After leaving the agricultural zone, Richard immediately began preparing torches.
Without turning around, he spoke.
"Black Agate Spider…"
Ryn looked up at once.
The unfamiliar name sent an inexplicable chill down his spine.
"It's a giant spider," Richard explained, his hands never stopping.
"Its habitat lies in the Thalniir Mountains, at the northernmost edge of the continent."
"It's as large as a rhinoceros.
Its fangs are sharp enough to pierce steel,
and all eight of its legs are honed like blades…"
He paused briefly, his voice growing heavier.
"But its most dangerous weapon is its silk.
Elastic, unyielding… and nearly impossible to cut."
Richard picked up a torch and gave it a light shake, as if testing its weight.
"However, the good news is—"
He turned to face Ryn directly.
"Your sword can cut it."
Ryn froze.
My sword… again?
He lowered his gaze to the blade in his hand.
Every mention of it only deepened his unease.
"Why can my sword cut it?" Ryn asked.
Richard did not answer at once.
He turned back to his work, binding more torches, before speaking curtly.
"That's something we'll discuss later."
Then, in a grim tone, he added:
"If we survive."
Richard handed another torch to Ryn.
"Make as many as you can.
We don't know how many of them there are."
He continued,
"These spiders are vulnerable to fire—
if they're still ordinary Black Agates, that is."
Ryn accepted the torch and followed his instructions,
but the unease in his expression only deepened.
"Master…"
he asked quietly,
"Why do you look so worried?"
Richard fell silent for a moment before replying in a low voice.
"Since the day I began fighting Calami…
since the very moment they first came into existence…"
"I've never encountered a Calami that was arachnid in nature before."
He drew in a slow breath.
"These boneless things… they're nothing like ordinary beasts.
They shouldn't even be capable of breeding with Calami."
His voice tightened.
"And yet…
this is the first time I've ever encountered something like this."
Richard stared at the torch in his hand, as though some dreadful vision were overlapping with reality.
"Even as a Black Agate Spider, it was already a nightmare to fight,"
he muttered.
"If it has truly become a Calami as well…
I don't even want to imagine how monstrous it must be now."
Ryn remained silent.
His hands continued working on the torches as ordered,
yet an unexplainable heaviness settled in his chest.
Once the torches were ready, the two of them carried them back to the agricultural zone and distributed them among the soldiers stationed at each post.
Ryn watched the flames flicker in the soldiers' hands before voicing his doubt.
"Why do we need torches, Master?
We can use fire magic, can't we?"
Richard answered while inspecting the defensive perimeter.
"It's not the same.
The flames we conjure are born from our own power, aren't they?"
He paused, then continued.
"Once released, they are nothing more than manifested constructs.
Calami are creatures born of curses, so magic still affects them."
Richard turned to Ryn.
"But spiders are different.
They're arachnids, not ordinary six-legged insects.
Their nervous systems still react to magic—if the element is used correctly."
His gaze sharpened.
"But creatures with eight legs… they're another matter entirely.
They don't perceive magic or energy at all.
That's why spells have no effect on them."
He fell silent for a moment before speaking in a grave tone.
"But if it has truly become a Calami as well…
I can't say whether magic will still work or not."
Richard let out a quiet sigh.
"We're just preparing for the worst."
Then, as if something had just occurred to him, he added casually,
"Oh, and one more thing.
If I get wrapped up in its web…
make sure you cut me free."
Richard's orders were relayed swiftly to every soldier.
Each of them took their positions, weapons ready,
bracing themselves for the eight-legged fiend slowly creeping closer.
When the sun finally sank below the horizon, darkness took its place.
Torches were lit one by one.
The soldiers held their ground, each silently hoping that Richard's warning would prove false.
Several watches passed.
At last, a shout rang out—
"It's here!"
The cry came from the watchtower.
The soldier pointed ahead, and those below immediately readied themselves.
Moments later, spells were unleashed in volleys, thrown forward in an attempt to halt the oncoming horde.
Several Calami fell, their bodies collapsing into the dirt—
but the advance did not stop.
Suddenly, a Titan burst out from the treeline.
Its massive arm swung down, smashing into a guard and sending him flying.
(Though called a giant, it stood only around three to four meters tall.)
The remaining soldiers surged forward, engaging the creatures in chaotic combat.
The clash of battle filled the air—shouts of command, spells being fired, blades striking flesh.
Mages unleashed every spell they could conjure.
Ryn and Richard fought among them.
"Ryn! Right flank—help the right!"
Richard shouted.
Ryn turned at once and saw five Maulers emerging from the forest.
He sprinted toward them, joining the soldiers struggling to hold that line.
Then—
something moved.
It darted back and forth with terrifying speed,
swooping from one side to another.
Each time it passed, a soldier was yanked away with it.
Richard noticed immediately.
He rushed forward and intercepted the creature, clashing with it almost instantly.
The impact was brutal.
Richard was driven back several steps, forced to grip his sword with both hands just to hold it at bay.
The torch slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground—
Yet he still managed to stop the monster.
The fallen torch cast its light across the ground,
revealing the thing standing before him.