Natsuyu killed 1 Round-headed Spider in a sneak attack. Seeing that the Loot was Spider Silk, his eyes lit up.
Good stuff!
Each piece of Spider Silk meant he could craft a crossbow capable of firing 20 times. This was the material Natsuyu needed to stockpile most urgently.
[You killed a Lower-level Monster, gaining Experience +1.]
[Natsuyu: Level 4 (Experience 25/30).]
"Sissississ!"
The remaining two Round-headed Spiders locked onto Natsuyu's position. Their numerous crimson insect eyes filled with shock and rage, they shrieked and lifted their eight limbs, charging toward him.
Natsuyu retreated quickly, maintaining a constant distance, his eyes calm as he reloaded a new Arrow.
He raised his hand, aimed, and fired.
Because he was shooting while moving this time, his aim was slightly off. The arrow only pierced one side of the Round-headed Spider's abdomen, severely wounding it.
Although it didn't result in a kill, it rendered the Round-headed Spider immobile.
Natsuyu followed suit, shooting and killing the fourth Round-headed Spider, then finishing off the heavily injured one that couldn't move by throwing a Stone.
[You killed...]
[Natsuyu: Level 4 (Experience 27/30).]
He was about to level up.
With a thought, Natsuyu stored the Wooden Crossbow back into a Backpack Slots, stepped forward, and picked up the Drops.
Loot: Monster Meat * 3, Spider Silk * 2, Poison Gland * 2.
He then used his Axe to chop down the Spider Nest, harvesting Spider Silk * 4.
Natsuyu rubbed his chin, thinking it was unscientific for a Spider Nest as tall as a person to only drop 4 pieces of Spider Silk. His spoils had definitely been skimped on.
After collecting the Spider Silk, he went to chop the Round-headed Spider corpses, yielding over a dozen pieces of Monster Meat and two Poison Glands.
"Ssss-vvv----!!"
Patter, patter, patter...
A dense sound, like raindrops hitting the ground, drifted over.
Natsuyu looked up to see a large swarm of Round-headed Spiders moving through the woods using their sharp limbs. They were fanning out, surrounding him.
"As expected, their sounds attract more spiders."
The corners of Natsuyu's mouth curled up. He unhurriedly took out the Wooden Crossbow, shot the fastest Round-headed Spider dead with one Arrow, and turned to run:
"Come and catch me~"
The Round-headed Spiders were furious.
Natsuyu was only one person, yet he dared to taunt their entire swarm. Unacceptable!
A group of Round-headed Spiders immediately tilted their heads back to spit silk, launching a long-range attack.
But the silk spit couldn't keep up with Natsuyu once he started running.
Consequently, all the Round-headed Spiders gave up on spitting silk and sprinted after Natsuyu, determined to eat this hateful prey who had provoked them twice in a row.
Natsuyu shot Arrows while running. Soon, he saw Kiana and the others, who had prepared their defensive line. His heart steadied as he shouted loudly:
"Get ready! Monsters incoming!"
Kiana excitedly lifted her shield with one hand and put the other on her hip, shouting, "Natsuyu, hurry back! Let this lady meet them!"
She was the powerful Lord Valkyrie; her broad "bosom" was reassuring.
Natsuyu turned to fire his last Arrow and reached the girls' side. He handed the crossbow in his hand to Kiana and began putting on his Armor.
[You killed a Lower-level Monster, gaining Experience +1.]
[Natsuyu: Level 5 (Experience 0/35)
Free Attribute Points: 0.1.]
Level up again!
Natsuyu couldn't help but feel jubilant in his heart:
'Deep Blue, let me see your strength.'
Following the old rule, he put the attribute point into Physique.
[Natsuyu: Level 5 (Experience 0/35)
Physique: 1.4 (Approaching the limits of the human body)
Soul: 1.3 (High mental determination)
Charm: 1.3 (Hostile to All Living Beings)
Ability: Resource Acquisition...]
