"Hmm? No, it's to prevent the spider webs from sticking and clumping together. Here! This is for you, Gravel, so just apply it occasionally to your shoulders, legs, and head."
After handing Gravel a leather pouch filled with Lompia powder, Mahara rubbed her hands together to shake off the dust.
"Shall we get started then?"
"Yes."
"Then, apply this to the gathering rod."
Mahara approached with a small jar of black ointment she had pulled from her bag, directing it toward the long rod she had given Gravel as they left the workshop.
"So, smear this on the end of the gathering rod, and while twisting the rod, reel in the spider webs. If the webs seem to be clumping too much, just sprinkle a bit of the Lompia powder."
Mahara demonstrated the gathering method to Gravel by using the rod's tip to scoop up a spider web that was dangling from a nearby branch, swaying in the wind.
"And this stuff on the end of the rod..."
"It's dried scorpion and herbs that repel spiders, ground up and mixed with beeswax. It drives the spiders away. It's good to apply it to your body too, but just smearing it on the rod's tip and waving it around works wonders."
Having finished her explanation, Mahara stepped forward in front of Gravel.
Weaving between the trees in the forest, Mahara skillfully snagged the sparse spider webs—clumped on branches or bushes, or fluttering shapelessly in the wind—with her rod as she walked.
The two began venturing deeper into the forest little by little. Whether due to the ointment on the rod's tip or not, they didn't encounter any spiders, but at the distant rustle of spider legs crunching through fallen leaves, they had to pause, lean against a tree, and scan their surroundings warily.
"Hmm... It seems like other gatherer uncles have already passed through here, so there aren't many spider webs left."
Mahara expressed her disappointment with a long sigh exhaled through her pursed lips and nose.
"We'll have to head into the deep forest of the southern spiders' territory. Is that okay?"
"Yes. Let's do that."
"Then... We'll skip the small webs and move quickly. But from here on, you need to be even more careful. There are ones that clump webs on the forest floor to set traps. Watch where you step."
"Understood."
Gravel replied with a soft, smiling gaze and followed behind Mahara.
Thus, the two proceeded cautiously toward the depths of the forest. Unlike the outskirts, the spider webs visible on the trees and stretching between branches grew denser and thicker.
It wasn't a thick fog, but a faint, pale blue mist lingered on the forest floor.
"This spot looks like it has some worth gathering."
"Indeed. There are definitely more spider webs here than on the outskirts."
"These are spiders that feed on flowers and infuse their scent, so the webs are far superior to ordinary ones!"
While chatting with Gravel, Mahara suddenly halted and gazed at a distant tree. Spotting a large radial web stretched between two trees, interwoven with crossing threads, she approached with a delighted expression. And just as Mahara was about to reel in the web with her gathering rod...
An unknown animal's cry echoed through the forest, reaching the ears of Mahara and Gravel.
"Hmm? That sounds like an animal caught in a spider web... A deer? We should check it out. The sound came from over there, right?"
"Yes. It seems so."
Gravel had already sensed through his extended mana that the cry spreading through the forest belonged to a deer struggling in a spider web, but explaining it to Mahara would take too long, so he quietly followed her as she gathered webs.
Shortly after, Gravel and Mahara crouched low behind a thick tree, observing a massive spider.
"Just as I thought... It was a deer caught in the web." Mahara whispered in a low voice.
The enormous spider was eyeing the deer ensnared in its web. Slightly larger than the deer, the spider paused briefly before moving its massive legs toward the prey. The deer thrashed in place, entangled in the web, crying out.
The deer's terrified cry rang out again upon seeing the approaching spider—a sound laced with desperation and fear, mirroring its frantic struggles to escape the impending agony.
The deer tried to rise and leap away, but the web only tightened further, binding it more securely.
Drawing near, the spider injected venom with its fangs to halt the deer's movements. Piercing the sharp fangs into the deer's neck and delivering the poison, the deer convulsed and gradually ceased struggling.
Once the deer no longer resisted, the spider began extruding silk from its body to wrap the prey. The deer, increasingly enveloped in white silk, transformed into a rounded, egg-like shape, layered with more and more webs.
Securing the silk-wrapped deer between two legs and attaching a long strand to another leg, the spider leisurely dragged its catch toward a hidden lair where it could savor the meal.
-Whoosh- -Swish- -Swish-
Several arrows flew toward the spider.
"What's going on?"
Mahara ducked lower, her eyes wide as she stared in the direction from which the arrows— with tattered fletchings and half-rotted shafts—had come.
"Kya-kya-kya! Idiot, you missed!"
"Idiot!"
