Chapter 69
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Ground Spiders
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(2)
4.
1-star monster, ground spider.
This one was a type of spider that didn't spin webs, instead crawling along the ground.
It shared the same habits as other spiders too—high wariness and strictly nocturnal. Every last bit.
But there was one key difference.
Its size.
Sasasasak!
Eight legs slicing through the forest.
Every time the ground spider moved, the thick underbrush shook along with it. And that made sense. The thing was as big as a calf.
That was why, despite its spider-like habits, it was classified as a 'monster'.
And then, in that moment.
Whoa!
The ground spider halted in place. Suddenly, it raised its abdomen high and began wriggling it about.
There was always a reason for such bizarre behavior.
Ground spiders were sensitive to mana.
They judged whether something was a predator or prey based on mana density and flow. The organ that detected this mana was right there in its tail.
And soon after.
It finished its assessment.
[Kirrrruk!]
Faint mana density like smoke, and a flow so weak it seemed ready to snap at any moment. Not a predator. This was the mana given off by prey, by quarry.
No sooner had it decided than...
Sak! Sasasasak!
The ground spider's charge began.
Kicking off the ground, crashing through the underbrush, until its destination came into view far ahead. Soon, the shape of the prey entered its sight.
"......"
A petite silver-haired girl.
The girl stared blankly into empty space with an expressionless face. No idea why she was doing that, but whatever.
Then, black shapes entered its vision.
Other ground spiders.
[Kirik! Kiruk!]
[Kririririk!]
Ground spiders swarming in from all sides let out savage cries. The reason was obvious. They were claiming ownership of the prey.
But that was a foolish move.
In a hunt like this in the forest, the one who sank their fangs in first was the owner.
[Kyaaaaah!]
The ground spider gaped its grotesque maw wide.
To sink its countless teeth into the girl's neck and drain her bodily fluids.
But in that instant.
Flash!
A split-second gleam of light, and...
The girl vanished.
The ground spider's jaws clamped down on empty air, and doubt clouded every eye there.
Where'd she go? She was right in front of us a second ago? As those questions arose, suddenly the ground spiders' abdomens trembled violently.
[......!]
A sudden surge of powerful mana.
This mana, felt the instant the girl disappeared, was unmistakably that of a predator.
Sensing the danger, the ground spiders tried to scatter without a second thought.
Of course, it was already too late.
Fwoooong!
A sound slicing through the wind, and...
A massive shadow loomed. A bare-chested barbarian. He dropped straight down toward the swarm of ground spiders.
Kwaaaaaang!
The earth shook with a thunderous boom. The shockwave swept the area in an instant. And that was the ground spiders' final memory.
Kwaduk! Wooduk! Peok!
Along with the fierce shockwave, a sharp axe cleaved through every spider body.
Once the choking dust cleared...
A gruesome scene unfolded.
Every spider reduced to pulp. Not a single one retained its original form. Ullan shook the fluids off his axe and muttered.
"All taken care of."
"Yeah, looks... like it."
From the underbrush a short distance away, the silver-haired girl, Dilia, poked her head out.
This battle was a hunting method the two had devised.
First, Dilia—who could freely manipulate her mana—deliberately leaked faint traces to lure the forest monsters.
Then, Ullan would burst out from hiding and wipe them all out in one go. A very straightforward tactic.
'Of course, there are easier ways.'
Dilia alone could unleash her 6-star spell 'Starfall Bombardment' and obliterate dozens of monsters in a flash.
And Ullan was no different.
He was a master at hunting monsters and magic beasts. Just turning him loose in the forest would wipe out most of them.
'But...'
Not this time.
Professor Stella, aware of their strength, had imposed restrictions.
As a result, Dilia promised to use only 2-star spells or lower, while Ullan was banned from using aura, Spirit, or mana.
And one more thing.
Since this exam was also meant to test teamwork, they had to cooperate to hunt monsters—no exceptions.
That was why they were using this cumbersome method.
'Still... not bad at all.'
More time spent with Ullan, after all.
Dilia beamed.
As they collected fangs from the ground spider corpses for loot...
"Sorry about that."
Ullan suddenly spoke up.
An out-of-the-blue apology. Did Ullan even have reason to apologize to her? Dilia tilted her head curiously.
"Huh? For what?"
"You like spiders, right? Should've left one for a snack."
Ullan gestured to the scattered corpses.
Smashed beyond recognition. No eating those now.
Realizing his intent, Dilia shook her head.
"Thanks... for the thought, but it's fine."
These weren't edible anyway.
Only certain spiders were safe to eat in the first place.
