In a dimly lit underground tunnel, Chen Kong ran frantically, clutching his injured shoulder.
Behind him, a multitude of silver threads pursued him relentlessly, like maggots on a corpse.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three silver threads whizzed past Chen Kong's ear, piercing a steam pipe not far ahead of him. A large amount of steam gushed out from the cut, instantly blurring Chen Kong's vision.
In a flash, Chen Kong felt a chill on his back. Without a moment's hesitation, he dropped into a low slide, narrowly dodging the sharp threads that followed, letting them fly over his head.
Although he had once again managed to escape by a hair's breadth, he now had nowhere left to run. The silver threads, even though they missed him, had easily sliced through the surrounding walls, causing a violent collapse that completely blocked his only way forward.
Seeing this, Chen Kong, despite his unwillingness, had no choice but to stop. He turned around, facing Euphemia, who was slowly walking towards him from a short distance away, his expression grim.
This was the fifth time. The fifth time she had precisely located him.
The previous four times, he had either created false escape routes or hidden in an unknown corner, trying his best to get rid of his pursuer.
But this woman, as if she had divine vision, always saw through all his intentions with unnerving precision and found him very quickly.
There had to be a reason for this.
Chen Kong clutched his injured shoulder, his mind racing.
Silver-white threads, a spider-like body, a nest…
All the information about Euphemia flashed through Chen Kong's mind like a slideshow. Before long, it was as if he had grasped something, and a sudden idea flashed in his mind.
I know!
Chen Kong abruptly looked down at his feet. In the gaps between the old floor tiles, there were webs so fine they were barely visible to the naked eye. They were as thin as hair, densely packed, and extended along the tunnel into the deepest reaches of the surrounding darkness.
Not only that, but the connections of the steam pipes above him and the cracks in the walls of the nearby tunnels were all interwoven with a large number of similar, thin webs!
The entire underground space was like a giant spider web, and he, Chen Kong, was firmly trapped within it!
"No wonder. No wonder you always found me so quickly…"
Chen Kong looked at Euphemia in the distance, a bitter smile on his face.
It turned out that every step he took, every time his body touched a wall, a subtle vibration would be transmitted through these webs, allowing Euphemia to pinpoint his location instantly.
And this was the root cause of why he was always caught so quickly every time he tried to escape.
'The entire underground tunnel is Euphemia's web? This is a serious home-field advantage!'
'No wonder this evil woman isn't in a hurry. As long as Lao Kong doesn't break this web, he can't possibly escape.'
'The classic trope: protagonist runs, villain chases, but they don't land a killing blow. A-a-authentic!'
"Did you only just figure it out? But…"
Hearing Chen Kong's words, Euphemia let out a soft laugh and gracefully sauntered forward, taking her time.
Her silver-white high heels clicked against the ground. Her perfect feet and jade-like toes gave Euphemia an air of indescribable nobility, as if she wasn't engaged in a cruel hunt, but rather attending a grand and extravagant banquet.
"...it's too late."
Before Chen Kong could think of a way to break through the giant web, several more sounds of things cutting through the air came. The threads wove together in a funnel shape, precisely sealing off every possible escape route for Chen Kong.
With no other choice, the desperate Chen Kong chose to advance rather than retreat. He executed a perfect slide, narrowly avoiding the deadly cut. However, when he stood up, he felt a warmth on his cheek. He reached up and touched it, and a splash of bright red blood appeared in his palm.
If his movements had been just a fraction of a second slower, the cut would have been across half his body, not just his cheek.
Euphemia, seeing Chen Kong's quick thinking, licked her crimson lips and didn't hold back her praise.
"Tsk tsk, not bad reactions. But how many more times can you do something like that?"
"Once, twice, or... three times? It's so exciting to wonder."
Looking at the sickly-looking Euphemia, Chen Kong took the opportunity to take large, gasping breaths, recovering his already limited stamina.
After all, without any physical enhancements or other special defensive abilities, he was most afraid of agile, high-damage characters like Euphemia.
This meant that a single mistake would immediately send him plummeting into an abyss.
He had to find a solution.
Otherwise, he might very well die here today.
"Oh? You're still not giving up?"
Seeing that Chen Kong, even in his current state, hadn't chosen to beg for mercy, a cruel flush appeared on Euphemia's face.
This feeling of playing with her prey in the palm of her hand was simply irresistible!
To savor this rare treat, Euphemia wasn't in a hurry to attack again. Instead, she started to introduce her 'nest' to him.
"Chen Kong, every brick, every wall here, was specifically designed by me."
"They are my eyes, my ears. No matter where you run or where you hide, as long as you haven't left my nest, my eyes and ears will follow you."
"So, admit your incompetence, accept your mediocrity, and become my most delicious meal in despair and pain!"
"After all, I've wanted to try the taste of a Starry Sky Child for a long time. I imagine the flavor... will be absolutely unforgettable."
Hearing these words, Chen Kong suddenly said in a cool voice, "You said earlier that one of your big shots values me a lot. If you eat me now, aren't you afraid of angering that big shot?"
Upon hearing this, the smile on Euphemia's face froze instantly, and a hint of malice flashed in her eyes, as if she was recalling an unpleasant memory.
After a moment, she looked at Chen Kong with icy eyes, the venom in her tone almost turning into a physical presence.
"That guy clearly intends to use me as a pawn. Why should I care about what he thinks?"
"If it weren't for the fact that Steam City is currently in a special period, I would have already left this dangerous place right after the trial ended yesterday."
Although Chen Kong had suspected that the Hidden Star Society was much more powerful than he thought, he was still shocked when he learned of Euphemia's position in the organization.
He never expected Euphemia, who was a saint of the Gear Church and far surpassed the average branch captain in strength, to be so easily abandoned by her superiors.
This suggested that Euphemia was not an irreplaceable figure in the Hidden Star Society, and the information revealed was simply too astonishing.
"Alright, Chen Kong, this cat-and-mouse game has to end now."
"After all, although I'm ready to leave this place, my identity as the saint of the Gear Church still provides me with a great deal of convenience."
"So, could you please just die obediently?"
As she spoke, a terrifying Star Energy was released from Euphemia's body. The Level 3 intelligent-type Star Beast was finally getting serious.
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