A Comprehensive Network: An Endless Adventure Begins as a Wanderer

While waiting, Cheng Yi didn't sit idle.

He took out the ingredients from his backpack and, while keeping an eye on his surroundings, began to make the Black Widow Salad.

Lettuce, tomatoes, smoked ham, olive oil, spices.

Cheng Yi tore the lettuce into bite-sized pieces, cut the tomatoes into even chunks, and sliced ​​the ham and arranged them on a plate.

The final step is to add giant spider venom.

However, Cheng Yi did not collect the giant spider's venom, but he had an alternative that he was unsure if it would work.

Cheng Yi took out the bottle of azure blue Phase Spider Venom from his backpack and carefully unscrewed the cap. A crisp, refreshing scent wafted out, unlike poison; it smelled more like some kind of expensive perfume. He dipped a toothpick in and added a drop to the prepared sauce, stirring gently.

The blue-green sauce shimmered eerily in the light, looking like some kind of magic potion.

You made Black Widow Salad (Phase Spider Venom Variant)

[Effect: Restores a small amount of health and grants poison resistance within 1 hour upon consumption. Phase Spider Venom provides an additional effect: the consumer's next attack inflicts a weak force field tear.]

Cheng Yi raised an eyebrow.

Force field tearing.

This doesn't sound like the kind of thing a regular salad should have.

Indeed, this is a reward for innovators.

Cheng Yi picked up his fork and took a bite.

The initial taste is refreshing, with the crispness of the lettuce, the sweet and sourness of the tomato, and the salty aroma of the ham exploding on the tongue. This is followed by a subtle spiciness, not the burning sensation of chili peppers, but a more delicate and fleeting stimulation, like something gently dancing and sparkling on the taste buds. After swallowing, a faint coolness lingers on the tongue, like mint, but not entirely.

[You have consumed Black Widow Salad (Phase Spider Venom Variant). Your health will slowly regenerate over 1 hour. You have gained poison resistance. Your next attack will inflict a minor Field Tear.]

He made two more portions, packed them in food storage containers, and put them in his backpack. Then Cheng Yi leaned against a big tree and closed his eyes to rest.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, falling warmly on his face, carrying the languid feeling unique to the afternoon. The distant chirping of birds was intermittent, occasionally mingled with the rustling of the wind through the reeds.

Cheng Yi entered a meditative state (he didn't sleep; sleeping in a place like this is really risky).

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When Cheng Yi opened his eyes again, it was already dark.

The sunlight in the woods shifted from golden to grayish-blue, then from grayish-blue to a deep, almost inky black. The moonlight was completely blocked by the tree canopy, making it pitch black on the path.

But for Cheng Yi, this was precisely the best cover.

He stood up and stretched his stiff joints. The Eye of Night made everything in the darkness crystal clear—the fallen leaves on the ground, the moss on the tree trunks, the small beast flashing past in the bushes in the distance—everything was as clear as daytime, except for the gray-white image.

Cheng Yi didn't rush to leave, but first ate a Black Widow salad.

The cool food slid down his throat, carrying a refreshing herbal scent. He could feel a faint warmth spreading from his stomach to his limbs, like a dim lamp being lit inside his body.

Cheng Yi put away the food container and walked back the way he came.

The forest was more active at night than during the day—he could hear owls calling in the distance, something rustling through the grass, and bats flapping their wings on the branches overhead.

But his Observation Haki told him that these things posed no threat to him; they were just small, nocturnal animals.

He quickly retraced his steps and returned to the stream.

The stream was quieter under the night sky than during the day, and the sound of the flowing water was exceptionally clear in the darkness, like someone whispering softly. Moonlight spilled onto the water's surface, breaking into silvery-white spots that swayed gently with the ripples.

The two goblin sentries at the cave entrance are still there.

But unlike during the day, their current state can be summed up in two words—drowsy.

The goblin behind the stone pillar on the left had curled up in a ball, his head resting on his knees, breathing evenly; he was clearly fast asleep. The archer in the bushes on the right, however, was still awake, but his eyelids were drooping, his head was slowly drooping, his bow was tilted to one side, and his quiver had slipped to the ground.

Cheng Yi squatted in the reeds and patiently observed for five minutes.

After confirming the status of the two sentries, Cheng Yi retreated into the shadows behind him, then silently emerged from the shadows not far from the cave entrance.

He didn't rush into the cave, but instead went around to the back of the stone pier on the left.

