Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Adventure Club #7
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The book Marmar handed me read as follows.
「Adventure Club 5th Generation Activity Report: By Theo Gospel and Freya Nightfall.」
Theo Gospel?
That was my name.
Of course, Theo was a common enough name that it couldn't be ruled out as a coincidence. But the Freya Nightfall listed alongside it was, as far as I could remember, probably...
While I was thinking fast, Kallira stared at the dusty cover and gave the answer.
"Freya Nightfall, the Saintess of the Church of Radiant Flame. What in the world is going on here?"
Lady Kallira asked in disbelief, and Marmar jumped in surprise.
"The Saintess? You and the Saintess have been friends for a long time? As expected of you, comrade! I knew you weren't ordinary!"
Marmar's guess had some logic to it.
The original owner of this body, 'Theo Gospel,' might have had some connection to the Saintess Freya here.
But the Saintess had acted like she was meeting me for the first time at the entrance ceremony.
And this was a record from twenty years ago.
What was going on?
"For now, let's look for more books. If you find anything with my name on it, bring it to me."
Maybe the memories from before I woke up as a prison slave were here.
The name Theo Gospel had been a blank slate inside Angmar, with no information at all. Who would've thought a clue to that mystery would turn up in this distant foreign land.
"Comrade, your name's here too. T.G. Theo Gospel, right?"
"There's more here."
The Adventure Club room had quite a few books and documents with my name on them.
It would be great to open them one by one and read right here, but unfortunately, we were short on time today.
Whoooosh—.
I realized chilly evening air was blowing ominously through the open basement door. I had no desire to spend the night in a place like this.
"For now, let's grab what we can and come back tomorrow."
I decided to take only the books with my name and the Saintess's, then get out of here.
* * *
Climbing up the ladder, I saw the sun dipping low, sunset almost upon us. Around 5 p.m., maybe.
If we'd lingered in the basement just a bit longer, we might've been stuck here for the whole day.
Was there anything stupider than spending the night in ruins like these?
Especially in a dilapidated building where real spiders—not illusions—might swarm at dusk.
"First, let's get out of the forest and have dinner together. Marmar, don't sleep in the forest tonight—just in case. Stay at Lady Kallira's lodging. That's okay with you, right, Lady Kallira?"
"Of course. I must obey your orders."
As Kallira bowed playfully, Marmar clicked her tongue. She clearly wasn't thrilled about sharing a room with Lady Kallira for the night.
I turned to Marmar.
"And Marmar. From now on, no more living in the forest. I'll set up a place for you, so stay there. You can't survive on hallucination grass forever—that's asking for trouble."
"You're telling me to leave my home? I was just getting used to it... I even decorated the inside..."
I'd expected her to be thrilled, but her reaction was lukewarm. She must've grown attached to her little base camp, poured her time and effort into it.
"We'll use it as our activity base now. No people around. Quiet. Perfect for a secret hideout."
"Hmm, in that case, sure."
Only then did Marmar nod.
White, thread-like strands kept falling from Marmar's hair.
"What's this? It's keeps bugging me!"
Marmar tried brushing off the sticky threads from her body. But the more she did, the more they tangled in her hair and clothes.
"It keeps falling from above! Spiderwebs? You can see it too, right? This stuff."
"I see it too. What is it?"
Swish—.
"Ah—."
Looking up absentmindedly, I spotted it on the building's outer wall: a massive spider hanging upside down, spinning thread with its slender forelegs.
It was as big as a full-grown tiger, with a yellow body marked by fearsome black stripes—a tiger spider through and through.
—Grrrrowl...!
It opened its horrific maw and roared like a beast.
Marmar burst out laughing at the sight.
"The hallucination must not have worn off yet! I see a giant spider!"
Then Marmar was yanked upward toward the spider's foreleg like a fish on a line. She ended up dangling, flailing in its grasp.
"The illusion feels way too real? Look at this thing—it's super scary!"
Marmar giggled like she was watching a horror movie on a screen. But I couldn't laugh.
An illusion?
Hadn't the hallucinations ended after the antidote?
While I thought calmly, Lady Kallira beside me drew something from her waistband. A long, thin whip.
"Step back, Theo. That's no illusion. It's a real spider!"
"A real spider?"
"Looks like a tiger spider variant! Their fangs are used in medicine, but I've never seen one this huge!"
Not a hallucination.
At those words, Marmar—who'd been laughing moments ago—freaked out and thrashed.
"Save me! I thought it was fake! Why me—?!"
But soon Marmar was wrapped tight in the spider's foreleg, turned into a cocoon. A butterfly caught by the spider.
—Paimon—!
Bang—!
I fired magic to save her. My spell flew like shotgun pellets, slamming into the building wall and the spider's body.
