Chapter 32: Poison Gland (4k)

"Whoosh!"

The sharp, piercing wind kicked up by his high-speed movement caused the black, messy hair on Xia Nan's forehead to whip violently.

A blur flashed in his vision, and Wood, wielding two daggers, had already arrived at his side.

"Young Master, are you alright?"

His gaze, filled with anxiety and concern, scanned the half-elf's body thoroughly from head to toe.

Only after seeing no external injuries did he breathe a sigh of relief.

In truth, Wood was merely acting out of frantic concern; with no obstacles in the way, he had witnessed everything that had just transpired while rushing toward them.

He knew perfectly well that the Rust Monster had never even touched Heian before its head was sliced off.

However, the urgency caused by his perceived failure, combined with the lingering fear of what might have happened, left him unable to stop feeling self-reproach.

*It's fine, it's fine,* Wood thought to himself in relief.

Then, he turned his head and looked with utmost seriousness at Xia Nan, who stood beside them holding a longsword, preparing to move forward again to support the others.

He gave a sincere and earnest nod.

The battle was urgent, and Wood was not naturally a man of many words.

But in this moment, he had truly accepted, in his heart, this young lad in the party—someone he had once doubted, but who had now proven through action that he was worthy of trust.

"Swish."

Like a phantom, the figure clad in black leather armor vanished once more.

It was only then that Heian, the half-elf who had just survived a life-and-death crisis, finally regained his senses.

"Huff... huff..."

He gasped for air, his originally fair face now drenched in sweat.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry... Thank you!"

Heian apologized to Xia Nan beside him in a disorganized muddle.

Xia Nan didn't even offer a response; his entire being had already surged past the half-elf.

On one hand, in his view, even if Heian and the others had been strangers to him just a few days ago, they were now members of his party.

Even if it were only for the sake of those 100 gold coins, he ought to fulfill his responsibilities within his capability.

On the other hand, it was because—

One of the two remaining Rust Monsters had taken advantage of this moment to crawl right in front of them.

"SKREEE!!!"

The shrill, high-pitched screech sounded as if it would burst their eardrums.

A long, segmented tail covered in wavy, yellowish-brown chitinous plating lashed through the air, kicking up countless bits of grass with every movement.

Unlike the green-skinned Goblins, whose combat power was determined by "numbers," Rust Monsters—which rarely lived in large groups to begin with—did not feel fear or anger at the death of their kin.

These large insects, which usually roamed deep, dark caverns, seemed to have been stimulated by something, exhibiting extreme aggression.

Even though their food—metal weapons—was being corroded by venom right at their feet, they showed no interest in it, choosing instead to attack the living creatures before them with mindless fury.

With the iron-gray decapitation sword held horizontally across his chest, Xia Nan was in no hurry to attack. Instead, he circled the Rust Monster, keeping his sword ready as he moved around its flank.

His mind was working at high speed.

Everything that had happened since the start of the battle flashed through his brain.

First, the greatest threat to him was naturally the corrosive venom spat from the Rust Monster's mouth.

Whether it splashed on his body or accidentally touched his blade, the thought of it made his heart ache; it was unacceptable.

He had to be extremely cautious!

Second, the Rust Monster was covered in thick, solid plating.

Judging by the blow Larry had just landed with his warhammer, Xia Nan couldn't be sure if a single sword strike would be enough to pierce the armor.

If he failed to cut through the insect's defense instantly and the blade failed to transmit force through flesh and blood, the resulting recoil would leave him in a state of stiffness.

The margin for error was extremely low!

Therefore, following Wood's example by seeking breakthroughs through the gaps in the Rust Monster's plating was undoubtedly the best way to deal with such insectoid monsters.

But...

A flicker of hesitation crossed Xia Nan's dark eyes.

Just a few seconds ago, he had indeed used [Whirlwind Slash] to take off a Rust Monster's head.

It was just that at the time, he hadn't thought about it at all; seeing a teammate in crisis, he had instinctively mimicked Wood's technique and swung.

He hadn't even aimed carefully, yet the blade had slotted right into the insect's shell.

Thinking back, was it a coincidence, or some kind of combat talent?

He wasn't entirely sure.

However, he would not allow such an uncertain illusion to interfere with the life-or-death battle at hand.

"Bang!"

A powerful tail lashed against the ground like a whip, splashing up countless clumps of mud.

