Chapter 6: The Spider’s Lair

The faint footsteps grew clearer in the darkness, and Meiers knew they were Elven Warriors closing in on him. Though they moved cautiously, to Meiers' keen hearing, any attempt at stealth was futile.

After a few minutes, Meiers distinctly sensed that the nearest elven warriors had surrounded him within less than ten meters. Clearly, their purpose was to target him and Sol.

Gathering his Qi energy silently, Meiers prepared for a sudden attack. Beside him, Sol was trembling, seemingly worried about being caught in the elven warriors' assault. If not for Meiers' order to stay still, Sol might have already fled.

The elven warriors seemed to be confirming whether Meiers and Sol were asleep. After waiting for some time, over a dozen of them finally launched a surprise attack. These slender, agile warriors split into two groups. About half held wooden bows and arrows, positioned around to provide support, while the others worked in pairs, producing large nets as if from nowhere and instantly ensnaring Meiers and Sol, who were lying flat on the ground.

"Ah! Who... who is it?" Meiers pretended to be startled awake, while Sol trembled so much he couldn't utter a single word.

"Don't move, humans!" As Meiers and Sol cried out, an angry shout from an elven warrior silenced them.

Meiers looked closely and saw a tall, slender male elf with silver shoulder-length hair, pointed ears, and wearing a green silk-like dress, standing triumphantly as he glared at him, bow in hand.

"You... what do you want? We... we are friends of the Elven Clan. Don't do anything rash!" Meiers spoke to the elf, brazenly lying.

After hearing Meiers' words, the male elf sneered and said, "Wretched humans, you are no friends of our Elven Clan! This is elven territory. Trespassing alone is a capital offense! If you dare utter another word, we'll kill you on the spot. Brothers, take them back and hand them over to the Great Elder!" With that, under the male elf's command, the remaining elven warriors swarmed forward, trussing Meiers and Sol up tightly.

Just as Meiers' plan was about to succeed, allowing him to enter the elven village as a captive, a hitch occurred. While searching Meiers' belongings, an elven warrior suddenly discovered the long sword Meiers habitually used and the magic staff Sol carried.

Upon seeing the sword and staff, the elven leader's eyes immediately grew wary. Seeing this, Meiers inwardly cursed, knowing that elves were cautious beings, especially wary of any potential dangers.

Sure enough, after examining the sword for a moment, the leader turned to Meiers and demanded, "Is this yours? What kind of human are you? Why have you come to our elven lands?"

Hearing the leader's words, Meiers thought of the trembling Sol beside him and hatched a plan. He immediately used his Qi energy to force a few drops of cold sweat onto his forehead and said, "Haha... Since you've seen through me, I have nothing to say! Actually, I'm the top expert in the human world. I'm just here to enjoy the scenery. You'd better release me now, or else when I unleash my power, I'll kill all of you!"

As soon as Meiers spoke, the elven warriors burst into commotion, while Sol beside him turned pale and whispered, "Boss, stop talking nonsense. We're in their hands now. If you anger them, we'll die!"

"Captain, if what he says is true, taking him back to the village would be too dangerous. We should just..." an elven warrior said to the leader.

After hearing the warrior's words, the leader glanced at the sword in his hand again and said, "No need to believe him. This sword is not only ordinary but also shows no signs of frequent use. If he truly had strong combat abilities, he wouldn't have been captured so easily! This human is full of nonsense and must have some scheme. Releasing them now would be dangerous. It's better to take them back to the village and hand them over to the Great Elder! Alright, you take three people and scout the area for any accomplices. The rest, come with me back to the village."

After assigning tasks, the leader immediately led his companions to escort Meiers and Sol toward the elven village deep in the forest.

Thinking he could finally follow the elven warriors to the village, Meiers felt a surge of joy. His earlier nonsense was part of his strategy to feign weakness and lure them in. Knowing that elves liked to jump to conclusions and recalling that his weapon was a recently purchased sword, Meiers decided to make the elven warriors suspect the opposite, and it was a resounding success!

The elven village was indeed as mysterious as the legends said, protected by mystical forces. After walking all night under the watchful eyes of the elven warriors, Meiers and Sol arrived deep in the forest near a dense thicket. The leader chanted a peculiar incantation toward the trees, and moments later, the tightly packed trees seemed to come alive, gradually parting to reveal the path to the village. "Move!" Just as Meiers was admiring the surroundings, an elven warrior shoved him forward. Treated as captives, Meiers and Sol gradually entered the legendary elven village.

