Free Web NovelChapter 23: Alvin and His Team
’An E-Rank wolf? That’s a bit strange. What is it doing here?’ Alvin wondered, and looked at the gray wolf that was watching them from a nearby spot.
The moment their eyes met, a strange and incomprehensible feeling overcame him. Involuntarily he grabbed his sword, and slowly drew it a little.
One swing, this was all he needed to split the wolf in two, but he pulled back from his decision, not out of pity, but because his instincts forbade him from doing so, and he was someone who trusted his exceptional instincts.
In truth, it was very strange to see a wolf without a pack in "Grimfen" Forest, and stranger than that was that this wolf had settled in the territory of one of the powerful monsters.
This ignited his curiosity, but in all honesty he was not in a suitable position that allowed him to let his attention scatter. He released his sword, and sighed silently: ’Lucky wolf.’
Either way, Alvin wore silver armor embroidered with interlocking golden lines that covered his entire body, and he also protected his head and face with a black helmet, on top of which there were a few red feathers.
Most of his features were hidden behind the helmet, and the only visible part of his face was his black eyes.
His companions stared at him in puzzlement, before stealing a quick glance at the wolf that had stayed far behind them. They had noticed that he had almost drawn his sword earlier, as for the reason behind that, they had not the slightest idea.
Four days had passed since they entered the forest, and during this short period, they had fought hundreds of monsters, and faced dangers beyond imagination. Even though they were very strong, they had grown tired, and were fed up with this cursed forest and what dwelled within it.
This was reason enough for them to stop fighting nature and start adapting to it. To conserve their strength, they ignored all the monsters that did not pose a real threat to them, like the wolf from a little while ago.
After an hour of walking cautiously, Alvin suddenly stopped, then turned and looked at his companions with a kind of coldness.
"We have gotten very close to the Calamity Spider’s nest, it will have noticed our presence by now. You know what you have to do, I will not repeat myself. Stay cautious."
His rough voice carried a stern tone that brooked no argument, and yet, not all of his companions listened to him with great seriousness, for the moment he fell silent one of them stepped forward, and said with a wide smile on his face:
"Captain, why are you so tense? Let this damned creature come, I am genuinely craving to bury my axe in its hideous head."
Unlike the other humans, who had noble appearances and clean clothing, this man was rough in both build and features. He wore old metal armor full of rust and dried bloodstains.
He had not protected his head with anything, and this left his features clearly visible.
He was a man in his forties, his eyes brown and pulsing with life, his eyebrows thick, his head bald, and he had a light brown beard. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
As for what truly distinguished his features, it was a massive scar that stretched from the middle of his head down to the side of his chin.
The rest sighed, showing their resignation, for they had grown tired of his savage antics and the boastful talk he had kept up the entire way.
"Alright, we get it, Carlos. You’re strong, brave, and everything else..." the only woman in the group patted him on the shoulder and shook her head helplessly.
Then, suddenly, she tightened her grip on him, and said in a reproaching tone:
"You fool! How many times do I have to tell you? Lower your voice. You need to understand this well, even if most of the Calamity Spider’s abilities are suppressed because of its Evolution slumber, that does not mean it is weak.
When that creature realizes there is no escape before it, it will bring out everything it has. We have taken great risks by pushing this deep into Grimfen Forest, any wrong step could lead to the failure of this mission, and worse, all of our deaths." fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
This girl was Selene, and she was the group’s Arcanist. Like the rest, she had protected her body with metal armor of a beautiful sky-blue color, with a golden rose symbol on the chest, and she had also protected her head with a helmet designed to her exact fit.
Most of her face was uncovered. She had clear blue eyes, her hair golden leaning toward brown, and her skin pure white. She was not very beautiful, yet she possessed a certain captivating feminine charm.
Selene walked and stood at the front, and assured everyone, as she raised her strange wooden staff, filled with mysterious engravings, and decorated with a large brown gemstone at its tip:
"Let’s finish this quickly. And whatever you do, don’t look the spider directly in the eyes. Her charm ability is seriously—"
"Ahem! We have a small problem." Before Selene could finish her words, she was cut off by the fourth member of their team, a man in his fifties wearing luxurious and elegant leather clothes, his name Willard.
The moment they heard his warning, the bodies of the rest tensed, they drew their weapons, and looked toward the place he was pointing to, all of them on full alert.
The seconds passed slowly, and one by one, their powerful senses and their own detection skills picked up the presence of tens of thousands of creatures, which were rushing toward them.
RUMBLE!
As though an earthquake had struck the area where they were, the ground shook, leaves fell from the trees heavily like rain, and the few creatures in the place fled in terror.
Then suddenly, a massive black wave appeared before them, composed entirely of spiders, which destroyed everything in its path.
Everyone maintained their composure, while Carlos smiled with excitement, and took a step forward with the intent to attack, but Alvin stopped him: ’Hold your position.’
Carlos was slightly annoyed, and yet, he said nothing, and complied with the orders. Despite Alvin’s calm tone and composed personality, everyone understood that he was not someone to be trifled with.
SKREEEE!
CRASH!
When the spider tide drew very close, and no more than a hundred meters separated them from it, Alvin commanded: "Burn them."
Without wasting a single second, Selene raised her staff high, and cried out: "Fire!"
The large gemstone in the staff blazed with a blinding orange light, and in the next instant, hundreds of small, intensely hot fireballs materialized out of thin air around her.
Willard covered his eyes and stepped back, because his senses were extraordinarily strong, and easily disturbed.
The fireballs launched forward at the speed of cannonballs, swelling and expanding as they went. The spiders panicked, and many scrambled to flee, but it was useless.
The fireballs struck them and detonated, spreading a hellish inferno that burned everything.
