Chapter 355: Hilda’s Exploding Blood Spiders, a Powerful Commander-Level Skill! (5600)

"Hiss… Hiss…"

These Blood Spiders all raised their heads, a thousand pairs of eyes gleaming with eerie red light fixed intently on the two people in front of them.

Their mouthparts opened and closed slightly, emitting a hair-raising sound, while their slender spider legs, covered in blood-red fuzz, moved constantly over the corpses.

Cao Xing was startled. "Good grief, you actually hatched this many?"

He glanced at the stats of these Blood Spiders.

[Exploding Blood Spider]

[Race: Blood Spider]

[Level: 33 (Tier 4 Common Creature)]

[HP: 1500/1500]

[Attack Power: 184 ~ 251]

[Armor: 17 ~ 29]

[Skills: Bloodthirsty Dash (The Exploding Blood Spider is always in a berserk state, movement speed increased by 50%), Blood Explosion (After HP drops to zero, it will explode on the spot, dealing 100% damage to surrounding enemies and leaving behind a layer of Blood Poison effect)]

[Talent: Blood Poison]

(Note: A Blood Spider cultivated through the power of the Blood Spider Queen, possessing extremely fast movement speed, but is very fragile.)

…

Compared to the average Tier 4 creature, this Exploding Blood Spider is much lower in both HP and Attack Power.

But this doesn't matter; after all, these Blood Spiders are meant for self-destruction, focusing on winning through sheer numbers.

And its most terrifying method is [Blood Explosion].

As long as there are enough of them, this thing can truly overwhelm even an elephant with ants!

Hilda supported her right arm with her left hand and said with a touch of boredom, "The power within these Goblins is too weak; I can only hatch these cannon fodder Blood Spiders."

"If they were Elite Goblins, I could barely hatch Elite-grade Power Demon Blood Spiders, or Swift Shadow Blood Spiders used for scouting, and so on…"

Cao Xing became interested upon hearing this.

He continued to ask, "Do you mean that the stronger the corpse, the stronger the Blood Spider that hatches from it?"

Hilda replied lazily, "That's right~"

"According to the strength of the corpse, I can also hatch Thick-Shelled Blood Spiders that excel in defense, Ghost Blood Spiders that can turn invisible, and Piercing Blood Spiders that specialize in burrowing into an enemy's body."

"The last type of Blood Spider is a nightmare for enemies~"

Cao Xing was startled. "That powerful?"

Hearing the praise, a bewitching smile curled at the corners of Hilda's mouth.

"That goes without saying~ Back then, I commanded an army of a million Blood Spiders, and I even had a few Commander-grade Giant Blood Spiders."

"If you can find me the corpse of a dragon, I could even create a Dragon Spider army!"

Cao Xing's eyes gleamed even brighter upon hearing this!

Good grief, even a dragon's corpse can be used for hatching!

He had really struck gold this time!

If a large-scale war were to break out one day,

this skill of Hilda's alone would be enough to provide him with massive military support.

And it's the kind where he wouldn't feel any heartache even if they died.

If her [Bloody Feast] were developed seriously, it would be truly formidable.

It's no less than a catastrophe-level method!

The more Cao Xing looked at this Blood Spider Queen, the more pleasing she became to his eyes.

Facing Cao Xing's gaze, Hilda always felt a strange sensation in her heart…

but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Lord, is there something on my face?"

Cao Xing smiled. "No, it's just that you look rather pretty when you're being serious."

Hilda was stunned, seemingly realizing immediately that Cao Xing was complimenting her beauty.

As the ever-dominant Blood Spider Queen, no one had ever dared to comment on her appearance directly, nor had anyone ever called her pretty.

Because anyone who said such things was treated by her as a frivolous and rude person, and was devoured by her Blood Spiders.

This was a dangerous woman!

But now, she felt a strange sensation in her heart.

After receiving Cao Xing's praise, it was as if she had received some kind of validation.

She said softly, "Do… do you really think I'm pretty?"

Cao Xing laughed. "Of course."

Setting aside her spider lower half, Hilda's beauty was in the top three of the territory.

A flush gradually appeared on Hilda's pretty face. Not knowing how to react, she stood there, at a loss, with the eyes on her forehead blinking.

Seeing her embarrassed state, Cao Xing laughed heartily and decided not to tease her any further.

"Alright, Hilda, deal with these corpses."

"Then take this batch of Blood Spiders back to the territory and find a corner to hide in."

"Oh, right, remember to keep them well-behaved; don't scare the residents."

