Skill Hunter: A LitRPG Adventure, page 38
70
NOT SPIDERS
Ike checked the rest of Orin’s book but found nothing else in the vicinity of the Abyss with a description that included breaking through metal or hard objects. He sighed, tucking the book away. It was possible that there were creatures that could bite through porcelain that weren’t listed in the book, but he couldn’t set off into the forest in hopes of finding some random creature that would let him cut porcelain when he had an answer in his lap. After all, he had no idea when the city lord would come back for his army. The sooner he started tapping the puppets, the more goo he could acquire.
He sighed aloud. Turning to Loup, he shook his head. “Guess we’re hunting spiders, girl.”
She sat up. Her ears perked forward at the word hunt, and her tail wagged.
“Don’t get excited about that,” Ike muttered to himself. He shouldered his pack and set back out through the forest.
Every so often, Ike paused and scaled a tall tree, looking around from the higher vantage point for the kind of forest where spiders thrived. Dead wood cloaked in silk, trees that were little more than balls of web, or maybe lush young forest, with short trees and big clearings where bugs would gather. A spot deeper into the Abyss and off to the right caught his eye, and he headed in that direction. Whenever he lost his way, he’d simply climb back up a tree and look for it again. Loup waited patiently at the bottom while he climbed, taking the opportunity to rest.
At last, they drew up to the edge of the spider forest. Half-dead trees spread through the forest ahead of him, clad in heavy white webs. Webs blanketed the ground. They spread between trunks in blankets and stretched in thick ropes from branch to branch and tree to ground. Little palm-sized spiders skittered along the white strands, and tiny black specks too small to make out that he knew were spiders without being able to see them clearly.
A shiver crawled over his skin, and he ran his hands over his arms. “Yuck.”
Loup charged forward and pounced on one of the palm-sized spiders, squishing it. She dashed over to the next one and pounced on it, too. Left and right, she dashed across the path, gleefully squishing spiders.
“At least someone’s enjoying it,” Ike remarked. He picked up a clean stick from before the spiderwebs started and poked the ground, checking that there was solid earth beneath the white blanket. The stick met resistance. He walked forward, swiping webs out of his way and poking the ground as he went.
Loup dashed around him, as excited as he was reluctant. Spider after spider died to her blissful jumps. The hand-sized spiders skittered up into the trees to escape the relentless wolf. Ike watched them go. Lowering his head, he nodded approvingly at Loup. “Good job, girl.”
Loup looked up at him, her tongue lolling out. She tilted her head.
Deeper into the web-cloaked forest. The webs grew so thick as to block out the sun. The further he went, the darker it became. From the brightness of a cloudy day, the webs drew thicker until it turned to twilight. Ike kept his head on a swivel. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled. The sensation of tiny little feet crawled all over his body. Although he knew it was all in his head, he couldn’t help but smack his legs every now and again. Loup drew closer to him, her ears swiveling. She no longer chased the little spiders, now on high alert.
Loup senses it, too. We’re drawing close to something. Something big.
The spiderwebs around them trembled. The trees groaned. A shadow blacked out the sun. Overhead, the tic-tic-thwack of snapping spider threads rang out. The shadow burrowed toward them, tearing through the web.
“Loup! Run!” Ike shouted.
Ike and Loup dove in opposite directions. A giant spider broke through the web and smashed down where they’d been moments ago, its sharp toe-tips piercing through the web and earth alike. The spider pulled its feet out of the earth one at a time and turned to face Ike, its multitudinous dark eyes gleaming with filthy intelligence.
Ike tossed his pack aside, drawing his sword in the same moment. Lightning flickered over his limbs, and he dashed in, charging the spider before it could charge him.
Startled, the spider jumped into the air. Ike knelt, charging Lightning Clad, then burst up into the air after it. He struck upward, unleashing the first strike of the River-Splitting Sword. Mana rushed through his arm and through the sword. The mana flowed out with the strike, slicing through the spider’s mouthparts and one of its mandibles.