In the spot Mahara gazed upon stood several gnoles. Emitting their peculiar laughter, the gnoles advanced toward the spider, their forms covered in rough, patchy gray and brown short, stiff fur.
The gnoles' faces featured long snouts and sharp teeth as they grinned, their yellow eyes gleaming sharply in narrow slits, with round pupils darting busily. Their small ears pointed upward, and black noses twitched incessantly, sniffing the air.
"Gravel... It's a pack of gnoles."
Mahara whispered softly to Gravel while crouching even lower, her eyes still fixed on the gnole pack.
The gnole pack wore ragged weapons and armor. Chainmail and leather armor bore scratches everywhere, and in their hands were axes and clubs crudely crafted by gnole hands. Some carried swords and bows pilfered from adventurers they had encountered.
"Kya-kya! Attack! The deer's mine! Mine!"
"Kryaa!"
"Kyaaa!"
After a rough, low growl, the largest gnole with a black mane bellowed.
As the apparent leader of the pack shouted, a few gnoles exchanged glances and charged toward the spider, which was raising two pointed legs to threaten them.
Following the lead gnoles, the others dashed forward as well.
Crawling on all fours like beasts—sometimes using hands too—the gnoles moved nimbly, weaving through the forest like shadows slipping between the trees.
-Kya-kya-kya-kya-kak-
With their distinctive cries, the gnole pack lunged to seize the hunter who had just finished its deer hunt.
-Keeeeeek-
A sharp screech like metal scraping echoed from the spider.
"Attack! Krkakaka!"
The tallest and bulkiest black-maned gnole charged while shouting. The spider, bristling its body hairs and raising its front legs in warning against the approaching gnoles, was soon surrounded from all sides.
"Krkaak!"
The leader gnole bared its fangs and roared, swinging its large sword at the spider's leg, while others assaulted the spider's body with axes and clubs.
-Keeeeeee-
The spider leaped to sink its sharp fangs into one gnole, but the leader swiftly kicked it away, saving its comrade.
"Attack all at once!"
With a guttural growl, the leader pointed its sword tip at the spider and commanded, prompting the others to distract and encircle it before launching a simultaneous assault.
Some gnoles stabbed spears into the spider's massive abdomen, while others hacked at its legs with axes. The spider writhed in agony.
Then came the leader's decisive strike.
Leaping high, the black-maned leader plunged its greatsword down into the spider's head. The massive spider let out a final scream and collapsed to the ground.
As the fallen spider was swarmed by the other gnoles, who began severing its legs...
In response to the spider's dying screech, other spiders from the surrounding forest began converging.
Spiders of various sizes, large and small, swarmed toward the gnoles. The sound of countless spider legs brushing through fallen leaves resembled raindrops pouring from the sky.
Spiders of various sizes, large and small, swarmed toward the gnoles.
"Gather to me! Quick! Kaaa!"
The leader gnole raised a large shield from its back, roaring to rally the pack's spirits.
The first to arrive, the smaller spiders, swiftly approached and leaped at the gnoles in attack. The black-maned gnole stepped forward to block the larger spiders' assaults, while slashing at the smaller ones with its sword in sweeping motions.
Following the valiant leader who advanced and cut down the oncoming spiders one by one, the other gnoles also dispatched the arachnids methodically.
The forest echoed with a cacophony: the gnoles' snarls, the crunch of spider flesh being crushed, the rustle of approaching spiders, and the threatening hisses directed at the gnoles.
"We should head back for today, Gravel."
Mahara whispered to Gravel while watching the distant battle between the gnoles and spiders.
"If it's because of those gnoles, I can handle them... alone."
"No! What are you saying...!"
Mahara quickly approached Gravel, who was about to rise from the tree they leaned on, and tugged at his cloak hem.
"What do you mean! Can't you see how many gnoles there are? One... two... three... eight... fourteen... Seventeen gnoles—how do you plan to take them on alone, Gravel!"
Lowering her voice thinly, Mahara glanced up at the gnoles and spiders before turning back to Gravel.
"Hmm... I think it's possible. If we leave those gnoles be, won't it be dangerous for the other gatherers?"
"That may be true, but there are too many of them. The other gatherer uncles in the village are used to avoiding forest spiders, so they should easily steer clear of gnoles like these."
"Ah... Even so..."
"Come on, let's go. It's not just one or two—seventeen gnoles. Look at that big one with the black mane. With a pack leader present, it's too much for you alone, Gravel. Hurry! Let's get out of here quickly."
Mahara frowned and shook her head emphatically.
Thus, the two concealed themselves under the dark trees, masking their footsteps amid the rustling leaves stirred by the blowing wind, and escaped the forest.