Chapter 54

#054 Chapter

As the surroundings brightened, the appearance of the approaching cave spiders was revealed.

They were rapidly drawing closer, their hairy legs moving incessantly.

The terrified horses snorted and galloped.

“What the hell… Lu Solara…!”

Miguel gasped and pulled on the reins.

Unaffected by the chaos around him, Luci’s gaze was fixed on the burning orbs in the air.

She was captivated by the mystery and beauty unfolding before her eyes.

She had seen wizards before.

But the magic he displayed was nothing like Ian’s, which seemed like child’s play in comparison.

Keeeee!

A cave spider leaped up, approaching the carriage.

Its movement was akin to that of a grasshopper.

A fireball that had been hovering around the carriage shot out immediately afterward.

Pwoooom!

It was not a large explosion.

But it was enough to turn the leaping spider into a ball of fire.

Kiiiiii!

The spider fell to the ground, screaming and rolling.

That was the signal.

Swoosh! Kiiii! Kiiii!

The cave spiders began to leap from all directions.

“Aaaaaah!”

Miguel screamed.

The carriage sped up again.

The horses galloped up the valley’s slope as if it were flat ground.

“Focus on driving! If the horses die, you’ll have to pull the carriage yourself!”

Ian, gritting his teeth, waved his arm.

The fireballs that had been circling the carriage shot out in unison.

Pwoooom!

A dazzling explosion. Luci watched the scene without blinking.

Ian turned to the back of the carriage and extended his hand.

Whoosh!

The flames that instantly rose up shot out again.

The spiders that had broken through the first barrage were once again engulfed in flames.

Luci’s eyes flickered.

This, this is real magic.

She recalled the content of a book she had read before.

In the age of war, each wizard was like an entire army.

Ian’s current appearance was exactly like that.

Snap!

At that moment, a dark shape fell into the cargo area.

It was a cave spider that had successfully landed after breaking through the continuous barrage.

Its thick, hairy legs, its large, black body, and its more than ten eyes were staring down at Luci.

Its vertically slit mouth opened in layers, revealing jagged teeth.

Just as the creature was about to pounce on Luci.

Pwoooom!

Ian, who had leaped into the carriage, kicked the spider’s body.

Ian immediately extended his hand toward the spider that was rolling to the side.

Pwoooom!

The fireball that shot out engulfed the spider.

The spider writhed and screamed. Luci and Ian looked at each other.

Seeming to notice that Luci was not afraid, he said,

“Get in the corner. Hold the torch.”

Without confirming that Luci had nodded, Ian leaped out again.

A gust of wind swept through the spot he had left.

Is this… magic…?

As Luci turned her head, thinking, she saw Ian perched precariously on the saddle of a galloping horse, with a cave spider charging at him.

Whoosh!

In the next moment, the cave spider seemed to be pushed back into the air.

Swoosh!

Ian swung his sword.

Despite not touching the spider, the spider’s body split from head to abdomen.

Green, sticky fluid splattered.

Ian ran to the front of the carriage.

Pwoooom! Kwaang!

A strange battle continued.

Ian circled around, sometimes launching fireballs and sometimes cutting down spiders from a distance, protecting the carriage.

Despite several close calls where he nearly fell off, he managed to regain his balance each time.

Finally, the cave spiders retreated like a receding tide.

Miguel, who had taken the reins with both hands after passing the torch to Luci, burst into cheers.

“Done! We did it! Look! This is our wizard, you damn spiders… huh?”

Miguel’s eyes widened.

Beyond the road that ran along the valley, a dark shadow rose from a protruding rock.

Even from a distance, its abnormal size was evident.

“Miguel, we need to stop.”

Luci spoke.

Miguel reflexively pulled on the reins.

The shadow that had been crouched on the rock rose immediately afterward.

The movement was much more sluggish compared to the cave spiders.

Koooom!

It landed heavily on the slope, a creature far larger than any other cave spider.

Its fur was grayish, and it had sixteen red eyes.

Strangely, the front of its mouth resembled the upper body of a human woman.

Of course, it looked more grotesque than beautiful, as if crudely molded from clay.

Kiiiiii!

A sound like the chirping of insects.

Blocking the path between the creature and the carriage, Ian said,

“You look disgustingly ugly.”

At that moment, a quest window that others could not see appeared in his eyes.

Cave Spider Queen.

Kiiiiii!

The queen, who had crouched, rose again with a heavy movement.

Despite its appearance, it moved at an incredible speed.

Realizing it was about to crush him, Ian whipped the reins.

Whoosh!

A web shot out from the queen’s tail in the next moment.

It was more like a sticky liquid than a web.

“…?!”

Ian, eyes wide, leaped.

The horse, covered in web, rolled on the ground.

Koooom!

The queen struck the horse.

The massive body hit the ground, splattering the horse’s blood and flesh in all directions.

Ian, who had rolled and barely stopped, looked up at the horse, now a lump of flesh.

Kiiiiii…

The queen’s mouth, which resembled a woman’s upper body, was staring down at him.

The mouth split open, revealing a multitude of jagged teeth. Long, sickle-like fangs protruded from the layers of jaws.

Poison dripped from the tips, forming threads.

Ian, with a look of disgust, extended his hand, and the queen charged at him almost simultaneously.

Kwaaaa!

“…!”

Luci’s eyes widened as she watched.

A flame, like a dragon’s breath, shot out from Ian’s hands.

