CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

THE GRAND SPIDER MARATHON

Did they discover I stole their mushrooms already? That was the first thought that came to Shai after discovering it was a swarm of spiders. But that can't be. I took notice of my surroundings.

Even if they did notice her stealing, why would they send a legion to capture a cute little snake like her? There were literally thousands of those eight-legged creatures, swarming in a wave as if participating in some grand race.

They didn't seem to pose any malicious intent towards her, but that did little to relieve her unease. Even if there were rewards in this grand race, she desired no part in it.

The spiders hadn't noticed her yet, engrossed in overtaking their competitor. But it wouldn't be long before they'd detect her, and she wondered what would happen if what Serenity said about their empathic nature was all true.

Maybe they would simply fail to notice the snake slithering along the sides of the tunnel. But Shai didn't think her luck was that good. Not after she came across two lucky encounters.

Or perhaps there was something else driving this legion of spiders, something chasing after them? That would be another problem altogether.

Every part of the tunnel—top, bottom, left, and right—was occupied by the spiders as each one sought to outdo the others, filling the air with their squeaks and screeches.

If this wasn't madness, then what else? Shai wondered, looking for any crack in the tunnel walls for her to hide. Her stealth wouldn't activate when she was moving, Shai needed to be completely still for it to take effect, which wouldn't be possible if she couldn't find a safe place to hide.

Panic overtook her as Shai couldn't find a place to hide. The swarm was upon her, as Shai painstakingly navigated through their movements. Shai joined the race reluctantly. Thankfully, none of them had noticed her yet, completely concentrating on the race.

Unfortunately for her, not every one of them was participating in the race. After several seconds of crawling amidst the cluttered swarm, Shai felt a familiar tug of a telepathic link on her mind, catching her off guard. She instinctively tried to block all mental intrusion, creating an imaginary barrier around her thoughts, but it was already too late.

"You stupid snake, why haven't you left yet?" A voice stung her mind, the tone high and fuming. It was a voice she recognised. "I swear, if you lay a hand on these kids, I'll eat you alive."

Well, it seemed she would not even receive a consolation prize for participating in this spider marathon.

Great, just what I was waiting for, she grumbled inwardly, keeping her eyes on the path ahead to avoid being trampled by the hundreds of sharp spider legs. She even infused her body with primal essence, channelling [Golden Eyes] to enhance her perception and [Empower] as an added layer of protection. Finally taking care of that, she focused her attention on the telepathic link.

"You need not worry. I don't even have a finger to lay upon anyone," she conveyed through the telepathic connection, hoping the big spider mama would just let her be. "I mean, I don't really have hands, much less fingers. Your babies are completely safe."

"You know what I mean," came a response.

"I think you're worrying about the wrong person," Shai retorted. It was she who was in trouble.

"Seriously, you don't seem to value your life all that much," Serenity replied.

Shai had no time to reply as she was too busy evading the stampeding baby spiders. Despite the spiders being preoccupied with their marathon and not becoming aggressive at the mere sight of her, her safety became increasingly challenging with each second. After all, she was the tiniest. Thankfully, not the weakest. She wouldn't die if she got stomped a few times.

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Shai's spirit skills were already disrupted multiple times due to being trampled by sharp appendages. And to make matters worse, she couldn't retaliate against the spiders. Somewhere behind a fully sentient giant spider mama lurking, ready to devour her if she harmed the spiders. Not to mention engaging in a fight here was ill-advised.

Shai was outrageously outnumbered.

As she continued to dodge the spider legs threatening to crush her, Shai inched towards the opposite side of the spiders' path. However, there seemed to be no end to this swarm.

"Hey," the voice spoke through the telepathic link once again. "Can you leap into the air?"

"I can," Shai replied in a pressing tone. "But why should I?"

"Because then I can catch you," Serenity explained.

"And eat me alive?" Shai asked sceptically.

The spider mama expressed a gloating tone through the telepathic connection. "Don't worry, I'm full," the voice reassured her. "Besides, your tiny body wouldn't even be enough for a single meal for me."

Shai shared the same opinion about the spider, although the likelihood of her hunting the spider was slim. Besides, Shai had no intention of getting involved in that spider's affairs. As long as she stayed out of her business, they would be on good terms. She hoped.

"Haha," Shai chuckled sarcastically. "That puts my mind at ease."

"I'll give you my word then," Serenity said solemnly, "If you don't cause any harm to my clan, I won't harm you. I vowed on the name of the Great Mother."

Her words seemed sincere, but what about the other spider that had come to attack her?

"And what about the other spiders I've killed?" Shai pressed, taking a moment to think before adding, "You must understand it was purely in self-defence." Most of the encounters have been just that.

The large spider expressed annoyance and perhaps a hint of bitterness. "Oh, come on, I don't have all day. We can discuss your crimes later."

Upon hearing this, Shai slowed her pace. If only she could find a quick way out of here, escaping this maddening swarm. But the big spider mama seemed to be the only way out.

"Are you even listening?" the voice echoed through the telepathic link once again. "I know you're scared, angered with everything you've been through. I can feel it. But trust me on this, I gave you my word. Our conflict will be set aside until we're out of this predicament. You can't escape without my assistance. All you'll accomplish is chaos among the young ones."

Chaos didn't sound so bad, and Shai probably would have chosen it over trusting some eight-legged creature. However, Serenity seemed genuinely concerned about the younglings of her clan. Even if Shai escaped after creating chaos through their ranks, she could accidentally kill some of the younglings. No, she definitely would.

Serenity wouldn't be the least bit courteous then. She would hunt her down no matter the cost.

Shai reluctantly admitted it. She couldn't escape on her own, this spider mama was her only way out.

Sometimes, all it takes is a leap of faith.

Sucking in a chilly breath, Shai braced herself and leapt off through the swarming spiders, even though her instincts cried against it. Her body catapulted through the gaps between the swiftly moving spiders, shooting up into mid-air. A few dozen pairs of spider eyes whirled towards her, finally noticing her existence. However, before the spider babies could react, a white web shot out from the back, entrapped her tail and yanked her away from the horde.

Within a matter of seconds, Shai found herself rescued from the spider swarm, only to find herself glued to the back of a much larger spider. She surmised that it must be the spider mama.

An urgent realisation struck her: she needed to escape from this predicament. Shai mustered all her strength, attempting to break free from the clutches of the spider mama. But her efforts proved futile as her body stuck firmly to the spider's abdomen. All her struggles to break free proved fruitless.

It wasn't just the sticky web that held her captive; there was something more, an inexplicable force that bound her to the spider.

"No, you promised!" Shai screamed into the mental link.

"Gah! Don't do that."

"You promised!" Shai repeated with the same level of intensity.

"I promised not to harm you," replied the spider causally.

"But you're harming me already."

Serenity didn't bother to reply, instead put her mind to the younglings charging ahead.