This Beast-Tamer is a Little Strange

Chapter 874: Chapter 874: Splitting Up

Abe let out a shaky laugh of relief, then quickly bowed his head toward Kain. “That was my fault. If I hadn’t screamed, that spider would’ve been dead. I— I got careless.”

Kain sighed, shaking his head. “Forget it. What’s done is done.”

But Abe’s face remained tense. “No. If that thing escapes too far, it’ll spread corruption. Anyone traveling between the Elemental Sect and the southern kingdoms—especially the refugees!—will be at risk. We can’t let it go.”

Kain and Serena considered his words. In the current fight against the Abyss, any life could be a future fighting force for humanity. They couldn’t leave comfortably knowing this spider would be remaining here to target unsuspecting survivors. Not to mention, now that they’d been targeted by that spider, who knows if it won’t follow and attack them in the dark or when their vulnerable days from now. Mid and high-level spiritual creatures are quite intelligent and tend ot hold grudges. Even if their intelligence is lowered after corruption, it’s unlikely that their petty nature would change much after being corrupted by the abyss…

Kain’s gaze flicked toward the dark forest. The spider’s lingering web-lines shimmered faintly between the trees, still humming with traces of abyssal energy. “It couldn’t have gone far.”

“Then we should split up,” Abe said. “Cover more ground before nightfall.”

Serena glanced over from where she was checking Takeru’s current condition. “Agreed. We can’t leave such a strong abyssal loose this close to civilization.”

Kain nodded. “Fine. We’ll pair off. Abe, you’re with me. Serena, keep an eye on our prince before he trips into another ambush.”

Serena smirked faintly. “That’s the plan.”

Takeru frowned, but didn’t argue. “Hey, I want to fight too, you know!”

“Which is precisely why she’s your babysitter,” Kain said dryly before turning toward the woods.

He’d split the groups like this since he and Serena were undeniably the strongest two here, especially since Abe said he couldn’t use any of his contracts due to severe injuries. This configuration should be able to take care of the spider no matter which group happens upon it.

—————–

The forest grew darker the deeper they went. Kain and Abe moved quickly, following faint traces of black spider webs that clung to bark and branches. The air felt heavier here, the scent of decay thick.

Bea’s invisible presence swept ahead, her mental veil dimming their presence as they followed the fading trail.

Abe kept one hand on the hilt of his sword, eyes flicking between trees. “You know,” he muttered, “it’s strange. The corruption spreads fast, but there’s too much coordination here. Abyssal creatures don’t usually retreat and regroup like this.”

Kain’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Then we’re walking into something smarter.”

They came to a clearing. A shimmer of black silk stretched between the trees like veins of ink, pulsing faintly. The Threads of Destiny inside Kain’s eyes began twitching violently.

He stopped. “Something’s coming.”

Abe froze beside him, blade half-drawn.

The forest grew utterly silent. Then came a sound—wet and heavy, like tar bubbling up from the ground.

The shadows near the treeline thickened, spreading outward. From the darkness, two shapes emerged.

The first was the golden-eyed spider—its burnt carapace half-healed, black chitin writhing like living silk. The second followed close behind: a hulking solid black mantis-beetle hybrid, its forearms ending in scythe-like claws that gave off the characteristic black mist of bayssal contamination.

Kain’s gaze sharpened. “So that’s why it ran. It wasn’t fleeing—it was going to fetch help.”

Both creatures hissed, circling. Their golden eyes burned in the dim light.

Aegis appeared beside Kain with a metallic hum, its shield-form shimmering into being. The air warped as spiritual pressure flooded the clearing.

The mantis moved first—its scythes sliced through the air with a screech, sending arcs of gold-black energy flying. Aegis intercepted, the impacts sparking across its barrier. The metal rippled but held.

Kain’s threads flared again. He saw the spider’s movement before it happened—a burst of silk fired from above. “Left!” he warned.

Abe ducked, rolling under the silk. The corrosive strand struck a tree behind him, hissing as it burned through bark.

He came up in a crouch, sword flashing as he slashed through another line. “These things are stronger than they look!”

“Both are blue-grade equivalents,” Kain said flatly.

The spider lunged forward, legs striking like spears. Aegis met it head-on, slamming its shield into its fangs with a clang that rattled the clearing. The creature reeled back, hissing.

Meanwhile, Abe faced the mantis. Its claws struck like lightning, but Abe was quick—his blade moved in smooth, disciplined arcs, deflecting each blow.

It was especially impressive considering Kain didn’t sense any spiritual power being channelled into the blade. Kain guessed that Abe may have had a body-strengthening gift.

The beast suddenly screeched, stumbling back. “Ha!” Abe shouted, though sweat poured down his face.

Kain flicked his wrist, and one of his Vespids dove from the canopy, firing a needle of condensed energy into the spider’s abdomen. The creature shrieked and spat another barrage of silk, forcing Kain to duck behind Aegis again.

“Bea, disrupt them,” Kain commanded mentally.

A pulse of psychic energy rippled outward, momentarily disorienting both creatures. The mantis staggered, its movements jerky, but the spider hissed louder, recovering first.

It fired a strand of silk toward the mantis—connecting them. Black energy pulsed through the web like a current. Both their auras flared at once.

The mantis let out a guttural screech and lunged again, its movements faster, stronger. Abe barely blocked a strike with the blade but is sent him sliding back several feet from Kain, his boots carving grooves into the dirt.

“Can’t—hold—much longer!” he shouted, teeth gritted.

Kain saw the spider beginning to move again, preparing another strike from above. He called out, “Duck!” and thrust his hand forward. All of the surrounding Vespids shot out their stingers at the spider with wild abandon. The spider dosged most of them, but the dense barrage ensured that one got it. A stinger pierced through the spider’s leg, pinning it briefly against a tree before it tore free with an enraged screech.

“Persistent bastard,” Kain muttered.

The ground suddenly trembled. Both beasts froze, their heads snapping toward the dark woods. Even through the chaos of battle, Kain felt it too—a heavier, deeper spiritual pressure, something massive moving just out of sight.

A low rumble echoed through the forest, followed by the crunch of breaking trees. It almost sounded like a group of spiritual creatures were approaching their location.