The gray leather armor clung tightly to his skin, with reinforced padding at every joint—somewhat reminiscent of the elven leather armor seen in fantasy RPGs, giving it a distinctly peculiar charm.

Cen An rarely wore such form-fitting garments and felt oddly uncomfortable… Only after draping his khaki jacket over it did he feel somewhat better.

Little did he realize that the loose jacket, while concealing his torso, only accentuated his long, straight legs. The tall boot shafts hugged his calves cleanly and sharply.

Cen An raised his sword to test its strength against his arm—it could likely absorb about 20% of the force.

He knew this: with this leather armor, he needn’t fear Level 3 mutant beasts. As for Level 4 mutant beasts, if only one or two came, he felt confident.

Equipped and ready to head out… Wait.

His footsteps halted as he retrieved the obsidian statue.

After a moment’s contemplation, he flipped his hand, and a snake corpse appeared in his palm, emitting an unpleasant odor.

Lately, Cen An had offered daily sacrifices to the obsidian statue, though he lacked decent offerings—just mutant beast meat or crystal cores, not even enough for a platter of ten delicacies.

Consequently, the statue’s return gifts were even more perfunctory—worthless trinkets like iron ore, copper ore, or charcoal. The only somewhat useful offering had been a large sack of salt two days prior, weighing a full three jin. Enough to last him years.

He looked again at the red-eyed snake carcass.

This was the red-eyed snake that Yu Fei had brought back earlier—a Level 3 mutant beast.

That snake had nearly injured him back then, and Yu Fei had probably brought it back to let him vent his frustration. But the creature had been hideously ugly even in life, and its dead form was no less repulsive. Cen An had subconsciously forgotten about it.

Now, however, his thoughts weren’t driven by anything else. He simply reasoned: if mutant beast meat could be used as tribute, then a mutant beast carcass—complete with skin, fur, bones, and crystal core—would surely be even more valuable, wouldn’t it?

And this was a Level 3 mutant beast, no less!

With that thought, he placed the red-eyed snake’s corpse before the divine statue.

The snake’s corpse vanished instantly, and the statue emitted a glow…

Cen An stared intently… Damn it, white light again—just an ordinary item.

A crystal core was white light, and the corpse of a Level 3 mutant beast was also white light… Could this statue not do math?

The white light gradually faded, revealing a small white porcelain bottle on the altar.

Alright, it’s medicine. That’s passable. After all, even the most common medicine has its uses… He picked up the small porcelain bottle.

Moments later, Cen An held his palm toward the statue, his voice tinged with irritation: “Give me back the snake corpse!”

Before him, the system dutifully popped up with the medicine description:

【Mixed Medicine Pill:

Category: Medicine

Description: Due to the alchemist’s error, five different pills were mixed into one bottle. Their individual effects are now indistinguishable. Players are advised to use with caution.

Note: Though the effects remain unknown, the alchemist guarantees this mixture contains absolutely no blood-sealing poison.】

This thing… What’s it even for?!

It’s medicine, but who knows what kind… Would anyone dare take it?

And that note at the end—some alchemist who can’t even remember what he brewed guarantees it’s safe? Who’d believe that!

Cen An huffed and tossed the bottle into his backpack, planning to bury it at the bottom.

The obsidian statue was once again slammed face-down onto the table.

At your service!

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

The rainy season passed, temperatures gradually rose, and richer vegetation emerged in the forest.

Small vines by the roadside bore green berries. Cen An looked closely—they were wild strawberries. Soon, he’d have tart-sweet wild strawberries to eat.

Carrying a large bamboo basket over his wrist as a decoy, he made his way deeper into the mountains.

The map lit up at each location he passed, naturally guiding him to the areas richest in timber.

The trees deep in the mountains were indeed taller and more robust than those outside. While felling a tree elsewhere might yield only 3-5 pieces of timber, the trees here were far more generous—

【Congratulations! You have obtained Timber x10】

【Congratulations! You have obtained Timber x12】

Yes, felling a single tree here could yield over ten pieces of wood.

In just over two hours, Cen An had amassed more than sixty pieces of wood in his backpack.

Wiping sweat from his brow, he dusted some monster repellent powder onto his pant legs and pulled out his sickle to cut dry grass.

His stamina improved rapidly, yet it still lagged behind the locals. If he focused solely on chopping trees, his strength would deplete in under half a day. By alternating between felling trees and cutting grass, however, he could sustain his efforts longer.

