I Became a Veteran Who Has to Stir Up Trouble to Survive - Chapter 102

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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[102] Ancient Primordial Forest #2
I had no way of knowing how much time had passed within the cave.
In a cavern devoid of even a single ray of light, the boundary between day and night ceased to exist.
In a space barely two or three meters across, all I could do was lick water droplets seeping through cracks in the tree roots and tear off the densely packed roots embedded in the cave wall to chew on them.
Only when the bitter taste had numbed my tongue enough could I finally swallow.
‘Four days… or was it five…? It feels like at least that much has passed….’
I lay on my back, staring up at the ceiling.
From the ceiling tangled with earth and tree roots, clumps of soil occasionally fell with soft thuds.
From outside the cave, vibrations from the spider web being shaken periodically still traveled through the cavern.
The creature was still prowling This Region.
I had waited for daylight to come when its activity would decrease, but it was all for nothing.
“…Doran.”
Radi called out softly from beside me.
She was holding me close in my jaguar form, though even that had its limits.
I had tried to start a fire, but there was no suitable kindling, and the pervasive moisture quickly snuffed it out.
Yet the tremor in Radi’s voice stemmed from more than just the cold.
“I’m hungry.”
─….
I too could feel my belly clinging to my spine.
It wasn’t that I hadn’t attempted escape.
I had tried using Darkness Leap when the area outside grew quiet, but the creature’s Nest was too vast to break free with just one or two attempts.
When I transformed into an Imp to scout outside, the creature fired its web and nearly struck the back of my head directly.
Transforming into a small animal to slip away discreetly proved equally futile.
‘…What am I supposed to do.’
A frontal assault is realistically impossible.
Even if I somehow sacrificed an arm to escape, there was no guarantee I could flee from this Great Water Desert.
As I agonized over this bleak reality, the log window updated.
Ding─!
｢You are currently trapped in the [Ancient Primordial Forest]!｣
｢All stats are decreasing due to extreme stamina depletion.｣
I glanced at the warning window and pretended not to see it.
‘I know. What am I supposed to do about it.’
I stared blankly up at the cave ceiling, my weary mind churning.
If I endured like this, I might survive a few more days, but ultimately I would starve to death.
I had to make a decision before my stamina depleted further.
I transformed back into human form, dressed myself, and stood up.
“I’m going to scout for a bit.”
“Will you be alright? Going alone seems far too dangerous….”
“There’s no choice. Besides, at this timing the creature seems to be prowling at a distance, so it should be fine.”
Fifteen minutes a day. The window of time when the spider leaves to inspect its prey caught in the web.
The moment I ventured even slightly beyond the cave, the creature would sense me like a ghost and come charging—but that couldn’t be helped.
‘…I have to make the most of whatever time I have right now!’
｢Lower Imp flight ability activated! Current vitality is low, reducing airtime duration!｣
｢Warning! If you are detected while airborne, the monster will intercept you with webbing!｣
I flapped my wings with tremendous effort, climbing higher into the trees.
The panoramic view from the elevated vantage point was breathtakingly despairing.
Having fled mindlessly straight into the heart of Spider’s Territory, everything within my sight was painted white.
I couldn’t fathom any way to escape this place.
Gritting my teeth, I noticed something glimmering near my shoulder.
‘What is this?’
Upon closer inspection, a gossamer-thin thread clung to my shoulder like a strand of hair.
Pure white thread, devoid of elasticity or viscosity.
The moment I pinched it gently with my fingers, it snapped without resistance.
‘…A sensory web. It’s spread densely across this entire region.’
This must have been why the creature detected me and came rushing even when I transformed into a smaller animal.
The structure likely sends a signal once a certain threshold of threads are disturbed.
‘If I gather enough of these, couldn’t I use them like yarn to insulate against the cold?’
I committed the surrounding terrain and web distribution I’d observed from the treetop to memory, then returned to the cave with firewood and sensory webbing I’d scraped together.
“Did you find anything useful?”
“The web coverage is too extensive—evading pursuit won’t be easy. …But I did manage to gather some firewood. It’ll be wet and produce smoke, but it’s better than nothing.”
“Really? Thank goodness. To start a fire, we’ll need tinder first… Should I tear up my robe a bit?”
“No, instead… I happened to bring something. Let’s try using this.”
I placed the webbing atop the firewood and struck my flint stones together.
In that instant, a massive flame erupted.
“Whoa?!”
“Wait, please!”
Whoosh—the fire raced along the gossamer threads with terrifying speed.
I hurriedly dragged the webbing outside the cave just as a ferocious inferno blazed up, then died down.
“That was close… I almost became roasted meat.”
I never imagined Primitive Tarantula webbing would be so flammable.
…Wait.
‘Burns easily, you say?’
Radi, sensing my suspicious thoughts, stared at me intently.
“…You’re thinking something strange again. Tell me.”
I paused for a moment before answering.
“I’m going to set a fire.”
“…What did you just say?”
“I’m going to ignite the webbing. Since its nest is all interconnected, the flames will spread in all directions instantly, and we escape in the chaos.”
“I understand the concept, but… have you considered the danger? At the rate it was burning just now, this entire forest region would become a sea of flames before we could even escape.”
“There’s no choice. We just have to survive one way or another.”
