While we carefully walk inside the cave, we stopped on our track because we saw spiders crawling out from the ground, ceiling and wall.
"Lu-kun."
"Yeah, I know, we are surrounded."
Now I know why I felt some presence even though I can't see any monster in this luminated cave. They been digging below the ground or behind the walls. We also got to know what kind of spider we are dealing with, there are lot of kind of spider monster such as Black Widow, Tarantula, Arachne and the one in front of us, Manhunter.
They are spiders about a foot tall and has sharp metallic legs that they use to burrow on the ground and ambush they prey. They mostly hunt human for food.
Grampa told us in his story that this kind of monster though they are not strong but they sheer number is enough to kill a high ranking adventurer if they get to split on their group.
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"What should we do Lu-kun?"
"Create a wall in front of us first to block them, then I will create 『Fire Wall』 to clear the field, let's try to kill them one by one."
Eu-chan created an 『Ice Wall』 in front of us blocking the path of numerous manhunter, I then create two parallel wall of fire to remove the webs on the wall at the same time blocking any ambush that might come to the wall.
We killed the spiders on our back with sword and magic, they surprisingly easy to kill. As the time goes by even though the spiders are weak there are so many of them. those that was block earlier burrow on the ground to get on our side.
"Let's retreat, we can't let ourselves be out number Eu-chan or we will die."
We ran back to the entrance, and on the way the manhunters tried to stop us but we killed them using magic easily.
We got out from the cave safely and Eu-chan cast a wall on the entrance of the cave.
"Mou, Ain't our first quest hard? grampa is such a demon."
"Yeah, I'll tell to grampa that you said that"
"Be my guess, like hell he will believe you."
"T-That... Anyway it's not that hard, as you can see we killed the manhunters on the way easily with spell, the only problem is that they have numbers, we need to find a way to kill them in one go. "
Eu-chan crouch on the ground and fiddling the flower on the ground.
"Ah Lu-kun I have an Idea, how about we do this..."
Eu-chan told me her idea and I agree to it so we started working.
I cut down a tree and created flat flank that I can use to dig a big pit on the ground at the entrance of the cave. It took us about 5 hours to dug the desired depth, once it was done, Eu-chan created an 『Ice Wall』 around the pit and use some to make a floor of it to prevent the spider to burrow.
After making a the preparation, I melted the that Eu-chan created to block the entrance and entered the cave by myself, after few minutes I came back with more than twenty spider following my back. I jump down and avoid the pit and let the spider fell into it.
Just as we expected, the spider can't crawl on the flat surface, so we use our bow and skill the spiders one by one. We repeated the same process until I no longer have any spider I can't lure even if I made a loud noise inside the cave.
"Eu-chan, let's go and look deeper."
"Mn, but let's not let our guard down."
This time we didn't unsheathe our sword and only have bow and arrow on our hands. With this we can kill any spider as soon as it comes out from the wall or the ground.
After walking for half an hour, we finally reach the end of the cave. We encounter few spiders along the way but we easily disposed them as soon as they pop out.
At the end of the cave we saw a large room and spider eggs pasted on the wall and ceiling. We are now nearly finish in our job as long as we can kill the giant spider that was hiding on the ground. We didn't enter the room and was still at the boundary of it in case of something happens. I was able to notice the presence of that spider as it is emitting a dark aura that makes my body shiver in cold.
"Lu-kun are you sure there's a giant monster still hiding on the ground?"
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure of it."
"Then why it is not moving even we throw rocks on the ground?"
"I don't know, how about I set the eggs on fire? I think it'll get pissed off and comes out."
"I think so too"
"Okay get ready, I will start"
"『Fire Bolt』, 『Fire Bolt』, 『Fire Bolt』, 『Fire Bolt』..."
I spammed a fire bolt at different direction, quickly incinerating the eggs and the spider-lings inside it. The spider-lings shriek as it dies one by one.
Moment later the ground begun to shake and the giant manhunter finally comes out of the ground.
The Giant Manhunter is about 7 foot tall with legs as thick as a tree covered with a metallic armor that it use to dug on the ground. It has a sharp long fang protruding from its mouth and acidic substance that dripping on it.
"Eu-chan!"
"I got it."
Eu-chan run to the left of the giant manhunter while I ran to right, I fired some fire bolt to get its attention while Eu-chan get on her position, the manhunter thrust its front leg at me then spit its acidic saliva. I easily dodge its leg attack but I barely dodge the spit one.
A bit of the acid melt the sleeve of my clothe, fortunately it didn't touch my skin.
While the manhunter is facing me, Eu-chan at the back slash her sword on the back of its abdomen.