Kiiiiii!

The queen’s head was pushed back.

When the flames subsided, Ian was no longer in that spot.

Instead of retreating, he plunged into the queen’s body.

His hands gripped the Sword of Judgment, which was embedded in the queen’s massive body.

Kwaajik! Kiiiiii!

The queen’s convulsions were faster than Ian’s sword strike.

The creature, which had leaped about ten meters away and landed upside down, quickly regained its balance.

Kiiii! Kiiiiii!

The queen crouched.

The mouth, which had resembled a woman’s, was now even more grotesque, charred by the flames. Four of the red eyes had turned white.

Kiiii! Kiiiiii!

The queen extended its body downward, threateningly.

Green fluid dripped from the wound where the sword had grazed.

Whoosh!

Webs shot out in all directions.

Ian rolled on the ground again.

When he raised his head, the queen was already retreating down the slope.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

The trees around the valley swayed like waves.

The cave spiders were fleeing, following the queen.

“…They can run….”

Ian, standing up with a sense of relief, was now almost a beggar, having run around and rolled on the ground.

“You’ve worked hard. To repel such a crazy monster again… I always feel it’s unbelievable, even when I see it.”

Miguel raised his arms in welcome.

Ian, responding with a sneer, suddenly met Luci’s gaze.

“Not all wizard battles are like this. I’m just half a wizard, so this is what I look like.”

Luci shook her head.

“It didn’t seem like you were half a wizard at all. It was really, really amazing.”

Despite her sincerity, Ian’s expression remained unchanged as he climbed into the cargo area.

“This is nothing.”

As the carriage started moving again, he turned to Luci.

“You’ll become a much greater wizard than me, at least in red magic.”

“…”

It was a story she couldn’t even imagine or believe.

Luci looked down at her hands.

She tried to focus her mind, but nothing happened, just as it had all day.

“Not just you, but Luci was amazing too. She didn’t scream once.”

“She was the only one who screamed. Luci wasn’t afraid. No….”

Ian shrugged.

“I’ve never seen anyone afraid of such things.”

“I’m not afraid.”

Luci answered calmly.

“I’m not afraid of dying or getting hurt at all.”

But what I’m afraid of is….

She swallowed the rest of her words, and Ian licked his lips.

“There’s that look again. How long are you going to keep it up?”

“That’s what I’m saying. We’ve spent so much time together. Let’s be comfortable, okay?”

Miguel, raising his eyebrows, looked back.

Ian frowned.

“Don’t make that face again, especially in front of a child.”

“That’s a face that looks friendly, at least to me.”

“Maybe among thieves.”

Luci suppressed the corners of her mouth, which were trying to curl up, and the emotions spreading in her chest.

It wasn’t difficult, as she had done it all her life.

‘This is right.’

Luci whispered to herself.

If she were to like them more than she does now, she would surely face great misfortune.

Just like everyone else she had liked.

The slope of the valley gradually became gentler.

The surroundings had become more like a canyon than a valley.

“…Is that a cave?”

Miguel suddenly said.

Midway up the slope, a large crevice in the rock was shrouded in an ominous darkness.

“Yes. That’s probably the spiders’ nest… Oh.”

Ian, staring at the cave, sighed.

His eyes flickered.

“…How much further until we pass through the valley?”

“We haven’t even reached the top yet. We’ll probably have to keep moving until late in the morning. The horses are more dangerous going downhill.”

“What if we face another pursuit like before?”

“The horses won’t last. At least not tonight. If a leg breaks on the downhill, it’s over. But why are you asking this suddenly?”

“The queen doesn’t seem to have given up on us.”

Ian, without taking his eyes off the cave, added.

Luci couldn’t even imagine what he was seeing.

Miguel’s face lost its color.

“Will… she chase us again?”

“Probably. …There’s nothing we can do.”

Ian, clicking his tongue, stood up.

He turned to Miguel and said,

“Wait here quietly.”

“…You’re going in alone?”

“Do you want to come with me?”

“No, I mean, I’d just be a burden… Someone has to guard the carriage.”

Ian, as if expecting this answer, sneered and continued.

“It seems all the spiders nearby are in there. Just in case, set up a few torches around. They’re afraid of fire.”

“Got it.”

“You can handle a few of them on your own. They’re cunning, so don’t let your guard down. Just hit their heads or bellies.”

Ian nodded at Miguel’s belt-axe and turned to Luci.

Seeing her nod, as if telling her not to worry, he immediately leaped.

The wind swirled again.

Ian, running up the valley like a flying squirrel, disappeared into the crevice.

“Anyway, if I go with that guy, I’d need ten lives….”

Miguel muttered as he set up torches around the carriage.

After placing several rocks against the wheels, he finally climbed back onto the driver’s seat.

“But, watching him do that, I keep wanting to follow him. It’s surprising, isn’t it?”

“It’s amazing. Impressive.”

Luci nodded.

Miguel smiled.

A criminal-like smile.

“Right? No one would believe me if I told them. That guy does this kind of thing as easily as eating. From what I see, that cave will be—”

Kwrrr! Kiiii! Kiiiii!

At that moment, a rumbling roar and screams echoed from beyond the cave.

Miguel, who had turned to look at the cave, met Luci’s eyes and shrugged.

“…It’s going to be a mess. I’m glad I didn’t go. It’s definitely a sight you can’t handle in your right mind. It was the same last time.”

“I’m curious.”

“I was the same before