The massive axe projection slammed into the wall of webs, slicing through countless thick silk strands and tearing open a huge gap in the spider's nest.
Even so, it didn't push in very far. In the end, it got stuck between the sticky webs and could no longer move.
Carlos frowned and forcefully moved his arm, trying to pull the axe projection free, but it was useless.
His expression darkened as anger rose within him. Instead of dispelling the projection, he clenched his left fist tightly and focused his power into it, preparing to unleash another devastating attack.
The rest of the team was already used to his violent, reckless moves.
Before he could let loose, Alvin grabbed him and pulled him back. He shot him a cold look and said calmly,
"Stop. You're just wasting your strength. Cancel the projection, you idiot."
"Ah, alright." Carlos lowered his head slightly and didn't argue this time. He knew he'd been carried away by his excitement and had overdone it, especially now, when the situation didn't allow for reckless actions.
During their very brief exchange, the wall of webs regenerated. From it, hundreds of giant white spears emerged once again, shooting toward them at an absurd speed, making the air howl.
Bang!
The spears crashed into the transparent barrier, causing it to shake violently. Even so, they couldn't break through. But that wasn't all, another wave of spears followed right after, relentlessly.
As the barrage continued, just a few seconds later, the barrier finally began to show signs of breaking.
Cracks spread across it like fragile glass, accompanied by an irritating buzzing sound.
"This is not good," Selene muttered anxiously. She quickly poured more mana into her staff and chanted more obscure, incomprehensible words.
The staff glowed brighter, the barrier hardened, and it began repairing itself as the cracks slowly disappeared.
When she finished, she lowered her staff and let out a long breath, then turned her gaze toward Alvin.
"That damn spider has no intention of coming out and facing us directly. It probably realized it's cornered with no escape.
Hmph… does it really think it's safe hiding inside its nest?"
In truth, Alvin and his companions weren't the only ones targeting the spider. They were part of a larger group consisting of eleven people in total, split into two teams.
The main team was tasked with directly attacking the spider and drawing its attention, that was Alvin's team.
The secondary team's role was to spread out around the spider's nest and completely surround it.
Alvin nodded, agreeing with Selene. Without wasting any time, he turned to another member of their team, a swordsman in his fifties with a thick mustache and a clean-shaven chin, and gave his orders.
"Willard, use your 'Detection' skill and pinpoint the spider's exact location.
Carlos, get ready to open a path for us.
As for the webs, I'll leave them to you, Selene.
Is that clear?"
"Yes," they all replied at the same time.
Without wasting a second, Willard closed his eyes and activated his Skill, "Detection."
In that moment, he became like a living radar, scanning every part of the spider's nest within his range with precise focus.
Ten seconds later, he opened his eyes, pointed to the northeast, and said with confidence,
"She's about six hundred meters from here."
"Good. Follow me."
No one questioned him.
Carlos raised his axe high, and the massive projection appeared once more.
He stepped forward and took the lead, swinging his axe with overwhelming force, crushing and sweeping aside every spear and obstacle in their path like a living bulldozer.
When they reached the web-covered area, it was Selene's turn.
Her staff blazed with an intense orange light, and she shouted, "Fire!"
Out of nowhere, hundreds of small, extremely hot fireballs formed around her. They shot toward the web wall like cannon shells and detonated on impact.
The silk threads were tougher than steel, but before the scorching flames, they softened and ignited with terrifying ease.
Fire spread everywhere. Within seconds, a large portion of the spider's nest turned into a burning hell.
Without hesitation, Alvin and the others protected themselves with a magic barrier and pushed through the flames, advancing straight toward the spider.
Inside the nest, the spider woman felt panic rise as the humans drew closer. The flames and thick smoke made her even more agitated.
This was the second time in her life she had been forced into such a situation.
And even after experiencing it twice, she still didn't know what to do.
She wasn't smart enough, strong enough, or even fast enough to escape the humans. On top of that, forcefully stopping her Rank-Up had caused internal injuries.
Staying hidden had been nothing more than a desperate attempt to stall for time, hoping to recover a little, or find some way out.
Amid her confusion, her senses screamed a warning of imminent danger.
She reacted instantly, pushing off the ground with her eight legs and leaping high into the air.
She barely avoided a massive blade of energy—resembling a wave—that passed beneath her, cutting through everything in its path.
On the ground, Alvin looked up at her coldly. He tightened his grip on his sword, which was wrapped in a dark aura, and swung it again, releasing another sharp, lethal energy blade toward her.
Beside him, Selene unleashed a barrage of fireballs.
The spider was like a glider trapped in a storm of artillery fire. In the air, she had nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.
But she didn't freeze and wait for death.
Instead, she curled in on herself and wrapped her body in a thick layer of hardened webs, turning herself into a massive white sphere.
Boom!
Both attacks hit her at the same time.
A large portion of her armor exploded apart, fragments scattering everywhere. The impact of the two attacks was overwhelming, blasting her hundreds of meters backward.
She crashed into the ground and rolled another two hundred meters before finally coming to a stop.
The remaining spherical armor around her fell apart, revealing her intact body beneath, it hadn't been injured.
She stood upright and shook her head slightly, trying to steady herself and shake off the dizziness. Then, suddenly, she turned around.
Carlos was charging straight at her like a madman, his axe in hand, roaring at the top of his lungs:
"Die!"
Her eyes flared crimson, and a strange gravitational force radiated from them. Carlos, who was staring directly into her eyes, slowed down.
His grip on the axe loosened, his face twisted, and he struggled against the overwhelming power of temptation that began to bind and control him.
The spider knew he would break free sooner or later.
So she chose to strike first and finish him.
She charged toward him. With every step she took, the ground shook violently.
The moment she got close, she opened her grotesque mouth and spat a torrent of highly corrosive green venom.
Carlos's pupils shrank as death closed in on him.
"Fuck."