NOVEL NEXT Chapter 160
160. A Trap Is Set
“What do you expect me to do in this situation!?”
“We have no choice… We have to fight!”
The monkeys inch closer, shrieking as they approach. There were no other options left.
“Talk, provide support from high ground! We’ll take care of these monkeys!”
I drew my sword and fixed a glare on the approaching monkeys. It’s fine. Even though their nature is unclear, they shouldn’t be that strong—
The first move is ours. We’ll take control from here!
“Alright, here I—”
As I started to dash forward, I was struck by a strange sensation.
This was stronger and more vivid than the vague unease I felt earlier.
My legs—won’t move!
It’s as if something has wrapped around my legs. I tried to wrench them free, but they barely budged, as if stuck to flypaper.
I looked down in confusion—and that’s when I saw it.
“What the hell is this!?”
It was a giant spider web. A three-meter-wide purple web stretched around me and Raize at its center.
“No way—My legs won’t move at all!”
Raize was struggling in the same way, panic visible on her face.
Meanwhile, the monkeys continued inching closer.
This is bad. Really bad—! If we stay trapped like this, the monkeys will tear us apart!
Monkeys that appeared out of nowhere. Skills that wouldn’t activate. A spider web spread beneath us without us even noticing. None of it made sense, and the confusion paralyzed me.
What the hell is going on!? Think! If I don’t figure this out, we’re dead!
“Look up!”
A female voice—not Raize’s—rang in my ears.
“Up…?”
I followed the unfamiliar voice and looked skyward. A bird was circling above us.
“What is that bird…!?”
A large gray bird, about the size of an eagle. Even though it was right there, I hadn’t noticed it until now.
I decided to take a chance and used
――
Mist Bird, Level 13
Creates illusions to confuse targets, then pecks them alive while they remain unaware.
――
It worked! And now I knew what it was.
That monster was showing us illusions. If so, this is our way out!
“Raize! Use magic on that bird!”
“Got it!
Inspired by the voice, Raize instantly conjured a massive fireball and launched it toward the Mist Bird.
“Gwaaak!?”
The bird, seemingly unskilled in combat, let out a foolish squawk as the fireball hit it squarely, sending it plummeting to the ground.
And then, everything around us began to change.
“Eek! What is that!?”
Raize shrieked. At her feet was a massive purple spider, easily twice the size of a slime.
This thing must have spun the web trapping us. While we were distracted by the illusion, it had ensnared our legs with its threads. The Mist Bird’s illusion had hidden the spider’s presence!
“Raize, don’t move!”
I enveloped my sword in flames and stabbed the spider, burning both it and the web surrounding us.
“Alright, we can move now!”
I scanned our surroundings again. The monkeys that had been shrieking moments earlier were now cowering in fear.
“This is our chance! Let’s go, Raize!”
Gripping my sword tightly, I charged at the monkeys, slashing their necks one by one.
From the rear, Raize froze their movements with ice, making it easier for me to attack.
In less than a minute, the monkeys were wiped out, and we finally had a moment to catch our breath.
“We… somehow managed to win… That was nerve-wracking.”
“Yeah. We pulled it off, but it could’ve gone south real fast…”
As the adrenaline subsided, one thing began to gnaw at me.
The voice that said, “Look up!”
Whose voice was that? It wasn’t any of ours.
And yet, without it, we wouldn’t have survived.
After thinking it over, I reached a conclusion.
Someone had helped us.
“You’ve got some decent combat skills! Honestly, I wasn’t sure what I’d do if you lost, though!”
The same voice rang out again, making us tense up instinctively.
“Relax! I just saved your lives, so a little gratitude wouldn’t hurt, right?”
The voice’s owner seemed to be watching us closely.
Suddenly, cracks formed in the air before us.
It was impossible by any normal logic, but that’s the only way to describe it—a crack, like an egg breaking in midair. Through the rift came a slender white arm.
“Well now, it’s been a while since I’ve had guests. Guess I’ll keep you entertained for a bit.”
One by one, more parts of the figure emerged—first legs, then a torso—until finally, a person stood before us.
“Who are you…?”
She had long black hair and clear, aquamarine eyes. She looked to be in her twenties.
With a self-assured smile, she brushed her hair back and placed a hand on her hip.
“Name’s Ludmilla. Most folks know me as the Witch of the Edge.”