Natsuyu felt this level-up was somewhat different.
It wasn't just a simple surge of warmth through his body; it felt as if his internal structure was changing. All his organs felt itchy, like a wound healing itself.
This feeling didn't last long. When Natsuyu came to, the most obvious change was his vision.
It was as if a nearsighted person had put on lenses. Even the fine fuzz on Sakuraba Ema's small face as she nervously raised her Wooden Crossbow nearby was clearly visible.
Next was his sense of smell.
The scent of soil, the lingering stench of the Round-headed Spiders, and the subtly different scents of the four girls, even though they were all mixed together...
Yukinoshita Yukino used a minty, refreshing body wash; the scent wafted as her sweat evaporated.
Kiana's scent was the lightest; she wasn't sweating.
Sakuraba Ema was sweating slightly; hers was a cherry blossom-scented body wash.
Kushida Kikyo's scent was a bit stuffy; she must have gone to the toilet recently, and she seemed a bit "internally heated"...
Identifying women by their scent?
What use do I have for such a perverted ability!
Natsuyu's mind wandered for a moment, but he felt relieved when he realized that as long as he didn't focus intently, he couldn't distinguish those fine odors in the air.
If he could truly smell who had been to the toilet, he would only be able to admire fragrant and soft beautiful girls from a distance rather than up close. Life would lose a great pleasure.
'My Physique is so terrifying at just 1.4; Kiana's 4.5 Physique looks higher and higher the more I look at it!'
Yukinoshita Yukino's calm voice reached his ears, "Prepare yourselves. The monsters have entered range. Use Wooden Arrows first!"
By the time Natsuyu finished putting on his Armor, the girls had already completed a round of fire.
Kiana was using the crossbow Natsuyu had been using earlier.
Because of the lack of Spider Silk, Natsuyu could only craft four crossbows. One of the goals of hunting the Round-headed Spiders this time was to obtain Spider Silk.
The girls fired a volley of Wooden Arrows as the Round-headed Spiders entered attack range.
Wooden Arrows were the most stable, with an effective range of 30 meters. Under the control of Kiana and Yukinoshita Yukino, they successfully killed 2 Round-headed Spiders.
Sakuraba Ema and Kushida Kikyo missed, only wounding 1 Round-headed Spider.
"Sissississ————!!"
The death of their companions didn't make the Round-headed Spider swarm retreat. They maintained their charge, surrounding the group in a fan formation.
Natsuyu scanned with his superior vision.
He had shot several spiders dead, and after that volley just now, 19 remained.
When they closed to within a dozen meters, Kiana and the other three completed another round of fire. At this distance, the arrows all hit their marks, leaving 15 intact Round-headed Spiders.
Natsuyu had to admit that crossbows were truly useful; even a novice could guarantee a hit rate at close range.
"They're spitting silk! Get behind the shields!"
Natsuyu noticed the Round-headed Spiders' movements and immediately shouted a warning. The five of them hid behind the Stone Shields, blocking the Spider Silk attacks.
"Kiana, follow the tactics we agreed on," Natsuyu reminded her, taking out his Stone Axe.
"Got it!"
Kiana gripped her Stone Shield and crouched slightly, looking like a pouncing tigress full of vigorous power. In the blink of an eye, she lunged forward five meters, quickly arriving before the nearest Round-headed Spider and raising her shield high.
The Round-headed Spider thrust out its sharp forelegs, wanting to pierce the Kiana in front of it.
Kiana moved slightly. The sharp tips of four spider forelegs slammed hard against her body armor, making a snapping sound.
The spider limbs all broke, leaving only a few small white pits on the Stone Armor. They failed to break her defense!
"You dare attack this lady? Die, monster!"
Kiana swung her shield. With a loud thud, the Round-headed Spider's head caved in. It was sent flying, and as it hit the ground, green blood flowed everywhere. It clearly had no life left.
Watching this scene, Natsuyu complained in his heart:
Who exactly is the monster here!