Inside the dual gates, the forest was darker and more ominous than outside.
A chilling atmosphere.
The trees were coated in sticky, white slime.
Spider webs dangled from branches like aged laundry, creating a deeply unpleasant scene.
Squish.
The sound of something sticky stretched underfoot.
Gulp—
Alice's throat bobbed nervously.
Without a word, we pressed forward, tense and alert.
Before long, we stood before an enormous tree so massive it couldn't fit into our field of vision.
Hundreds of white cocoons hung from its branches like fruit, while green mist drifted through the leaves.
A sweet scent tickled our noses.
"God's Grace!"
As soon as the scent reached us, Sophia cast her protective veil.
And then...
Thud.
From a knot in the massive tree, a black, glistening leg extended.
The leg's sharp, blade-like tip gleamed as it emerged, one after another.
One... two... three...
In the blink of an eye, ten legs reached out, gripping the tree's trunk.
Scrrrk—
The sound of sharp claws digging into the bark echoed.
Using the legs as leverage, something began prying itself out of the tree's knot.
A woman with long, white hair and crimson eyes.
Her pale skin gleamed like moonlight, and eight blood-red eyes embedded in her face glistened as if soaked in blood.
[ Ahh... So, it's you. The pesky little bugs interfering with our grand ambition. ]
Her pale lips stretched into a wide grin, revealing her crimson mouth.
A chilling laugh escaped from her lips.
[ I shall make you food for my children. ]
At last, the boss of this dual gate emerged:
The Devil of Greed, the Spider Queen Ariné.
"That is... the Spider Queen, Ariné."
Shin Se-hee's calm, subdued voice echoed.
As I watched the grotesque movement of ten spider legs in front of me, I thought to myself:
'Still, being able to get communications working even inside a double gate is pretty incredible.'
I had expanded the detection range to its maximum, just in case it wouldn't work. Looks like Lina really poured her soul into upgrading it.
'Will it be okay, though?'
This time around, I shared a lot of information with Shin Se-hee, starting from the point of command. While it wasn't mandatory, knowing more could be helpful.
For instance, what kinds of enemies might appear in this gate, the types of attacks they could use, the effects and range of those attacks, and the most efficient ways to counteract them.
Among those details was information about the Spider Queen, Ariné.
Of course, when I told her, Shin Se-hee had been dumbfounded, saying, "No... you even know things like that? Then, what kind of price are you paying for this foresight…?"
I decided to just brazenly push forward on that front!
'Well, they're half-treating me like a prophet now anyway.'
First things first here:
'I can't resist opening with a perfectly matched ultimate attack.'
Whoosh—!
As I watched Kang Do-hee stride forward, her entire body ablaze with mana, I couldn't help but chuckle.
'She's pretty much caught up to my command style now. No, there are even parts where she's better than me… And yet, who's the real monster here, huh?'
Shin Se-hee stared at the holographic screen displaying the demon in front of her. Her gaze flicked briefly to the smaller, accompanying data window.
[Devil: Spider Queen Ariné – Deadly Sin Representative 'Greed']
• Threat Level: SSS-grade
•
• Title: Deadly Sin Representative [Greed]
•
• Appearance: Upper body resembling a pale human, lower body consisting of ten spider legs. Notably possesses nine eyes, granting a wide field of vision—proceed with caution.
•
Main Abilities
■ Venom
• Lethal poison on contact.
•
• Injected directly through claws and fangs; instant death upon hit.
•
• Can be sprayed in mist form for area attacks, causing severe injuries.
•
• Creates poison clouds for widespread attacks; weaker damage but still not negligible.
•
■ Thread of Death
• Webs can alternate freely between cutting and adhesive properties.
•
• Webs are also infused with venom.
•
• Beware of its ability to immobilize movement.
•
■ Regeneration
• Instantly restores damaged body parts.
•
• Continuously spawns minions from egg sacs.
•
■ 'Authority': Miser's Nest
• Absorbs life force through its webs and stores it.
•
• Converts stolen life force into spider eggs.
•
• Eggs serve as revival tools and mana reservoirs.
•
• In Phase 2, uses this to create clones of itself.