Huh? Weren’t those supposed to be super hard? Ike stared at the sliced mandibles, then looked up at the giant spider.
The spider staggered back, screeching in pain. Ichor ran from the slice on its face. One of its eyes oozed, ruptured by the blade strike. It struggled to keep its feet, woozy from the pain.
“It’s the wrong giant spider!” Ike snarled, frustrated. He charged the spider, lifting his sword high.
The spider found its footing. It roared and lifted its front claws to stab down at Ike.
Loup charged at it from behind. She threw her shoulder into its rear legs.
The spider stumbled, barely catching itself on its front claws. It stared at Ike in abject horror.
“Die, monster!” Ike shouted. He slashed horizontally, severing the spider’s front two legs.
The spider sagged forward. It barely supported its weight on the stubs of its front legs. Ichor leaked onto the ground. It snapped at Ike with its single remaining fang.
“Let me put you out of your misery.” Ike pulled his blade back. He set his feet apart, one in front of the other. Activating Lightning Dash to its full power, he raced at the spider. A second before he crashed into it, he released the third form of River-Splitting Sword, a vicious downward strike. Splitting River Stone.
The spider barely had time to jolt in surprise before his sword passed through it. It fell apart in two halves. Ichor poured over the webbing.
Ike staggered back, panting. He wiped his brow. Looking at the dead spider, he took a deep breath. “Thank goodness.”
Loup trotted over to his side. She looked up at him, tilting her head.
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll clean it up. Who knows? Maybe there’s something worth selling in that thing.” Ike retrieved his pack and drew Rosamund’s head out. After that fight, his core was a little low on mana. Might as well top up before I push on.
He cut himself a hole in the spiderweb and started a fire on the dry ground, settling in to cook up the gunk for mana. As he sat there, watching the smoke discolor the web above him, he raised his brows. You know, I could just burn this whole place down. Those fangs I’m after are probably fire-resistant if they’re hard enough to cut porcelain, right?
“Hey.”
Ike almost jumped out of his skin. He grabbed his sword and whirled toward the voice, ready to attack.
71
DEFINITELY SPIDERS
“Hey.”
Ike whirled. Spreading his legs in a desperate attempt to hide Rosamund’s head, he lifted his sword, pointing it toward the speaker.
A girl a little younger than him stood before him. Red eyes gazed into his. Her black hair was wild, her pale skin filthy. Her clothes were tattered, held together by more white spider thread than cloth. The shirt was too small, baring her midriff, and the shorts barely reached the mid-thigh. She looked at the sword leveled at her chest and lifted a single finger, pushing it away. “Is that how you greet friends?”
“Are we friends?” Ike asked.
“We can be,” she replied. She walked away, hopping up into a tree to look down at him.
Ike stared up at her. She wasn’t even worried about my sword. Is she some kind of expert? He pressed his aura outward, trying to sense hers, but it was like reaching into a void. He felt nothing, and yet, a chill shivered down his back.
The second he reached out with his aura, her head snapped up. She met his eyes.
Ike stared for a second, then retracted his aura.
She smiled.
Oh, she definitely felt that. This girl is way stronger than me. I should treat her with respect. Ike cleared his throat. “I’d like to be friends.”
“Oh, that’s good. Me too.”
Silence.
“Can I help you?” Ike asked.
“Well, I was wondering what you were going to do with that fire,” the girl said, in the most casual way possible.
She is definitely pissed about that. I need to tread carefully. “Uhm, I was just cooking,” Ike said.
“Oh. Good. I see you cleared the webs from the foot of the flame. Could you clear them a little further? I live here, you know.”
“Right, right! Sorry. Sure.” Ike jumped up and cut the webs a little further back from his fire. He glanced up.
The girl looked down at him, one brow cocked expectantly.
Not far enough? Ike grabbed his sword and cut a little further.
She waited, brows still raised.
How far does she want? Ike backed away a few steps and cut again.
The girl turned away, putting her head on her hand.
