Chapter 32: Poison Glands

"Whoosh!"

The fierce wind whipped up by the high-speed movement caused the black, shaggy bangs on Xia Nan’s forehead to flutter violently. A phantom image flashed across his vision, and Wood, brandishing two daggers, arrived at his side.

"Young Master, are you alright?"

His gaze, filled with anxiety and concern, swept up and down the half-elf’s body several times. Only when he saw that there were no external injuries did he breathe a sigh of relief. In truth, Wood’s concern had clouded his judgment; without any obstacles, he had seen everything that transpired as he rushed over. He knew full well that the rust monster hadn't even touched Haian before its head was severed. Yet, the sense of urgency born from his perceived failure, combined with the lingering fear of what could have happened, left him unable to stop blaming himself.

"I’m fine, really." Wood felt a sense of relief in his heart.

He turned his head to look at Xia Nan, who was standing beside them, sword in hand, preparing to move forward to support the others. He gave a sincere and earnest nod. The situation was dire, and Wood was not a man of many words, but in that moment, he truly acknowledged the young man in the group—someone he had once doubted, but who had now proven through action that he was worthy of trust.

"Swish." Like a phantom, the figure in black leather armor vanished once more.

Only then did the half-elf Haian, having just emerged from a brush with death, finally collect himself.

"Hhh... hhh..." He breathed heavily, his naturally fair face covered in sweat. "I’m sorry, I’m sorry... thank you!" Haian stammered an apology to Xia Nan.

Xia Nan didn't even respond; he had already dashed past the half-elf. On one hand, even though Haian and the others were total strangers just a few days ago, he was now part of the team. If nothing else, for the sake of those 100 gold coins, he had to fulfill his responsibilities to the best of his ability. On the other hand, it was because one of the two remaining rust monsters had seized the opportunity to crawl right in front of them.

"Hisss!!!"

The sharp, high-pitched screech sounded as if it would shatter their eardrums. Its long, finned tail, covered in wavy, yellowish-brown chitin, whipped through the air, stirring up clouds of grass clippings with every strike. Unlike green-skinned goblins whose combat effectiveness relied on numbers, rust monsters—which rarely lived in large groups—felt neither fear nor anger at the death of their kin. These giant insects, usually prowling the depths of dark caverns, seemed stimulated by something, exhibiting extreme aggression. Even with edible metal weapons corroded by venom lying right at their feet, they showed no interest, opting instead to attack the living creatures before them with mindless frenzy.

Holding his iron-gray longsword horizontally across his chest, Xia Nan did not rush to attack. Instead, he circled the rust monster, moving cautiously with his blade drawn. His mind raced, flashing back over everything that had happened since the battle began.

First, the greatest threat was the corrosive venom spat from the monster's mouth. Whether it splashed on his body or accidentally touched his blade, he found it unbearable and unacceptable. He had to stay vigilant!

Second, the rust monster was covered in a thick, solid shell. Based on the blow Larry had landed with his one-handed hammer earlier, Xia Nan wasn't sure if a single strike from his sword could pierce that armor. If he failed to cut through instantly, without flesh to absorb the force of the blow, the recoil would leave him in a rigid, exposed state. The margin for error was razor-thin!

Therefore, like Wood, finding a gap in the creature's armor was the best strategy. But...

A flicker of hesitation crossed Xia Nan's dark eyes. A few seconds ago, he had indeed used [Spinning Slash] to decapitate one of the monsters. At the time, he hadn't overthought it; seeing his teammate in crisis, he had instinctively mimicked Wood’s technique and swung. He hadn't even aimed carefully, yet the blade had sliced perfectly into the creature's shell. Was it luck, or some latent combat talent? He wasn't sure, but he wouldn't let such uncertainty interfere with a fight that now determined his own survival.

"Bang!"

The powerful tail whipped against the ground, scattering mud. Xia Nan barely dodged, and his longsword followed through, striking sparks against the yellowish-brown shell.

"Tsk, too bad, almost had it."

These weren't inanimate toys on a table. Through countless generations of survival, these monsters knew the weaknesses of their own anatomy. The uneven, wavy shell made the gaps between segments narrow and difficult to penetrate. Combined with the creature’s constant movement and that iron-whip tail, one had to be a "professional" like Wood—possessing exceptional skills far beyond the average person—to find an opening in the heat of battle. Unless...

"Whoosh!"

A sharp, piercing sound erupted behind him. Xia Nan paused, then immediately reacted, leaping backward. Whether to build momentum or retreat, he needed space.

A wooden arrow, tipped with white feathers, spiraled through the mist, whirring past him. Having regained his composure after the initial shock, the half-elf Haian had provided his teammate with support. Unlike his previous rapid, straight shots, this arrow appeared to move much slower. Yet, it seemed the half-elf had used a unique technique, causing the fletching to vibrate violently and the entire arrow to spin at high speed. Like the contrail left by an aircraft in the sky, the wooden arrow streaked through the misty air, leaving a clear path.

"Sss!"

It was incredibly precise. The metal arrowhead, with impossible accuracy, spun and embedded itself into the rust monster’s tiny eye, hidden beneath the folds of its shell. The sheer force of the impact caused half of the monster's insectoid face to collapse and distort.

The screeching intensified!

Overwhelmed by agony, the rust monster instinctively reared up, shaking its head as if to dislodge the arrow embedded deep within.

"Now!"

Xia Nan did not hesitate. His legs, already primed, propelled him forward. Positioned slightly at a disadvantage, he didn't use the [Spinning Slash], which was unsuitable for this angle; instead, he instinctively thrust his iron-gray longsword diagonally upward.

