19 – Parasite Queen (2)
Sasha, saka-sasha, saka.
The sound of spiders moving all at once sent shivers down my spine.
How can both their appearances and the sound of their movement be so horrifying?
“Tsk!”
Slashing through the approaching spiders, I made a chilling sound.
Even though I kept slashing, there seemed to be no end to the spiders’ assault.
The piles of corpses around me proved how fierce the battle was.
Yet, the dwindling presence of the spiders didn’t even show a hint of retreat.
The only fortunate thing was that the spiders were weaker than expected.
There was no need to slash with my sword.
Even if I stepped on it with my foot, I could easily knock it down.
However, covering weakness with quantity put psychological pressure on me.
“It’s okay. They haven’t gotten to me yet.”
Even in the midst of fighting, I found solace in the wriggling spectacle of what appeared to be a person-like thread.
She is still alive.
With just that, my will to fight remained unbroken.
“Indeed, it seems there is no poison.”
If there was poison, it would have been dangerous.
Fortunately, whether there was no poison or if it was cut before being injected.
So far, there are no signs of poisoning.
What worries me more is the spider monster, which remains still even as the spiderlings die.
Why does the commanding monster let its subordinate die?
Could it be that the spider alone can defeat me?
“Let’s clear away these distracting thoughts. Right now, we need to deal with this spider somehow.”
As I swung my sword, dismissing these distractions,
I felt my breath being stifled.
When facing an enemy with numerical superiority, the most important thing is stamina.
No matter how strong your skills or weapons are,
They are useless without the stamina to fight until the end.
Even my current protector, Viscount Bright, emphasizes stamina above all else, so there’s no need for further explanation.
“Phew.”
Taking a deep breath, I calmly assessed the situation.
The spider legion still overflowed.
And the enormous crow showed no sign of movement.
In contrast, behind me was a wounded student.
It was clearly a overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation.
But I don’t lose hope because she was sent ahead of me.
If I can just buy some time, the professor will come.
How comforting it is, even in such a situation, to maintain composure.
“Huh?”
Suddenly, the spider army retreated backwards.
Could it be that they’re afraid and backing off from me?
In that moment, a smile involuntarily formed on my face at the faint glimmer of hope.
Thunk.
I relaxed for a moment, but turned my head at the sound coming from behind.
And there, as the tree fell before my eyes, I met the gaze of the revealed spider.
At a glance, I recognized the gigantic spider.
That massive spider is an evolved form of the smaller spiders,
The fact that the small spiders fear it, not me.
That’s why I became curious.
Why does the small spider fear the giant spider?
While guarding against the suddenly appearing giant spider, I pondered this question,
But the question didn’t last long.
“Here it comes!”
I swiftly evaded the spider that shot its body like a bullet.
If I had hesitated even for a moment, I wouldn’t have been able to dodge its unstoppable speed.
Relieved, I considered avoiding it as good luck.
Thunk, thunk.
When I turned my gaze towards the eerie sound, a repulsive sight unfolded before me.
Instead of devouring the small spider, which I thought was on the same side, the gigantic spider was attacking it.
Although the pitiful spider army leapt towards the massive spider,
They were swept away like fallen leaves by its overwhelming strength, unable to overcome its superior numbers.
I watched in astonishment as they helplessly became prey.
Now, the spider army seemed irrelevant to me,
As they charged with the sole purpose of defeating the giant spider.
“We must seize this opportunity.”
Though I didn’t understand the exact situation,
If we don’t do it now, there will be no chance to save her friend.
I quickly unraveled the tightly wound web like a spider silk thread,
Revealing a student who appeared to have lost consciousness with closed eyes.
Now, if only I can escape from here…
“Cough!”
With a sudden jolt of impact, my body twisted like a spring and flew away.
Thud.
As I finished a short flight with a dull sound, I barely had a moment to assess the situation.
A giant spider-like creature was facing off against the spider horde.
It was an attack from the newly appeared colossal spider.
“It looks like a couple ribs must have gone flying.”
I spat out a clump of congealed blood in my mouth and forced a bitter smile.
For a warrior, situations where ribs break are just part of daily life.
That was a saying Bright Earl used to say.
Who could have known they would actually break from the first battle?
Kishak.
Rising up with a sword as my staff, I made a displeased noise, showing my hostility towards the enemy.
Without hesitation, I lifted my sword, and immediately the giant spider attempted to attack.
“Ugh, my arm!”
I blocked the charging spider with my sword, but the destructive force that came from its heavy mass and speed was overwhelming.
Just after blocking once, my arm started to ache.
