A single hanging spider was not terrifying.
But when they appeared en masse, they became one of the most dangerous threats lurking in the outer regions of the Great Tob Forest.
The creatures known as Hangman Spiders moved with unnatural speed,spewing adhesive spider silk in a torrent.Caught within their webs, prey would be wrapped in layers of silk in seconds—unable to resist, awaiting slow digestion.
It was said that their silk was extraordinarily tough, prized as a high-grade material for crafting armor and artifacts.
But now was not the time to marvel at its properties.
Minori darted between the towering trees, his breathing measured but tense, seeking a way to shake off the swarm of Hangman Spiders pursuing him.
In this dense forest terrain, his speed was severely restricted.
Meanwhile, the spiders, each the size of a human head,moved unhindered—flinging webs to anchor themselves between tree trunks and swinging through the air with terrifying agility.
Whoosh!
The sound of cutting air behind him was unmistakable.
Without hesitation, Minori twisted at the waist and slashed backward with his iron sword.
Shlak!
A shrill screech tore the air as the blade bisected the first spider that managed to close in,green ichor splattering across the mossy ground.
—
[You have gained 23 experience points.]
—
Minori's feet did not slow.
But a flicker of surprise crossed his expression.
The experience reward was unusually high.
He risked a quick glance behind him.
Dozens—perhaps over a hundred—Hangman Spiders were chasing him, their scarlet eyes glinting with bloodlust.
If he could defeat them all—
Minori's mind raced.
At least two or three thousand experience points.Enough to level up twice, if not more.
But how?
Thwap! Thwap! Thwap!
Thick strands of spider silk, each as wide as a finger, shot toward him from every angle.
Twisting his body, Minori lunged behind the nearest tree.
The thick trunk absorbed most of the incoming silk with dull, sticky sounds.
Several strands hit the ground nearby.
Thinking quickly, Minori slashed at one of them.
Twang!
The spider silk bent but did not snap immediately.Only after a moment of tension did it finally sever, emitting a strange, elastic crack.
Tough material...
Minori narrowed his eyes.
This silk could rival enchanted cords back in Nazarick.Clearly, it was a precious alchemical resource.
But that knowledge did little to improve his current predicament.
—
Bang!
Pushing off the tree trunk with a sudden burst of force, Minori surged forward again, weaving through the trees.
The distance between him and the spiders continued to shrink.
Their relentless hissing grew louder behind him, a chorus of chilling intent.
Sweat beaded Minori's brow.
"If only I had the forest movement skills of a druid or ranger..."
Unfortunately, he had no such training.
He was a magic caster—and in this dense jungle,he was at a severe disadvantage.
He couldn't run forever.
Minori gritted his teeth.
Time to act.
Magic?
He briefly reviewed his options.
The only offensive spell he currently possessed was Magic Arrow—too weak, too slow for so many targets.
But—
A sudden thought flashed across his mind.
"Heat."
A spell he had almost dismissed as trivial.
Normally used to warm meals or dry clothes.
But now—
Minori's eyes sharpened.
"Heat."
He muttered the spell under his breath, gripping the iron sword tightly.
The magic took hold.
Within seconds, he felt the temperature of the blade begin to climb.
The hilt grew uncomfortably warm against his palm.
Without hesitation, Minori tore a strip of linen from his sleeve and wrapped it around the sword's grip, shielding his hand.
He endured the wait.
Ten seconds...
Twenty...
Finally, after about a minute,the iron sword radiated an intense heat.
150 degrees.
Not enough to glow red-hot, but more than enough to affect softer materials.
Puff! Puff! Puff!
More spider silk shot toward him.
This time—
Minori didn't evade.
He stepped forward and slashed cleanly.
Sssst—shlrrrk!
The burning blade sliced through the spider silk effortlessly, severing the once-unbreakable threads like paper.
Minori's lips curled into a grim smile.
"Even the strongest silk is helpless against fire."
His eyes locked onto the incoming mass of spiders.
Now—the slaughter could begin.
Planting his feet firmly on the mossy ground, Minori faced the swarm head-on.
He stopped running.
Instead, he advanced.
"Fourfold Slash."
He whispered the martial art, and his sword blurred—four arcs of heated steel cleaving through the air.
Shlak! Shlak! Shlak! Shlak!
Hangman Spiders screamed and fell, bisected and burned by the scorching edge.
—
[You have gained 21 experience points.][You have gained 27 experience points.][You have gained 22 experience points.][You have gained 25 experience points.]
—
The spiders, sensing the reversal, grew frantic.
They hissed and shrieked, scrambling through the canopy, weaving webs in a desperate attempt to trap him.
White spider silk rained down, dense and sticky,a net intended to smother him.
Minori only smiled coldly.
He raised his sword skyward—
—and tore through the descending web with a single flaming slash.
The spiders froze, disoriented.
That instant was all Minori needed.
The massacre began.
He sprinted to a nearby tree, vaulted off its trunk, and launched himself into the air.
"Fourfold Slash!"
Once again the burning sword danced.
Spiders fell like withered leaves.
—
[You have gained 27 experience points.][You have gained 25 experience points.][You have gained 23 experience points.][You have gained 26 experience points.]
—
The forest floor was slick with greenish ichor.Broken spider corpses piled up in grotesque heaps.
The stench of burnt silk and blood filled the air.
Without their webs to bind him, the spiders were little more than prey.
Minori moved through them like a blade of inevitability.
Each swing of his heated sword carved a bloody path.
Each kill brought him closer to his next evolution.
By the time the last spider hissed and died,Minori stood in the middle of a field of corpses.
His iron sword still radiated heat.
His robes were stained with ichor.
His breathing was steady.
He opened his status window.
—
[Level Up!][Level Up!]
—
Minori exhaled slowly.
This was just the beginning.
The Great Tob Forest was vast.
And deeper within...
far greater threats awaited.