One by one, large or small cobwebs interlaced randomly between the trees in the forest, turning this area into a small labyrinth.

In this maze, running in panic could lead to hitting one of these cobwebs at any moment. These strongly adhesive webs would trap anything that touched them, making escape impossible.

Once entangled, these struggles would attract lurking spiders in the darkness. They would first inject toxins into their prey, dissolving and paralyzing them. Afterward, they patiently waited for their victims to be completely transformed into a paste-like substance before feasting.

Arthur had previously observed these spiders' predation process. While their numbers were significant, they were merely ordinary monsters. Their individual intelligence was limited, and their behavior followed a rigid pattern. Given their characteristics, Arthur knew he could deal with them without much difficulty.

In his right hand, he gripped his Colt Python revolver, while his left hand held a long branch he had picked up. As he approached a cobweb, Arthur reached out with the branch, simulating the vibrations of trapped prey. This maneuver would lure the guarding spider out.

However, despite his simulated vibrations, the spider appeared puzzled and did not immediately approach the cobweb.

Still, Arthur had achieved his goal. With the spider now in sight, he raised his Colt Python, took aim, and fired a shot. The bullet struck the spider's head, creating a gaping hole and causing it to fall from its perch.

Although wounded, the spider didn't die immediately. Its body twitched in pain. Arthur approached it, raised his tail, and swiftly punctured the spider's head, stirring its brain with the triangular blades on his tail.

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The spider's legs ceased to move, and a small soul light appeared and was captured by Arthur.

If the soul light cluster of the four-eyed little demon he had slain earlier was the size of a ping-pong ball, the soul light from this nerubian spider was no larger than a soybean. Nevertheless, Arthur collected it.

After collecting the soul, Arthur noticed that the system interface described it as a "low-level soul fragment (1)."

Puzzled by this new term, Arthur couldn't decipher its meaning. Yet, he decided to set aside his doubts and continue eliminating the spiders.

The number of souls he harvested was meager, both in quality and quantity. Arthur felt a tinge of disappointment at his meager haul. However, he suddenly noticed a shadow blocking the light above him, and a massive shape cast its form on the ground.

Simultaneously, an eerie voice spoke: "Gotcha! You pesky little bug!!"

The voice was peculiar, sounding foreign yet understandable to Arthur. It was as though the voice directly communicated with his soul, implanting its message into his mind.

Strangely, with this voice, a clear understanding of what was happening materialized in Arthur's mind.

"This is... the language of the demons!?"

Without hesitation, Arthur sprang into action. He kicked the ground, rolled away from the shadow's grasp, and narrowly avoided a colossal impact that struck the spot where he had stood moments earlier.

A huge pit was carved into the ground, surrounded by splattered black mud. Arthur quickly got to his feet, allowing him to scrutinize the appearance of his assailant.

Before him stood a creature that was part human and part spider—only this one was much larger than the spiders he had encountered earlier. It was a mature demon, its upper body resembling that of a humanoid with a spider abdomen below. Her skin was covered in spider fur, and her presence was far from enticing. Multiple pairs of compound eyes adorned her face, along with protruding fangs. A pair of curved devil horns marked her status as a demon.

Furthermore, her eight massive limbs supported her body like a tank. Arthur knew he was in trouble, facing a formidable adversary.

Realization struck him—these earlier spiders weren't merely prey but the tools of this demon for hunting! As Arthur eliminated them, the disappearance of their soul fragments alerted the spider demon, leading her to track down his location and confront him head-on!