30 men gathered with Mrs. Fera at their head, in the center of the town of Porta.
Each man was wearing at least some form of weapon or armor. Some were trained soldiers- members of the military who resided in this village while off duty. Most were just average laborers, and the group as a whole looked more like a group of bandits than any sort of actual armed force.
Some had maces and clubs. Others had spears and swords, a few with shields, and others still had butcher cleaves or daggers. Either way, most people seemed to be mismatched- wearing equipment that was scrounged up hastily.
It was a true militia, made up almost solely of civilians. If these people were to be ranked, most of them would be 2nd tier at best. Only the trained soldiers with proper weapons and armor would reach 3rd tier.
Even so, the men had determination in their eyes.
Many who had been called here were fighting purely because they couldn't allow a monster to exist within such close vicinity, however the official reason was to save the orphans.
There were no men in the village who didn't show up- elderly and children aside. This was of course, because what man would stand having rumors spread about them? Particularly that they were a coward, who didn't show up to save the helpless orphans as they were kidnapped by a horrid monster. Dr. Kraven too was here, as he had promised. He stood at the back as he carried a bow, and planned on serving as a ranged fighter during the battle.
There was a group of young boys who seemed to have a burning anger in their eyes. They stood beside an older man who had a bow on his back, and all of them looked grim and ready to kill whatever monster they encountered.
Another man seemed to be wearing a labcoat, and there was a tinge of irritation as his eye twitched. Clearly, something about the monster disturbed him, and that was why he was here.
Mrs. Fera stood at the front, but of course she did not intend to actually fight. She was a woman who had no experience in armed combat, and injured at that. Nobody expected her to fight, especially because she was the one who called out to everyone else for assistance.
She had already made public everything she knew about the spider monster. His abilities, and the things she had seen. Even his personality, the things he said, and the fact that there might be more than one monster- though she kept many things hidden, as some things that the spider had said to her pertained to the treatment of the children, which she could not admit publicly.
However, his weapons and tools were currently known. The fact that he wore spikes on his four arms like armor, as well as a bow on his back and a blowdart on his side. Even though he had not used these weapons against her, this was now common knowledge among the militia.
Of course, his most prominent ability was his web spinning- he could shoot webs both from his hands and from his abdomen, which was more like his waist as his build was far more human than it was like a spider.
He was likely able to lay traps, as he could also produce both strong wirelike threads and sticky threads in the blink of an eye, and shoot them off in all directions.
He could also climb on walls and ceilings, so this was something to look out for.
Finally, there was the slave which he carried inside his bag.
Hopefully, this slave was not a fighter.
He seemed to be protecting the slave inside the bag, so it was more than likely that they were weaker than him. Also, whether the slave was a monster or a captured human was unknown.
The crowd was now becoming anxious, as more and more people arrived. It was approaching 7- the destined time.
A woman wearing a cloak that covered her entire body, including her face, showed up at the back of the crowd. She wielded a dagger at her side, so she was likely an assassin, but this was a woman who nobody recognized.
This woman was Veronica.
Despite her attempt to not stand out, she ended up standing out even more, though this was because she wanted to seem like a mysterious person who stopped by to help, rather than a known villager.
For now, she needed to wait until the departure of the group, before she made a move. Mrs. Fera stood at the front now, but since she would not dare to endanger herself going on such a hunt, Veronica was certain that she wouldn't have any issues taking leadership as soon as the group was in front of the mines.
This was of course, part of Coran's plan, which she intended to follow.
If she could take control of the group and establish herself as a leader, then she would be able to order them to split up when the time came, and they would all be directed into their own respective test zones.
Whatever test that would be, remained unknown, but Veronica knew it likely wouldn't be pleasant for those who failed.
However, she didn't particularly care.
'Because anyone who fails is just trash either way.'
Mrs Fera stood forward.
'Look at her, all dressed up and fancy for the occasion. Did you buy that with the money that you earned off those children's backs? What happened to your loss of profits after your labor force has been destroyed? Oh yeah. You're here to get it back, so it's only obvious that you should be celebrating your victory already. Newsflash. Coran isn't going to sit by and let you take those children away without a fight.'
