Chapter 21: The Brood and Its Mother

"Kon, we should go somewhere else," I told Kon as I laid on the ground, trying to catch my breath. I wasn't met with a reply. It was natural for Kon not to reply sometimes, "Lets keep moving," I continued. The Butcher might encounter us again if we stayed here, and I didn't want that to happen.

I stood up and stretched my legs, "Lets go," I checked behind us one more time to make sure the Butcher wasn't following us.

After assuring myself that the Butcher didn't follow us, I turned to look towards Kon. Only trees of different kinds and bushes of unknown species came into my vision. Kon was gone.

...

...

Oi? Did it run away without me? No, he wouldn't have. I would hear his legs brushing amongst the grassy ground if he did.

I activated my ability, and the usual rosy smell filled the air. This must entice him.

PSSHT.

Oi?! What the hell?! Kon's familiar slowing toxin landed a few inches away from me, surprising me as it landed. I knew you were desperate, but not that much?! Where did you even shoot that from?

I quickly looked to where the sound was located, and there I found my answer to my three questions. Why wasn't the Butcher chasing us, Why was it so quiet in this place, and Where the hell was Kon.

Countless hanging cocoons littered the canopy above, and dozens of young Butchers laid dormant. One of them was reeling Kon up the canopy as he struggled to break free off the sticky silk. It wasn't chasing us because it was lazy. The real reason why was because we ran straight into its nest.

It was so damn quiet here because all of the live creatures have been encased in those cocoons. Some of them even budged occasionally. The young Butcher who was pulling Kon towards their nest was having a hard time due to Kon's desperate struggles.

I don't have any offensive abilities that can attack at that distance. I couldn't do anything but sit and watch and hope for the best to happen.

The young Butcher pulled Kon close enough to enter its striking range, and there it pried open its jack-knife claws and lunged at Kon.

THUNK-

Kon's hard exoskeleton successfully defended him from the initial strike of the young Butcher, but he still wasn't safe. Kon's body was now held by the young Butcher. Its saw-like blades began to make silent work of Kon's exoskeleton.

In a desperate attempt to escape, Kon began to spit his slowing toxin at himself. He was immune to and attempted to coil around the young Butcher. His mandibles barely reached one of the claws of the Butcher and snapped it off, forcing the young Butcher to let go of his body.

THUD.

Kon dropped with a resonating thud. The portion of his body where the young Butcher landed its claws was partially cut, but thankfully it was not too deep. In the clutches of Kon's mandible were the jack-knife claws of young Butcher, which I hurriedly placed in my inventory.

"Ruuuunnnn..." Kon's first word as he got up on his feet. I nodded my head and began to run with him. If we woke up this entire nest, we would for sure be doomed. Being feasted on by countless young spiders as their mama watches was not part of my bucket list.

SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECHHH!!

Why is it that when I hope for something not to happen, it happens immediately?! The young Butcher noticing us running for our lives screeched to alert his siblings that there were intruders in their nest. Hey, I promise we didn't mean to your damned mother forced us to run here.

The dormant Butcher siblings began to quiver as they rose from their slumber, awaken by their siblings. A call for a hunt.

Oi?! We were supposed to be the one's hunting, but we unluckily stumbled into you guys.

THUD.

A young Butcher dropped in front of us, halting our progress. They were about 1/4th the size of the Adult Butcher we saw a while ago. It's almost a bit larger than me and more menacing. That's a good comparison, but what's not good right now is that it's about to attack us!

SWOOSH

Its sharp claws met no resistance as it struck the empty air as I dashed to the right and leaped towards it, preparing my own counterattack.

"Get a load of this!" I shouted, brandishing my claws.

It tried to retract its claws, but it was in vain. I was too close for it to have time to defend itself.

SKrrrrrrtchh.

My claws directly gashed deeply into its neck, almost successfully cutting it off. Woah, these things are sharp as hell?!

Thud.

Its legs weakly folded, and its body fell to the ground. It twitched for a few moments before succumbing to its fate. Well, we didn't have time to watch it die in front of us. All I knew is that I'm capable of taking these things down. Kon would be more than enough if he tried.