The towering trees blazed with ferocious intensity, and massive fireballs the size of houses would rain down from above.
The infernal heat seared my skin, and breathing through the thick, noxious fumes would be no easy feat.
Beyond that, I had to survive the monsters drawn by the firelight and evade the pursuing Giant Spider’s relentless chase despite its fury.
Radi looked at me with a slightly bewildered expression.
“…Does this plan actually have a chance of succeeding?”
“I don’t know either.”
But for now, it was our only option.
Radi was clearly aware of how dire our situation had become.
She gazed up at me with those vibrant blue eyes and asked.
“…What should I do?”
* * *
The preparation was simple.
Spider web scraped together from around the cave and oil from Radi’s weapon maintenance kit.
“Listen carefully. Once the fire catches, we’ll have only one chance. The farther away you can ignite it, the better.”
“You’ve already planned our escape route, haven’t you?”
“Yes. Just trust me and follow.”
I nodded with confidence, and Radi adjusted the tension on her sniper crossbow before wrapping the oil-soaked spider web tightly around the tip of the Bolt.
As I fired the spark-laden Bolt toward the distant White Cocoon, at first nothing seemed to change, but….
Ding─!
｢You’ve set fire to the Primitive Tarantula’s Nest!｣
｢The spider webs are beginning to burn!｣
A red glow spread through the distant darkness, and soon the webs and branches were consumed in a raging inferno.
｢The Primitive Tarantula crawling out from inside the Nest stares at the flames in panic!｣
｢The Tarantula is attempting to extinguish the fire with wet leaves!｣
“Now! Run!!”
Radi and I kicked off from the cave and bolted forward at full speed.
As we burst free from the cramped cave and sprinted ahead, the cool night air flooded my lungs, bringing with it an overwhelming sense of liberation.
Thanks to the blazing flames illuminating our path, we didn’t stumble or fall.
But that reprieve didn’t last long.
Like fire spreading through dry reeds, the flames expanded at a speed far beyond our expectations.
｢The fire is spreading explosively!｣
Fireballs rained down from above.
The burning giant trees shrieked with deafening roars, and charred logs collapsed from all directions, showering us with embers.
Threads suspended in the air caught fire and scattered like fireworks in every direction, while moss began exhaling acrid smoke.
A scene reminiscent of hell itself.
Radi and I ran desperately, but the Spider Web Territory showed no sign of ending.
As burning tree debris flew toward us, I quickly shoved Radi aside.
“Damn it…! Forward─!!”
Stumbling and rising repeatedly, pushing through the smoke with every ounce of strength I possessed, a sinister premonition seized me.
I looked up to see a massive shadow bearing down on us from above.
“The Primitive Tarantula has detected your escape!”
“The spider, realizing you caused this fire, will pursue you relentlessly for vengeance!”
I stopped mid-stride.
“Doran?!”
“Don’t look back—keep running! I’ll draw its attention!!”
I already knew from experience that we couldn’t outrun it by speed alone.
“Transformed into the jaguar monster [Night Stalker]!”
“Used [Darkness Leap]!”
As a jaguar, I evaded the spider’s claws while Radi fled behind me with my clothes and equipment.
The jaguar monster’s agility proved effective even against the Primitive Tarantula.
‘Faster…! Even faster!’
Left—, right—.
I weaved and dodged, evading the spider’s relentless strikes.
When the spider fired webbing to block my path, I used [Darkness Leap] to slip through.
Each time it lunged in desperation, I shook it off using the terrain.
Beneath fallen trees, behind boulders.
Even watching rocks cleaved like tofu by its claws, I didn’t slow my pace.
A death-defying acrobatic performance.
My stamina began to falter, but I refused to surrender.
I could sense vibrations approaching from afar, trembling through the ground beneath my feet.
─────!!
There were far more than one or two.
Twenty, thirty, and beyond.
The spider’s nest, usually filled only with moonlight and silence, was suddenly overrun by colossal creatures.
“The lifeforms of the [Ancient Primordial Forest] have been drawn by the flames! In this dark Great Water Desert, bright light is an irresistible temptation!”
“A legion of giant beetles emerges! They charge forward, shaking the earth!”
“An ancient mantis reveals itself. Towering trees are severed and topple!”
“Rhinoceros beetles and stag beetles clash! A territorial dispute erupts!”
“The [Chaos] skill absorbs the intensely heightened killing intent around you! All stats increase by 20!”
The primitive monsters that poured forth began tangling with each other in savage combat.
Amid the horrifying cacophony of the burning forest, insect wings thrashed, shrieks and death cries intermingled—chaos consumed everything.
Shredded monster corpses fell in all directions, consumed by flames.
I plunged into the pandemonium of battle.
‘Just try following me here!!’
My roar among the monsters caused the spider’s eight eyes to flicker momentarily.
I thought it might not pursue me this far, but astonishingly, it responded to my provocation and charged.
As webbing shot from the spider’s rear, I accelerated and dodged, then sprinted between the monsters.
‘Good—so you’ll follow me to the end?’
Then I’ll give you exactly what you want.
If you insist on this, then I have a plan.
｢I’m evading the Tarantula’s pursuit!｣
｢If I hunt the spiders and absorb their abilities, I could significantly increase my survival odds in the Primordial Forest!｣

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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