He was waiting in front of the cave, hidden behind a tree. In one hand he held his shield, in the other a red liquid.
First, he felt the slight vibrations coming from the depths of the cave. The ground was shaking with an indistinct rhythm—like the beating of a giant heart. Then a rustling sound came from the darkness; like wet skin rubbing against fabric, like numerous joints moving simultaneously.
The creature that appeared at the mouth of the cave resembled a massive spider at first glance; it stood balanced on eight long, jointed legs. Its legs were covered with a glossy black armor, and dark red veins pulsated at each joint. Each leg was at least two meters long and ended with bony, sharp hooks—the scratching sound they made as they rubbed against stone was like fingernails dragged across a blackboard.
As the creature's upper body emerged from the cave, the true nightmare was revealed. Atop the spider body was a naked human upper torso that seemed forcibly attached. From the waist up, it belonged to what was once recognizably female.
The face of the womanlike upper body was drawn with features so regular they could almost be called beautiful at first glance. But upon closer inspection, it became clear that no trace of humanity remained in that face. The eyes were a dull milk-white—no pupils, just two opaque, chalk-like spheres. The mouth was much wider and more flexible than normal; the lower jaw hung at an unnatural angle and contained three rows of needle-like teeth. Her hair, once perhaps beautiful, fell to her shoulders in black curls, but now spider webs and small, wriggling shapes could be seen among these locks.
The most disturbing feature of the creature was its abdomen. The underside of the spider body was much more swollen than normal, and its taut skin was almost translucent. Shapes in constant motion could be seen inside—as if hundreds of tiny creatures were swimming freely in their mother's womb. Occasionally, a bulge would appear on this taut skin, giving the impression that something inside was pressing, wanting to get out.
When it approached the cave entrance, the creature stopped and sniffed the air. The human upper body straightened, and its head tilted sideways at an unnatural angle. Those milk-white eyes seemed blind, yet the creature was definitely sensing its surroundings—perhaps through vibrations or smells.
At the mouth of the cave lay four dead rabbits. Blood had formed small pools around the bodies. The creature had paused at this sight. Its jaw structure pulled back at an odd angle and a greenish saliva began to flow from its mouth.
The creature began to move forward, cautious but mad with hunger. The womanlike upper body was slightly bent forward, arms stretched toward the rabbits. Its decaying fingernails opened and closed impatiently.
Boran, waiting behind the tree, saw that the creature had come exactly to the spot he wanted. He suddenly released the thick rope he was holding. The wooden mechanism attached to the end of the rope had been hidden above the cave entrance. A giant wooden plank filled with nails began to move with a creaking sound as the rope slackened.
Just as the creature was about to reach the rabbits and grasp the first dead body with its front legs, it sensed the slight vibration from above. Those dull, milk-white eyes turned upward for a moment. But it was too late to react.
The wooden platform weighing over two hundred kilograms, with hundreds of sharp nails, began to fall. When the womanlike upper body of the creature felt the shadow of the platform above it, it reflexively tried to pull back, but its spider legs couldn't react at the same speed. The trap from above crashed into the human part of the creature with a horrible noise.
The moment of impact echoed with a terrifying scream that shattered the silence of the forest. The nails penetrated deeply into the woman's body. Each iron nail, at least thirty centimeters long, easily pierced through flesh, bones, and joints. The force of the impact had pinned the creature to the cave floor with the platform.
The creature's white eyes were now bright red. Its mouth had opened unnaturally wide with pain—at an angle no normal human jaw could ever achieve. Dark fluid gushing from the woman's body, in green and black hues, spilled over the edges of the platform and flowed onto the cave floor.
But the truly horrifying sight was that the creature was still alive. Despite its upper body being completely crushed and torn apart, its spider legs continued to move frantically. All eight legs were thrashing wildly on the ground, struggling to free it from under the platform.
Boran slowly emerged from among the trees. There was neither fear nor disgust on his face. Only cold determination could be read there. He approached the spider-woman creature with careful steps, tightly holding the bottle filled with red liquid.
The creature's writhing intensified. Now the lower part of the spider body, especially that swollen abdomen, had begun to tremble. Cracks started to appear on the taut, semi-transparent skin. The tiny creatures imprisoned inside were struggling to get out, sensing their mother's death.
Boran saw the first tiny spider sliding out from the first crack in the swollen abdomen. The cat-sized creature began to run rapidly on the ground as soon as it emerged from its mother's body. A second one followed, then a third. Within seconds, the cave floor began to be covered with dozens of tiny spiders.
Without panicking, Boran threw the red bottle toward the mother's abdomen. When the bottle hit that taut skin surface, it shattered like crystal. The liquid inside splattered onto the creature's body and the ground. A sharp, metallic odor filled the air.
