In the secret realm.
Many guilds that had ventured into the forest, especially smaller scaled ones, were attacked by the [Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spider]. Faced with its unique psychic venom, many players didn't even get a chance to react.
Warriors, despite their strong physiques, could only withstand physical attacks.
At the beginning of their journey into the secret realm, most players aspired to cross the forest as quickly as possible, to be the first to reach the volcano and obtain the hidden treasures within. However, unknown to them, the moment they stepped foot into the forest, they had already fallen into the carefully laid trap of the [Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spider].
Horrifying screams resonated from every corner of the forest.
In less than ten minutes into the secret realm, nearly 40% of the players had been eliminated...
Yet at this moment, while Vicky was worried about the safety of Little Black, a casual remark from Irving left her feeling a complex mix of emotions.
"Be careful not to kill it. " Irving reminded with a slight smile.
The comment was incredibly boastful.
If any other players were present, they would have been infuriated. Faced with the [Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spider], they didn't even have the ability to fight back, yet Irving was worrying about not killing it.
"Don't worry. The strongest aspect of the [Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spider] is its venom, but I doubt it will even have a chance to bite Little Black. " Irving explained nonchalantly.
Hellhound, Little Black, was covered in purple flames that would be difficult to extinguish once anything came into contact with them.
The next moment.
Just as the[Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spider], seeing no way out, flashed a cold light in its blood-red eyes and was about to pounce fiercely towards Little Black, it hadn't even exposed its fangs to inject its venom into Little Black's body.
It was ignited by the purple flame...
A while after, Little Black was seen wagging its tail proudly, circling the struggling[Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spider] on the ground. When it saw Irving moving closer, it ran towards him like it was claiming credit, making a series of "howling" sounds.
[Would you like to subdue the 'Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spider'? ]
The system prompt sounded. Irving looked indifferently at the seriously injured [Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spider]on the ground that had been burned to a crisp, a smile spreading across his face.
Through his experiences with subjugating exotic beasts, he had gained some insight. Low-level exotic beasts like Pigmen and Butchers were easier to subdue, which was related to their strength and intelligence.
The legendary weapon, [Evil Source Wand], had a certain mind-bewitching effect. However, the more advanced an exotic beast was, the stronger it was, and the more intelligence it developed, making it difficult for players to subdue.
At Irving's current strength, it was almost impossible to directly subjugate the[Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spider].
Still, it was not entirely without a solution.
When an exotic beast was defeated or severely injured, its own strength would drop significantly. At that time, subduing it would also become less challenging!
The next moment, the system prompt rang again in Irving's mind.
[Slavery completed!]
[Notice: The Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spider has become your faithful servant, executing all commands unconditionally!]
[Player enslaved exotic beast count: Stone Golem Giants*9, Snow Shadow Headed Wolf1, Snow Shadow Wolf*2, Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spider*1]
Irving nodded satisfactorily. This was his first enslaved high-order middle-tier exotic beast. He had Little Black extinguish the residual purple flame on the Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spider, then turned his attention to Vicky.
"We can use it to guide us." Irving said.
The severely burned Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spider could hardly move, let alone guide them through the forest.
Vicky quickly understood. Just as she was preparing to perform the[Healing Art], she suddenly heard a rustling sound from the forest as if something was rapidly approaching.
Irving seemed to sense something. His smile gradually faded.
Only a few breaths later, a large group of Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spiders emerged from the forest. They scuttled swiftly across the ground like a black wave surging towards them.
"Quickly retreat!" Irving commanded.
He didn't have time to worry about the dying Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spider. He retreated to the lawn with Vicky and Little Black.
Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spiders are social creatures with large and small groups scattered throughout the forest, hunting low-level exotic beasts that venture too close. The sudden appearance of players was like a windfall.
A harsh sound echoed, like the friction of metal.
The sound caused a faint pain in the eardrums.
"Irving, look!" Vicky's face was filled with horror, her eyes wide.
Following her gaze, Irving saw a much larger spider appearing among the group of Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spiders.
Unlike the others, this spider had a huge abdomen, and something seemed to be wriggling inside...
"That must be the queen of this group of Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spiders." Irving said solemnly.
[Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spider Queen]
[Level: High-level, Low-order!]
[Introduction: The Spider Queen is much larger than the ordinary spider, several times bigger, its body covered with a smooth and hard shell, presenting a deep black color. Its eight strong legs end in sharp blades, capable of easily piercing hard rock.]
Irving's deep gaze was fixed on the Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spider Queen. The magic wand in his hand shimmered, and the most basic information appeared before his eyes.
His face became more serious.
"I didn't expect it to reach high-level, low-order..." Irving felt a sense of danger.
At this moment, under the command of the Spider Queen, the group of Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spiders surged towards Irving and Vicky. There was no time to think.
Little Black had already entered combat mode. Sensing the danger ahead, the purple flames surrounding it became even more vigorous.
Irving had no time to hesitate. He immediately cast a[Fireball].
Massive fireballs quickly materialized, tracing arcs through the sky before crashing heavily onto the Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spiders.
"We can't let them get closer!" Irving shouted.
Even the warrior players, known for their formidable close-combat abilities, couldn't withstand these Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spiders. As for him, if they reached him, there would be no escape—only certain death awaited.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The ground shook as the enormous fireballs struck it, accompanied by a series of dull thuds. The earth seemed to tremble with each impact.
However, as the rising smoke began to clear, Irving's face turned grim. The spiders were virtually unscathed, the fireballs having barely slowed their advance.
The swarm of Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spiders, now resembling a dark, relentless tide, grew even more ferocious, surging towards them with increased fury.
"Fireball is useless against them?" Irving exclaimed in shock.
As a necromancer, his primary method of attack was to enslave exotic beasts and command them in battle. But now, this approach revealed its greatest weakness.
With no exotic beasts at his side, his only offensive skill was[Fireball], and it had proven ineffective.
"If only Sophia were here." Vicky sighed, her voice trembling with fear. "Even if her ice spells couldn't kill them, at least they'd keep them at bay." Her eyes were filled with dread at the thought of death.
Although she could be resurrected the next day even if she was killed by these exotic beasts in front of her, the exploration of the[Flowing Light and Dense Realm] would come to a halt. Most importantly, she was terrified of these spiders to the extreme.
She would rather die here by her own hand than be slowly consumed by these horrifying and disgusting exotic beasts.
"Is there really no way out?" Irving's mind raced, a flicker of defiance in his eyes.
His entry into the Flowing Light and Dense Realm wasn't just for the treasures rumored to be hidden within the volcanic ruins. He intended to expand his army of exotic beasts. The system's prompt had also mentioned a key word: "ruins."
That dormant volcano was a site of ancient ruins. He thought of the parchment scroll he had obtained from a hidden compartment in the castle's library and felt a strong premonition.
The ancient race's heritage described in the scroll could very well be linked to these ruins.
But with the horde of Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spiders closing in, there was no way to enslave them. He'd likely become their next meal instead.
"Damn it." Irving cursed under his breath.
Just then, Little Black, his loyal companion, suddenly dashed towards the swarm of Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spiders.
"Get back here!" Irving's brow furrowed even deeper. If it were just one spider, he wouldn't worry about Little Black getting hurt. But this was an entire swarm.
Before he could stop it, the mass of spiders had already surrounded Little Black, biting down frantically.
If even one of them pierced Little Black's skin and injected its neurotoxin, it would become incapacitated, just like the player they had seen earlier.
After spending some time together, Irving had come to regard Little Black as the most faithful and reliable companion. Just as he was pondering how to rush up and rescue Little Black,
The next moment, something happened that he could never have anticipated...