Poor Noble Nord’s Adventure

52. Resolve

In the forest of Alba, fierce battles raged.

“Haah!”

With a shout that split the air, Nord’s sword drew an arc through the sky.

The blade of jade steel left an afterimage as it sliced through a knight spider’s body, ending its life.

But the spider horde, unbothered by the death of their knight spider vanguard, surged forward without hesitation, crushing the corpse beneath them as they charged mercilessly at Nord.

“Shaaaa!!”

“Ugh…!?”

The spiders behind used the corpse of their fallen comrade as a stepping stone, lunging for Nord’s neck with their fangs.

The shell of their transformed mandibles clicked mechanically as they closed in.

Nord deflected the attack with his shield and countered by driving his sword into the spider, delivering a fatal blow.

“Whoa…!?”

But the onslaught of the spider horde showed no signs of abating.

This time, they targeted his legs.

Catching the bite of a spider’s leg in the corner of his vision, Nord instinctively lifted his foot to avoid it.

The spider’s jaws snapped shut on empty air with a clack.

Balanced on one leg, Nord faltered under the pressure of the advancing spider horde and toppled backward.

“Shaaaaa!!”

The swarm descended in unison, a torrent aiming to consume Nord as he lost his footing.

“Tch…!”

Nord responded to the danger with extraordinary composure.

Blocking the vanguard’s charge with his shield, he simultaneously kicked the head of a spider at his feet with great force.

Using the impact as propulsion, he leaped backward, successfully creating some distance from the horde.

Twisting his body mid-air, he landed on his feet but didn’t force himself to stop abruptly, rolling on the ground several times before standing up again.

Then, using that momentum, he began to flee.

(That was close. I have to maintain this distance somehow…)

It had been hours since Newt had flown off toward Alba Village.

During that time, Nord had been locked in a relentless game of pursuit and evasion with the spider horde.

Running, evading, and counterattacking when cornered.

Through this constant flow, he managed to gradually take down some knight spiders and general spiders.

But to the horde that filled the forest like an unstoppable tide, these losses were minuscule—no more than a chipped nail.

It was like pouring water on a burning stone.

Even if Nord risked it all to go on the offensive, it wouldn’t lead to annihilation.

On the contrary, each attempt to counterattack brought the danger of being overwhelmed by the spider swarm.

Yet Nord had no choice but to attack.

“Tch… damn it!”

As Nord darted through the densely wooded forest, he caught sight of movement in the corner of his eye.

Reacting instantly, he drew a dismantling dagger from his waist and hurled it at the shadow.

“Kii!?”

The thrown dagger embedded itself in the back of a knight spider trying to bypass Nord.

But it was only a dismantling tool, not a weapon meant to kill.

The spider let out a short shriek but continued on its way.

(It got away…!)

A wave of regret washed over Nord.

This was the second time a spider had slipped through toward Alba Village.

After the initial pursuit began, the spiders’ behavior suddenly shifted.

No longer mindlessly chasing Nord, they began splitting into two groups—some attempting to encircle him while others launched wave-like attacks.

“Shaaaaooo!!”

“Ugh…!”

As Nord moved to stop a spider heading toward Alba Village, another took advantage of the opening to attack.

This one was part of a flank group that had somehow sneaked around him.

Nord barely managed to fend off the spider’s attack with his shield and countered, cutting it down.

The lifeless body of the spider tumbled across the ground.

Nord turned and gazed deep into the forest.

“Shaaa, gigi, gishu, gishaaa!!”

At the rear of the spider horde, an unmistakably different figure emerged.

This individual wasn’t as large as the Arachne but was still massive, towering over the rest of the swarm.

Its dark brown body bore more crimson eyes than even the general spiders.

By Nord’s count, it had at least twenty.

This was no ordinary general spider. It was something higher—something beyond even the largest individuals.

A transcendent spider.

From the moment this transcendent appeared, the horde’s behavior changed.

No longer driven solely by instinct, the spiders began acting with coordinated, strategic intent, as if under orders.

(That spider… it’s commanding them. A marshal spider, perhaps?)

The marshal spider exhibited a disturbingly high level of intelligence.

It seemed to observe Nord’s reactions, testing and learning what would trouble him the most.

(I was a fool to underestimate them as mere beasts.)

Nord realized the spider had discerned the presence of Alba Village.

Initially, the movements were sporadic.

Spiders began moving past Nord, seemingly at random.

He assumed they were trying to flank him, but their paths were erratic.

To prevent even the chance of them reaching Alba Village, Nord intercepted any that headed in its direction.

Then it dawned on him:

The marshal spider had been observing him, using the scattered movements to deduce his objective.

It figured out there was something—something worth defending—beyond Nord’s desperate efforts.

It understood the existence of a human settlement.

Spiders heading toward Alba Village became more frequent.

Fortunately, Nord realized the danger before the spider could pinpoint the village’s exact location.

By intercepting spiders heading in other directions, he muddled their understanding.

Moreover, the marshal spider’s intelligence created a gap too wide for its subordinates to bridge.

The knights and generals often failed to grasp its complex commands, resulting in occasional chaos.

Nord seized this opening.

By deliberately exposing himself to the knights and generals, he triggered their primal instincts to capture the prey right before their eyes.

This disrupted the marshal spider’s commands, forcing the horde back into disarray.

Still, some spiders—seemingly smarter—persisted in infiltrating toward the rear.

Nord had used up all his throwing weapons to stop them.

Now, only his jade steel sword, shield, and his trump card—a magic sword—remained.

(I’ll save the flame sword… for that one.)

The marshal spider exuded an overwhelming aura.

Even without engaging, Nord could sense its power.

While not on par with the Arachne, it was unquestionably stronger than Nord—comparable to an Iron-ranked black beast.

(It’s time to steel myself…)

A cold determination settled in Nord’s heart.

Though he could still confuse the spiders for now, his stamina wasn’t limitless.

If he fell, the horde would regain its cohesion and head straight for Alba Village under the marshal spider’s command.

The only way to stop them was to eliminate the marshal spider, no matter the cost—even if it meant sacrificing his life.