Chapter 22 ： Almost

Perry quickly whispered in his mind, "Water Sword," and instantly, the short dagger in his hand became enveloped by a clear stream of water. The blade extended and transformed into a shimmering longsword under the magical influence of the water.

"Wow, that's amazing," he marveled, momentarily awestruck.

[Host, be careful, that spider is coming again.] The system's sudden warning snapped Perry back to attention.

Focusing again on the fat spider, Perry noticed it had begun to adjust its posture after being flung away. After a brief pause, he realized the creature was preparing to charge at him again.

Knowing he had little time, Perry decided to act first rather than wait for the attack. As the fat spider lunged towards him at lightning speed, he dodged to the side, rolling painfully on the ground. Ignoring the throbbing aches in his body, he forced himself to his feet, mustering all his strength to swing his water-imbued sword directly at the spider's head.

With a sharp "slash," the sword, enhanced by the water magic, effortlessly sliced through the fat spider's skull. Pinkish fluid sprayed into the air, and the spider's large body collapsed heavily onto the ground as the watery sword faded away.

Breathing heavily, Perry felt his energy drain even further. Using that skill had clearly taken a toll on him. However, just as he thought it was finally over, he felt a wet substance touch his lips. Reflexively, he licked it and instantly regretted it.

"Ah, damn it!" he cursed, spitting out the thick, pink liquid. "I actually tasted spider goo!"

[Don't worry, Host. The liquid is not poisonous.]

"Not poisonous, but it's disgusting…" Perry muttered, still spitting to get the liquid out of his mouth. To his surprise, he realized that the liquid had a sweet taste, like honey, mixed with subtle floral and fruity notes.

"…It's not as bad as I expected," he admitted begrudgingly, though the thought of it coming from the spider's body made him shudder.

Just then, a swift blur darted toward him and bit down hard on his shoulder. Perry screamed in pain, immediately backing away to avoid another attack. Turning around, he saw the assailant—the thin pink-striped spider.

The smaller spider scurried over to the fat spider's corpse, circling it as though checking something. Perry winced as the pain in his shoulder intensified, blood streaming from the wound. Exhaustion weighed him down, and his situation became increasingly dire.

"Damn it, I can't even use a healing skill right now… this is bad," he gritted his teeth, feeling helpless.

[Hold on, Host!] the system urged with concern.

The thin spider seemed to realize the fat one was dead, and it began frantically jumping around in a bizarre display. Seeing the spider's crazed movements, Perry felt a surge of despair. His energy was nearly depleted, his wound was still bleeding, and he didn't see a way out of this situation.

"Looks like I'm going to die here…" he thought bitterly, knowing he had no more strength to fight and doubting he would get lucky again.

[Host, that pink liquid also has a blood-clotting effect, but it will slow your movements.]

"What? Isn't it poison?!" Perry exclaimed, surprised and frustrated.

[Not exactly. Poison kills, but this will only hinder your agility.]

"Fine, as long as it stops the bleeding." With no other options, Perry grabbed the pink liquid from the ground, suppressing his disgust, and smeared it onto his shoulder wound. The sharp pain surged through him, but he gritted his teeth and kept applying the liquid until the bleeding finally stopped.

As the pain subsided and the bleeding ceased, Perry felt a slight relief, but he knew he had to finish off the smaller spider quickly. 

Spotting an opportunity, he picked up a nearby rock and hurled it to a distant corner. The noise immediately caught the spider's attention, and it darted toward the sound. Taking advantage of the distraction, Perry summoned the "Water Sword" once more, watching as the water wrapped around the blade and extended it into a longsword. 

Without wasting a moment, he threw the sword with all his strength. It struck the thin spider directly in the back, impaling it. The creature let out a piercing screech, writhing in agony as it thrashed on the ground. Perry, still in pain and weakened, retreated to the depths of the cave, holding his breath as he nervously watched the final moments unfold.

After a few moments of frantic movement, the spider's struggles gradually ceased. Perry cautiously peeked out from his hiding spot, his body tensing at what he saw. The thin spider lay motionless beside the fat one's corpse, creating an unsettling scene that sent a chill through him.

Perry felt a strange sense of sorrow seeing the two spiders lying there side by side. His emotions swirled briefly before fading.

"I had to do it… to survive…" he muttered to himself, as if trying to justify his actions.

[Host…] The system, sensing Perry's somber mood, offered no further comment.