And Dilia's favorites were honey spiders, jewel spiders, and sugar spiders. That's it.
When she explained this to Ullan, he nodded with an intrigued look.
"I see. Knowledge gained."
Whenever Ullan learned something new, he'd make that face. Watching him, Dilia smiled faintly.
It wasn't much, but it made her happy that he'd thought of her and cared.
Once loot collection wrapped up...
Dilia opened the now-heavy sack wide.
"Pretty... good haul."
The sack brimmed with trophies from monsters they'd hunted so far. Over a hundred parts from 1-star monsters alone, plus dozens from 2-stars.
"Think we can... call it for today."
This much in just half a day.
Dilia smiled in satisfaction. This sealed first place.
Ullan's reaction differed.
"Already?"
"Yeah. We've... caught plenty."
"Doesn't seem like enough."
His face said it didn't fill the quota.
Dilia asked curiously.
"How many... were you aiming for?"
"About a thousand."
"......No need... for that many."
Good thing she'd asked.
Ullan would actually try it. With a sigh, Dilia patted his arm.
"Anyway... that's it for today."
"Mm. Got it. I'll go along with your call."
Ullan accepted surprisingly easily.
He glanced at the sky and muttered.
"Better to rest when it rains anyway."
"Huh? Rain?"
Dilia looked up reflexively too.
And right then.
Plip! Plip!
Drops hit her pale forehead.
Pretty thick drops. A downpour was coming.
Ullan shouldered the loot sack.
"Back to camp."
"Yeah, got it."
Dilia nodded readily.
They hurried off. Soon after, a fierce rain hammered the forest.
5.
When they first entered the forest...
Before serious hunting, Ullan and Dilia set up a base camp. Essential for three days in the woods.
After scouting sites, they chose a natural cave near a massive ravine on the northern forest edge.
A cave in the cliff face.
Perfect for sheltering from rain. No worry of flooding either.
The issue was the rough path to it. No big deal for Ullan, though.
"Hold tight."
No sooner said than...
Dilia hopped onto his back. She wrapped her slender arms around his neck, then tied her arms in place with vines to avoid slipping.
Once ready...
Dilia suddenly burst out laughing.
"Feels like... I'm a cicada... stuck to a tree."
That's what clinging to Ullan felt like. He tilted his head like she'd said something odd.
"Heavier than a cicada."
"......Shut up."
She tugged his cheek with a pout.
But playtime over.
As the rain intensified, Ullan stuck to the cliff wall. Using hands and feet, he scaled it with practiced ease.
Like a crawling centipede.
Looked a bit silly from afar, but it worked like a charm. They reached the cave in no time.
"Here we are."
Inside the cave...
Dilia hopped down.
Dark as pitch. Nothing visible, so she turned to Ullan.
"Let's... start a fire first."
They'd prepared for this with dry firewood and leaves. Ullan hauled them from the back to the entrance.
Dilia extended a hand.
Paaat!
The wood blazed brightly.
A 1-star spell called 'Starlight Condensation'. It gathered star mana to generate intense heat and ignite a fire.
Soon...
Hwaruk! Hwaruruk!
A campfire roared to life. Bright enough to banish the cave's gloom, warm enough to dry their soaked clothes.
Task done, Dilia headed to her pack deeper in. For spare clothes. But first...
"......Don't... look this way."
"Won't."
After his firm reply...
Dilia finally undressed, piece by piece.
Srash! Srrk!
Blouse, shorts, socks.
Everything but underwear off, revealing her pristine bare skin.
Skin so white it was translucent.
Flawless, like a master's porcelain doll.
She toweled off thoroughly with a prepared dry cloth, then slipped into fluffy pajamas.
She glanced at the entrance.
His golden eyes stared outward, utterly still. Dilia narrowed hers.
'He really isn't looking.'
She should feel relieved.
But a strange feeling crept in. One she couldn't put into words.
It passed quickly.
Goal achieved, she returned to Ullan. Spread her wet clothes by the fire, then poked his side with a finger.
"......All... changed."
"I see."
"Your... turn now."
"Huh?"
"Your clothes. Gonna change?"
His bare upper body was fine, but his pants were soaked through.
Looked uncomfortable just watching.
Ullan shrugged it off.
"Dry 'em on while wearing."
"What? Doesn't feel gross?"
"Not really."
Casual as ever.
Made sense. In his past life, he'd endured worse.
Like after two days of nonstop fighting, covered in monster fluids—he hadn't changed then either. No time, really.
'Compared to that...'
This was nothing. Rainwater was just water. Dry by the fire eventually.
