I am the Enchantress!

Chapter 18 Escape from Death

Giant spiders are typically dark brown and grayish-brown, with occasional variations in other colors, but these are extremely rare.

The one in front of us was a deep, dark blue, with a smooth, shiny carapace and evenly distributed frosty white spots on its abdomen.

It was terrifying, yet it also possessed a certain splendor and refinement.

"This spider mutated?" Gru muttered. "We can definitely sell the carcass for a good price if we carry it back! We're going to make a fortune!"

"I remember the last time you said you'd get rich, your kneecap shattered." Lyle's lips twitched slightly, his narrow eyes never leaving the spider in the treetop.

"I……"

Just as Gru was about to retort, Cyrion interrupted him.

"Quiet!"

He had already placed his large shield in front of everyone. "This beast doesn't look right. Let's finish this quickly."

"Hmm," Wilder agreed.

Looking at the motionless giant blue spider in the tree canopy, he had a bad feeling.

In nature, a significant number of plants and animals have gradually evolved camouflage, such as the tan rabbit, the green frog, and the dark brown giant spider we just hunted.

When faced with predators, they can use this to hide or escape.

But there are always exceptions.

For example, poison dart frogs and coral snakes are brightly colored and stand out from their surroundings.

They don't need to hide; their bright colors are meant to intimidate, which also means they have relatively few natural enemies.

The dark blue spider in front of me is definitely stronger than that dull-looking one from before, perhaps even several times stronger.

"Lyle went first, forcing the spider down from the tree trunk, while Gru and I blocked its position."

Cyrion proceeded with his usual tactics: "While we're engaged in a prolonged fight, Wilder will seize the opportunity to unleash his Grease spell, and finally, use his Burning Hand to burn this beast to death!"

The group nodded.

Hill leaped onto the tree trunk and disappeared into the dense canopy.

Cyrion held a sword in one hand and a shield in the other, assuming a fighting stance.

After drinking the antidote, Gru felt somewhat better and shakily got up, gripping the half-man-high battle axe tightly in both hands.

The clouds drifted slowly across the forest, and the patches of sunlight on the ground changed accordingly.

Tranquil and peaceful.

All that could be heard was the gentle sound of the wind.

Sudden.

"call out!"

A cold arrow suddenly shot from the tree canopy, heading straight for the giant spider on the tree trunk.

Unlike his previous rapid-fire shots, Lyle fired only one arrow this time, but it was several times faster and more powerful.

[Enhanced Shooting]

The Ranger's Level 1 Archery skill greatly enhances the destructive power of arrows.

The downside is that it can only fire one arrow at a time and requires several seconds to charge, making it easy for the target to dodge.

But this time, it's guaranteed to be a hit!

Because Lyle wasn't aiming at the giant spider, but rather at the thick tree trunk beneath it.

"boom!"

With a loud bang, the arrow, moving with unstoppable force, shattered the tree trunk, sending wood chips flying everywhere.

"Bang!"

Then came an even louder noise, raising a cloud of dust.

The giant spider lost its footing and fell heavily to the ground.

But it landed very steadily, its eight long limbs providing a strong cushion, and its belly did not directly touch the ground.

"hiss--"

This arrow enraged the giant blue spider, whose eight eyes darted around rapidly, eventually locking onto three targets on the ground, and it charged forward.

It was more than twice as fast as the brown spider from before.

The battle erupted instantly!

"It's our turn!"

Cyrion raised his shield to meet the giant spider head-on, the ironwood shield pressing against its upper jaw. Its sharp teeth slammed into the shield, sending sparks flying.

Gru flanked from the flank, his massive axe sweeping across the giant spider's abdomen.

The giant spider turned its eyes to the side and instantly raised its forelimbs, taking the blow head-on.

A gash was cut open in the blue hard shell, and dark green blood gushed out.

Almost without pausing, its other long, barbed limb swept towards Gru.

The dwarf's height proved advantageous at this moment. Gru rolled on the spot, narrowly avoiding the attack by brushing against his long limbs, only managing to scratch his thigh with a few barbs.

