Chapter 32: Venom Gland

“Huff!”

The sharp gust from rapid movement sent my, Xia Nan’s, black bangs swaying wildly.

A blur flashed in my vision, and Wood, dual daggers in hand, appeared close.

“Young master, are you okay?”

His anxious, concerned gaze swept Hai’an’s body thoroughly.

Seeing no injuries, he sighed in relief.

Wood’s worry had clouded his judgment; with no obstacles, he’d seen everything on his way over.

He knew the Rust Beast hadn’t touched Hai’an before its head was cleaved off.

But the urgency from his lapse and fear of what could’ve happened filled him with self-reproach.

“Good, good.”

Wood thought, relieved.

Then, turning, he looked earnestly at me, standing with my longsword, ready to support the others.

He nodded sincerely.

In the heat of battle, Wood wasn’t one for words.

But in that moment, he truly acknowledged the young man he’d once doubted, now proven trustworthy through action.

“Swish.”

Like a specter, his black-leathered figure vanished again.

Only then did Hai’an, fresh from a brush with death, snap back.

“Huff… huff…”

He breathed heavily, sweat coating his pale face.

“Sorry, sorry… thank you!”

Hai’an stammered an apology to me.

I didn’t even respond, already charging past him.

For one, though days ago Hai’an and the others were strangers,

now, as a team member, even for the 100 gold coins, I had to do my part.

And for another—

one of the two remaining Rust Beasts had crept close during this moment.

“Hiss!!!”

A shrill screech seemed to tear eardrums.

Its yellowish-brown, wave-like carapace gleamed, its long finned tail whipping, stirring grass bits.

Unlike goblins, whose strength lay in numbers, the rarely social Rust Beasts felt no fear or rage at a comrade’s death.

These cavern-dwelling bugs, as if provoked, showed fierce aggression.

Even with edible, venom-corroded metal weapons at their feet, they ignored them, attacking living targets.

My iron-gray beheading longsword held across my chest, I didn’t rush to attack but circled the beast, sword ready.

My mind raced.

From the battle’s start, everything replayed in my head.

First, the greatest threat was the corrosive venom from the Rust Beast’s mouth.

Whether it splashed me or my sword, the thought was unbearable.

I had to stay cautious!

Second, its thick, sturdy carapace.

From Larry’s hammer strike, I wasn’t sure my sword could pierce it.

If I couldn’t breach its defense instantly, without flesh to transfer force, the recoil would leave me rigid.

Low margin for error!

So, like Wood, targeting gaps in the carapace was the best way to handle these bugs.

But…

Hesitation flickered in my dark eyes.

Seconds ago, I’d indeed used [Whirlwind Slash] to behead a Rust Beast.

I hadn’t thought much then, just acted to save a teammate, mimicking Wood’s method.

I hadn’t even aimed precisely; the blade just sank into the carapace gap.

Looking back, was it luck or some combat talent?

I didn’t know.

I wouldn’t let that uncertain fluke affect this life-or-death fight.

“Bang!”

The powerful finned tail whipped the ground, splattering mud.

I barely dodged.

My sword grazed the yellowish-brown carapace, sparking.

“Tch, so close.”

Not a lifeless toy, the Rust Beast, honed by eons, knew its structural weaknesses.

Its uneven, wave-like carapace made gaps narrow and hard to pierce.

Plus, its moving body and whip-like tail.

Only a class-ranked “professional” like Wood, with superior skill, could exploit such flaws in combat.

Unless…

“Huff!”

A sharp whistle sounded behind.

I froze, then reacted instantly.

Leaping back, I made space, whether to strike or retreat.

A white-fletched arrow, stirring mist, whizzed past.

Hai’an, recovered from the ambush, assisted his teammate.

Unlike his earlier rapid shots, this arrow moved slower.

But with some technique, its fletching quivered, the arrow spinning rapidly.

Like a plane’s contrail, it carved a clear path through the misty air.

“Splat!”

Incredibly precise.

The metal arrowhead spun into the Rust Beast’s tiny eye, hidden under its carapace.

The arrow’s force twisted half its face.

Hiss—

A piercing screech!

Intense pain made the beast rear, shaking its head to dislodge the arrow.

“Now!”

I didn’t hesitate.

My prepared legs lunged forward.

Slightly disadvantaged in position, I skipped [Whirlwind Slash], instinctively thrusting my iron-gray sword upward.

