"Eren," Auren whispers. "Large spider at eleven o'clock, near the top. It's huge—almost the same size as the beavers we encountered. Can you try to shoot it down?"
"I would advise against that, Auren," Leira interjects. "If the spider survives, it will, without a doubt, flee immediately and warn its brethren."
"Breathren... you mean... more?" Neffi asks, looking uneasy. "I don't like spiders..."
"So what do you suggest, Leira?" Auren asks, turning towards her.
"Ignore it for now. A spider that size shouldn't have many natural enemies, and it will likely stalk us instead of fleeing," Leira says. "When it descends, most likely to grab one of us, kill it in one attack so it can't escape."
"Agreed. Commander, inform the soldiers. Nobody fires too early," Auren orders.
"Understood," Kieran says. "Enemy spider spotted at eleven o'clock. Do not panic. Do not shoot unless given permission."
Approaching further, Auren senses the soldiers behind him growing tense. Still, they follow him without hesitation.
As the squad closes in on the spider in the treetops, Auren suddenly notices two more to the right.
"Halt," he whispers into the microphone.
He then spreads his En wider—still reaching the treetops, but also pushing it low and forward across the ground—and a chill runs through him.
In front of them, the forest floor is crawling with spiders: tennis-ball to bowling-ball-sized ones, and three additional large ones among them.
"Forget the plan," Auren mutters. "Three large ones in the treetops, three on the ground, and hundreds of small to medium ones. Six large ones in total... the biggest of the rest is only the size of a small dog at most. Leira... your input?"
"I recommend retreat. These numbers are dangerous," Leira replies instantly. "We'll get overwhelmed, and this environment clearly favors the spiders."
Auren shakes his head. "No. Retreat is not an option I want to entertain at this point."
"Another suggestion, then," Auren says. "How about we burn them down?"
"Possible... though the damage to the forest could be severe," Leira answers.
"These colossal trees," Auren wonders, looking around at the ancient trees blocking most of the sunlight. "It rains often here—this is still relatively close to the coast after all. Surely they won't burn down that easily?"
"True," Leira admits. "The underbrush, however, will ignite fast and create a local inferno that will endanger us as well."
"Well... I might have a solution if things go wrong," Auren says with a grin. "Commander, your opinion?" he asks, looking at the experienced soldier beside him.
"Frankly, Vice-Leader, this isn't a hard decision. Incinerate them," Kieran says. "We have wide roads on the northern and southern parts of the forest, so the fire won't spread far. Especially since we have already cut down many trees towards the center of the forest. There are also plenty of small rivers, creeks, and even lakes in these woods. I don't believe the fire will get out of control. This looks like a potential disaster to me that could destroy our whole operation... if these things go out of control, we could lose thousands of people. Most of us are not soldiers."
That certainly convinced me... good that I asked him.
"Agreed," Auren says. "Soldiers with flamethrowers, forward. Don't waste fuel, and only fire on my command. Short, controlled bursts. Move forward!"
On Auren's command, the squads change positions, and around three dozen men carrying heavy flamethrowers make their way to the front. Large canisters filled with modified gas—a common resource, especially on the Yorbian continent with its close proximity to Glam Gas Land—are strapped to their backs.
Under Auren's leadership, the group moves on until the area in front of them is already crawling with spiders, the forest floor filled with constant movement.
"All soldiers," Auren says, voice steady, "I'll give you thirty seconds to aim at one of the large spiders near the treetops and ahead of us. Squad leaders, guide your people. If you can't spot one, shoot at whatever you can see! On my command, fire—then all flamethrower units advance and torch this place."
Auren raises his hand and waits exactly thirty seconds, then gives the order, swinging it down. "Fire!"
Hundreds of shots echo through the forest, creating an enormous, sudden wall of noise. Bullets tear into trees, brush, and earth, chewing through bark and splintering wood as the squads unload. Aside from the bullets hitting the forest, Auren notices a brutal cracking sound as the spiders are shredded to bits as well.
Eren and Vanessa also join in, targeting the spiders in the treetops, using Shu to give their bullets more impact and more bite.
The flamethrower soldiers—half positioned on the left and half on the right—begin to torch the ground on their respective sides at the same time, deliberately leaving the centre open so the formation can keep moving forward without burning itself or suffering under its own fire.
Within minutes, Auren sees hundreds—maybe even thousands—of shadows moving through the forest, some of them now glowing bright red.
Through the burning underbrush, now lit up by spreading flames, the forest turns bright enough to see clearly, and Auren finally makes out the spiders in full.
Commander Kieran reacts instantly, relaying orders through comms.
