Lost deep within the labyrinthine sewer, Buck had only one thought in mind: to find the mysterious sculptor once again. He was convinced that as long as he kept searching, he would surely encounter the old man with the lantern and bell once more.


    After all, he was a hunter, and tracking prey was his specialty—he didn''t believe that he would fail at this task. However, reality quickly slapped him in the face like a loud, harsh blow.


    Two hours had passed, and Buck had been wandering through the complex sewer system, but he still hadn''t seen any trace of the sculptor. It was then that he had to admit, despite carrying the title of "hunter," he was actually a mere novice who had only just become one a month ago.


    When it came to tracking, he was almost completely clueless. Worse still, in his pursuit of the mysterious sculptor, he had unwittingly ventured deeper into the sewer. The passageways were twisting and turning, some wide like open highways, others so cramped it felt suffocating. The intricate layout had left him completely disoriented, as if trapped in a maze with no way out.


    At that moment, Buck felt an odd sensation in his heart; it was as if this sewer had become a completely separate world, distinct from the one above. This world was filled with foul-smelling sewage, dense pipes, and countless passageways, stretching on endlessly, as if there were no end to it.


    Moreover, he noticed that the spider webs around him were becoming more numerous, their fine threads shimmering with an eerie glow in the dim light. In the shadows, indistinct figures seemed to flicker, and upon closer inspection, he realized they were enormous, unimaginable eight-legged creatures.


    "Could these monsters have come into the royal city''s sewers from the outside? Perhaps if I follow them, I can find the way back to the surface," Buck thought to himself. After hesitating for a moment, he decided to follow the dark-moving figures. His heart held no fear, for he felt confident with his life force of over 600,000—how could these creatures possibly defeat him?


    However, reality soon gave him a harsh blow. If a person loses their respect for the darkness, they will inevitably be consumed by it.


    The spider monsters, about the size of small dogs, might not be able to pierce his skin with their fangs, but the webs they spat out had an inexplicable, eerie quality.


    As Buck ventured further, the webs began to spread across the walls of the sewer, forming what seemed like a massive, mysterious graffiti. In the deep darkness, a vague shape began to emerge. From different angles, it shifted and morphed, but no matter how hard Buck tried to observe it, he could never fully discern what it was.


    Before long, swarms of spiders surged like a tidal wave, their furry limbs tapping rhythmically on the walls, creating an unsettling sound. They bared their fangs and lunged at Buck, trying to overwhelm him with their venomous fangs and webs.


    Without hesitation, Buck extended his Demon Creature''s Arm, its claws glinting coldly as they tore through the webs in front of him. At the same time, his heavy hammer roared, sending bullets whistling through the air. While dodging the spiders'' attacks with agile sidesteps, he pressed forward, determined to break through.


    However, Buck quickly realized that these monsters were far more intelligent than he had anticipated. It seemed as though they were deliberately leading him toward a particular spot. At this point, it was too late for him to retreat. Giant spiders from all directions were closing in, and countless webs and strands of silk had sealed off his escape route.


    As the ammunition in his heavy hammer grew scarce, and the seemingly endless onslaught of enemies drained his stamina, Buck experienced for the first time just how inadequate his 100,000 energy points were in the face of this overwhelming tide.


    The number of giant spiders was simply too many, and they kept growing larger. What had once been the size of small dogs was now as large as bulls. The entire passageway was nearly packed with these enormous creatures, and the sheer density of them made Buck''s scalp tingle with unease.


    Buck''s mind was filled with confusion. He kept asking himself: What is going on? Why are there so many spiders? Where are they coming from?


    In this critical moment, Buck swiftly drew his silver sword. Both his gun and sword were now in play, and the Demon Creature''s Arm was swinging wildly behind him. The barrel of the heavy hammer was red-hot from the constant firing, and the claws of the Demon Creature''s Arm left afterimages as they slashed through the air.


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    The powerful bullets easily shattered the giant spiders'' bodies, while his claws and silver sword were enough to sever any limbs that tried to reach him. However, it felt like the spiders would never stop coming. For every one he killed, countless others emerged, threatening to swallow him whole.


    Gradually, Buck felt as though he had stepped into an endless abyss. The once omnipresent webs now seemed to turn into deep blackness. Under the spiders'' frenzied weaving, the webs had become a three-dimensional "darkness."


    Suddenly, a void-like presence leaked out from this "darkness." The black webs seemed to split, forming a crack-like gap. Through these fissures, Buck could vaguely make out terrifying figures—twisted and bizarre shapes, as if from another unknown world.