Walking through the mysterious passage for about an hour, the scenery suddenly brightened. Surrounded by two small rivers, the elves' distinctive tree houses came into view. Countless elves flitted between thousands of towering ancient trees, with one to three thatched huts built on each tree. At the center of these countless trees stood a massive, peculiar tree over a thousand meters tall and dozens of meters in diameter, firmly rooted like a guardian deity.

"Boss, that huge tree must be the legendary Tree of Life," Sol marveled to Meiers.

"Hmph, you know quite a lot. No matter what your purpose is, you won't be able to hide anything from the Great Elder," the elven warrior said sharply. Despite Sol's soft voice, it didn't escape his keen hearing.

Faced with the elven warrior's threat, Meiers and Sol were filled with confusion, but under their urging, they had no chance to ask questions and were simply pushed forward.

Passing through areas of elven dwellings, the adult elves seemed not very interested in Meiers, but the younger ones followed the group closely, clearly seeing humans like Meiers and Sol for the first time.

Before entering the village, Sol had been trembling, but now he walked with his head held high, striking a dashing pose, smiling and nodding to the elves around him.

It turned out that as they gradually entered the elven village, Sol was amazed to discover that the female elves were exceptionally beautiful. Driven by his greatest "habit" and "hobby," Sol immediately changed his demeanor.

Seeing Sol's amusing behavior, Meiers couldn't help but tease, "Sol, stop preening. Even the youngest of these elves could be your grandmother. No matter how much you flirt with them, they won't pay you any attention."

"Boss, you're wrong. I'm not flirting; I'm expressing sincere admiration for beautiful things," Sol said with a straight face, putting on a dignified air.

"No whispering! Keep moving!" The surrounding elven warriors, seeing the two chatting and laughing, shoved them angrily.

Under the elves' escort and with the young female elves showing no reaction to his smiles, Sol finally gave up his pointless antics and silently followed the group.

Soon, the elven warriors escorted Meiers and the others to the Tree of Life at the center. The leader ordered the others to guard Meiers and his companion before entering the tree to report the capture of the humans. After a while, another group of elven warriors appeared before Meiers and the others, leading the two youths into the Tree of Life to meet the elder the elves spoke of.

The Tree of Life was indeed massive. The elves seemed unwilling to damage this sacred tree, which held great significance in their hearts. The entire tree had only one wooden house, and the path to it differed from other structures.

Walking on the almost suspended wooden stairs, Meiers and Sol felt a bit nervous. Fortunately, the path wasn't very long, and the two soon ascended the tree, standing on a large fork in the middle of the Tree of Life. The Great Elder the elves spoke of must reside in the unassuming small house before them.

"Go in. If you dare show any disrespect to the Great Elder, watch your lives!" an elven warrior said, opening the door for Meiers.

Seeing that the elven warriors had no intention of untying his ropes, Meiers said nothing more and strode into the room. Sol was stopped outside, as they only wanted Meiers to meet the Great Elder.

"Sol, wait here for now. No matter what happens, don't do anything rash," Meiers said, turning back to caution his brother as Sol protested loudly. Seeing Meiers' order to stay calm, Sol could only nod and sit down reluctantly, waiting for Meiers to emerge.

After calming Sol, Meiers turned and entered the small wooden house. The elven warrior quickly closed the door, keeping a close watch on Sol as he guarded the entrance.

Entering the hut, Meiers initially thought it would be dark without windows, but he now found an unknown green light illuminating the room, making the entire hut appear bright and fresh.

"Human youth, I am Mokefa, the Great Elder of the Elven Clan. State your purpose," a voice suddenly spoke. Before Meiers stood an elderly elf with white hair and beard, exuding an aura of solemnity.

Compelled by the elder's presence, Meiers set aside his playful expression and said respectfully, "Greetings. My name is Meiers. I've come today to ask the Forest Elven Clan for a favor."

"We have had no contact with humans for thousands of years, and there is no need for it now. The Forest Elven Clan does not wish to involve itself in human conflicts. Leave. I forgive your trespass into elven territory this time," the Great Elder said, beginning to fade away.

