Chapter 35: Surrounded

Chapter 35: Encirclement

Kunan advanced at the front, shield in hand.

Absorbing damage was the knight’s duty.

Lanya followed close beside him, gripping her greatsword, ready to strike at any moment.

She was the team’s primary source of damage.

Lisa walked in the center, while Dias stayed near Li Wei, guarding him closely.

Protecting the mage was also part of a professional adventurer’s responsibility.

As the group pressed forward with caution, Li Wei suddenly spoke:

"Just under twenty meters ahead—no more."

"The magical web attack range of first-rank cave spiders is ten to fifteen meters. If we go further, we risk being ensnared."

Before the mission began, he had thoroughly studied their enemy.

Hearing this, Lanya raised her hand, halting the group. Without turning, she called to Lisa:

"Probing shot."

Lisa nocked an arrow and loosed it toward the ground twenty meters away.

Thud!

The arrow pierced through fallen leaves, vanishing from sight.

Lisa’s heart jolted. She cried out: "It's a cave spider trap!"

But she didn’t need to warn them—the others had already seen.

Struck by her arrow, the hidden cave spider beneath the earth burst upward.

Hssss!

Unfolding eight legs, the monstrous cave spider, over two meters in diameter, scuttled rapidly toward them.

Lanya shouted: "Lisa, suppressive fire! Stop it from casting its web!"

"Kunan, charge!"

Kunan roared, raised his shield, and lunged forward.

Charge—the most fundamental knightly technique, yet one of the most powerful.

But its full potential could only be unleashed on horseback.

Without a mount, Kunan couldn’t access its complete force.

Still, it was enough for the cave spider.

Seeing multiple enemies, the spider instinctively raised its rear, preparing to spray magical webs.

Lisa fired swiftly, interrupting its motion, halting the spell before it could form.

Crash!

Kunan slammed into the spider with his shield, knocking it flat onto the ground.

Seizing the moment, Lanya surged past Kunan and swung her greatsword down with crushing force.

But the spider flattened itself against the soil, sinking partially beneath—Lanya’s blade struck only mud, carving a crater into the earth.

Li Wei called quickly: "The cave spider is to Kunan’s left!"

At once, Lanya swept her sword sideways.

Snap! Thud!

Several long, slender spider legs flew through the air.

The spider’s camouflage shattered, revealing its true form.

It hadn’t burrowed—it couldn’t tunnel underground. It merely used innate illusion magic to conceal itself.

Li Wei had been watching intently. Knowing the creature’s ability beforehand, he saw through the disguise instantly.

Wounded, the spider recoiled. Lanya and Kunan pressed the assault.

Lisa held her arrow taut, releasing it the moment she sensed the spider attempting to cast.

Their coordination flowed smoothly.

Dias, standing guard nearby, felt his fingers twitch with eagerness, nearly rushing into battle several times.

He wanted to fight too, not just stand idle protecting Li Wei.

Minutes later, the cave spider collapsed beneath Lanya’s blade.

"Haaah… finally dead," Lanya exhaled deeply.

Kunan glanced at the corpse and sighed. "Too rotten now—can’t even sell it."

Lanya chuckled. "Don’t bother. Cave spiders don’t carry anything valuable anyway. Only the core might be worth something—but these low-level beasts rarely form one."

After breaking off one of the spider’s fangs as proof of extermination, she returned to the group.

She turned to Li Wei and said, "Thank you, Mage Li Wei. Without your warning, we wouldn’t have ended this so swiftly."

Li Wei smiled. "No need for thanks."

They rested briefly, then resumed their advance.

Now, Li Wei took the lead in detecting the hidden cave spiders beneath the soil.

Soon, they had slain three more.

With growing experience, Lanya and Kunan steadily dominated the battles.

Lisa, no longer needed solely for suppression, finally unleashed her full power as a marksman.

Whoosh!

An arrow streaked through the air, piercing the spider’s skull, driving through multiple compound eyes.

The spider shrieked in agony.

Lanya seized the opening, cleaving it down with a single mighty stroke.

Wiping greenish spider blood from her face, she grinned. "That’s four."

Dias pulled out bandages and began wrapping Kunan’s wounded arm.

Kunan winced, teeth clenched. "Easy, will you?"

"Lucky we’ve got Mage Li Wei pinpointing every spider," Kunan muttered. "Otherwise, these creatures would’ve been a real nightmare."

Once finished, Dias patted his shoulder. "With your constitution, the wound should heal in a couple days."

"You’re injured. Want me to take the front with the captain?" Dias asked.

Kunan looked toward Lanya—not because of his injury, but because he saw how eager Dias was.

After a brief pause, Lanya nodded. "Fine. Kunan, stay back and protect Mage Li Wei. Dias, take Kunan’s place. Fight alongside me to restrain the spider."

Lisa pulled her arrow from the corpse, wiped the blood clean, and slid it back into her quiver.

"Alright," Lanya called, voice lifted with renewed vigor. "Forward!"

Li Wei focused his senses—and soon detected another cave spider nearby.

"This way."

The group advanced toward the direction he pointed.

Soon, they saw a clearing appear within the woods.

Lisa nocked an arrow and shot toward the center of the open ground.

Thud!

Hssss!

The cave spider burst violently from its trap, rushing swiftly toward them.

Lanya charged forward first, worried that Dias lacked enough combat experience.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The spider’s legs clashed against her greatsword, producing sharp sounds like metal striking stone.

Seeing Lanya already locked in battle with the cave spider,

Dias said nothing—he raised his blade high and swung it down upon the creature, joining Lanya in a pincer assault.

Lisa’s arrows struck precisely each time, interrupting the spider’s movements and averting disaster.

Kunan stood beside Li Wei, vigilant, scanning their surroundings. Watching Dias nearly fall into danger several times, he couldn’t help but call out warnings.

"Left, left! Be careful not to block the captain’s attack line!"

"Below—watch your feet, the cave spider is aiming for them!"

...

After a fierce struggle, the three fighters drove the cave spider into a corner.

Step by step, the beast retreated, letting out desperate shrieks.

Hssss!

Sssshhh!

Li Wei heard rustling from the surrounding woods—the sound of leaves brushing against one another.

He quickly scanned the area and spotted silhouettes of three more cave spiders drawing near.

"Kill it now!" Li Wei shouted. "We’re surrounded!"

Hearing this, Lanya instinctively glanced around. When she saw the approaching spiders, panic flashed across her face.

Without hesitation, she brought her sword down, cleaving through the spider before her, its right fang left uncollected in her haste.

"Retreat—now!" she screamed.

Dias reacted a moment too late. Just as he began to turn—

A magical web dropped from midair, ensnaring him, gluing him to the ground. He struggled fiercely, trying to cut through the enchanted strands with his weapon, but to no avail. Even his blade was stuck fast.

Seeing this, Li Wei raised his staff.

(End of chapter)