[? - Empathic Spider - ? Lvl ???]

Her [Identification] failed to find anything worthwhile, but that only heightened Isla's apprehension. This creature was easily over a hundred levels higher than her. Possibly more, considering it gave off a similar aura of power as her mother.

Then another thought crawled up in her weary mind... If this creature was already at the same standing as her mother... how terrifying was the All-mother, the matriarch she was to meet?

One thing was certain, however—they were in a more perilous situation than she had initially realised.

Isla took a deep breath, regaining her composure. Well, some form of it. The air in this part of the dungeon felt stuffy, with a coldness that permeated the underground atmosphere, even in the absence of any wind.

"Hello, is anyone there?" she called out again.

"Go back, humans. Time has passed for negotiations," the voice responded sternly.

Isla's senses sharpened as the voice echoed once more. Although she had prepared herself for such an encounter, the voice came and went like the wind, leaving no trace to follow and determine its origin. It was evident that whoever was addressing them had made a mistake, assuming both of them to be humans. In reality, it was a human and an elf, but from a distance, the distinction might not be apparent.

Isla contemplated her response when she heard Zael speak:

“Whoa, I just felt something trying to access me through mental sense,” he said, alerted “but when I caught onto it, the touch recoiled. Whoever it was, they are definitely far superior in mind arts.”

Isla frowned and recalled all her mother’s advice after she was given this mission.

Never try to trick them, or lie. Her mother’s voice echoed inside her head. They were like running lie detectors and way too distrustful of anything other than their own kind. Be careful.

If they find even a trace of deceit or ill intention, I'm not sure what they would do. It has been many years. Although our treaty remains, we can't expect everything after years of no communication. This is the first real mission you’ve been given, Daughter.

You’re into the stirred water now. Use your head well, you're going to need it just like all your other abilities.

“Hello,” Isla greeted, taking a deep breath. “Are you a spider of this dwelling? We’re not here with any ill intention.”

She waited for a few seconds for any reply, only to get her expectations thwarted. “I, Isla Remone, came here with a decree from House Remone and the empire. On accords to the treaty, you must show me unrestricted passage through the Gate and let me present myself before the Great Mother.”

Isla brought out the scroll from her bag and held it in the darkness. “It is for,” —she paused for a second— “the All-Mother.”

Isla wasn’t sure if the one that talked with her was still there, or if she was just talking to the wind, but before she could come up with something else, something came out of the darkness. It was a swift string-like thing that caught onto the decree and yanked it away from her hand before Isla could collect her wits.

"What the . . ." The action was so fast that even Zael hadn’t anticipated this. If it was an attack, they would be down already.

They waited, exchanging glances, more alert than before, channelling their energy.

"It has been some time," the voice resounded once more, dripping with scorn and fury. "I thought I wouldn't be surprised by humans anymore, yet here you are, continually astonishing me with your audacity. Again and again, you never cease to flaunt your arrogance!"

The transmitted voice lingered in Isla's consciousness, its grudging tone causing her to reconsider her next words.

"Go back, human," the voice echoed, reverberating through her mind. "And Treekiller. There is nothing for you here."

It became apparent that this time, it wasn't only Isla who received the communication. She could discern it from the pained expression on Zael's face. Just the mention of the term "Treekiller" had caused Zael to tense up.

Isla's fists clenched tightly. The exchange left her unsettled. "Wait," she called out, taking a step closer to the pit. "This is a matter of great importance, I—"

Her voice was cut off as something shot towards her. Reacting swiftly, Isla caught it with ease, only to discover that it was the decree. A gasp escaped her lips as she noticed the slimy web that now draped the scroll.

"I hope it is the last time I speak with you," the voice declared one last time. "According to the terms of the accord, you are granted passage into our dwellings. You can creep around as you wish, but we can no longer guarantee your safety as we once did."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Wait!" Isla shouted once more, desperation lacing her voice. "You cannot abandon us like this. You are meant to lead us to the Great Mother and present...this decree. It holds great significance..."

Her pleas fell on deaf ears as she continued to shout into the empty pit, receiving no further response. The one transmitting the voice departed, and along with it, the ominous feeling that had weighed upon her vanished as well.

"So," Zael said hesitantly, his gaze... their gazes fixed on the darkness, still overwhelmed with the whole conversation. "That was a dead end."

Isla released a deep breath, her energy drained, as she slumped down near the edge of the pit, tightly clutching the scroll. The chance to redeem herself was gone just like that.

She had endured countless perils, faced certain deaths, and here a single spider dismissed her as if she was but a common tavern wench. Could she return to her mother with nothing to show but failure?

The cold snickers of her siblings echoed in her mind, mocking her from all sides. Isla gritted her teeth and struck the ground, smashing stones in her frustration. The overwhelming sense of defeat consumed her.

"Don't get too carried away. You're dangerously close to the pit," Zael reminded. His voice lost colour as well.

