episode_0049

Contrary to her wandering thoughts, a clear answer did not emerge in Eleanor’s complex mind.

Whether she was capable of handling a woman’s life.

Or if she was ready to entrust the rest of her life to him in his embrace.

Although she had become a woman physically, Eleanor, who had not yet overcome the mentality of an adolescent girl, found it extremely difficult to answer that question.

“Sigh. I don’t know, really,”

The following deep sigh blurred Eleanor’s vigilance.

The peaceful scenery of the monotonous forest, the chirping of the mountain birds, and even the refreshing scent of the trees in the forest were all the same.

Melted into the peaceful scenery.

The assassin with eight legs approached closer behind her on the thick branches of the towering conifer.

Rustle. Rustle.

Eleanor’s elongated senses reached their peak due to the strange sound coming from behind her.

As if joints were cracking, the chilling sound made Eleanor finally turn around to check behind her.

Facing several pairs of red eyes above a smooth black body with fluffy tufts, Eleanor let out a piercing scream.

“Eek!”

The sound, though petite in stature, was quite loud.

Her scream, filled with all her might, woke the quiet forest where only the birds were chirping. The fluffy tufts on the hunter’s black fur, chasing behind her, trembled slightly.

Although Eleanor was a man, she was born and raised on the gray concrete of the city. As a result, any creature with more than four legs invoked disgust and revulsion in her, purely out of biological repulsion.

Moreover, the giant spider in front of her was exceptional in size. The tufted spider’s abdomen was as large as the horse she had ridden. The folded legs of the spider seemed to surpass her height when fully extended.

The shimmering red dots beneath the smooth fangs resembled those of a wild boar. Even the tufts that fluttered at the slightest breeze seemed longer than a typical cat’s whiskers.

In the world of Serjuha, there were friends who liked exotic species like Tarantulas.

Perhaps even they would find that too much. They would probably just scream like a girl, like me!

They say you can’t move your body when you’re too shocked. Fortunately, the visceral disgust enveloping her body spurred Eleanor into action.

As Shilob, the giant spider, hesitated momentarily in the midst of Eleanor’s high-pitched scream, Eleanor quickly turned around and began to kick the ground vigorously.

Soon, as the prey fled, the hunter also regained consciousness. Shilob, with its long legs, began to move frantically, pursuing the prey fleeing from it.

Rustle, rustle.

The spine-chilling sound, as if joints were breaking, gradually approached Eleanor.

Thankfully, she was wearing pants, or else if it were a skirt, she would have been caught by now.

Thinking this, Eleanor moved her legs diligently and shouted loudly.

“Help! Is anyone there!”

Finally, a familiar and very welcome male voice came from behind.

“Youngae! Where are you!”

Upon hearing the man’s voice for a moment, Eleanor took a deep breath and shouted with all her remaining strength.

“D-Dmitri! I’m here!”

The voice rose, and at the same time, Eleanor’s body swayed. In the sharp pain that pierced through her numbness, she could see black legs beyond her tilting vision.

Eleanor couldn’t tell what happened first. Was it the piercing in her shoulder or the swaying of her body? All she knew for certain was this: if no one came to rescue her, her second life would end so futilely.

To be honest, it felt a bit unfair.

Sure, she had been wandering the forest on her own accord, but in such a dangerous place, they should have warned her at least. No, from the start, even the female escort had abandoned her.

Losing her balance and rolling dramatically on the ground, Eleanor thought about such things. The musty smell of dirt filled her nose, and something warm was trickling down beside her temple.

All those sensations were new to Eleanor’s body.

Soon, the black hunter chasing Eleanor caught up, making a disgusting sound as he approached his captured prey.

Was he savoring the taste?

Moving his large tusks diligently, Shilov extended a slimy substance beneath his teeth.

At that horrifying sight cast over her shadow, Eleanor screamed in agony, forgetting her pain.

“No, stop! Agh!”

Unlike before, this time Shilov did not retreat. Carefully climbing onto her body, he inserted his long legs between Eleanor’s arms and waist, as if trying to claim a woman’s first night.

Above the sharp tip of his snout, dripping viscous slime, Eleanor tightly shut her eyes and turned her head aside, unaware of the sharp thorn protruding from Shilov’s muzzle.

In a way, it might have been fortunate.

