Chapter 29. I was afraid.

Grainy nodded with a determined expression.

“Alright. Just say the word.”

“……?”

I was surprised by how much more cooperative she was than I had expected.

I thought she would react with something like, ‘How dare you give me orders?’, just as before.

In any case, it was better than being uncooperative.

“Pol!”

“Yes!”

As instructed beforehand, Pol came with a cloth soaked in oil and tied to the end of an arrow.

He lit the cloth with a flint, and a fire arrow was easily made.

Grainy spoke as if she found it absurd.

“You're going to shoot a fire arrow?! I told you that thing is a Red Arachne! Do you think a fire arrow will work?!”

“Well, we can piss it off.”

You said fire wasn't completely ineffective, didn't you?

Let's remember that in the famous fable ‘The North Wind and the Sun,’ it was ‘heat’ that ultimately moved the man.

From ancient times, fire has been the answer.

Hadn't the Arachnes come running out in a rage this time as well because Grainy set their nest on fire?

“First, we have to start by luring that thing away from the barn.”

“That is, true.”

Grainy was convinced by my explanation.

To maintain a ranch, you need livestock.

Even if we defeated the superior individual, it would be meaningless if all the cows died.

Even if we fought, we had to create some distance from the barn.

But we couldn't drag it out by force right now, so we had to make the superior individual move on its own.

‘Alright, then.’

I nocked an arrow from the storage to the bow and drew the string.

Immediately, a roar erupted from my side.

“What are you doing?! You've never shot a bow before, have you?!”

“Pardon? No. I have shot one before.”

It was rare for a modern person to have a chance to shoot a bow, but I did have some experience.

At an indoor archery range or a traditional culture experience center.

“It's obvious you're a beginner, what are you doing! You'll end up burning down the barn! Give it here!”

Grainy, who had snatched the bow from me, skillfully aimed for the creature's brow and shot the bow.

The fire arrow brilliantly hit the superior individual's head.

It was an admirable skill.

Then again, she wouldn't have piled up bows in the storage if she didn't know how to shoot one.

My face flushed as I realized I had been showing off in front of an expert.

-Kiiiiii!!

The spider creature was also feeling the heat on its face.

The arrow hadn't pierced its head, but sparks had scattered on it.

The superior individual irritably shook off the arrow and looked around.

As if a creature whose eyes were just for decoration could learn anything by turning its head.

“Keep them coming!”

Grainy urged.

I received an arrow from Pol, lit it, and passed it back to Grainy.

Thwack- Thwack-!

After several arrows hit the superior individual's head, the creature trembled as if in anger.

It couldn't have confirmed our location since we weren't moving, but it must have figured out the direction the attacks were coming from.

In that case, its next action was obvious.

“We have to lure it as far away as possible!”

We all ran at once.

Perhaps noticing our movement during its charge, the creature picked up speed.

“Scatter!”

At the last possible moment, we scattered to the left and right, and the superior Arachne passed through the space between us.

A wind blew as if a large vehicle had passed right by.

-Kiiiiii!!

The creature raged as its attack missed.

“We did it!”

We had succeeded in luring it away from the barn we had to protect.

“What's next?!”

“Ms. Grainy, you wait there! Pol! Move!”

“Yes!”

We adjusted our positions relative to each other.

Although the superior individual had a somewhat different body structure from a typical spider, the fundamental parts were the same.

It was composed of two parts, the cephalothorax and the abdomen, with all the legs attached to the cephalothorax.

Inevitably, a blind spot occurred at the abdomen.

Moreover, since the major organs were concentrated in the abdomen, any successful attack there would be fatal.

Therefore, its combat power would plummet if an enemy got behind it, and it would move to face the enemy head-on no matter what.

In other words, it meant that if we just got our positioning right, we could guide that thing's movements to some extent.

“We go at the same time!”

What was the way to keep the enemies in front when attacks came from the left and right?

It was to move backward.

It was a strategy that couldn't be used if the superior individual simply saw us as prey, but it was in a state of recognizing humans as enemies after being stabbed by Grainy's spear and hit by fire arrows.

-Kiiik!

As expected, when Pol and I moved in different directions, the flustered spider leaped backward.

