Progress was agonizingly slow. The webs were everywhere.
Every few steps, we’d have to stop, reassess, and either carefully step over a strand or backtrack entirely to find another route.
“Watch it, Leon!” Fennel called out, his hand shooting up to point at a nearly invisible thread just above my head. I stopped mid-step, I leaned back slightly to avoid brushing against it.
“Thanks,” I muttered.
Lila, perched in the bag, sighed. “At this rate, we’ll reach them by next week. Can’t we just burn the webs or something?”
Fennel let out a short laugh. “Yeah, sure. Let’s just light the entire forest on fire while we’re standing in the middle of it. I’m sure nothing could possibly go wrong.”
Lila huffed. “I didn’t say it was a perfect plan. Just… an option.”
I shook my head, focusing on the ground in front of me. “No burning anything. The last thing we need is to set off a chain reaction that makes this place even more of a death trap.”
At one point, we hit a dead end—a massive wall of webbing stretched across the path, too thick to go around and too dangerous to mess with.
“Great, now what?”
Fennel crouched down, examining the web with a critical eye. “We can’t cut through it, and I’m not climbing over. That’s just asking for trouble.”
Lila piped up, pointing to the side. “There’s a faint path over there, but it looks tight. We’d have to squeeze through.”
Upon hearing Lila’s suggestion, I immediately shook my head and held up a hand. “No way. Absolutely not. We’re not doing that.”
Lila frowned, her arms crossed. “Why not? It’s a clear path.”
“It’s a trap,” I said flatly. “It has all the markings of a bad idea written all over it. Tight spaces, limited visibility, and just enough room for something nasty to jump out and make us regret every life decision we’ve ever made.”
Fennel tilted his head, looking at me like I’d lost my mind. “A trap? It’s just a gap. What could possibly—”
“Trust me,” I cut him off. “These things always go bad. You squeeze through some sketchy little opening, thinking it’s the easy way, and then bam! Something grabs you, you’re screaming, everyone’s panicking, and next thing you know, you’re dead.”
Lila rolled her eyes. “You’re being ridiculous. It’s just a path.”
“No,” I said, pointing at the gap with dramatic emphasis. “It’s not ‘just a path.’ It’s exactly the kind of place you don’t go into if you value your life. Look at it! It’s narrow, dark, and just wide enough for us to get stuck if things go south.”
Fennel scratched his chin. “He’s got a point. Tight spaces do kinda scream ‘ambush zone.’ "
As we debated the next move, trying to figure out how to bypass the web wall, an unsettling stillness crept over the area.
My skin prickled, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was watching us.
With a faint rustle, the trees around us seemed to come alive. From every direction, dark shapes began emerging. My gaze locked onto the creatures now stepping out from the shadows.
Spiders. But not the kind you’d squash with a boot.
Each one was the size of a wolf, they had a grotesque and unsettling appearance to them. Its body was covered in a pitch-black fur. Crimson-red eyes glowed ominously from its white pattern across its face resembling a grim mask.
Its eight legs were thin and sharp, with blade-like edges that clicked with each move. Even though it was big and bulky, the creature moved smoothly, almost like it was gliding as it got closer.
From above, more of them descended the tree trunk. And to my horror, some began pouring out of the very gap Lila had pointed to earlier, their movements fluid and silent as they filled the space.
“Uh… Leon?” Fennel’s called out, his usual confidence replaced with a display of hesitation. “I think they figured out we’re not falling for their trap.”
“No kidding,” I muttered, my voice tight as I instinctively stepped back.
Lila poked her head out of the bag, her face pale. “So… Plan B?”
“Plan B is not dying,” I shot back, gripping the straps of my bag tightly. “Fennel, claws out!”
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Fennel bared his teeth, his claws glowing faintly as he dropped into a fighting stance. “Been ready this whole time!”
The spiders clicked louder, their legs tapping against the ground and webbing as they closed in. One of them, stepped forward, its body shifting slightly as if sizing us up.
Its mandibles spread wide, revealing a sharp, dripping maw.
Fennel’s flexed his claws, stepping up beside me. “So, Leon… how about we just cut through that wall of webbing? Doesn’t seem like it matters anymore since, you know—” He gestured around us, where spiders poured in from every direction.
My eyes darting between the growing swarm. He wasn’t wrong. The wall of webbing might have been a terrible idea two minutes ago, but now it was starting to look like our only shot. “Fine,” I said. “We need to push through fast, and we’re gonna have to fight our way there.”
“Wasn’t planning on asking them politely,” Fennel said, baring his sharp teeth in a grin that, while confident, didn’t hide the tension in his voice.
My slimes bounced nervously around me, their usual gelatinous calm replaced with a jittery readiness.
