Arthur's shock lasted only a few seconds before he heard a strange sound coming from the hole he had fallen through. In the next moment, a massive ant toppled beside him onto its back.
Splash!
Water sprayed onto his face, and his eyes widened further. Without hesitation, he unsheathed his long, sharp claws and swung them quickly, severing the ant's head with precision—careful not to touch the fungus.
The head fell to the side, yet it didn't die immediately. Its jaws and legs continued twitching.
Stranger still, the fungus growing on it began to pulse violently and swell, while the ant's body dried and shriveled, as if all its strength had been drained.
Arthur shuddered in disgust and thought,
'This is strange… did the fungus sense it was dying and consume it quickly to survive? Perhaps… after all, it's a parasite, and it clearly needs a reserve of life energy until it finds its next host.'
His theory seemed very logical, prompting him to step back from the ant's corpse, wary that the fungus might suddenly leap at him and make him its next host.
His fear was justified, given the ferocity and danger of this parasite.
Speaking of parasites, once the situation settled slightly, Arthur felt the fungal sphere inside him stir even more intensely after arriving in this place.
Suspicious, he turned and looked back toward the branching crevices in the cave, muttering,
"Whatever is triggering the fungus… it must be in that direction. I've already gotten too close—let's just hope it doesn't kill me."
Arthur no longer had any desire to investigate the source of the fungus. All he wanted now was to get out of this place.
Without hesitation, he moved quickly in the opposite direction, unwilling to stay in one spot and wait for more ants to arrive.
The stream he was moving through was very shallow; the water barely reached his knees, so it posed no problem for his movement.
To conserve his energy, he jogged at a steady pace while carefully scanning his surroundings, searching for any sign or clue that could lead him out. But he found nothing—only more branching tunnels stretching deeper into the earth.
He didn't understand—or rather, couldn't comprehend—how this vast network of tunnels could exist beneath the forest.
As more time passed and he traveled an unknown distance through the darkness, he grew increasingly agitated, feeling a tightness in his chest as if he were a prisoner, and his rational mind began to fade.
"The exit… where is the exit? I have to get out of here! Why does this cursed cave go on endlessly? I'm sure I've run for tens of miles already… this is insane…"
Suddenly, his pupils constricted as he realized something critical that he had overlooked. Stunned, he froze and quickly checked his body. Then he opened his mouth and muttered in disbelief:
"The Spider Woman's webs… they're gone? I can't feel them anymore. Thinking about it, I must have crossed the boundary of the area I was allowed to move in… so why didn't anything happen?"
He struggled to calm himself and tried to suppress the effects of the full moon's frenzy so he could think clearly. After a brief moment, he spoke again, uncertain:
"Did I just… break free from them, just like that? I really don't understand."
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't accept what had happened. The Spider Woman was immensely powerful;
it made no sense—or logic—for him to break free from her grasp so easily. The only alternative would be if she were dead, which was impossible.
Splash!
While lost in his confusion, he heard a faint sound indicating something had fallen into the water near him. Instinctively, he turned and scanned the area with caution.
That was when he saw a long, black object beneath the water, looking like a small tree trunk drifting slowly toward him.
'Is that a monster?'
Naturally, he realized immediately that what he was seeing wasn't a log or anything of the sort, given the nature of the place. Before he could get a closer look at its shape, the black object suddenly lunged and pounced on him.
"Argh!"
Arthur was caught completely off guard. He leaped aside quickly to dodge the attack, but he was a bit slow.
Before he could fully process what was happening, the black object streaked past him, and he felt a sharp, cold blade stab into the side of his chest, tearing a long, deep gash across his body that reached all the way to his haunch.
Despite the pain, he remained calm. He activated his Regeneration skill to heal himself, then leaped again to distance himself from his enemy.
Once he had established a safe distance, he unleashed all his combat prowess and took a defensive stance. Only then could he clearly see the black monster.
It was a massive black centipede with a long body and dozens of legs. Its face featured two long, sharp mandibles resembling twin scythes, one of which was dripping with blood.
Arthur didn't care about the centipede's appearance; the first thing he did was inspect its body for any growing fungi. Fortunately, the centipede was a natural monster, which made him let out a breath of relief.
Only then did he bare his fangs and claws, his beastly side taking over as he snarled fiercely,
"You damn insect, how dare you wound me. I'll kill you."
The centipede was weaker than him, so he didn't hesitate at all. He sprinted through the waterway, water splashing with every step, then leaped and pounced with all his strength. As soon as he reached it, he swung his claws, aiming for its head.
The centipede didn't flee or dodge the attack. It stood on its many hind legs, thrust its head upward, and intercepted the blow with its hard mandibles.
Clang!
Spark flew, and the sound of clashing metal echoed. Given the difference in their Strength, the centipede's head was knocked back, and several deep scratches appeared on its mandibles.
Without stopping, Arthur swung his claws again, severing many of the centipede's upper legs and gashing its chest deeply.
Screech!
The centipede shrieked in pain and retreated quickly. Despite the damage, it didn't try to flee—not out of courage, but because more centipede monsters appeared, surrounding Arthur from every side.
Not only that, but at that exact moment, something else appeared that made Arthur's jaw drop.
[Restarting...]
"Is it possible... after all this time..."
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