"All troops on standby at all outposts and command, be prepared," Commander Kieran says through the network. "Dangerous giant spiders have been sighted in the centre of the forest. Make sure not one escapes through any route. Hold your positions and be ready for fleeing spiders!"
Meanwhile, Auren watches the spiders more carefully. They are pitch black, with red eyes glaring at the formation. Toxic-looking spit drips from their mouths as they unleash shrieks—cries of pain and panic—while many are shot down or burned alive.
However, none of the spiders flee. No matter their injuries, they rush forward toward the group in a frenzy, crawling over burning ground and trampling their own dead without precaution or hesitation.
"Defensive positions!" Auren yells. "They're coming—burn them all down!"
"Squad Beta and Delta, grenades!" Commander Kieran yells. A handful of grenades fly forward and explode with brutal force, ripping spiders apart and blowing back healthy and dead spiders.
One of the larger spiders crashes down from the treetops and lands not far from Auren and the formation, shaking the ground with its weight. Leira stares at the monstrosity, looking genuinely shocked.
"Auren... you were right," Leira whispers. "These things are different. Something is wrong with them. They don't flee, they don't react to their comrades' deaths... and their expressions. They can't be allowed to escape. We need to eradicate them, after all."
Despite that, she grabs a part of the dead spiders and has Oculus analyze them, figuring this might be the last chance she gets.
"I agree," Auren says, then raises his voice even more. "Move forward!"
The squads push on, advancing step by step, occasionally unleashing more shots and more bursts of flame whenever spiders surge closer or try to break around the burning edges.
Suddenly, Auren notices one of the larger spiders approaching—bleeding, scorched in places, but still moving as if it barely feels anything.
Auren releases Ren and sprints forward.
As Auren and the spider rapidly close the distance, the spider lets out a sickening cry and leaps toward him, its legs spread with its jaws wide open.
Calmly, with Eternity drawn, Auren waits until the spider is in range and then slashes forward in one clean motion.
Before the spider can do any harm, it's cut into two halves, both sides crashing down behind him with a wet, heavy thud.
As he cuts through the spider, a large amount of life force enters Eternity, drawn straight into the blade.
These things... are strong.
"Forward!" Auren yells, leading the charge.
It doesn't take long until all the visible spiders have either been shot dead or have succumbed to the flames.
Despite how effective the flamethrowers are, as Commander Kieran predicted, the fire dies down quickly. The forest is far too wet to sustain a blaze on its own.
Slowly but surely, Auren and the soldiers move forward, encountering more spiders every once in a while.
However, Auren suddenly stops.
In front of him, not only the trees, but even the underbrush is covered in thick white web, making it almost impossible to see through it.
"Is that... the nest?" Auren asks.
I can't see what's behind it.... It's so large.
"Not yet," Leira notes. "This is just the beginning of it. It could stretch a long way."
"No matter," Commander Kieran says. "Vice-Leader, on your command."
"Heh," Auren shrugs. "Soldiers, burn it down!"
Seconds later, the web in front of them is incinerated, and a blazing inferno erupts—so hot that even Auren is caught off guard.
Within minutes, the web vanishes in a sea of flames, mixed with the shrill cries of spiders caught in it.
Auren sees many charred, round objects dropping to the ground. The impacts are loud enough for him to pick out each one, thud after thud, hitting the forest floor.
Like a chain reaction, the fire spreads fast, opening their view deeper in.
A huge inferno reveals itself ahead, and in the centre sits a humongous web construct, appearing like a castle, almost as tall and wide as the surrounding trees.
Auren feels the soldiers behind him shudder. He turns around and inspects them. Some of them are clearly scared, and their steps look forced and unsure.
I can't let them lose motivation.
"Remain calm. This is all going according to plan. They are mere mindless beasts," Auren relays through the comms. "Keep burning and shooting anything that approaches. Hold your positions under any circumstances!"
As the flames reach toward the centre of the web, the fire suddenly stops spreading. It continues to burn through the outer layers, then stalls, as if something near the core is resisting it.
"Leira?" Auren asks.
"This is... the nest," she says, slightly shaken. "The web might be wet, or there could be water nearby... I can't tell."
Suddenly, Auren sees a horde of large spiders, like the large ones in the treetops, charging forward.
He counts hundreds of them, with at least ten times as many smaller ones crawling beneath and between them.
"Brace for impact! Ready the Rocket launchers and grenades," Auren yells, rushing to the front with Eternity drawn.
As the troops prepare themselves and the spiders approach, Auren decides that they can't wait any longer. He looks at Kieran next to him, and they nod at each other.
"Fire!" Auren and Commander Kieran yell at the same time.
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