Alien Bar: Found a Wizard Girl, Gale Sword - Chapter 25: Spider cave.
“Ah, look ahead – that cave is where the registration task takes place, inside the spider’s lair,” Lanya whispered, tucked within Leon’s protective embrace, as she pointed towards the cavern entrance.
Upon crossing the plain, a cavernous maw stretched wide before them, nestled at the mountain’s base. Despite their horseback escape, the relentless pursuit of the lizardmen continued with the same intensity.
Leon inquired, “How deep does this cave go?”
Lanya replied, “I’m uncertain. The interior’s terrain is intricate, akin to an immense underground labyrinth. I haven’t heard of any adventurers reaching the deepest part,” Lanya replied.
The urgent rhythm of horse hooves echoed from behind – the lizardmen were closing in. Leon had no time for contemplation.
“It seems we can only hide inside and use the terrain to lose them before escaping again.”
With resolve, Leon spurred his steed into the enshrouding darkness of the cave. Not long after they ventured within, six additional mounts emerged, halting at the cave’s entrance.
“Lord Shafer, they’ve sought sanctuary within the spider’s den. How should we proceed?”
“While the spider’s domain is a favoured training ground for novice adventurers, and not excessively perilous with a low mortality rate, its intricate inner layout akin to a labyrinth poses a challenge. Nobody has ever ventured to its deepest parts. Locating someone inside isn’t a simple task,” cautioned another lizardman, who had delved into the spider’s lair before.
After some thought, Shafer ordered, “Stuart and Pierce guard the entrance. The rest of us shall pursue within.”
“Yes!”
Shafer led three subordinates and was about to rush into the cave when suddenly, the sound of a horse neighing echoed from inside the cave. Immediately after, A crimson-maned stallion burst forth, burdened by a large flower-bellied spider atop its back.
“Nourdin’s mount! They’ve fallen victim to the spiders. There’s a chance they’re not far ahead. After them!” Shafer and his three companions swiftly plunged into the depths of the cave.
Stuart and Pierce, who were left at the entrance, intercepted the panic-stricken horses, eliminating the mammoth spider clinging to one of them, thereby saving it from being exsanguinated.(sucked dry to death.)
Within the cave, Leon brandished a staff in one hand, a cluster of brilliant flames dancing in the other – a dual-purpose illumination and spider deterrent.
These spiders that inhabited the dark cave, appeared to hold an aversion to flames, instinctually avoiding areas illuminated by their fiery radiance.
Lanya held onto his cloak tightly, looking nervous, especially when she saw several spiders, each larger than a human head suspended overhead within the cave.
As the spiders skillfully avoided the fire’s heat and climbed upwards, a sense of worry tugged at Lanya’s heart – the fear of them accidentally plummeting down upon their heads.
“Leon, should we continue going deeper? The spiders here seem to be getting bigger and bigger,” Lanya gently tugged at Leon’s cloak.
Leon paused slightly and said, “The fireball in my hand is very conspicuous in the darkness. If those lizardmen get close, they’ll easily spot us. But if I extinguish the flame, the spiders around us might swarm in… So, we can’t stop here. We need to find a safe place to hide in, then consider our options.”
Lanya thought for a moment, imagining the terrifying scene of being surrounded by giant spiders. Her petite body trembled a bit. “Well, let’s continue going deeper then.”
But she had serious doubts. Could there really be a safe place inside? What if some powerful monster suddenly appeared?
Although the spider cave was a popular exploration site for novice adventurers, and she had rarely heard of people dying here, she was still afraid. She unconsciously gravitated closer to Leon, nearly colliding with his back.
As Leon, who was leading the way, suddenly stopped, Lanya couldn’t react in time and accidentally bumped into his back.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she murmured, covering her nose. She looked past Leon’s side to see why he had suddenly stopped.
The passage in front of Leon was covered in thick cobwebs, and nearby was a mound of white eggs stuck together.
“Are those spider eggs? How disgusting,” Lanya wrinkled her brow, her nostrils flaring, as a pungent odour wafted through the air, prompting her to hold her breath.
Leon took a step into the range covered by the cobwebs. The ground yielded a glue-like resistance beneath his step.. Lanya hesitated, then decided to follow him. Shortly after exiting the passage, they found themselves in an expansive stone chamber, the walls and floor concealed were beneath a drapery of spider silk, while corners harboured dense clusters of spider eggs.
Curiously, there was no sign of spiders themselves.
An opening in the chamber’s ceiling captivated their attention – it was completely dark inside, from which a faint rustling of wind emanated.
A cold wind blew out from the opening. Lanya shrank back, saying, “I have a bad feeling about this place. Can’t we go back? Perhaps the lizardmen have given up on their pursuit.”
Leon suddenly made a hushing gesture, prompting Lanya to clamp her hand over her mouth,, a nervous look in her eyes.
Had he noticed something?
The cave fell silent, and Lanya could almost hear Leon’s breathing. Amidst the hush, there seemed to be another sound growing louder.
It was the sound of wind!
The wind coming from above amplified, now more intense than before as if indicating an ominous descent.
Leon raised his staff, the blue gem on its tip emitting a bright light. He gently waved the staff, and the light detached and rose into the opening, illuminating the darkness.