Xia Nan narrowly dodged it.

He used the momentum of his longsword to sweep, sending sparks flying against the yellowish-brown shell.

"Tsk, a pity. Just a little off."

These weren't stationary toys on a table; through countless generations of evolution, Rust Monsters naturally knew the weaknesses in their own anatomy.

The uneven, wave-like thickness of their plating made the gaps between them exceptionally narrow and difficult to penetrate.

Combined with their constantly moving bodies and the long tail whipping behind them like an iron lash...

One had to be a "Class Professional" like Wood, possessing extraordinary skills far beyond an ordinary person.

Otherwise, in the heat of battle, it would be difficult to catch a flaw in the insect's defense.

Unless...

"Whoosh!"

A sharp sound of breaking air suddenly rang out from behind him.

Xia Nan's body momentarily stiffened, but he reacted instantly.

He leaped backward violently.

Whether to build momentum or to retreat, he needed to create sufficient space.

Immediately after, a wooden arrow tipped with white fletching whizzed past him with a "hum," trailing a wake of mist.

Heian, the half-elf who had regained his wits after the ambush, immediately provided an assist for his teammate.

Unlike the previous rapid, straight shots, the arrow in Xia Nan's vision appeared significantly slower.

Yet, it seemed the half-elf was using a unique technique that caused the fletching to vibrate violently, making the entire arrow spin at high speed.

Like the contrail left by a plane crossing the sky, a clear path was carved through the misty air by the spinning arrow.

"Psh!"

Extremely precise.

With incredible accuracy, the metal arrowhead spiraled into the Rust Monster's eye—a tiny opening shielded by its plating.

The sheer force of the arrow's impact even caused half of the monster's insectoid face to shatter and distort.

*Skree—!*

The insect's cry rang out!

The excruciating pain caused the Rust Monster to instinctively rear up, shaking its head as if trying to shake off the deeply embedded arrow.

"Now!"

Xia Nan did not hesitate for a second.

His legs, already coiled for power, lunged forward.

Due to his slightly disadvantaged position, he did not use the ill-suited [Whirlwind Slash], but instead instinctively thrust his iron-gray longsword diagonally upward.

"Squelch!"

Insect blood sprayed!

Driven by the full force of his body, the blade almost instantly pierced through the relatively vulnerable lower jaw of the Rust Monster.

The neck, the spine... all the way up!

*Thud—*

The Rust Monster's heavy, reared-up body fell backward onto the ground with the momentum of Xia Nan's thrust, making a dull thud.

The insect's head, still pierced by the arrow, rolled onto the meadow.

Its mandibles twitched unconsciously.

Xia Nan did not dare to relax for even a moment. The second he confirmed the Rust Monster was dead, he erupted with even more violent strength than before.

Stepping on the insect's abdomen, he forcefully wrenched the decapitation sword, which was embedded in its shell, out!

Then, he carefully inspected the blade!

*Don't get coated, please don't get coated...*

He prayed fervently in his heart.

Opportunities were rare; he hadn't cared about venom during that strike, he just had to land the hit.

While he didn't exactly regret it, he couldn't help but worry about the blade being corroded by the creature's saliva.

Fortunately,

Although several obvious scratches had appeared on the blade and the surface was covered in thick, dark green insect blood, he had ultimately avoided the Rust Monster's venom—the natural nemesis of metal equipment.

Move, pause, thrust.

Truly intense battles are often decided within seconds.

By the time Xia Nan, panting, pulled the longsword from the insect's body, Wood, on the other side of the camp, had already dealt with the last Rust Monster on the field.

The battle was over.

...

The Rust Monster attack had come suddenly.

If it had been an ordinary low-level adventurer party, facing the siege of these four disgusting insectoids would have likely resulted in heavy casualties, if not a total wipeout.

Fortunately, Xia Nan's team had an experienced professional.

Not only had he used pre-set traps around the camp to keep everyone alert to potential attacks, but he had also immediately and clearly pointed out the dangers of the Rust Monsters. He had even taken the lead, dispatching one with efficient methods and demonstrating its weaknesses.

Combined with the coordination of Xia Nan, Heian, and the others,

By the end of the fight, only Larry had sustained minor injuries after accidentally coming into contact with the Rust Monster's saliva while fleeing; the other four were perfectly fine.

