Chapter 9

Du Yuqi fell face-up on the ground, his back painfully pressed against a rock. At this moment, he was completely defenseless, and the monster right in front of him could easily kill him with a single tail swipe. However, a smile appeared at the corner of Du Yuqi's mouth because his tactic had succeeded, which meant that this monstrous insect now had no chance to deliver the final blow.

The secret lay in Du Yuqi's positioning earlier.

When he shouted to reveal his position, he was standing just two meters in front of the electrified hole in the logging machine. So, as long as he successfully fell backward and out of the monster's reach, it meant that the temporary trap had worked—this terrifying insect had crashed into the hole in the machine and was now being electrocuted by the sparks inside!

Of course, there were many variables in this trap. For example, the electrical current leaking from the damaged logging machine might not be strong enough, or the insect's exoskeleton might have high insulation properties... But life often requires taking risks. At least when the idea struck him, Du Yuqi felt he had a 70% chance of success.

After falling, Du Yuqi immediately heard the crackling of electricity and the loud rumbling from inside the damaged machine, as if someone were hammering it fiercely!

Du Yuqi quickly rolled over, got up, and was relieved to see that his trap was working effectively: the monstrous insect had plunged into the hole in the machine and was being burned by the electric sparks. Although the insect was vicious, disgusting, and incredibly strong, it was stuck in the hole and couldn't get out, only thrashing and colliding wildly, causing the metal plates of the damaged logging machine to creak and groan.

"Phew." Du Yuqi let out a long breath and began to scrutinize the insect's weak points, much like a butcher examining a piece of pork. But just then, there was a muffled thud, and a plume of black smoke rose from inside the machine. The electric sparks immediately went out.

"No way!" Du Yuqi was momentarily stunned. Without the electric current to restrain it, the machine made a series of loud noises, and parts scattered everywhere, as if it had been dismantled. The insect's strength was evident.

Then, to Du Yuqi's frustration, the insect managed to break free and stood defiantly on the ground again. However, Du Yuqi also noticed that its injuries were more severe.

Previously, the insect only had a few cracks in its exoskeleton around its waist. Now, it looked as if an eggshell had been heavily cracked, with numerous fissures, and the core of its exoskeleton was almost completely shattered. A pale yellow, viscous fluid was flowing out of its body, burning the grass and causing smoke to rise continuously.

The damaged machine was now completely destroyed, and the surroundings were quiet again. For Du Yuqi, his footsteps could once again be detected by the insect, and the two were back in a stalemate.

However, the fear and panic in Du Yuqi's heart had gradually dissipated.

The reason was simple: although the insect looked terrifying and was incredibly strong, it had been manipulated by Du Yuqi throughout its pursuit, falling into every trap and pitfall. In such a situation, Du Yuqi naturally looked down on it.

Secondly, fear comes from the unknown. Du Yuqi had now figured out the insect's strength, which was far from overwhelming. Knowing the enemy's weaknesses naturally reduced his fear.

More importantly, the insect itself was now severely injured, with the yellow fluid (insect blood) flowing out continuously, weakening it. Facing an enemy that was constantly weakening, even if it was a formidable one, Du Yuqi naturally gained the confidence to fight.

At this moment, Du Yuqi looked at the insect, gripped the machete in his hand, and began to circle around it. This was a method used to deal with venomous snakes, but since the insect resembled a snake in many ways, he applied it practically.

Feeling the enemy circling around it, the insect immediately felt uneasy and tried to keep its head aimed at Du Yuqi. However, for a crawling creature, maintaining this behavior was difficult and exhausting. After all, without legs, it was at a significant disadvantage in such a circling motion.

Watching the insect struggle to follow his movements, the pale yellow fluid (insect blood) flowed out as if it were free, giving Du Yuqi a sense of satisfaction. He even thought maliciously that it would be best if the insect bled to death.

Unfortunately, life doesn't always go as planned. In the next second, the huge insect quickly moved a few meters on the ground and lunged at Du Yuqi with its head. Although its speed was not as fast as when it used its tail to strike the ground, it was still quite fast. Du Yuqi managed to keep up and focused, slashing with the machete.

There was a dull "clang" as the machete's blade struck the insect's head, but it was completely blocked by the insect's hard exoskeleton and even bounced back. Fortunately, Du Yuqi had already used the momentum to dodge.

After a few rounds of this back-and-forth struggle, Du Yuqi realized something: he seemed to have a natural talent for swordsmanship and knife skills!

Initially, Du Yuqi's use of the machete was quite clumsy, which was to be expected. However, as he used it more in combat, he could clearly feel that his technique was becoming more and more proficient, as if he had practiced it intensively many years ago but had simply not used it for a long time. As the battle progressed, the dormant skills in his body began to resurface.