9 Faceshifting Spider

[Summoned Beast: Hobgoblin]

[Current Level: 1 (0/100)

[Rank: Normal ⭐⭐]

[Species: Goblin]

[Introduction: Goblins are extremely cowardly but cruel omnivores. They enjoy wild parties and bully the weak but fear the strong.]

[Race Talent: Has a certain chance of triggering Raging Cry when threatened, which accelerates the summoned beast's speed.]

[Bond (Goblin)]

[(1) Increase in strength by 10% when there are more than 3 goblins.]

[(2) Increase in strength by 20% when there are more than 6 goblins.]

[(3) Increase in strength by 30% when there are more than 10 goblins.]

[Summary: Let's party, runt!]

Not only had Chen Yining's summoned beast changed from goblin to hobgoblin, but it had also gained a new race talent, which was quite interesting as opposed to fleeing.

'Has a certain chance of triggering Raging Cry when threatened, which accelerates the summoned beast's speed.'

But did that mean it would flee quicker?

Be that as it may, it was much better than having fleeing as a race talent.

At the very least, he would not have to worry that his summoned beast would escape at the drop of a hat.

And just as Green Skin evolved, it growled while it fought nearby, with its size expanding at a visible rate.

It turned identical to its portrait in the Summoner's Grimoire within the blink of an eye, after of which it lifted the other goblin, which had lost all ability to resist, within its grasp with a single hand. Growling, Green Skin then slammed it into the dirt, leaving it dazed before picking up its rebar to end it.

Chen Yining's Summoner's Grimoire shone again.

This time, however, nothing changed after Chen Yining dragged the image, though there was now something resembling a progress bar on top of Green Skin's page that read [1/2].

So, he needs to drag two to evolve this time?

And there was no telling if the required number would multiply each time.

One could only hope that it was the former.

At the same time, Green Skin was skipping excitedly after evolving.

"I feel stronger now!" it exclaimed, swelling with arrogance. "I feel as if I could punch a green dragon dead and send a titan flying with a kick!"

Chen Yining looked away then. Green Skin had always been like that.

"Do you want to capture two goblins?" he asked his younger brother.

Chen Jing shook his head. "Since you have a goblin, I should choose something different—I think the leopard before is not bad."

"Help~"

"Help~"

A cry of distress could faintly be heard from the distance.

Chen Yining spaced out for a moment before trading glances with his brother.

The cry appeared to be getting closer.

However, Chen Yining found the cry rather unnerving as there was something weird about the tone.

Likewise, although Chen Jing was a jock, he was not impulsive.

The brothers traded glances and started backing away.

Nonetheless, the cry of distress kept approaching, and it stopped just as Chen Yining stopped with his back to a tree.

Something was wrong.

"Master, I know what that is—it's a Faceshifting Spider," Green Skin said nervously.

"Faceshifting Spider?"

"Faceshifting Spider." Green Skin appeared disgusted at the mere mention of it. "It tastes disgusting, its meat sour and its innards bitter."

"It's not poisonous?" Chen Yining appeared confused, as spiders would more or less be toxic.

"I don't know, but I was fine since I took a nap after eating it." Green Skin scratched its head earnestly.

"…"

Could this goblin actually be a honey badger?

Rustle…

They faintly heard the sound of dried leaves being stepped upon.

Then, a black behemoth came rushing in from the distance.

It was just like a heavy tank.

Thanks to dull light that got through the gaps between the tree canopies, the appearance of that behemoth was reflected in Chen Yining's eyes as well.

It was a spider the size of a sedan.

However, its eight limbs were as thin as bamboo poles.

Its abdomen and its head were round, just like an egg which was around half a meter wide.

And on top of its head were eight tiny oily-green eyes.

Disgustingly, however, the spider had a woman's head dangling at its abdomen, her hair cascading like a waterfall even as it groaned in agony.

"Help… Help…"

The harrowing scene left Chen Yining's scalp numbed.

At the same time, the Summoner's Grimoire opened on its own, and the spider's stat appeared.

[Species: Faceshifting Spider]

[Introduction: Faceshifting Spiders are cunning magical beasts that use the skulls of their prey to mimic its cries, hence drawing more prey to it.]

[Current Level: 1]

[Rank: Normal ⭐]

[Race Talent: Vocal Mimicry +2]

[Bond (Goblin)]

[(1) When there are more than 4 spiders, attacks have a low chance of releasing spiderwebs that have a fractional chance of binding prey.]

[(2) When there are more than 8 spiders, attacks have a low chance of releasing spiderwebs that have a low chance of binding prey.]

Vocal mimicry?

Was that why the creature could mimic the woman's voice?

At first, Chen Yining thought that it was the woman's head crying out, but now, it appeared to be the Faceshifting Spider making those sounds.

It was likely that the woman was crying for help before she died.

That said, the spider was even uglier than goblins.

Meanwhile, Green Skin rushed forward excitedly after seeing the Faceshifting Spider. It appeared to have fought its kind before, and managed to evade a leg which the Faceshifting Spider stabbed toward its face by arching its back and lowering its head, just as it flailed and brandished the rebar it was holding.

Pow!!!

One of the Faceshifting Spider's legs was cut off by one of Green Skin's swiping blows then.

Snarling, Green Skin threw the rebar away and directly caught two of the spider's legs by the joints and viciously bent them as if it was snapping two branches of the tree.

The spider panicked upon losing three limbs in a row.

Hence, the Faceshifting Spider, which had been immeasurably sinister, panicked, reduced to the likes of a young wife being teased by hoodlums.

It tried to flee in a hurry, but moving had become too difficult after it lost three of its legs, and it almost stumbled and fell.

Green Skin swung its rebar and viciously batted it, the air whistling as its weapon whipped through the air.

Yellow, white, and green goo splattered.

The Faceshifting Spider was killed on the spot.

Chen Yining saw then that another Summoned Beast page was added for the monster.

He hesitated on capturing it. While appearance was of secondary importance, Chen Yining did not like having the spider as his companion.

He dragged its image so that its page overlapped with Green Skin's page, but their images did not combine after Chen Yining released it.

Instead, it did not mix, just like water and oil.

Chen Yining was therefore left stunned.

Why didn't it work? Could it be that only beasts of the same species could fuse and upgrade?