Thump.
A deep, muffled detonation echoed through the poisonous forest.
Blinding white-orange flames erupted in every direction, instantly engulfing everything within a five-meter radius. Like a miniature sun blooming upon the forest floor, the searing inferno swallowed the charging Poison Fang Spiders before they had the slightest chance to react.
The terrifying heat spread with astonishing speed. The surrounding poisonous mist evaporated into waves of steaming vapor, while nearby vegetation crackled beneath the overwhelming temperature.
The four younger Poison Fang Spiders, whose bodies were far weaker than the adults, were instantly consumed by the sea of fire. Their dark exoskeletons blackened almost immediately before the charred bodies collapsed onto the scorched ground.
The adult Poison Fang Spiders behind them fared only slightly better.
The blazing flames rolled across their thick carapaces like a tidal wave. Their hardened shells gradually turned dull crimson as countless cracks spread across the surface. Acrid smoke rose from their bodies while the unbearable heat penetrated beneath their armor, leaving them heavily injured and barely able to move.
Only three adult Poison Fang Spiders managed to escape beyond the incendiary grenade's effective range before the inferno completely engulfed the battlefield.
Several seconds later, the sea of white-orange flames gradually subsided.
Dense black smoke slowly spread through the battlefield as burning strands of spider silk drifted through the air. The surviving Poison Fang Spiders staggered within the smoke, their senses thrown into complete disorder by the sudden explosion.
Before they could regain their bearings—
A crimson streak burst from the smoke.
The Rune Sword, wrapped in blazing scarlet flames, cut through the battlefield with terrifying speed. Its burning blade left behind a crimson trail as it swept toward the nearest Poison Fang Spider.
The leading Poison Fang Spider never even realized death had arrived.
Its massive head separated cleanly from its body before tumbling across the scorched forest floor. Dark-green blood sprayed into the burning air as the headless corpse collapsed only a heartbeat later.
The remaining two Poison Fang Spiders instinctively raised their razor-sharp forelegs, preparing to retaliate against the approaching enemy.
But they were already too late.
A figure emerged from the smoke without slowing for even an instant.
The flaming sword swept outward in one fluid motion. Both spiders' forelegs were severed at their joints before the burning blade continued its elegant arc, carving deeply across their abdomens with unstoppable momentum.
Dark-green blood splashed across the burning spider webs and blackened earth.
The two Poison Fang Spiders crashed heavily onto the ground. Their bodies convulsed violently for several breaths before gradually falling silent, no longer possessing even the strength to struggle.
Only then did the smoke begin to disperse.
Standing quietly amidst the drifting smoke, burning corpses, and pools of dark-green blood was Ivan.
Long before the incendiary grenade had ever left his hand, every step of the battle had already been planned.
The Beast Attraction Solution attached to the grenade had successfully lured the surrounding Poison Fang Spiders into its effective radius. The moment the sea of white-orange flames erupted, Ivan immediately sprinted toward the spider nest.
By the time the blazing inferno gradually weakened and thick smoke spread across the battlefield, he had already crossed the fifty-meter distance and reached the nest.
From attracting the spiders, to the timing of the grenade, to the exact moment he entered the smoke, every step had already been calculated beforehand by Nova.
The sea of flames and the brief clash before the spider nest were enough to shatter the poisonous forest's silence.
A sharp, ear-piercing shriek suddenly erupted from deep within the hollow ancient tree, echoing throughout the forest like the furious cry of a predator. The sound startled countless small magical creatures hiding within the poisonous mist, sending them fleeing deeper into the forest.
The next moment, a massive Poison Fang Spider nearly twice the size of the ordinary adults crawled out from one of the upper openings of the ancient tree.
Its enormous body landed heavily upon the trunk with a dull thud. Judging from its size and the aura surrounding it, it possessed the strength of a High-Level Knight Apprentice. Its crimson eyes immediately locked onto Ivan before sweeping across the battlefield littered with the charred corpses of its fallen kin.
For a brief moment...
The entire battlefield fell silent.
Then—
A furious screech erupted from the giant spider's mouth.
The piercing cry spread throughout the nest like an unquestionable command.
Almost instantly, every remaining Poison Fang Spider emerged from the countless openings scattered across the enormous ancient tree. Adults and juveniles alike poured out one after another, crawling over the trunk, branches, and surrounding roots until the entire nest seemed to come alive.
Their scarlet eyes quickly found the lone figure standing amidst the corpses.
The moment they recognized the bodies of their fallen kin surrounding him...
Their fury exploded.
