Faced with this unexpected turn of events, Arthur's initial instinct might have been to run away as quickly as possible. However, his first thought upon seeing the grotesque appearance of the pursuing spider demon was quite different.

"Is this what they call 'a face only a mother could love'? If my future wife looks like this, I'd eat dung and count pebbles!" Arthur's mind briefly entertained these absurd thoughts, but he snapped out of it quickly and started running.

However, running away wasn't an option, especially considering the spider demon's immense size. Arthur knew that he couldn't handle her, especially if the other spiders and monsters joined in.

As Arthur fled, he couldn't help but feel that this spider demon was incredibly cunning. Why had a mature demon like her, with her powerful abilities, chosen to masquerade as a subordinate little demon and come so close to him? It was like a lion pretending to be a mouse!

Amidst the chase, Nezar took delight in Arthur's panic. She understood that the fear, pain, and desperation of her prey made their souls taste better. She reveled in the thought of tormenting Arthur to intensify these emotions, ensuring a delectable soul.

Despite Nezar's mind games, Arthur wasn't as terrified as she imagined. He had planned for the possibility of being surrounded and attacked during his spider extermination mission.

Arthur moved skillfully through the gaps in the spiderwebs, having learned how to avoid getting stuck. He was grateful for Nezar's leisurely chase because it allowed him to plan his escape route.

As he passed through the spiders' territories and saw the lack of cobwebs, Arthur no longer needed to zigzag through the forest. He headed directly southwest, toward the lava river. It was a route fraught with danger, but Arthur had no choice during this frantic pursuit.

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However, Nezar eventually realized that Arthur was heading towards the lava river. She couldn't comprehend why he would choose such a dangerous path. Although she didn't know what Arthur planned to do there, her anger surged.

"He won't escape! Surround him and kill him!" Nezar ordered her spider demons to pick up their pace and surround Arthur. She knew that the soul fragments she needed were still with him, and she couldn't afford to let him escape.

As the spiders closed in on Arthur, he used his tail to fend them off. He deftly shook his steel-like tail, making it difficult for the spiders to get near him. However, their slower movements from the rear couldn't block Arthur's progress entirely.

Nezar, frustrated by her inability to catch Arthur, decided to enter the fray herself. With the forest trees no longer obstructing her, she moved her massive body and stomped over the spiders blocking her path.

She was determined to catch Arthur. Her threats and taunts rang through the forest, but Arthur responded with bullets. He fired his Colt Python, the large caliber of the bullet making precision aiming unnecessary. The bullet struck Nezar's abdomen, causing her considerable pain and temporarily slowing her down.

Despite the agony, Nezar pressed on, determined to catch her elusive prey. However, two more gunshots rang out, striking her and forcing her to halt her pursuit. This delay allowed Arthur to spot the lava river.

Quickly running out of bullets, Arthur headed for the riverbank. Nezar laughed mockingly, thinking Arthur planned to jump into the deadly lava. But Arthur had a different idea.

The lava river, although incredibly dangerous, contained partially melted or cooled rocks carried along by the flowing magma. These floating rocks provided Arthur with an opportunity.

As he ran along the riverbank, Arthur spotted a suitable rock. Calculating the distance carefully, he suddenly changed direction, leaped onto the riverbank, and jumped onto the floating rock. The rock sank slightly under his weight, but to Arthur's relief, it didn't submerge in the magma. Instead, it began to rise slowly.

Watching this unexpected maneuver, Nezar was left dumbfounded. Arthur's clever thinking had thrown her off guard.