Chapter Fifty-One: The First Level of the Mine

With two sharp twangs, the arrows pinned the two spiders, ten meters apart, to the ground. The attack had been so sudden that neither spider managed to raise an alarm before perishing completely.

Soon, there was a rustling in the forest, a flash of red light, and, like a ghost, Mr. Dexterous darted out. He approached the fallen spiders, examined them, and, after confirming the enemies were dead, gave a signal towards the woods. Not long after, Sun Licheng arrived with Dogmeat.

Although it was said that everyone would participate, in reality, only Sun Licheng, Mr. Dexterous, and Dogmeat took part in this operation.

The Wolf King was massive, ill-suited to fight within the cramped cave, while the spiders’ venom was deadly and their prowess in ranged attacks considerable. Sun Licheng did not wish for the Wolf King to risk injury in such a place, so he had it remain outside to monitor the surroundings and care for the three wolf-rabbit pups.

At the cave’s entrance, Mr. Dexterous showcased his extraordinary marksmanship. Through precise calculations and the coordination of his eight tentacles, four goblin crossbows achieved the effect of a semi-automatic sniper rifle. It wasn’t long before all the patrolling spiders outside the cave had met their end.

With the area around the cave cleared, Dogmeat cautiously slipped into the mine. Agile and compact, with a pair of electronic eyes capable of recording everything it saw, Dogmeat was perfectly suited to reconnaissance.

After a while, Dogmeat returned from the mine and relayed its findings to Mr. Dexterous.

“Boss, Dogmeat reports the mine is quite large, and I can enter. However, some sections have collapsed and we’ll need to prepare timber supports. The lighting inside is dim, but this won’t hinder Dogmeat or me in combat. There aren’t many spiders on the first level, and so far, no powerful ones have been found.”

Mr. Dexterous reported to Sun Licheng.

Hearing this, Sun Licheng’s long-furrowed brow finally eased, and joy shone in his eyes—things were going better than he had expected.

After some discussion, Sun Licheng decided on a methodical approach: eliminate the spiders layer by layer. To prevent further cave-ins, he and Mr. Dexterous headed into the woods to cut timber for support beams.

Not only did Mr. Dexterous have eight tentacles, he’d also crafted a rotary saw, making him astonishingly efficient. Soon, Sun Licheng had a large supply of wooden supports.

Just then, a signal came from the distant Wolf King, warning that someone was approaching.

After a brief period of vigilance, Sun Licheng discovered it was Christina.

It turned out the young girl was worried about Sun Licheng, especially since Isidor had been spreading malicious rumors about him in the tribe. She’d begged her father to let her come and check on things. Unable to refuse her, Vol assigned two of his men to escort her to Salt Mountain.

Sun Licheng was deeply touched by the girl’s concern, though he was not at all surprised by Isidor’s petty machinations. The spiders of Salt Mountain were indeed formidable; without Mr. Dexterous and the others, Sun Licheng would likely have had no choice but to flee. Isidor’s skepticism was only natural, given that so many from the Silver Moon Tribe had attempted assaults here and failed.

Now, however, Sun Licheng felt that reclaiming Salt Mountain was far more within reach.

“What? You want to go down into the mine with us?” Sun Licheng was taken aback. He was worried for Christina’s safety, and also anxious about exposing the existence of Mr. Dexterous and the others.

“Yes!” The young girl’s face was resolute as she drew a bone knife, exuding a certain heroic flair—though her attire left much to be desired for such a role.

The two goblins accompanying her wore wry smiles—they had no wish to enter the mine and risk their lives, but they couldn’t abandon their chieftain’s daughter, especially when she was also the tribe’s Saintess. All they could do was shoot Sun Licheng pleading looks.

After considerable persuasion, Sun Licheng finally convinced her to return to the tribe to gather food for him and the Wolf King, thus sending her away.

Watching the still-excited Christina depart, Sun Licheng gave a wry smile.

“Prepare food? Since Isidor dares spread rumors in the tribe, he’ll certainly try to undermine the Silver Moon Tribe’s support for me. As for food—they barely have enough for themselves. At best, they’ll give a token amount, and even that will depend on Christina’s efforts. By the time it arrives, I’ll probably be back myself,” Sun Licheng mused.

Luckily, he hadn’t counted on much support from the Silver Moon Tribe to begin with. Investors, after all, only invest when they see potential, and this salt mine was the test for him.

With Christina gone, night had fully fallen. Sun Licheng and his companions prepared to enter the salt mine in earnest.

No one knew how many years this salt mine had existed. Signs of excavation were everywhere, the tunnels winding and twisted, with the occasional partial collapse.

In the party, Dogmeat led the way, Sun Licheng followed in the middle with a large shield, and Mr. Dexterous hovered at the rear, crossbows at the ready to provide covering fire.

Looking at his team, Sun Licheng sighed with satisfaction. “We truly look like a proper expedition—thief-scout at the front, tank in the middle, and ranged support at the back. If only we had a priest for healing, it would be perfect.”

With that thought, he felt a sudden inspiration and cast a Flame Shield. Instantly, three fiery shields flickered and vanished before each of them.

This was Sun Licheng’s first time casting a party spell, and the effect was excellent. He sensed intuitively that their defensive capabilities had improved significantly.

“Heroic abilities are incredible!” Sun Licheng exclaimed excitedly.

Before long, the first wave of giant spiders appeared.

“Dogmeat, come back!” Sun Licheng shouted.

The moment Dogmeat darted behind the shield, a large glob of venom splattered against it.

To these intruders, the spiders responded with their fiercest attacks. Hissing, they spat webs and poison at Sun Licheng, and charged in with claws and fangs bared.

Shield raised high, Sun Licheng stood firm in the cave, protecting both himself and Dogmeat, while Mr. Dexterous provided relentless cover fire with his crossbows.

The shield glowed brilliantly with each blow—a magical array activating in response to the onslaught. From a distance, it was a striking sight, though for Sun Licheng, the shield felt as if pummeled by countless iron fists—an exhausting ordeal. Only his great strength kept him from being knocked back.

The group’s specially-prepared shield withstood the test. The spiders, unable to advance an inch, were instead cut down by Mr. Dexterous’s hail of bolts. Soon, only corpses remained, and the survivors retreated.

“Incredible. Thank goodness for Mr. Dexterous,” Sun Licheng exclaimed, gazing at the ten or so giant spider bodies before him. The shield was blackened, corroded by venom.

After a careful inspection, he found the magical array intact. The group pressed deeper into the tunnels.

As they progressed, they encountered a cave-in ahead, leaving only a narrow opening that one could crawl through—far too tight for Mr. Dexterous.

Sun Licheng poked his head through to look. On the other side, three or four giant spiders watched hungrily. The moment they saw him, they spat venom, forcing him to hastily pull back.

“What to do now?” Sun Licheng scratched his head in puzzlement.