Volume One: The Planet of Beasts Chapter 19: The Bobcat

Page (1/3)

Not only did Black Hornet bring along Cao Gang alone, but many people at the gathering would address Black Hornet as "Master" upon seeing him. Several others, like Cao Gang, had also become team leaders. In a certain sense, when Li Juxu saw Black Hornet, he felt compelled to call him "Patriarch."

“I see you don’t have night vision goggles; I happen to have a spare pair here,” Black Hornet said, handing over a pair of sunglasses-style goggles. The arms of the glasses bore the emblem of two overlapping triangles—a shadowy symbol of the “Zheng San Manufacturing,” the undisputed leader in the optics industry. Even the cheapest night vision goggles cost at least 450,000 copper coins.

The goggles Black Hornet handed over had dark green arms, made from a new type of composite material that balanced elasticity and resilience perfectly. This material resisted corrosion from sweat, blood, and tears, and wouldn’t become slippery even when washed by rain. Li Juxu was familiar with this model; the retail price was 1.28 million copper coins. He shook his head—too valuable. Though he wanted them, he couldn’t accept such a gift.

“Take them. I really have two pairs; otherwise, I wouldn’t be so generous,” Black Hornet insisted, pressing the night vision goggles firmly into Li Juxu’s hand. Then, from his pocket, he pulled out an identical pair. Li Juxu was about to push it away but stopped.

“Our boss is wealthy. This is what he gave me on a mission last time,” Black Hornet chuckled.

If it were any other item, Li Juxu might have refused again, but night vision goggles could save lives, so he accepted without hesitation. After tonight’s ordeal, he was determined never to go through that again.

This time, their side was well-equipped. But what if next time the enemy threw flash grenades? In those three or four seconds of blindness, they would be helpless—and in that time, the enemy could kill him dozens of times over.

Black Hornet quietly informed Li Juxu of something important: there had originally been three snipers in their team. Unfortunately, all three perished in the recent battle—two killed by rocket explosions, and one struck in the head by stray bullets. Now, Li Juxu was the only sniper left.

This news was vital to Li Juxu; the value of an ordinary person could never compare to the significance of the sole sniper. Perhaps due to the delay caused by the fight, their pace didn’t slow but actually quickened. Li Juxu glanced at the speedometer—still holding steady at 58 km/h. At night, on poor roads, driving that fast was risky and could easily lead to accidents. Moreover, there might be ambushes ahead. Whatever the critical mission was, Pu Shaoyun was in a hurry. Black Hornet didn’t reveal any details; he spoke only what was necessary. Such restraint was a mark of a true hunter.

Page (2/3)

The entire journey was tense, but fortunately, nothing happened. By dawn, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. In daylight, visibility improved, making ambushes easier to spot. Breakfast was eaten inside the vehicle without stopping. At 9:48 a.m., the armored vehicle finally came to a halt—it had arrived.

Before them lay a peculiar forest, filled with trees of strange, unfamiliar species—some large, some small. The vehicle could not proceed further. Pu Shaoyun finally disclosed the mission.

“This forest is home to the Gray-Spotted Crowned Spider. Recently, a king spider was born—a Red-Spotted Crowned Spider. Our objective is to capture the Red-Spotted Crowned Spider alive. Remember, if it dies, the mission fails,” Pu Shaoyun announced. One of his trusted aides produced a photo showing two spiders: one gray, one red. The red one was the target of their expedition.

“The sooner we find the Red-Spotted Spider, the sooner we return. If you capture it within three days, I will reward each of you an additional 200,000 copper coins. One thing to note: others may also be trying to catch the Red-Spotted Spider. They are enemies—stay alert,” Pu Shaoyun emphasized.

Another aide distributed glass jars to everyone, intended for holding the captured Red-Spotted Spider.

“Although gathering together offers greater safety, dispersing increases the efficiency of the hunt. I suggest forming small teams and searching separately. Of course, this is just a recommendation—the final decision is yours. Any questions?” Pu Shaoyun looked around. It became clear that as the nominal team leader, his role was only to bring everyone here; he would not enter the forest.

He would wait outside, which everyone agreed with. After all, he was the employer—if he died, who would pay the reward? Also, the primary mission was to capture the Red-Spotted Crowned Spider; if Pu Shaoyun accompanied them, the task would double in difficulty, having to protect him as well.

“Can you tell us about the habits of the Red-Spotted Crowned Spider?” one member asked.

“To be honest, I don’t know much. Size-wise, it’s about the same as in the picture. Adult Gray-Spotted Crowned Spiders are about the size of a goose egg. They like to rest on the underside of leaves, are highly venomous and aggressive. My advice is to avoid letting them get close to your body,” Pu Shaoyun replied.

“Is there an antidote?” another member inquired.

Page (3/3)

“Sorry, I searched the entire gathering but couldn’t find any antidote for the Gray-Spotted Crowned Spider’s venom. So, please be extremely careful,” Pu Shaoyun shrugged helplessly.

With the core information clear, everyone began to form small teams or went alone. In situations like this, people naturally paired up with those they knew. Coordination of combat roles was secondary. Although Li Juxu was the only sniper, no one approached him except Black Hornet, who had taken the initiative to seek him out. A few sought out Black Hornet, but he politely declined all but one.

The three of them ventured into the woods together; others also paired or entered alone. For some strong individuals, having a large group wasn’t necessarily advantageous—more people often meant a higher chance of incompetent teammates.

As soon as they entered the forest, Li Juxu felt a chill wash over him. Visibility immediately dropped, stirring a slight unease. In all his years as a hunter, he had only once undertaken a mission in a forest. After that experience, he avoided forests. They harbored too many unknown dangers—mosquitoes, venomous snakes, poisons, miasma—all capable of killing silently and swiftly. Humans have some instinctive awareness of approaching humans but none at all for an approaching ant.

He disliked such uncontrollable risks. Had he known the mission’s setting was a forest, he might have hesitated.

“Let me introduce you. This is Night Owl, our sniper,” Black Hornet said.

“This is my frequent partner, Bobcat, an expert in close-quarters combat. Once, he was surrounded by five or six blood wolves but managed to kill three with just a dagger and escape.”

From Black Hornet’s tone, it was clear he held Bobcat’s abilities in high regard.