Chapter 137
The Human-Faced Spider
In the heart of the forest, where shadows clung to ancient trees and whispered secrets, the Human-Faced Spider emerged. Born from the arduous shedding of a spider that had absorbed magic over countless cycles, this monstrous entity was unlike any other.
Its webbed limbs bore the venom of a thousand bites, capable of annihilating entire knight orders in a single strike. Even those who had reached the pinnacle of fourth-grade mastery—the mighty Chois—would struggle to leave a mark on this abomination.
A decade hence, it would emerge from these very woods, wreaking havoc upon Armenia and its neighboring territories. The casualty count would reach ten thousand, they said. If Yan could eliminate this creature now, he would save countless lives.
But there was more.
“Compared to back then, it hasn’t fully matured,” Yan mused, his breath steady. The Human-Faced Spider’s size was manageable for now, but its potential growth was alarming. The human features embedded within its chitinous hide hinted at recent attacks on nearby villages.
“Already raided a homestead,” Yan deduced. His quest to gauge his newfound strength had led him here. If he could vanquish a Human-Faced Spider on par with the mightiest Chois, he’d ascend to their ranks.
“Undoubtedly among the elite,” Yan thought, eyes narrowing. The Human-Faced Spider’s existence confirmed his progress. It was time to prove himself—to become more than just a hunter of beasts. He drew his blade, ready to face the forest’s malevolence head-on.
And so, the tale unfolded—a clash of fangs, steel, and destiny, where the hunter sought not only survival but ascendance. The Human-Faced Spider, a harbinger of chaos, awaited its reckoning.
* * *
With a shriek that shook the heavens and earth, the Human-Faced Spider unleashed its fury. The intensity within its cry surpassed any beast Yan had ever encountered. “But then again,” Yan mused, recalling the formidable Momon and Eamon, “it’s not the strongest.”
A slight stiffness seized his limbs, but Yan only chuckled. The overwhelming aura was formidable, yet it didn’t paralyze him or cause uncontrollable trembling. Having ascended to the realm of the superhuman, resisting such pressure was no longer a daunting task.
“The venom and the bristles covering its body… those are the real threats,” Yan thought as he unsheathed Ascalon from his belt. He stepped back with his right foot, bending at the waist to lower his stance. His arm, holding Ascalon, relaxed, ready to strike.
Yan held his breath, eyes wide open, not missing even the slightest movement of the Human-Faced Spider. And soon enough, it bellowed.
The Charge and the Clash
The ground trembled as the Human-Faced Spider charged towards Yan with a madness in its red eyes. “Now!” Yan’s mind rang like a bell, and he sprung into action.
With a leap, Yan vanished into the air like a bolt of lightning.
Boom!
The Human-Faced Spider’s massive leg pierced the earth where Yan stood just moments before, sending debris flying. But Yan had already shifted his form to the branches of a nearby giant tree, his gaze sharply scanning the creature.
The faces embedded in the Human-Faced Spider’s back began to move grotesquely, their eyes rolling wildly, searching for him. Yan, hidden among the branches, squinted his eyes in disgust. “Truly revolting,” he thought. The sight alone could make the faint-hearted faint.
The collected faces of the Human-Faced Spider opened their mouths.
The Battle of Wills
“Where… did you go… Must… kill…”
At that moment, Yan saw his chance. The many eyes on the creature’s back were looking elsewhere.
Silently, Yan drew Ascalon and charged at the Human-Faced Spider’s back with incredible speed.
Thrust!
Ascalon pierced smoothly through its back. Not satisfied, Yan channeled mana into the blade and swung fiercely.
Slash!
A brilliant blue sword energy exploded on the Human-Faced Spider’s back. Faces were torn apart, and a straight line split open its back, spewing green fluid. The Human-Faced Spider screamed in pain, the faces on its back glaring at Yan with rage.
Yan twitched his cheek at the sight. “Disgusting enough to haunt my dreams,” he muttered. Though he knew these faces were victims, it didn’t make the sight any less repulsive.
The Web of Fate
Suddenly, the faces opened their mouths wide.
“Is it hair? Venom? Webs?” Yan’s eyes sparkled as he quickly checked what was coming out of their mouths.
Puff!
It was white threads—spider webs. The Human-Faced Spider’s webs were as thick and strong as any steel sword, and it was clear that one could easily be ensnared without hope of escape.
Swoosh!
An enormous amount of webbing surged around Yan, forming a dense net with no apparent escape.
The faces spitting webs looked at Yan and laughed brightly, as if certain he would soon become one of them. Yan bit his lip at their grotesque expressions and focused on the webbing spreading out from him.
The Phoenix’s Heart
With a slight bend of his knees, Yan gathered his strength.
Whoosh!
Mana flowed from his heart throughout his body. In the past, he had to focus on strengthening specific parts due to limited mana, but now, with the Phoenix’s heart, he didn’t need such fine control—the total amount of mana had increased significantly.
“I’d like to use the Founding Emperor’s sword technique,” he thought, but hesitated due to the ongoing digestion of the Phoenix’s heart. Using such immense power carelessly could affect the heart in unpredictable ways. “Of course, I have no intention of taking such a risk,” he decided, putting that option aside.
Leap!
Yan’s knees straightened, and he shot upwards.
Scream!
A face beneath him screamed as Yan’s gaze turned skyward. The dense webbing opened wide, seemingly without an exit. “Doesn’t matter. I’ll break through,” he resolved, gripping Ascalon tightly.
The mana swirling through his body infused into Ascalon, revealing the sword energy unique to the superhuman.
Yan swung Ascalon towards the webbing blocking his path.
Crash!
The sword energy extended in a ferocious line, tearing through the webs.
Rip!
