episode_0097

Brin’s absurd words bewildered the party members.

“…”

In the silence, Jeong Yu-shin was the first to come to his senses.

“Aren’t you the Prime Minister’s daughter? Don’t you have any thoughts of succeeding your father’s profession, saving people, and setting the country right?”

“I’m… I’m the third daughter. And I don’t like that kind of thing because it’s burdensome. Being a Prime Minister.”

“…”

Jeong Yu-shin glanced at Iron Mask and sighed deeply.

“Hoo. I understand. But I still have to try. I’d feel bad just leaving.”

Iron Mask took Jeong Yu-shin’s words.

“Sca’s words are correct. We can’t just leave. If we can save them, we should. Brin, you don’t need to step up, so stay put.”

“···Yes.”

Brin answered, unable to hide her reluctance.

Jeong Yu-shin looked around at the party members and thought for a moment.

Giant Spider.

A medium-sized monster three times the size of a Hobgoblin Warrior.

It mainly uses the paralyzing poison in its front teeth and its spiderwebs. Its size is also large, so even a decent frontline warrior would have a hard time enduring a hit from its front paws.

If we face it head-on, it would be difficult to predict a complete victory.

“Giant Spiders are strong. We can manage the hatchlings somehow, but anything more than that is difficult.”

Iron Mask said.

“We can save them secretly.”

The dwarf priest butted in.

Jeong Yu-shin looked down at Kubo.

“Kubo, your face is pale. Are you alright?”

“I feel a little chilly, but I’m fine.”

“Did you take the antidote?”

“I took it last night. Cough. Cough.”

Kubo suddenly coughed.

“Hm?”

A small spiderling crawled out from Kubo’s neck.

Slap!

Jeong Yu-shin waved his hand and knocked the spiderling away.

Kubo flinched and stepped back.

“Wh-what was that?”

“I saw a spiderling, so I knocked it off.”

“Th-thank you. But give me a warning. I thought my heart was going to drop. Cough. Cough.”

‘I’m a little uneasy. Is this right?’

An unpleasant premonition pricked the back of his mind.

“···Shouldn’t we just sneak in and rescue the people? There’s no need to fight the Giant Spider. Should I go?”

Mars stepped forward. But Jeong Yu-shin interrupted.

“I’ll go.”

“Why?”

“Because I have the Venom Protection engraving. Even if we get caught, I can buy us time to escape.”

“···Sca, you don’t have to go yourself.”

Mars tried to dissuade him, but Jeong Yu-shin shook his head.

“No. Let me go.”

“···I understand. Absolutely do not overdo it. If it doesn’t seem possible, run away.”

Iron Mask urged him repeatedly.

“I will.”

Jeong Yu-shin nodded and put down his backpack.

He only took his sword and dagger and carefully moved forward through the bushes.

Rustle, rustle, rustle.

Fortunately, since he had deviated from the outer edges, it wasn’t dark, so he didn’t need a torch.

After reducing his presence and slowly moving forward, he entered a secluded clearing. There was a cave in the center of the clearing.

White spiderwebs were strung everywhere within sight. The branches above were no exception.

Many monsters and people were bound tightly with white thread and hanging from the trees. The arms and legs sticking out from the spiderwebs were dried up like mummies.

‘There they are.’

A glimpse of pink hair and navy hair could be seen through the white thread.

Pink hair is Irene.

Navy hair is Lisa.

I don’t remember well, but that’s probably right.

Without making a sound, he slowly approached the pink hair and navy hair one step at a time.

The two women were hanging from the trees, their entire bodies, including their faces, wrapped in thread.

Judging by the occasional groans.

‘They’re not dead yet.’

He took out his dagger and carefully cut the spiderweb little by little.

He carefully caught their bodies and placed them under the tree and examined them. They were twitching their bodies slightly, unable to come to their senses.

‘Something’s strange.’

It was difficult to see because they were covered by the spiderwebs, but the women’s bellies were swollen.

As if they were pregnant.

He carefully tore off the part covering their faces. The faces were as expected.

However.

As if all the moisture in their bodies had been sucked out, they were dried up like skeletons.

The pink-haired woman rolled her hollow eyes and stared at Jeong Yu-shin.

