Chapter 389: Sudden Summons (3)

The battle in the White Crystal Spider Queen’s lair proceeded smoothly as planned.

At least until its midpoint, you know.

In the last battle, it was a method where Hye-eun, the shield bearer, was the center, with Cheon Jihee Sunbae and I assisting on the sides to buy time for Cha Yuri’s magic to prepare, but in this battle, Cha Yuri’s and my roles were almost the exact opposite.

Me, charging towards the White Crystal Spider Queen’s giant body while maintaining only the minimum engagement with other adult crystal spiders.

For me to advance forward like that, Cha Yuri’s support magic played a significant role.

Because she was intercepting the approaching crystal spiders one by one with magic so that I wouldn’t be delayed by battles with other monsters.

I was sticking close to this cave’s boss via the shortest path, slicing up only the few crystal spiders approaching from the front.

Due to Cha Yuri’s intercepting magic helping me, the spiders’ attention would relatively be drawn towards her side as well, but regarding that aspect, there was no worry since there were people I trusted.

“Jihee-ssi, two over there!”

“I know, Hye-eun-a!”

Since Hye-eun and Cheon Jihee Sunbae, who had been playing the frontline role in the Sky-blue Shield for a long time, were solidly blocking the front, there probably shouldn’t have been worry about monsters pushing in even towards Cha Yuri’s side.

If there were truly monsters charging in aiming for an opening, Cha Yuri could probably handle one or two directly too.

In the first place, I, who practically had to face an S-rank monster alone, didn’t have the leeway to worry even about the safety of others, but…

‘Kkieeeeeeek!!’

Hearing the already creepy White Crystal Spider Queen’s cry from this close felt like my eardrums were bursting.

Observing it clearly made its even more creepy appearance needless to say.

To be honest, it was a disgusting appearance to the point I didn’t even want to get close, but since the plan was already finalized with me facing this individual directly…

It wasn’t a situation where I could back down now, saying I couldn’t do it.

Especially because I couldn’t create teasing material that could be brought up repeatedly later for Min-ah, who was diligently flying around above me, distracting the White Crystal Spider Queen’s attention.

Therefore, gripping the Mithril greatsword with both hands even tighter, I leaped towards the White Crystal Spider Queen’s left front leg. To target its weak points step by step, according to the original plan.

The relatively weak points on the White Crystal Spider’s body are its legs, and more precisely, the leg joint areas where the outer shell is weakest.

It wasn’t strong enough to be pierced by long-range wind magic, but at least it was weak enough that it couldn’t withstand the sharp blade of the Mithril greatsword thrust directly at it.

In the first place, as long as that guy was standing properly on its eight legs, it was impossible to leap directly onto its body holding a greatsword.

The start of the White Crystal Spider Queen takedown was to first incapacitate two, maybe even three, of its legs to restrict its movement and drag its body to the floor.

The reason I leaped to the left leg, not the right, was because the left leg looked relatively weaker of the two.

Just like how humans are generally right-handed or left-handed, monsters naturally tend to have the parts they use more frequently develop significantly.

As a result of observing up close, it seemed this individual was right-legged, so I moved my body to remove the relatively weaker left legs one by one.

“This way! You stinking bug bitch!”

‘Kkieeeeeeek!’

Fortunately, the White Crystal Spider Queen’s gaze was focused on Min-ah, who was attracting its attention with a loud voice, so I was able to approach the crystal spider queen’s left front foot without much difficulty.

With a high leap, I sliced off one of the S-rank monster’s leg joints right before me with the Mithril greatsword.

-Kwajak!

‘Kkieeeeeeek!’

The White Crystal Spider Queen, flustered as soon as one of its legs was cut off, busily moved its remaining seven legs.

Perhaps because it was such a giant monster, its commotion could be felt through the ground.

To avoid the attacks of the monster that started moving busily inside the cave, each person moved busily here and there inside the crystal spider cave.

“Careful! It’s going to thrash around a bit!”

“Everyone, individual defense!”

Following Hye-eun’s shout, each person found their positions to protect themselves from the recklessly moving White Crystal Spider Queen.

I had to go in for the second attack immediately when I saw an opening, so while waiting for it to circle the cave once and return to its spot, I sliced down other nearby crystal spiders.

Cha Yuri, who was relatively slow-moving, was seen being completely enveloped and protected by Hye-eun with an enhanced shield.

Min-ah, who was naturally fast-moving, was flying around without needing to worry, and even amidst that, Cheon Jihee Sunbae was seen dealing with monsters within range, one or two with kicks.

After a commotion occurred like that, the White Crystal Spider Queen circled the cave once and returned to its spot.

So it wouldn’t thrash around again and mess up the cave, I sliced off the second leg, matching the timing of its approach.

The giant monster’s body, with two legs already gone from the left side, momentarily lost balance and tilted forward.

‘Kkieeeeeeek!’

It certainly is a giant monster; it’s falling over easily even though I only cut off two legs.

When I faced a Kraken on the beaches of Indonesia, it launched dangerous attacks even when only one leg remained, but it seems the crystal spider queen’s legs were much closer to being means to support its body rather than attack tools.

Its body, with the center of gravity leaning towards the front left, slammed directly onto the floor, exposing the weak point on its belly side…

“…Huh?”

