Chapter 90: The Strange Man Faced Demon Spider
Suddenly, a strange sound came from the darkness ahead.
Without hesitation, Dugu Yan's first soul ring lit up brightly. A dark red beam of energy shot toward the source of the sound, exploding on impact and igniting the surrounding trees, illuminating the area.
Under the flickering firelight, Dugu Yan focused her gaze but there was nothing.
Her attack had missed.
Just as this thought crossed her mind, a faint rustling sound came from the darkness to her left this time, clearer than before.
A snake? Or some other type of arthropod?
Her survival training instantly provided her with the necessary insight.
Without a moment's delay, she abandoned her position, swiftly dashing toward the area she had just attacked while simultaneously launching another Lava Beam toward the source of the new sound.
In an unknown enemy encounter, the safest place was the one she had just attacked. Staying put was the worst choice.
Another explosion lit up the forest as more trees caught fire, yet Dugu Yan still couldn't see her opponent.
This enemy was fast she could confirm that much from her two failed attacks.
If that was the case, then she would simply set the entire area ablaze.
By doing so, any attempt to bypass her newly formed barrier of flames would result in burns, while also improving her vision and pinpointing the enemy's location.
With that in mind, Dugu Yan unleashed her Lava Beams recklessly, surrounding herself in a blazing ring of fire.
Finally, she saw her opponent.
Just outside the fire circle, a massive spider skittered around, seemingly searching for an opening to break through.
Under the increasing brightness of the flames, Dugu Yan studied her adversary.
The spider was covered in sleek, glossy black armor, unlike any ordinary spider type soul beast she had seen.
Its body was enormous, with a main body diameter exceeding 1.5 meters and eight spear like legs, each over three meters long.
A spider… but what kind?
Most spider type soul beasts relied on poison and webbing for attacks, meaning they were typically weak to fire.
This fight is in my favor, Dugu Yan thought, confidence surging through her.
Now, all that remained was to confirm its species, identify its weak points, and counter its attack patterns accordingly.
Her first soul ring lit up once more as she relentlessly bombarded the spider, chasing it with her dark red energy beams.
Watching from the shadows, Han Li nodded in approval.
So far, Dugu Yan's response was solid.
While somewhat by the book, her tactics were stable classic academy trained combat. Victory was only a matter of time.
Or so he thought.
As if cursed by his own thoughts, the battle suddenly took an unexpected turn.
Perhaps irritated by the constant attacks, or enraged by the fire surrounding it, the spider abruptly stopped evading.
It screeched to a halt, standing still despite the flames licking at its body.
Then, ignoring the burns, it coiled its long legs, tensed its muscles, and
Jumped straight over the fire!
Yes. It jumped.
The absurdity of this scene left Han Li momentarily stunned.
Even Dugu Yan, in the middle of attacking, hesitated for a brief moment.
However, she quickly snapped back to her senses.
Regardless of the type, all spiders shared one universal weakness their soft underbellies.
She had no idea why this spider was acting so erratically, but an opportunity was an opportunity.
She wouldn't let it go to waste.
Aimed directly at the airborne spider, she unleashed her full power.
Her second soul ring flared alongside the first. A much thicker dark red beam shot toward the defenseless creature in the air.
At the same time, she finally identified its species.
A Man Faced Demon Spider!
The markings on its underbelly a ghastly white face stood out starkly against its black exoskeleton.
And from beneath its body, eight eerie, glowing purple eyes glared at her with unmistakable rage.
Realizing that Dugu Yan was once again attacking it with fire, the Man Faced Demon Spider retaliated.
Its abdomen twitched slightly before launching a massive, pale web coated in a venomous blue violet liquid.
Mid air, the web clashed with the incoming Lava Beam, resulting in a violent explosion. Burning remnants of the shattered web rained down onto the battlefield.
Seeing this, Dugu Yan furrowed her brows.
A blood red flame surged around her, enveloping her body and incinerating any stray debris before it could touch her.
However, this brief moment of defense cost her the perfect chance to strike.
With a loud boom, the Man Faced Demon Spider crashed to the ground, sending a cloud of dust into the air.
Strangely, despite its burns, the spider seemed entirely fixated on Dugu Yan.
It didn't even attempt to extinguish the flames on its body.
Instead, it reared back again, spewing another toxic web straight at her.
Having no time to dodge, Dugu Yan was forced to counter with another blast of fire, choosing to meet the attack head on.
Taking advantage of the moment, the Man Faced Demon Spider dashed forward, its eight legs weaving in an erratic, S shaped pattern, dodging incoming attacks while rapidly closing the distance between them.
Watching this insane spider completely ignore its own injuries just to get closer, Dugu Yan sighed.
With a light flap of her wings, she lifted herself off the ground.
Even so, the spider refused to give up.
Despite missing its final web attack, it still didn't try to put out the fire engulfing it. Instead, it repeatedly leaped upward, desperately trying to reach her.
Its erratic movements, combined with the growing flames consuming its body, made for an absurd sight in the soul beast forest.
At this moment, Han Li along with the two Titled Douluo hovered in mid air beside Dugu Yan, all wearing identical expressions of disbelief.
All of them silently watched as the burning Man Faced Demon Spider continued to jump and flail around below, behaving more like a crazed flea than a powerful soul beast.
For a long moment, no one spoke.
(End of Chapter)
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