Chapter 64: Mage and Alchemist (Rare) (2)
“Hyung.”
Ahn Hyun’s voice snapped me back to reality. I quickly turned my gaze to see all the kids looking at me, unsure of what to do. We were surrounded by spiders, encircling us in a tight formation. Although we had a retreat path secured, I had a feeling these creatures would be the toughest we’ve faced yet.
The kids seemed to sense the difference too, their faces etched with anxiety. If I showed any sign of nervousness, it would only amplify their fear. So, I quickly composed myself, adopting a calm demeanor and speaking in a steady voice.
“Let’s focus on dealing with the spiders first.”
“But what about that woman…?” Sol trailed off, her voice tinged with regret. I shook my head. Given the circumstances, our survival had to take precedence. Watching Ahn Hyun and Yoo Jung ready their weapons, I raised my voice to rally them.
“Forget about the user hanging above. It seems the dungeon master is playing tricks on us. From now on, our priority is not rescuing users but exploring the dungeon and making it out alive. They’re coming. Get ready.”
If we could just get through this, we’d finally see the end of this wretched dungeon. I hurriedly drew my sword, thinking about how I’d give that alchemist a piece of my mind if we ever met.
“Hold the formation with our escape route secured. There are quite a few spiders, but they’re too large to attack all at once. Some might try to sneak in from the sides and spray venom, but I’ll handle those. Focus on the ones in front of you.”
The moment I finished speaking, the spiders began closing in, their legs skittering across the ground. As they drew nearer, I couldn’t help but think how grotesque they looked. If I found them unsettling, Sol and Yoo Jung must have been terrified. Their expressions were a mix of fear and determination, especially as they watched the green orbs continue to fall from above, a reminder of what had happened to another female user.
Soon, the spiders at the front began spewing white threads from their mouths. We were about to cross the threshold of this dungeon exploration.
“Cure!”
Sol’s hands glowed with a white light, enveloping me in warmth. Even though I insisted I was fine, she clung to me, pouring out healing magic with no way to stop her.
“Guys, you can rest now. I think I’m okay.”
“But still…”
“Come on, you need to rest too.”
Here’s how it went down: we fought a grueling battle and barely managed to gain the upper hand. It was only possible because I coordinated the battlefield. Just as I was about to finish off the last spider, it spewed a large amount of venom.
I quickly pushed the others away, taking the brunt of the venom myself. Thanks to my fire attribute, most poisons were burned away, and my high endurance meant the spider venom wouldn’t harm me. But the kids made such a fuss that I had to pretend to be affected and accept the healing. Of course, my little act of staggering might have contributed to their concern.
It wasn’t until I nearly lost my temper that they finally backed off to rest, practically collapsing onto the ground. Yoo Jung lay flat, staring at the ceiling, while Ahn Hyun stretched out his legs, doing the same. Sol sat quietly, her face pale, also gazing upwards. I could guess why they were acting this way, so I sighed lightly and turned my thoughts to the female user.
I looked up at her. Her belly was still swollen, but no more spider eggs were falling. Occasionally, she grimaced and let out a faint moan, a sign she was still alive, but that was all. From her perspective, she might as well be dead.
“It’s hard to believe, isn’t it? That we actually took down all these spiders…” Ahn Hyun said, shaking his head as he surveyed the area. He was trying to brush off the spider webs clinging to him, but soon gave up and lay back down, exhausted.
Yoo Jung’s body was covered in small cuts, her clothes torn to reveal glimpses of her skin. She gave me a teasing wink, but when I stared back sternly, she quickly averted her gaze. That little rascal.
After a while, I decided to sit down as well, letting things be. The kids glanced at me with concern, but I waved them off, signaling I was fine. If I forced them to get up now, they might actually rebel. Yoo Jung, in particular, was groaning and calling out to Sol, her body slowly regaining sensation.