I took a quick breath, formulating a plan. “Fennel, focus on the wall of webs. Cut us a path through as fast as you can. I’ll cover you with the slimes. They’ll aim for anything you miss and any spiders trying to come for me.”
Fennel gave me a sharp nod. “Got it. I’ll clear us a way out of this mess. Just keep those creepy crawlies off my back.”
"Lila, stay in the bag and keep your head down.”
Lila didn’t argue. “You don’t have to tell me twice!”
The first spider lunged, its crimson eyes locked on me. “Slimes, shoot!” I commanded.
A bolt of greenish slime shot through the air, slamming into the creature mid-leap and sending it crashing into the ground. Its body writhed for a moment before going still.
[Your slime defeated a Weblurker. EXP +2.]
Thankfully, they were pretty easy to take down since their strength wasn’t in defense—it was all about speed and numbers.
The rest of the spiders didn’t waste any time. They surged forward as if that single death had flipped a switch.
Fennel dashed ahead, his glowing claws slicing through the nearest spider with precision. He ducked low as another lunged at him from the side, using his tail to whip it aside before delivering a devastating slash that left it crumpled.
“Come on!” Fennel yelled, his claws ripping into the wall of webbing. “We don’t have all day, Leon!”
“No kidding!” I shouted back, commanding my slimes to fire at anything moving toward us. Bolts of slime zipped through the air, splattering against spiders and sending a few skidding back. But for every spider we hit, two more seemed to take its place.
One of the creatures skittered closer to me, its mandibles clicking as it reared back. I barely had time to react before one of my slimes bounced onto my arm, firing a perfectly aimed shot that struck the spider right between its glowing eyes.
It screeched, its body collapsing into a twitching heap.
[Your slime defeated a Weblurker. EXP +2.]
“Thanks, buddy,” I muttered to the slime.
Meanwhile, Fennel was making steady progress on the web wall, but the swarm wasn’t letting up. A spider lunged at him from above, its bladed legs aiming for his shoulder.
Without missing a beat, he spun, slashing upward and slicing it clean in half.
“These things don’t quit!” Fennel growled, his claws digging into the webbing. “This wall’s tougher than it looks. I need more time!”
“Time’s not something we have!” I shouted, commanding the slimes to focus their fire on the spiders closest to Fennel. “Just keep cutting!”
The swarm pressed harder, their clicks and screeches filling the air. My slimes were doing their best, but even with their constant barrage of slime bolts, the sheer numbers were overwhelming.
One spider managed to dodge a shot and leapt for me, its bladed legs outstretched.
I stumbled back, barely keeping my balance as a second slime launched itself at the creature, slamming into it mid-air and sending it crashing to the ground.
“Nice save!” I called out, but my relief was short-lived. More spiders were closing in, and I could see the glint of their sharp legs and mandibles catching the faint light.
Fennel was clawing at the web wall, slicing and tearing through the thick strands as fast as he could. Sweat dripped down his brow, his usual cocky grin replaced by a look of raw determination.
“These damn webs are tougher than they look!” he yelled, as he tore another chunk free. “I need more time!”
I gritted my teeth, glancing around. The spiders were closing in on all sides.
This was bad. Really bad. I didn’t see a way out.
I didn’t have an answer. For the first time, I felt like this was it. We were trapped, and there was no escaping this swarm.
But then, just as despair began to settle in, something unexpected happened.
The web wall Fennel had been desperately clawing at suddenly ripped apart from above.
“What the—?!” Fennel jumped back, startled, as a massive figure burst through the thick webbing, tearing it apart with ease. The strands snapped and fell around us like confetti, revealing a broad, hulking silhouette.
The figure landed on the ground with a heavy thud, crouched low for a moment before standing to its full, intimidating height.
He was massive—easily twice my size—with shoulders so broad they looked like they could block out the moonlight.
His armor was a patchwork of heavy leather and metal plates, scuffed and dented from countless battles.
His face was rugged, with a square jaw and a thick beard.
But what stood out most were his features: broad, rounded bear-like ears perched atop his head and a thick, muscular build that seemed carved from stone. His arms were massive, and a tail—short and stubby—barely swayed as he stood his ground, exuding raw power.
"RAH!!!"
The man let out a deep, guttural roar that reverberated through the area, shaking the ground beneath us. The sound was primal and demanded attention.
Every spider in the vicinity froze. Their crimson eyes snapped toward the newcomer, and for a moment, the entire swarm seemed to forget we existed.
“Fennel! You bastard!” the man screamed out, his voice booming with equal parts anger and relief. “Why are you constantly bringing trouble?!”
Fennel turned, his sharp teeth flashing in a snarky grin. “Grizmar! You big oaf! I can’t believe how happy I am to see your fat ass right now!”
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https://i.imgur.com/5O95ueu.png [https://i.imgur.com/5O95ueu.png]