*Zzzzt—*

Larry somewhat disgustedly flicked the venom off his warhammer onto the nearby meadow.

"This thing... should still be usable, right..."

He muttered, staring at the metal hammerhead, which was severely deformed as if gnawed by rats under the corrosion of the Rust Monster's saliva.

A thick layer of bandages was already wrapped around his arm.

"Larry, what are you doing there? Come help!"

Behind him, Doris called out in a low voice while packing their luggage.

"Coming!"

The commotion from the battle and the stench of insect blood meant the area was no longer safe.

Before it got completely dark, they had to hurry and find a new place to camp.

On the other side, Xia Nan stood before the corpse of a Rust Monster, his decapitation sword already wiped clean.

At this moment, he was frowning, carefully flipping through the [Adventurer's Handbook] in his hands.

"Rust Monster... Rust Monster..."

"Why isn't it here?"

Having finally finished the battle, he certainly didn't want to give up on the spoils of war just like that.

Based on Xia Nan's relatively rudimentary knowledge of adventuring, a large insect like this should be worth quite a bit just for its incredibly defensive chitinous plating.

But given the current situation, these plates were too heavy to carry back.

Even if he found a place to bury them and left a marker, they would likely be dug up and eaten by the scent-sensitive creatures of the Misty Forest by the time he returned after the mission.

Therefore, he was wondering if there was anything on the Rust Monster that was easy to carry and had market value, so he could collect it now.

However, the adventurer's handbook contained no record of this type of monster.

"This is a bit troublesome," he thought bitterly.

Just then, as if sensing Xia Nan's thoughts, Wood, clad in black leather armor, walked up silently.

Unlike his vigilance and silence during the journey, he took the initiative to speak in a calm tone

"The most valuable part of a Rust Monster is the venom gland located on the upper left side of its abdominal cavity."

"It's dark purple and about the size of a thumb. It's quite obvious; you'll find it after a few more probes. The outer skin is somewhat tough and hard to break, so just find a cloth bag to put it in. But be careful not to store it with metal items, as it might cause corrosion."

"I suggest skipping the plating. First, it's inconvenient to carry, and second, due to the environment of the Misty Forest, these things rot very quickly once the host dies, unless you bring protective materials."

"If you ever have the chance to visit a town near the Dwarven settlements and encounter these insects again, you can also take their antennae."

"Just like cutting off a Goblin's left ear, the dwarves there will give you an additional bounty for them."

This was the first time Xia Nan had heard Wood speak for such a long stretch.

Knowing the man was helping him, he couldn't help but offer his thanks

"Alright, thank you very much."

He pulled a dagger from his waist, intending to hurry and collect the venom glands.

However, Heian, the half-elf, had already walked over.

"Here, I've already dug out the venom glands from the other three insects for you. Together, they should amount to a small sum of money."

His fair hands were stained with thick, dark green insect blood, and in his palms were three dark purple, oval-shaped organs.

Hearing this, Xia Nan was momentarily stunned.

"You..."

"Consider it compensation for this mission," the half-elf said, placing the venom glands into a cloth bag and pressing them into Xia Nan's hands with a smile. "After all, we agreed beforehand that we would only be on the outskirts of the Misty Forest and that there wouldn't be much risk."

"Now that we've actually encountered monsters of the Rust Monster class, it wouldn't be realistic for me to pretend nothing happened."

"Besides, you just saved me... regarding that, once this mission is over and we return to Neum..."

"We'll talk about it then," Xia Nan interrupted, waving his hand.

He was not the type of person to hold a favor over someone's head, and his intervention during the fight had simply been a matter of circumstance.

They were teammates, and his own situation hadn't been that bad; he couldn't just stand by and watch the other man die.

Therefore, he didn't really care about so-called "life-saving favors."

On the contrary, the three venom glands in the other man's hands were much more enticing.

*I wonder how much they'll sell for when we get back,* Xia Nan mused, remembering that his savings before the trip were only 24 gold, 2 silver, and 7 copper.

Meanwhile, standing beside them, Wood looked at the Rust Monster's corpse on the grass. Even though the battle had ended, his expression grew even more solemn.

"These insects usually live in the caves of the Underdark."

"Why have so many suddenly appeared in the Misty Forest?"

"Who drove these Rust Monsters out of their habitat? Or is something here attracting them?"