“Splat!”

Bug blood sprayed!

Driven by full-body strength, the blade pierced the beast’s softer jaw.

Neck, spine… upward!

Bang—

The beast’s raised body fell back under my thrust, thudding dully.

Its arrow-pierced head rolled onto the meadow.

Pincers twitched unconsciously.

I didn’t slack, confirming its death, then exploded with fiercer force.

Stepping on its abdomen, I yanked my longsword from the carapace!

And inspected it closely!

“No venom, please no venom…”

I prayed fervently.

I hadn’t cared about venom then, just struck.

No regrets, but I worried the blade was corroded.

Thankfully,

though the blade bore new scratches and green bug blood,

it avoided the Rust Beast’s metal-dissolving venom.

Circle, pause, thrust.

Fierce battles often ended in seconds.

As I pulled my sword free, panting, Wood, at the camp’s other end, had slain the last Rust Beast.

Battle over.

…

The Rust Beast attack came suddenly.

For an ordinary low-tier adventurer team, facing four vile bugs, even without a wipeout, they’d suffer heavy losses.

Luckily, our team had an experienced professional.

His pre-set traps alerted us to the attack,

and he instantly highlighted the Rust Beast’s dangers, taking the lead to kill one cleanly and expose its weak point.

With my and Hai’an’s coordination,

only Larry, splashed by venom while fleeing, took minor injuries; the rest were unscathed.

Sizzle—

Larry flicked the venom off his hammer onto the meadow, grimacing.

“This thing… still usable?”

The hammerhead, gnawed by venom, was badly deformed, like rat-chewed metal.

His arm was thickly bandaged.

“Larry, what’re you doing? Help out!”

Behind, Doris, packing their gear, called softly.

“Coming!”

The battle’s noise and bug blood stench made this spot unsafe.

Before full dark, we needed a new camp.

On the other side, I stood before a Rust Beast corpse, my longsword wiped clean.

Frowning, I flipped through my [Adventurer’s Handbook].

“Rust Beast… Rust Beast…”

“Nothing?”

After a hard fight, I didn’t want to waste the loot.

With my shallow adventurer knowledge, those tough chitin carapaces should fetch a good price.

But they were too heavy to carry back.

Even buried with a marker, scavengers would likely dig them up before I returned.

So, I hoped for something portable and valuable to collect.

But the handbook had no info on these creatures.

“This is tricky.”

I fretted.

Then, as if sensing my intent,

Wood, in black leather, approached silently.

Unlike his earlier wariness and silence, he spoke calmly:

“The Rust Beast’s most valuable part is the venom gland, upper left abdomen.”

“Dark purple, thumb-sized, obvious. Flip a bit to find it—tough skin, won’t break easily. Any cloth bag works, but don’t store with metal; it might corrode.”

“Forget the carapace. It’s heavy, and the Mist Forest’s environment rots them fast unless you’ve got protective materials.”

“If you’re ever near dwarf settlements and meet these bugs, take their antennae.”

“Like goblin ears, dwarves there pay bounties.”

This was the first time Wood spoke so much to me.

Grateful for his help, I said:

“Thanks.”

Drawing a dagger to collect the glands,

Hai’an approached.

“Here, I got the venom glands from the other three bugs. Should be worth a bit.”

His pale hands, smeared with green bug blood, held three dark purple oval organs.

I blinked.

“You…”

“Consider it mission compensation,” Hai’an said, stuffing the glands into a cloth bag and handing it to me with a smile. “We said it’d be risk-free in the outskirts.”

“But we ran into Rust Beasts. Pretending it didn’t happen isn’t realistic.”

“Plus, you saved me… about that, after the mission, back in Nyum…”

“Talk later,” I cut him off, waving.

I wasn’t one to leverage gratitude.

My actions in battle were instinct; we were teammates, and I wasn’t in dire straits. I couldn’t just watch him die.

So, I didn’t care much about this “life-saving” debt.

But those three venom glands? They got my attention.

“How much will they fetch?” With only 24 gold, 2 silver, 7 copper left, I mused.

Meanwhile, Wood, staring at the Rust Beast corpses, grew graver despite the battle’s end.

“These bugs usually live in Underdark caves.”

“Why so many in the Mist Forest suddenly?”

“Did something drive them from their habitat, or did something here draw them?”

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