My gaze fixed, and indeed, it was as I feared. Ignoring those already dead, countless spiders, a surging tide, black and oppressive, advanced from three or four meters out, whether facing the Sea of Undead or the open plain. The scene was no longer one of isolated black dots, but of dense, cloud-like waves of arachnids. I shivered, a tremor running through me, and the hand clutching the branch began to sweat involuntarily.

My backpack was still half a meter away below me, several tins scattered on the ground, smeared with the slime of dead spiders. Fortunately, the scroll map and other items hadn't been taken out; if I could find a chance to snatch the pack and break through, the losses wouldn't be too severe.

"We need to hurry, or they'll keep gathering," Xiaoshu said, a hint of urgency in her tone.

"Right." I agreed, slipping from behind Xiaoshu to the front, gathering my strength, and charging into the dense mass of spiders, sweeping my whip wildly. Spiders rained down instantly—dead and alive—tumbling from above. The storm poncho was waterproof; the dead ones that struck me slapped onto the ground, while the living ones lost their grip, sliding down my clothes. When they reached my trouser cuffs, they scrambled up with a shu-shu-shu and burrowed beneath the fabric.

It was then I realized the gravity of the situation. Seven or eight spiders darted up from under my hem, spraying venom directly onto my bare skin. I let out a sharp cry, feeling as if a thousand needles pierced my heart, waves of intense agony sweeping over my torso. I had no choice but to drop the branch and dash frantically toward the Sea of Undead. I heard a rustling sound near my ears as countless spiders leaped onto my head, shoulders, and hands, rapidly drilling beneath my coat to crawl onto my back and chest.

A sensation of gnawing pain and intense itching instantly consumed all my thoughts. Clutching my head and shielding my face, I charged blindly forward, heedless of consequence. After about twenty meters, my feet splashed through shallow water, sending droplets scattering around me. Ignoring everything else, I pitched my body forward and fell straight into the water, allowing the scarlet liquid to engulf my entire body.

The instant the Sea of Undead submerged me, all pain vanished. The spiders on my body seemed to lose all vitality; one by one, the tiny claws clinging to my skin released their hold. I opened my eyes and weakly surveyed my surroundings. The spiders outside my coat were dead, sinking to the bottom. The ones inside were trapped in the front of my garment, amounting to a full pouch. I unzipped the front of my coat, letting the spiders fall out to slowly sink below the surface. I then reached under my ribs and felt the wounds—they had entirely healed after soaking in the Sea of Undead. Only a dozen or so pits, large and small, remained where the venom had struck. It seemed this shell of mine was destined to be riddled with scars.

Thinking this, I abruptly scrambled out of the water and turned to check the battle behind me. I saw Xiaoshu with a pack strapped to her back, holding another bag in her left hand, wildly flailing her branch with her right amidst the spider horde. Spiders were already crawling on her head, face, and neck, threatening to destroy her beautiful features.

I tore off my storm poncho, scooped up a bagful of bloody water from the lake, and sprinted toward Xiaoshu with a container in each hand. When I reached her, she was whipping the branch about, accidentally striking me twice. Ignoring the pain, I lifted the poncho and hurled the bloody water straight over her.

Wherever the blood-water landed, the spiders instantly turned to stone, their legs stiff, dropping to the ground with a shu-shu-shu. The few that avoided the spray quickly reversed course, fleeing away from Xiaoshu’s body.