"Oh my God," Lue whispered in shock, using an expression from Earth that he had never spoken since he transmigrated. He stared at the horrific sight before him, feeling his heart skip two beats. Hundreds upon thousands of spiders spread out as far as his eyes could see across the forest floor. Their little feet clicked against the ground, creating a terrifying symphony of sound that made his skin crawl.
These were no ordinary spiders. Their sizes varied dramatically, with the smallest measuring about five inches while some reached a full foot in length. The larger specimens were fewer in number, but they moved among the thousands of smaller ones with an air of authority, as if they were commanders leading an army into battle.
"Oh shit, these are Hive spiders," he muttered, immediately recognizing the creatures from Ramsey's memories. The knowledge flooding his mind made the situation even more terrifying. He frantically looked around for an escape route, but everywhere he turned, spiders littered the forest floor. Even the trees had the eight-legged creatures crawling along their bark and branches.
How had he not seen them coming? They had appeared exactly as they were described in the memories he had inherited. With nowhere to escape and no plans forming in his panicked mind, Lue took a defensive stance and let out a deep, steadying breath. The hive spiders were so numerous that he failed to notice one particular spider creeping up behind him until its mandibles bit down hard on his leg.
No one would expect such small mandibles to cut so deep into human flesh. "Ahhh!" Lue jumped back in horror as he watched the spider's mandibles rip through his clothes and sink into his skin. A small trickle of blood began to flow from the wound. He shook his leg violently, sending the attacking spider flying through the air.
Drawing his blade Daylight from its sheath, Lue prepared for battle. True to its name, the sword shone with the brilliant light of the sun, casting golden rays across the dark forest. He swung the blade in wide arcs, sending spiders flying in all directions. Green blood oozed from the ones he managed to slice through, creating grotesque splatters on the ground.
However, his efforts were not enough. As he tried to carve his way through the massive swarm of spiders, more of them clung to his body and began biting him relentlessly. Thinking quickly, Lue emitted a faint energy from deep within himself. His newly formed cosmic energy began swirling around his body like a protective barrier. The energy then transformed into the shape of a universal law, specifically the law of fire that the Reed clan had trained him in.
Heat waves began flowing off his body, just like he had seen Elder Popas demonstrate. This intense heat gave him the precious time he needed to move through the numerous spiders without being completely overwhelmed. However, he knew he couldn't maintain this form forever. After all, he had only consolidated six hundred cosmic particles, a relatively small amount for such an demanding technique.
Lue continued frantically searching for a way out while fighting off the endless swarm. Finally, he spotted a cave entrance in the distance through the sea of moving bodies. Without hesitation, he charged toward the cave, slicing every creepy eight-legged creature that got in his way into different pieces. Green ichor splattered across his clothes and skin as he carved a bloody path through their ranks.
He soon arrived at the entrance of the cave and ran inside as if his life depended on it, because it truly did. As soon as he crossed the threshold, he struck at the top of the cave entrance with his sword. Rocks came tumbling down, sealing the space and crushing several spiders in the process. The sound of their bodies being crushed mixed with the clicking of thousands more outside.
Lue took a shaky step backward, unsure if the fallen rocks would actually hold off the massive swarm. For a moment, he could hear them struggling to get in despite the weight of the rocks blocking their path. He shuddered at the thought of them breaking through. His rapidly beating heart gradually calmed down as time passed without any further incidents.
Since Lue couldn't return the way he had come, he had no choice but to move through the cave and continue deeper into the midnight forest. He stared into the oppressive darkness ahead as his thoughts raced with worry and uncertainty.
"That was just the first enemy I faced, and yet my body is already riddled with holes," he said aloud, examining his wounds. "Will I even be able to make it out of here alive? Hopefully this cave isn't even more dangerous than the forest." A nervous chuckle escaped his lips after that observation.
Lue walked deeper into the cave with nothing but his sword for protection. He desperately needed food and water, yet all he encountered were spider webs hanging from the ceiling and creeping creatures scurrying in the shadows. The dark appearance of the entire cave was unsettling. Although light spilled through occasional cracks in the stone, the overwhelming darkness still dominated the space.
"What the hell is that? Gross," he muttered as he came across something particularly disturbing. A thick, slimy substance was spread around the entrance of one of the many twists and turns in the cave system. The gooey material reflected what little light was available, giving it an otherworldly appearance.
"Is this some kind of herb or treasure?" he asked no one in particular, his voice echoing slightly in the confined space. He moved deeper into the cave system, following the winding passages that seemed to lead ever downward into the earth.
Then he spotted something that made him freeze in place. Eggs lined up neatly in rows filled a large chamber ahead of him. Each egg was roughly the size of his fist, with a pale, translucent shell that seemed to pulse with an inner light. He looked around cautiously, trying to spot whatever creature had laid these eggs, but the entire space remained quiet and still.
The eggs sat in the middle of the chamber, completely untouched, as if they were daring him to come closer. The sight was both fascinating and deeply unsettling. "I wonder what kind of creature laid these eggs," he murmured. "And where are the other ones that have already hatched?"
He looked around the chamber again, noting that the coast appeared clear and silent. However, the situation looked far too easy to be genuine. This had to be some kind of trap waiting to be sprung. "It looks as if the beast isn't around, but I'm sure that as soon as I get over there, it's going to pop out of nowhere," he reasoned.
Despite his suspicions, curiosity and desperation drove him forward. He continued walking cautiously, checking his surroundings after every few steps. The chamber remained eerily quiet, with only the sound of his own breathing and footsteps breaking the silence.
Finally, he reached the closest egg and tried to pick it up, though not without looking around one last time for any signs of danger. The moment his fingers made contact with the shell, the egg cracked. A thin black line ran across its surface, and something began wiggling inside with increasing urgency.
Lue gasped when he witnessed this sight, realizing he had triggered something that might have been better left undisturbed.