Chapter 65: The disbelief

Kael examined the thick silk stretched between Quinn’s legs, assessing its strength. He had seen the spider restrain smaller monsters before, and its webbing had proven strong enough to hold enemies several times its size. More importantly, Quinn could produce and reinforce silk far faster than Kael could construct any alternative by hand.

His gaze returned to the large tree.

The students were trapped several meters above the ground, surrounded by creatures that showed no signs of exhaustion. Climbing down through the trunk would expose them to the undead gathering below, while jumping was out of the question. Even if they survived the fall, they would land in the middle of the horde.

They needed another way out.

Keeping his silence, trying his best not to attract the undead’s attention, Kael studied the surrounding terrain.

Two sturdy trees stood near the edge of the clearing, their branches extending toward the large tree. The distance between them was manageable, provided Quinn could establish secure anchor points and reinforce the connections enough to support several people.

It would not be a proper bridge. They would have to move along the branches and use the silk for support, crossing one section at a time. Additional webbing could catch anyone who slipped and obstruct the undead attempting to follow.

The plan was risky, but remaining where they were would only make matters worse.

"Quinn, connect those trees to the branches above the students. Reinforce every anchor point. The silk needs to support their weight, including the injured," Kael whispered.

"Qiu!"

Quinn immediately leaped from Kael’s shoulder and raced up the nearest trunk.

Kael watched the spider disappear among the branches before drawing his sword.

"Don’t rush the construction," he called. "Make sure the main strands can hold before you move to the next section."

The spider answered with a sharp chirp and began weaving.

Kael turned toward the clearing.

An undead had already climbed halfway up the trunk. Its rotting fingers scraped against the bark as it dragged itself toward a student crouching on a branch above it. The student backed away until his shoulders struck the trunk, leaving him nowhere else to go.

The creature reached for his ankle.

Kael scanned the ground for something he could use.

Scattered among the roots were broken branches, loose stones, and chunks of fallen bark. Nothing particularly impressive, but he didn’t need a weapon capable of killing the undead. He needed something that would draw their attention away from the students.

He crouched, picked up a fist-sized stone, and weighed it briefly in his hand.

Then he threw it without hesitation.

The stone struck the undead squarely against the side of its head before bouncing off the trunk. The creature’s head jerked toward the impact, and its reaching hand slipped from the bark.

It didn’t significantly hurt the undead but it was enough to distract it.

The student stared down seemingly dumbfounded. As it scanned below, he noticed him.

"Move toward the branches on your left when I give the signal. Do not climb down," Kael shouted.

The student nodded frantically.

However, Kael just realized he made a big mistake. Several undead turned toward the noise. Their heads twisted in Kael’s direction, and their movements changed as they abandoned the tree and began advancing toward him.

The students on the tree also looked in disbelief. They wondered who that person was. However, it was clear he was trying to save them, so no one came to mock his action. In fact, they felt grateful.

"Oh, fuck!" Kael cursed.

He tightened his grip on the sword. He could not afford to get surrounded. His objective was to keep the creatures occupied until the students had a viable escape route, not to waste his strength fighting an enemy that could be avoided.

He struck the closest undead across the leg, then retreated before the others could close in. When another lunged at him, he sidestepped and drove his blade into its shoulder, using the impact to redirect its momentum into the creature behind it.

Two undead collided and fell.

Kael used the opening to withdraw toward the clearing’s edge.

Above him, silk stretched between the surrounding trees. Quinn moved rapidly from branch to branch, securing the main strands around thick limbs before weaving smaller connections between them. The network gradually extended toward the large tree, creating a narrow route through the canopy.

Everyone watched Kael in dumbfounded expression. In their minds, they asked how someone was brave enough to confront these undead by himself.

Most of them didn’t yet recognize who their saviour was.

However, Jeannette was different. The moment Kael appeared in her sight, she immediately recognized it was Kael. And because of it, she was so in disbelief.

Kael wasn’t aware of their thoughts. He checked the nearest webbing connection as he passed beneath it.

The strand held when he pulled on it, but the webbing still needed additional support in several places. A single weak anchor could compromise the entire route, especially with multiple students crossing at once.

"Quinn! Reinforce the connections near the large tree first!"

"Qiu!"

The spider changed direction and hurried toward the weakest section.

Kael returned his attention to the undead. One of them had reached the lower branches again. It climbed over the fallen bodies of its companions, reaching through the gaps in the developing webbing. Its fingers caught a strand, and it began pulling itself upward.

Kael rushed to grab another stone and threw it. The undead’s arm was hit by it. The undead fell, taking another creature with it.

This gave the students more time.

But the undead was relentless. They continued climbing while the others charged at him.

Kael continued moving, trying his best not to get surrounded. Even if Kael could defeat several individually, the horde would eventually overwhelm him through sheer numbers.

Those who managed to approach him, he attacked their joints instead of killing them. By doing so, the undead staggered and caused the other undead behind them to stumble forward.

Quinn secured the final connection and descended toward the lower branches. It began weaving a dense barrier across the most accessible climbing routes, laying overlapping strands between the trunk and the surrounding limbs.

The first undead to reach the webbing barrier became entangled almost immediately. Its fingers stuck to the silk as it attempted to pull itself through. When it struggled, the strands tightened around its wrists and elbows, restricting its movements.

Another creature pushed into it and became trapped as well.

The barrier would not hold indefinitely, but it created the delay Kael needed.

"Everyone, listen carefully! There’s a route through the branches on your left. Move toward it when I give the signal. Do not jump, and do not crowd the same section of webbing."

Several students looked down at him. Their faces were pale, their uniforms torn and stained with blood. Some clutched their weapons with trembling hands, while others appeared barely capable of standing.

One student opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"Move!" Kael shouted. "If you stay there, they’ll reach you!"

Jeannette was the first to respond.

She glanced toward the webbing, quickly assessed the distance between the branches, and understood what Kael was attempting.

"Everyone, follow his instructions!" She called. Her voice was hoarse from exhaustion, but she forced it above the surrounding noise. "Help the injured first. Keep your weight distributed, and leave enough room for the person ahead of you."

Her intervention broke through the students’ hesitation.

Honestly, she was so surprised when Kael showed up all of a sudden.