They glanced back, momentarily confused, but the urgency in my voice spurred them into action, and they dashed toward the door without hesitation. They didn't see the threat looming overhead, but they trusted the panic in my voice.

  Just a second later, the spider plummeted from the ceiling and slammed into the floor with a thunderous impact. Though the group likely felt the ground tremble beneath the massive creature's weight, they didn’t dare look back. Until that moment, the spider had been silent, stealthily maneuvering above us, but its landing resonated through the chamber with a force that echoed its size.

  "Use your bow!" Rabbit's voice cut through the chaos and reminded me that I needed to distract it, and I was too far to throw anything effectively.

  In one smooth motion, I drew my bow, nocked an arrow, and fired. The shot flew straight but barely grazed the spider.

  Gosh, I really needed to learn how to use this weapon. Even from the distance the arrow traveled, I could hear it clink against the spider’s armor. It was then that I realized how screwed I was. Not only was this creature enormous, but it was also encased in armor like the others we had faced.

  My attack worked. Barely. The creature paused for a second, which was all I’d really hoped for.

  I was pretty sure my earlier yelling had caused the spider to hesitate as it attempted to approach my party stealthily, and now the arrow added to its momentary indecision. For something of its immense size to move so stealthily was truly impressive.

  After fighting all of those spiders in the previous cave, I had figured out their biggest weakness was their sight. Unlike some smaller species whose agile heads allow for quick scanning, this colossal spider had a relatively small head that was fixed. It couldn’t swivel to see behind. To compensate, it had to turn its entire massive body to check its surroundings. Realizing it was blind to anything directly at its back, I seized the moment to distract it. I started yelling again, hoping to exploit its static eyes and limited field of vision.

  “Come and get me, you mindless spider!” I yelled.

  “Really? That’s the best you got?” Rabbit mocked in my head.

  “Fine,” I huffed, grasping at the first thing that came to mind in my adrenaline-fueled state. “Yo’ mama so fat, when she sits around the house, she sits around the house!” I know resorting to yo’ mama jokes was low, but rational thinking wasn't my strong suit with my heart pounding in my ears. Nonetheless, it didn’t matter what I said, as long as it made the spider turn my way. And turn it did. Our new arachnid foe pivoted faster than I expected. Apparently, having eight legs does wonders for your maneuverability, even if you're enormous.

  When it turned to look at me, I could only think, I’m fucked!

  It started running at me, and I used the best move I had. I ran. I shoved my bow into the pouch and headed back toward the door I started from.

  “You won’t make it to the door. The spider is too fast,” Rabbit warned in my head. When he spoke like this, it was not mere estimation, it was a precise calculation. He had evaluated my speed, the creature’s swiftness, and the distance back to the door and stairway we had just descended. It was simple math for him. Unfortunately, I had ventured deep into the room before drawing the spider’s attention. If I could make it back to that door, I would be safe. I might be trapped, but I would be safe.

  I changed direction and sprinted toward one of the pillars. Although they were draped in webs and reeked of decay, I hoped they would offer some protection against the massive, bulky spider. The pillars cut through part of the room, and as I maneuvered around one, I caught sight of areas that had been hidden behind the walls.

  A glance confirmed what I had feared. The room was filled with a gruesome collection of bones and still-living creatures tangled in webs. The sheer number was staggering. There were hundreds, maybe even thousands, of bones scattered across the floor. No wonder the smell was overwhelming.

  In the middle of the horror, a desperate thought surfaced. Maybe something, or someone, was still trapped here who could help me.

  The problem was, I didn’t see any weapons that might help. Even if the creature paused for a tea break, everything was buried under webs, and without an Analysis skill, I couldn’t tell what was worth grabbing. That meant I had no choice but to rely on the weapons I already had.

  I was down to a single sword and a bow with plenty of arrows. My first sword had broken on another spider, so a direct attack didn’t seem promising. I could try aiming for the leg joints, but hitting a moving target was difficult, and I risked damaging my only close-range weapon.

  Using my bow to target its eyes seemed even worse. The spider had eight of them, and my archery skills were dismal. I would have to land clean shots on all of them to blind it.

  I settled on targeting the leg joints as my best course of action. It wasn’t a great plan, but it was all I had. Each leg of the spider had six joints. The first joint was just below waist-high when the spider stood upright, the second at an ideal height for a sword strike, and the third was out of reach. The remaining three were too close to its body.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Simply cutting the second joint of one leg wouldn't suffice, as the creature would still be mobile. To significantly impair its movement, I'd need to sever the second joints on multiple legs, ideally on one side, and then attempt to sever the third or even the final joints, which seemed impossible.

  Those thoughts raced through my mind as I ducked behind the pillar. The relentless sound of the spider pursuing me reverberated throughout the chamber. I was expecting it to run around and turn before going after me since it couldn’t turn its head. However, this one seemed to be brighter than the earlier ones. It brought one of its legs around the pillar as I was drawing my last remaining sword out of my bag.

  As the leg swung toward me, I had a split-second decision to make. Strike the joint or duck. The joint was perfectly aligned for an attack, but fear took over. I ducked, holding my sword up instinctively, hoping to sever the joint by chance. The spider’s leg swished above me, and my blade, angled awkwardly, slid along the armored limb and jammed into the joint. It wasn’t a clean cut. Instead, the sword got stuck, yanking me backward onto the ground. The spider retracted its leg, pulling my last remaining sword away with it.