Dry grass was abundant throughout the deep mountains.

【Congratulations! You have obtained Dry Grass x8】

【Congratulations! You have obtained Dry Grass x9】

【Congratulations! You have obtained Sour Jujubes x3】

“Huh?” Seeing the notification, he rummaged through the dry grass and indeed found three sour jujubes. They must have been from last year, dried on the branches before falling off.

He rinsed one in his water bottle and popped it into his mouth. His eyebrows twitched immediately… So sour!

He shoved the remaining two into his pocket, saving them for Xiao Yi to eat later.

Using a sickle to cut dry grass inevitably mixed in other things, and the system prompts popped up all over the place—shepherd’s purse, white sedge, rush, starwort, purple mistwort… a whole bunch.

Cen An accepted them all. These wild greens and grasses were either edible or useful—why pass them up?

He even felt it was a bit sparse. If only some medicinal herbs had appeared—he had plenty of herbal recipes collected.

After cutting dry grass for a while, feeling his stamina mostly restored, he picked up his axe and started chopping wood.

Alternating between hay and timber, by noon, his backpack held 96 pieces of wood and 72 bundles of hay.

As Cen An debated whether to cook or chop some more, something suddenly felt off!

A breeze carried a pungent, fishy stench…

He glanced down. White powder clung to his pants legs and ankles. This wasn’t some low-level mutant beast… It had to be a mid-tier mutant beast, level 3 or higher!

The ground suddenly trembled faintly… He whipped his head around. From the dense forest, a long, hairy appendage emerged, followed by a second, then a third…

Finally, eight appendages emerged, dragging a bulging, round belly—a giant spider nearly half a man’s height!

Cen An recognized it instantly: a Binding Silk Spider, a Level 4 mutant beast!

The next second, something else felt off. This kind of mutant beast lived underground—why was it here?

The spider’s tiny head was encircled by eyes, darting around in concentric circles, seemingly unaware of Cen An’s presence.

Cen An had no time to think. He moved cautiously, trying to hide. His snakeskin light armor provided 2 Stealth points—in theory, he shouldn’t be so easily spotted…

Yet this time, he miscalculated. The giant spider seemed to hear something, its gaze suddenly locking onto him. Instantly spotted, it moved toward him, its eight legs pulsing rhythmically!

Emerging from the warm darkness of the cave, the bright surroundings made it extremely uncomfortable, causing its temper to flare even more… Thus, the only living thing present became its venting target.

Cen An sensed danger and spun swiftly, dodging the original spot. A dark shadow flashed overhead, and with a wet snap, a web descended.

The binding silk spider’s attack relied on its adhesive threads. Once caught, victims could barely struggle free, doomed to die like insects trapped in a web.

Cen An had dealt with these spiders countless times during his fieldwork.

Seeing its first web miss, the giant spider’s tiny eyes darted about. Its disc-shaped body spun nimbly, and another web shot out.

Cen An didn’t dodge; instead, he charged straight toward it.

Circling around the spider was a pure waste of energy.

He brushed past the incoming web, flinging the Azure Blast Crystal Pill in his hand—a loud bang echoed as green smoke exploded!

A Level 4 mutant beast wasn’t so fragile against the Azure Blast Crystal Pill. The Blood Silk Spider was stunned only for an instant before regaining consciousness—but it was already too late!

Cen An seized the moment to close in, raising his iron sword!

【You activated combat skill: Sky Strike, crystal core -50】

An ordinary iron sword, channeling an incomprehensible force, plunged viciously into its round belly!

The Bloodsilk Spider let out a piercing scream. Its belly burst open like a ruptured leather sack, spilling blue, white, and black fluids across the ground.

A foul stench wafted out.

Enraged, it whipped around, its massive appendage slashing viciously toward Cen An. Unable to dodge in time, he was grazed. Yet, protected by his snake-skin light armor, not even a drop of oil was spilled.

And Cen An wasn’t about to give it a chance to turn the tables. So—

【You activated combat skill: Aerial Strike. Crystal Core -100】

【You activated combat skill: Aerial Strike. Crystal Core -200】

Yes, this damn combat skill doubled in cost with every use, resetting to zero daily at midnight.

Cen An had despised this system in his previous life!

His heart bled as he spent a fortune in crystal cores to finally pin the Bloodweb Spider to the ground.

