Chapter 429: The Cooperation of the

A creature suspected of hunting the Black Widow flashed past and vanished into the shadow on the other side of the hall.

This left Lu Miang only seeing it, with no time to react; so did Albus Medich and Eloise Einhorn.

By the time Elait noticed the anomaly and looked up with them toward the ceiling, the giant black spider was long gone.

"What are you looking at?" the poet asked curiously, adding offhandedly, "The walls of this underground labyrinth have no murals—this doesn't match the former glory of the Sorens family."

In the nations of the Northern Continent, murals are indispensable when constructing grand buildings, and every painter takes pride in receiving a mural commission, especially to paint epics on church domes and walls—both a mark of status and the allure of creating on a vast "canvas" over months and years.

Lu Miang pulled his gaze away and smiled slightly.

"Saw a poisonous spider. No one's been here long enough—it's become a paradise for dangerous creatures."

Before Elait could respond, he directly made a suggestion:

"Myself, Albus, and Eloise all have decent skills and plenty of hunting experience, while you clearly lack sufficient training. Why not return to the surface now? Going further will be dangerous for you—you don't seriously think you'll find that crown and become king, do you?"

Elait muttered:

"Fine, what can I say—you're my patron."

"If not for tagging along with you, why would I come down into this pitch-black underground? I'm past the age of craving adventure or performing art. Alright, I'm heading back up now—I'll wait for you in the grand parlor. There's 'Green Fairy,' black tea, pastries, and tobacco—far more comfortable than this place."

As he spoke, the poet turned and walked toward the stone staircase leading out of the hall.

He had barely taken seven or eight steps when a streak of fire shot out from the shadow on his right.

It resembled a long spear of crimson, lunging straight for Elait's body.

At that moment, flames erupted around Albus Medich, who had been watching Elait from behind.

The member of the Iron Cross Society instantly transformed into a crimson spear and shot forward, colliding with the flaming spear attacking the poet.

With a bang, both flaming spears shattered and fell to the ground—one reforming into Albus Medich, the other becoming the black giant spider that had carried the withered heart.

The black spider emitted a piercing, high-frequency squeal, half-lifting its body as its four bristly, scythe-like legs—gleaming with cold light—swiftly slashed toward Albus Medich.

Simultaneously, a nearly blinding-white spear flew in, striking the spider's side and burning straight through its hard shell.

It came from Eloise Einhorn; she had clearly anticipated this, shifting position silently and waiting for the black spider to appear.

The next instant, one crimson fire-raven after another darted in, each tracing a different path, rushing into the wound carved by the white spear.

Boom!

They detonated inside the black spider's body, stacking upon each other, unleashing a firestorm that tore apart its shell and flesh.

Lu Miang also made no effort to conceal his ability.

He had begun gathering fire-ravens the moment Albus Medich moved to intercept the attacker.

The spider's "scythe-legs" missed entirely, failing to strike Albus, who had retreated a distance using the force of the collision.

The creature, battered by relentless attacks, let out a shrill squeal that echoed within its chitinous shell.

The withered, black heart on its back suddenly flared with dark red light, producing one blazing fireball after another.

These fireballs formed a net, enclosing the black spider within.

Then they launched toward the positions of Lu Miang, Albus, and Eloise, leaving behind trails of crimson light.

In comparison, Elait—now frozen in stunned disbelief at this superhuman, irrational battle—remained ignored and unattacked.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

As Lu Miang and the others dodged, one blazing fireball streaked deep into the hall's shadow, glowing brightly before vanishing swiftly.

The black spider had hidden inside that fireball and seized the chance to break free from Lu Miang's encirclement, retreating once more!

Before the crimson flames around them had fully died, Albus Medich glanced at the dark red fluid dripping from the severely wounded black spider. He did not pursue immediately but turned to Lu Miang and grinned:

"Good bait."

Lu Miang made no denial.

He had sent Elait back alone precisely to lure out the black spider.

If the creature didn't take the bait, Elait would simply leave the catacomb safely; if the black spider chose to hunt a lone ordinary person, Lu Miang would use "Spirit Realm Transit" followed by "Heng Ha Technique" to eliminate the suspected medicinal ingredient before it could harm its target.

Given this opportunity, he had no intention of holding back or hiding his cards—he aimed to end the fight swiftly and avoid any mishaps.

