Volume One: Planet of Ten Thousand Beasts Chapter 22: Keeping Watch

"Everything depends on luck, but don't lose heart. The Red-Spotted Crown Spider is a king born among hundreds of millions, and kings are always unique. If we can find something unusual, we might just find it. Since someone has seen it once, it can be discovered again," Black-Head Bee consoled.

Li Juxu remained silent. One must still have dreams, after all; what if they actually come true?

The ground was covered in a thick layer of dead leaves—the top layer newly fallen, the bottom layer rotting away. Each step felt spongy and soft, stirring a fear that one might sink into the decay. Among the leaves, countless unknown insects crawled about. Li Juxu was deeply worried that they might burrow into his shoes.

"Wait, don't move—" Black-Head Bee suddenly spoke. Li Juxu startled, freezing mid-step, his leg still raised as he scanned the surroundings vigilantly, yet he saw nothing out of the ordinary.

"This mushroom looks harmless, but if you accidentally step on it, the consequences would be quite serious." Black-Head Bee dug up a mushroom the size of a hen's egg from beneath Li Juxu's foot. It was a yellowish-brown, camouflaged perfectly against the fallen leaves; Li Juxu hadn't even noticed it.

Black-Head Bee carefully placed the mushroom into a glass jar and said with a smile, "Once this mushroom is crushed, it releases an odorless gas that can render a person unconscious in seconds."

Li Juxu felt ashamed. A veteran is a veteran; he had been focused only on the trees, never noticing the ground beneath him. Even if he had seen the mushroom, he wouldn't have avoided it, as he never would have imagined such a thing could be so lethal.

"In the forest, besides watching out for venomous insects and snakes, you must be wary of the plants. While most are harmless, there are some you simply cannot touch. I once led a task to hunt snakes in a forest; there were thirteen of us, and seven were taken down instantly by a single Seven-Leaf Flower. It was a painful lesson." Black-Head Bee shook his head slightly, his tone heavy with an unspoken regret. It wasn't his fault, but as the team leader, failing to bring everyone back was a burden he found hard to shake.

Unnoticed, the sky darkened. The forest, which already had poor visibility, grew even gloomier. Li Juxu wanted to light a torch, but Black-Head Bee stopped him.

"Most insects are phototropic. As long as we stay in the dark, we are safe. Lighting a torch breaks the balance and invites unpredictable risks. You brought dry rations, right? Just make do with those."

As Li Juxu ate, Black-Head Bee climbed a large tree and lowered two ropes, rigging his sleeping bag into a hammock. Seeing Li Juxu’s confusion, he smiled and said, "You can't sleep on the ground in this forest; there are too many bugs. The trees aren't entirely safe either, but hanging in mid-air is the most secure method. I’ll sleep the first half of the night while you keep watch; we’ll switch for the second half."

The mosquitoes at night were terrifying. Li Juxu felt he could catch a dozen with a single swipe of his hand. Even eating was a struggle; he would open his mask, pop a piece of food in, and shut it again, yet within seconds, mosquitoes would have already squeezed inside. He was grateful for Black-Head Bee’s helmet; he couldn't imagine what spending the night in this forest would be like without it. Just as he thought this, the sharp crack of gunfire erupted in the distance, and he stood up abruptly.

"About 1.5 kilometers away. It's too late." Black-Head Bee stood up as well but immediately sat back down. Li Juxu followed suit. Black-Head Bee was right; on flat ground, 1.5 kilometers wouldn't be far, just a few minutes of running. But this was a forest, thick with tangled trees and poisonous creatures, and it was pitch black. Even 150 meters was an insurmountable distance. Given the intensity of the gunfire, by the time they arrived, everything would be over. It was better to save their strength and look after themselves.

After a violent explosion, the gunfire dwindled to sporadic shots, then vanished entirely. Silence returned.

Li Juxu guessed that whoever was out there was likely dead. Seeing that Black-Head Bee didn't mention it, he wisely kept his mouth shut. Once finished eating, Black-Head Bee took his dagger, cut some branches, and built a platform about a meter high. "Sit on this to keep watch. After eight o'clock, it's the Gray-Spotted Crown Spider’s hunting time. If you stay on the ground, I’m afraid you won't be able to handle it." With that, he crawled into his sleeping bag and fell soundly asleep.

Li Juxu admired his nerves; he certainly wouldn't be able to sleep with the mosquitoes buzzing like thunder. He popped a piece of chocolate into his mouth, his eyes scanning the darkness. He was both guarding against danger and hoping to catch a glimpse of the Red-Spotted Crown Spider so he could finish the mission and go home.

But clearly, heaven did not hear his prayers. Instead, Gray-Spotted Spiders began to emerge from nowhere—on leaves, branches, trunks... they were everywhere. Li Juxu didn't suffer from trypophobia, but his heart raced, and his scalp tingled.

The spiders began weaving webs with visible speed to trap mosquitoes; so this was what Black-Head Bee meant by "feeding." After spending so long in the dim environment, he could barely see a few meters ahead; beyond three meters, everything was a blur. Yet, Li Juxu knew that in the darkness he couldn't see, the number of spiders must be even greater. He suppressed the urge to turn on his flashlight, remembering Black-Head Bee’s warning: once the balance is broken, everything becomes uncontrollable.

He wondered how the others were doing. Every so often, he glanced at the sky, hoping to see a signal flare if someone found the Red-Spotted Crown Spider, which would mean they could all go home.

In the pitch-black night, surrounded by swarms of mosquitoes and countless spiders, a deep longing for Zhao Hui'er back on their home planet welled up in Li Juxu’s heart. Once her illness was cured, he would spend every night watching the stars with her. On the Beast Planet, stars were rarely seen. As time passed, the temperature plummeted, and the number of mosquitoes dwindled. Li Juxu felt sleepiness creeping in; his eyelids grew heavy, and his vigilance began to wane.

He checked the time: 21:58. He usually slept at 23:00. He didn't understand why he was so drowsy, but he knew this was no time to sleep. No matter how tired he was, he had to endure—he was responsible for both their lives.

Dazed and on the verge of drifting off, a sharp sense of impending danger jolted him awake. His eyes snapped open just in time to see a gaping, bloodthirsty maw lunging at him. Those two curved, razor-sharp fangs were blindingly white, shockingly bright in the gloom. A snake! It was a snake!

He had no time to reach for his gun or dagger. With lightning speed, he grabbed the snake’s head, pinning its jaws shut. A surge of excruciating pain shot through his body as the snake coiled around him. Its strength was monstrous; he felt as if he were being crushed by steel bars. The pressure intensified, his neck feeling as though it might snap. His already damaged helmet began to crack, and the mask shattered into pieces. Li Juxu couldn't worry about the equipment—he was struggling to breathe, in absolute agony. He tried to call out to Black-Head Bee, but no sound would escape his throat. Most terrifying of all, as the snake tightened its coils, he felt his grip on its head slipping.

"What do I do?"