—Grrrrowl—!
The giant tiger spider bellowed even louder, furious.
It leaped down, dropping Marmar's cocoon in rage, and charged at me.
Its speed was shockingly fast for such a huge body.
Some spiders moved fast enough to hunt cockroaches; this one might be that type.
"Eek—!"
I stumbled back and fell.
Shing—!
As its blade-like foreleg reared high toward me.
Whip-crack—.
—Keeeeeek—!
Something tore through the air, and the spider shuddered violently, retreating fast. Lady Kallira had whipped in to save me.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, thanks to you!"
"If we drag this out, we might end up spending the night here. Any way to take down that spider?"
That's what I'd wanted to ask her. From the looks of it, Kallira had no sure way to beat the giant tiger spider.
Makes sense—she was an assassin for humans.
What now?
Only one idea.
Overwhelm it with firepower.
—Paimon—!
Seizing the distance, I blasted the spider. Compressed air scraped the ground like bullets, smashing into its body.
—Gieeeek—!
Crunch.
One rear leg dropped to the ground from my attack. Kallira murmured in admiration.
"More power than I thought. Wind magic that leaves no trace. I've never seen such a clean attack spell."
If an experienced assassin like Kallira was impressed, my attack magic was reaching a solid level.
Normally I'd celebrate, but no time now.
—Paimon—!
Zzzzap.
My next spell shredded the grass and surged toward the giant spider.
But it dodged the invisible, odorless projectiles, sticking to the wall again.
Swoosh.
Too fast.
I kept aiming my tail wand at it.
—Grrrowl...!
But its movements outpaced my aim.
How to pin it down briefly?
Then it hit me: my new Necromancy skill. I'd held Elga for about ten seconds with it.
This spider couldn't be stronger than Elga, so it'd work.
"Lady Kallira, can you tie its legs for a moment? Three seconds—two if you're quick!"
"I'll try anesthetic. Not sure on something that big, but it's Karbus scorpion neurotoxin. Should work."
Rummaging at her waist, Kallira pulled out a vial of golden liquid. She uncorked it and splashed it over her whip.
Now her whip looked like a giant scorpion's tail.
I'd get to see the assassin skills that cornered the villain hunter party? I felt a flicker of excitement.
—Chase—.
Kallira whipped out with a strange command. The whip shot up like a living snake, wrapping the spider's foreleg.
—Gieeeek—!
The spider thrashed to shake it off, yanking Kallira's body around wildly.
But only for a moment.
—Grgrrrr—.
"It’s taking effect."
The giant tiger spider trembled feebly like an insect hit with bug spray.
Then it slipped off the wall with a thud, flipping belly-up and twitching.
—Hiooong....
It even made a pitiful whine. Sensing its death, maybe. Or lulling us for a surprise attack.
But I wasn't sentimental enough for that. Kill or be killed.
I aimed my wand and shouted.
—Gamigin—!
Zzzzt.
Pink lightning crashed into the spider.
—Grrrowl....
It convulsed like a bug inhaling cigarette smoke, then went limp.
"Is it dead?"
I shook my head at Lady Kallira's question.
"No, just subdued for now."
Angmar's blood and half-fairy magical talent let me instinctively know the spell had taken hold.
I could control this giant spider now. About five minutes?
"Get up."
At my command, it slowly rose and faced me. I extended my hand; it offered a foreleg.
—Hiooong...!
"Amazing. Taming a spider this big? What spell?"
Lady Kallira approached the now-docile spider. Then her red eyes narrowed.
"Look here. On its leg. A ribbon. Pink ribbon—second foreleg from the left."
Sure enough, a ribbon was tied on the spider's left foreleg.
Not self-tied—someone had done it. Only one explanation.
"Looks like someone abandoned it."
Lady Kallira nodded.
"Tiger spiders just keep growing. Probably raised it small, couldn't handle it, dumped it in the forest. Still, one this big is new to me."
Kallira, expert in poisons and herbs, seemed intrigued. Fearless, she even stroked its legs and body.
—Hiooong...!
"Could we tame it for good instead of killing? A well-trained tiger spider could be useful."
I'd love that. But taming this feral beast? Uncertain.
My Gamigin lasted about five minutes. Maintaining it was draining my mental strength already.
My Tamer level was 6.
From checking others' status windows, level 5+ was expert territory.
Worth a shot?
—Grrrowl—!
Then the spider roared sharply. Was my spell imperfect? A chill ran down my spine as something tore the air.
Squeeeee—! Thunk-thunk—!
The spider dodged fast; bolts slammed into the empty spot.
Arrows? No, closer to bullets. Crossbow bolts. Bolts.
Seeing them made my hair stand on end.
At the same time, something burst from the bushes.
"...Missed."