"Everyone, thank you so much for coming today in order to launch this attack on the monster who has kidnapped my poor children!! It pains me to even think that they will have to spend a moment longer in the clutches of that wretched spider, but we must press on!! Please, ladies and gentlemen who have gathered!! Save them, and rid out town of this beast!!"
Many men let out loud roars and battle cries at this.
"We will save them, Mrs. Fera!!!"
"Of course, you can count on us!!!"
"That monster will be no match for the power of the men of Porta!!!!"
"We won't lose in spirit, or in fighting ability!! Even if we are only civilian laborers, we have our pride!!!"
There were a few mercenaries here, but not many. Most people were civilians or resident soldiers. Veronica took note of this.
'Is she even taking Coran seriously? If she really wanted to take him down, she would hire an experienced mercenary group. What, is it too expensive? Heh. Nah, she probably offered some of the people here a reward, but only if they managed to retrieve the children. After all, that's a no risk investment. If nobody gets recovered, she doesn't have to pay anyone.'
Veronica scoffed at the endless greed of Mrs. Fera, and the men set off in the direction of the abandoned mineshaft.
'When we reach the entrance, that's my chance to take control.', Veronica thought.
The group marched through the city, until they reached the outer edges of the town, and the mineshaft came into view.
At this moment, the group stopped in front of the mineshaft, as if everyone was mentally preparing themselves to enter.
Nobody wanted to be the first person in.
Even if they all put up a brave front, the first person in would likely die.
Even if they had 30 people, they were going against a monster after all. It was obvious that someone was probably going to get severely injured or killed, if not many people. Thus, there was somewhat of a stalemate as everyone looked around at each other in front of the entrance.
Veronica of course, knew this would happen, and took it as her chance.
Veronica stood forward stepping up in front of everyone, and took off her hood to reveal that her face was completely wrapped in bandages.
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"Hello everyone. I've kept quiet until now, but I actually happen to be a passing mercenary, and I was interested in this so called monster that seems to have riled up this town. Would it be alright if I were to be allowed to lead you all in this endeavor? I'm sure many people here have never dealt with or seen monsters before, and I have at least a slight amount of exposure to them, so I think it would be best if I were to lead. Is there anyone who objects?"
"Who is this woman?"
"Why is she covered in bandages?"
What's with that strange getup? Mercenaries are awfully strange these days...."
"But at least she has experience, apparently..."
"I don't mind if she leads."
"But isn't she a little fishy? Where did this woman come from?"
"Who cares. Unless you would prefer to take the lead yourself?"
"No, no.... I have a wife and two children. I can't put myself at the front."
"That's what I thought."
"But isn't she strange?? Shouldn't we be a bit more suspicious of someone randomly showing up?"
"Maybe she was paid by Mrs. Fera to come here?"
"Ah, that might make sense."
"But if she was paid, then doesn't that make her less trustworthy?"
While some men whispered about whether or not to trust this suspicious figure who had appeared in front of them, there was no real reason to refuse. Nobody wanted to lead anyways, and the thought that Veronica had been hired by the monster didn't even cross anyone's mind.
It was unfathomable for a human- even a greed filled mercenary- to be working for a monster. So without too much complaint, they allowed her to take the lead.
"That's fine by me."
"I have no issues."
"Just don't drag us down."
Veronica smiled.
People were so easy to control when they were selfish.
It was selfless people who were hard to manipulate.
When people were acting selflessly, it was difficult to get them to act in a predictable manner.
Sometimes, they would go against logic and reason, and act on their emotions.
'I suppose I was that way too, when I ran off to save those children... heh heh...'
"Thank you, everyone. Now then.... it seems we have a few different groups. Will anyone wielding a polearm or a spear come to the front please? And of course, those with ranged weapons make your way to the back. Ah, of course you soldiers please come to the front. And is there anyone here who uses magic?"