“Sa…save me.”

The pink-haired woman’s tongue was loosened, as if she had been injected with paralyzing poison.

“E…eeee.”

The navy-haired woman seemed to have lost her mind altogether, only making strange noises.

“Wait a minute.”

Jeong Yu-shin replied in a small voice and held up his dagger.

He’s going to cut all the spiderwebs first. The two women’s large bellies were bothering him.

He knew that they had been doing it with Ret, as Brin had said, but it was not common sense for their bellies to swell overnight.

He carefully moved his dagger and cut the spiderwebs wrapped around their bodies.

And the sight that was revealed.

‘As expected.’

It wasn’t a misunderstanding.

Through the torn clothes.

A belly swollen like a balloon was visible.

“Ah…it hurts.”

The pink-haired woman mumbled.

“Just hold on. I’m going to…”

“My…my stomach hurts.”

“Agyagya…”

Jeong Yu-shin turned his head and looked at the two women’s bellies.

‘What…?!’

Something was wriggling under their bellies.

Too small to be babies. And there were too many.

“It hurts…it hurts…! It hurts!!!”

The two women’s mumbling gradually grew louder, and soon turned into screams.

“Kyaaaaaaack!!!”

The pink-haired woman screamed so loudly that the forest would be torn apart, her eyes turning red.

‘Shit!’

The women’s bellies swelled up to the fullest.

And.

Thud!!!

Thud!!!

Their bellies exploded like bombs, and a shower of blood erupted.

Pitter-patter.

Blood and bits of organs splattered on his helmet and armor.

It even splashed into his eyes, temporarily blinding him.

Scritch. Scritch-scratch.

He heard something moving in his ear.

He barely opened his eyes. And immediately regretted it.

Scritch. Scritch-scratch-scritch-scratch.

From the two women’s bellies.

Hundreds of spiderlings were swarming out, a mass of black.

“Ugh!”

He barely suppressed the urge to vomit and staggered backwards.

“Ah…ah.”

The pink-haired woman looked down at her burst belly and the hundreds of spiders coming out of it, and died on the spot.

The same with the navy-haired woman.

Rescue failed.

It was far too late.

There was nothing in the books about Giant Spiders doing such a gruesome thing.

Jeong Yu-shin barely regained his senses and retreated backwards.

Squish. Squish. Squish.

The spiderlings clung to the two women’s corpses and began to gnaw at their flesh.

Should those gruesome creatures even be classified as spiders?

He gritted his teeth and carefully returned into the bushes.

“···Shit.”

He swore as he entered the bushes.

He regretted relying on the Venom Protection engraving and joking around with the party members.

If he hadn’t been lucky, he and his party members would have met the same gruesome end as those women.

He realized once again.

The malice of the Great Labyrinth was as deep as the abyss.

“Hoo. Hoo.”

He took a deep breath, pushed through the bushes, and arrived at his party members.

“H-how did it go?”

Priest Kubo asked. Jeong Yu-shin thought it was fortunate that he was wearing a helmet. No one would be able to see his expression.

“They’re both dead.”

“Huh? When I saw them, they were both alive.”

“Their bellies burst and they died when I rescued them. The Giant Spider implanted its young in the two women’s bellies.”

The words didn’t connect, but people understood immediately.

“···Terrifying.”

The dwarf muttered with a pale face.

“Let’s go. We need to get out of here no matter where we go. The mother seems to be away from her nest.”

“I understand.”

He finished talking and picked up the luggage he had taken off for a moment.

Pthwack.

His side stung. His mind went blank immediately.

What is it?

Feeling puzzled, he looked down.

“Uh…?”

Two fangs the size of a human arm were piercing through his belly.

“Sca!!!”

Iron Mask shouted and ran towards Jeong Yu-shin.

Mars and Kubo were the same.

But.

It was too late.

His body was lifted and he flew into the sky.

Whooooosh.

He was dragged past the bushes with his belly pierced.

Thud thud thud!!!

Branches, leaves, and spiderwebs scratched his face as he passed. His helmet flew off somewhere.

Thump!!!

Jeong Yu-shin’s body, which had been flying through the sky, was slammed onto the ground.

