Chapter 506: Necrotic Black Spider

Chapter 506: Chapter 506: Necrotic Black Spider

The Calming Skill was working.

Beau tilted its head, looking at Seraphina Sullivan in confusion before glancing over at Crystal Lynn in the corner. Its forked tongue flickered a few times, then it twisted its body and slithered toward Crystal Lynn, gently rubbing its head against her hand.

"Phew..." Crystal Lynn let out a long breath, weakly stroking Beau’s head. "Thank goodness... thank goodness..."

Seraphina Sullivan knelt, placing her palm on Crystal Lynn. The Healing light of Flower Therapy began to glow.

A moment later, some color returned to Crystal Lynn’s face.

She opened her eyes to see Seraphina Sullivan’s concerned gaze, and her own eyes immediately welled with tears.

"Seraphina... You’re here."

"Yes," Seraphina Sullivan nodded, helping her sit up. "Luckily you were nearby. The Compass showed you were in this building. Otherwise..."

She didn’t finish, but Crystal Lynn understood.

Otherwise, she really would have died here today.

Crystal Lynn lowered her head, hugging Beau, her voice trembling. "Thank you, Seraphina... I owe you my life again..."

"Don’t say that." Seraphina Sullivan patted her shoulder, her expression turning serious. "I’ve discovered something about this place that I need to tell you."

...

Seraphina Sullivan concisely explained her theory.

The true nature of the Demonization’s corrosion was likely a form of Spirit Attack. It caused plants and animals to go into a Frenzy, and humans could also be corroded by it. Fortunately, she had a Skill from a Treasure Chest event that could alleviate and heal this corrosion.

’The Worker Talent was her biggest secret; she couldn’t tell anyone.’

’But she could claim the Medical Soothing Skill came from a Treasure Chest.’

Crystal Lynn’s expression shifted several times as she listened. Finally, it dawned on her. "No wonder... Beau was so obedient at first, but then it completely stopped listening to my commands."

"I thought something was wrong with my Beast Taming Ability..."

She hugged the White Jade Snake in her arms, her voice filled with lingering fear. "If you hadn’t gotten here in time, Sullivan, Beau might have actually turned into one of those monsters..."

"Then, in this place..." Crystal Lynn suddenly realized something, and her voice fell. "Doesn’t that make me a burden?"

’If I can’t command my beasts, my Beast Taming Talent is useless.’

’I have no combat strength, no way to protect myself, and I’ll just drag down my teammates.’

Crystal Lynn bit her lip, her eyes reddening again.

"Don’t worry." Seraphina Sullivan’s voice was calm but firm. "Like I said, I have Skills that can counteract the effects of the Demonization."

"You just use your Ability as you normally would. If your beasts start to lose Control, I’ll handle it."

She paused, her gaze fixed on Crystal Lynn’s face. "And you are not a burden."

"Your combat experience, your sense for danger, your ability to read a situation—all of that is useful."

"Don’t forget, you’ve been through so many trials yourself."

Crystal Lynn froze for a moment, then nodded vigorously. Her tears finally fell, but a smile touched her lips. "Okay! I get it, Seraphina! I’ll do my best!"

"Alright, on your feet." Seraphina Sullivan stood up, warily scanning their surroundings. "We need to leave here as soon as possible and find the others. The difficulty of this trial is higher than we imagined."

Crystal Lynn wiped away her tears, picked up Beau, and followed her.

...

Once outside the academic building, Seraphina Sullivan took out the Three Realms Compass again.

A point of light flickered.

The closest marker was Matthew Dawson.

He was to the northeast, about three kilometers away.

"Let’s go." Seraphina Sullivan put the Compass away and led Crystal Lynn and Flora in that direction.

Along the way, they witnessed the true horror of this world.

The once-quiet streets had now become a hunting ground.

Bushes by the roadside would suddenly lash out to attack people. The creeper vines covering the walls were like living green waterfalls, ready to engulf anyone who drew near.

But the plants weren’t the most terrifying part.

It was the animals.

As they passed through a deserted residential complex, Seraphina Sullivan suddenly stopped, raising a hand to signal for Crystal Lynn and Flora to halt.

Fifty meters ahead, a swarm of spiders was crawling.

These were not ordinary spiders.

Each one was the size of a washbasin. Vicious barbs grew from their eight legs, and their backs were covered in pitch-black exoskeletons. The strangest part was the faint black mist coiling around their bodies, making them look like demonic creatures that had crawled out of hell.

The spiders were packed densely together; there had to be at least a hundred of them.

They crawled across the street, covering the entire road. Wherever they passed, even the Demonized plants shrank away.

Crystal Lynn’s breath caught in her throat. She subconsciously hugged Beau tighter, her voice trembling. "Seraphina... what... what kind of monsters are those?"

Seraphina Sullivan didn’t answer.

She stared at the swarm of spiders, an image from another trial flashing through her mind: The Insect Frenzy.

In that trial, she had faced a similar overwhelming swarm of insects.

But as terrifying as those mutated spiders had been, they at least had weaknesses. They could be controlled with Skills.

With a thought, a faint pink halo gathered at her fingertips.

Sweet Fragrance Skill, activated.

It was one of her go-to Control Skills, releasing a special aroma that could attract and control low-intelligence creatures.

But a second later, her heart sank.

The spiders showed no reaction whatsoever.

They continued their advance, their mist-shrouded bodies not pausing for a moment.

It was as if the fragrance didn’t exist as far as they were concerned.

Seraphina Sullivan retracted the Skill, her expression grim.

’Immune to Mind Control?’

’Is it because the Demonization’s corrosion changed their very nature, or does the black mist around them have some special property?’

"Is it because of the Demonization..." she muttered.

"Master, what should we do?" Flora asked softly. Her long hair had already begun to stir, a sign she was ready for battle.

Seraphina Sullivan’s gaze swept over the terrain as she quickly made an assessment.

"We can’t fight them head-on," she said in a low voice. "There are too many, and we don’t know what we’re up against. We’ll find another way around."

The three of them quietly retreated, taking a detour through another alley.

Behind them, the swarm of spiders crawled slowly across the street, the black mist spreading like an envoy of the Reaper.

Seraphina Sullivan’s eyes narrowed, and she mentally intoned—

’Eye of Resume, activate.’

’I need to know everything about these spiders. Why did my Sweet Fragrance Skill fail?’

In her vision, translucent information panels appeared over the bodies of the mist-shrouded spiders:

[Name: Necrotic Black Spider]

[Gender: Male]

[Professional Skills and Talents]

Corrosive Black Smoke: Continuously emits a highly corrosive black smoke that corrodes the flesh of living beings and most inorganic matter.

Within the smoke’s area of effect, physical attacks are significantly weakened.

Immune to Control: As a creature already walking the path of death, Mind Control is useless against it. It cannot be controlled by others.

[Weaknesses]

The Corrosive Black Smoke makes the Necrotic Black Spider unafraid of most physical attacks, but it is singularly afraid of Water-, Flame-, and Thunder-type Elemental System Abilities. Flame can burn away the black smoke, water can disperse the poisonous mist, and lightning can penetrate to its fragile internal organs.

Seraphina Sullivan’s eyes widened as she finished reading the information.

’Immune to Mind Control.’

’But it’s afraid of Water-, Flame-, and Thunder-type Elemental System Abilities.’