The Eldest Daughter Walks Down The Flower Path - Chapter 42

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

The Eldest Daughter Walks the Path of Flowers Episode 42

“Haah!”

Like the claws of a fierce beast, Radis’s sword tore through the mist.

Spider webs that emerged from the mist wrapped around the blade, and a thunderous roar erupted.

It was a product of chance, but the black substance that had clung to the sword along with the rust burned well in fire.

When the naturally flammable spider webs wrapped around it, the flames blazed fiercely as if oil had been poured on them.

Flames swirled together with the blade wind.

The fire and wind drove away the thick mist.

Now Arachne was no longer a shadow in the mist.

“Kraaaah—!”

Thinking that attacks using spider webs were no longer meaningful, Arachne was rapidly descending along the web.

“Gasp…!”

Seeing the monster’s appearance, Radis involuntarily drew in her breath.

Though she had seen this monster once before, it was still a truly horrifying sight.

A spider as huge as a carriage!

Its massive head was filled with glittering eyeballs, and its protruding jaw had powerful fangs that could easily cut a person’s waist in half.

Its four pairs of legs, covered in sharp hooks, were like steel pillars.

However, Arachne’s most fearsome part was behind the spider’s head.

There, a human-like upper body protruded.

It was that human-shaped head that was screaming.

“Kraaah—!”

As before, Arachne held a long branch in its human-form hands.

‘A branch of the Mabesu Tree!’

Arachne controlled golems with that.

Originally, that was Arachne’s combat method.

Since the opponent was only Radis now, it had come down directly, but Arachne’s role was originally that of a commander.

From atop the Mabesu Tree’s branch, it would wrap careless enemies in spider webs and drag them up, while controlling golems to deal with enemies it couldn’t catch.

She hadn’t known that fact before.

That’s why she had been defeated.

But this time would be different.

“I won’t give you time to use that.”

Radis kicked off the ground and leaped up.

Arachne raised its spider head toward the fearless prey jumping into its embrace and opened its massive mouth.

Its huge poison-coated fangs gleamed.

Radis threw the egg she had been carrying under her arm into that mouth.

“Eat this!”

“Kraaaaaaah—!”

She had only intended to divert its attention, but the monster’s agitation was greater than expected.

Arachne shut its mouth in shock.

The eight legs that had been spread wide to catch Radis also folded inward.

The human-form upper body was so flustered that she could see it quickly lower its head to look toward the spider’s mouth.

It was only an instant, but Radis didn’t miss that gap and leaped up, stepping on the spider’s head.

Her sword drew a long arc, and ink-black blood spurted up.

At the same time, Arachne’s arm that had been holding the Mabesu Tree branch flew through the air.

“Kraaaaaaah—!”

Arachne, having lost one arm, screamed.

But Radis didn’t stop.

She poured all her strength into infusing mana into her sword.

She could feel the sword trembling intensely as if screaming, but there was no choice.

She swung her sword with all her might toward the spider’s head she was standing on.

Kragagagak!

A terrible sound echoed as the rusted blade cut through the shell thick as iron plate.

Though it felt like her grip would tear, Radis didn’t stop.

This was revenge.

For the members who had died to Arachne.

Jet-black blood spurted up like a fountain, and the spider’s head flew through the air.

“Kiiaaaah—!”

She could feel the headless spider’s body writhing beneath her feet.

But this wasn’t the end.

Radis quickly turned around.

Arachne had two heads, and if only one remained alive, the other would regenerate infinitely.

Having cut off the spider’s head, it was now the human-form head’s turn.

[…Ronos—!]

“…!”

Radis’s movement as she was about to charge toward Arachne’s human-form upper body stopped for a moment.

“Kraaaah…!”

[Jari-ro, jari-ro…!]

The human-form upper body wasn’t looking at Radis charging toward it.

Arachne was flailing its one remaining arm, struggling to move the spider’s body.

In the direction it was looking was the glowing egg that had bounced off Arachne’s fang and fallen to the ground.

Standing on the spider’s severed neck, Radis was momentarily dazed.

‘What? I can… hear what it’s saying?’

[Kronos…!]

Arachne staggered toward the egg.

And it bent its front legs.

It must have intended to lower its body, but unable to properly control its headless form, Arachne ended up crashing its massive body to the ground.

Kwang!

