As the ground rumbled beneath his feet, Akhil didn’t wait for whatever was coming through the fog.
He immediately activated his newly acquired skill—Air Walk.
"If I’m going to deal with the boss, I can’t waste time fighting this thing... guess I’ll have to trouble you guys a bit," he muttered, rising steadily into the air until he was clear of the shaking ground.
Below, the fog rippled like a living thing.
Then, slowly, it parted.
A monstrous figure emerged—its thick, black carapace glinting faintly in the dim light. Its circular head was covered with clusters of yellow eyes, each one scanning in a different direction.
Eight enormous legs followed, sharp and jointed, cracking the earth with every step. The sound alone was enough to make smaller beasts nearby scatter in panic.
But they didn’t get far.
Swish.
Splat.
In a blur, one of the spider’s massive limbs swept through the air. Four beasts were sliced apart instantly.
A mutated hound tried to escape, limping with a severed leg.
"Awooo!" It howled in agony, dragging itself away, leaving a trail of blood behind. But before it could crawl another meter, a spiked leg came down hard—piercing its skull and nailing it to the earth.
The spider beast didn’t even slow down.
Blood ran down its limb as it moved forward, unbothered.
’It has to be one of the twelve generals...’
Akhil felt a chill creep down his spine. The ease with which it killed those beasts—it was terrifying.
Even with his current strength, taking down five beasts in one breath would’ve been difficult. But this creature? It made it look effortless. Clean. Precise. Unstoppable.
There was no resistance. No hesitation.
Just death.
’This thing’s a menace,’ Akhil thought grimly.
For a moment, he actually considered intercepting it—keeping it from reaching the orc settlement. If that monster got there before anyone could react, the results would be disastrous.
But then another thought cut through.
’If I stop it now, I’ll never reach the boss in time.’
He clenched his fists, his eyes hardening.
’The humans will be there too. Let’s hope they’re actually useful... and not just full of talk.’
That was the thought that steadied him.
He was putting some faith in them—just a bit.
Langdon had mentioned they’d be joining the horde fight. Akhil doubted their intentions were noble; it was probably for their own gain. Still, it helped.
With humans involved, casualties among the orcs would drop sharply. They’d share the burden, earn rewards, and save Akhil the trouble of thinning the ranks himself.
A win-win, even if everyone was being selfish.
Akhil waited quietly until the tremors faded, then began to lower himself from the air.
That’s when he heard it—
"Pow! Pow!"
Akhil glanced down.
Tiny round creatures were bouncing out of the fog—dozens of them.
The puff-like beasts gathered around the fallen corpses, their small bodies twitching as they shot sharp spikes into the carcasses. Then, one by one, they began dragging the bodies back into the mist.
Akhil frowned.
’Pufflings.’
Without making a sound, he floated higher and began tailing them—silent, shadow-like—following as they carried their grim harvest deeper into the fog.
They had no idea someone was watching from above.
Meanwhile, far away, the spider beast Akhil had chosen not to stop marched on.
Each step made the ground quake.
Then, suddenly, it halted.
Its many eyes shifted to the side—toward a different part of the forest.
As if it had sensed something.
And slowly, it turned and began to move in that direction.
Its eight jagged legs dug into the ground, splitting it apart as it moved faster and faster through the fog.
The new path it took led toward the two figures rushing through the forest.
Hale and Samxon.
They were both sprinting, boots pounding against the dirt. Hale’s face was tight, sweat beading down her temple. "We’re running blind," she muttered.
Samxon kept his eyes on the compass strapped to his wrist. "We’re close," he said between breaths. "If we can just—"
The ground shook.
Both froze.
A low rumble rolled through the forest, trees swaying violently. Birds exploded into the air in panic.
Then came the shadow—massive and dark, stretching across the fog like an incoming storm.
"What the hell..." Hale’s voice trailed off as the creature appeared.
Eight glistening legs pierced through the mist. Each step cracked roots, crushed rocks, and left deep scars in the soil. The monstrous frame emerged fully, eyes glowing like molten orbs scattered across its head.
"Move!" Samxon shouted, throwing himself sideways.
The beast’s leg crashed down where they had been standing, a thunderous crack echoing through the trees.
They rolled apart, dirt flying.
Samxon slammed his palms together. "Rock Wall!"
{One-time defense skill activated!}
The ground responded immediately. A thick wall of stone burst up between them and the beast, but the relief lasted only a second. The spider’s claw smashed into it, shattering it like glass.
Chunks of stone scattered everywhere.
"Damn it!" Hale yelled, raising her arm. Blue light flared across her gauntlet, energy forming around it. "Flare Burst!"
A blazing wave of fire shot through the air, striking the spider square in the face. The creature reeled, screeching—a harsh, metallic sound that rattled the trees.
For a heartbeat, it looked stunned. Then its front legs slammed into the ground, propelling its body upward.
It leaped.
The impact shattered the air itself.
Hale’s eyes widened. "Scatter!"
They jumped as the beast landed, tearing apart everything in a ten-meter radius. Trees splintered, earth cracked, smoke rose.
Samxon’s expression hardened. Lightning sparked across his forearms. "Lightning Spear!"
Bolts of blinding energy lanced upward, stabbing into the spider’s underbelly.
A shriek split the air as black blood sprayed, sizzling where it touched the ground. The spider jerked back, enraged.
Hale seized the chance. She sprinted in, flames curling around her fist. "Let’s end this, Sam!"
"Go!" Samxon shouted, crackling with residual lightning.
Hale darted beneath the creature’s swinging limbs, boots digging into the dirt. Her flaming fist smashed into one of its legs, the explosion throwing her back—but it worked. The leg twisted, bone and shell cracking.
The beast roared again.
Its eyes flashed brighter, pulsing with energy.
"Oh no..." Samxon muttered.
The creature’s mouth split open. A thick, black mist poured out, rolling through the air like a living fog. Everything it touched—trees, leaves, even rocks—corroded instantly.
"Retreat!" Hale shouted.