Arena

Chapter 86 Exploration (Part 2)

“If the magician has the undead Arachne, they would be far stronger than the zombies made from human corpses, why has the magician not used them yet?”

Asked Derrick.

I said.

“It means that side hasn’t shown us their power yet. And that the magician has used the Arachne for a different purpose.”

“A different purpose?”

I pointed to the web.

“Why do you think the magician put a non-viscous web here?”

“... I am not sure on that.

“It is to reuse.”

At my words, Derrick’s eyes grew wide. I continued speaking.

“The magician put up all these webs everywhere to safely catch the falling zombies. So that the bodies can be safely preserved and used to attack again.”

“... Let us check it out for now.”

At Derrick’s words, Cob has Sylph remove the wind barrier.

We started falling once again.

My hypothesis was correct.

There were webs all along the cliff wall.

There were lots of ripped web, but those were probably from Odin’s efforts yesterday.

“Damn it.”

Very unlike himself, Derrick swears.

Rightly so.

Up until now, they had fought thinking they were dropping zombies to the floor, but because of that the zombie horde was able to keep attacking.

“We should have explored the cliff from the beginning.”

“Yes. If we had seen this sooner, we could have come up with a plan.”

“Damn it. We have been wasting our time all this time. We should have sliced them up into pieces as they climbed up.”

The elves were full of self-blame and sighed.

I gave them some encouragement.

“I don’t think that is true. Because the zombies weren’t used up, the black magician kept using the same attack method.”

Everyone looked at me with odd faces.

“In the time that bought us, I revived the Tree of Life and was able to grow the small Tree of Life. It was a big benefit to us.”

“... I see. Time was on our side.”

“Yes.”

“That makes sense. Thanks to getting two trees of life, we have gotten stronger.”

“Ho, thinking that way, it really wasn’t a waste?”

“That’s Kim for you.”

“Using a point we haven’t thought of and understanding the situation differently.”

Cob and the other veteran elves shower me with compliments.

I felt embarrassed and didn’t know what to do with myself but it felt good.

Because it really is awesome being acknowledged by someone.

We continued falling.

I wondered how much time has passed.

“Get ready.”

We each readied our weapons.

‘This is a good opportunity to check out what I tested yesterday.”

I was excited for it.

A while later, we reached the ground. The height of the fall really was quite immense.

“Ku ahhh!”

“Ku rururu!”

It was swarming with zombies. Crawling with undead made from human corpses.

“There are no Arachne.”

Said Derrick.

I spoke up.

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“It means the zombies made from human corpses are just expendable. Don’t you think the black magician has already left here?”

“Has the magician already left?”

“Yes, look. Aren’t there actually way less zombies compared to what we were thinking there would be? Yesterday, thanks to the two of you obliterating the zombies to the point of not even having a shape anymore, the numbers have been greatly reduced. Because of that, the black magician probably thought it wasn’t possible to continue and has left.”

“Hmm, that is reasonable thinking. Then leaving these zombies here...”

“The magician probably wants to throw us off to the last minute. If there was nothing here when we came down here, we would have known that the attack would be coming somewhere else, and caught on to that right away.”

Then, Cob yelled.

“There is a cave there.”

Everyone looked over to the direction Cob was pointing to.

Really, towards the inner gorge, there was a cave.

“We should check that out.”

“Hold on.”

I stopped Derrick.

“What is it?”

“That cave, aside from that, could there be another opening into it from different side?”

“I am not sure.”

“If that is the case, there is no need for us to check it out. In anticipation of us going in, there is a high chance there is a trap set up there.”

“Kim is right. I will have Sylph go look inside.”

Cob stepped forward.

Derrick nodded his head.

“That sounds good.”

Cob’s Sylph headed into the cave. For now, we were hanging on the cliff and awaiting the scouting results.

Then Sylph returned.

Cob and Sylph must have some kind of connection, he nodded and spoke.

“As Kim said, there are 9 undead Arachne in there.”

“You can converse with your Sylph?”

As I asked, Cob laughed.

“With an intermediate spirit, you have a special method to communicate with them.”

“Wow......”

If only my spirits could get there, scouting or giving orders would be much easier. I really have to consistently raise my main skill.

“Was there anything else?”

At Derrick’s question, Cob nodded his head.

Derrick pretended to mull it over for a moment then decided.

“Everyone will clean up and we’ll go back. If we leave these things here, the black magician can use them again.”

“I agree.”

“This much is easy.”

“My power can do this in one blow.”

With that, Derrick summoned his Kasa.

A fire giant appeared and assimilated with Derrick. Kasa has seeped into Derrick’s body and it was now aglow with blue flames.

All the other elves, weapons in hand, summoned their spirits.

“Sylph, Kasa!”

-Meow.

-Mung!

I too summon my two cute spirits and took out my double guns.

“Remember what we practiced yesterday? Let’s try that.”

Sylph and Kasa nodded their heads.

The fight began.

Derrick swirled his sword in an instant and the flames fired randomly.

Hwalulululuk-!

“Kuah!”

“Ahhh!”

“Uhahhh!”

In an instant, a river of fire swept in leaving zombies mingling in a pile of ash!

I shoot my double guns at the zombies that Derrick didn’t kill.

Tang! Tang! Taang! Tang! Tang!”