•
Combat Style
• Engages in close combat with ten scythe-like legs.
•
• Scratches result in immediate neurotoxin poisoning.
•
• When legs are fully extended, they can cover the entire map.
•
• Combines webs and venom for large-scale attacks.
•
• Commands minions like disposable tools in a strategic manner.
•
Weaknesses
• If all eggs are destroyed, it cannot revive.
•
• In double-gate scenarios, both gates must be cleared simultaneously; otherwise, Ariné revives in the other gate if killed in one.
•
• Relatively vulnerable to purification and fire attributes, though resistant enough that the weakness is not severe.
•
• The abdomen, where webs and eggs are produced and venom sacs are located, is a critical weakness. However, Ariné is aware of this, making it hard to target effectively.
•
"Ha."
Every time she looked at it, a dry laugh escaped her. The information was absurdly detailed, as though someone had thoroughly examined every aspect of the opponent.
It made her curious about the extent of Jin Yuha's foresight.
"Does Jin Yuha even realize the value of this information...?"
Just as Jin Yuha had warned, the enemy of this demon gate, the Spider Queen Ariné, was truly dangerous.
Her sheer physicality and grotesque appearance alone would leave most hunters trembling on the spot, succumbing to despair.
On top of that, she wielded instant-death venom, adaptable webs, regeneration, and revival capabilities.
She was an enemy worthy of being called a nightmare.
But…
Thanks to the information Jin Yuha provided, things were different.
"Knowing this in advance changes the game. Although the danger doesn't diminish, it becomes manageable."
They could fight.
Shin Se-hee's eyes turned a vivid crimson. Turning toward Kang Do-hee, she said:
"Kang Do-hee, let's start by... hitting her with something big."
Unconsciously imitating Jin Yuha's tone, she issued the command. Kang Do-hee flinched but nodded.
"Alright, then, next up—"
.
.
.
"..."
Gulp.
Through the hologram broadcast, the sound of Lee Min-young swallowing nervously could be heard.
The appearance of the Spider Queen Ariné was just that shocking.
-"Ugh, damn it! What the hell is that?!"
-"Seriously, that's disgusting..."
-"It triggers some deep-seated biological aversion..."
-"Ahhh... I have arachnophobia..."
-"I feel like I'm going to throw up."
-"Thinking about monsters like that coming out of the gate... it's horrifying."
-"Yuha, run away..."
-"If Yuha runs, what happens? Those things will crawl outside. Are you out of your mind?"
Even though they had seen spider monsters before, Ariné's appearance elicited an instinctive fear and revulsion in everyone.
This is different.
That was the shared impression.
The sheer presence of a demon like Ariné had an overwhelming effect.
As the Demonic Gates continued to appear one by one, their danger escalated exponentially. This was the third such gate.
By this point, merely looking at such a creature could instill despair or cause weaker-minded individuals to break down entirely.
Fortunately, Lina had prepared by filtering the broadcast footage, mitigating the revulsion to a degree.
Still, the sense of fear remained undiluted.
"Ugh... I-I'm fine! As always! O-our Utopia will handle this! They're heroes, our hope!!!"
Lee Min-young clenched her fist tightly and declared.
Her statement spurred responses in the chat:
-"Yuha, please... show us something amazing."
-"Yuha, prove it. Please... "
-"Utopia, please... for us..."
-"How does Utopia even fight things like that? It's terrifying."
-"Please, don't let that monster escape the gate."
The usual playful banter in the strategy broadcast had vanished. Now, everyone was praying sincerely for Utopia to claim an overwhelming victory against this terrifying enemy.
The reality of what Lee Min-young had repeatedly emphasized finally hit home.
If Utopia failed to conquer this gate, not only Korea but possibly the entire world would be in grave danger.
And the only thing viewers could do was cheer for their heroes with genuine respect and hope.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Utopia made its move.
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
New novel you must CHECK
✅Infinitely Regressing In A Loop
✅Bought By A Demon
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
Support the Translation! 🌐✨
30+ Advanced Chapters are currently available in Patreon, make sure to visit and support me.
patreon.com/Immortal_author
ko-fi.com /immortalauthor
discord.gg/KscfBegBPT