The young man leaned on his sword, panting heavily. The enormous spider carcass sprawled across the ground—but that wasn’t the point. The point was… his crystal core reserves had plummeted from over eight hundred to barely over a hundred…

No wonder they say war is expensive—this was truly costly!

The dead spider was disgusting. Cen An tossed the corpse into his backpack, planning to deal with it later…

A sudden gust of wind stirred the air.

The familiar, pungent scent carried on the breeze was unmistakable.

Cen An’s expression darkened. He usually wore a smile, rarely showing such grimness.

He slowly turned his head. The ground trembled slightly again. From the woods just now, one, two… three Binding Silk Blood Spiders emerged.

The Binding Silk Blood Spiders lived underground. One appearing might be an accident, but four? That was absolutely abnormal!

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

In the Village.

The Gloomy Rain Period had just ended, and villagers were busy gathering in the mountains. Few remained in the village during daylight hours.

Thus, few knew what had happened the previous night.

For trespassing and stealing Xiao Yi’s vegetables, the men who had followed Jiang Ming were sentenced to one year of labor service.

Labor service for the Ability Squad wasn’t the simple patrol duty the villagers performed.

Those serving labor duty were on constant standby, ready to assist villagers with any need. Take the old man who died during the Gloomy Rain Period—his grave was dug by the previous laborer, braving the downpour.

Another individual was caught stealing a Heavenly Fragrance Lingzhi mushroom that a neighbor had gathered. He received a six-month labor sentence and was ordered to compensate the neighbor 800 crystal cores.

For ability users, the labor was even more demanding. Beyond village duties, they were also responsible for driving away mutant beasts lurking around the village.

The mountain range near Yongning Village could be roughly divided into three tiers: The first tier was the inner circle, comprising several mountains frequently visited by villagers. Thanks to the efforts of the Ability Squad, these mountains only harbored Level 1-2 mutant beasts.

The second tier consisted of the next outer ring of mountains, the domain of Level 3 mutant beasts. Essentially, few people ventured there except ability users. Cen An had originally gone to this very circle.

Beyond the second tier, all areas were collectively designated as the third tier. The level of mutant beasts in this tier was unpredictable—the lowest being Level 4, with no upper limit. Level 5 and 6 mutant beasts were commonplace, and encountering Level 7 or higher was not uncommon if one was unlucky.

The ability users serving labor sentences were sent to the second layer to deal with those Level 3 mutant beasts. The goal was to control the number of Level 3 mutant beasts, preventing them from gathering in packs and attacking the village.

Almost every time, ability users serving labor sentences died on the mountains. This was also the reason why the villagers had initially accepted the Ability Squad without question. When disciplining their own members, the Ability Squad was far harsher than when punishing villagers.

Moreover, this punishment came with additional rules: laborers hunted mutant beasts during the day and were locked in stone cells at night. Only 10% of the mutant beasts they killed belonged to them; the rest had to be surrendered as communal squad property…

Given such harsh regulations, the Ability Squad hadn’t seen any violations in ages. Little did they know that this single incident would land nearly a third of its members inside.

Compared to these ability users who are working, Shi Long’s treatment is somewhat better. He doesn’t have to hunt mutant beasts on the mountain or perform manual labor. His only duty is to remain locked in the stone cell day and night.

The stone cell wasn’t a purpose-built prison but a cave in the nearby mountains, welded shut with a lock to serve as confinement. It saved resources while still being torturous.

After just one night in the cell, Shi Long already felt unbearably miserable. The Gloomy Rain Period had just ended, and the mountain’s moisture hadn’t dried. The stone cell was damp and gloomy—he couldn’t bear to stay a second longer.

Yet from yesterday until now, not a single soul had come to see him.

He had no idea what Qu Yue and her people intended to do with him…

Shi Long’s expression grew increasingly impatient as he paced the cell. Time was limited, and now was a critical moment—how could he be stuck here…

He dug his fingernail into his flesh, seething inwardly at his incompetent subordinates who couldn’t accomplish a single task! His anger then shifted to Cen An. Before that man arrived, everything had been fine. Ever since his arrival, nothing had gone right! Now he’d even gotten himself thrown into prison…

Rustling footsteps echoed from outside the cave.

His eyes widened as he glanced outward, spotting a figure slipping through the entrance.

The newcomer had sly, rat-like eyes and a shifty, furtive demeanor, his feet dragging lazily behind him… It was Diao Qi, the one who had incited others to demand wind-cold fruit from Cen An.

Shi Long’s brow furrowed. “What are you doing here? Didn’t I already pay you?”

