Volume One: The Apocalypse Descends. Chapter 24: Absolute Trust, A Fierce Battle Against the Swarm

Faced with the sudden onslaught of six monstrous insects, Xiang Xiaoxiao felt a momentary flicker of panic. However, catching sight of Xiang Chenguang nearby—standing calmly with his tri-edged staff—her heart instantly steadied. She raised her steel-ball crossbow and opened fire on a spider-monster descending from the wall.

The spider-monster moved with great speed, so Xiang Xiaoxiao did not aim for an instant kill, instead targeting its larger back. When the creature lunged to within about 20 meters, a circular hole suddenly appeared on its back, and dark brown fluid oozed out. While not lethal, the sudden impact caused the spider to tumble from the wall. Falling from the second story was a minor injury, but it halted the creature’s advance. By the time it scrambled to its feet, another circular hole had appeared in its head.

Two shots were enough to dispatch the spider. By then, a giant centipede crawling along the wall was less than 10 meters away. Even though the immense pressure made her entire body tense, Xiang Xiaoxiao ignored the centipede once she reloaded, shifting her aim to fire at the mite-monsters swarming her parents.

Four mite-monsters had rushed toward Xiang Dongliang and He Wan, who stood in the front line. Both parents used their riot shields and batons to disrupt the charge, forcing the creatures into a huddled mass where they could not harm those behind the shields. Seizing the moment, He Wan stepped forward and thrust her baton through the head of one mite. A steel ball from Xiang Xiaoxiao followed immediately, punching a hole through the skull of another. The remaining two mites posed no further threat to the couple.

The giant centipede, which Xiang Xiaoxiao had forced herself to ignore, now pounced from the wall on the right. Its massive mandibles gaped wide, snapping toward her slender neck. A streak of dark light flashed, and the centipede’s vibrant red head vanished into thin air, leaving only its dark, mangled body writhing on the ground.

A smile touched Xiang Xiaoxiao’s face. Resisting the urge to look back at Xiang Chenguang, she reloaded her crossbow. Meanwhile, the remaining two mites were finished off: one speared by He Wan, the other crushed by Xiang Dongliang’s riot baton. Of the six aggressive insects that had converged on them, only the centipede had been crushed by Xiang Chenguang’s staff; the other five were swiftly eliminated through the trio's refined coordination. The four of them continued their advance, killing as they went.

As they fought their way through the hundred-meter-long street and stepped onto the Lihe Bridge, the road behind them was littered with insect carcasses. Throughout the battle, Xiang Chenguang acted only to fill the gaps, eliminating threats to the group's safety, while the vast majority of the kills—and the spiritual energy points for leveling up—went to the other three. Perhaps due to prolonged starvation, or perhaps because the trio didn't appear as fearsome as they truly were, none of the insects chose to flee. They threw themselves at the group one after another, resulting in a bountiful harvest for the three.

Xiang Xiaoxiao leveled up again, pushing her Agility to 7. This increased her reaction speed and made her steel shots even more lethal. She was only a few dozen points away from reaching level 4, a milestone she was certain to hit today. He Wan, who had started at level 1, gained two levels in this skirmish, allocating her points to Constitution and Agility, bringing her stats to Spirit 6, Constitution 7, and Agility 6. Xiang Dongliang, though focused on defense, had also picked up several kills with his riot baton, reaching level 3 and boosting his Agility to 8.

Xiang Chenguang, acting as the team's "firefighter," gained nearly 200 points. He sensed that the jump from level 9 to 10 would be a critical turning point. However, his priority remained fostering his mother and sister's combat capabilities so they could defend themselves against smaller groups. The appearance of the giant army ant swarm added a layer of urgency; he knew he couldn't guarantee their safety against a relentless tide of those creatures. While the ants were unlikely to expand their hunting grounds to their neighborhood immediately, he had to be prepared. Thus, his own leveling took a backseat to their development.

Because there were no obstructions on either side, the eighty-meter-long Lihe Bridge was bathed in direct sunlight and was devoid of monsters. After a brief rest, the family continued forward. At the north end of the bridge, a left turn led to the county’s produce market street. At some point, the shops along this road had transitioned into vendors selling fruits and vegetables, supplemented by local farmers selling their own harvests.

As they approached the north end of the bridge, Xiang Chenguang’s keen senses detected the faint rustle of footsteps from behind. Turning, he saw a massive black scorpion vault over the bridge railing. Its hooked, scythe-like tail was at least two meters long. As he turned, the creature charged at top speed, its tail poised for a strike.

Ahead, Xiang Dongliang and the others were already engaged with a new group of insects. The scorpion was cunning, likely having hidden under the bridge. If not for Xiang Chenguang’s sharp senses, the distraction of the monsters to the north could have made them vulnerable to a lethal ambush.

He glanced at his family: they were fighting a spider and another giant centipede. Just as he looked, a hole appeared in the spider’s head. With 7 Agility, Xiang Xiaoxiao’s aim was faster and more precise; one steel ball slowed the spider, and the next finished it. The remaining centipede was quickly overwhelmed by the trio.

In the moment Xiang Chenguang was distracted, the black scorpion lunged. Its massive pincers snapped shut to box him in, and its long, hooked stinger, dripping with poison, struck toward his neck. Xiang Chenguang thrust his tri-edged staff upward with one hand, the tip colliding with the stinger and shattering the poison-laden barb with raw force. He then swung the staff downward, smashing the scorpion’s head into a pulp. The massive pincers fell uselessly to either side of him, framing his victory.