Chapter 45: The Dust Settles

"Want to run?"

Lin Yue watched the black, desperate fleeing silhouette, a cold smile appearing on his face.

I finally forced it out from underground with great difficulty; how could I let it escape?

Moreover, this spider queen could still provide him with at least 200 energy points!

"Black Tortoise, don't let it get away!"

"Roar."

Black Tortoise let out a low growl, yet did not choose to pursue.

Just as everyone felt puzzled, Black Tortoise slowly raised one of its front claws, then came down heavily!

"Boom——!!!!!"

The earth came alive at this moment!

Only see that, a dozen meters ahead of the fleeing spider queen, the hard concrete ground surged upward without warning; countless steel-reinforced concrete fragments were forcibly condensed by an invisible force, and within a short second formed a towering stone wall ten meters high, firmly blocking its path!

"Hiss!"

The spider queen emitted a startled, angry shriek, braked sharply, and nearly crashed headfirst into the stone wall.

It immediately turned direction, trying to detour around the side.

"Boom!"

Another stone wall shot up from the ground!

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Next came a game of cat and mouse.

No matter which direction the spider queen fled, a stone wall would rise ahead of it, completely sealing off its retreat.

After several frantic collisions proved futile, the spider queen finally realized that unless it killed that giant beast, it could not escape.

"Hiss——!!!!!"

It suddenly turned, its scarlet compound eyes locking onto Black Tortoise, its eight limbs madly scraping the ground in extreme anger, producing a piercing screech.

The next second, its massive body suddenly sank downward, then shot toward Black Tortoise like a cannonball, simultaneously opening its maw filled with slime and fangs!

Its huge abdominal sac also began to writhe wildly at this moment, a stream of terrifyingly hot, strongly corrosive dark-green liquid rapidly condensing in its mouth!

This was its strongest strike, even surpassing its usual strongest, for it contained the life source it used to evolve!

"Sizzle——!!!!!"

A thick, bucket-sized pillar of dark-green acid light, wrapped in temperatures hot enough to melt metal, shot out from the spider queen's mouth, aiming straight at Black Tortoise's huge head, like a small mountain!

Regardless of the outcome, this strike would completely forfeit its chance to evolve to a higher level!

However, facing this heaven‑shaking, earth‑shattering strike, Black Tortoise merely blinked lazily, as if even lifting its eyelids felt like a chore.

The acid light pillar struck precisely at the center of Black Tortoise's forehead.

The imagined scene of flesh flying and shell melting did not occur.

Only a sizzling, teeth‑grating corrosive sound was heard, as large sheets of green smoke accompanied by a foul stench shot up into the sky.

But when the smoke cleared, not a single white mark remained on Black Tortoise's ancient, heavy shell.

"……"

The air, at this moment, completely solidified.

"Hiss……?"

The spider queen's scarlet compound eyes instantly glazed over, filled with utter disbelief.

Having expended its life source in that ultimate strike, it couldn't even scratch the opponent's skin?

"It's over."

Lin Yue's icy voice, like a death god's verdict, rang out across the silent battlefield.

Black Tortoise seemed to understand his words; the front claw it had just raised traced a sky‑covering shadow in the air, bearing immense force, and came crashing down upon the spider queen, which had utterly lost its will to fight!

"Hiss——!!!!!"

The spider queen let out a final cry filled with despair and unwillingness.

"Boom!!!!!"

The earth shook violently again, dust and smoke shooting up into the sky.

When all the dust settled, only a huge claw‑print crater and a puddle of unidentifiable flesh remained on the spot.

Thus, the rotting corpse spider nest that had occupied the New World Shopping Center and left the Third Prison Refuge helpless was completely eradicated!

At the same time, the system's notification sounded in Lin Yue's mind.

【Absorbing scattered energy, gained 1 energy point.】

【Absorbing scattered energy, gained 1 energy point.】

【Detected Grade 1 Energy Crystal, gained 10 energy points.】

【Absorbing scattered energy, gained 63 energy points.】

【Detected Grade 2 Energy Crystal Core, gained 100 energy points.】

【Current total energy points: 4464/】

"A big haul!"

Lin Yue looked at the surging energy points on the system panel, feeling great.

"……"

At the same time, the underground command center of Hangcheng's Third Prison Refuge.

In the huge command room, a pin drop could be heard.

Everyone's eyes were fixed tightly on the huge display screen in the center, their expressions frozen in utter shock.

What did they see?

They saw that the god‑like giant beast merely opened its mouth and devoured cleanly the corpse‑spider swarm that could put any full‑strength armored regiment into a bitter fight.

The corpse‑spider queen, listed as the highest threat level in intelligence, couldn't even last a single round before that beast and was slain.

The whole battle was so clean and swift… like a farcical play.

"Gurgle…"

Someone, with difficulty, swallowed a spit, breaking this death‑like silence.

"It's over…… just like that…… over?"

A young technician muttered to himself, his voice full of unreality.

After Li Wei was executed, the newly appointed deputy director opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found his throat extremely dry, unable to utter a word.

He looked toward Zhang Zhen Guo in front of the command console, only to see this commander, famed for remaining unperturbed even if Mount Tai collapsed before him, now leaning slowly against the chair back, his forehead covered in fine cold sweat.

"Commander..."

The aide called out softly.

Zhang Zhen Guo didn't respond; he just stared fixedly at the colossal beast on the screen, his eyes filled not only with shock but more with lingering fear.

Fortunately…

Fortunately, we made the right choice back then.

Otherwise, given the beast's near‑unsolvable terrifying power, if we became its enemy, the shelter's fate would be no better than that of the corpse‑spider swarm.

He took a deep breath, just about to order the drones to return.

But just then, the giant beast suddenly raised its mountain‑like head and locked precisely onto the drones' position!

The next second.

"Zzz—!"

The screens of the entire command center flickered in unison, instantly turning into a blinding snow!

"Report! Drone No. 07, signal lost!"

"What's happening?!"

Zhang Zhen Guo sprang up from his chair!

"I… I don't know! The signal… just suddenly cut off!"

The technician slammed the keyboard rapidly, his face full of shock and,

"We… we've been discovered!"

PS: New book, please urge updates, please collect!