The moment I tried to leap to stab the weak point between its head and belly, the giant monster’s body, which had tilted, raised itself up again, supporting its left half on two legs.

I, who swung the greatsword towards the joint between its head and belly-its weak point-lost my center of gravity, doing a pointless spin in mid-air.

My body, which was about to deliver the final blow, became momentarily defenseless while in a leaped state.

‘Kkieek!’

“Watch out!”

Immediately, the spider queen’s creepy scream felt from beneath the monster’s body.

It didn’t take long until I realized that was an attack signal towards me.

While I was falling from mid-air, several adult white crystal spiders began to gather beneath their mother.

-Puwu!

-Puwu!

Simultaneously as they gathered, the adult spiders’ webs flew towards me one by one.

If I carelessly cut them with my sword, my body and sword would be dragged along due to its stickiness, and there wasn’t enough time to intercept them one by one with fire magic.

In reality, it wouldn’t be strange if I were caught in one of these monsters’ webs like this.

…Except for the case of using that technique, which is still an unfinished technique with slightly unstable completeness.

-Hwareureuk!

Wrapping the Mithril greatsword with the heat of fire magic, I sliced through the crystal spiders’ webs flying towards me at once.

The moment their webs were cut by my sword, they burned up due to the flaming sword.

I didn’t know I’d get to use it in actual combat first, before showing it to Hwayoung Sunbae.

…Of course, just slicing through webs once only helped me escape the immediate crisis, and the situation wasn’t really improved at all, but…

Around the time I thought I couldn’t easily escape, seeing the group of crystal spiders still gathered below me, forming a formation, I felt a sensation like something soft was embracing my body.

“…Cheon Jihee Sunbaenim?”

“Hye-eun said it, the plan has changed. While Hye-eun handles the front line alone, I’ll rescue you, and we’ll continue the fight.”

“There’s no way Hye-eun can block that large group of spiders alone…”

“That’s why you need to finish it quickly. Are you asking because you don’t know?”

It was just as Cheon Jihee Sunbae said. Anyway, the easiest and surest method to conclude this situation was for me to cut off this White Crystal Spider Queen’s life, so…

With her help, avoiding the group of crystal spiders and moving to a safe place, I gripped the Mithril greatsword in my hand tightly again.

“Hhng…!”

“Sunbaenim?”

“…It’s nothing. I’ll handle things here, so you finish the crystal spider queen first quickly.”

“Ah, yes!”

Although I witnessed a wound at Sunbae’s feet that anyone could see, if I delayed further saying I’d treat it, a problem would arise elsewhere, so…

Now, finishing off the White Crystal Spider Queen was the most efficient solution.

Conveniently, the place Cheon Jihee Sunbae fled to with me was towards the White Crystal Spider Queen’s rear end, and there was no place like this for landing a blow in an opening, so…

Therefore, I got down from her embrace and immediately leaped into the air towards the White Crystal Spider Queen’s fourth left leg.

Matching the moment of falling, I swung the sword downwards, slicing off one of its legs once again.

‘Kkieeeeeeek!’

This time too, along with a huge scream, the creature flailed its remaining legs, trying to rage.

However, the single remaining leg was far too slender to support its giant left half.

In the end, the only remaining left leg couldn’t bear the weight and broke on its own, causing the White Crystal Spider Queen’s body to collapse to the left with a dull sound.

Crushing its own young that were still beneath its body flat.

‘Kkieek!’

‘Gegeek!’

‘Giek…!’

The screams of several crystal spiders, including the queen’s main body, rang out simultaneously.

Since it wasn’t a sound I wanted to listen to for long, it would be beneficial for everyone to finish it off quickly and end the battle, right?

“Seong Taekyung, this way! Aim from here!”

“Got it!”

Following the voice heard from above the fallen White Crystal Spider Queen’s body, I also leaped onto its body.

Following Min-ah’s direction, which pointed to the vital spot exactly aligned in a straight line with the weak point on its belly side, I pushed my Mithril greatsword in as deeply as possible.

Towards the precise point that could sever the White Crystal Spider Queen’s spinal cord.

‘Kkieeeeeeeee…!!!’

“Eukyaaaak!”

Lastly, the White Crystal Spider Queen screamed with the longest and most horrific voice of all the screams so far, making its final struggle.

It was a huge voice loud enough to echo throughout the entire cave, and of all times, she had transformed her body into beast form right now, so…

She, who had become sensitive to sound, rolled and fell beneath the spider queen’s body in pain.

I quickly retrieved the Mithril greatsword that ended its life into my subspace pocket, then caught the falling Min-ah and landed straight on the floor.

“…Are you okay?”

“Ah, yeah… …Thanks to you.”

Soon after, the remaining white crystal spiders, as soon as they confirmed their queen’s death, swiftly exited the cave entrance like arrows.

Even though their mother died, that sight of them thinking only of their own safety, like monsters do, was incredibly welcome right now.

Because various conditions were already ruined, making it impossible to continue fighting them in this state.

“…Is it over?”

“Taekyung-a! Jihee-ssi! Are you two okay?!”

Although a slight accident almost happened in the middle of the process, anyway, this battle too was safely concluded without unexpected accidents, and

Now, I just had to feel relieved on the single fact that this battle ended safely.