Chapter 52, A Memorable Taste

Translator: Barnnn

 

After evading the smaller spider-like Mystic Beasts for half an hour, Ize and Hal arrived at a rocky clearing where a massive black figure loomed ahead. Roughly the size of a compact car, it stood out starkly against the barren landscape.

 

“Is that it?” Hal asked, narrowing his eyes.

“According to my Perception… yes,” Ize replied.

“Queen Arachne. Weak to fire. Primary attacks include leg strikes, paralytic venom, and web shots,” Hal recited the information he saw as his gaze fixed on the creature. “Drops: Magicite, venom sacs, silk…?”

“Sounds valuable. Those legs look tough, though… I doubt knives will get through.”

“So what’s the plan? …Oh, actually, gimme a sec.”

 

Hal squinted, observing the Queen Arachne again.

 

“Okay…” He nodded after a moment. “I’ve got more details. Its eyes are covered with a tough membrane, but the durability’s not great. If we time it right, we can also hit its mouth while it’s shooting webs.”

“It’s got eight eyes. Which one should we target?”

“Destroying even one will send it into a frenzy. Taking out the biggest one first sounds good. What do you think, Ize?”

“I’ll approach from the left — use Fleet Foot to go for the large eye on the front left. Hal, you take the right. Whether we succeed or not, we retreat immediately after striking.”

“Can you circle a bit toward the rear? If it turns toward you, I’ll get a clearer shot at another eye.”

“Got it.”

 

The two split up, creeping toward the Queen Arachne from opposite sides. At around 200 meters away, the creature twitched, as though sensing their presence.

In that instant, Ize darted left, her speed amplified by Fleet Foot as she proceeded to sprint up one of its grotesquely long front legs.

Meanwhile, Hal fired a precise water bullet at the creature’s feet, drawing its attention just before Ize reached its head.

 

“Haah!”

“Giiieee!”

“Take this!”

 

With a burst of strength, Ize drove her knife deep into the Queen Arachne’s largest right eye. She leaped away as the blade lodged firmly in place, leaving the spider writhing in fury. It turned sharply to its right, exposing the left side of its face.

Hal didn’t hesitate. He unleashed a rapid barrage of water bullets at the newly exposed eye.

 

Thwack! Thwack!

 

“Gyuuuu!”

 

The Queen Arachne screeched, its legs thrashing wildly, scattering venom in erratic arcs.

Hal and Ize were forced to retreat temporarily.

The venom itself wasn’t lethal unless directly touched, but letting it saturate the area posed a clear danger.

Gritting his teeth, Hal summoned high-pressure water to wash the venom away, simultaneously slamming the spider’s enormous body against the rocky terrain.

 

Boom!

 

“Gyaaahhh!”

 

While the creature reeled, Ize seized her chance to climb up the rocks behind it.

She yanked her knife free from its damaged eye and, without pause, plunged it deep into another.

At that moment, the Queen Arachne’s front legs lifted in agony, exposing the vulnerable mouth beneath.

 

[All right!]

“Now!”

 

Hal raised his hands and unleashed a razor-sharp wind blade. The attack sliced clean through the creature’s body, carving deep into its flesh with unrelenting force.

The Queen Arachne shuddered violently, its massive frame convulsing before it collapsed to the ground. A moment later, its form left only loot behind.

With the battle over, Ize descended from the rocky terrain to where the Queen Arachne had once stood.

 

“Phew, that was nerve-wracking,” Hal said, exhaling deeply.

“You seemed calm enough,” Ize replied with a sidelong glance.

“Nah, that thing was TERRIFYING. What about you, Ize? You sure you’re okay? You didn’t touch the venom, right?”

“Mm-hmm, I’m fine.”

“We really need to invest in gloves for better grip next time. Fighting venomous spiders barehanded is asking for trouble.”

“Noted. Thanks,” she said, her voice steady but grateful.

Hal proceeded to survey the loot, crouching to gather it. “Magicite, venom sacs, and silk. Not bad at all.”

“They’ll sell for a good price… Considering we don’t sell any of the meat we get, this is definitely helpful.”

“Think we should keep some of the silk? Maybe get some nice shirts made out of it?”

“No, thanks.” Ize raised an eyebrow. “Unless you plan to wear a frilly, prince-style silk shirt with lace cuffs and go around saying, ‘Hey, my lovely ladies.’ If you do, I won’t stop you, but I will laugh at you to your face.”

“Yeah, that’s not happening,” Hal said, rolling his eyes as he stowed the loot.

 

Suddenly, Ize’s expression shifted, and her gaze sharpened, fixed on a specific point in the distance.

Her Perception Map showed multiple adventurers approaching.

 

“Hostiles?” Hal asked.

“Something like that.”

“Even adventurers can be a problem, huh?”

“Mm-hmm… their markers are turning a deep orange. Let’s keep our distance — I’ll cast Stealth.”

 

Hal frowned but nodded in agreement. The Queen Arachne’s venom sacs and silk were high-value materials, and such a creature would typically be hunted by novice E-rank adventurers. The group approaching, however, was likely D-rank or higher — and potentially loot thieves. If they were spotted, a confrontation could spell unnecessary trouble.

Without waiting for the other party to close in, Ize and Hal quietly left the area under the cover of Stealth.

 

◆

 

The two reached the staircase to the fourteenth floor without incident.

Foot traffic tended to pick up on the floors directly above and below checkpoints, leaving little opportunity to rest in privacy. But this time, they settled on the ground for a much-needed break.

Their snack of choice was the convenient Rain Drop — a portable, easily lootable, honey candy-like treat that required no preparation.

It had taken them just over four hours to reach this point. Their swift pace through the Wolf, Snake, and Spider Floors had shaved significant time off their journey compared to the previous day.