  "Maybe you should throw your last two health potions at the spider, too," Rabbit mocked. As always, having a backseat driver was just delightful. If I died, he'd go down with me, yet that fact never seemed to faze him.

  Suddenly, another leg struck me from behind, pushing me forward and out from behind the pillar that had been my shield. The blow disoriented me, scrambling my senses so that I couldn't tell up from down.

  Before I could regain my bearings, the creature was upon me. One of its massive legs wrapped around my body, and to my delight, my sword was still lodged in the last joint of the very leg that now ensnared me.

  As the monster lifted me toward its face, I gripped my sword and drove it deeper into the joint with all my strength. I pushed relentlessly, hoping the pain would force the spider to release me, but it didn’t.

  As I drew close to its gaping maw, I heard a metallic clang. The creature flinched, shifting slightly, as if something else had struck it, yet it stubbornly held on.

  Now, not only could I see the horrific interior of its mouth, but I was also assaulted by a gust of its warm, putrid breath, smelling strongly of decay. I scrunched up my nose and tried desperately to hold my breath, clinging to my sword and praying it would let me go and check what had hit it, but instead it pulled me closer.

  The spider's face loomed closer, and suddenly, I felt warm slime splatter against me. In a blink, drool dripped onto my armor just as one of its fangs pierced through, stabbing into my shoulder. A searing pain spread rapidly across the area.

  Deeming me no longer worth its attention, the spider callously dropped me to the ground.

  The impact jarred my body, popping my shoulder out of place and likely breaking several ribs. As I fell, I clung to my sword, which slashed across my forehead in the chaos.

  I felt fortunate to have missed my eye, but luck did little to change the fact that I was screwed.

  As I scrambled to my feet, I realized my only escape was the door we had entered through. If I made it there, the spider wouldn’t be able to catch me, and with my quick healing, I could have a second chance at freedom. I was also painfully aware of the fact that if I passed out in this chamber, it would be my end.

  Clank!

  Startled, I looked up to see Jack engaging the spider with his axe. As the creature lashed out with its front legs, Jack, with an air of effortless agility, placed one hand on a leg and vaulted over it. He was faring much better than I had. He advanced, striking hard at the second joint of the spider’s right limb. The spider recoiled, but the leg remained attached.

  I was at a crossroads. Stay and help Jack fight or run for the door. I couldn't manage both.

  If I chose to stay and fight, even briefly, escaping through the door afterward would be impossible. On the other hand, if I left, Jack couldn’t defeat that thing alone. But if I managed to distract the spider, we might stand a chance together.

  I made my decision. Instead of going on the offensive, I sheathed my sword and leapt onto the spider’s leg, clinging to it as if my life depended on it.

  I yanked the leg toward its body, trying to throw the creature off balance. The spider wobbled, struggling for a moment, but quickly stabilized by thrusting its front legs forward.

  My reckless move gave Jack the opening he needed. He seized the moment and severed the tip of one of its front legs.

  The creature reacted instantly and rolled.

  I had been holding on, but the sudden movement sent me flying.

  Tumbling end over end, I crashed down on the far side of the scuffle.

  Dazed, I blinked and realized what had happened. The spider had used its massive body to roll over Jack, and now he was struggling to get up.

  While I had been thrown clear, I was in much better shape.

  I lunged for another of the spider’s legs and pulled with everything I had. It wasn’t enough to stop the beast, but I managed to slow it down.

  Heat pulsed through my veins as the venom spread. My limbs still moved, but they were growing heavier.

  The spider didn’t even bother to attack me. It must have figured I was already finished, just waiting to collapse.

  Jack pushed himself up and staggered away from the monster, putting distance between them while I held it back.

  "Run!" I shouted. "I can’t hold it much longer!"

  Jack ignored me. Instead of fleeing, he darted in and out, slashing at the spider’s joints, trying to land a decisive blow.

  Why does no one ever listen to me? The thought burned with frustration, but I couldn’t deny the relief. He hadn’t left me behind.

  The logical move was to run while he still could. But even knowing it might get him killed, he stayed. He risked his life for mine.

  We had been at each other’s throats for days. So why would he do this?

  I guess it’s the same reason I did it for him.

  He kept striking, but the spider’s constant motion ruined his aim. Its limbs never stopped shifting, and none of his hits landed clean.

  I held on. Even as the venom crept deeper, stealing sensation from my hands, I refused to let go.

  Jack kept fighting. I tried to match his pace, but my limbs grew sluggish. The poison dulled everything. I could barely think, barely hold on.

  Eventually, my mind gave out first. I briefly lost all sense of myself.

  The world vanished around me, and I felt nothing.

  Then I lurched forward. Something yanked me across the ground, snapping me back to awareness.

  Apparently, I was still holding on. My body had gone limp, but my grip hadn’t let go. The spider had moved, and I was dragged along with its leg.

  The realization hit me hard. I clenched my teeth and pulled with everything I had left, trying to stop it again.

  But the effort was too much. Everything dimmed.

  The last thing I felt was my fingertips still holding on as the darkness took me.