Just a few seconds later, the red liquid ignited upon contact with the oxygen in the air. First a small flash, then a sudden explosion. Blue-red flames completely engulfed the creature's abdomen. The spiders inside began to scream—a sound like creatures being fried alive in hot oil.
The flames spread rapidly and engulfed the mother's entire body. The spider legs now twitched uncontrollably, convulsed, then stiffened one by one. The fire in the abdominal region was so intense that the fluid inside was boiling, forming bubbles and exploding. Each explosion propelled tiny spider bodies into the air, which then caught fire and scattered around.
Boran took a few steps back but couldn't take his eyes off this scene. He watched the burning creature's final convulsions. What remained of the woman's body was now unrecognizable—merely a mass of melted flesh and charred bones. The spider legs had shriveled and curled up in the flames.
The fire was licking the cave ceiling, its smoke filling the deep hollows. Boran now realized the true danger. There were small spiders escaping. Some had survived the flames and were fleeing into the depths of the cave or outside, toward the forest. Each was a miniature copy of their mother—their upper bodies were in barely discernible embryonic form. If these small creatures grew, soon the entire forest would be filled with a new nightmare, and Bloodveil Crossing would be under threat.
The horned skeleton beside Boran was hunting the fleeing offspring with its arrow. It wasn't allowing any spider to escape.
-----
Quest Completed [Killing Their Mothers]
Objective: Kill 20 Hollow-Wombed Matriarch
Reward: 30000XP, 3000 Gold
[Item Piece Acquired: Blood-Soaked Talisman]
Description: Once this piece was the heart of a giant medallion. It was forged with the spirit of sacrifice, sealed with blood. Now only its echoes remain.
----
"Only the boss remains, Boney," he said as he approached the skeleton. "But let's take care of it tomorrow, I'm too tired today. I need some sleep."
He made the shield in his hand disappear with a gesture and removed the helmet covering his face. "The first thing I'll do when we get out of here is shave all the hair on my face. It's uncomfortable under the helmet," said Boran as he walked into the forest.
***
As Boran was making his way through the forest, he turned onto a path he had never taken before.
"How could I have missed this for months? And here I was, fooling myself that I knew the entire forest like the back of my hand."
The path gradually narrowed and seemed to disappear among the tall trees. Several times he thought, "I hope this isn't a dead end," but he persisted in walking. He couldn't suppress the restless feeling of curiosity inside him. After nearly ten minutes of walking, he noticed the trees beginning to thin out. A clearing appeared on the horizon.
The forest ended abruptly, and a small valley opened up before him. Moonlight illuminated the entire valley, highlighting every detail with a silvery shimmer. Under the bright light, the structure rising in the center of the valley stood in all its glory.
An old, dilapidated church... The stone walls of the structure had darkened with the wearing effects of time, and parts had completely collapsed. The bell tower at the top was only standing halfway. The garden surrounding the church had been neglected for a long time; grass and vines had enveloped the building and sprouted even between the stones. Yet within this ruined appearance, something caught his attention.
A bright, golden light shining through the church's broken stained-glass windows...
The light pulsed at regular intervals, sometimes shining so brightly that it was dazzling even in this endless night. From among the trees, he heard sounds carried by the wind. The sound of breaking wood... Angry growls... The sound of a fight, a conflict.
"Boney, get back into the ring for now," Boran whispered to the skeleton beside him.
As he moved a few steps closer, the sounds from inside became clearer. A girl's loud, incomprehensible words, the sound of claws striking the floor, howls of pain... All coming from inside this old stone structure.
"Someone inside is fighting Wretchbound Howlers," Boran muttered as his shield suddenly appeared in his hand. "But here? What could someone possibly be looking for in this old ruin?"
Suddenly, a howl from inside echoed throughout the valley. At the same moment, such a powerful burst of yellow light came through the church's broken stained glass that Boran had to raise his hand to shield his eyes. The light extinguished within seconds, and a brief silence prevailed.
With quick steps, he climbed the crumbling stairs and approached the main entrance of the church. The door had come off its hinges and was half-open. As he got closer, he could hear the growls and a girl's exhausted breathing from inside.
As he gripped his shield tightly and took another step, he was startled by a sudden magical explosion from inside. Then came another noise that shook the church walls and another yellow light explosion illuminating the windows. This time, the light shone longer, hanging in the air as it slowly faded.
"Come here, cursed creatures!" a voice shouted from inside the church. It was a young girl's voice, tired but determined. "Take one more step! I'll send you all to hell!"
Sensing danger, Boran's instincts kicked in. He quickly ran toward the wooden door of the church, raised his shield in front of him, and rammed the door with all his might. When his shield and body hit the door, the rotten wood shattered with a loud crash. The door broke off its hinges and flew inward, and Boran found himself in the main hall of the church.