The Lair of the Sword Spider (Part 1)
"You have no common sense at all..." As he reprimanded his two subordinates, Kaimel's attention was drawn to a woman not far away. It was not because of her stunning beauty, but because she was holding a small crossbow that could fit into a pocket, aiming at the celebrity of this examination—Victor Wood
However, despite the complaints, only a very small portion truly chose to give up. The strongest group had no one withdraw, while more than ten individuals from the second and third groups opted to return to Miweila Town. They feared the poison of the Sword Spider and were unwilling to risk becoming disabled without having made a name for themselves.
There is indeed a possibility, but I believe it is unlikely to succeed. The certainty in this statement prompted those nearby to inquire about the reasons.
A group of blond youths held a long staff, the tip inlaid with a large red gemstone. With just a gentle shake, intense flames erupted from the dragon-head-shaped tip of the staff, incinerating a sword spider that attempted to approach into a barbecued feast.
It has come out
Amidst the chaos, only a small arrow, no longer than a palm, shot through the air, seemingly about to pierce the target's back. The young mage appeared to have eyes on the back of his head; with a swift motion, he caught the rapidly flying arrow in his hand
The crimson text slowly dissipated into the air, and no one refuted Victor's statement, for this was precisely what they feared
Having calculated the timing of the potion's effect, and with no villagers to disturb, everything was designed flawlessly. Vina never expected that this assassination, which was perfect from planning to execution, would ultimately evolve into the current situation
Buffy looked at the wall of fire slowly advancing towards Dawo Village with a smile at the corner of his mouth, his tone revealing approval: "Although the qualifications of this batch of candidates are quite mediocre, there are still a few capable ones among them. Let us wait and see how many surprises they will bring."
Dailide and the other two supporting mages formed a triangle, chanting the fire incantation loudly, as the flames and the wall of fire enveloped the first group of people completely
One hundred years ago, Davos was merely a temporary settlement for miners resting after extracting crystal stones. At its peak, the number of miners here even surpassed the population of the town of Mivira. Unfortunately, this prosperity was short-lived; the downward-excavated tunnels finally breached ancient caverns, and the swarming spider creatures dragged the defenseless miners into the depths of the earth. The owners of the crystal mine hired numerous mercenaries and adventurers, but they not only failed to eradicate the spider creatures but also angered these beings that had lived underground since ancient times. The massacre-like hunting wiped out the remaining miners, and the extraction of crystals came to a halt. To ensure the safety of Mivira, the stationed army had no choice but to blow up the tunnels to secure the town.
Other mages followed suit, but unfortunately, after only killing a few sword spiders, they retreated back to their nests, retaliating only with their webs
Emma, who was also at the Alchemy Institute, secretly added a potion with sealing effects to Wood's food. Due to the minuscule dosage, it was difficult to detect before it took effect, leaving Wood unaware of when he had actually fallen under the sealing spell until his death. Subsequently, Vina sent Feli to Buch Village, coercing the village chief to write that urgent letter, tricking Wood into returning to the village just as he was preparing to head to the Crystal Dawn.
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"It is impossible, there are too many people..." Daelid immediately countered the Lich's idea.
In order to prevent some profit-driven merchants from continuing to exploit the crystal mines, the military publicly declared that the resources of this crystal mine had been depleted. With the loss of its sole economic source, Dawo Village gradually lost its former vibrancy, leaving behind only the elderly, the weak, the sick, and miners who were unwilling to relocate
However, ... ... this time the candidates are all ... ... " Eric's words were halted under Buffy’s reproachful gaze
Fed up with poverty, Vina left Davao Village at the age of sixteen. In Mivira Town, she secured a position as a receptionist at the Adventurers' Guild, thanks to her charm and appearance. As she grew older, Vina gradually realized that merely being an ordinary employee was insufficient to escape her impoverished circumstances
The two sides exchanged blows and soon fell into a protracted battle. There were attempts to circumvent the lair of the sword spider and attack the creatures hiding inside, but the yellow-brown little earth mounds were indeed constructed sturdily. Even if ordinary weapons managed to penetrate, they would be ensnared by the silk covering the top layer of the lair.
Victor Wood was precisely the first to receive a major commission in the name of the Frostwolf, with a reward of 5,000 Talan Gold, and an additional requirement to cut off the target's tongue
Did I say we should all go together? Even in such a critical moment, Victor, lacking a sense of urgency, still maintained his usual calm demeanor
Continuing like this is not a solution; I can hardly hold on any longer. Dalid of the Kaimel Mercenary Corps was the first mage to feel the depletion of magical energy
Compared to the ferocious spider, the sword spider, although significantly smaller in size and somewhat inferior in strength, makes it exceedingly difficult to leave its lair alive. Once bitten, the venom with decomposing properties destroys muscle tissue; even if one manages to escape by chance, they cannot evade the fate of paralysis.
Vina muttered a low curse and quickly hid behind another candidate
It was unclear who shouted, but the crowd began to panic. In their rush, they paid no attention to the ground, and within just a short while, several people had stepped into the spider's web
Vina stood among the crowd, her gaze towards the village reflecting a certain complexity.
Victor Wood not only survived after losing a tongue, but also eliminated her companions one by one. Felicia fell into the nest of the sword spider, with little hope of survival. Emma's whereabouts are unknown, and it is unclear whether she is dead or alive. If no measures are taken to eliminate this annoying creature, she may have to face the real Frostwolf.