Guess that’s far enough. Ike walked back to the fire. He checked that she wasn’t watching, then, putting his body between the girl and the fire, uncorked Rosamund’s head and poured the gunk into his pan. There was no way for her to see the head at all, or the gunk that spilled out of it.
“What’s that?”
Ike startled. He looked up, quickly grappling the blocking stone back into Rosamund’s neck.
The girl was still looking in the opposite direction, but she turned around as she spoke. She nodded at the head. “What is it?”
“It’s, um…” Reluctantly, Ike looked at the head. I don’t want to give up my secret to a total stranger.
“We’re friends, aren’t we?” She tilted her head. “I sensed that thing from across the forest. What is it?”
Shit, she’s that strong? She’ll probably kill me outright if I lie. But then, I don’t have to tell the whole truth, either. Ike grinned nervously at her. “It’s… a doll head. Magic-powered. See? Looks like a human head, doesn’t it?” He pointed Rosamund’s face at her. Rosamund wrinkled her nose in disgust.
“Oh.” Completely disinterested, the girl looked the other way.
Huh? I’d expect some kind of reaction. Disgust, or anger, or… I don’t know. Rosamund feels like dark magic to me. She shouldn’t have this non-reaction. Ike frowned. He tilted his head. Her eyes weren’t inverted. She didn’t use lunam; she used mana. She’s definitely a mage. Does she have some sort of mana source down here?
Wait. Hold on. Ike snapped his fingers. “You’re a beast, aren’t you? A monster!” After all, monsters use primal energy, or whatever it is Ket called it. They can grow on mana just the same as they can grow on lunam. And unlike humans, the beasts don’t get inverted eyes.
The girl whipped around. Her eyes locked onto his. “What of it?” she growled.
Ike smiled disarmingly at her, hiding his fear. “I had a mentor who was a monster, too. Silver. He was a giant panther. I’m used to it; don’t worry.”
“Oh.” Her voice lightened, and she smiled a little. “Did he teach you the sword skill? I thought it felt oddly familiar.”
“He did,” Ike confirmed.
The girl hopped down. She sat beside him, so close they almost touched. “You’re not one of those idiots who try to hunt us or make us pets, are you?”
“No. I’m not stupid,” Ike said. He eyed Rosamund’s head, then wisely kept his mouth shut. I don’t want her to get enraged at my lifeline and destroy it.
“Mmm. I like you. My name is Wisp.”
“I’m Ike.”
Wisp hummed, disinterested. She sniffed the smoke. “That smells weird.”
“Yeah, I know,” Ike said.
“Smells funny,” Wisp repeated. She bounded off and returned with a small herb. It looked a little like basil, with broad, rounded green leaves. Wisp tossed it into the pan, then sat back.
Ike startled. He went to yank it out, but the herb immediately dissolved. He stared at the pan, pressing his lips together. I don’t like that.
“It’ll make it smell less. And purify it a little,” Wisp explained.
“Oh. Thank you,” Ike said. If that’s all it does, then there’s no problem. But do I trust this wild child?
“Why are you here, in my forest?” Wisp asked. She tilted her head innocently at him.
Ike looked at her, then looked all around them. “You’re… a spider monster?” he guessed.
She ran a hand through her hair and said nothing.
He glanced at the spider across the way from them. The one he’d just killed. Uh oh.
“If I wanted you dead, you’d already be gone. Speak honestly,” Wisp urged him.
She’s got a point. She knows I killed that thing, and she hasn’t attacked me. Maybe there’s spiders she’s fine with me killing? “I came here to hunt a monster with strong fangs. Fangs hard enough to cut through porcelain. Um, but… I can look somewhere else,” he added quickly.
Wisp thought for a moment. “Monsters with strong fangs? You’re after the wolf spiders, aren’t you?”
“A-a single wolf spider. And I can look elsewhere,” Ike interjected.
Wisp frowned at him, then laughed. She jumped to her feet and stood at her full height, only a little taller than Ike’s crouched form. “Human, would you get mad if I killed and ate a monkey?”
“Uh… no?” Ike said.