As Veronica asked this question, four young men seemed to glare at her with evil eyes filled with anger. She didn't exactly know why, but she decided to take note of it.
'Perhaps they hate magic users?'
The man in the labcoat raised his hand.
"Please get to the back as well.", she ordered, and the man followed her orders.
Veronica pretended to be an experienced mercenary. Of course, this was all part of her trade.
To be able to act and pretend as if she was someone who she wasn't.
The group was now lined up well, and Veronica led the charge, into the mineshaft.
On her way in, in the corner of her eye, Veronica noticed something.
There was a clump of dirt, and it seemed to be soaked with a red fluid. Was that blood? No, perhaps she was just seeing things. As she entered the mines, she forgot all about it, and steeled herself for the job which she had to perform.
'Even if that actually was blood, it doesn't really matter. I'm going to see a lot more of that tonight.'
----
The group of 30 people were led down a long hallway- one which once was used as a mineshaft, but seemed to be worn down over time. Many torches seemed to be missing from the brackets, but many of the men who came to this raid had brought their own torches- some to use as weapons, and others to light the way- so this was not a problem.
Veronica led the group down the mineshaft. They could hear the creaking of the wooden boards underneath them as they walked, and the sounds of shuffling footsteps seemed to fill the ears of the men.
Everyone remained silent and on guard. According to Veronica's orders, the men had entered in rows that were distanced from each other, so that they would not be in close quarters with one another, as this might hinder their combat ability, especially since they were untrained.
Minutes passed, and the group encountered nothing, however eventually they reached the point where the mineshaft ended.
Wait a minute.
Veronica noticed some slight differences.
Bandages seemed to be draping around the entire area now, and webs were everywhere.
It was dark and creepy, like something straight out of a horror movie.
There were no torches or lights to be seen, however the members of the militia were carrying their own torches, so it hardly mattered.
Until somebody stepped on a wire, that is.
"Oof!", someone shouted as they fell forward.
A rumbling could be heard as the trap was sprung. Even Veronica didn't expect this to happen.
The ceiling seemed to open in a number of spots throughout the tunnel, and from these openings large amounts of water came flooding into the group.
It was not enough to fill up the area, but it was enough to douse every person in the group.
Splash!
With this, every torch carried by the 30 people watching had been put out, and every person was soaked.
"Ugh!"
"Eck! What is this??"
"A trap?? But not a lethal one at least..."
"It's so dark! Can somebody get a light up!?"
"The torches have all been soaked! There's no way we can get these lit again!"
"I had a spare but that's soaked as well!"
"Darn. Who placed this trap here?? It couldn't have been the monster. Did the miners do this to prevent raids?"
"Who knows..."
Veronica of course knew that this was not the case.
She didn't understand how that spider could have set this up so quickly. It hadn't been too long since she left, but he was able to set up this complex trap.
'He must be more intelligent than I thought to be able to do something like this', she thought, as she tried to wring out her cloak.
'I wonder what else I will see here today...'
----
The group continued on in the darkness now, and only a minute later they reached the end of the mineshaft, making their way through the bandages which seemed to become more and more dense.
Nobody dared to show any sign of fear, as these men were all supposed to be braving the darkness in order to save the kidnapped children.
Of course that didn't mean that they didn't feel at least a bit restless.
There was a slight amount of fear that made it's way into the hearts of the men, however most of them tried to shove it aside, pushing forward with this task.
'I can't be the first one to chicken out here. Maybe if someone else does first, I won't look as bad if I do so.'
'This doesn't look good, but I hope that it's just some sort of accident, and that nothing else goes wrong.'
'I won't give in here. I have to keep going. I want to come home to my wife, and tell her about how I braved that thing!'
'I'll be the talk of the town if I can be the one to kill it! I just have to muster up some courage, and I'll become popular with all the ladies!'
'I'm sure people will love me if I can get a few of the orphans out of here safely. Even if I have to grab them and run, that won't be dishonorable at all! Even if I leave everyone else behind....'