The shell cracked starting from the severed head area, and jet-black blood gushed out.

One of its front legs was also bent in a strange direction.

But Arachne didn’t seem to care at all.

[Jari-ro, jari-ro…]

Arachne stretched out its only remaining human-form arm and embraced the glowing egg to its chest.

And leaving Radis behind, it began walking somewhere, dripping black blood.

“What the hell…?”

Having regained her reason, Radis could now look at the monster with calm eyes.

Arachne looked different from what she had seen before.

The spider’s shell that had gleamed as if armored had lost its luster and was dented in various places.

The human-form upper body was the same.

When she had seen it before, it had the appearance of a young, beautiful woman, but now its hair had turned white and its skin was dried up as if it would crumble.

Moreover, the severed spider head part showed no intention of regenerating.

[Jari-ro, jari-ro…]

One of the wobbling front legs made a cracking sound and fell off.

Still, Arachne continued moving forward.

The monster was heading under the roots of the Mabesu Tree.

“That place…”

Radis knew that location.

In her previous life, she and her fellow members had fought the monsters guarding the Mabesu Tree for a full three days.

Though she had ultimately survived, it couldn’t be called a victory.

Most of the members had lost their lives, and the rest were groaning in pain, consumed by powerful demonic energy.

‘No… Tess, wake up. Meric, open your eyes…’

A strange light entered her eyes as she wandered among the barely breathing members.

That was the demon stone.

A demon stone radiating five-colored brilliance.

The final spoil of war.

Drawn by an unknown pull, she picked it up and brought it to the Tilrod Estate, but… that demon stone eventually ended up in Margaret’s hands.

‘I wonder if it’s still here now?’

Radis followed behind Arachne without lowering her guard.

The appearance of that place was the same as her memory.

A massive cavity spread beneath the roots of the Mabesu Tree.

However, the demon stone was not there.

[Place, to the place…]

Arachne continued forward, making clicking sounds.

And then collapsed with a thud in the middle of the pit.

Another thump sounded.

Along with the sound of shell breaking, she could see the trembling legs stretch out limply.

The spider seemed like it would never be able to get up again.

However, Arachne didn’t seem to care about such things at all.

Arachne placed the glowing egg she had been holding in her arms beneath the roots of the Mabesu Tree, in that spot where the demon stone used to be.

[Done.]

And then remained motionless.

[…]

Though it actually only sounded like wheezing groans, Arachne, who was still breathing, was definitely muttering something.

Radis approached Arachne with her sword raised.

The spider’s body continued to crumble, and black blood flowed out, forming a puddle.

[…Brother.]

The fishy smell from Arachne’s blood was unbearably nauseating, but Radis held her breath and moved closer.

[…What providence…wants is…balance…]

Radis stepped back with a hardened expression.

“What is this?”

There was no way she should be able to hear the words of a demon.

Demons also possessed intelligence and could communicate with each other.

According to what was generally known, the closer their form was to human, the more excellent their intelligence and communication abilities.

Mermaids communicated in languages humans couldn’t understand, and elves were said to even have their own writing system.

However, this wasn’t the case for Arachne.

Though it had a human-like upper body attached, the only sound it could make was squeaking screams.

In animal terms, it was no different from a dog barking or a bird chirping, yet this was being heard as ‘language.’

“What on earth…is happening to me?”

Her heart pounded and her whole body began trembling uncontrollably.

Even when absorbing mana from the demon stone, she thought it was impossible.

But this was even more impossible.

“This is just like a demon…”

Goosebumps covered her entire body.

Radis dropped her sword.

“No. That can’t be.”

Radis raised her trembling hands.

Her arms were soaked in blood.

It was a wound from being cut by the spider’s claws when she had severed the spider’s head earlier.

The wound was large, but seeing the bright red blood actually brought relief.

“I am human.”

Even if she had memories of dying once, even if she absorbed mana from demon stones, even if she understood Arachne’s words… she must be human.

“I’m human.”

She had to be.

Blood from her arm dripped steadily onto the floor.

“Human…”

Drained of strength, Radis collapsed on the spot.

With her face buried in her hands soaked with sticky black blood, she closed her eyes and breathed heavily.

So Radis couldn’t see.

The black blood of Arachne pooled on the floor and the red blood flowing from her arm slowly disappeared as if being absorbed, and the faintly glimmering egg began to shine brightly.

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