Dark Fairy Tale: Tyrant, Conquered Cinderella at the Beginning

This did not affect his rapid approach toward the giant crab spider in the slightest. In the next moment, his knight’s sword swept out with tremendous force, like a blazing heatwave, aiming to engulf the crab spider.

However, the quick-reacting crab spider leapt into the air with astonishing speed, leaving behind only half a limb on the ground. The attack had some effect, but Richard did not relax in the slightest. His body moved swiftly, like a snake gliding across the ground.

Every time he shifted his position, thick black smoke would appear at the original spot, which was the intense venom sprayed by the crab spider as it leaped into the air! Even a slight delay in his movement would result in a dire situation.

The armor Richard wore could resist the physical attacks of the crab spider’s limbs, but the venom was something that could penetrate through any gap. Richard had no intention of testing its poison on his own body.

The battlefield kept shifting, guided by Richard to move further away from the nearby villagers. Despite losing a limb, the crab spider’s jumping ability seemed completely unaffected.

It was clear that the crab spider was wary of Richard’s sword, deliberately choosing to leap and spray venom as a means of long-range harassment. It was waiting for Richard to exhaust himself.

Richard, too, was observing the crab spider’s tactics and attack patterns. Over time, he became increasingly adept at handling the creature’s frequency of attacks.

However, as the saying goes, “All’s fair in war,” and some skills are innate rather than learned. Wild monsters often have a natural talent for deception and disguise.

As for the crab spider, known for disguising itself as a plant, Richard was convinced it was capable of deceit. Even if its attack rhythm was a bluff, its techniques were all too real. Besides, Richard was already familiar with the crab spider’s capabilities.

To this point, it has yet to use its silk-shooting ability to ensnare its prey.

Is it waiting for the perfect opportunity?

Richard sneered coldly at the thought.

The crab spider was immune to poison, and fire wasn’t very effective against it. But the flames produced by Richard’s knight’s sword, enhanced with filtered insect oil, were particularly effective against the crab spider.

While dodging, Richard employed his “Crimson Dragon Breathing Technique” to ignite the areas where the crab spider would land. He had no intention of engaging the airborne spider directly, as that would mean a suicidal confrontation with its venom.

While the spider aimed to exhaust him, he was doing the same to it. Besides using fire to consume it, he was also depleting the spider’s venom.

If the venom attacks continued to fail against him over time, the spider would inevitably become agitated, leading to bigger flaws in its strategy. The insect oil flames would also gradually slow the spider’s movements.

As Richard became more in tune with the rhythm of the battle, he even had time to flick stones into the air with his long sword. These stones, tinged with a faint green flame, shot through the air, crashing toward the spider.

When Richard reached a rocky area, the rate and intensity of his stone attacks increased dramatically, becoming a veritable rain of meteors. Eventually, the spider could no longer withstand the barrage and was forced to use its webbing to anchor itself to the ground, retreating from the air to dodge the flying stones.

By now, it dared not leap into the air anymore. It was much weaker than before, with only five limbs remaining after several were shattered by the assault.

Realizing the dire situation, the crab spider decided to flee. After dodging another round of stones, it leapt into the distance, using its silk to speed up its escape on the ground.

But Richard wasn’t about to let it get away. With powerful steps, he stomped on the rocky ground, sending countless stones flying backward, creating a series of impact craters in the earth. His movements were as swift as lightning, and in an instant, he caught up to the giant crab spider.

With no need to gather momentum or put much force into his swing, the sheer speed alone imbued his knight’s sword with immense power. The sword flashed and vanished, and Richard’s figure stopped in the distance.

Behind him, the crab spider’s entire back exploded like a firework, scattering its organs and limbs all over the ground. Only its head remained, twitching slightly on the ground, as if witnessing its own doom.

From a distance, the knights, squires, and villagers watched it all unfold. When their lord initially fled, their hearts were in their throats. But when they saw that he remained unscathed and even managed to counterattack at times, they felt less despair, though they still worried about his stamina.

However, once Richard reached the rocky area, the situation suddenly reversed. In the blink of an eye, he shifted from defense to offense! Their hearts surged with excitement.

Especially when the crab spider began to flee and their lord delivered that final blow, it seemed to carry the force of divine judgment, leaving everyone speechless. Even the knights and squires felt their hair stand on end.

They exchanged glances, hardly able to believe their lord was so powerful—powerful enough to inspire fear, quelling any thought of defiance. After a moment of stunned silence, they remembered their duties and hurried over to Richard.

“Greetings, my lord!” the knights and squires said in unison, bowing low, their faces filled with excitement and reverence.

“My lord, you’re truly powerful! That last strike was incredible!”

“With you leading us, the Long Eagle Territory will surely soar like an eagle, looking down upon the entire continent!”

“My lord, we swear our undying loyalty to you. Even my descendants will serve your family as knights forever!”

Flattery flowed freely from their lips. Richard noted the rising loyalty points from his followers, understanding that their words were sincere, though he kept a calm expression.

“Enough talk, go clean up the remains of the crab spider and gather all useful materials. Keep the head intact, and don’t lose a drop of its venom!”

The crab spider’s body held many valuable materials—venom, fangs, shell, meat—all of which could be put to good use. Richard never fought a battle without gaining something in return.

Hearing their orders, the knights stood straight and said, “Rest assured, my lord! We will complete this task!”

At that moment, someone brought over Richard’s horse. He mounted it and rode back towards the castle. Seeing their victorious lord return, the gathered villagers burst into thunderous cheers!