Driven by terror and tension, Archi's breathing became rapid.
These Nerscylla Hatchlings were no larger than a manhole cover even with their legs spread; the largest was only the size of a Mosswine. Had there been only one or two, he would not have been afraid.
But a mere glance revealed more than ten young spiders, with even more crawling out from those massive cocoons, swarming rapidly toward them.
Knowing that the hatchlings would only continue to multiply if he stayed, Archi gave a loud shout to bolster his courage. With one hand steadying his deeply unconscious father on his back and the other wildly swinging the single blade of the Kut-Ku Pair, he charged straight toward a gap where the spiders were thinner.
As he swung, bright flames ignited along the blades of the Kut-Ku Pair, causing the hatchlings, who naturally loathed light and fire, to shrink back.
He seized the chance to bolt through a gap between two hatchlings, sprinting toward the cave's entrance.
However, before he could take more than a few steps, he felt a sudden weight on his body.
A Nerscylla Hatchling leaped through the air and latched onto him. He braced a hand against the ground, straining to keep his balance without falling, but his speed inevitably slowed.
In an instant, a second and then a third hatchling came flying at him.
As the larval forms of Nerscylla, these small spiders' silk glands and venom glands were not yet fully developed, but the formidable jumping ability characteristic of the Temnoceran class was already beginning to show.
Soon, the boy was swarmed and knocked to the ground by the converging hatchlings.
Countless legs, sharp as knives, slashed wound after wound into his body, as if intending to cut him into a thousand pieces.
Archi gritted his teeth and tried to crawl up, but the weight of the hatchlings piling on top of him crushed any hope of resistance. Just as he fell into despair, a shout reached his ears.
"Close your eyes!"
The sudden human voice momentarily stunned Archi, and the burst of intense light that followed left his vision a blur.
Fortunately, since he was face-down on the ground, he hadn't looked directly at the source of the flash. Although his eyes, having adapted to the darkness, ached and stung from the glare, and black spots danced before him, he wasn't completely blinded.
The Nerscylla Hatchlings, however, were another story. Having never encountered intense light since birth, they were stunned almost instantly. Some even flipped over on the ground, their legs twitching as if they were dead.
A long, slender blade swept across the boy's back, instantly shattering the soft, thin carapaces of the underdeveloped hatchlings.
Thick monster fluid and shards of chitin showered the boy. While he was still dazed, several more slashes back and forth hacked the hatchlings on his body to pieces.
A powerful hand gripped his wrist, pulling him somewhat roughly off the ground.
Glancing at the boy and the middle-aged Hunter on his back, Altaïr barked: "Carry him and stay close to me! Move fast!"
This shout finally snapped Archi back to his senses. He scrambled to readjust his father on his shoulders and followed closely behind the stranger.
The number of hatchlings in the cave was unnervingly high. Even after using a Flash Pod and quickly clearing a batch, the numbers swarming in showed no sign of thinning.
Altaïr felt a surge of agitation in his heart.
Since entering the den, there had been no sign of a second Nerscylla. This was certainly good news, but it was far from enough to warrant letting his guard down.
If he were alone, he wouldn't fear any number of Nerscylla Hatchlings; the little things couldn't bite through his armor. By backing against a rock wall and taking his time, he could eventually clear out the pesky creatures.
But now he had a tag-along by his side as well as an incapacitated casualty; getting them out of the den quickly was the primary objective.
If the Nerscylla that Sajji had lured away realized something was wrong with the nest and rushed back, Altaïr wasn't confident he could protect the two of them under the combined assault of a Nerscylla and countless hatchlings.
But how could he quickly break through the swarm?
The destructive power of the Iron Gospel was sufficient, excessive, even, but as a large weapon, a Long Sword was truly awkward for dealing with small things like hatchling spiders that barely reached his knees.
If only he had Dual Blades or a Sword and Shield.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, Altaïr's gaze fell upon the pair of Kut-Ku Pair hanging crookedly from Archi's waist.
Hmph.
It was a bit against the rules, but in a life-or-death situation, there was no room for such concerns!
Bending his knees, he performed a low horizontal slash to momentarily force back the closing hatchlings. Altaïr then sheathed the Iron Gospel and tossed the sword, scabbard and all, into the boy's arms.
"Give me the Dual Blades!"
"Huh?"
Swatting away a leaping hatchling with his hand, Altaïr barked, "Quickly!"