Ignoring my condition as if it didn’t matter, the spider continued to attack without giving me a break.
The giant spider swung its foreleg like a sickle.
I managed to dodge somehow, but as I looked at the fallen tree, I swallowed back dry saliva.
If I hadn’t avoided it, what would have fallen down wouldn’t be the tree, but me.
Thinking that way sent a shiver down my spine.
While its body slams were threatening,
its attacks swinging its forelegs couldn’t be ignored either.
And although it’s purely instinctual, there is something more hidden.
I don’t know what it is, but it’s best to be cautious.
“I tried to conserve as much as possible.”
If things continue like this, even stalling for time will become difficult.
So first, let’s deal with the huge spider in front of us.
Waking up something warm inside me, my whole body was filled with vitality.
This is the power of a hero.
Hope to save the world.
When I rushed forward, the huge spider raised its front leg.
But the spider’s front legs did not reach me, and just fell to the ground.
The giant spider’s flesh was torn apart according to the trajectory of the sword.
Without even resisting, I rushed back to the battlefield, leaving behind the spider, now transformed into meaty pieces.
“What is this….”
I couldn’t help but be amazed when I returned to the battlefield.
Struggling to knock down the giant spider and come back,
An increased number of giant spiders filled the place of the small spider.
Even one was dangerous, but with such a large army, there was no future other than defeat.
“Are we going to die here?”
There is no thought of dying in a place like this.
I will definitely go back alive.
And live happily with Ron.
Even if the gods block the way, I will not bend this will.
As I lifted my sword, a flock of light settled on it.
The technique that was originally saved as the final blow. “Manifestation”.
I may not be able to use it for long due to my lack of skill,
But I will exceed that limitation in this place.
And maybe because of my mood, the light was brighter than usual.
Does that mean that I have grown too?
“Ugh!”
Splitting the spider in the front in half signaled the start of the second battle.
A swarm of giant spiders rushing in.
It was different from the swarm of smaller spiders.
The pressure coming at me, and the shock transmitted through the sword.
Overwhelming to the point where nothing can be compared.
Whack!
“Darn it!”
In a moment of carelessness, I allowed the enemy to strike my left arm.
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I ripped out the spider leg that pierced through my left arm and forcefully pulled it out,
splattering blood in all directions.
If this were a training, I would have stopped with a serious injury.
But now it’s not training, it’s real combat.
Even if I want to give up, I can’t. The only way is to annihilate the enemy.
“How much time has passed?”
It feels like a considerable amount of time has elapsed.
Still, there was no sign of the professor coming.
No matter how slow she is, she should have reached the professor by now.
As the empty hope continued to occupy my mind,
a single spider showed me its thread, as if it was aiming for this moment.
“Gah!”
The identity of the thread was none other than a student who pleaded for help.
“I’m sorry… I…”
Struggling to keep her senses, she apologized to me with her last bit of strength.
Then, she slumped down and didn’t even twitch.
With this, the last hope that supported me vanished.
An ordinary person would’ve eagerly awaited to become the spider’s prey in disappointment.
But I stared at the giant spider even more fiercely, clutching my sword tightly.
One secret move was blocked.
So, why should I give up?
I am a warrior.
If I give up here, not only people but also the world will lose hope.
With a resolute heart and determination ablaze, I swung my sword.
However, my body staggered contrary to my heart.
“Did it indeed have poison after all?”
My head is spinning.
The penetrating arms seem to be burning hot.
It’s an extremely peculiar reaction to just call it a simple wound.
This is a response commonly seen in cases of addiction.
“Is it nerve poisoning?”
Unable to stand on both feet, I kneeled down due to dizziness that made it impossible.
As if they were anticipating it, the giant spider rushed towards me all at once.
If I can’t stop this, not only me,
but they will also turn into food for the spiders.
Get up!
If you don’t get up now, I won’t be able to save you!
I tried to stand up as if whipping my own body, but in the end, my knees couldn’t leave the ground.
“Ron, I’m sorry.”
If I knew it would turn out like this, I would have wanted to stay with you even just for a little bit.
Regretting it late while shedding tears, but everything is already too late.
I simply accepted everything and closed my eyes.
Thunk!
Someone appeared in front of me.
As if trying to protect me from the spiders, someone intervened.
“No way, Ron… No, no way.”
As I lifted my head with blurry vision,
I soon realized the identity of the person who had just appeared.
“Line!?”
Line, the great swordsman who showed remarkable performance in the practical exam with me, nodded his head.
“Yes, that’s right. So don’t worry. I will definitely save all of you!”