The manhunter shriek angrily and swiped its leg at Eu-chan, she was able to cast a 『Ice Wall』 but the manhunter was able to break it and it send Eu-chan backwards.
"Eu-chan!"
I angrily swung my sword at its leg and was able to cut one of it.
The manhunter rapidly thrust its front leg at me, which I dodge and parry all the incoming strike the cast my last 『Fire Wall』 right beneath the Manhunter, it's skin got burned but it looks like the more we hit it the more berserk it gets.
Due to the fight earlier I nearly don't have enough mana on me, Eu-chan probably on the same page, so I don't have a choice but to use sword.
While me and the manhunter is locked on an epic battle if I say so myself, Eu-chan got up. She looked at the manhunter.
"Lu-kun, cut the manhunter's leg we can prevent it from attacking us and moving around."
"I can't, all of it's attention is on me right now, you have to do it."
"But it hurts getting struck on the abdomen you know."
"Now you know what that manhunter feels after you poke its butt. I'll block the attack you should focus on cutting it off."
With that, Eu-chan start running at the manhunter and cut one of its leg.
The manhunter turned around to hit Eu-chan but I stab my sword on its side making it stagger, then I cut on of its leg, Eu-chan cut another one.
So far we only got cut off 4 of its leg, 2 on the right 2 on the left. Now it only have two hind legs and 2 fore legs legs to balance itself.
Due to the continues damage it took, the manhunter shriek, and backpedal.
The color of its eye glowed in terrifying red. It then started to fire off its acids spit and shoot some web from its abdomen.
Eu-chan created an 『Ice Wall』 to cover us.
"Lu-chan that's my last spell, if I use more I go mind down and fall unconscious."
"Me too, I already use my last spell earlier."
"Lets pincer it again. That's the only thing we can do right now, facing it directly is a suicided."
"I guess so."
"Lets go."
The two of us run on both side. The manhunter was confuse who it wants to shoot of but it still shoot me.
Just as we are near it, the manhunter dug on the ground and burrow itself. I felt that the direction it is of going is to Eu-chan.
"Eu-chan be careful its going to your direction."
I ran towards Eu-chan on my highest speed, I was able to get in front of Eu-chan in time and push her off, the manhunter pop out on the ground and struck my body, sending me upwards.
"Lu-kun! You damned spider 『Ice Bolt』".
The manhunter stopped moving after it got stuck by ice bolt, a fist size hole appear between the spiders carapace and abdomen.
"Lu-kun, are you okay?"
Eu-chan came to my side and check my body.
"Mgn, I-I'm fine. I thought that you are out of mana?" The final attack of the manhunter dealt on me is like I was got punch by grampa on my stomach, it made me harder to breath for a sec.
"I lied, don't you know the saying to fool your enemy, you have to fool your teammate first."
"I think that saying doesn't apply in this king of battle. so is it dead?"
"Yeah, I killed it, it means I won our bet."
"Hey I killed more spider-lings than you."
"That's not counted, it doesn't pose danger yet and you killed them, how cruel of you."
"Wha- you... why do you always have a retorting argument every time we have competition?"
"Because I'm genius and Lu-kun is dumb."
I pointed my finger at her.
"Y-you.. Arghhh" I kicked the manhunter multiple time to satiate my anger.
"Stop doing that and let's go home, I want to have a proper rest." Eu-chan slump on the ground.
I kick few more time. "Okay"
We looked around the cave to see something worth selling, grampa said that after subjugation we must recon the field to see something worth of selling.
There are still webs on the the wall so it took a bit time to clear the webs with a stick.
Other than rusted armor and sword that on pretty bad shape we saw a stone statue of of two people, a man and a woman hugging each other with wings protruding on their back. everything is all made of stone other than the two sword crossing each other while it is stabbed on the ground. It was mesmerizing to look at.
Both sword have the same pattern but different in color. One has white blade with blue and white color scheme hilt and glowing blue stone while the other one has black blade with red and black color scheme hilt and a glowing red stone.
"Beautiful!" Eu-chan said with glittering eyes.
"Yeah, should we take it?" I asked.
"I guess so? if we leave it here others will take it since there are no danger here now."
"Then let's take it, you want the blue one?"
"Yeah, its so beautiful." Eu-chan said excitedly.
"Then I'll take the black one, it's cool"
We took the sword from the ground and it is surprisingly light.
After that I loot the drops of the small manhunter that we killed and put them to our backpack, for the materials such as carapace we tie them all together with a rope.
With that our first quest was done, we have to go back and give the carapace to grampa as a proof of subjugation.