It was right after I entered the forest.
There are already many spider monster corpses in front of me.
“…Kyuu.”
How long have I been fighting?
When the spider corpses fill the area around me, I finally realize they’ve stopped coming.
Hm… What now? It’s probably too rash to assume I’ve dealt with all of them.
From what I’ve read, army spiders make their nests in the forests they inhabit. I’m probably going to bump into their nest if I go deeper.
I’ve already taken down a lot, but surely, I haven’t hit the cap. No, but… Hm…
I could go back to the village and take down the ones that go there.
That would be the safe option, but… If I go back now, there’s a chance they’ll just rebuild their forces.
I think that’s the more likely outcome. And if there were superior species, I’ve already taken them down.
“…Kyuu.”
After thinking about it, I decide to advance.
I’m thinking about the elderly people in the village. Normally, that village not only cultivates crops, but also lives off the blessings of the forest.
I need to free this forest from the spiders as soon as possible.
I can’t play here alone away from Reve forever.
“Kyu.”
I start advancing through the forest.
“Gih!”
Unlike how it was before, spiders come at me here and there, and I hit them all with my tail.
They all perform sneak attacks, but at this level, they’re not a threat to me.
It would be best to have Appraisal active at all times to look for them, but I can’t.
I just have to keep advancing timidly.
…….
………….
As I advance, I start seeing spider webs between trees.
“Kyuu.”
I burn them away with magic as I go.
“…”
And when I pass through a couple of trees, I reach a big lake.
“(You’re kidding.)”
There’s a giant spider web with that venomous looking color on top of the lake, and a big lump wrapped in spider string on top of it.
This is clearly not normal.
“…”
I shrink back reflexively, but then…
“Gih!”
“Gih!”
“Gih!”
Many emerge from the forest to block my path.
These are bigger than the ones I fought before.
《High army spider》
《E rank monster. Superior species of army spider. Still weak individually, but they are a bigger threat than expected because they move in swarms. The level of danger jumps up if a superior species is included.》
《Hard army spider》
《E rank monster. A superior species of army spider built for durability. Its nature is not all that different from an army spider’s.》
…They’re all superior species.
I saw them in the first group, but there are a lot of them…
“(Poison Breath.)”
I face them and spit Poison Breath without hesitating.
It keeps increasing in power as I evolve, and it immediately paralyzes the spiders.
“(Show your rage, forest!)”
I control trees with magic and stab the immobilized spiders with their branches.
I’m sure the forest itself is mad at these spiders.
I move the trees more smoothly than normal, and the branches are stronger than usual.
“Kyuu.”
They’re superior species, but still E rank. I’m stronger.
I dispatch the spiders that came from behind me, and face forward again.
“Gii.”
“Gii.”
I see two spiders that are even bigger than the high army spiders I just took down.
《Army spider general》
《D rank monster. The highest level of superior species of army spider. A swarm of army spiders led by a general is much more dangerous than normal.》
D rank… So they’ve reached my rank. And there are two of them.
In the anime I used to watch in my old world, D ranks would be weaklings, but these can destroy a city.
And there are two.
And there are also high army spiders and hard army spiders behind them.
This army… Could probably destroy a small country like Minowa.
“Kyuu.”
I prepare myself for a tough battle, and breathe out.
“Giiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiih!”
Another new thing.
A yell that shakes the air around me echoes, as a big tear appears in the lump wrapped in spider thread above the lake.
