“It’s important to know your enemy. Soldiers and generals talk about it all the time, and I’m sure they have to deal with an enemy that’ll kill them, but people like me have got it worse. We’re up against enemies that would ruin our lives!
The enemy of a merchant is competition. Well, there are also bandits on the roads, taxes, tariffs, and… you get the point. But once you get past all of those things, you have to actually sell your goods, and the only thing getting in the way of that is your competition.
If the goods you’re selling aren’t as good as your competitor’s you’re done for. One time, a friend of mine spent a whole lot of money on mana potions from Fieldergast; you know, the mage capital of the kingdom? Yeah, apparently they figured their potions would be the best. But it turns out, they follow a standard formula and jack up their own prices because of their name.
So when my friend finally arrived in a far away town to sell them, they didn’t account for the competition, who was selling potions from Forest’s Edge; that place with all of the plants growing around it. Their alchemical ingredients are super cheap because of that, and they don’t have their heads way up their butts so their prices aren’t outrageous! I’m sure you can tell how that all went.
But the moral of the story is that you have to know who you’re selling against, and what they’re selling. If you don’t, expect to get blindsided and end up flat out broke. Huh? What do you mean it was my friend’s fault for not knowing the obvious? Hey, their plan was solid, it was the other guy’s fault! Ok fine, they could’ve looked more into things, but that’s my point in the end. Do your research before jumping into things!”
-Interview from an anonymous traveling merchant
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“UOREEE!!!” came a scream from behind that had the spiders jumping.
Click and the rest of the forty-strong group had just made it through the tunnel and passed the deactivated spike trap that marked the true beginning of the second floor. No sooner had they passed through that they were greeted by the loud noise.
By the time the first spider had turned around, a particularly twitchy member of the veteran group, a [Dungeon Boar] had already charged into it and sent the two of them flying.
What, again?! How do they keep sneaking up on us like that?! Click let frustration grip them for only an instant before activating their Skill. [Command Subordinates]! We’ve got a fight!
Instantly, the other spiders jump to the ready. Following the instructions that came out faster than they could’ve comprehended on their own, the many arachnids arranged themselves in position and began to run after their comrade.
The fastest veterans were in the front, with the bulkier ones just behind them and thirty newborns in the back. The first of the larger spiders reached the boar as it slowed its charge and bit into its backside with envenomed fangs. [Venom Gland] magically empowered the biological capabilities of the larger arachnid, and made the skin around the bite mark streak with black.
The [Dungeon Boar] screamed in pain and completely forgot about the spider it was already tangled with. As it turned to its new attacker, its disoriented previous target came to as a magical command overrode its addled brain, and it too bit down on its backside.
Each cheek was now stained with darkened streaks as the boar finally made its first intelligent decision and jumped to the side. The creature’s eyes began to fall, as what minimal intelligence it had began to dull slightly.
By the time the [Dungeon Boar] took proper stock of the situation and angled itself to properly fight two against one, the other spiders had caught up. And by that point, it was too late for the creature.
Bored the Alpha ran up and pinned the boar down with all of the spider’s weight, while the thirty one smaller spiders swarmed on top of it and began to bite down with all their might. More venom filled the creature as it writhed beneath the arachnid onslaught. But the mass keeping it down, along with the other veteran spiders who’d join their larger companion, wouldn’t let it rise.
Eventually, the [Dungeon Boar] succumbed to its injuries, and collapsed as its muscles loosened.
And that’s what you get for sneaking up on us like that! Silently shouted Click. Their anger quickly lifted when they realized the boar couldn’t respond since it was dead. Not that it could either way, since Click couldn’t speak and the creature would’ve been unable to understand.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Their mandibles drooped before rising back up in determination.
Alright, we’ll just have to be more alert next time. Click activated [Command Subordinates] and pointed to the jittery spider who got hit by the boar’s charge. You, keep an eye out behind us for any more ambushes. Poke me if you see anything.
The command went through and the spider opened and closed their mandibles in acceptance, before turning around and taking note of the part of the cave they all just walked through.
Click was satisfied and continued the search.
After several minutes, they turned a corner and all stopped. Click threw the command as fast as they were able to evoke it, and all of the spiders backed up a few steps.
Just around the bend was a small family of [Dungeon Boars]. Several as large as the one they’d just fought, but two more that were at least twice the size.
Click slowly peeked around the corner and regarded the group. The sheer size of the lead two had the spider especially worried, had they reached some kind of advanced evolution?
[Observation]
Adult Dungeon Boar (Level 3)
Name: N/A
Soul Link: Rockfort Hamlet Dungeon Core Ṁ̶̡̄̒͜o̷͚͍̊͒̃̓̿ǰ̵̧̢̭̫̪a̷͇̋̿̿̽͘ ̵̨̛̥͎͉́̋̈͘D̵̝̭͇̓̎̅ȋ̷̯͔̤̑͋̑t̴̛͉͈̟̽̑͑h̸̪̲̩̗̀̉̃͝͠ä̵͕̼̠́̊̓̕b̴̗͕̏͊̂̓̚ä̷̡̰̱͕̒̌̋
Classes: N/A
Statistic
Amount
Health Points
120
Body
85
Intellect
31
Soul
40
Wait, adult?! I thought the other boars were adults!
As Click read through the rest of their stat block, the spider quickly realized that it would likely take all of their troops to kill just one of the adults. And that wasn’t accounting for the second and several young. They would rip Click’s raiding party apart like the veteran spiders could a fresh meal.
While the [Spider Army Commander] thought about what to do, the sound of hooves on the cave floor echoed out from just around the corner. Click took another quick peek and was greeted with the first bit of luck that day.
The family of boars began to leave, heading down another tunnel and out of the way of the spiders.
Click took the others into the previously occupied room and looked around. They recognized it. It was the same place they’d been while following the intruders. If they were looking for the items dropped by the strange raiders, then it would only make sense to go where they’d been. And Click remembered exactly where they went next.
Down that tunnel! It’s really long and leads to a dead end, so be prepared for an ambush… Memories of the sheer numbers of the boar family quickly sprung to mind. We’re not prepared for an ambush.
Click felt conflicted; the team that the spider followed earlier definitely came off as the not very careful sort, and those intruders were incredibly likely to have dropped something when they fought with the dungeon boars down there. But to take such a risk…
Wait, I have an idea. [Command Subordinates]!
Several of the newborn spiders in the group, ones that had at least a few levels in [Silk Spinning], readied themselves as a series of instructions came their way.
Link up and weave a web…
Click stopped their command mid-sentence.
The other spiders looked around, not sure what exactly to do. After a moment of hesitation, they ran off to the walls of the tunnel and began to weave a net.
No no, stop! [Command Subordinates], stop! Get back here!
They halted and ran back.
Click looked over the newborns, all thirty one of them. What I want to know is why there’s one extra. Hold on, you- [Observation]. The [Spider Army Commander]’s eyes narrowed. I don’t remember inviting you along. But maybe I could put you to use…