Three hundred meters away from the Spider Warrior.
Natsuyu was crouched on the ground, striking the earth with his hands.
With four rapid swings of his arms, a one-cubic-meter cube of soil popped out, leaving a perfectly square pit in the ground.
"As I thought, digging is an option."
Natsuyu allowed a smile to spread across his face as he continued digging relentlessly.
His plan was simple.
Construct a pitfall trap and lure the Spider Warrior into it. The creature's immense weight would cause it to be impaled by weapons buried at the bottom, piercing through its chitinous shell.
Rather than straining his brain for a complex alternative, it was better to trust the wisdom passed down through generations of ancient hunters. Digging a trap might be primitive, but as long as it successfully took down the Spider Warrior, it was the right move.
Natsuyu dug rapidly, his arms moving so fast they left afterimages. He became a human excavator, digging until his muscles felt sore and numb. At record speed, he created a massive pit twenty meters in diameter and ten meters deep.
He collected a staggering three thousand units of soil in the process.
Fortunately, the stacking limit for soil blocks wasn't 40, but 99 per slot. Even so, Natsuyu filled over four Simple Backpacks. He flattened these extra backpacks and used their built-in straps to lash them together, carrying them alongside his main gear.
"I wonder if Kiana can still hold on over there."
Natsuyu could hear the distant tremors vibrating through the air once or twice a minute, signifying that the battle was still raging.
However, the Spider Warrior seemed to be finding them troublesome; the frequency of its attacks had dropped. This was undoubtedly thanks to Sakuraba Ema, whose ability caused the monster's stamina to drain severely, forcing it to pause and rest after every strike.
With the pit dug, Natsuyu prepared to bury the Stone-tipped Wooden Arrows...
No, wait.
"Stone-tipped arrows won't work. While the stone tips can pierce its defense, the wood is too fragile and the shafts are too thin. The Spider Warrior's terrifying weight would snap them instantly."
Natsuyu decided on Stone Swords instead.
Stone Swords were hard enough, and their tips were sharpened to a lethal point, making them the most suitable weapon for the job.
Using the resources everyone had helped gather before the encounter with the Round-headed Spiders, Natsuyu crafted a large batch of Stone Swords. He buried them upright every meter, forming the foundation of the trap, with a few left over.
After a moment's thought, he took out some stones to craft Stone Walls. He laid the walls horizontally, paving the bottom of the pit into a solid stone floor before resetting the Stone Swords.
Unlike soft soil, a stone floor offered no cushioning. The Spider Warrior would sustain damage just from the impact of falling from such a height—to say nothing of the swords waiting below.
"Now it just comes down to execution. I have to lure that spider in."
Natsuyu climbed out of the pit and erected several Wooden Walls around the perimeter to encircle the trap. At the very least, it would prevent the Spider Warrior from spotting the hole at first glance.
Done with the preparations, Natsuyu took a deep breath.
The Spider Warrior viewed them as prey. To Natsuyu, this Intermediate Monster was his hunting target!
Allowing such a horrific creature to roam nearby would endanger every future excursion. If Kiana wasn't with them, they'd be in constant peril, which would drastically hinder their efficiency. Coexistence was impossible; it was a battle to the death.
Today, the Spider Warrior had to fall!
Natsuyu finished the setup and sprinted back toward the battlefield.
Near the stream, the oak trees—entangled in thick ropes of spider silk—leaned at jagged angles, looking like a disaster zone. Kiana and the three girls were in a standoff with the Spider Warrior from a distance.
As the monster lunged forward to attack, Yukinoshita Yukino and the others, who had already shed their Stone Armor, nimbly dodged out of the way. Kiana, still fully armored, stepped forward with her shield and sword to intercept.
The Spider Warrior's movements were sluggish; Ema's ability was clearly still weighing on it. Kiana fought while retreating, successfully stalling the beast with ease.