And, in that direction, was the tip of Grainy's spear.

Unmoving, and thus undetected by the spider.

“Come on! You spider bastard!!”

Even as the spider's huge body came flying, Grainy did not waver.

To Grainy's strength, the spider's strength was added.

Pshoooook-!

The spear penetrated much deeper than when Grainy had stabbed it before.

The superior individual writhed in pain, and Grainy laughed heartily.

How could she laugh?

If the distance control had been off by even a little, she could have been crushed to death.

“Ms. Grainy! Get back!”

Having allowed a blow, the superior individual turned its body towards Grainy.

That meant, it would be exposing its abdomen to Pol and me.

I swung my sword down at the luscious abdomen that had popped out before me.

Pow!

It wasn't a clean cut, nor was it a complete failure.

The blade of the sword was slightly embedded.

When I pulled the sword out, I could confirm that a wound about the size of my palm had been created.

Pol's result was similar.

If I had known this would happen, it would have been better to have brought an axe.

“Scatter again!”

We created distance the moment the superior individual randomly extended its legs.

A chill ran down my spine as I saw a deep furrow carved into the spot where the superior individual's leg had scraped past.

A direct hit would have been an attack that separated the upper and lower body.

“Hoo. Hoo.”

Sweat flowed.

My body was hot from the backlash of momentarily moving to its limits.

I wasn't the only one.

Grainy and Pol were also panting for breath.

‘The stamina consumption is no joke.’

In comparison, the damage dealt to the superior individual was minimal.

If we dragged this out into a long battle in this state-

‘The odds are fifty-fifty, no. I should say less than that.’

The strength of a chain is determined by its weakest link.

The most unstable one among us was Pol.

The fact that we needed all three to coordinate to land a proper attack meant that if even one person made a mistake, the combination would collapse.

No matter how fine the other two were, if Pol faltered, the whole thing would start to creak.

The moment a gap occurred- when stamina was depleted and concentration dropped- it would be an uncontrollable ruin.

“This time, Pol! You're the reference point! Ms. Grainy, please move as we did just now!”

As I was consciously directing the movements to make Pol move a little less, Grainy's hand came into view.

She was gripping the spear so tightly that blood was seeping out.

This one wouldn't last long either.

-Kiiiiii!!

A sigh escaped me at the sight of the superior Arachne moving perfectly fine despite the accumulating wounds.

Its bodily fluids were trickling out, but compared to its massive body, it was a drop in the bucket.

‘To attempt a short battle, I'd have to use swordsmanship.’

Was it okay to use swordsmanship in front of Grainy?

I was supposed to be here to hide while learning swordsmanship.

In other words, the setting was that I couldn't use swordsmanship yet.

And I couldn't just kill the Guild Master's acquaintance to silence her.

……For now, I had to do what I could.

“Ms. Grainy! We're continuing!”

* * *

In the end, it happened.

The moment Pol was aiming for its back, the superior individual suddenly sprayed a sticky liquid from its rear.

“Keok-!!”

Pol, whose movements were bound, was hit by the superior individual's leg and rolled on the ground.

“That thing could shoot webs?!”

“This is the first I've heard of a superior individual using webs! It seems to be a special individual-”

There was no time for a leisurely conversation.

The combination was broken due to Pol's absence, and the spider did not miss that opening.

“Damn it-”

When you think of a spider, you think of webs.

It was unexpected for a creature that was already terrifyingly large to also shoot webs.

Seeing as it hadn't used webs until now, it seemed that spider wasn't proficient in using them either.

It was only once at a crucial moment, but the result was fatal.

“Pol! Are you okay?!”

“I'm sorry!”

Pol struggled to escape from the web, but it only became more tangled.

“Hoo-”

Fortunately, the creature prioritized subduing Grainy and me over finishing off Pol.

But that was all that could be seen in a positive light.

As a result of the three of us chipping away at it, the superior individual's movements had slowed, but with one pillar for guiding its movements lost, it was not easy to land an attack on the giant spider.

“Damn spider bastard……!”

Grainy and I struggled to face the superior individual, but soon Grainy also reached her limit.