Isla scowled at Zael, even in the darkness envisioning his handsome features and chiselled jawline. Damn it. She knew she was directing her anger towards him unjustly. Given all she... they had endured together—fighting countless battles, being crippled by poison, and nearly succumbing to death's grip—only to have it all crumble in a matter of minutes.

Isla had failed, and she had failed miserably. The entire mission had become an utter catastrophe from the very beginning, and now she had no choice but to return empty-handed.

Yet, she couldn't abandon Javi, who was still in danger from those men. She had no clue where they were and how she was going to do it. Those bastards were after her, so their paths were destined to intertwine, whether she desired it or not.

Well, at least Gavin will shut up about her failure after she saves him.

"So, what's our next plan?" Zael asked, rocking back slightly with his arms resting behind his waist. "Are we going to turn back after coming this far?"

"No!" Isla exclaimed through gritted teeth. "We've covered thousands of miles, traversed the treacherous Hanbad rainforest, and encountered dangerous monsters, beasts, and rankers. We've endured a life of suffering for the past two months—poisoned, robbed, stabbed, starved, and on the brink of death twice. I refuse to return home empty-handed after enduring all of this. I won't go back unless I have something to show for it."

Her last phrase was overly loud for just Zael to hear as if she wanted the Empathic spider to hear her.

Zael sighed, and let out a chuckle. "What do you plan to do, then?"

“The voice said we have free passage into these dwellings. I’m going to use that."

***

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***

I hate this place! Shai screamed out of her mind, as she missed her footing and fell into the abyss. That's the issue though, she had no freaking feet.

Her only consolation was that the foe--which forced her to jump into the chasm--could relate to the same sentiment of not having any feet.

It was a huge basilisk, a Lvl 38, Copper-ranked creature. Although it couldn't hold a candle against the horror of the thing she found slumbering near the corrupt pool, the creature was beyond her level to contend with.

Shai regretted not swapping [Stealth] into her Skill slots before getting out of her hole. Perhaps that could have let her escape its eyes... No time to regret it now...

Shai wasn't sure if she could survive a fall of a couple of hundred metres. Even if she could, she was certain she would be heavily injured, if not fatally wounded. Merely the thought of it was unsettling, much less the idea of finding out firsthand.

As the cold wind brushed against her narrow form, Shai mustered her strength and thrust herself upwards from the Copper-ranked basilisk, shoving a [Force Shield] against the creature. Sadly, her escape from the creature didn't solve the dire predicament she was in.

Shai was in free fall, swooping down into a pit alongside the vile beast.

Beneath her, the pit yawned with foreboding darkness, as if a kaiju monstrosity opened its maw to devour everything in its path. Shai didn't have the luxury of pondering what was in the depths of the pit. She refused to succumb to her fate.

She re-established her grasp over [Empower] with the enhanced perception of [Golden Eyes], hoping that would be enough to save her from the impact of the crash. In a desperate attempt to cushion her fall, she emptied her Inventory, unloading all the squishy Bloodcudding Mushrooms and purified flesh. Anything was better than colliding with the rugged surface.

Despite her best efforts, she couldn't empty the entire contents of her inventory, time was short.

Thankfully, Shai managed to position the unloaded items beneath her, in between herself and the vile creature. As she continued to descend, the absence of high air resistance in the pit allowed each object to fall at its order.

First, the massive basilisk, then the Mushrooms and flesh, which fell in a heap a couple of metres away, and finally Shai herself. She kept her eyes open despite her overwhelming anxiety.

With a crash, her narrow form plunged into the mound of mushrooms and monster flesh, sinking deep into its depths. Shai emerged unharmed, much to her relief.

To her delight, the same couldn't be said for the wretched corrupted creature. The basilisk weighed well over a couple of thousand pounds. Even the heap of mushrooms and flesh would be of little help to it if it managed to fall over it.

But it didn't. Instead, the Twisted Basilisk now lay a couple of metres away, its form bloodied and battered. Its bones were shattered and cracked, its muscles twisted, a huge jagged stone sticking out of its lower body. Despite its grievous injuries, it clung to life.

Not for long.

Without wasting a moment, Shai shot towards the enormous creature, gathering her primal essence to [Empower] herself. Dizziness lingered in her head, but slaying this abomination took precedence over her own disoriented state. She would deal with her well-being once this vile spawn met its end.

With the aid of [Empower] and [Golden Eyes], Shai's mouth dug into the bloodied vulnerable creature, injecting deadly poison. She dug a deep hole into its body and unleashed a barrage of [Arcane Shots] to hasten its end.

The basilisk convulsed and contorted in a last-ditch effort to survive, but it couldn't escape the fate that awaited it.

That's what you get when you try to devour this little me, Shai cried in her mind. She knew the creature couldn't hear her. However, the fear it had instilled in her fuelled her anger to act this furiously.

[You have slain Twisted Basilisk (Copper) Lvl 38.]

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