Many men were thinking only about the end goal.
They had their heads in the clouds, ignoring the current situation, and only thinking of the rewards, and what they would need to do to get them.
However, before long, they were thrown to reality.
On exiting the mineshaft, they came across what looked like a gate.
It had an archway which was made of..... cloth?
It looked like cloth, but was as hard as steel. At the top of the archway, there were letters made of the same material.
As if it were a spiderweb spelling out a set of words, they read "Coran's Lair"
"Coran's lair...."
"W-what is this??"
"Did.... did the monster do this??"
"No way... this.... this must be some sort of bad prank."
"Y-yeah. A monster wouldn't be able to read or write, much less make something like this."
Kraven, who was at the back, was astonished.
'Just.... just what have we gotten into here?'
Veronica too was amazed. She didn't know that the monster would be able to whip something like this up, much less be able to read and write. It was far beyond anything she could ever imagine.
'So this is a humanoid? This monster is almost human. He can read, write, set up traps, and do all this in such a small amount of time, and such an efficient manner. He can do everything we humans can do, but even better....'
"Don't be startled, everyone! We need to keep moving forward, to save the children! Isn't that right?"
"Y-yeah...."
"Sure..."
"Whatever you say...."
Many of the men were clearly disturbed at this point. Some of them however, put on a macho act.
"Of course! Are you all gonna chicken out when were boutta face that thing? Let's get him!"
"Yeah!! Let's go, boys! Get behind us if you don't want to die!"
"I'll be the one to take it's head!"
A group of burly men stood forward, along with a couple guards. They seemed ready to fight.
Veronica pushed open the gate- which was made of the clothlike substance.
On feeling it, it was textured yet hard.
It was unlike anything she had ever seen.
She made her way through the door, to see a maze of the bandage-like material, with six pathways to enter. Two on the right, two forward, and two to the left.
'This is the cutoff, eh? I know exactly what to do here, Coran.'
Veronica pretended to be looking around while all the men flooded in through the gate to see the maze of tunnels.
'I can't believe this.... he created this much cloth, for an entire maze?? In such a small amount of time??'
All the men too were looking around.
"There are six ways to go?"
"Which one do we pick?"
"Should we all stick together?"
"Hmm..."
Veronica then took the lead.
"No, we should not stick together, for two reasons."
"What?!"
"Why not?! Isn't that the safest way??"
"First, is that if we stick together, the likelyhood of finding this monster will decrease. If we all stay together and pass him by, we waste precious time- time in which more children could be slaughtered. Second is that if we stick together, we run the risk of all being caught in a single trap. It would be a disaster if that were to happen, without a doubt. Therefore, We should separate into 6 groups of 5, and each take a path. We should try to make it so that each group has an even distribution of skillsets and strength, so that anyone who encounters the monster will have a reasonable chance of defeating it."
Everyone looked around to each other, unsure at first about splitting up, but after listening to Veronica's explanation, they nodded in agreement.
'You guys are so easy to play. At least try to disagree a little bit. Man these guys are simple.'
Veronica then went ahead, and started picking out people from the group, trying to put people with different skills and traits on each team, but she mostly kept together the people who grouped with one another and seemed to want to be with each other.
"You go on 1, you on 2.... you go on 3...."
When she had split the 30 men into 6 teams of 5, they each gathered on their respective entrance.
"But Mercenary, where will you go?"
Veronica did her best to keep herself from grinning sinisterly as someone asked her this.
"What if that monster has decided to attack us from behind? I will stay here, and protect everyone's back. Please rest easy knowing that I will stay back here in case of emergency."
"Oh, that makes sense!"
"Thank you, mercenary! I doubted you at first, but you've been a good leader thus far!"
"I will hire you if I ever need any work done! Allow me to get your details once this mission is all over!"
The men all walked off in their respective directions. There were no torches to be lit, and so each group vanished into the darkness.
'Jackasses. You all know that you're just saying that because I happened to help you. Little do you know, that I've guided you right into that monster's web.'