Weapon-Eating Bastard [EN]: Chapter 33

Weapon-Eating Bastard – Episode 33

The dungeon’s magic is tainted.

If the Land of Red and Blue is a naturally formed lake of magic, then a dungeon is like a stagnant, rotten puddle where magic has gathered for unnatural reasons.

Unless one has reached a certain level of mastery, everyone feels the influence of the dungeon’s distorted magical flow the moment they enter, causing the magic within their body to become twisted. This effect is unavoidable.

The same was true for the Forest of Man-Faced Spiders, a Rank 6 Special Dungeon.

Moreover, the phenomenon was even more pronounced in the Forest of Man-Faced Spiders because of the webs imbued with magic that covered the entire forest.

That’s why even seasoned Hunters were reluctant to enter the Forest of Man-Faced Spiders.

Yet, a shadow, somewhat small to be considered an adult, was fearlessly sprinting through that forest.

The shadow was none other than Lee Cheol, the youngest scion of the Soongmoo Lee Clan.

Swish-

As he ventured deeper into the forest, the sounds of insects and birds began to fade.

The only sound was the brushing of spiderwebs, spread out like tangled threads everywhere, against his clothes and gear.

The forest began to react to the intruder who had entered its territory.

-Kieeeeek!

Right above his head.

Something enormous was hanging on the dense spiderweb.

A Rank 6 monster, the Man-Faced Spider.

A giant spider with a head strangely resembling a human was plummeting towards Lee Cheol.

“Hmph!”

Whoosh!

The magic power, spiraling inward, instantly detonated the Man-Faced Spider.

-Kieeeeeee!

The legs of the Man-Faced Spider, now lying on the ground, curled up in its death throes.

-Kiek!

-Kieeeeek!

-Kieing!

At the same time, the cries of monsters echoed from all directions.

The fact that an outsider had infiltrated and that their comrade had died was communicated through the spiderwebs, acting as a monstrous internet.

-Kieeeeek!

He could feel all the surrounding Man-Faced Spiders rushing towards him.

“Hoo, hoo…”

He took a long breath, maintaining just the right amount of tension.

The Man-Faced Spiders possessed a power befitting their rank, a significant step up from the lower monsters he had encountered in the Land of Red and Blue.

The poison dripping from their fangs was virulent.

Their thick hide, imbued with magic, repelled even solid iron.

And they even possessed the intelligence to coordinate their attacks like a colony.

Indeed, a Rank 6 monster was a Rank 6 monster, and the dungeon was worthy of being a Rank 6 Special.

“Keuk.”

Thud-!

The time it took to cut down three sub-adult Man-Faced Spiders that had rushed in was ten minutes.

He embedded Mujin into the bodies of the fallen Man-Faced Spiders to ensure they were dead.

Anyone who witnessed his current actions would surely be shocked.

Despite being spiders, Man-Faced Spiders have behavioral patterns similar to ants or bees, operating as a hive mind.

So, when they die, they release pheromones that alert those around them to danger.

‘It’s true that this is crazy.’

The combat rules prepared for the Forest of Man-Faced Spiders even stated that even if there was a battle, one should subdue rather than kill until reaching the center.

But he killed the Man-Faced Spiders.

This was the beginning of his plan.

-Kieeeeeeek!

The forest stirred.

The monsters that had been watching him from the quietly submerged forest were now rushing towards him.

‘Good.’

He gathered his magic power and swallowed hard.

There’s no way he wouldn’t know the habits of the Man-Faced Spiders.

Man-Faced Spiders directly devour most prey they hunt.

However, exceptionally, for prey deemed to be highly nutritious, they do not immediately devour it but take it to the center of the Forest of Man-Faced Spiders, their nest, in a poisoned state.

There, the Man-Faced Spiders wrap the prey in spiderwebs until its flesh becomes tender and then use it as food for newly born larvae.

‘The easiest way to be considered nutritious prey is to prove that the prey has great power.’

He focused his magic power and his eyes shone.

Crack! Thud!

Something enormous began to reveal itself from the darkness of the forest.

Compound eyes gleamed in the shadows, and long legs, as big as Lee Cheol’s torso, pushed through the trees and stretched out.

Clatter! Clack!

Knife-like fangs clashed.

“…Finally, an adult has come out.”

The oppressive feeling emanating from it was different from that of the sub-adults on the outskirts.

The adult Man-Faced Spider was truly at the top of the Rank 6 monsters.

Thwack!

As soon as it found him, the adult rushed at him with a speed that seemed impossible given its size.

“Hmph!”

Boom!

The aura enveloping Mujin [his weapon] in the form of a spear struck the adult’s hide.

Even though it was the skin of a monster, a living creature, the sound was like hitting a lump of iron.

Thud!

At that moment, he took a step forward.

He raised the spear above his head and swung it down.

Exorcism.

The power of the aura that stretched out split the adult’s face.

-Kieeeeek!

However, the adult did not die instantly even after suffering a fatal wound.

‘As expected of a Rank 6 monster.’

He was going to crush it completely, but he couldn’t inflict a fatal wound immediately.

But victory is on his side. As he was about to walk forward to finish it off, he had no choice but to stop abruptly.

-Kiek!

-Kereuk!

-Kieeeeee!

A wailing sound like grinding metal.

From the darkness of the forest surrounding him, dozens of pairs of bright red compound eyes floated up.

In an extremely dangerous situation, he smiled instead.

* * *

Choi Inha and the other cadets had finished their preparations according to the plan.

“Report when everyone has finished setting up.”