“Ugh… I think I’m poisoned… My whole body aches… Sol, can you cast a detox spell on me?”
“Yes… Just a moment…”
“You brat. You helped Suhyun oppa right away. Are you playing favorites?”
Sol’s face flushed at Yoo Jung’s sharp words, and she waved her hands frantically.
“It’s not that… I’m just exhausted…”
Mana exhaustion meant that if she pushed her magic any further, it could backfire. Yoo Jung seemed to understand, nodding before resting her head back on the ground. Meanwhile, Ahn Hyun, who had been watching the ceiling with a detached expression, turned to me with a weary face.
“Hyung…”
“What is it?”
“What are we going to do about that woman?”
”…”
I paused, considering my words. Ahn Hyun had been particularly concerned about the female user since before the battle. I couldn’t quite understand why he was so fixated on her. Was it because she was a woman? She was certainly pretty, but in her current state… I felt the need to probe Ahn Hyun a bit.
“What do you think?”
“I want to save her.”
His immediate response brought a faint smile to my face. Ahn Hyun’s alignment was neutral, but his desire to help suggested he might lean towards order or good in the future. I wanted to give him an encouraging answer, but I wasn’t one to offer false hope.
“Well, if you look at her belly, she’s carrying spider eggs. It’s likely she’s been forcibly impregnated. With such internal changes, there’s not much we can do. Even if we take her with us… Is there really a high-level user in this plane who would help her? Let’s say there is, and she survives. Her future would be a living hell. It might be kinder to end it now.”
“I see… I understand…”
“Let’s ask her what she wants. But first, we’ll need to cut her down.”
Seeing his face fall, I quickly added. Ahn Hyun nodded, closing his eyes in resignation. It wasn’t a pleasant sight, having her suspended like that. It was akin to displaying her naked body for all to see. I was about to get up and cut her down when—
“Yoohoo!”
A high-pitched laugh filled the clearing. The sudden sound startled everyone. The dungeon master was finally making an appearance. I signaled the kids with a glance and subtly placed my hand on my sword.
“Two men~ Yes! And not a single woman. Well, two women. Woo!”
Judging by the high-pitched voice, it seemed to be a female entity. Cheering for the men and jeering at the women, Yoo Jung stood up, visibly irritated.
“Who are you?”
“Who do you think~?”
“Stop hiding and show yourself, coward!”
“I’m coming~!”
Rustle, rustle.
Enhancing my hearing with magic, I detected a single entity descending from the ceiling. As it came down, it kept chattering, further provoking Yoo Jung’s anger.
“Oh? A feisty human female? I don’t like feisty females. But I do like them. They’re perfect as hosts, like the one hanging from the ceiling. Hehehe!”
Yoo Jung, about to retort, paled at the mention of “host.” Realizing what it meant, she shivered with revulsion. I clicked my tongue. The presence above us was unlike any monster we’d faced before. It was akin to a boss monster in a rite of passage.
If the kids were in top condition, we might stand a chance. But right now, everyone was at their limit. I sighed and stood up. It seemed I had to take the lead.
“Everyone, get up. I think the dungeon master has arrived.”
“Correct!”
A lively voice echoed from above as a rustling sound came from the ceiling. Looking up, we saw a spider over two meters tall, spinning down around a female user hanging nearby. Its size was impressive, but what was truly shocking was the human face protruding from the center of its upper body. It was a spider with a human face.
Before we could even react, the spider descended rapidly, landing with a thud that reverberated around us. Despite its attempt at a graceful landing, the noise was unmistakable. The dungeon master of the ancient alchemist Vivian was none other than this spider. Vivian greeted us with a bright smile.
“Welcome, new prey.”
“Prey? That’s a bit rude from the get-go.”
I replied casually, and the spider tilted its head, pondering for a moment before breaking into a wide grin and offering a more formal greeting.
“Welcome to my dungeon, human males. Ah, but human females are not welcome.”
“You crazy thing.”
