LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 73: Big Bear, The Elderly Goblin And Spider Cave
From behind the tree emerged a short-haired girl, holding a wooden shield and peeking cautiously at Athena.
Her voice was surprisingly loud but trembled with fear. Although facing Athena, her legs were turned to the side, ready to run at any moment.
"Don't attack her!!"
An old man also stepped out from behind the tree. Unlike the girl, he showed no fear towards Athena, instead scrutinizing the moonlit bow in her hand. It was a fine weapon.
Athena noticed the goblin standing beside Big Bear. She hadn't expected Big Bear to bring a goblin into the territorial battle. It was likely this goblin that had given her the hair earlier.
The elderly goblin appeared confident, in contrast to the timid Big Bear. Their roles seemed somewhat reversed.
Recognizing them, Athena lowered her bow but kept it at her side. She had already received 50 silver coins from them before arriving, indicating they likely had a request.
"What do you want?" Her tone remained cold, but the atmosphere had eased significantly compared to the previous tense standoff.
Big Bear blinked, realizing that Athena thought she was there to fulfill a promise. She quickly waved her hands in denial, "No, no, we're just passing by."
The moment she spoke, Athena nodded, ready to leave. She had every intention of fulfilling her promises, but she hadn't expected Big Bear to involve a goblin. She didn't want to get too entangled with them now.
The goblins were notorious for their traitorous nature, often attracting monsters, especially during such precarious times.
"The Goblin race is a renegade, rebellious race from darkness. We betrayed the darkness and chose to follow daylight. There's not a monster that doesn't hate us, and darkness is our grave..." — Uncle Gowther
However, Big Bear seemed determined not to let her leave and quickly got to the point.
"Can you show us the way? We're lost and don't know how to cross the river..." Even Big Bear found her request absurd, but she and the old man had been wandering here for quite a while, unable to find a way across.
Athena, who had initially not intended to accept the 50 silver coins Big Bear had sent, took them without hesitation upon hearing this request.
| Congratulations! You've received 50 silver coins! |
"I'll show you a clear path. This place is likely blocked off. You either cross the river directly or catch a couple of giant bees."
Given the goblin's characteristics, encountering giant bees shouldn't be difficult. Besides, the elderly goblin didn't seem easy to deal with, so catching giant bees shouldn't pose much danger to them.
She still couldn't understand why Big Bear had managed to obtain five goblins, including an old one, from a single silver package.
Before visiting the goblin city, she hadn't thought much of it. But after seeing the goblin city, she realized how unusual it was. The skills possessed by the elderly goblin definitely extended beyond logging; the vine wall earlier had been his doing.
Watching Athena's retreating figure, Big Bear was stunned, staring at the rushing, depth-unknown river, and recalling the mention of giant bees. She hadn't encountered a single monster on her way here!
The system and the giant bees Athena mentioned had never been seen by her!
In fact, Athena was the first living being she had encountered since entering the territorial battle.
If Athena knew Big Bear was heading towards the recent battlefield, she would certainly tell her not to bother, as the battle was likely over by now.
Athena ran along the riverbank, her eyes catching sight of a swarm of black giant bees, this time numbering ten. Among them, one stood out, slightly larger than the rest, likely the leader. They moved with swift precision, their path clear and purposeful.
Despite their hurried advance, Athena remained vigilant. Her feline companion, Mikmik, twitched its ears and tugged her towards a hiding spot, uneasily curling up in her arms.
True to her instincts, not long after the first swarm passed, another rushed by, both heading towards the heart of the Dark Forest. This signaled the gathering of swarms, a prelude to war.
Various monsters had already hidden away, sensing the impending danger. Players, alerted by the system, began seeking refuge. The battle between two Lord-level factions was not something the current players could engage in, so everyone was lying low, avoiding conflict.
For Athena, this was both good and bad news.
The good news was that she no longer had to worry about being surrounded. The bad news was that she couldn’t act rashly. With monsters and people hiding, increasing her rank would be exceptionally difficult. Killing too many giant bees might trigger a chain reaction, especially since she had already slain members of both the black and yellow bee swarms.
Since there was nothing she could do, she decided to wait and see how things unfolded.
Athena and Mikmik found a concealed cave to hide in, only to discover it was already occupied.
The cave was eerie, filled with the stench of decay. Bones littered the floor, some gleaming, others broken and yellowed. Spider webs crisscrossed the space.
As they ventured deeper, Athena held her black axe, unfazed by the darkness. To her, it was no different from daylight.
She cleared the obstructing webs, sticky and treacherous, but managed to carve a path.
When they finally reached the cave's end, they found their way blocked.
A massive spider web sealed the passage completely. Even if they tore through it, a stone wall awaited behind, marking the cave's terminus. Above them, a gigantic black spider lurked, its green eyes glowing ominously as it watched them.
The spider moved silently, its many legs allowing it to traverse the cave walls effortlessly. It planned to drop behind Athena and Mikmik, cutting off their escape.
This was the first time prey had willingly walked into its lair, presenting it with a meal.
Athena and Mikmik, however, remained unperturbed. As the spider descended, she moved faster, charging back towards it. With the path ahead blocked and the spider in the middle, their only option was to confront it head-on!