“Good. Stop being so precious about your desires. If you want to kill, say it. These spiders are animals to me. They’re nothing. I eat them when I get bored.”
“Oh,” Ike muttered to himself.
She crossed her arms. “It’s insulting for you to assume I’m the same as those animals, in fact. I have half a mind to eat you right here, right now.”
Ike took a deep breath, absorbing as much of the mana as he could. He tensed, preparing to activate his skills.
Wisp giggled. She patted his head. “I said I’d help you, didn’t I?”
“You didn’t,” Ike told her.
“Oh. I’ll help you. I’m bored anyway. As long as you give me that.” She pointed.
Ike followed her finger. Loup walked over, wagging her tail. His face turned stony. “You can’t have Loup.”
“What? I don’t want that tiny dog nugget. That!”
Ike looked past Loup. The dead spider lay sprawled on the ground. He furrowed his brows, then shrugged. “Sure. Go nuts.” That thing is disgusting in the first place, and I have no idea if any of it is worth anything in town. She can have it.
With a mad grin, Wisp leaped from his side to the spider corpse. Ike turned away but couldn’t block his ears from the horrible crunching and squelching sounds behind him. He shivered, goosebumps raising on his arms and back. A wet slurp and a long, vicious tear echoed in his ears, and he flinched instinctively. Gods give me strength…
72
SPIDER TIME
Ike finished absorbing all the mana from Rosamund’s head and put it back away in his bag. The herb Wisp had added had notably changed the tenor of the mana. Normally, it felt dark, thick, almost, but this time, it felt light, smooth. Better. Almost like the mana he absorbed from monster meat. Ike rubbed his core. Whatever that was, I like it.
Behind him, the squelching and cracking sounds slowed. Wisp walked up beside him, licking scraps of greenish-yellow ichor off her fingers. “Delicious. You ready to go?”
Ike looked at her. He glanced over his shoulder at the empty hole where the spider corpse had been, then did a double-take, his eyes widening. Where did that giant spider-monster I hunted go? She’s smaller than me! And that stomach of hers is flat! There isn’t even a bump!
“Hey. What’re you staring for?”
“Huh? Uh—yeah. Let’s go!”
They walked off, deeper into the web-drenched forest. Wisp led the way, ambling along without a care in the world, her hands behind her head. Ike followed a few paces back, Loup at his heels.
“Hey, Wisp?”
She glanced over her shoulder. “Yeah?”
“That herb—where’d you find it? I wouldn’t mind keeping a few of those around. Maybe even growing some.”
Wisp flashed him a smile. Her teeth were sharp and curved inward, overtly inhuman. “It’s called whitefeather grass. It’s not that hard to grow. After we beat this guy, I’ll show you a small patch. But not for free.”
Ike nodded. “What’s your price?”
“Everything but the fangs,” Wisp said, licking her lips.
Everything but the—
Ike swallowed. He nodded and gave her a thumbs-up. “All yours.”
Wisp chuckled.
They padded over the thickly carpeted forest for a while before Ike finally cleared his throat again. “Wisp, you don’t need my help, do you?”
“Do you need that dog’s help?” Wisp asked without looking back.
“I—Loup helps me—”
“But absolutely. In the absolute sense. If you had to hunt without her, you could, right?”
“Yes.”
Wisp nodded. “I’m feeling lazy. You’re doing me a favor.”
Ike nodded. “Understood.” He eyed Wisp’s back but said nothing more. I get the feeling there’s more to it than that, but if she wants to play it close to the chest, there isn’t much I can do to break through. After all, it’s no joke that she’s massively more powerful than me.
She glanced over her shoulder. “Not going to call me out for calling you a dog?”
“Woof,” Ike replied, deadpan. I don’t care. I’ve heard worse. It’s not like you really meant it, either. If every little thing got a rise out of me, I’d never stop being mad.
Wisp chuckled under her breath. “I like you.”
Up ahead, green poked through the blankets of white. The webs faded away, and the forest returned to normal. Confused, Ike looked around. He walked more slowly than before, wary of the sudden change. Is she leading me the wrong way? Or—
