"Nice to work with you!" Li Juxu looked on with respect. He had taken missions hunting blood wolves before and knew how terrifying they were. A full team of eight would only dare to take on three at most. If they saw five or six, they would usually retreat. For Lynx to escape and kill three — the strength was frightening.
"Don't let Black-headed Wasp exaggerate. He's making me sound better than I was. That time, I barely survived, laid in the hospital for half a year. I almost met my ancestors. A sniper would've helped a lot. I saw you shoot last night — you're ice-calm." Lynx had sharp eyes.
The two shook hands, exchanged a few polite words, and officially became partners.
"Let me say something," Black-headed Wasp's smile faded, his expression turning serious. "Some things I couldn't tell you before, but now there's no point hiding them. This Red-Spotted Crown Spider mission — our rich employer has already posted it twice before.
First time: 15 people went in. Only 2 came back. The boss went in with them that time.
Second time: 26 people. I was on that team. Only 8 came back alive. I was one of the lucky ones.
This is the third attempt."
Lynx and Li Juxu's faces darkened.
They had thought the mission was difficult, but never imagined it was this deadly.
"Of the eight who came back, only me and two others were unharmed. The other five were hospitalized and never seen again. Those two took their pay and refused to come back. I was going to leave too, but… something happened to my family, and the boss helped me fix it. I'm telling you this so you know exactly what we're walking into."
"Where exactly is the danger coming from?" Lynx asked, voicing the question on both their minds.
"Mosquitoes."
"Mosquitoes?" Lynx's eyes bulged. Li Juxu was also caught off guard.
"You'll see in a minute."
Black-headed Wasp pulled three egg-sized spheres from his bag. He pressed a button, and the spheres transformed dramatically into helmets. He put one on himself and handed the others to Li Juxu and Lynx. They didn't hesitate — they put them on at once.
The helmets were lightweight, filtered air, and regulated temperature and humidity. They didn't feel uncomfortable and didn't block sound. Each one cost over 200,000 copper coins.
"Cover every inch of exposed skin. Otherwise, you're gonna regret it." Black-headed Wasp checked himself carefully before moving out. Li Juxu and Lynx copied him.
"Aaaaah —!"
A shrill scream cut through the silent forest, ear‑splitting.
Li Juxu tensed. The sound was close.
Without a word, the three rushed toward it.
Others were faster.
"…Help me… help me… please…"
A man lay on the ground, begging, his face twisted with terror and despair. Three others stood nearby, watching with pity — but doing nothing.
Li Juxu looked down at the man.
His entire face had turned an unnatural pale cyan. His limbs twitched uncontrollably. On his neck and the back of his hand were two small puncture wounds, leaking pale yellow blood instead of red.
Nearby lay the crushed remains of two Gray-Spotted Crown Spiders.
In just seconds, the man's face darkened further, cyan fading into black. Li Juxu glanced at Black-headed Wasp, who shook his head slightly — no hope.
More footsteps. Others arrived, shocked at the scene.
The man's voice grew weaker. Within minutes, he lost consciousness. His life force faded rapidly.
"Let's go." Black-headed Wasp sighed.
They didn't know him, but he was on their team. To die like this left a bitter taste.
"The venom is that fierce? Even poisonous snakes aren't this bad," Lynx muttered, stunned. From bite to coma was less than ten minutes.
"That's why you cannot let those spiders touch you," Wasp said gravely.
"…What if we do get bitten?"
"If it's on an arm or leg — don't hesitate. Chop it off. Lose the limb, save your life. If it's on the neck… you'd better end it quick yourself."
"I saw a few small red dots on his face. That wasn't from the spider, right?" Li Juxu spoke suddenly.
"Night Owl, you have sharp eyes. No, those were mosquito bites. The mosquitoes here aren't deadly by themselves, but they carry a neurotoxin that slows your reflexes. They also make you give off a scent that attracts the spiders. Get bitten by a mosquito, and the spiders will come for you almost immediately. So watch the mosquitoes even more closely than the spiders."
"Good thing we're wrapped up like rice dumplings," Lynx joked.
"Who knows?" Wasp's tone was uneasy. They knew about the bugs and spiders — the unknown dangers were the scariest.
"Something's there," Li Juxu whispered suddenly, his voice low and tight.
Black-headed Wasp and Lynx froze instantly, expressions sharp. They crouched slightly, ready to explode into action.
"10 o'clock, about 110 meters. On the third branch of the three‑man tree."
Li Juxu quietly unslung the Burster-002B from his back and began assembling it.
It was a dark shadow. The forest light was too dim to make out details, but from the size, it could be a leopard, a tiger, or something similar.
"Too loud!" Black-headed Wasp stopped him. A shot from the Burster would echo for kilometers, turning the whole forest against them. He gestured to Lynx. They split left and right, closing in silently.
Lynx was lean and naturally agile. But Black-headed Wasp, huge as he was, also moved without a sound. Li Juxu was impressed. Wasp's reputation was well-earned.
30 meters… 20… 10…
When they were less than three meters from the shadow, both men suddenly stiffened.
Li Juxu's gut dropped.
Before he could react, the shadow shot down from the branch like a bolt of lightning.
BOOM —
Even 100 meters away, Li Juxu's ears rang.
Black-headed Wasp was sent flying like a cannonball, over twenty meters, smashing through plants and shrubs.
Thud —