"Great Elder, please wait! Though my request may trouble you, please believe that it is not only important to me but will also affect the survival of all beings on the continent! Please, at least hear me out," Meiers pleaded urgently.

Hearing Meiers' words, the Great Elder seemed somewhat moved. He stopped fading and turned to face Meiers, silently studying him as if trying to discern something from Meiers' eyes. Though uncomfortable under the elder's gaze, Meiers maintained his composure and met his eyes.

After a long moment, the Great Elder suddenly smiled and said, "Human youth, you have clear eyes. I believe what you say. Now, come closer and let me understand your request and all that you know."

Though puzzled, Meiers complied with the Great Elder's request and took a few steps forward. The elder raised his withered arm and gently placed it on Meiers' forehead before closing his eyes.

Moments later, the Great Elder withdrew his arm and looked at Meiers again. He said, "Meiers, I understand your thoughts and request, and I am willing to help you. However, the Forest Elven Clan can no longer fulfill your needs." "Why? The Forest Elven Clan can build the fastest ships on the continent. Only you can do it!" Though unsure how the Great Elder knew his request, Meiers pressed anxiously.

"Meiers, it's not that we cannot build ships or are unwilling to help you. To construct a 'Wind Ship,' we need the divine 'Stormwind Wood.' The place where this wood grows is now occupied by Three-Eyed Spiders. For three hundred years, our people have launched countless attacks against those monsters but have been unable to defeat them. Without Stormwind Wood, we cannot build the ship you need! So..." the Great Elder explained slowly.

Hearing this, Meiers immediately perked up and said, "If we have Stormwind Wood, can you build the ship? If so, I am willing to eliminate those Three-Eyed Spiders and reclaim the territory for the elves!"

"Human youth, I understand your thoughts, but do you know the dangers there? Over three hundred years, the Three-Eyed Spiders have multiplied countless times. With just the two of you, it's impossible to eliminate those monsters! Do not waste your limited lives recklessly. Life is the most precious thing in this world," the Great Elder shook his head.

"No, as long as there's a glimmer of hope, I will do it. Please tell me where the Stormwind Wood grows," Meiers insisted.

Seeing the determination in Meiers' eyes, the Great Elder remained silent for a long time. Finally, he said slowly, "Meiers, is hatred truly so important to you? For someone already dead, are you willing to give up your life?"

Hearing the Great Elder's seemingly random question, Meiers shuddered. He lowered his head as if pondering something, then looked up and said loudly to the elder, "I don't want hatred, nor do I want to give up my life. I just want to know the truth. I want to know why we exist in this world. I want to know why our enemies seek to destroy us!"

Hearing Meiers' response, the Great Elder smiled slightly and said, "I already know your answer. I am willing to give you a chance, but you must understand that your chances of success are slim this time. If you fail, there will be no second chance. Even if it means losing your life, are you still willing to seek the Stormwind Wood?"

"I am. As long as I have breath in me, I will seek the Stormwind Wood. I must go to the Free Federation!" Meiers affirmed.

"Very well, I understand your resolve. Here is a map to the Valley of Winds. Take it. Also, I give you two Poison-Resistance Pearls crafted by the Forest Elven Clan. These will at least protect you from the poisonous gas sprayed by the Three-Eyed Spiders. Youth, I await your return." With that, the Great Elder gradually faded away as if exhausted.

"Thank you. I will find the Stormwind Wood!" Meiers thanked the spot where the Great Elder had vanished before turning to leave.

As soon as Meiers stepped outside, he noticed that Sol's ropes were gone, and the elven warriors who had glared at them earlier now looked at them with respect.

Unaware of what had happened, Meiers initially thought Sol had pulled some trick, but when he asked, Sol was equally clueless. In confusion, Meiers was led away from the Tree of Life by the elven warriors and received hospitality from several elven elders. It was then that he learned the Great Elder had already communicated his approval of Meiers' mission to eliminate the Three-Eyed Spiders through telepathy, which was why the elves' attitude toward Meiers had changed so dramatically.

After enjoying a lavish fruit breakfast, Meiers prepared to set off for the Valley of Winds to battle the elves' enemies, the Three-Eyed Spiders. Before leaving, Meiers pulled Sol aside and asked, "Sol, do you like the elven village?"

"Of course I do! The food is delicious, the air is fresh, and most importantly, there are plenty of 'eye-catching' beauties," Sol admitted frankly.