 

“Good thing we wrapped up that last fight quickly,” Hal said, stretching his legs.

“Mm-hmm.” Ize nodded. “There’s always a risk of someone stealing the loot after a fight, or worse, us getting incapacitated mid-battle and becoming easy prey.”

“Yeah, definitely can’t rule that out. Anyway, next up is the last floor for today — and the last one we can handle on our own.”

“Without Fieda, you mean.”

“Exactly. But for now, we’ve got to prove we can manage this ourselves.”

“Yes! Let’s earn the right to enjoy that incredible steak again!”

“Damn right!”

 

Finally growing out of the train-like formation she’d been requesting the past few days, Ize placed her right hand lightly on Hal’s shoulder as they descended the staircase side by side.

The fifteenth floor opened before them, starkly different from the dim, forested floors above.

Bright light filtered down, illuminating a cobblestone path that stretched out ahead.

 

“Waaait… cobblestone?” Ize asked, tilting her head. “Is this normal?”

“Well, that’s new,” Hal said as he scanned the area. “The path leads to the left. Is that where the stairs are?”

“Actually, no. The stairs are actually toward the center-right.”

“…Think skipping the path and cutting across the grass will up our chances of running into Bears or something?”

“RPG logic says it’s VERY possible…”

“All right, then. Let’s stick to the path for now. Let me know if you sense anything.”

“Mm-hmm.”

 

For fifteen minutes, they followed the cobblestone path in silence, the light bright and unchanging, with not a single enemy in sight.

 

“Well, my guess has been right so far,” Hal said with a note of satisfaction in his voice.

“It seems so. Not a single enemy within five kilometers — that’s definitely unusual.”

“Let’s head off the path and make for the stairs. For our first full Blood Bear fight, we’ll stick to what worked last time.”

“Got it.”

“All right, let’s move.”

 

The moment Hal stepped off the cobblestone path and onto the grassy field–

 

“GRAAAAAAH!”

 

From the depths of the woods, a deafening roar echoed, and a massive shadow burst into view.

 

“Here it comes!”

“It’s fast!” Ize shouted, promptly drawing her knife. “Hal, slow it down with water!”

“On it!”

 

This Blood Bear wasn’t quite as colossal as the one they had faced before — it hadn’t yet reached its final evolutionary stage — but its speed was staggering.

If it managed to body-slam Ize at full force, her limbs would shatter like twigs, and she’d be hurled like a rag doll.

Hal wasted no time, conjuring layers of water walls in rapid succession to intercept the charging Beast.

 

[Ten… twenty… thirty!]

 

The individual layers were fragile, but together, they proved effective. By the time the Blood Bear tore through all of them, its momentum had waned significantly, forcing it to stagger to a halt well before reaching Ize.

 

“I’m going in!” Ize called.

“All right! I’m counting on you!” Hal responded, readying his next spell.

 

Ize dashed forward, her knife glinting as she slashed at the joint of the Bear’s left front leg.

Without pausing, she circled to its rear, delivering another precise cut to the base of its hind leg.

 

The lessons from their fight with the Twisthorn Deer were still fresh in her mind. Targeting the legs directly had injured her hand the day before.

This time, she took advantage of the Blood Bear’s lower speed and aimed for the softer, more vulnerable areas near the joints.

 

Then she darted past the Blood Bear again, pivoting sharply to attack its right flank. The creature, slowed by its sheer size and weight, struggled to adjust its posture. It staggered forward, leaning heavily to one side.

 

“Take this!” Hal shouted.

 

A barrage of razor-sharp wind blades sliced into the Blood Bear’s chest.

One, two, three, four–

 

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

 

Each strike echoed through the air, the force lifting the massive Beast off the ground and leaving its chest fully exposed.

 

One, two–

 

BOOM! BOOM!

 

The final strikes pierced clean through the creature’s body.

The Blood Bear let out a guttural roar before collapsing, its enormous frame hitting the ground with a heavy thud.

Moments later, its body dissolved into nothingness.

 

“Ruthless as always, Hal,” Ize remarked with a smirk.

“What kind of comment is that!?” Hal shot back, incredulous.

“Watching you hammer away at it with magic, all stone-faced… It’s like you’ve taken your first step down the path to the dark side.”

“What does that even mean? Anyway, you did great, Ize. Those cuts were spot-on.”

“I made adjustments based on yesterday’s fight. Avoiding the bones and focusing on the torso area seems to work well.”

 

Ize silently noted her desire to test this refined strategy on Twisthorn Deer, though that would have to wait until the day after tomorrow.

For now, their priority was navigating this floor safely.

They returned to the cobblestone path, gazing ahead at the dense forest standing between them and the staircase.

 

“The cobblestone path takes forever,” Hal muttered. “But cutting straight through the forest is asking for trouble. What a pain of a floor.”

“How about we focus on just getting to the Portal Room today, and save exploring the forest for next time?” Ize suggested.

“Good idea. Still, I’d rather not waste time wandering around. Mind if we pick some fights along the way?”

“Now you sound like a battle junkie,” Ize teased. “But I don’t disagree.”

“All right, let’s move.”

“Right!”

 

It took them another two hours to reach the end of the fifteenth floor.

Though they faced several encounters with Blood Bears, each fight ended in minutes, with the creatures’ straightforward, charging tactics proving to be their downfall. The Bears seemed drawn to any movement off the cobblestone path, eager to engage the moment Hal or Ize stepped onto the grassy field.

As they made their way back to the inn, they couldn’t help but reminisce about the exquisite Blood Bear steak they’d savored once before in Abrol, the Lazulseed Kingdom’s northern border city. The memory lingered in their minds as a reward worth chasing.

With satisfaction from their hard-fought progress and the prospect of future feasts, the two ended their day on a high note.