Hilda had also recovered from that state of embarrassment by now.

She said in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzzing, "I… I understand…"

After speaking, she adjusted her mindset, and a queenly majesty reappeared on her face.

Then, she waved her hand!

"Go, my Blood Spiders, devour this group of corpses for me."

Instantly, the thousand-plus Blood Spiders on the field began to move!

They opened their sharp mouthparts and began to gnaw on the corpses of the Frost Goblins.

Like a pack of starving beasts, the Goblin remains were cleared away at a speed visible to the naked eye.

In the blink of an eye, they were devoured completely.

This scene was simply hair-raising!

This also made Cao Xing feel fortunate that Hilda was on his side.

If she were an enemy, she would truly be a formidable opponent.

Soon, the group of well-fed Blood Spiders followed Hilda into the territory.

Cao Xing also arrived at the outer buffer zone.

A group of figures was gathering there.

A dozen or so Centaur Lance-Shield Cavalry formed a perimeter, surrounding the few Goblin captives.

This group of Goblins had their upper bodies tied up and were kneeling on the ground.

Seeing Cao Xing approach, the Centaur Lance-Shield Cavalry automatically parted to make a path.

Kandaer was also here.

Seeing Cao Xing, he shouted in a loud voice, "Strong Lord, you caught them!"

"These are the Goblins from that forest I told you about."

Cao Xing nodded.

He had heard Kandaer's report in the morning that there were many Goblins in the Talus Woodland.

He was just preparing to send people to investigate in the afternoon.

Unexpectedly, this group of Goblins had actually taken the initiative to attack his territory.

It seemed that the number of Goblins in that forest had truly reached an exaggerated level!

His gaze turned to the group of captives on the ground.

These Goblins were short and wretched in stature, as if they were ugly creatures shaped out of malice.

They had large heads, sunken eye sockets, and a pair of triangular ears growing on top.

Their mouths were wide and twisted, revealing a mouthful of uneven yellow teeth, with food scraps and bloodstains still remaining between their teeth, emitting a nauseating stench.

Cao Xing asked directly, "Speak, why did you attack my territory."

The group of Goblins had no reaction, seemingly disdaining to answer at all.

Cao Xing glanced at the Lance-Shield Cavalry nearby.

The Centaur immediately understood the meaning.

He directly raised the spear in his hand and thrust it fiercely!

"Pfft!"

Instantly, this Goblin's heart was pierced through.

It stared blankly at its own heart, a trace of blood flowing from the corner of its mouth, its body tilted, and it fell straight backward.

This bloody scene made the hearts of the remaining Goblins on the field tremble!

The ferocity in their eyes vanished, and fear gradually appeared.

Cao Xing repeated the question from just now.

However, the group of Goblins still gritted their teeth, and none were willing to speak.

Seeing this, Cao Xing was somewhat surprised.

According to his previous understanding, Goblins were a group of ferocious but cowardly creatures.

Faced with the pressure of death, they basically gave in very quickly.

But now it seemed that this group of Goblins had quite a bit of backbone, with a stance of rather dying than submitting.

Cao Xing didn't stand on ceremony either, letting the Lance-Shield Cavalry continue.

"Pfft! Pfft!"

Following two kill notifications,

two more Goblins died.

On the field, only the last three Goblins remained.

Their bodies began to tremble violently, filled with intense fear!

But they still refused to open their mouths.

Seeing this, Cao Xing frowned.

However, even if these Goblins kept their mouths shut, he had other methods.

Thus, he pressed the communication device on his ear.

"Static…"

"Isabelle, come to the outer buffer zone of the territory."

Hearing Cao Xing's call, the Holy Light Priestess, who was meditating in the Mage Tower, quickly stood up.

Soon, Isabelle arrived at Cao Xing's side.

Upon seeing the Goblins on the ground, a look of disgust also appeared in her eyes.

Then, she looked at Cao Xing, and her gaze instantly became incomparably devout.

"Respected Lord, I have heard your call…"

Cao Xing nodded, "I want to make this group of Goblins speak now; I need your magic."

Isabelle understood his meaning and didn't hesitate, directly raising her staff.

A ball of Holy Light energy condensed within the staff.

The Goblin Witch Doctor among them clearly sensed something was wrong.

It asked in terror, "What are you going to do to us Goblins?"

Isabelle ignored it.

The Holy Light descended directly.

Repentance activated!

The next moment,

the terror on this Goblin's face vanished, and its eyes became dazed.

Cao Xing asked, "Why did you invade my territory."

