Chapter 51: Secret Pathways

The moment Zhou Yan locked eyes with the gigantic mantis, he immediately retreated at lightning speed. As he sprang backward, the monstrous mantis whirled its enormous body in response.

With a sharp hiss, its twin scythes flashed, slicing through the air with a shrill, piercing whistle, and in an instant, they were upon Zhou Yan. But Zhou Yan had already raised his sword horizontally before him, clashing head-on with those terrifying scythe-arms.

A metallic clang rang out as the mantis’s hardened limb struck against the sharp edge of Zhou Yan’s Misfortune Sword. The force sent Zhou Yan flying through the air. The mantis’s scythe rebounded, and at the point where it had met Zhou Yan’s blade, there was now a visible notch—a clear sign that, though formidable, the biological material of the scythe was still no match for the sword’s sharpness and durability.

Despite being hurled away, Zhou Yan was unscathed. He twisted midair and landed nimbly on his feet, his heart settling with newfound confidence. The mantis possessed great strength, but not as much as Zhou Yan himself. The only reason he’d been knocked aside was due to his relatively light weight. At first, he’d been startled by the beast’s massive size and instinctively chosen to fall back for safety. Now that they had exchanged blows, he could feel the true extent of the mantis’s power—it was far inferior to his own.

Nevertheless, Zhou Yan maintained his original strategy, retreating rapidly, his left arm swinging in a seemingly careless manner as he moved. The mantis, not renowned for its intelligence, charged straight at him. Though its attack speed was terrifying, its running speed, while fast, was merely ordinary—yet, due to its massive size, it still moved with remarkable swiftness.

In just two seconds, it had closed the distance on Zhou Yan, who was backing away. As it ran, its twin scythes were drawn in protectively before its chest, its compound eyes locked on the retreating Zhou Yan, its powerful visual acuity breaking down Zhou Yan’s movements in real time. All it needed was to get close enough to strike again.

Yet, just as it was about to reach Zhou Yan, its body suddenly jerked to a halt! In the next instant, as if tripped by something unseen, the mantis stumbled and crashed to the ground.

“Got you!” Zhou Yan laughed, his backward sprint coming to an abrupt stop.

The more the mantis struggled, the more entangled it became. On closer inspection, layers upon layers of white threads could be seen clinging to its body—spider silk, fired from Zhou Yan’s Ghost Spider Spinner! From the moment he’d entered the mantis’s lair, he had been secretly launching silk strands onto the walls and floor. Now, those traps had sprung into action, successfully restraining the giant insect.

Each silk strand could withstand up to two hundred kilograms of force; together, they held the mantis fast, rendering it immobile.

Without hesitation, Zhou Yan raised his left arm. A black lotus bloomed at the tip, taking precise aim at the still-struggling mantis.

Black Lotus!

A deafening blast erupted. The force of the explosion shoved Zhou Yan two steps backward. The giant mantis let out a shrill, agonized screech as half its immense, soft abdomen was blown away, exposing shattered entrails. Billowing miasma flames swept over its body, inflicting horrific damage.

Zhou Yan let out a wild laugh and charged forward. The black lotus at the end of his left arm bloomed once more, this time trained on the mantis’s head.

Another explosion—

...

[You have slain "Corrosive Mantis Leader," gaining 223 Spirit.]

[You have obtained "Rune Factor: Acuity."]

[You have obtained "Rune Factor: Endurance."]

[You have obtained "Rune Circuit Core: Stealth (1)."]

Jackpot again! Zhou Yan grinned as he looked upon the fallen mantis, its head blasted apart, abdomen ruptured, its life finally extinguished.

He immediately examined the rune circuit’s effects.

[Rune Circuit Core: Stealth (1)]
[Rating: 0-Star, Tier 2]
[Effect: When installed in a Life Equipment, increases Acuity by 2, Spirit by 1, and activates the "Stealth Circuit (1)."]
[Stealth Circuit (1): When "Acuity," "Spirit," and "Curse" rune factors coexist within the same Life Equipment, grants an additional "Acuity +5," "Breath Concealment Effect +20%," and "Ambush Damage +20%."]
[Note: "Nothing is true; everything is permitted."]

Excellent! The corner of Zhou Yan’s lips curled upward. This circuit, "Stealth," was clearly designed for an assassin-style approach, with all three effects tailored toward agility, concealment, and ambush.

He could easily adjust his rune setup to fit the situation: "Shatter" for direct confrontations, "Stealth" for surprise attacks.

Setting aside the new circuit for now—since neither could be triggered at the moment—Zhou Yan equipped the two newly acquired rune factors and looked with satisfaction at his rune slots, now filled to [6/10].

He reached out to inspect the mantis leader’s corpse.

[Corrosive Mantis Leader]
[Type: Demon Insect]

[Description: The individual among the mantises infected and mutated by the Corrosive Mist with the highest degree of aberration; possesses powerful dynamic vision and lightning-fast slashing speed.]
[Rating: 0-Star, Tier 2]
[Attributes: Physique 29, Acuity 23, Spirit 6]
[Note: Kill it, eat it, absorb it!]

...

Zhou Yan nodded slightly—this was another promising candidate for fusion material.

Though this mantis felt even stronger in combat than the spider, if he had to choose, he would still pick the spider. In terms of attribute bonuses, neither the mantis nor the spider could compare to his Tier 3 material: the Lotus of Calamity Sword. Functionally, the spider, with its web-spinning and venomous abilities, was far more useful than the mantis.

Yet, truthfully, he wasn’t fully satisfied with either candidate. His real target was the "proto-insect" mentioned in the information—the very cause of all this, a member of Orthoptera fused with a peculiar crystal.

That creature should be Tier 3, shouldn’t it?

Letting go of the matter, Zhou Yan skirted the mantis leader’s corpse and quickly searched the entire mantis group’s laboratory. In the end, he found not a single living creature remaining. The mantis leader had devoured them all.

Only one ordinary mantis, half-chewed in the leader’s jaws, clung to life. Zhou Yan finished it off with a single stroke.

[You have destroyed the "Mantis Nest."]
[Side Mission 2: Destroy Mutant Insect Nests (2/?)]

As Zhou Yan left the mantis laboratory, he shook his head in regret. So many ordinary mantis minions, all slain and eaten by the monstrous leader—such a waste. He wondered if the other labs ahead would be the same...

Unconsciously, Zhou Yan quickened his pace. After all, it was said that many insects, like mantises, were given to cannibalism. If he moved too slowly, he might once again be left with only the boss to face. Though such fights were easier, the loss in spirit gains and potential rune loot would be significant—something he was most unwilling to see.

...