He rolled like a deflated soccer ball and collided with something.

“Keugh.”

Blood poured out of the hole in his belly, a hole the size of a small child’s arm.

Spiderlings came into view. And the pink-haired woman’s corpse as well.

It had already been half torn apart, and the bones were clearly visible.

‘Sh…it.’

He realized.

He had fallen back into the very clearing he had just left.

Cooooooo!!!

A wind mixed with grass and dirt swept past Jeong Yu-shin.

‘Giant Spider.’

“Kreuk. Kreaeck.”

Sharp teeth. Legs like logs. Several eyeballs were the size of an adult’s fist.

A body so huge it made your knees buckle.

There was a reason why it was considered a grim reaper among explorers who had just reached the mid-rank.

“Sca!!!”

The party members hurriedly ran into the clearing.

Among them, Iron Mask ran the fastest.

“Prepare for battle!”

Dwarf priest Kubo began chanting.

Mars raised his short bow.

Iron Mask ran towards the Giant Spider with his greatsword.

In response, Kubo’s magic was activated.

[Holy Fire]

Kubo’s divine magic. Holy flames enveloped the party members. It had the effect of increasing the target’s stamina and attack power.

Iron Mask, who had reached the Giant Spider, swung his greatsword with all his might, as if he were not even afraid of death.

An extraordinarily courageous sword strike.

Whooooosh!!!

However, the Giant Spider avoided Iron Mask’s attack simply by slightly moving its body.

Bang!!!

The greatsword hit the ground.

Most people shrink back when their attack misses.

However.

Iron Mask was different. He simply lifted his heavy greatsword again.

Whooooosh!!!

He slammed it down.

The greatsword cut through the air. The target was the Giant Spider’s head.

The Giant Spider retreated once again.

Bang!!!

Missed.

The greatsword was embedded in the ground.

Tshiiiit!!!

The Giant Spider turned its body and launched a spiderweb. The mass of spiderweb, which flew like a cannonball, struck Mars in the rear.

Mars, who had been pouring out rapid-fire attacks with his Quick Hand engraving, was hit by the spiderweb and rolled on the ground.

He tried to get up again, but all he could do was struggle because of the sticky spiderweb.

“Mars!!!”

Kubo ran towards Mars. The Giant Spider’s rear end targeted Kubo.

[Intimidation]

An engraving that forcibly fixes the monster’s attention on oneself.

It was a gift from the labyrinth that Iron Mask had obtained.

It was an ability that could not be used recklessly because it consumed an enormous amount of magic power, but now was not the time to be picky.

“Haaaaat!!!”

Iron Mask grabbed the greatsword with both hands and charged.

Whoooooosh!!!

The greatsword, which soared high into the sky, was once again slammed down.

A storm-like momentum.

Pwshaaaaak!!!

The greatsword completely severed one of the spider’s legs.

Green fluid spurted like a fountain from the cross-section of the leg, soaking the ground.

The hard exoskeleton and the thick leg like a log could not stop Iron Mask’s greatsword.

“Krelelek!!!”

The Giant Spider screamed and swung its massive forefoot.

Iron Mask tried to dodge, but the spider’s forefoot was faster.

Ppaaak!!!

Iron Mask, who was hit by the massive forefoot, rolled far away.

Kubo grabbed his staff and stepped forward.

He seemed to be thinking of protecting Mars and Iron Mask.

Jeong Yu-shin could only watch his party members’ struggles in his blurred vision.

“Cough.”

When he coughed, bright red blood poured onto the ground.

He couldn’t even twitch a finger because of how much paralyzing poison that spider had poured on him. His breathing was also becoming increasingly labored.

He couldn’t use Venom Protection.

Strangely, his magic power didn’t budge.

‘Am I going to die here?’

I prepared and worked hard, but the party collapsed in a single moment.

Brin was nowhere to be seen. She must have already run away.

“E-excuse me.”

Someone spoke from beside him. He couldn’t turn his head, so he couldn’t see with his eyes, but he definitely knew the voice.

A stuttering way of speaking.

It was Brin.

Jeong Yu-shin’s eyes widened.

She came all the way here through that fierce battle?

How?

‘Ninja…?’