Chapter 42: A Spider's Business–Can You Really Call it Stealing?
*Huff... puff...*
The two who had escaped back to the Middle Stratum gasped for air, their expressions grim. Though their combat power was high, the sheer gap in numbers was overwhelming; it had been a total defensive rout.
"Shirazawa, do you have a plan?" Shiro asked distressfully. She couldn't come up with a single good idea.
Shirazawa was silent for a moment before whispering, "Of the thirty-six stratagems, fleeing is the best. Let's get out of here first."
They had farmed enough experience anyway. Staying would yield no further benefits, so it was better to retreat while they could.
"Mm-hmm." Shiro nodded repeatedly. She also felt it was time to bail.
Thus, the two constructed a long-distance Teleportation array and left the labyrinth entirely.
"Ah~ the outside world is so much better." Shiro stretched her limbs, letting out a heartfelt sigh. "Finally, we can eat! I'm starving!"
The prolonged battle had drained their SP. While they would no longer die from an SP depletion, the sensation of an empty stomach was truly unpleasant.
Shirazawa didn't start eating immediately. Instead, he frowned, carefully observing their surroundings. Through the marking effect of Wisdom, he sensed that Mother and her kin were still stationed inside the labyrinth, making no move to pursue. This allowed him to breathe a small sigh of relief.
Once he confirmed the area was temporarily safe, he unceremoniously pulled out the roasted Greater Taratects from earlier and began to feast. Seeing this, Shiro joined in. The taste of their "sisters" was so delicious it made them question their own existence.
"So good~"
Having eaten her fill, Shiro lay on the ground and let out a satisfied burp, squinting her eyes in contentment. The sun dipped below the horizon, and stars began to dot the sky. Shiro and Shirazawa leaned against each other on the soft grass, looking up at the night shroud.
"After being so busy for so long, this is the first time I've seen the starry sky of this world. It's beautiful." Shiro parted her lips slightly, taking a deep breath and murmuring as if entranced.
"Yeah," Shirazawa agreed, looking up at the brilliant river of stars.
"I wonder what the view is like beyond this world," Shiro said longingly, her eyes tracing the brightest star in the sky. This sight caused Shirazawa to daze for a moment before he flashed a warm smile.
"We'll have the chance to find out," Shirazawa's calm voice rang out like a promise.
"Mm..." Hearing this, Shiro gave a sweet smile. She truly hoped this peaceful life could last a bit longer.
*Buzz, buzz...*
Above the canopy of their silk tent, countless fireflies danced and swirled, creating a dreamlike, magnificent scene. Carrying their own beautiful visions for the future, the two huddled together and drifted into sleep. Whether spider or human, rest was a necessity. Even if they possessed the Decadence skill that allowed them to never sleep, why would anyone throw away something as comfortable as a good nap?
...
The Demon Lord's Territory.
Inside a magnificent bedchamber.
An exquisitely beautiful girl, dressed provocatively, leaned lazily against a throne. Her refined features and noble, elegant temperament made her look like a high-and-mighty queen looking down upon all living things.
Inside the Demon Lord's castle shrouded by a blood moon, the girl slowly opened her eyes. The slaughter contained within her crimson pupils was enough to make one tremble.
"Balto."
The girl spoke softly, her voice like a cold whisper from the nine underworlds. It frightened the nearby guard so much that he shivered, beads of sweat the size of soy beans forming on his forehead.
"Lord Demon Lord, please give your command!" Balto bowed his head respectfully, not daring to look her in the eye.
"I am leaving for a while. The Demon Lord's territory is temporarily in your hands." The girl spoke indifferently, her crimson pupils flashing with a cold light.
"As you command!" Balto bowed, a trace of helplessness flickering in his eyes. *Whether you're here or not, aren't I the one always managing this place?* But he didn't dare say it out loud. The Demon Lord was temperamental; if he angered her, his fate would likely be grim.
The girl nodded slightly and stepped onto the balcony to gaze into the distance, her look deep and far-reaching. She began to think about how to reach the labyrinth. It was a bit embarrassing that a contemporary Demon Lord didn't know Spatial Teleportation. But no matter—that wouldn't stop her.
The girl crouched slightly, gathering her strength.
*Crack!*
The granite, hard as iron, shattered instantly, turning to powder on the ground. The next moment, she pushed off. Like a cannonball, she shot into the sky, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
*RUMBLE–!*
Above the Demon Lord's territory, an eerie dark shadow streaked across the sky. Under the ink-black night, a slender and graceful figure was hurtling toward the location of the labyrinth. Her speed was incredible, the wind whistling past her and making her dress flutter loudly. The surrounding scenery retreated rapidly, vanishing into the night in an instant.
Balto looked at the wrecked palace floor, his mouth twitching. *Couldn't you pick somewhere else to jump from? Repairing the palace is expensive!* And wouldn't it be easy to just find a high-tier mage to construct a warp? Why did it have to be a physical jump? He truly couldn't understand this Demon Lord's personality.
"Guards, repair the palace!" Balto ordered with a stony face. Before the servants could react, he added, "And remember—erase all traces of the damage!"
"Yes, sir!" The servants scrambled to obey.
"Sigh–" Balto exhaled, ignoring the Demon Lord's trajectory as he walked away. He had a mountain of work to do and no time to indulge her whims.
...
The next morning.
"Mmm..." Shiro opened her bleary eyes, rubbing them sleepily as she sat up. "Another day full of hope!"
She stretched her back, feeling cheerful. Looking around and not seeing a familiar figure, she couldn't help but pout and mutter, "Didn't even wake me up. He's definitely off eating something good alone."
"You're awake?" Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind.
Shiro whipped her head around to see Shirazawa walking toward her, cradling a large pile of fruit. She widened her eyes in disbelief. "Where did all this fruit come from?"
"That's a long story." Shirazawa shrugged, putting the fruit down. "Just now, I ran into a group of suspicious-looking elves, so I disposed of them. I found some coins on them, so I slipped into a nearby town and... bought some daily necessities and food. It cost quite a bit."
In reality, he had hidden in the shadows, slipped into the town, grabbed what he needed, and left a couple of gold coins behind as "payment."
"In just ten minutes, you managed to do all that?" Shiro asked, sounding a bit horrified.
"Meh~ don't sweat the details. Anyway, our barbeques will finally have seasoning from now on." Shirazawa waved it off like it was nothing.
At the mention of "seasoning," images of various delicacies flooded Shiro's mind. She swallowed her saliva and decided right then that she was going to eat extra for breakfast.
After enjoying some spicy charcoal-grilled spider meat, munching through a pile of fruit, and downing several pots of egg and spider-meat porridge, the two patted their bellies in satisfaction. Life was looking up.
However, the two had no idea.
Grandmother Demon Lord was already on her way, and she was about to arrive at the battlefield...
---
[3 Quests Completed, 1 Failed! 3 Bonus Chapters Rewarded!]
Let's aim to complete 4 quests this week!
[100 Powerstones = 1 Bonus Chapter (New Quest!)]
[20 reviews = 1 Bonus Chapter (New Pending!)]
[Total Bonus Chapters Achieved: 0]
[Ptreon.cm/Prince_of_LanLi for 50 adv chs. 20% discount right now. Throw spirit stones to this humble one *dogeza*.]