But Albus Medich reacted faster than he expected, so Lu Miang promptly halted his move and switched to fire-ravens, intending to observe the black spider's combat style and determine how it differed from the Hunting Black Widow—whether it concealed some secret.

Now, Lu Miang could be certain: the black spider was far more powerful than the Hunting Black Widow. Had it been the latter, trapped in such a scenario, it would have had no chance of escaping the three "hunters," dying instead under repeated explosions.

Although this black spider was not definitively the Hunting Black Widow, it clearly belonged to the "Hunter" Path and possessed corresponding extraordinary abilities—its special body parts could certainly be used to brew a potion.

Lu Miang turned his head to Eloise and asked directly:

"That monster back there was different from the Hunting Black Widow—it had an extra heart, like a human's, on its back. What's going on?"

Eloise stared at the dark red blood dripping into the hall's shadows, then said:

"I've never seen such a supernatural creature before."

She paused, then added:

"I only know that if the master of Red Swan Castle or any core Sorens family member didn't go mad and instead walked deep into the catacomb and never returned, upon their natural death, someone would remove their heart and deliver it to some location within the catacomb."

Hearing this, Lu Miang suddenly recalled a scene from his dream, still influenced by the King's Cake game:

Inside a bronze coffin surrounded by countless white candles, a hand—deep red, nearly black, veins bulging—reached out, clutching a withered, blackened heart, dried and shrunken, yet oozing a few drops of blood.

"What the hell is the Sorens family up to?" Lu Miang cursed inwardly.

What exactly lay deep within this catacomb? How many mutated monsters were hidden here?

At that moment, the poet Elait finally snapped out of his shock, gazing at Lu Miang and the others with a mix of terror and excitement:

"You're all Externals—you can use supernatural abilities?"

"You know about Externals?" Albus Medich replied with an expression that said, "You're not even worthy to know."

Elait edged closer to Lu Miang and quickly explained:

"Seven or eight years ago, I went to the frontlines to gather material. I saw things—I learned our army had many people who could use supernatural abilities. They're called Externals."

"We all have supernatural abilities—and they do look quite similar," Lu Miang said with a smile, glancing left and right, then turning to Elait. "Will you keep going deeper with us, or return to the surface alone?"

Elait made no attempt to hide his fear and muttered:

"Of course I'm staying with you. Even if I might face that giant spider again, it's better than walking alone in the dark, not knowing what monsters lurk around me."

"I don't want my final poem to be, 'Oh, foolish Elait.'"

Lu Miang thought for a few seconds, then said calmly:

"If you want to return to the surface, I can take you to the catacomb's entrance."

"Then I'll definitely go back!" Elait changed his mind without hesitation.

Lu Miang then looked to Albus and Eloise:

"Will you come with me, wait here, or go deeper alone?"

Albus Medich gave Lu Miang a long, piercing look and sneered:

"I didn't think you were a moral man—you're personally escorting this disreputable poet."

His tone implied: "A man like you, who has no morals, going out of his way to send someone away must have ulterior motives."

He didn't say whether he'd stay or go deeper.

"I'm the same as Albus," Eloise replied with a smile, holding her calcium lamp.

Lu Miang glanced down at the dark red blood left by the black spider, lit by the calcium lamp, and climbed the stone staircase with Elait.

In the dark, silent underground, they returned to the corridor with the Waxwork Artist and the tin soldiers.

The poet Elait looked back at the deep darkness below and said to his patron:

"Those two aren't ordinary."

"I know," Lu Miang replied, his voice flat.

He walked forward at a steady pace, holding the calcium lamp that cast a yellowish glow.

Elait followed closely beside him, in his usual muttering tone:

"The war between the Kingdom of Ruin and the Fasak Empire ended seven or eight years ago, but Miss Eloise said her father died in a war six years ago. If I recall correctly, that was when some extremist factions in Fasak rebelled against the peace treaty—it was Fasak's civil war. Why did she mention Ruin?"

"Was her father an extremist representative, or a royal member killed in the rebellion?"

A royal member in rebellion? That's why she fled to Trier? Lu Miang pondered the political enthusiast's revelations.

Elait glanced at his patron and continued:

"Actually, before today, I've seen Albus Medich somewhere else."

Lu Miang's interest sparked immediately. He asked:

"Where?"

Elait glanced around, then unconsciously lowered his voice:

"The Holy Heart Convent."

(End of Chapter)