Yujeong’s sharp tongue hit the spider directly. The group had already pegged this spider as a complete enemy, and it seemed they realized that the spider was responsible for the state of the female user hanging from the ceiling. Though their legs trembled, they stood with eyes full of hostility, glaring at the spider. The spider glanced over us, then pouted and continued speaking.
“Oh dear, I thought I was being welcoming. But why are you all looking at me like that?”
“Would you greet someone with open arms if they were like you?”
The spider looked genuinely hurt by Yujeong’s words, calling it crazy and stupid. It soon responded in a grumbling voice.
“Geez, you’re mean. I was just trying to be welcoming. Oh, right, I didn’t welcome you because you’re female. Fine, fine, you’re welcome too!”
“Spare me. Your welcome makes me sick.”
“Wow, that’s harsh. Why do you hate me so much?”
“What did you say?”
Yujeong was momentarily speechless at the spider’s innocent question, but soon her eyes filled with venom as she pointed to the ceiling and shouted.
“Can’t you see that female user? You did that to her, and you have the nerve to talk like that?”
The spider tilted its head at Yujeong’s harsh criticism and replied.
“Well, that’s only natural. They crawled into my lair first, destroyed my precious minions, my children, and my living space. They attacked me first, so why should I just take it lying down?”
“What, what?”
“You all are the same. No, you made an even bigger mess. I’m the one who should be angry. Look, look at the bodies of my children. Oh my, you crushed the ones that hadn’t even been born yet. How pitiful. Boohoo.”
Watching the spider dab at its eyes with its long, hairy legs, I couldn’t help but chuckle. Yujeong was left speechless, her mouth opening and closing without a sound.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Royujin.
I was quite surprised while reading a novel today. Personally, I really enjoy zombie or survival genres, and I was reading a work by Northwood. I noticed some comments on my work, which was a pleasant surprise. Haha.
For reference, the work I’m currently reading is Northwood’s “Beautiful World (Adult Version).” I highly recommend it. It’s too good to keep to myself. Now, let’s dive into the comments.
『 Comments 』
Saramin: Oh dear, I’m truly sorry. I can’t fathom the pain you’ve experienced. I’ll make sure to respond to your comments diligently for the next week. Haha.
Prandil: After leaving Mule, and around the time the Union War breaks out, new updates will be released. Please wait a little longer. :)
GradeRown: Indeed. Living doesn’t feel like living. Writing about the process would be quite intense, so I only wrote the aftermath.
Blami: Oh…? Now that you mention it…? How did you find the novel? ㄷㄷ
GodAboveTheSky: Indeed. If they’re not on our side, who cares! Haha. Thanks for the comment.
AF_Vesper: I’m planning to visit the hospital tomorrow. I hope it’s nothing serious. ㅜ.ㅠ
PpuingPpuingA: I have a request. You always comment with “Ppuing.” Could you leave a different comment just once? :)
BoredCoin: Thank you. Reading your comment gives me a burst of energy. I’ll get a check-up tomorrow. Hehe.
WeepingSoul: Deal. However, how about we slightly relax the conditions? I’ll do two updates a day, and you do two updates on Greek and Roman mythology, and four on Norse mythology. Deal?
Erhasia: No, Suhyeon trained diligently. Although it wasn’t explicitly mentioned in the novel, if you read the parts subtly included, you’ll see that Suhyeon trained harder than the others up to the User Academy. Of course, from Mule onwards, he was busy teaching and gathering information, so he might have been a bit lax. There’s no need to master the sword. Whole Plane is somewhat enhanced with
I always read all the comments repeatedly. Please don’t be too disappointed if your comment isn’t in the replies. If you’re really curious, send me a message, and I’ll respond! (Please leave lots of comments! And recommendations too…☞☜)
That’s all for today.
I hope you always read my work with a relaxed mind.
Recommendations, comments, critiques, and questions are always welcome.