Chapter 86
Chapter 86
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: Adventure Club #5
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The iron ladder was so rusted that it creaked and shook just from touching it.
Rust.
Red rust smeared onto my hand, making me worry pointlessly that I might get tetanus if I got a cut.
At a glance, it felt like a facility that had been abandoned for decades, neglected without a single touch from human hands.
"Then Marmar, I'll go down first, so if anything happens, yell from up top."
"You sure? This thing looks super rickety."
It probably wouldn't just collapse suddenly.
I moved my hands and feet with extreme caution.
Creak, squeak.
The further down I went, the louder the creaking from the nails and screws holding the ladder to the wall became.
"Whoa—."
"Comrade! What's wrong!"
"Nah, it's just old and sketchy. Don't come down yet—stay there. If we both go at once, it'll snap for sure."
Still, my body weight as a guy was on the lighter side, so I managed to reach the bottom and plant my feet on the floor.
Right in front of me was a door.
It was labeled 「Underground Shelter」. Among all the doors we'd seen in this building, this one was by far the thickest and sturdiest.
Thud thud—.
Kicking it a few times made my foot throb, driving home just how solid a slab of metal it was.
Like the entrance to an underground bunker built to escape war or disasters?
"The door looks insanely thick."
Marmar had scurried down beside me before I knew it and was tugging at the iron door.
"How do you even open this thing?"
She fiddled with the iron bar locks on the outside, but they were rusted shut tight and wouldn't budge an inch.
"Not even a twitch."
"More importantly, Marmar, doesn't this door feel off to you?"
"This door? It looks old and worn, but off how?"
Marmar tilted her head like she didn't get it. Sure, it seemed like just an old shelter entrance at first glance, but something definitely struck me as weird.
"No, think about it. Why are the locks on the outside?"
"Oh, yeah, now that you mention it!"
Marmar nodded as realization dawned.
Locks are usually there to keep outsiders from getting in.
But these were all on the outside, like they were meant to keep something inside from getting out.
Who knows what's in there—opening it carelessly could be a disaster.
In horror movies and stuff, college kids on break poke around out of curiosity, unleash ancient curses or mutant monsters, and get gruesomely killed.
Maybe that's my fate too.
Dying stupidly like this would leave me too wronged to even close my eyes.
"Should we come back later? We know where it is now."
Better to gear up more and return. Going in now with just Marmar feels way too reckless.
With that in mind, Marmar and I climbed back up the ladder to the third floor.
And as we emerged on the ground level, my sharp fairy senses picked up that things had changed since we went down.
"Comrade, you see that?"
Marmar had noticed too.
"Comrade, spiderwebs everywhere!"
Right. Spiderwebs.
Just moments ago, before we descended, the rundown corners of the building had been bare. Now they were draped in massive webs.
"Sticky!"
Marmar shook her foot, flinging off the webs clinging to it.
"Shh...."
I hushed her and strained my ears. Somewhere, I swear I heard a massive da-clack da-clack echoing through the space.
This is bad.
"Marmar, were there webs like this when you came before?"
"Nope, first time I've seen 'em."
"Avoid touching anything if possible. Let's sneak down to the first floor carefully."
Marmar and I headed for the stairs to the first floor.
But they were choked with thick webs—impossible to pass without burning or cutting them.
Trapped.
Stuck on the third floor.
Ssshh.
My hair stood on end, chills ran down my spine, goosebumps prickled my arms. Staying here meant something big was coming, I could feel it.
"No other way down?"
As I whipped my head around searching, Marmar spoke up.
"Windows, maybe?"
Windows?
The moment I looked...
I locked eyes with eight red orbs staring back at me.
"Uh...."
The horrific sight sent shivers down my spine. A spider—no, fuck, is that even a spider? The ones I know aren't that huge!
A spider the size of a car, plastered to the outer wall, peering in through the window!
"Comrade, run!"
Marmar yanked my arm, snapping me into motion. At the same time, the giant spider scuttled away outside with da-clack da-clack footsteps.
"Marmar, you never seen anything like that!?"
"Like what? What was there?"
She missed it? I explained quick and simple.
"A spider elephant-sized!"
"An elephant-sized spider...!? No way!"
"That's the monster lurking here, I guess."
So this building was basically a giant spider nest, and we'd blundered into the trap without knowing?
Explains why everyone fled and abandoned it.