"Fortunately ... ... fortunately ... ..." Kaimel murmured to himself
Victor was the first to approach the lair of the spider creature www.hetushu.com.com. Observing the frail figure of an ordinary man, some of the bolder individuals also took a step forward. Gradually, the majority of the candidates joined the advancing group.
Eric and the proctor with the goatee were still observing from a distance; having slipped out of their sight, it is possible that the credit for 'command and cooperation' might be taken by someone else
I will stay, the second group can leave. The blonde youth spoke calmly, and his companion Sarachi immediately began to shout.
Although Dawo is less than half a day's journey from Miweila, she rarely returns to this impoverished birthplace
This plan requires the cooperation of everyone. Since the proportion of mages is extremely small, it is necessary to transport people out of the area occupied by the spider monsters in two trips. This creates a new problem: no one wants to stay behind for the second batch, as they are both concerned about being abandoned and fear that the mage's magical power will not last for a second escort.
Despite being 10 meters apart, she could still feel the person's icy gaze piercing through the candidates along the way and landing on herself. However, to Veena's surprise, Victor did not retaliate.
The negotiation was completed quickly, with the three groups of lesser strength leaving first, while Group One and Group Two remained
How large must the range of spellcasting be for over a hundred people
The mention of the "sword spider" caused an uproar among the candidates
He has seen strong individuals who can catch arrows with empty hands, but this is the first time he has witnessed a mage performing it so smoothly, as if what he held was not a swiftly approaching arrow, but his own staff. The timing was impeccable, displaying a remarkable level of skill
The black spiderweb is easily discernible during the day, and everyone carefully avoids it; however, even so, it still startled the sword spider hidden in its lair
The time to choose has come. Move forward, advance to the next level, or return to Miweila and take the exam again in six years. As soon as Eric finished speaking, the complaints from the candidates began to arise.
The somewhat clever peacekeeper, Shuna, utilized Feli's lineage to have her impersonate the third-ranked assassin in Talan. With the renowned reputation of the Frost Wolves combined with the appearance of a dark elf, she earned a salary in just a few months that would take years to accumulate. At this point, simple tasks could no longer satisfy the increasingly greedy Vina, who turned her attention to assassinating political figures and wealthy merchants.
The mage's magical power is limited, and ordinary candidates will not carry too many torches or lighting tools. Once they are burned out, everyone will be doomed
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Although abandoned, the deep underground tunnels have never lacked visitors, such as adventurous individuals who enjoy wandering about. They are particularly fond of burrowing into the extensive underground networks in search of treasures that do not exist
Although the pace of progress was slow, this tactic proved effective. The silk spat out by the sword spider had no advantage when it encountered the firewall formed by the high-temperature spell. The examinee passed through the densely populated lair of the spider monsters without any danger, moving further east towards the location of Dawo Village.
"No, you cannot..." The voice of rebuttal quickly faded under the sharp gaze.
Buffy shook his head: "No. Although it is not arranged by the guild, it can still be considered a test. If they are all fools who cannot even deal with a Sword Spider, then there is no need to absorb them."
After leaving the area of the spider creatures, a small outline of a building gradually emerged on the horizon. As they approached, the candidates discovered that this so-called village was in a state of disrepair, appearing as if it had been abandoned.
Using firewall magic. After listening to the apprentice's proposal, Victor wrote down a spell name
Spider silk is afraid of fire; it breaks easily when burned. However, when faced with the newly spun silk of the sword spider, most candidates quickly find themselves in a state of fatigue and surrounded by a predicament
Everyone, do not disperse! A young voice suddenly rang out among the crowd: "The fewer the numbers, the easier it is to become a target for attack"
Salan desperately pulled Evan towards Kamel for help, as his legs were entangled in spider silk, making it impossible to break free or escape.
Some words cannot be spoken. Buffett surely knows that the candidates who are truly selected this time are all of mediocre qualifications, or one could say, individuals who pose no significant threat. Everything is an adjustment made to protect that person. If it were not for that one individual who suddenly had the idea to participate in the examination, the Shadow Guild would not have had the opportunity to take part.
The domain of the spider monster is highly territorial, and it will not easily stray far from its lair; as long as one can escape this area, safety is assured. The examiner also mentioned that as long as we 'pass through' this region, we will be considered successful. Dailide does not wish to meet his end in the belly of a spider without even passing the first hurdle
Do you have any good suggestions?" asked the polite blond youth who was in the same group as Victor
After meeting Emma, a physician at the Alchemy Institute, the two women, neither of whom can be considered young, began to make plans for the future. Taking advantage of her position in the Adventurers' Guild, Vina also connected with the half-elf Feli, who, possessing dark elf blood, is unwelcome wherever she goes and lives a life of perpetual wandering.
"Two fools!" the leader muttered under his breath, taking out a flint from his backpack. He gently brushed the lit torch against Salan's leg, and the heat of the flames quickly dissipated the toughness of the spider silk.
Kaimel was stunned by this scene
"Should we take action?" Eric asked his superior, who was serving as the proctor, "After all, these sword spiders were not part of our arrangement..."
The number of spider monsters' nests far exceeds that of the mages, and before long, the human side is the first to falter.
I will also stay behind; protecting the remaining individuals requires a mage. It is already sufficient to escort the first group that has left, and my absence will not be missed. Victor is not staying out of a sense of noble duty to save others; it has chosen to remain for a more significant reason, as it believes this is not a measure of 'physical constitution' but rather a test of teamwork capabilities.
Boss
Although the sword spider has tough skin and thick flesh, it is not particularly difficult to deal with. Given the strength of their mercenary group, they are more than capable of handling it.