Vespitoxin

The air instantly filled with a thick, pungent smell.

Ash didn't dare waste any time.

She sprang up and ran as fast as she could.

As soon as Ash had learned from the old man that Azure Bay Mountain was home to the Vespitoxin, which had a strong territorial awareness, she had already anticipated what she would do if she happened to stumble into its territory.

She had made many preparations for such a misfortune.

From life-saving antidotes to the Insectum Golden Spray specifically designed to drive off Insectum Spirit Beast, Ash had prepared everything she could think of to protect herself or deal with the Vespitoxin.

But when she was actually attacked by them, she realized that all her preparations had been nothing more than a drop in the ocean!

The Vespitoxin, like regular bees, were a highly social species.

Although there were far fewer of them than regular bees, their teamwork and organization were several times more efficient.

And because they had lived in this environment for who knows how many years, their sense of smell was extremely sharp, and they became alert to any noise or movement.

Ash believed that her reaction had been swift.

Even before the Vespitoxin swarm had passed through the trees, she had already thrown the Insectum Golden Spray in their direction.

But now, the Vespitoxin, temporarily knocked unconscious by the powder from the Insectum Golden Spray, were only a few.

"Damn it!" Ash muttered under her breath, trying hard to recall when she had unknowingly entered the territory of the Vespitoxin and when she had provoked them.

She had been so careful the entire way, cautious to the extreme—how could they still have noticed her?

Was her luck really this bad?

Ash gritted her teeth, forcing herself to stay calm.

Due to limited resources, she hadn't purchased many of the Insectum Golden Spray that were effective against Insectum Spirit Beast.

Now that she had used one, she had only one left.

This was her last card.

If she couldn't deal with the Vespitoxin in one go, when the rest of the swarm caught up with her, it would be her end.

Ash wanted to jump into the water to escape, but the creek was too shallow to be of any help.

She could only run upstream, hoping to find a small pond formed by the creek where she could hide before the Vespitoxin caught up.

However, it quickly became apparent that all of this was futile.

She was fast, but on this narrow mountain path, how could she possibly outrun the Vespitoxin with their wings?

With the palm-sized black and yellow stripes bees drawing closer and closer, the glinting stingers already aimed at the back of her head, a flash of madness crossed Ash's eyes.

She had no way out now.

In that case, she might as well go all in!

Ash reached into her backpack, pulling out the last Insectum Golden Spray and holding it tightly in her palm.

Then, she took out a windproof lighter, flicking open the lid with her thumb.