The Goblin said in a daze, "Food… food… we need food…"

And at this moment, the Goblin Witch Doctor next to it immediately realized that this Goblin had been controlled!

It struggled, wanting to stop it from speaking.

However, it was tied up tightly all over, and there was simply no room to move.

Cao Xing glanced at it and continued to ask, "How many territories like mine have you already invaded?"

It continued to reply, "I… I don't know…"

"Our King said that these Otherworld Lords are all very weak and are very good food…"

"Our tribe has had many more Goblins recently… we need lots and lots of food…"

The Goblin Witch Doctor said anxiously, "Gobu, wake up!"

"You cannot…"

It still wanted to speak, but was interrupted by another Lance-Shield Cavalry's spear, which was thrust directly into its mouth.

One more word of nonsense, and this Goblin Witch Doctor's head would be pierced through.

The Witch Doctor instantly shut its mouth.

And Cao Xing also obtained two pieces of information from the above words.

First, there is a King among the Goblins, and this King should be their leader.

Second, the Goblin tribe has recently begun to expand on a large scale and needs a lot of food.

Cao Xing continued to ask, "How many Goblins are in your tribe?"

Hearing this question, the dazed look appeared in the eyes of the controlled Goblin.

"Gob… can't count…"

Cao Xing looked speechless.

This group of Goblins had low intelligence, and it only took them a year or two to go from birth to adulthood.

Their growth process was merely learning how to hunt and mate, so not knowing how to count was normal.

He switched to a different question and continued asking, "What is the strength of your King?"

However, this question seemed to touch upon some taboo, and a look of struggle appeared in the Goblin's eyes.

Just as it was about to open its mouth to answer.

The Goblin Witch Doctor beside it suddenly erupted!

It suddenly opened its foul-smelling mouth and bit down on the arm of the controlled Goblin.

"Awoo!"

After being bitten, that Goblin quickly sobered up, and then it discovered with horror that the spot where it had been bitten was rapidly turning blue and purple.

A terrifying toxin spread throughout its entire body!

The sudden situation caught everyone on the scene by surprise.

The group of Centaur spearmen quickly moved to subdue these few Goblins!

However, to everyone's surprise, these two Goblins acted as if they had gone mad!

Ignoring everything else, they charged directly toward the spear tips of the Centaur spearmen!

"Pfft! Pshhh!"

Their heads were instantly pierced by the spear tips.

Even before they died, their eyes still held a look of madness!

Including the bitten Goblin, which also died rapidly at this moment!

In the blink of an eye, all three Goblin captives were dead.

Those few Centaur spearmen, seeing the Goblins they had skewered, hurriedly turned around and apologized to Cao Xing.

"Apologies! Powerful Lord, I didn't know these Goblins would die so easily…"

Cao Xing waved his hand, not minding it.

"It's nothing; these Goblins were already in a low-health state, so it's normal for them to die."

However, he sensed something unusual from the actions of these Goblins.

It seemed that the last question he asked had triggered some kind of taboo.

And in order to keep the secret, these Goblins would rather end their own lives.

Cao Xing instinctively felt that there was something fishy about that Goblin tribe.

Therefore, Cao Xing said directly, "Alright, there's nothing else here, clean up the ground."

"Drag these corpses to Hilda and let her dispose of them."

"Understood!"

These Centaur spearmen immediately complied.

Then, Cao Xing came to the second ring area of the territory and found the beast-eared assassin.

"Lord!"

Herlie stood respectfully in place with her legs together.

Cao Xing said, "Herlie, I have a task for you."

Upon hearing this, the beast-eared assassin's ears immediately perked up!

She said excitedly, "Lord, please give your orders to Herlie!"

"No matter what the task is, I will do my utmost to complete it!"

Cao Xing nodded slightly and then instructed, "Go to the Talus Woodland over there and scout the entire Goblin tribe."

"I need to know their numbers and their strength."

"Then, focus your investigation on the so-called Goblin King in this tribe."

The beast-eared girl listened carefully, noting down all his requirements.

Cao Xing continued, "Oh, right, be careful when you get there; there are many Goblins in that tribe."

"If you encounter danger, contact me immediately."

"Also, take these things with you; they can buy you some time if you run into danger."

After speaking, Cao Xing gave her a [Small Communication Device] and then gave her the [Primitive Cube (Gold)].

Afterward, he took out a dozen bottles of Life Secret Potions and 20 Frost Bombs from his backpack.

Looking at the pile of items stuffed into her arms.