She succeeded in planting the last remaining spear into the superior individual's abdomen, but its leg struck Grainy's head.

Thwack-!

“Kuaaak-!”

“Ms. Grainy!”

Grainy, unmoving, as if she had lost consciousness.

I couldn't even check if she was dead or alive.

‘I shouldn't have been weighing my options.’

The complacent thought that I might be able to handle it without using swordsmanship had created this situation.

While I felt sorry for Grainy, I also felt relieved.

Because now I could use swordsmanship with a clear conscience.

Without swordsmanship, it was tough even for the three of us.

But if I used swordsmanship- I didn't think I would lose.

-Kigigigik.

A cry as if it were laughing at me.

I thought it was a stupid beast, but it might have quite high intelligence.

However, at this moment, its high intelligence became its poison.

Because it would be judging me based on the combat experience so far.

Therefore, the superior Arachne did not avoid my approach.

Rather, it tapped its leg as if to say, ‘Go on, try and struggle.’

Then I should live up to its expectations.

‘What's needed is a powerful blow.’

Finish it when it's off guard.

I raise my sword high.

The Stance of Cumulonimbus.

As if in response, the spider also lifted a few of its legs.

The front, where the spider was most confident.

But, I was certain.

A mere monster like this could not block my sword.

‘Sudden Rain.’

Mana flowed through the sword.

As if noticing the anomaly, the creature extended its legs towards me.

“Too late.”

I swing the sword down.

Like a sudden downpour.

The spider's legs that were extending towards me are easily split.

Even after cutting off the legs that were reflexively trying to cover its head, the sword does not stop.

From head to abdomen.

Thanks to it raising its body while lifting its legs, it was in a perfect position to be cut down.

Slice-

The hard exoskeleton splits like a lump of clay.

“Die.”

It was a little short of being cut in two.

Because it was a superior individual, its body was just that large.

But the vertical wound was deep enough to end its life.

-Kiiiiiiii!

Its entrails spilled out from the split body.

The sp/ider flapped its legs as if to block the wound, but it was ineffective.

And not long after, all movement ceased.

* * *

“Hah.”

The superior individual that had been so overwhelming died so anticlimactically.

Once I used swordsmanship, it was nothing.

This was why humans were so sensitive about swordsmanship.

“That was amazing, Brother!”

Pol shouted, still entangled in the web.

The squirming was unpleasant.

“Wait a minute. I'll free you after I check on Ms. Grainy's condition.”

Grainy had lost consciousness, but she was breathing properly, and there were no serious external injuries.

Still, it was no different from being hit by a car, so we would have to wait and see. Since it was her head that was hit, there might be aftereffects.

After laying Grainy down in a comfortable position, I approached Pol.

The web, which had been liquid, was now firmly hardened.

It seemed I could cut it with my sword somehow.

Just as I was struggling with the web.

A chilling sensation ran down my spine.

“Brother?”

As I stopped moving, Pol looked up at me with a puzzled face.

I turned my head as my senses led me.

A shadow approaching through the trees.

It was another spider.

Its size was similar to a large individual among the normal Arachnes.

The problem was its head, which resembled a woman's face.

The sight of a spider's body attached below it was a horrific image that could only appear in nightmares.

I realized instinctively.

Its size was much smaller than the superior individual- but it was dangerous.

‘The Arachne Queen!?’

I finally understood why it was called a Queen.

This was not an opponent I could do anything about.

The Arachne Queen smiled as it moved its legs briskly, approaching us.

‘My body won't move.’

My hands and feet trembled.

Unable to even stand, I could only watch the Arachne Queen, who was licking her lips.

And-

Slice.

The severed head of the Arachne Queen rolled on the ground.

‘What the-?!’

A sword.

A sword had cut through it.

A swift strike that was hard to follow with the eyes.

The Sword Saint's sword came to mind.

But it wasn't the Sword Saint.

It was a young man dressed in splendid armor.

A carefree voice was heard in my ear.

“An Arachne Queen roaming outside, now that's a rare sight. Are you alright?”

Even though the Arachne Queen was dead, I could not let my guard down.

The man who had dealt with the Arachne Queen so easily.

He was definitely a human more dangerous than the spider queen.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.