Perhaps with that poison, Eleanor could have peacefully left this world with just a moment of agony, unbeknownst even to herself.

Even with her eyes tightly shut, Eleanor could sense something moving beyond the pitch-black darkness, knowing that movement would snatch away her second life.

However, the sound coming from beyond the dark was something Eleanor had never expected.

“Eeeek!”

She could instinctively feel the shadow looming over her disappear, as she slightly opened her eyes to see.

Beyond the green blood flowing, the broad back of the black male was protecting Eleanor.

#.

While there were more monsters and demons in the north compared to other regions, most of them were humanoid or animal-like creatures. Insect-type monsters were unheard of in the north, and Dmitri had never encountered a Shilov before.

However, the spider monster Shilov in front of him, despite its unfamiliar appearance, was quite well-known through rumors.

The potent venom that even a sturdy man would find hard to endure without an antidote for at least an hour. Its strange defense mechanism, with smooth, tough skin covered in soft fur that repelled most projectiles.

Thanks to this, it was rumored that there were quite a few deaths caused by Shilov in the Empire’s south and eastern fringes.

Observing the situation, Dmitri decided to approach despite the monster’s notorious reputation.

However, upon seeing the fallen maiden at Shilov’s feet, her once flawless face now dirtied by rain and dust, Dmitri’s hand moved involuntarily.

Yet, he was not a foolish man driven by nameless rage to attract the monster’s attention with a roar.

Dmitri’s black eyes were fixed on Shilov’s legs, specifically the joints between each segment.

“Stop it! Nooo!”

Eleanor’s scream made Dmitri grip the hilt of his longsword even tighter. He desperately wanted to rescue Eleanor from the filthy monster immediately, but he had to be cautious not to endanger Yeongae.

Shilov, realizing his prey was in his grasp, was about to strike Eleanor with his sharp stinger when suddenly, Dmitri’s well-honed longsword traced a chilling curve in the air with the flowing green blood.

There was nothing to stop the swift longsword strike. Dmitri’s precise blow towards Shilov’s foreleg joint left no trace behind.

With Shilov off balance due to clutching his stinger, only his four massive front legs supported him. Two of those legs were now severed, causing Shilov’s body to tilt sideways naturally.

“Eeek.”

A horrifying sound echoed as Dmitri swiftly plunged into Shilov’s body, piercing the soft flesh beneath the tough exterior with the keen edge of his longsword.

“Aaargh! Keet!”

Shilov collapsed to the ground with a chilling cry. With his belly exposed, he frantically waved the remaining legs in the air.

It was the perfect opportunity to finish off the monster. However, Dmitri had no time to spare.

After pulling out the longsword embedded in Shilov’s belly, Dmitri rushed to Eleanor, who had fallen to the ground, gently lifting her waist.

“Yeongae, are you alright?”

“D… Dmitri?”

Eleanor’s voice sounded drastically different from before. Once vibrant and lively, it now trembled with a mixture of air and uncertainty.

“I’m sorry for wandering off on my own.”

“No need to apologize, Eleanor. That’s not important right now. Here, what is this wound?”

The ground where she lay and her white equestrian jacket were stained red. Given Shilov’s green blood, it was clear these were Eleanor’s traces.

“When I was running away, I think I got stung by that spider over there.”

Dmitri’s expression darkened at Eleanor’s feeble voice. Though she had avoided Shilov’s stinger, the venomous creature’s attack wasn’t limited to injecting poison through a single sharp stinger.

Perhaps the reason she fell while fleeing was due to the shoulder wound Shilov had inflicted.

Time was running out.

Dmitri swiftly lifted Eleanor into his broad, sturdy embrace.

“Yeongae, you must endure the discomfort.”

“Dmi…tri. I-I can’t feel my legs.”

Struggling, Eleanor managed to raise her lips.

Unlike the stinger, which was in her leg, it was unlikely that much venom had been injected. Yet, considering the onset of paralysis, she was in a precarious state.

Placing her hand weakly on Dmitri’s neck, she tried to lift herself, but her powerless hand merely rested on his shoulder.

To prevent Eleanor from falling during their journey, Dmitri placed his hands between his chest and knees, ensuring a firm grip.

“Endure a little discomfort, Yeongae. We’ll quickly take you to where our companions are.”