The Crawlers were skilled at stealth and incredibly fast, so by the time Zhuó Ēn sensed danger, their terrifying forelimbs were already upon him.
However, thankfully, after being enhanced by the "Swift Travel" ability, Zhuó Ēn's movement and reaction speeds had improved significantly. Thus, at almost the exact moment the Crawler's forelimbs were about to grasp his throat, he quickly rolled to the side, narrowly dodging the fatal strike.
To Zhuó Ēn's surprise, however, another Crawler suddenly leaped down from a giant tree beside him, attempting to land on his body.
The intense sense of danger stimulated Zhuó Ēn's brain, and nearly every hair on his body stood on end.
Immediately after, Zhuó Ēn held his breath, exerted force with his feet, and his body instantly became a blur as he rolled towards the Demon Hunter Mercenaries not far away.
Unfortunately, his luck wasn't as good this time. The sharp claws on the Crawler's forelimbs still tore through Zhuó Ēn's outer clothing and sliced his skin, leaving a deep bloody gash.
Stinging pain and numbness struck him almost simultaneously, but Zhuó Ēn dared not pause even for a moment. He continuously changed his posture, pushing his "Swift Travel" ability to its absolute limit, weaving through the attacks of the two Crawlers.
Witnessing this, the four veteran mercenaries in cheap scale armor who had rushed to provide support, along with several younger Demon Hunter Mercenaries, were stunned.
Some of them even blinked, doubting their own eyes.
But the reality was clear before everyone's eyes: this Corpse Burner, whose origins were unknown, could skillfully weave through the attacks of two Crawlers!
This was something even the most experienced veteran Demon Hunter Mercenaries couldn't achieve.
However, an anxious voice quickly snapped them out of their shock.
"What are you standing around for! Hurry up and help!"
As time wore on, Zhuó Ēn gradually felt his stamina rapidly depleting. The Crawler forelimbs constantly brushing past him made him feel the presence of death.
Yet, under such dire circumstances, the Demon Hunter Mercenaries were still standing by watching, which made Zhuó Ēn extremely annoyed.
Hearing Zhuó Ēn's call for help, a young mercenary was the first to raise his shield, intending to rush forward to assist. But he heard an older mercenary with a beer belly and a large beard shout, "Damn it! Don't get close to them! Do you want to die? Shoot them with crossbows!"
"But..." The young mercenary hesitated slightly, looking uncertainly at Zhuó Ēn, who was now running towards them.
The grizzled veteran mercenary knew what the younger one was thinking, but he showed no hesitation. He immediately raised the hand crossbow that every Demon Hunter Mercenary was equipped with, aiming it at the Crawler in front.
Seeing this, the rest could only raise their hand crossbows one after another, aiming at the two Crawlers.
Looking at the line of Demon Hunter Mercenaries holding their hand crossbows, Zhuó Ēn could even see the cold glint flashing on each of the crossbow bolts. An unprecedented sense of crisis suddenly surged from all directions, making him feel numb all over.
"Damn it!"
Just then, a deep voice called out, "Cease fire!"
Everyone turned and saw Captain Kevin rapidly approaching from the other end of the battlefield.
At this moment, he was splattered with foul-smelling blood, and his once neat brown short hair was matted into clumps, sticking to his scalp.
On the other end of the battlefield where Kevin had come from, only a single, blind Crawler remained. It flailed its forelimbs wildly amidst sharp shrieks, trying to find the enemy that had blinded it.
However, before it stood only a few Demon Hunter Mercenaries armed with hand crossbows. Following a series of dull thuds, sharp and powerful bolts shot out from the hand crossbows, deeply piercing the Crawler's body.
Listening to the heart-wrenching screams, everyone knew this Crawler wouldn't survive.
But Kevin didn't pay attention to the Crawler behind him. For him, if he entrusted his back to his teammates, he would trust them completely.
At this moment, his eyes were only on the remaining two enemies, and that Corpse Burner...
Having received Kevin's command, everyone could only lower their hand crossbows and pick up their melee weapons.
Seeing this scene, Zhuó Ēn's heart instantly ignited with hope. He ran with all his might in the direction Kevin had come from.
In just a few breaths, Kevin streaked past Zhuó Ēn with his sword drawn, turning into a blur as he charged towards the two Crawlers!
Without even looking back, Zhuó Ēn heard two sharp screams, followed by the sound of blades slicing through flesh...
Even without witnessing what happened behind him, Zhuó Ēn could guess the scene.
So strong...
At this moment, he once again yearned for power.
Seeing Kevin charge towards the Crawlers alone, the remaining Demon Hunter Mercenaries seemed inspired by such courage. They roared and raised their weapons, following suit.
Soon, amidst a flurry of swordplay and shrill screams, the two Crawlers gradually lost their lives...
Freed from danger, Zhuó Ēn slumped onto the ground, his eyes blankly staring at the darkening sky. Only then did he realize his clothes were completely soaked.
A sense of unreality washed over him, as if he had narrowly escaped death. However, the pain from the wound on his body told Zhuó Ēn that all of this had truly happened.
Recalling everything that had just transpired, Zhuó Ēn couldn't help but feel a sense of lingering fear.
If he hadn't gained the "Swift Travel" ability, if Kevin hadn't arrived to save him just then, what would his fate have been...
As Zhuó Ēn sat on the ground lost in thought, Léi Qí's voice suddenly sounded nearby.
Unlike Zhuó Ēn, Léi Qí had been very lucky. He hadn't attracted the attention of the two Crawlers and had thus managed to quickly hide to the side, narrowly escaping the crisis.
However, because of this, his heart was filled with guilt. "I'm sorry, Zhuó Ēn, I..."
Zhuó Ēn patted his shoulder. "Don't apologize. You did the right thing. In that situation, ensuring your own safety was the most important."
"No, I mean, I shouldn't have let you take this commission," Léi Qí said, a mix of fear and regret in his voice. His legs were even trembling slightly, and he barely had the strength to stand.
Listening to Léi Qí, Zhuó Ēn smiled and comforted him, "It's alright. Although this commission is dangerous, the reward is substantial, isn't it?"
In truth, Zhuó Ēn had no regrets about taking on this commission. Although he had just experienced an extremely dangerous attack, the gains were also immense—the strength of these four Crawlers was quite significant, and perhaps this would advance his investigation progress.
After recovering some of his stamina, Zhuó Ēn supported himself and got up from the ground, surveying the surroundings.
Five young Demon Hunter Mercenaries were dead, and four were injured... Considering that this attack involved an element of surprise, these casualties were already quite good.
Of course, the main reason for achieving such results was the captain of the Cane Mercenary Group, Kevin.
With this thought, Zhuó Ēn immediately shifted his gaze, searching for the man who had saved his life.