「You have slain a Nestling Butcher Tarantis」

「You have earned experience.」

「You have leveled up (Level 8 -> Level 9)」

「You are on the verge of evolution.」

「Your body grows stronger.」

Tahk. Tahk. Tahk.

Hundreds of legs resounded behind us. It was our signal to keep running, or else we'd be food. Jumping over the dead young Butcher, Kon and I ran with haste. We must get out of this damned nest.

I glanced over my shoulder, and my childhood nightmares didn't seem impossible anymore. They were slobbering all over the floor, eager to feed on something.

Krnch. Krnch. Krrrrrunch.

The sound of feasting echoed behind us, but I did not look back. I knew they were eating their dead brethren, and it was giving us time to escape. I glanced to my side, and there I noticed Kon limping. He was still keeping up with me, but the damage on his exoskeleton must be more than what met the eye. Should I use it?

I shook my head and decided against it. I only had one use of the mending dice left, and I promised myself to only use it in near-death situations. It was my saving grace.

After a few moments of non-stop running, we finally entered a clearing. There were no tall trees in sight, only a plain field filled with grass and flowers.

This is where Elizabeth and the Chimera fought. I was assured that we'd made some distance. Now that we're on familiar ground, I can safely guide us back home.

SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECHH!

A roar of fury echoed deep within the forest we just exited from. It was deeper and more menacing than the young ones we encountered. The mother went back to its lair and found one of its children dead. This is bad. This is very bad.

With my keen hearing, I could hear the anger-filled steps of the Butcher as it drew near us. The falling of small trees made the ground vibrate, making it more apparent that it was out for our heads.

"Kon! Sniff out where Elizabeth is! Right now!" I shouted. Kon didn't ask why and began to move his antennas to feel the air.

"Faar..." Kon replied, his antennas moving in one direction.

"It's there?" I asked hurriedly as I felt the vibrations become stronger and stronger.

"Yesss...." Kon answered

"Run towards Elizabeth's direction," I ordered with haste. We can't even rest for a good few minutes without something happening. This world is messed up.

Kon hesitated for a moment and began to run with me. It seems like he still bears some fear towards Elizabeth.

thuD. thUD.

Its steps grew louder and louder by the second. Thankfully due to its size, it wasn't able to move very fast, but it was still gaining some distance. Why the hell are creatures of this world so damned scary?!

「The God of Chances feigns innocence」

You?! Why am I even surprised?!

Shwwwwwwipp...

Huh? All of a sudden, a thick line of silk was thrown in front of me, forcing me to jump over it quickly and rolling over. The Butcher's here already?

As I stood on all fours and looked behind me. I saw three young Butchers who've already caught up to us and trying to stall us so that their mother could reach us. Damn these nestlings.

These webs would be a problem if we get caught in them, but we don't have time to engage in a fight with them. I clicked my tongue. Kon stood still beside me, waiting for me to decide what we should do.

"Run," I said in a low voice. We need to risk it. We had a slimmer chance of surviving if we engaged in fighting right now.

Kon turned towards Elizabeth's direction and began to skitter forward, and so did I. The young nestlings weren't as fast as us, but they were only a few feet behind us.

Shwip. Shwip. Shwip.

Argh. These annoying kids?! Why don't you stay still and behave?! I had a hard time dodging their silk projectiles as I needed to quickly turn left or right so that they wouldn't hit me.

SWOOOP!

Heuk?! I didn't notice one of them got too close already. I could feel a burning sensation emanating from my back. Thankfully we were running, and it didn't have the proper position to land a major blow, but that still damn hurt!

Washoop!

I whipped my stinger and landed a hit on one of its legs. Its front legs withered, and the young Butcher fell forward, slowing down the other two behind it. That's what you get!

SKREEEEEEEEEEEEECH!

As we entered the forest once more towards Elizabeth. I glanced over my shoulder, and the three young butchers seem to have slowed down.

KWAARARARAKKK

Thick branches and large portions of dirt flew in the air in the distance behind the young butchers. The crazy mother had entered the plains, and it had its sights set on us. RUN!