Herlie felt Cao Xing's concern for her.

The beast-eared assassin felt a warmth in her heart, and her eyes became a little moist.

Noticing her state, Cao Xing asked suspiciously, "What's wrong?"

Herlie hurriedly wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and shook her head, "No… nothing…"

"I will do my best to complete the mission."

"And… thank… thank you, Lord…"

Cao Xing smiled.

Just as Herlie was about to set off, Cao Xing suddenly remembered something and said, "Right, wait for me here a moment."

After saying that, he quickly headed to the [Mechanical Factory].

He went directly to the storage chest inside and took out some things.

"Obtained: Arc Star Bomb * 37"

Yes, this item was from a bomb blueprint he had opened from an ancient treasure chest earlier.

It was similar to a Dwarf bomb, but it produced a strong electric current after exploding.

Although its attack power wasn't high, it had several seconds of area-of-effect crowd control.

It was especially useful on a chaotic battlefield.

The downside was that it was too expensive to craft.

It took 5 Mithril to craft one bomb.

Cao Xing gave 20 Arc Star Bombs to Herlie and took out [Medium Agility, Strength, and Constitution Secret Potions] from his backpack.

"Alright, these things should be able to ensure your safety."

"If you encounter an unexpected situation, just throw these bombs down and ensure your own safety first."

Herlie, meanwhile, was moved beyond words.

With moist eyes, she said with a moved expression, "Lord, you are so good to me…"

"Herlie… Herlie has never had anyone treat me this well since I was little… wuwuwu…"

The beast-eared girl seemed unable to hold it back anymore and burst into tears.

Cao Xing was stunned for a moment.

Then he crouched down, pulled the beast-eared girl into his arms, and comforted her.

Although Herlie's body was petite, it was warm; holding her felt like holding a hot water bottle.

When she stopped crying, Cao Xing said, "Alright, stop crying."

"Although I usually have high demands of you, it's because I want you to grow quickly."

"Besides, since you are my subordinate and risk your life for me, I will definitely ensure your safety."

Herlie wiped the tears from her face and said solemnly, "Mm-hmm! I am the Lord's subordinate, and I listen to you the most!"

[Because you are considerate to your subordinates, Herlie Shadow's loyalty has greatly increased. Current loyalty: 92…]

It hadn't even been five days since he summoned this beast-eared girl, and her loyalty was almost maxed out.

Cao Xing smiled and continued, "Alright, wipe your tears and prepare to move out."

"Remember to be careful, don't get into trouble."

The beast-eared girl nodded heavily, "I won't get into trouble."

"I will work hard, learn stronger assassination techniques, and then serve the Lord!"

Just then, Herlie suddenly thought of something and stopped.

She said somewhat embarrassedly, "Um… Lord… could you agree to a request of mine…"

Herlie fidgeted with her small hands, appearing hesitant to speak.

Cao Xing asked suspiciously, "What request?"

"It's… it's… after I return from the mission, could you… use the Magic Ring on my neck to punish me?"

Cao Xing was stunned.

Asking for punishment voluntarily?

He looked at the beast-eared girl with a strange expression.

She was currently lowering her head, her pointed beast ears trembling constantly, appearing very embarrassed.

Cao Xing nodded, "Okay, I agree."

Hearing this, Herlie immediately raised her head, her dark green pupils dilating.

She said with pleasant surprise, "Great! Thank you, Lord!"

"I will complete the mission well and come back for the Lord to punish me!"

"Then, goodbye, Lord!"

With those words.

The beast-eared girl gripped her dagger tightly, then turned into a cloud of black mist and vanished from the spot.

Cao Xing remained with a strange expression on his face.

This woman, why does it seem like she treats punishment as a reward…

Meanwhile.

Deep in the Talus Woodland, there was a massive Goblin tribe.

In the center of the tribe, a tall Goblin sat upright.

It had a massive head, and on top of its head was a crude crown made of sharp beast bones and rusted iron plates; the crown was slightly askew, yet it radiated a sense of majesty and dominance.

Other than being much larger in size than the other Goblins, this Goblin didn't look any different.

But if one looked closely, one could still see the difference between it and the other Goblins.

In its eyes, there was none of the cloudiness and cruelty of the other Goblins.

Most importantly, there was a name above its head.

[Survivor Lord: Liu Yang].

Yes, he was a Survivor!

Liu Yang never expected that after arriving in this world, he would become a Goblin.

Everything stemmed from the A-rank talent he activated when he entered this world—Goblin King!