Countless shrill cries echoed throughout the poisonous forest as the entire colony surged toward Ivan from every direction. Some charged directly across the forest floor, while others leaped between tangled roots and low branches, attempting to surround him from every possible angle.
Facing the approaching swarm, Ivan remained completely composed.
He slowly raised the blazing sword in his hand, the crimson flames dancing quietly along its edge as his calm eyes swept across the rapidly approaching spiders.
The first wave closed the distance almost instantly.
Several adult Poison Fang Spiders rushed forward together while the one leading the assault suddenly leaped into the air, its razor-sharp forelegs descending toward Ivan like twin executioner's blades.
At that exact moment, Ivan quietly activated the Knight Technique he had mastered from the academy library.
"Crimson Slash."
The runic patterns engraved upon the blade immediately burst into brilliant crimson light.
Blazing scarlet flames surged along the Rune Sword, wrapping the blade in a layer of condensed fire. The surrounding air twisted beneath the terrifying heat as waves of scorching temperature spread outward.
The leaping Poison Fang Spider had already closed the distance.
Instead of retreating, Ivan stepped forward.
The burning Rune Sword swept horizontally.
A crimson arc flashed through the air as the enormous spider was split cleanly into two before its forelegs could even reach him. Its burning corpse crashed heavily onto the scorched ground, sliding several meters before finally coming to a stop.
Almost at the same moment, another Poison Fang Spider lunged from Ivan's left while a third crawled rapidly beneath the tangled roots, attempting to strike from below.
Ivan shifted only half a step.
His body turned naturally as the Rune Sword changed direction, meeting the charging spider head-on. The tremendous force behind the slash sent its massive body flying backward as cracks spread rapidly across its scorched carapace, crimson flames continuing to burn across its body.
Without slowing down, Ivan reversed his grip.
The burning blade descended diagonally.
The ambushing spider hidden beneath the tangled roots lost both forelegs in a single stroke before the Rune Sword continued downward, carving deeply through its abdomen. Dark-green blood splashed across the charred roots before hissing into smoke the instant it touched the burning ground.
For a brief moment, the battlefield descended into complete chaos. The surviving Poison Fang Spiders attacked from every direction, while poisonous venom and burning flames intertwined throughout the forest.
Just then—
Nova's calm voice sounded inside Ivan's mind.
"Warning."
"Venom projectiles approaching."
Almost at the same instant, Ivan's sharpened senses also detected the incoming danger.
Without the slightest hesitation, he shifted one step to the side.
Two streams of dark-green venom shot past the spot where he had been standing only a moment earlier before crashing into a nearby tree. Thick black smoke immediately rose from the trunk as the highly corrosive poison rapidly ate through the bark, leaving behind two fist-sized holes that continued to hiss.
Taking advantage of the brief opening created by the failed ambush, Ivan immediately rushed toward the remaining Poison Fang Spiders. Before they could regroup, the Rune Sword in his hand swept left and right in rapid succession, each slash accurately targeting the spiders' weak joints and vital areas, wasting neither strength nor unnecessary movement.
The Poison Fang Spiders erupted with sharp, piercing shrieks as they charged from every direction. Some rushed directly from the front, while others attempted to circle around his flanks. Several climbed rapidly along the ancient tree, preparing to attack from above.
However, before the Poison Fang Spiders could complete their coordinated assault, Ivan had already broken it apart with precise and efficient strikes. The blazing Rune Sword carved through poisonous flesh again and again, forcing every approaching spider backward before they could organize another attack.
As one adult Poison Fang Spider suddenly lunged toward him with its venom-coated forelegs stabbing downward, Ivan simply sidestepped, causing the attack to narrowly miss him. Almost simultaneously, the burning Rune Sword pierced beneath the creature's head before bursting out from the opposite side of its body.
The spider convulsed violently before collapsing onto the scorched forest floor.
At the same moment, another stream of venom shot toward Ivan.
Ivan calmly leaped aside, allowing the poisonous liquid to pass harmlessly beside him. While he was evading the attack, another Poison Fang Spider seized the opportunity and lunged from his blind side.
Nova's calm voice immediately sounded once more.
"Left flank."
Ivan instantly twisted his waist.
The Rune Sword swept backward in a smooth arc.
With a single slash, the joints of the Poison Fang Spider were severed cleanly before the burning blade continued forward, slashing deeply across the creature's abdomen. Dark-green blood spread across the forest floor as the spider released one final shriek before collapsing motionless.