"Take another blow from my axe!"

Taking advantage of the situation, Gru swung his axe at the lower half of the spider's long limb.

The giant spider let out a painful hiss, its body tilting slightly to one side, causing its sharp teeth, which were gripping the large shield, to loosen.

"Well done!"

Cyrion flipped his wrist, switching from defense to offense, and raised his heavy shield high, smashing it down hard on the beast's head!

"Get down on your knees!"

The giant spider couldn't react in time, and its head slammed to the ground.

The time has come.

Wilder gathered his magic power in his palm, and the white light gradually brightened. He then gently pointed it directly above the giant spider.

The thick oil mist instantly obscured the sky, shrouding the spider in shadow.

The giant spider's eight eyes darted around rapidly, spotting the thick fog above, but it was too late.

【Greasy Techniques】

fall!

The oily layer poured down from the air, instantly covering the center of the giant spider's carapace with slippery oil, which then flowed down its curved body.

It immediately felt uneasy, its rapidly rotating eyes passing over Cyril's shoulder, catching a glimpse of the mage hiding not far away.

His gestures began to change, his two thumbs aligned, forming the shape of a fledgling eagle taking flight.

"hiss--"

The giant spider let out a low hiss, intending to flee.

"Don't even think about running!" Cyrion's great shield blocked its path, while his one-handed sword thrust out repeatedly, sealing off its way forward.

The giant spider on the right kept beating its long limbs with its long axe, but it was too busy to pay attention, let alone move in that direction.

Its left eyeballs began to move violently.

This way!

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"

Lyle, who had the advantage of terrain, kept shooting arrows from the left. Although they did not cause fatal wounds, they blocked Lyle's escape route to this side.

"You better be roasted into jerky!"

With the pressure from Cyril's shield lessened, he thrust out with his right hand repeatedly, the sharp steel blade leaving wounds on the spider's head.

The giant spider recoiled in pain, its bulging abdomen slamming heavily against the tree trunk, with nowhere left to retreat.

All routes were blocked.

If it attacks in one direction, it shouldn't be difficult to get rid of it. Its size gives it a strength that is far superior to that of two novice warriors, but it will take some time.

However, the casting time for Burning Hand is only eight seconds.

finished.

The burning sensation in Wilder's palm grew stronger, ready to burst forth.

"They're here!"

With a shout from Wilder, a burst of blazing flame shot out from his palm and headed straight for the giant spider's back!

At the same time, Cyrion's shield bash, Gru's axe cleavage, and Lyle's arrows followed.

The giant spider can only escape from the arrows on the left, but it will be seriously injured by the rain of arrows, making it easier to deal with from the back.

The tactics were near perfect.

"hiss--!"

The giant spider let out a strange, long cry, its eight long legs suddenly tensed, its sharp claws dug deep into the soil, its joints arched, and its abdomen pressed tightly against the ground, as if it were gathering some kind of power.

"You can't escape!"

Gru let out a warrior's roar like a tsunami, "Die, you insects!"

The raging flames engulfed everything.

"boom--"

The ancient tree behind the giant spider was blasted down, raising thick smoke and dust, with embers remaining on the ground.

Cyrion and Gru fell to the ground the moment the flames struck, and only now are they staggering to their feet.

"That power... Mages are truly terrifying." Gru swallowed hard. "That beast should be dead by now, right?"

The smoke and dust gradually dissipated.

Cyrion and Gru, who were approaching the giant spider, suddenly stopped and held their breath.

"Gone...gone?" Gru looked completely bewildered.

Where the giant spider was once trapped, there was no corpse, no smell of burning flesh, only eight deep claw marks left in the soil.

"Something's not right..." Cyrion muttered, then whirled around and shouted, "Be on guard! That beast isn't dead!!!"

Wilder was taken aback.

"Thump—"

Before he could react, the sound of falling rang in his ears, and a familiar half-elf collapsed in front of him.

He slowly raised his head and looked up at the tree canopy above.

A dark blue spider head peeked out from the dense foliage, its eight rotating eyes fixed intently on him.