"Sss!"

Insect blood splattered! Driven by the force of his entire body, the blade instantly pierced the monster's relatively soft underjaw, continuing upward through the neck and spine!

*Thud.*

The rust monster's heavy body, which had been reared high, fell backward onto the ground with a dull thud, following the momentum of Xia Nan’s thrust. The severed head, still pierced by the arrow, rolled into the grass. The chelicerae twitched involuntarily.

Xia Nan didn't dare to relax. The moment he confirmed the monster was dead, he exerted even more strength than before, stepping onto the beast's abdomen to yank his sword, which had become embedded in the shell, out of the carcass. He then checked the blade carefully.

"Don't let it touch, please don't let it touch..." he prayed fervently.

The opportunity had been fleeting; he hadn't worried about venom in the heat of the moment. While he didn't regret it, he was deeply concerned about the blade being corroded by the beast's saliva. Fortunately, although there were a few more scratches on the sword and it was covered in thick, green insect blood, it had ultimately avoided the corrosive venom that was the natural enemy of metal equipment.

Prowl, pause, strike. A truly intense battle is often decided in mere seconds. By the time Xia Nan finished catching his breath and withdrew his sword, Wood, at the other end of the camp, had finished off the final rust monster.

The battle was over.

...

The attack had been sudden. Had they been an average group of low-level adventurers, facing four of these foul creatures would have likely resulted in either a total wipeout or severe casualties. Fortunately, their team had an experienced professional who had not only set traps around the camp to provide early warning but had also clearly explained the dangers of the rust monsters, taking the lead to neutralize one and reveal their weaknesses. Coupled with the coordination of Xia Nan and Haian, the entire fight resulted in only a minor injury for Larry, who had accidentally touched the monster's saliva while retreating. The other four remained unscathed.

*Sizzle.*

Larry wiped the corrosive venom from his one-handed hammer onto the grass with a look of disgust. "This thing... it should still be usable, right?" He muttered, looking at the metal face of his hammer, which was severely deformed, as if it had been gnawed by rats. His arm was already heavily bandaged.

"Larry, what are you doing? Come help!" Doris called out in a low voice from behind as she packed their belongings.

"Coming!"

The commotion of the battle and the stench of insect blood meant this place was no longer safe. Before the sun set completely, they had to move and set up camp elsewhere.

On the other side, Xia Nan stood before a monster's carcass, his sword already wiped clean. He was frowning, carefully flipping through his [Adventurer's Handbook].

"Rust monster... rust monster..."

"Why isn't it here?"

Having survived the battle, he didn't want to leave the spoils behind. Based on his limited knowledge, a bug this big—especially its chitinous shell, which had such incredible defensive properties—should be worth a tidy sum. But given the circumstances, the shells were too heavy to carry. Even if they buried them and left a mark, it was highly likely that the sensitive-nosed creatures of the Fog Forest would dig them up and consume them before they could return. He was hoping to find something on the monster that was portable and valuable. Yet, his handbook contained no records of this creature.

"This is tricky," he thought.

At that moment, as if sensing Xia Nan's thoughts, Wood, clad in his black leather armor, walked over silently. Unlike his usual vigilant silence, he spoke up, his tone calm:

"The most valuable part of a rust monster is the venom gland located in the upper left of its abdominal cavity."

"It's dark purple, about the size of a thumb. It's quite obvious; you'll find it after turning the carcass over a couple of times. The outer skin is tough and doesn't break easily. Just use any cloth bag to store it, but be careful not to keep it near metal items, or it might corrode them."

"I’d suggest leaving the shell. It’s inconvenient to carry, and in the environment of the Fog Forest, the carcass will rot quickly once the creature dies, unless you have protective materials."

"If you ever have the chance to visit a town near the dwarven settlements and encounter these bugs again, you can bring their antennae. Much like cutting off a goblin's left ear, the dwarves there will give you an extra bounty."

It was the first time Xia Nan had heard Wood speak at such length. Knowing the man was trying to help him, he offered his thanks: "I see. Thank you."

He pulled out his dagger, ready to harvest the glands, when Haian walked over.

"Here, I've already harvested the glands from the other three for you. It should count as a decent sum."

His fair hands were covered in thick green blood, and in his palms lay three dark purple oval organs. Xia Nan was taken aback.

"You..."

"Consider it compensation for this mission," the half-elf said, placing the glands into a cloth bag and stuffing it into Xia Nan's hands with a smile. "After all, we agreed it would just be the outskirts of the Fog Forest, and there wouldn't be any risks. It’s not realistic to expect you to pretend that encountering monsters of this level didn't happen."

"Besides, you saved me earlier... regarding that, after the mission is over and we return to Niume..."

"Let's talk about that then," Xia Nan interrupted, waving a hand.

He wasn't the type to hold a favor over someone's head, and his actions in the fight were just a natural reaction. They were teammates; he couldn't just stand by and watch the man die. He didn't care much for the "debt of life" talk. Instead, the three glands in his hand were much more compelling.

"I wonder how much these will fetch back home," thought Xia Nan, whose savings before the trip had been a mere 24 gold, 2 silver, and 7 copper coins.

Meanwhile, Wood stood beside them, staring at the rust monster carcasses on the grass. Even though the battle was over, his expression remained grave.

"These bugs usually live in the caverns of the Underdark."

"Why have so many suddenly appeared in the Fog Forest?"

"Did something drive them out of their habitat? Or is there something here that attracted them?"