Every time I shot, the shot surprisingly hit two zombie skulls and the third zombie in the body.

The power has gotten strong enough to hit three zombies per shot!

‘Nice.’

I was excited and shot in every which direction.

In all directions within 10 m, zombies got hit by my gun and fell down.

In no time at all, there were no zombies in the gorge below the cliff.

Lastly, Derrick wielded his sword as he headed for the cave.

“This is the end.”

Kwaaaa!

The flames that burst from the tip of the gun shot out into the cave.

Giik!

Gik!

Bbiiik!

Bleak screams rang out from inside. It is probably the sound of burning Arachne.

“Now, let’s return.”

The clean was up is done quickly and Derrick decided to head back.

“It feels lacking to go back empty handed, let us gather some spoils of war on the way up.”

At Cob’s words, Derrick laughed and nodded his head.

“Fine.”

“Spoils of war?”

I asked. One veteran elf taught me.

“The spider webs. If we bring some back, the women will love it. It makes good clothing.”

“Ah!”

We, using Cob’s Sylph’s power, gathered the webs spread here and there on the cliff.

The stickiness has been taken out so it was easy to gather.

‘It would be awesome to make this into a shirt and wear it.’

An incredible shirt immune to swords! It would be an impressive piece of defensive equipment that would save my life multiple times over.

We got all the Arachne webs and climbed back to the top of the cliff. The pile of webs were mountain high.

“You have come back earlier than expected?”

“Wow, what is all this?”

“The wife will love it. Is it okay if I take some as well?”

Derrick gestured to it.

“Everyone take as much as you need.”

“Score!”

“Everyone get yours.”

“Don’t be too greedy. What is left we should give to the young ones.”

“Kim, you come get some too. Oh wait, do you not have a woman to make you any?”

At Cob’s words, I couldn’t help but groan a little.

I miss Min-jeong! No, it’s not like she has the skills to take this and turn it into a shirt, but still.

“My wife can make it for you. Kim, what would you like to be made?”

Asked Derrick.

Oh Derrick!

Then, with the eldest mother be making mine? She’s the eldest, so she probably has the best skills?

“A shirt to wear inside.”

“That is a good choice. Understood.”

Derrick gathered my portion of web for me.

And the web that is left was decided to be distributed to the other men.

“All the men will go crazy if these are made into bow thimbles.”

“That should be enough.”

We all headed back for the village. There was no longer a need for us to guard this cliff.

First, I will rest and then think up more defenses.

The old veteran warrior elves all returned and the mothers came racing towards them.

“Honey!”

“You have all come back?”

“You are early, honey!”

“Welcome back, honey!”

Yep.

Of course, their companions are the over-200-year-old mothers of this village.

The eldest mother too came out clinging towards Derrick.

“Oh my, what web is this? Is this Arachne webbing?”

“It is.”

“Oh my, my, give it here. I will make you something good.”

“Thank you.”

Derrick softly brushed her hair and the eldest mother loved the gesture.

At the affectionate scene of the middle-aged couple, I felt jealously and sadness again.

“I also request a shirt for Kim.”

“Ah, of course. Kim doesn’t have a companion.”

‘Kuhuk.’

Suddenly treated as single.

But then.

There is a small child running towards us. A very cute girl, it is Elise.

Elise grabs the ankle of the eldest mother’s pants tightly and shook it.

“What is it Elise?”

Elise pointed to the spider webs.

“This? These will be turned into clothing for Derick and Kim... Oh!”

The eldest mother must have realized something and gave Elise a handful.

“Make it your best. Kim said he wants a shirt.”

“Hehehe.”

Elise smiled bashfully at me, hugged the webbing with both arms, and disappeared.

I am not thinking and just stood there blankly.

Derrick’s mumbling brought me back to my senses.

“Now that I think of it, your ages are similar.”

“What?!”

“Kim, how old are you?”

Asked the eldest mother.

“I am 29.”

Do not misunderstand. In Korean age, I am 30, but really I am 29!

“Yes, similar ages. Elise is 31 this year.”

“Kuk!”

I gasped at Derrick’s words.

‘Uh, I see.’

An elf’s lifespan is 3 times as long as a human. On the outside she looks young but the real age is about 3 times more than the appearance.

“Then... the reason she took my portion of webs is...”

“She is going to make you clothing.”

“Kuk!”

It looks like making a man’s clothing is the role of the companion. But Elise making my clothes means...

“Oh, uh no! That won’t do!”

“What is there that won’t do.”

“I mean, it can’t! I am a human and I already have a girl...!”

“Nothing will be a problem. You are our family.”

“Kuaah! R-really, no!”

To get his words that are ringing like an auditory hallucination in my ear, out of my head, I raced up the Tree of Life like a crazy person.

***

Looking up at Kim Hyun-ho race up the tree like he was trying to escape from something, Derrick said.

“For us elves, making clothing is an expression of thanks, but he seems to have misunderstood it.”

“Hohoho, he must think a companion must make the clothes.”

Generally, making clothes was a way of showing gratitude.

The reason women made their men’s clothing was simple. In general, the most thankful thing is the companion spending his life with you.

“It is fun, let’s just leave it.”

“Aw, how do you know me so well?”

“We are a couple.”

“Hohoho.”

The cutest and oldest couple in this village were affectionate today too.