Natsuyu rushed over, sighing in relief when he saw no one was injured. Looking at Kiana's invincible back, he felt that if they could find iron ore and craft an Iron Sword, Kiana could probably solo the Spider Warrior.
Kiana was definitely their "carry" for the early game. After this battle, he'd have to make sure she received top-tier treatment.
"Natsuyu!"
Sakuraba Ema was the first to spot him, crying out in delight. "You're back!"
Natsuyu scanned the group. Kushida Kikyo was slumped over Yukinoshita's back; she had likely used her ability several times, as she looked severely drained. She was gazing at him as if he were her savior. Yukinoshita's tense expression also relaxed slightly.
While trading blows with the monster, Kiana shouted energetically:
"Natsuyu! Did you find a way? I can't do anything to this big guy, I'm counting on you!"
Natsuyu cleared his throat, not entirely sure his plan would work.
"I have a plan. Kiana, stall it just a bit longer. Ema, get on my back."
Natsuyu knelt down with his back to Ema, gesturing for her to climb up.
"Eh? E-Eh?!"
Ema gasped, covering her mouth as a pink flush crept across her cheeks. Her hesitation lasted only half a second before she jogged over, her hands trembling as she gripped Natsuyu's shoulders and shifted her weight onto him.
Earlier, Ema had been carried around by Natsuyu while dodging attacks, but back then, they were separated by Stone Armor and her mind was consumed by danger. She hadn't felt shy.
Now, pressed against Natsuyu's back, she could feel the warmth of the young man's skin and his solid, reliable touch. Her face turned burning hot, and her eyes darted around in embarrassment.
Natsuyu hoisted Ema up, finding her surprisingly light. He turned and shouted, "Everyone, this way!"
Kiana immediately disengaged, joining Yukinoshita in following Natsuyu's lead.
"HISSSSS—!"
The Spider Warrior was unwilling to let its prey escape. It leaped into the air, pursuing them from behind.
Natsuyu glanced back and saw that the monster's jumps were now barely clearing the oak trees. Its mobility had dropped significantly. He couldn't help but steal a glance at Ema's face, which was inches from his own.
He had miscalculated earlier; if they had used Ema to weaken the Spider Warrior from the start, they probably could have just run away. He wasn't sure what the range of Ema's ability was, but even if they couldn't shake the spider entirely, it certainly wouldn't have been able to catch them.
Ema met Natsuyu's gaze and averted her eyes like a startled animal, her face flustered.
"Na—Natsuyu, do you think I'm heavy?"
"No, you're very light."
After all, Ema's figure wasn't nearly as developed as Kikyo's; she was barely any weight at all.
Natsuyu turned back and focused on the path, soon arriving at the trap.
Looking at the strange area enclosed by Wooden Walls, Kiana asked curiously, "Natsuyu, is this your plan to kill the spider?"
"Yeah."
Natsuyu briefly explained the trap.
Yukinoshita Yukino, panting from exhaustion, followed behind. Hearing the plan, she pressed a hand to her forehead.
"Isn't this just a common hunter's pitfall... though it does seem effective, and it's probably our best option right now."
"But how are we going to get the big spider to jump in voluntarily? We can't rely on wishful thinking."
Natsuyu looked back at the Spider Warrior as it launched itself toward them.
"It moves by jumping."
"We just need Kiana to lie in wait behind the wooden wall. When it jumps, she knocks it into the pit."
"Kikyo, get ready to use Sight Shift to keep it on a straight path. Don't let it veer around the trap. Can you do that?"
"Yukinoshita, you two keep running past the pit to act as lures."
Yukinoshita visualized the scenario and felt a spark of admiration.
"Using Sight Shift to ensure it chases us in a straight line... Though there's still a chance of failure, your plan is remarkably thorough."
Kiana pumped her fist, saying indignantly, "Let's do it Natsuyu's way! Together, we'll kill this hateful big spider!"
★ ★ ★
T/N: Daily reminder: If you spot any mistranslations, feel free to reach out. pece thumbs_up.jpg