Eaten alive by spiders? Taeo Gospel executed by arachnids?
No thanks!
I gripped my wand at the stairwell entrance and chanted fast.
—Paimon—!
Pang—!
The air cannon blasted through the webs, clearing a path. I bolted toward it.
"Marmar, let's go!"
"Y-yeah!"
Grabbing her hand, we dashed—third floor to second, second to first. I sprinted for the front door.
But as I charged toward the first-floor entrance, Marmar yanked me back hard.
"Comrade, hold up! Something feels off!"
"Feels?"
Rustle rustle.
Marmar rummaged in her bag. Soon, a small sparrow perched calmly in her hand.
"Look close."
She released it. The sparrow fluttered out—porong—straight through the wide-open front door, up toward the sky.
Psssh.
—Chirp!
Something shot from the ceiling, snatching it—gone without a trace.
That meant one thing. Head out the front, and we'd end up like that bird.
Clack, clack.
Turning at the sound, I saw massive black spiders swarming from the distant woods toward us.
Yellow and black stripes like a tiger moth. Terrifying and vicious-looking.
"Eek!"
Marmar bristled, frozen in panic.
"Comrade, what do we do! They're coming! Spiders...!"
My call here.
Rushing into the woods now seemed suicidal.
So I dragged panicking Marmar back up to the third-floor stairs.
No choice—hole up in a cramped room there, hold them off.
* * *
The room Marmar and I picked was the last corner one on the third floor, by the ladder.
We barricaded the window and door with smashed furniture and junk, opting for a siege.
"Comrade, at the entrance—!"
"Entrance?"
As Marmar yelled in horror, I spotted a massive leg wriggling in.
A hook-studded, nightmarish leg.
It thrashed desperately at my barricade, giving me full-body chills.
—Paimon—!
—Gieeeek—!
My air cannon nailed the leg; the monster retreated for now.
But my ears caught the lingering da-clack and skitter in the hall.
"Comrade, what now?"
Marmar looked ready to crack.
"We shouldn't have come! It was fine solo, but two's too much! My fault for bringing you—sorry.... We're gonna die...."
She had a point.
Coming to an abandoned ruin was mistake one, maybe.
Not opening the basement door was smart, but heading into this creepy wreck was death flag central. Who'd guess giant spider monsters lurked?
Regret's useless now. Stay calm in crisis or die.
"I suggested it. And hang on a bit longer—I called for backup beforehand. Someone's coming to help!"
Before entering, I'd sent a messenger bird to Lady Kallira asking for aid.
If she got it, she'd come to the woods and save us.
If the spiders block the building, I'd call Elga or Mirna next. Guaranteed.
Just hold out till then.
「Calm Situation Assessment!
Gained EXP from Talent 《Composed Thinking》.
All Job EXP +5」
Good, head clearing.
But our hasty barricade shattered.
Bang, crunch.
—Da-clack, da-clack, da-clack.
—Grrr.
Giant spider monsters crept into the cramped room. Marmar and I backed to the wall, wands out.
—Paimon—!
Bang—!
Crunch.
The air cannon pulverized a spider's body.
A dog-sized arachnid exploding under pressure? Satisfying—morale up.
—Paimon—!
Crunch.
"How's that, you spider bastards!"
Two down in seconds. I yelled partly to scare them, partly to mask my MP drain.
But spiders are ruthless hunters, fearless.
They kept distance, eight eyes watching for openings, ignoring their dead.
Ssslide.
Then they parted.
Amid da-clack da-clacks, a freakish creature emerged slowly.
Taller than me by a head. Pure white body, red eyes. Spider? Nah—with a scorpion tail and stinger?
Boss of the pack?
If I drop it, maybe escape—
Whish, snag.
Something wrapped my hand.
White spider's silk from its mouth, yanking my wand free.
Knows magic?
No time to panic—I opened my mouth for a barehanded spell when—
Whoosh—something stabbed my nape.
Its tail stinger. Took seconds to realize.
Am I dying like this?
The thought flashed—
"Feeling better now?"
A soft voice. I slowly opened my eyes. Red eyes gazed down at me on the floor.
Red hair tied back, white robe—Lady Kallira.
"What? Huh? What happened? The spiders? You chased them all out?"
"Spiders? Ah, I suspected. Hallucinations, looks like."
"Hallucinations?"