In the midst of the howling wind, a massive creature fell into the range of light. It was a huge black spider with eight legs resembling spears, a pair of mandibles like black scythes, with glacial lustre.
The spider’s abdomen, connected to glistening threads of silk, hung pendulously, drawing it ever closer to their position. Swiftly, Leon pulled Lanya away, narrowly averting the impending collision.
Upon landing, the spider’s abdomen retracted and expelled a large amount of white liquid, splattering towards them.
Reacting swiftly, Leon summoned a protective gust of wind, diverting the viscous fluid away from them. The liquid quickly solidified upon contact with the ground, forming a sticky web. If a large amount of this substance got on them, they would certainly lose their ability to move.
With its abdomen now positioned higher, the spider thrust two of its legs into the ground,. The ground tore open, and a crack grew rapidly racing towards Leon and Lanya.
Leon reacted instinctively, guiding Lanya aside, narrowly escaping the encroaching chasm. However, beneath his feet, the ground gave way entirely, revealing a massive dark space below.
As they fell, Lanya clung tightly to Leon, and they both plummeted into the deep, seemingly bottomless underground space.
In the darkness, spider silk continuously shot towards them. Falling, they couldn’t evade, and soon they were wrapped in layers of silk, only their heads protruding.
The free fall abruptly halted, and something soft yet resilient caught them, seemingly a spider web. They fell into the web, causing nearby threads to tremble briefly before settling down.
The cocooned descent halted, and a sense of dread lingered. The cavern was shrouded in silence, devoid of movement or sound. Lanya’s breathing, strained and labored, conveyed her growing unease.
The silk quickly solidified around them, forming a strong and elastic cocoon. Leon tried to struggle, but the more he struggled, the tighter the silk constricted.
“Are we going to be eaten by the big spider?”
Lanya’s breath brushed against his face, her tone anxious. In the cocoon, Leon could even sense her heartbeat accelerating due to fear.
He smiled wryly, “I think so.”
Lanya’s eyes immediately welled up, her terrified expression quickly changing.
Silent for a while, perhaps unable to stand the silence, Lanya finally spoke up,
“Aren’t you scared?”
“Of course, I’m scared. But being scared won’t help, so I’m not as frightened anymore. Let’s pray for a miracle, like an adventurer finding us and rescuing us. After all, adventurers often come to explore this place, right?”
“If such a miracle really happens, I promise to offer prayers to the Goddess Elpis every day.”
“Who’s that?”
“The goddess symbolizing miracles and hope in this world.”
Leon sighed, “If I had known it would come to this, I might as well have fought against those lizardmen. We might have had a chance to break through and escape.”
Lanya whispered apologetically, “I’m sorry. If I hadn’t invited you to team up, you wouldn’t have left the city.”
“It’s not your fault. Even if it weren’t for the registration mission, I would have gone out to test the new magic I learned. If we need to blame someone, blame that red-skinned lizard. If I hadn’t run into him that day, I wouldn’t have attracted those lizard-riders.”
At this moment,Prince Leiyang was probably using his computer in his rented room to learn about the new world’s culture. Leon suddenly thought, if he died here, could he still go back?
Another period of silence passed, and in the darkness, Leon’s warmth made Lanya feel a bit at ease, as if she wasn’t so scared anymore.
After all, she was a necromancer. For undead necromancers, death wasn’t such a big deal.
“Leon, how do spiders eat? Do they eat the head first?”
Leon thought for a moment and said, “After entering the cave, I observed the spiders inside. Their mouthparts are very small, without upper jaws. They probably can’t chew. Even the big one that attacked us just now can’t swallow too large a prey. So, I think they inject venom or digestive fluids into the prey’s body, dissolving the body and then using their mouthparts to feed.”
Lanya shivered, becoming more fearful, “Will our bodies be dissolved too?”
Leon chuckled, “To prevent struggling, the venom of most spiders has paralyzing properties reducing pain during the consumption process. If their intent is to feed on us, it likely won’t be agonizing. So, there’s no need to fear.”
At this moment, the massive spider was no more than a few steps away, its gleaming golden body radiating light.
Silence returned, enveloping them in an eerie stillness. Time seemed to elongate as they awaited an unknown fate, trapped within the labyrinthine threads of the web.
But Leon had noticed earlier, when they were falling, there was not just one spider spewing silk in the dark. He thought maybe they were nearby, observing him, he just couldn’t see them.
Or perhaps they didn’t have an appetite for now and were saving them as a food reserve.
Amidst the darkness, Lanya’s discomfort grew visible. She wriggled within the cocoon, her voice muffled yet urgent, “Leon, I… I need to use the restroom.”
Leon’s eyebrows furrowed as he processed her request. “Can’t you convert food into magical energy?”
She hesitated, her cheeks flushing as she admitted, “Yes, but that only works with the beverages we had back at the shop.”
A sigh escaped Leon. “Well considering our predicament, feel free to go. It doesn’t bother me.”
In the darkness, a small, flushed face appeared before Leon’s eyes.
“But, but…”
Leon observed Lanya’s embarrassed countenance and was struck by a sudden realization. “Wait, where is that light coming from?”
He looked up and saw, his pupils contracting, a luminous golden giant spider descending from the darkness, slowly descending towards them.
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