"Gotcha."
Dilia nodded.
Didn't quite get it, but if he was fine, whatever. She sat quietly by the fire.
"......"
Conversation died.
An awkward silence fell.
Only pounding rain in their ears. Unable to bear the mood, Dilia cleared her throat.
"Ahem! Ullan."
"Hm?"
"Want... some midnight snack?"
His eyes lit up at "snack".
"Got something good?"
"Picked some... earlier."
When they entered the forest.
While Ullan scouted base sites, Dilia gathered bits.
Foraging: a few honey spiders, stag beetle grubs, and non-poisonous mushrooms. That was it.
"Grab some... water in this?"
She pulled out a small pot.
Easy enough. Ullan filled it with pouring rainwater and handed it back.
"Thanks."
Short thanks, then...
Cooking time.
Pot on the fire, then all the de-legged honey spiders in.
Plop! Splash!
Stag beetle grubs: heads off, guts out, into the boiling water. Sliced mushrooms next, dash of salt, done.
"And... that's it."
Swollen spider bodies.
Shriveled grubs like dried sea cucumbers, mushrooms soaked just right. Visually? Peak freak food.
Ullan, though? No disgust. Just familiar gaze.
"Arpen rangers' emergency rations."
"......!"
Dilia's eyes went wide. Genuine shock.
"H-How... do you know?"
"Heard of 'em."
His past life's Dilia made it often during forest camps. Most comrades enjoyed it.
'Except two.'
The saintess and bard. They refused bug food even in extremes. Better to starve.
A fond memory surfaced.
As Ullan chuckled...
"Yeah, right. Learned it... living with rangers."
Dilia nodded like he'd nailed it.
"Arpen folk... from age nine to adulthood... do survival training four times a year."
Spring, summer, fall, winter.
One per season, three to seven days each. Royalty included.
Years camping with rangers built her skills. This recipe included.
"So... used to this."
As she wolfed down the snack...
She hugged her knees after the tale. Then spoke again.
"Not... like you, though."
Her training was nothing to his. He was born and bred on plains and forests—a true barbarian.
Then Dilia stared at him intently. Like she wanted something. And asked.
"Wanna hear... your stories too."
"Mine?"
"Not fair... if only I talk."
She nodded.
She wanted his past anyway.
To grow beyond friends, know each other first.
Her pale cheeks flushed.
His reply came.
"Not much fun, probably."
"Still wanna hear."
Stubborn glint in those golden eyes.
Determination to hear it out. No choice then. Ullan nodded.
"Born in a plains tribe."
Ullan's past was uneventful.
Just wandering the plains before the academy.
Past comrades yawned at his tales.
'Dilia did too.'
She'd yawn soon enough. He figured.
But Dilia endured, and reacted unexpectedly.
"Plains so vast... you can't see the end?"
"Yeah. Took over half a month on horseback to reach the edge."
"No mountains... in between?"
"None, except the eastern snow mountains I mentioned. Rest is all plains or forest."
The more he spoke...
Dilia's eyes sparkled.
This was worlds from his past life. Ullan asked, puzzled.
"That surprising?"
"Yeah, super."
She explained.
Arpen Duchy was all mountains. She'd never seen vast plains.
"Wanna... see it someday."
"Plenty of plains on the continent. After graduation, you can see your fill."
She shook her head.
"No, not other... plains."
"What?"
"Curious about... your homeland."
The plains where Ullan grew up.
Only that mattered.
She fidgeted with pale fingers—her nervous tic.
Then she turned to him.
"......So, take me... there?"
Flushed face.
Eyes flickering like the fire.
Tense expression too. Waiting for his answer, Ullan replied.
"Two months' travel."
"Still fine!"
"Rough road."
"Doesn't... matter."
Firm resolve from Dilia.
Unyielding will to go. Who knew she'd crave the plains this much.
Ullan turned serious.
"Got it."
That determination deserved respect.
Some important reason, no doubt.
He nodded readily.
"One day, I'll take you for sure."
Her face lit up.
Eyes sparkling round, she pressed.
"Really? Promise?"
"Of course. Promised."
No hesitation.
Dilia smiled, pleased.
Shwaaaaa!
Rain poured relentlessly, but they chatted on.
Childhood tales to trivial banter. Talk lasted till the fire dimmed.
Sharing built understanding. A warm feeling in her chest. Dilia smiled softly.
Night deepened.
The first night faded.
And the next day.
Dawn of exam day two broke.
The day Noa foretold: the 'Abyss Worshippers' assault.
Chapter 19. Do Not Begin the Hunt