Chapter 20 ： The Spider

As Perry ventured deeper into the cave, the space gradually expanded, and the sweet fragrance in the air grew stronger and more intense. When he finally reached the end, he discovered a massive underground chamber teeming with Mushcats. These small creatures were frantically lapping up a translucent pink liquid on the ground, utterly entranced by it.

"What is this stuff?" Perry whispered to himself as he cautiously approached a group of Mushcats engrossed in the pink liquid. To his surprise, none of them noticed his presence; they were completely absorbed in their feeding.

Suddenly, the system's familiar notification sound chimed in his head.

**Ding ding ding—**

[New mission available, host.]

**Mission 5: Eliminate 10 Pink-Spotted Spiders (0/10) 

Reward: Basic Recipe 01 

Deadline: Within 1 day 

Penalty: Death**

Perry's heart sank immediately. "I thought I'd be able to avoid combat... looks like I can't escape it after all," he muttered with a sigh.

[Host, this mission's reward will be useful for your future tasks. Plus, you do need to start learning some basic combat skills. Hunting for ingredients will inevitably involve fighting in the future.]

"Alright, fine." Perry reluctantly accepted the system's logic. "But what on earth is a Pink-Spotted Spider? I've never heard of it before. Is it dangerous?"

[The Pink-Spotted Spider is a creature that hunts Mushcats. It doesn't rely on webs like normal spiders; instead, it uses its sweet scent to lure in its prey. The fragrance you're smelling now is from this spider.]

"The scent is a trap? That's terrifying!" Perry shivered as he recalled how he had followed the scent into the cave. "Will they attack humans?"

[Pink-Spotted Spiders don't typically attack humans, but if they feel threatened or provoked, they will retaliate. Host, you must be cautious. Fortunately, these spiders are usually solitary and won't appear in large groups.]

Perry let out a small sigh of relief but still felt uneasy. "How big are they? They're not as big as Toto, are they?"

[Most Pink-Spotted Spiders are around the size of Toto, but...]

"But what?" Perry's anxiety spiked as the system hesitated.

[However, some older spiders tend to grow larger than usual.]

"What? How much bigger?" Perry's face turned pale, his legs trembling slightly. "You're not joking, right? I really don't want to deal with giant spiders!"

[Don't forget, Host, the penalty for failing the mission is death. So, for the sake of survival, you must complete this task. The Pink-Spotted Spider becomes less alert while feeding, giving you the perfect opportunity to strike.]

Cold sweat trickled down Perry's back. He didn't want to die, but the situation ahead also filled him with dread. "Alright…" He took a deep breath and gripped the knife Rufus had given him, mentally preparing himself.

He quietly hid behind a rock, scanning the area for movement. Suddenly, a faint scuttling sound reached his ears. Perry held his breath and turned his head, only to see a giant Pink-Spotted Spider descending slowly from the ceiling. Its hairy body was unsettling, and its red eyes gleamed with a cold, menacing light.

"You told me they were about the size of Toto! Why is this one nearly as big as me? You lied to me!" Perry cried out in disbelief.

[I said most Pink-Spotted Spiders are about Toto's size… This one is an elder, so it's naturally larger. Don't panic, Host. It's slower than younger spiders.]

Perry's heart pounded in his chest, but he forced himself to remain calm. He watched as the spider crept toward a group of Mushcats resting in the corner, lowering its body to feed on them. Seeing his chance, Perry quietly moved behind the spider.

Now or never!

With all his strength, Perry slashed at the spider's back. The blade cut through its skin, causing a spray of pink liquid to gush out, drenching Perry in the sticky substance.

The spider thrashed in agony, sending some of the Mushcats scattering in panic. Not wanting to be caught in the chaos, Perry quickly retreated to his hiding spot.

"Ugh, it's all over me!" Perry grimaced, wiping the gooey liquid off with his sleeve, thoroughly disgusted.

[Don't worry, Host. The liquid is non-toxic and even edible.]

"What?!" Perry stared at the sticky liquid on his clothes in shock, unable to fathom that it could be consumed. "I don't care if it's safe, I'm definitely not eating it!"

He sniffed the liquid out of curiosity, and to his surprise, it smelled quite pleasant, like a mix of flowers and fruit. But the fact that it came from a spider made him gag in revulsion.

The spider's body twitched a few more times before it finally went still. Perry exhaled in relief, but he knew this was only the beginning. He still had nine more spiders to eliminate.

"I'd better get moving…" Perry muttered to himself, glancing toward the deeper part of the cave. A wave of unease washed over him.

The battle had only just begun.