Diao Qi remained silent until he reached the cell door. Only then did Shi Long notice something was off: Diao Qi’s eyes were vacant, staring straight ahead as if he couldn’t see anything in front of him. He plowed straight into the bars before coming to a halt.

“The Master says… wait longer,” Diao Qi’s voice echoed hollowly, flat as a corpse’s murmur, amplifying the chill within the cavern.

Shi Long froze.

Diao Qi continued, “The Master says he’ll find a way to eliminate Cen An. You find an opportunity to lure the Ability Squad out. Then we can activate the plan.”

Shi Long’s face lit up with joy. Gripping the railing tightly, his eyes blazed with fervor. “Has the Master’s plan succeeded? Is everything ready?”

Diao Qi offered no reply. He turned stiffly and shuffled away with a rustling sound, leaving only one sentence behind: “The sooner, the better…”

Shi Long, overcome with joy, paced the narrow cell several times, barely containing his excitement. He rubbed his aching chest and flicked water droplets toward the cave entrance. “Someone! I demand to see Qu Yue! And Wang Lie!”

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Deep in the mountains, three silk-binding bloodspiders approached in a triangular formation.

Cen An slowly backed away, his back pressed against a boulder. With only a hundred crystal cores left, his combat skills were useless…

He flipped his hand, revealing five Azure Blast Crystal Pills between his fingers. If he could escape while the smoke rose and the giant spider was dazed…

He was weighing the feasibility of this plan when all three spiders simultaneously raised their pedipalps. Whoosh—three webs shot through the air, landing on the ground and sealing off his path forward.

The giant spiders didn’t approach; they merely shot silk at him from a distance.

Level 4 mutant beasts possessed rudimentary intelligence, though instinct still dominated… Yet the earlier battle among their kind had taught them not to approach this human.

Cen An reluctantly stowed the Azure Blast Crystal Pill. Too far—he couldn’t throw it that distance. He drew his iron sword instead, blocking the incoming webs with a single strike.

The web clung to the blade like foam tape, sticky and grotesque, carrying a foul, fishy stench.

“Hmm…” Cen An pondered briefly, then suddenly had an idea. He raised his hand and stored the web in his backpack.

【Congratulations! You have obtained Spider Silk x1】

The system collected the item with remarkable efficiency! Not a single trace remained on the iron sword!

He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but the three giant spiders seemed to tremble… An inexplicable sense of his worldview shattering washed over him…

Cen An couldn’t care less. When you’re in a fight, who cares what methods you use?

He’d finally found a way to deal with the webs. No matter where they were stuck—even if they stuck to him—Cen An could simply reach out and stash them into his backpack.

Before long, his backpack held five spider silk strands.

The giant spiders grew restless. Their tiny brains had never encountered this situation. They were even reluctant to waste silk—spinning a single web consumed so much energy…

So, one of the giant spiders hesitantly approached, using its meter-long appendage to nudge Cen An’s iron sword…

Cen An: …

He flipped his hand and sliced off that claw.

The now-limbless spider immediately began retreating. Just as Cen An moved to pursue, he sensed danger—a foul wind swept past his neck!

He whipped his head around while dodging sideways, an appendage already inches from his face… These giant spiders were actually coordinating!

In the nick of time, Cen An flipped his hand to retrieve the Dew Essence, poised to down it for self-healing after being gravely wounded… Suddenly, he felt something drop from his chest. The mountain wind whistled through it, making a whooshing sound—

Boom!

A water arrow shot from the horizon, piercing clean through the blood spider’s head. Blue blood splattered everywhere!

Simultaneously, a wave of warmth surged through his chest again. A purple flower bloomed on his chest… Purple vines shot out, growing with the wind. Their icy barbs glinted coldly, their appearance even more ferocious than the strangling vines, signaling they were not to be trifled with. The vines savagely shredded the appendage mere inches away, then coiled around Cen An like a cage, shielding him.

“What the hell are you carrying on you?”

With that familiar greeting, a figure appeared in an instant, delivering a kick to the dead-as-a-doornail silk-web spider. The spider, as tall as a person, flew through the air, crashing into several trees before slamming back down.

…It was the dog’s owner.

Through the gaps in the vines, Cen An watched the figure tidying up in the gloom and instantly recognized him.

Su Rui turned his face, a hint of smugness still playing at the corners of his mouth. “I knew you’d blow that wooden whistle sooner or later!”