    Buck finally realized that behind all of this, there was a ritual so grand that it could summon an entity from the Void! The powerful shock from the Void instantly clouded his consciousness. He felt the world before him turning into chaos; the silver sword in his hand dropped without him noticing, the sound of the heavy hammer''s gunfire gradually faded, and even the claws of the Demon Creature were completely entangled by the black webs, unable to move.


    Countless spider limbs quickly obscured his vision, and then, he was dragged into the abyss of darkness by a powerful force. In the fading fog of his consciousness, Buck seemed to see an enormous figure.


    The figure was beyond imagination in size, coiling in the vast, endless darkness like a god that blocked out the sun. Countless spiders crawled from beneath it, like soldiers marching toward a fixed destination.


    Buck, whose body was tightly wrapped in spider webs, was swept forward by this surging tide. He understood that these spiders seemed to have a clear purpose, and that he, as an accidental intruder, was just a tiny stone on their path.


    Fortunately, the enormous entity seemed to have not noticed Buck''s presence, and he couldn''t help but feel relieved. With his current strength and level, he could not comprehend this being, nor was he qualified to approach it; he couldn''t even manage to look it in the eye.


    He knew that this entity was corrupting the world in a terrifying manner, using its army of spiders to try and breach the mysterious goal at the end of the sewer, much like how darkness relentlessly erodes the light.


    At this moment, the enormous entity made a startling move. Its humanoid upper body slowly extended a giant hand that seemed capable of reaching across the heavens, as if to pluck the stars from the dark sky. The next instant, its fingertip erupted in a dazzling light so bright that it was impossible to look at.


    Immediately after, a scorching sea of flames ignited the far end of the sewer. The massive roaring sound, the clash of metal, and the violent steam bursts intertwined, accompanied by heavy crashing noises, as if the entire world was shaking.


    The thunderous booms struck Buck’s ears like heavy hammers, bringing him back to some semblance of clarity. Then, he found himself enveloped in a high-temperature cocoon. The intense flames quickly burned away the spider webs binding him, and the force restraining him was lifted.


    Buck gritted his teeth and, with all his strength, seized the sudden opportunity. He tore through the webbing around him and took deep breaths of the searing, burning air.


    The fire’s burning pain fully brought Buck back to his senses. When he focused, he saw the countless corpses of spiders and a towering, mighty knight. It was a giant metal knight spewing fire! The spiders, charging one after another, were like moths to a flame, swiftly consumed by the firestorm without mercy.


    Some of the larger spider monsters tried to bite through the knight''s metal armor with the flames scorching them, but were shattered by spikes suddenly thrust out from the knight’s massive arms, disintegrating into dust.


    Buck stood in stunned silence. The sheer destructive power released by the intense heat and pressure was enough to shake anyone to their core. Each heavy step the knight took caused the ground of the sewer to tremble as if the entire world was quaking beneath its feet. It was like a war god standing amidst the sea of fire, exuding an aura of awe.


    Soon, Buck realized that this metal knight could not possibly be human. Its massive five-meter frame, its full body brimming with power, was clearly driven by a mysterious steam-powered technology.


    Buck could even clearly hear the sound of gears turning within it as it swung its fists. He understood that this was a giant construct, created by those ancient and mysterious alchemists. In the present Goliath Empire, such a being was a legendary creation, known as the "Steam Knight."


    However, Buck didn’t forget the god-like entity he had just glimpsed. He guessed that the Steam Knight was guarding something important in front of a great door at the end of the sewer.


    The army of spiders sent by that god was undoubtedly heading toward whatever lay beyond that door. This was no doubt going to be an epic battle between a god and a legendary creation.


    With this thought, Buck suddenly turned around and, disregarding everything, charged out of the edge of the firestorm, quickly veering into another passage, successfully escaping the flood of spiders.


    To his surprise, when he looked back, he didn’t see the enormous entity looming in the darkness anymore. That black shadow seemed to have been nothing more than an illusion seen during his moment of blurred consciousness.


    But the Steam Knight and the spiders were real. The legendary creation unleashed an endless barrage of firepower, suppressing the numerous spiders with terrifying efficiency, clearing out an entire spider army in a way that far exceeded Buck’s imagination. The knight moved with heavy and resolute steps, rounding a bend in the tunnel. Its helmet, adorned with a single horn, twisted slightly, and the countless red dots in its eye sockets suddenly lit up. Its fiery gaze immediately locked onto Buck in the distance.