-Finished here.

-Finished here too.

Choi Inha nodded at the cadets’ reports and looked around the forest.

Her heart was pounding.

It wasn’t because it was her first practical exercise in a while. It was because she was thinking about Lee Cheol.

‘This is crazy.’

Choi Inha recalled the plan she had heard from Lee Cheol before the operation began.

-I’m going to get caught by them on purpose. I’m going to use the habits of the Man-Faced Spiders to film a video.

Lee Cheol said he would exploit that habit.

Choi Inha and all the other cadets vehemently opposed it.

Filming a video is fine.

But what about after that?

The most important person will be dragged away while poisoned.

“Are you crazy?”

Kim Han, who had arrived at the rendezvous point, muttered with a blank expression.

“It’s a crazy plan. Honestly, none of it matches the textbooks we learned.”

“No, that’s not what I mean…”

Kim Han scratched the back of his head.

“I mean, this is crazy, but none of us actively opposed it.”

“…We’re crazy too.”

Choi Inha gave a bitter smile.

-I can handle it right after I’m caught. I can’t explain it in detail, but don’t worry.

And I’m going to make a huge fuss, so you guys infiltrate the forest in the meantime and finish your preparations. Your role is important after the video is filmed. I believe you’ll do well.

This plan is not possible with Lee Cheol doing something alone.

The role of the Class 5 cadets is just as important.

Should they be grateful that he trusted them, or should they be dumbfounded?

Instructor Lee Jung-ho didn’t show any opposition, perhaps because he knew in advance.

“The young master trusts us. There’s that he said.”

As soon as Kim Bo-sung arrived last, she asked him as well.

“And honestly, you two also think that this crazy plan will work, right?”

“…If it’s the young master.”

Choi Inha took a deep breath.

A strange sense of anticipation arises.

This crazy thing, if it’s Lee Cheol and no one else, I have a feeling he’ll pull it off.

The die has already been cast.

“Stop worrying about the young master. Let’s worry about ourselves first.”

“We have to live up to his trust.”

“It’s finally starting.”

Choi Inha, Kim Han, and Kim Bo-sung turned their backs.

-If you prepare according to the plan, you can not only succeed in the mission itself but also achieve more than that. Believe in the three months that you have experienced, not me. This mission, if it’s you guys, won’t be as difficult as you think.

Where the three of them were looking, the cadets were shining their eyes and raising their respective weapons.

The preparation for the operation is complete.

Now it’s a real start.

* * *

I slowly opened my eyes.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw the thread-like spiderwebs that densely wrapped around me.

‘…First of all, the first part went according to plan.’

He continued the battle moderately and pretended to be poisoned by the Man-Faced Spider’s poison and collapsed.

As expected, the Man-Faced Spiders did not immediately devour him.

Transported to their nest, he was hanging high in the Man-Faced Spider’s nest, wrapped in spiderwebs like a cocoon.

‘My condition isn’t bad.’

An adult appeared too quickly than expected, and they rushed in so quickly as if they had prepared in advance, so he almost got into danger.

Fortunately, he was able to enter the center as planned with only minor injuries.

‘The poison is… okay, except for feeling bloated.’

The robust body of the Soongmoo Lee Clan and the effects of the Jahageo Cheong [a medicinal herb or elixir] were enough to counteract most of the poison’s effects.

He didn’t know what the extreme poisons created by prestigious poison clans, including the Aerial Fortress, would be like, but what is certain is that the poison of a mere Rank 6 monster is not particularly scary.

‘Hoo, then…’

He scanned his surroundings with only his senses and then slowly raised his aura to cast the Concealment Technique.

Whoooo-

A hazy aura enveloped his body.

It was on a different level from the Concealment Technique he had used at the Naming Ceremony.

The moment a thin layer of aura landed on his skin, all signs of his presence gradually diminished.

After confirming that, he carefully twisted his body to create space.

Only then could he move his arms.

‘The video equipment is safe.’

He used Mujin to make a gap in the cocoon, pushed in the video equipment, and started filming.

He additionally made a gap in the eye area to check the outside situation.

‘By now, the larvae should have gathered.’

The Man-Faced Spiders hang their prey for 30 minutes at the shortest and 1 hour at the longest.

About 15 minutes have passed now, so it’s time for the larvae to slowly gather.

He kept his body tense and carefully brought his eyes to the hole.

‘Huh?’

The moment he looked to his side, he frowned.

‘How many cocoons are there… Are they prey? Why aren’t they feeding the larvae and saving them?’

Next to him, numerous cocoons made of spiderwebs were hanging in the air.

‘There are too many to have been caught just today. They should have eaten them a long time ago, so why…?’

Could this be part of the abnormal phenomenon that was the purpose of the mission?

He turned his eyes to examine the surroundings a little more closely.

And he couldn’t help but doubt his eyes at the sight that came into his view.

‘…!’

Not a single larva was seen gathering in the nest to eat the prey.

The place was filled with adults.

So many adults that the ground was not visible.

-Kiek.

-Kereuk! Kiek!

Dozens of adults were sitting with their legs folded in the center of the nest, without moving.

As if waiting for something.

As if protecting something.

They were guarding all directions and focusing their consciousness on one side of the nest.

Slowly, very slowly, he also turned his gaze to where the adults’ gazes were directed.

‘…What is that?’

And an alien object that was not considered at all in the plan came into his eyes.

The center of the nest.

There, a huge purple cocoon was attached to the dense spiderwebs.

Doo-geun-

As if reacting to his gaze.

The cocoon throbbed very ominously.