Then his tone turned stern. “I killed this giant spider, not the octopus on your back. Remember that clearly!”

Cen An fell silent for a moment before suddenly warning, “They’re coming! Watch out!”

The death of their kin clearly enraged the remaining two Binding Silk Bloodspiders. They charged toward him, one on each side, their eight massive claws pounding the ground. Their speed was even faster than when they had surrounded and pursued Cen An earlier!

Su Rui tilted his head slightly. The midday sun cast harsh shadows, revealing only his high, straight nose and a perfectly sculpted jawline. “Relax. No mutant beast strong enough to defeat me has even been born yet!”

His form flickered, and he appeared beside the giant spider.

Despite knowing Su Rui for so long, Cen An was seeing him fight for the first time. It was somewhat unexpected.

This man was childish and competitive, like a cocky little brat. Cen An hadn’t imagined Su Rui would fight like this.

Each punch landed with satisfying force, his forearms bulging with defined muscle. He seized one of the spider’s legs and wrenched it clean off. Blue mutant beast blood spattered everywhere, a droplet landing precisely on his handsome face. His expression remained utterly blank—only the cold, ruthless composure of a combat-bred creature remained.

He must really like blood.

For some reason, this thought suddenly flashed through Cen An’s mind.

Through the gaps in the purple vines, he watched the scene, somewhat mesmerized…

Su Rui had already stripped one spider bare of eight legs. Just as he reached for another, he suddenly realized humans seemed to dislike this. They called it cruel…

As he pondered, a voice suddenly called out from behind him: “Wait!”

Sure enough.

Su Rui shrugged his shoulders. “Alright, I…”

Cen An rushed over with the vine cage, seeing the spider pinned down. “Let me collect the silk first, then you can continue.”

After shredding the previous one, the broken silk had scattered into useless droplets. This one couldn’t be wasted.

He awkwardly tapped the vines on his body. The purple wisteria seemed to understand his thoughts, swaying slightly before slowly retracting. It transformed into a small straw rabbit.

Only, the rabbit had once been a vibrant, fresh green, now withered and waxen yellow. A light touch reduced it to crumbs.

…So it was him.

Cen An understood immediately, carefully gathering the fragments.

Afterward, he laboriously fished around behind the spider, panting as he pulled out several clumps of silk. “There,” he said. “You can tear it apart and play with it.”

Su Rui froze, raising a hand to touch his high, straight nose. His handsome face instantly became a mess. He muttered to himself, “Forget it, it’s not fun anyway…”

He was such a big boy, yet his face was covered in… Cen An couldn’t bear to watch. He pulled out a soft animal skin and tossed it to him, “Wipe your face.”

Su Rui caught it, looking at him blankly:?

Cen An sighed helplessly, wiping his face twice.

Su Rui let him wipe, then picked up the other two spiders. “Want the crystal cores?”

Cen An replied amidst his busyness: “Yes.”

Wait… Level 4 mutant beast crystal cores?

“Forget it, you keep them. They’re too valuable.”

Su Rui shoved three blood-stained crystal cores into his hand. “Just tell me if you want something. Like I’d be short on these?”

Before Cen An could react, Su Rui swept him around by the waist, channeling his wind-element ability to lift them both into the air.

As a Level 3 wind-element ability user, Jiang Ming could only add a gust beneath everyone’s feet to slightly boost their speed.

Su Rui, however, could directly lift people off the ground—a stark demonstration of their disparity.

It wasn’t until they were already airborne that Cen An registered what was happening. “Wait… you!”

He wanted to struggle but dared not, forced to endure the humiliation. “Put me down! Where are you taking me?”

Su Rui replied matter-of-factly, “Taking you home, of course. I had things to attend to there. I came out to save you amidst my busy schedule!”

Cen An felt too embarrassed to resist… Fine, fine. He owed him a favor!

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Yongning Village. Yu Lin, who had just endured another curse outbreak, lay pale-faced with eyes tightly shut. Suddenly, he snapped them open. “No! Something’s wrong with him!”

The water in the basin by the bed rippled. The person who had just been washing his hands had vanished without a trace.

Yu Lin hammered the bed in frustration, cursing his broken body for failing him—even preventing him from joining his brother to rescue that person…

After a moment’s thought, he struggled to his feet and pulled on his clothes. “Those idiots in the Ability Squad can’t even clean up the village perimeter! If nothing happens to him, fine. But if something does… Hmph!”