The goblin, fast asleep, was curled up in a ball, its breathing unusually clear in the silent night. Cheng Yi crouched down, and the Hundred-Forged Sword silently emerged from its sheath, wrapped in black cloth, its tip aimed at the goblin's throat—

One sword strike, clean and swift.

The goblin's body twitched once, then remained completely still. Warm blood flowed down the stone pier, seeping into the soil with a soft "sizzling" sound.

Cheng Yi dragged the body behind the stone block, briefly covering it with withered branches and fallen leaves, and then turned to the right.

The archer was still dozing, its head drooping even lower, almost touching its knees. The bow in its hand had completely slipped and fallen to its feet. Cheng Yi circled behind it, pressed his left hand against its mouth, and thrust the blade of his sword into its neck from the back of its neck, straight through its throat.

Cheng Yi released his grip and dragged the archer's body deep into the bushes, covering it with dry branches just like his companion.

You have killed 2 goblin minions and gained 30 general experience points.

After doing all this, Cheng Yi turned and walked towards the cave entrance.

The cave entrance was deeper than he had expected. The stone walls were covered with moss and vines, and the air smelled damp and musty, mixed with the pungent stench of goblins. The ground was hard, compacted earth, scattered with various kinds of trash—broken bones, rags, rusty iron pieces, and some kind of dark stain that he couldn't quite identify.

His Observation Haki spread out silently.

The cave was larger than he had imagined. The entrance was a narrow passage about ten meters long, which led to a spacious hall. Several branching paths led further into the hall, each in a different direction.

In this hall, Cheng Yi sensed twelve life reactions.

They are all in a deep sleep state.

Cheng Yi's lips curled up slightly.

The Eyes of Night allowed him to see clearly in the darkness—rough torches hung on the stone walls on both sides of the passage, but they had all gone out, with only ashes still emitting a faint warmth. The ground was uneven, and in some places, water had accumulated.

He tiptoed along the passageway.

At the end of the passage, the cave suddenly opened up.

This was a large hall of about two hundred square meters. The ceiling was very high, almost invisible to the naked eye, and all that could be seen was darkness. Scattered around the hall were a dozen or so simple tents made of animal hides and wooden frames, arranged in a circle. In the center was a extinguished campfire, with a few pieces of unburnt wood still in the ashes, emitting wisps of smoke.

The goblins slept in these tents.

Some were wrapped in rags, some lay directly on haystacks, and some curled up under animal skins. They were all in different postures, but without exception, they were all sleeping soundly, with snores rising and falling.

Cheng Yi did not rush to make a move.

He first walked around the hall, memorizing the location of each tent and the position of each goblin.

After confirming that nothing was missed, Cheng Yi began his hunt.

The first target is the tent closest to the passage.

Inside the tent slept a rather large goblin, wrapped in several layers of animal hides, clutching a half-eaten bone in his hand.

Cheng Yi gently lifted the tent flap. He crouched down, pressed his left hand against the goblin's mouth, and thrust the sword blade between its ribs with his right hand—

The goblin's body tensed up suddenly, then slowly relaxed.

Cheng Yi laid the body flat, covered it with animal hide, and left the tent.

The second, the third, the fourth.

Every cut is precise, silent, and deadly.

The Trickster's Hand played a crucial role in this process—it held down the goblin's body, covered its mouth, and even helped Cheng Yi fix the corpse's position in some tricky situations to ensure that no sound was made.

Cheng Yi felt like he was playing a silent rhythm game, with every strike perfectly timed and every movement perfectly timed.

The fifth goblin slept beside the campfire in the center of the hall, surrounded by a pile of junk. Cheng Yi circled around behind it, about to strike, when he suddenly kicked something—

"bite."

A copper coin rolled out.

The sound wasn't loud, but in the silent cave, it sounded like someone had struck a bell.

Cheng Yi froze instantly.

The goblin by the campfire rolled over, mumbled something, and then fell into a deep sleep again.

Cheng Yi held his breath and waited for a full ten seconds to make sure he hadn't alerted the other goblins before continuing his actions.

The sixth, the seventh, and the eighth.

Up to the eleventh.

Cheng Yi stepped out of the last tent and let out a long sigh of relief.

All twelve goblin minions were eliminated without raising any alarms.

The cave was as quiet as a tomb.

You have killed 12 goblin minions and gained 180 general experience points.

But Cheng Yi knew that the real trouble was yet to come.

He stood in the center of the hall, his gaze passing through the wisps of smoke rising from the campfire and landing on the fork in the road deep inside the cave.

That exceptionally robust aura was right there.

Cheng Yi licked his slightly dry lips and gripped the Hundred-Forged Sword tightly in his hand.