart skip several beats; her very presence seemed to infuse the entire gloomy swamp with a newfound radiance.

She was like a lotus blossoming from water, or the delicate elegance of jasmine. She seemed a goddess who had inadvertently tumbled into the mortal realm, her brow no longer bearing divine haughtiness, but instead exuding an approachable warmth that permeated one’s very being with an overwhelming sense of gentleness.

Indeed, even if every superlative description of beauty from every Mary Sue novel ever written were heaped upon her, it would not be an exaggeration.

Even if they were to behold a truly absurdly long, ‘MC Mary Sue’ game ID hovering above her head, not a single person would feel an ounce of embarrassment; rather, they would simply deem her perfectly suited to such a magnificent moniker. ‘Hmm? It seems she truly does bear an exceptionally long name…’

Su Shunhua silently tucked the pink rapier, which he had been holding behind his back, back into his pet inventory. ‘This weapon is far too lethal,’ he mused internally. ‘Best to handle it sparingly. Carrying it openly risks drawing unwanted attention and triggering some unsavory plotline.’

Since Su Shunhua had openly displayed his name, no one dared to impede his passage across the log bridge. Indeed, had anyone been so audacious as to block his way at that moment, they would undoubtedly have been met with a barrage of kicks to their backside, brutally propelled into the swamp to wallow in the mud.

Su Shunhua recognized Xiang Ling instantly, for she, too, had chosen not to conceal her ID, and her appearance remained largely unchanged from reality, without any deliberate alterations. What truly gave her away, however, was her imperious bearing and the venomous, jealous glint in her eyes—the very same look she had countless times secretly directed at Su Yingning, though now, he realized, that spiteful gaze was aimed squarely at him.

“Esteemed sister, Lihuanhuan… you must be Lihuanhuan, yes?” Su Shunhua greeted Xiang Ling with a dazzling, warm smile.

“Hmph… can’t you discern that for yourself?” Xiang Ling retorted, craning her neck to glare at Su Shunhua with an ill-tempered sneer. “Is there something you need?”

“Indeed! There is! On my way here, I encountered a rather lovely young girl, and she asked me to deliver a note to you…” Su Shunhua produced a slip of paper and extended it towards her.

Xiang Ling’s brow furrowed. The note bore no words, only an exquisitely rendered S-shaped animal tail, unmistakably canine in its depiction. It was so startlingly lifelike that one could almost discern the warm, fluffy undulations of its fur and the subtly darker hue of its tail tip.

‘Of course it’s lifelike,’ Su Shunhua mused internally. ‘I must have drawn it thousands of times in my previous life.’

Initially, those who first saw it merely scoffed. Later, however, a profound panic would seize them, sending them scrambling into reinforced iron structures. In time, they would seek refuge in subterranean spaces, perhaps what they termed nuclear fallout shelters. Ultimately, upon seeing this very slip of paper, they would simply offer a vacant smile and begin drafting their last wills and testaments.

Back then, this very image had been instrumental in garnering over a hundred million followers for his blog. ‘It must be due to my exquisite artistic talent,’ he thought, a hint of self-praise tinging his reflection. ‘Tsk, what a shame I never pursued a career as a painter; my gifts were truly wasted.’

Oh, right. They apparently referred to this particular emblem as—the Assassination Signal.

On a related note, should he perhaps start another blog? Just like before, he could post an announcement prior to any action, giving his targets ample time to prepare. ‘Hmm… if the thought strikes, then I shall act upon it!’

However, having lived two lives, he couldn’t remain entirely unchanged; that would imply a distinct lack of creativity on his part, wouldn’t it? ‘Therefore, I shall no longer post on Weibo! I need a new platform!’

“Hey! I’m asking you what this note signifies! Didn’t that individual enlighten you?!” Lihuanhuan snapped, glaring at the distracted Su Shunhua.

Su Shunhua waved a dismissive hand. “Quiet down,” he instructed impatiently. “I need to post something to my Moments first!”

This marked the inaugural public display of the fox tail signal within [Pursuit II]… yet, it would be far from its last appearance.

From this day forward, a terrifying entity would become infamous across the Yadel Continent, striking profound dread into the hearts of all who received its ominous signal.

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