Chapter 21 ：Shield

Perry heard the sound of crawling again, but this time it seemed to come from two directions. Soon enough, two pink-striped spiders emerged from the dark corners of the cave. They were slightly smaller than the one Perry had just killed. One appeared to be a bit chubby, while the other was long and thin. Though they showed up together, they moved apart, heading to different corners of the cave to feed, seemingly unaware of their dead companion.

"They didn't notice their friend is dead?" Perry was surprised and slightly speechless as he watched the spiders ignore their fallen comrade and start eating on their own.

[They don't have a sense of teamwork and generally don't act together. Of course, if they are mates, they would protect each other. Be careful, host. These two spiders in front of you could very well be a couple. It's best to take them out without alerting the other.] The system's voice echoed in his mind.

Perry frowned. "Even if you say that, how am I supposed to attack them? I'm not exactly a fighter, and I've barely ever handled a knife. Killing that last spider already took everything out of me."

[Host, you could try smearing the pink-striped spider's liquid onto one of them. Once their scents mix, they'll assume the other betrayed them, which could cause them to fight each other.]

"Oh, really? That's a thing?" Perry's eyes lit up, but he quickly grew suspicious. "But if they hurt each other, will it count as me killing them?"

[It won't count. However, you can step in when they're critically wounded. As long as they're still alive when you strike, it will be counted as your kill.]

Perry liked the idea, so he carefully approached the dead pink-striped spider. Fighting back his disgust, he sliced open its belly and extracted some of the thick, pink liquid. With a grimace, he scooped up a handful of the liquid and quietly made his way over to the thinner spider, carefully dumping the liquid onto its body.

As soon as the liquid touched the spider, it immediately grew agitated, scurrying wildly up and down the cave walls, trying to shake off the foreign substance. Its erratic movements quickly caught the attention of the chubby spider. The larger spider slowly approached but stopped in its tracks as soon as it caught a whiff of the strange smell coming from the thinner one. A fierce glint flashed in its eyes.

Perry held his breath, hiding in the shadows nearby, anxiously watching. The chubby spider suddenly darted toward the corpse of the spider Perry had killed earlier, viciously tearing into the already-stiff body. Its actions were brutal, blood and pink liquid splattering everywhere.

Perry's face went pale at the sight. "I thought it was going to attack the thin one? Why is it going for the dead body instead?" he whispered urgently to the system.

[Apologies, host. I might have misjudged the situation. It seems they're not mates but rather parent and offspring.]

"What? Parent and offspring?" Perry's heart raced as he watched the chubby spider's speed and savagery. Fear surged through him, and he could no longer keep calm, his voice trembling. "What do I do now? It's coming toward me!"

After finishing off its companion's body, the chubby spider suddenly paused, sniffing the air, and then started slowly moving in Perry's direction, its pace quickening with each step.

[Host, now would be a good time to use your skill!] The system's voice was filled with urgency.

"Right, my skill!" Perry suddenly remembered he had a skill. Though his heart was still pounding, he knew he couldn't afford to hesitate. As the chubby spider closed in, Perry took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and quickly chanted in his mind, "Water Shield!"

At his command, a stream of pale blue water materialized in the air, forming a translucent shield in front of him. The chubby spider lunged forward, slamming into the water shield, only to be bounced back several feet. The shield successfully blocked the attack, but the impact shattered it almost instantly, the water dispersing into droplets.

Panting heavily, Perry felt the energy drain from his body in that brief moment, leaving him mentally fatigued. He stared at the chubby spider, now pulling itself together for another attack, a wave of fear washing over him.

"That was close... I almost got bitten." He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, finally exhaling in relief. "So that's what it feels like to use a skill..."

[Host, watch out! It hasn't given up yet.] The system warned again.

Perry looked up, only to see the chubby spider locking onto him again, preparing for a new round of attacks. This time, he knew he wouldn't have many chances left—he needed to act fast and finish the fight.