The remaining Poison Fang Spiders hesitated for only a brief moment, but after witnessing more of their kin fall beneath Ivan's sword, every trace of fear was replaced by furious rage. Accompanied by sharp screeches, they charged toward him once again.
Ivan neither advanced recklessly nor retreated. He simply maintained his own rhythm, carefully controlling the distance while steadily reducing the Poison Fang Spiders' numbers. His Rune Sword slashed again and again, and each strike either crippled another spider or claimed its life.
Barely a minute later, silence gradually returned to the poisonous forest.
The final Poison Fang Spider, possessing the strength of a High-Level Knight Apprentice, struggled weakly beneath Ivan's burning blade. Scorching flames spread across its cracked body as dark-green blood continuously flowed from the deep wound across its abdomen.
With one clean motion, Ivan pulled the Rune Sword free.
The enormous spider released one final agonized shriek before collapsing heavily onto the forest floor. Its body twitched several times before becoming completely still.
Thus, the battle had finally come to an end.
Standing amidst the drifting smoke, burning corpses, and pools of dark-green blood, Ivan remained motionless, the Rune Sword still firmly held in his hand. He did not relax immediately. Instead, his gaze slowly swept across the surrounding poisonous forest while Nova conducted another scan of the nearby area.
A few seconds later, Nova calmly reported,
"Scan complete."
"No hostile lifeforms detected within a five-hundred-meter radius."
Only then did Ivan allow himself to relax slightly.
His gaze slowly swept across the remains of the Poison Fang Spiders scattered throughout the forest floor. A faint smile appeared beneath the mask.
The battle was over.
Now, it was time to harvest the rewards.
Without wasting any time, Ivan immediately began harvesting the valuable materials from the Poison Fang Spiders. Nearly twenty minutes later, he finally finished collecting every intact material from their remains.
One corpse after another was methodically dismantled beneath his precise hands. Every useful organ, gland, fang, and shell had been carefully separated and preserved, leaving nothing of value behind.
The most valuable harvest was undoubtedly the venom sacs.
Each sac contained highly concentrated poison that could be refined into alchemical poisons, high-grade antidotes, specialized potions, and even certain varieties of rune ink required for poison-attribute inscriptions.
Next came the Poison Fang Spiders' venom fangs.
Their naturally hollow structure made them ideal materials for forging poison-attributed weapons, concealed needles, dagger tips, and various assassination tools favored by certain wizard factions and underground organizations.
The spider silk glands were equally valuable.
After proper processing, the silk could be woven into durable magical ropes, rune threads used for inscription work, specialized enchanted fabrics, and numerous other magical textiles commonly used by wizards.
The hardened outer carapaces also possessed considerable value.
Although their defensive properties could not compare with those of the Armor-Backed Horned Lizard, they remained excellent magical materials frequently used in alchemy, lightweight defensive equipment, and various enchanted tools.
Even the Poison Fang Spiders' compound eyes were worth preserving.
Many potion masters regarded them as valuable ingredients for perception-enhancing potions, night-vision mixtures, and several vision-related magical concoctions.
Finally came the venom glands and poison-producing organs.
They were commonly used in poison-based formations, wizard rituals, and various branches of experimental wizardry, making them equally valuable research materials.
For low-level magical creatures, very few possessed so many valuable materials. Almost every useful part of the Poison Fang Spider could be exchanged for Magic Stones.
However, after harvesting every corpse, Ivan discovered that none of them contained a magical core.
He wasn't particularly disappointed.
The result was completely within his expectations.
A magical core was the true heart of every magical creature.
It continuously absorbed free-floating magic particles from the surrounding environment, refined them into usable magical energy, and served as the source of a magical creature's extraordinary abilities. Without a magical core, even the strongest magical beast would be nothing more than an ordinary beast.
Unfortunately, the probability of a low-level magical creature such as the Poison Fang Spider naturally forming a magical core was exceedingly low.
According to the academy records Ivan had previously studied, only mutated individuals, leader species, or magical creatures that had reached significantly higher ranks possessed a relatively high chance of developing one.
After placing every intact harvested material into a specially prepared leather sack, Ivan stored it inside his spatial ring.
He asked calmly,
"Nova."
"What time is it?"
Nova's mechanical voice answered almost immediately.
"Current estimated time: Early afternoon."
"There are approximately five hours and thirty-eight minutes remaining before sunset."
Hearing the report, Ivan gave a slight nod.
There was still plenty of time before nightfall.
Holding the Rune Sword firmly in one hand, Ivan cautiously advanced deeper into the poisonous forest while Nova continued searching the surrounding area for any suspected Poison Fang Spider nests.