An intermediate monster, the Spider Warrior!
Natsuyu's eyes widened.
The Spider Warrior was currently about two hundred meters away. Using the ten-meter-tall trees as a reference, the appraisal's description of "six meters long and three meters high" likely referred to the span from its abdomen to its head and the height of its torso.
That didn't even account for those eight spider legs, which were longer than its actual body.
To put it in perspective, the torso alone was roughly the size of a standard hotel room.
The power gap between lower-level and intermediate monsters is way too huge!
Furthermore, the Spider Warrior came equipped with a Fear Aura that could drain Sanity over a wide area. To think it was only one rank higher than a Round-headed Spider... Natsuyu wondered if there was a mistake in the classification.
Taking a sharp breath, Natsuyu was now certain that this world functioned similarly to Don't Starve, complete with the mechanic where proximity to monsters caused Sanity to drop.
Being targeted by such a horrific creature weighed heavily on him. His first instinct was to run and draw its aggro away. With his high Physique, he might be able to kite the Spider Warrior and eventually break its line of sight.
Sakuraba Ema and Kushida Kikyo, however, lacked the physical stats to survive. If the Spider Warrior spotted them, they were finished.
Just as Natsuyu prepared to bolt, his keen vision caught the Spider Warrior's crimson eyes tracking something further away in mid-air.
It was looking toward Kiana and the others!
Because the Spider Warrior jumped so high, it had a vast field of vision. It had already locked onto all of them!
Natsuyu tried running to the left, but the spider's trajectory didn't change. Without hesitation, he sprinted back the way he came at top speed.
He wasn't far from the group. By the time he leaped over the creek and reached them, he found the girls staring in shock at the approaching monster.
Kushida Kikyo and Sakuraba Ema were in poor shape; their faces were pale with panic, and they were trembling uncontrollably.
In contrast, Kiana—whose Soul attribute was also not particularly high—faced the Spider Warrior's Fear Deterrence with a serious expression, showing no signs of falling into a panic.
Seeing that his primary combatant, Kiana, was still reliable, Natsuyu breathed a sigh of relief. He looked back; the Spider Warrior leaped again, closing the distance to 150 meters.
"Yuu-kun, what do we do?!"
Kushida Kikyo was at her wit's end, instinctively turning to the group's pillar of support.
Kiana drew her Stone Sword and Stone Shield, also looking at Natsuyu for direction. "Are we fighting? That big guy looks like a handful."
Kikyo's face was ashen as she waved her arms frantically, trying to save herself. "I—I think we should fight!"
Natsuyu knew there was no time for hesitation. He was already leaning toward a confrontation. It boiled down to two choices: flight or fight.
The Spider Warrior moved incredibly fast with its leaping starts. If they chose to flee, only Kiana, with her superior Physique, was guaranteed to escape. Even Natsuyu or Yukinoshita Yukino in her cat-ification form might not be 100% successful in outrunning this behemoth.
Kushida Kikyo and Sakuraba Ema would be certain casualties.
If even one person died, the team Natsuyu had worked so hard to build would collapse instantly. Moreover, if Ema felt abandoned before she died, it might trigger her psychological trauma and cause her to undergo "Witch-ification," potentially massacring the whole world...
Kikyo had realized that in a retreat, she would likely be the one discarded, which was why she was so desperate to convince everyone to stand their ground. In the face of a life-or-death crisis, even a "dummy" like Kikyo could become very perceptive.
As for choosing to fight...
Natsuyu looked at his teammates. Kiana could take the monster head-on while he and Yukinoshita provided support, protecting the two powerful utility players, Ema and Kikyo, while looking for openings to attack.
Though it was still dangerous and carried the risk of injury or death, with Kiana there, their win rate wasn't low.
Unfortunately, the Spider Warrior's excellent vision meant Natsuyu didn't even have the option to lure it away; it had seen them all from the start.
Natsuyu took a deep breath and made a decisive call:
"Abandoning teammates is not the right thing to do. Prepare for battle!"
Abandoning?
Sakuraba Ema's expression shifted as she realized that she would have been the first to be left behind if they ran. A wave of lingering fear washed over her, followed by a look of deep gratitude toward Natsuyu.
Her greatest fear was being abandoned and returning to being all alone. Even against such a terrifying monster, Natsuyu hadn't given up on her.
Even though being in this scary place is sad, it's so good to have met Yuu-kun and everyone!
Ema's eyes welled up. She gripped her collar tightly with one hand and gave a heavy, determined nod, her voice thick with emotion.
"Mhm! Yuu-kun... everyone... we will definitely win!"
Don't go raising death flags like that!
Kikyo breathed a sigh of relief, looking at Natsuyu with genuine gratitude. She was cheering wildly in her mind: So cool, Natsuyu!
She hadn't expected Natsuyu to truly practice what he preached. He wasn't being hypocritical at all; he actually had the courage to fight a horrific monster to protect her and Ema.
Kikyo knew how hypocritical she was. Faced with Natsuyu, who seemed to be glowing with righteousness, she felt a momentary flash of inferiority. However, that was quickly replaced by the urgency of the life-or-death crisis as she watched the Spider Warrior approach with high-strung intensity.
Kiana gave a thumbs up and laughed, winking. "That's the spirit! Let's take this big guy down!"
Natsuyu noticed that after he announced their intention to fight, Ema and Kikyo's mental states improved significantly, as if they had developed an immunity to the Spider Warrior's Fear Deterrence.
This was a good sign; it meant the deterrence skill could be countered by boosting morale. Their chances of winning increased again.
Yukinoshita Yukino stared at the Spider Warrior's massive, hideous body, her expression freezing. She clenched her fists to steady her nerves.
"...While that was a very manly display, I hope we don't all die here fighting such a monster. Natsuyu, how are we doing this?"
There was hardly any time left to discuss tactics; the Spider Warrior was already within 100 meters.
Natsuyu spoke concisely:
"Kiana, I'm leaving the front line to you."
"Yukinoshita and I will protect Ema and Kikyo. We'll support Kiana with crossbows and our abilities."
"Decide for yourselves whether to wear armor. Be warned, though—I'm not sure if Stone Armor can actually block the Spider Warrior's attacks."
Kiana raised her Stone Shield, puffed out her chest confidently, and laughed. "Even though this big guy looks scary, I can handle the front by myself. This Young Lady will finish it off and make sure nobody gets hurt!"
Natsuyu's eyes sparkled. Lady Kiana really provides an incredible sense of security!
"I want to wear the armor," Sakuraba Ema decided softly.
With her low physical stats, she didn't trust her ability to dodge. Wearing armor at least gave her a chance to survive if she was hit.
Kikyo made the same choice, using the last few seconds to don her gear.
Yukinoshita Yukino held a Stone Shield in one hand and a crossbow in the other. She looked at her teammates nervously, braced herself mentally, and activated her ability. Cat ears sprouted from the top of her head, and a cat tail appeared behind her.
"Yukino turned into a cat-girl!"
Kiana and the other two were surprised by her transformation, but with the enemy looming, they had no energy to dwell on it.
Yukinoshita let out a breath and focused her gaze on the Spider Warrior.
Distance: 30 meters.