Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

The tunnel was so dimly lit it was suffocating; the few emergency lights cast a pale, distorted shadow on the damp walls.

The air was filled with the smell of rust and dust, and in the distance, the faint echo of water droplets falling to the ground could be heard, as regular as a countdown.

Lin Xiuyi stood with her back against the cold cement wall, holding the dagger in a reverse grip with the blade pointing downwards.

His breathing was so light it almost blended into the sound of the wind in the tunnel.

The opponent disappeared. Just tens of seconds ago, after the two sides had exchanged several blows, the dark figure suddenly vanished, as if it had left through the tunnel.

But Lin Xiuyi's intuition told him that the other party was still in the tunnel.

Three meters to the left front, an almost invisible thin line lies across the air, at the exact height of the throat.

Lin Xiuyi caught a glimpse of that faint reflection of light out of the corner of his eye; this was the first trap laid by the shadowy figure.

He slowly crouched down, and gently cut the thin thread with his dagger, the thread breaking with an almost inaudible "snap" sound.

At that very moment, the sound of wind breaking came from above!

Lin Xiu rolled to the side, and several thin threads were driven into the cement ground where she had been standing, sending gravel flying.

He half-knelt up, holding the dagger horizontally in front of his chest, his eyes scanning rapidly.

The other person's figure flashed by under the emergency lights and then disappeared into the shadows.

"Not bad, very quick reaction." The voice came from all directions, echoing through the tunnel walls, making it impossible to determine its source.

Lin Xiuyi did not respond; any further words would only reveal her location and condition.

He moved his feet slowly, deliberately keeping the sound of his boots rubbing against the ground to a minimum.

The shadow on the right wall seemed darker than elsewhere.

Lin Xiuyi pretended to move half a step to the left, but his body was already prepared to explode to the right.

Sure enough, three silver beams shot out from the shadows; they were thin lines, almost invisible in the dim light.

But Lin Xiuyi had already moved. He crouched down and lunged forward, his dagger drawing an arc.

"Ding!"

The soft clanging of metal was particularly clear in the tunnel. The dagger deflected two thin wires, and the third grazed his left shoulder, tearing his coat but not breaking his skin.

Without pausing, Lin Xiuyi plunged into the shadows.

The other party clearly did not expect him to approach so decisively.

A muffled groan came from the shadows, and the two instantly became entangled.

At close range, Lin Xiuyi finally saw his opponent clearly.

The shadowy figure's face was covered by a half-mask, and a spider tattoo could be vaguely seen in the dim light on its left eye.

The "Spider" had no physical weapons, but its ten fingers were wrapped with deadly fine threads, each one gleaming with a metallic sheen.

The duel between the dagger and the fine thread unfolds within a small space.

Lin Xiuyi's attacks were direct and efficient, each swing of his dagger aimed at vital points: the throat, the heart, and the joints.

Military combat techniques abandon all fancy techniques and only pursue the fastest speed to incapacitate the enemy.

But the "spider's" response was completely unconventional.

He neither met the attack head-on nor retreated, but instead dodged with unpredictable movements, while the thin threads coiled around him as if they were alive.

A thread wrapped around Lin Xiuyi's right wrist. He immediately spun the dagger in his other hand, trying to cut it off, but the thread was made of a special material, and the dagger only sent up a few sparks as it passed by.

Taking the opportunity to tighten, the thin thread cut deep into the flesh, causing excruciating pain, but Lin Xiuyi didn't even flinch.

Instead, he charged forward in the direction of the pull, striking his opponent's ribs with his left elbow.

The blow landed squarely, and "Spider" grunted, loosening his grip slightly.

Lin Xiuyi took the opportunity to pull back her right hand, her wrist already covered in blood.

The two separated and distanced themselves again.

"Military combat techniques,"

For the first time, there was an emotional fluctuation in "Spider's" voice, not fear, but a kind of morbid excitement. "A variant of close combat, incorporating dagger techniques. You don't look that old, yet you've served in the army?"

Lin Xiuyi remained silent.

He moved his injured right hand, blood dripping from his fingertips. The pain was palpable, but he could still grip the dagger tightly.

The "spider" chuckled softly, crossed its hands in front of its body, and wove fine threads between its fingers to form a complex web structure.

"But do you know what? Battlefield skills don't necessarily work in the dark."

As soon as he finished speaking, all the few emergency lights in the tunnel suddenly went out.

Absolute darkness.

Lin Xiuyi's pupils suddenly contracted, but he did not panic. Instead, he closed his eyes, forcing himself to forget his vision and rely on his other senses instead.

The sound of wind, the sound of dripping water, and... almost inaudible footsteps.

To the left rear!
Lin Xiu rolled to her right, and the sound of a thin thread piercing the air came from where she had been standing.

He moved continuously in the darkness, narrowly avoiding attacks each time.

The opponent's advantage in the dark was too great; those thin lines were silent and impossible to defend against.

We can't continue to be so passive.

After dodging once again, Lin Xiuyi stopped moving and suddenly stopped.

He knelt on one knee, the dagger stuck in a crack in the ground, his whole body like a sculpture.

The "spider" in the darkness clearly hesitated.

The prey's sudden stillness disrupted his rhythm, causing him to hesitate for half a second.

It's now!

Lin Xiuyi pulled something out from the side of his boot; it wasn't a weapon, but a small glow stick.

He snapped it in two with one hand, and the eerie green light instantly illuminated a three-meter radius around him.

The "spider" was just two meters in front of us, its thin lines already raised, ready to launch its next attack.

The fluorescent light made him squint instinctively, slowing his movements by a beat.

Lin Xiuyi shot out like a spring, the dagger aimed straight for his heart.

That was too fast, too decisive!
Spider managed to turn sideways as the dagger pierced his left shoulder.

But Lin Xiuyi didn't stop. He charged forward against his opponent, and the two crashed into the tunnel wall with a thud.

The "spider" let out a suppressed cry of pain as its thin threads frantically coiled around Lin Xiuyi's neck, arms, and waist.

But Lin Xiuyi seemed oblivious; he pulled out his dagger and stabbed again.

The second stab was blocked by a net made of thin threads, but the impact caused the opponent to cough up blood as well.

“You’re insane…” Spider hissed, “You’ll die this way too.”

Lin Xiuyi finally spoke, his voice hoarse from being strangled: "Killing you is enough."

A flicker of fear crossed Spider's eyes, and he loosened the grip on the thin thread slightly. It wasn't out of mercy, but because he realized that this opponent, like himself, was a madman who could sacrifice everything for his goal.

Just as the stalemate was at its peak, footsteps and shouts came from the distance of the tunnel.

"Over here! There's fighting going on!"

It was the police, or rather, the people arranged by Minister Chibo, who arrived.

The spider's eyes turned cold, and the thin threads suddenly retracted completely.

He shoved Lin Xiuyi away abruptly and turned to disappear into the darkness.

Lin Xiuyi wanted to give chase, but blood loss and lack of oxygen caused him to stumble.

"Boy," the spider's voice drifted from the darkness, fading into the distance, "we'll settle this another time." (End of Chapter)