"Then stay here. There are so many good things here, while Wind Valley only has especially giant spiders! If I remember correctly, you've been most afraid of spiders since childhood." Mels suddenly suggested to Sol. Hearing this, Sol finally understood that Mels wanted to go to Wind Valley alone, leaving him in the safe Elven Clan village. Unwilling to stay, Sol immediately shook his head vigorously and said to Mels, "No, no! Even if I'm scared of spiders, I can't let you go to Wind Valley alone to fight those damn spiders! If Rek finds out I stayed here, that Big Stupid Ox will definitely kill me."

"Those spiders are really powerful and venomous. Aren't you afraid?" Mels deliberately tried to scare Sol.

"Not afraid! I'm a pretty powerful mage! I can definitely take them all out!" Sol said with full confidence.

"You're really not scared? Then... you can come with me. But I won't have time to watch out for you. Be careful not to get crushed by a giant spider!" Mels picked up his luggage and said to Sol.

After hearing Mels' words, Sol felt a surge of nervousness. Honestly, no one would believe he wasn't afraid of monsters. The reason Sol insisted on going with Mels was simply because he was worried sick about Mels' safety. Of course, Mels understood this well, which was why he had first suggested Sol stay behind.

Since Sol was determined, Mels knew he couldn't insist any further. So the two of them set out at dawn, leaving the elven village and heading toward Wind Valley deep in the northern dense forest.

Wind Valley wasn't very far from the elven village. Following the shortcut on the map, after walking for most of the day, the density of the trees gradually decreased, and large stones began to appear around them.

Climbing to the top of a large tree and scanning the area for a while, Mels determined that just a few hundred meters ahead would be the entrance to Wind Valley.

Just as Mels and Sol were pressing forward eagerly, they suddenly noticed the environment around them beginning to change. The green dense forest was becoming sparser, replaced by more dead branches and fallen leaves. Some stones even showed signs of decay.

"Sol, be very careful. This should be the area where the Three-Eyed Spiders are active!" After confirming the surroundings, Mels warned in a hushed tone.

"Okay, I... Ouch!" Just as Sol was about to respond, he suddenly tripped over a hole in the ground. Seeing Sol fall, Mels quickly helped him up and said, "Sol, are you okay?"

"I'm okay, I'm okay! I just fell!" Sol said while brushing the dust off his clothes.

Just when Mels really thought it was "fine," Sol suddenly let out a startled cry, pointing at the ground and saying to Mels, "Boss, boss, look! What the heck is this?"

Following Sol's pointing finger, Mels was shocked to discover eight holes evenly spaced on the ground, each as large as a human head. After a careful look, Mels sucked in a breath and said to Sol, "Now I understand why the elven clan can't fight these Three-Eyed Spiders—they're frighteningly massive!"

Crash! A loud noise rang out, and Mels and Sol instinctively leaped up. When they looked toward the source of the sound, they saw...

A massive spider, black with three huge eyes on its head, eight enormous legs like interconnected spears, standing about four meters tall, covered in coarse bristles, and looking exceptionally terrifying, appeared before Mels and Sol.

"This... this..." Staring at the giant monster before him, Sol felt his legs tremble. He stumbled and fell to the ground, unable to speak, his face filled with terror.

"Sol, get up! I'll distract it. You find a place to hide immediately!" Although Mels was just as terrified as Sol, he hadn't lost the courage to face the challenge.

Encouraged by Mels, Sol struggled to his feet and said to him, "Be careful, boss! I'll back you up with magic!" As he spoke, he began slowly backing away, wanting to get as far as possible from the terrifying creature.

Hearing Sol's words, Mels loudly interrupted, "Sol, it's not time to use magic yet. I think there must be more than one of these monsters. If a huge magical explosion attracts more of them, we'll be in even greater danger. Leave this guy to me. Unless it's absolutely necessary, you must not use magic!" After saying these last words, Mels didn't want to waste any more time talking. Steeling himself, he drew the long sword he carried and charged at the Three-Eyed Spider.

Although Sol knew Mels' actions were very dangerous, he also understood that Mels had a point. As he gradually retreated, Sol could only watch, helpless, as Mels fought alone, unable to help in any way. The anxiety and helplessness were almost driving Sol mad, but no matter how anxious he was, only Mels could fight!