A large hole appeared, and Yan passed through it, somers
With a soft whoosh, a refreshing coolness enveloped Yan, swirling around his entire body. The mana he had just inhaled was neatly stacking up in his mana heart. Without delay, Yan circulated it.
Suddenly, mana began to whirl fiercely through the mana rods spanning his body. Yan took a large step forward.
Thunk.
And then, with a powerful push against the ground, Yan’s form shot forward in a straight line, unprecedentedly fast, like a beam of light piercing through the darkness. Wrapped in mana, Yan dashed towards the Human-Faced Spider. In his hand, the legendary sword Ascalon had been replaced by a simple dagger held in reverse grip—a testament to his will to verify his growth with a common blade.
At that moment, the Human-Faced Spider, as if it had finished its preparations, scraped its belly ferociously with its remaining six legs. Concurrently, the hairs on its belly began to launch towards Yan.
Swoosh!
The sound of the hairs slicing through the air was ominous. They seemed more potent than any hidden weapon technique, tearing through the atmosphere. Yan, with a calm gaze, surveyed the hairs rushing towards him. Each hair was likely imbued with deadly poison and strong magic, evidenced by the purple aura that surrounded them—mana extracted from a mana stone.
Considering the opponent was the Human-Faced Spider, the hairs must contain at least the strength of a sword’s energy.
“…Grr.”
A beast sending hairs infused with sword-like energy was no ordinary foe. Yet, Yan neither halted nor turned back. He simply lowered his stance and lifted the dagger.
Over thirty hairs charged at him with ferocious momentum. It was a do-or-die moment—if he didn’t evade, he would be pierced through.
Yan’s eyes sparkled as he slightly shook the hand holding the dagger. It was a subtle motion, but the result was astounding.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The hairs, which had been rushing at incredible speed, collided with the blade of the dagger and their trajectory twisted.
Thud!
Yan’s foot pushed against the ground once more. The scenery flashed by at an astonishing speed. And not long after, when he reached the Human-Faced Spider’s face, dripping with transparent saliva…
Crack!
The creature raised its venomous fangs towards him. If Yan didn’t slow down, those fangs would undoubtedly pierce his head.
In that instant, Yan, who had been charging in a straight line, swiftly laid back his body. Thanks to his lowered posture, he avoided being stabbed in the head.
Screeeeech!
Lying on the ground, Yan slid beneath the Human-Faced Spider’s belly, propelled by inertia. The unprotected belly was now exposed, and Yan’s lips curled into a smirk.
“Die.”
He then thrust the dagger, now overlaid with a forceful energy, into the Human-Faced Spider’s belly.
Thump!
Thanks to the added force, the dagger entered as easily as a needle piercing skin. Then, twisting his back that was flush against the ground, Yan quickly rose to his feet.
Tap-tap-tap!
Slash!
Holding the dagger that had pierced through the Human-Faced Spider’s belly, Yan sprinted forward. A massive wound stretched endlessly across the Human-Faced Spider’s belly.
Scream!
The Human-Faced Spider shrieked in pain, twisting its body in an attempt to crush Yan beneath it.
Thunk.
“Phew!”
But Yan had already escaped from beneath the Human-Faced Spider. Reaching the rear, he exhaled sharply and stamped his foot.
Thud!
Then, creating distance, he surveyed the Human-Faced Spider with sharp eyes.
Plop! Plop!
From the creature’s belly, organs and the like began to spill out powerlessly. Not only that, but the formidable presence that had once filled the forest had significantly diminished.
Splat!
Yan shook off the green fluid drenched dagger. The venom was so potent that the ground began to corrode with a hissing sound. At the same time, the Human-Faced Spider’s massive body staggered.
Kwoooong!
It collapsed powerlessly onto the ground.
Yan nodded as he looked at the fallen Human-Faced Spider.
“I’ve certainly stepped into the realm of the superhuman.”
He had come here straight after dealing with Jackson’s gang for two reasons. One was to reduce the number of monsters in preparation for his absence. The other was to test whether he had truly become a superhuman by facing the Human-Faced Spider, known to be a challenge only the strongest could defeat.
The result was exceedingly satisfying.
Yan rotated his shoulders a couple of times while looking at the Human-Faced Spider. Aside from the stiffness in his shoulders from deflecting the hairs with the dagger, he felt no discomfort. If he hadn’t reached the superhuman realm, he would have either died or collapsed unconscious right here.
“The physical abilities, senses, mana quantity, and control are all incomparable to before… but there’s still a long way to go.”
Considering it had only been three years since his return, his growth was remarkable. However, compared to his previous life, he still fell short.
The sword techniques of the founding festival or the profound arts.
He thought that he should be able to skillfully use at least one of these two to be comparable to his previous life.
“Don’t be too hasty.”
The growth he had achieved since his return was unprecedentedly fast in the eyes of others.
Yan shook his head, casting aside his thoughts, and walked towards the Human-Faced Spider he had slain. The faces that had been glaring at him with wide eyes were now all closed.
It seemed that the threads connecting the facial muscles to the Human-Faced Spider had been severed as it died.
Thump!
Yan planted the venom-stained dagger into the ground and drew Ascalon. There was a simple reason for this.
If he dismantled the Human-Faced Spider with the dagger, inevitably, its bodily fluids would stain him.
Yan closed his eyes, holding Ascalon.
Then, he placed his hand in front of the Human-Faced Spider’s belly and began to walk.
Not long after, Yan opened his eyes with a smile.
“Here it is.”
He thrust Ascalon beneath the Human-Faced Spider’s belly and stirred a few times.
Then, he pulled it out in one swift motion.
A round object was attached to Ascalon.
A green orb.
It was the Human-Faced Spider’s mana stone.
As the green jade reflected in Yan’s pupils, a smile curved on his lips.
“Now, how shall I make use of this?”