Archi shuddered and hurriedly handed over the Kut-Ku Pair. The Iron Gospel accidentally slipped from his arms and hit the ground; as he scrambled to pick it up, his father nearly slid off his back.
Ignoring the boy's frantic fumbling, Altaïr gripped the Kut-Ku Pair and immediately entered Demon Mode, charging into the swarm of hatchlings to unleash a full-speed Blade Dance.
It had to be said that against targets the size of these hatchlings, the light and agile Dual Blades were far more practical than a Long Sword nearly two meters long.
His footsteps whirled and his arms danced in a blur, conjuring a storm of fire amidst the spiders. Countless hatchlings were torn apart by fire and blade, reduced to charred fragments.
The path ahead was cleared. Altaïr exhaled, temporarily deactivating Demon Mode to conserve stamina.
"Keep up!"
The two began to sprint through the cavern.
Nerscylla were cruel and gluttonous by nature, and their young were no different. In their minds, any living thing in the den that wasn't kin was a delicacy; they were naturally unwilling to let "food" simply walk away.
Moving in packs, they gave chase, lunging at their targets again and again.
The hunter wielding the Dual Blades displayed incredible flexibility. He hovered beside the boy, shredding any hatchling that pounced, whether it was aiming for him, the youth, or the wounded man.
Under the hunter's close protection, the group burst out of the hatchling-infested cavern and followed the mountain tunnel outward, finally escaping the Nerscylla Den.
Instinct told the hatchlings that the world outside the den was dangerous. They agitated at the cave entrance before finally retreating back into the gloomy depths.
Having escaped certain death, the boy inhaled great gulps of the fresh air outside. Even the dark woods and the somber night sky looked beautiful to him.
They were alive! He had actually made it out with his father!
He wanted to cry out in triumph, but suddenly, a thick mass of white spider silk shot from the distance, pinning his legs to the ground.
An instant later, the silk went taut. Using the thread as a tether, a terrifying dark shape lunged toward them with blinding speed.
Altaïr didn't even have time to shout a warning. He swung his blade backhand to sever the webbing, then grabbed the boy and threw them both into a desperate dive.
Crash!
The silhouette slammed into the spot where they had been standing a second before and turned around with a series of rhythmic clicks.
The moonlight, dimmed by heavy clouds, faintly illuminated the creature: razor-sharp legs, pale carapace, and the unmistakable Gypceros hide draped over its body.
Without a doubt, this was a Nerscylla.
Altaïr's expression turned grim. This Nerscylla bore no traces of a Paintball; in other words, this was the second one he had been dreading.
The creature likely hadn't been in the den because it was out hunting. It had returned only to collide with these two intruders who had just fled its nest, reeking of its children's blood.
Its azure eyes were now stained a blood-red vertical slit; the creature was seething with rage.
Click! Click!
Two bone-chilling snaps rang out as the inconspicuous chelicerae on either side of its mouthparts deployed from their folded state. They transformed into two venom-soaked giant scythes, poised to shear the two hated invaders in half.
Rolling to his feet before he had even fully stabilized, Altaïr decisively raised his left arm and fired the Flash Pod pre-loaded in his Slinger.
Skreeee!
With a piercing shriek, the Nerscylla's attack was interrupted. Blinded and disoriented, its legs twitched wildly as it tumbled clumsily onto the ground.
"You know where the Hunter's Camp to the north is, right?" Altaïr gripped his dual blades, his voice urgent. "Don't go back to the village. The scent on you might lead the Nerscylla right to it.
Take the wounded to the Hunter's Camp. There are potions and food in the box. Stay there and don't go wandering off again!"
Archi nodded heavily. Just as he was about to leave, he realized he was still clutching the stranger's Long Sword. He hurriedly placed the weapon on the ground.
"I'm leaving your sword here!" he shouted. Tightening his hold on his father, he plunged into the Jungle, territory as familiar to him as a backyard park, and sprinted toward the Hunter's Camp.
Altaïr glanced at the position of the Iron Gospel but didn't immediately move to swap weapons.
The Iron Gospel possessed superior sharpness and destructive power, but the Fire Element of the Kut-Ku Pair was also a potent tool against a Nerscylla. Burn that hide off its back first!
Altaïr clashed his twin blades together, entering Demon Mode, and charged at the Nerscylla before it could recover from the dizzying flash.
(Translated by yourtl.app)