The Three-Eyed Spider clearly regarded Mels and Sol, who had intruded into its territory, as a tasty meal. Originally intending to deal with both youths at once, the giant spider monster, upon noticing Sol slowly backing away and Mels charging toward it, immediately decided to take care of the human who was challenging it first.

Although the Three-Eyed Spider's body was enormous, its movements were not slow at all. When Mels tried to use speed to evade its line of sight and attack from behind, it deftly used its eight massive legs to pivot its body. Before Mels could even launch his attack, it first sprayed a stream of white, silk-like mucus, attempting to trap Mels.

Mels, of course, wouldn't be harmed by the Three-Eyed Spider's attack. When he heard something coming from behind, he didn't even turn his head but immediately changed his direction of movement. While dodging the spider's attack, he leaped into the area beneath its abdomen.

"Die!" Finding the best attack spot, Mels shouted and thrust his long sword, infused with Qi energy, fiercely into the Three-Eyed Spider's abdomen.

Although the Three-Eyed Spider's body was much tougher than that of ordinary animals, it still couldn't withstand Mels' attack. Almost as soon as the sword pierced its body, the spider trembled in pain, suddenly lifting its abdomen and hoisting Mels high into the air.

Mels had originally intended to use his strength to tear a large wound in the monster's abdomen, but he hadn't expected it to raise its body as soon as his sword pierced it, thwarting his next move.

Unwilling to give up this chance at victory, Mels, even with his body suspended in mid-air, kept his hands tightly gripping the sword embedded in the spider's body. Stimulated by the pain, the monster, finding that its enemy hadn't appeared, retracted four of its legs and began swiping back and forth beneath its abdomen, seemingly trying to use its spear-like sharp legs to finish off Mels.

"Damn, this guy actually has some brains!" After dodging a few swipes, Mels knew that if this stalemate continued, he would be the one to lose. Just as he was about to leave the monster's body and find a new way to attack, one of the legs shot directly toward his chest.

Watching the rapidly moving leg, Mels could have let go of the sword and nimbly dodged it. But in that instant, he thought of a way to defeat the enemy.

Mels first strained to contract his entire body, barely dodging the swiftly moving leg, then fixed his gaze on the other legs flailing wildly in the air. After a moment, Mels' eyes lit up—the opportunity he had been waiting for had finally arrived.

Perhaps because the pain in its abdomen was too intense, or perhaps because it still couldn't shake off the pesky human from its body after so long, the Three-Eyed Spider began swiping its legs faster and over a wider range. And the opportunity Mels had been hoping for was precisely this speed!

Watching from the side, Sol saw Mels' body swaying perilously beneath the Three-Eyed Spider, and his mood fluctuated with each swing. But by now, Mels had fixed his eyes on one leg sweeping backward at high speed from the front. As that leg passed by him, Mels didn't dodge but instead lunged forward, one hand gripping the sword stuck in the monster's abdomen, the other hand firmly seizing the rapidly moving leg.

Perhaps sensing that its leg had caught something, the Three-Eyed Spider excitedly yanked backward, trying to fling Mels off its body. But it hadn't realized it had made a grave mistake!

As that leg pulled back with astonishing force, Mels' body was indeed dragged along, but the sword embedded in the spider's body also moved with him!

By the time the Three-Eyed Spider, shocked by the intense pain, understood what had happened, it was too late. The sharp sword instantly tore a gash several meters long in its abdomen. A mass of internal organs, mixed with an unbearable stench, spilled out of its ugly body onto the ground. By then, Mels had already let go with both hands and somersaulted away to land on the ground in the distance.

Seemingly unwilling to accept being killed by such a tiny human, the Three-Eyed Spider let out a few painful howls. As it desperately tried to crawl forward, it gradually lost strength, and its massive body crashed down, right on top of those disgusting entrails.

"Hehe, how about that? I took it down all by myself!" The joy of killing the Three-Eyed Spider made Mels run triumphantly toward Sol. Sol, his face also beaming with excitement, hugged Mels, wanting to celebrate this hard-won victory.

However, before the two could celebrate, they heard several consecutive booming sounds of trees falling. By the time Mels and Sol realized what was happening, they found themselves surrounded by three Three-Eyed Spiders of the same size. And this time, even Sol's escape route was blocked!