Chapter 692: The Venomous Sky Spider Silk

Marcus turned his attention toward the Spider Demoness’s soul and the Divine Beast Ice-Fire Howling Wolf. The Spider Demoness’s beautiful woman’s face was twisted with fury, and her eight legs thrashed wildly in the air as she hissed and screeched in frustration. She looked ready to tear him apart, but for all her rage, there was precious little she could do about his arrival.

Her only available attack was to keep driving the Lustflower Staff against Lady Silvia’s white protective barrier, unleashing wave after wave of crimson light in an attempt to break through her defenses. With the staff and the white jade twin rings locked in their struggle, however, the Spider Demoness couldn’t afford to divert her attention elsewhere. All she could do was watch helplessly as Marcus slaughtered the two Zombie Vice Leaders she had summoned, one after the other.

The situation on the other side of the chamber was no better for her. The Divine Beast Ice-Fire Howling Wolf remained bound by a white silk scarf that gleamed with a strange black light, while four spider-humanoid monsters maintained their grip on the treasure, keeping the enormous beast from breaking free. The four creatures and the wolf were locked in a fierce contest of strength, neither side able to gain the upper hand.

Marcus studied the two groups, and a rather sneaky thought suddenly crossed his mind.

’Wait a minute. Are all of them stuck in place?’

If that was really the case, he might have found an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

Without wasting any time, he issued an order to Pebble. "Pebble, go!"

At his command, Pebble spurred the Nightmare Dragon Steed forward and charged toward the Spider Demoness’s soul. Sure enough, the moment Pebble began approaching, the Spider Demoness’s hissing grew more frantic. Her eight legs twitched violently, and her womanly face contorted with even greater fury, yet she remained unable to break away from her struggle with Lady Silvia.

Marcus watched closely as Pebble continued advancing.

Sixty meters.

Fifty meters.

Forty meters.

With every step the Nightmare Dragon Steed took, the Spider Demoness’s agitation became more obvious. She could only watch as Pebble drew closer, seemingly powerless to stop him. Marcus’s eyes lit up as his suspicion appeared to be confirmed. If she couldn’t spare the strength to deal with Pebble, then perhaps he could exploit that limitation to his advantage.

However, when Pebble reached a point roughly twenty meters from the Spider Demoness, the situation suddenly changed.

The four spider-humanoid monsters surrounding the Ice-Fire Howling Wolf became visibly restless. Their attention shifted toward Pebble, and their movements grew increasingly agitated, as though they were preparing to abandon their struggle with the Divine Beast and rush over to intercept him.

At the same time, the Ice-Fire Howling Wolf seemed to sense the change. Its enormous body strained against the white silk scarf with renewed vigor, and the pressure it exerted on its restraints increased noticeably.

Marcus’s expression changed.

"Stop!"

He immediately ordered Pebble to halt and pull back before the situation could deteriorate any further. The Nightmare Dragon Steed obediently retreated, and the four spider-humanoid monsters gradually settled down, returning their full attention to keeping the Divine Beast restrained.

Marcus let out a quiet breath.

He wasn’t stupid enough to release the Ice-Fire Howling Wolf just to see what would happen. Even if the Divine Beast recognized that he had helped free it, there was no guarantee it would spare him. A beast of that caliber wasn’t going to suddenly become friendly simply because he had done it a favor, and its violent nature made the prospect of earning its gratitude particularly doubtful.

Still, the whole situation left him puzzled.

How had the Ice-Fire Howling Wolf ended up trapped here in the first place? More importantly, how had four spider-humanoid monsters managed to restrain a Divine Beast powerful enough to make even experienced players tremble?

Marcus couldn’t make sense of it. Rather than rushing to free Lady Silvia immediately, he decided to gather more information before making his next move. He urged Blackie forward and stopped about thirty meters from the Spider Demoness and the Ice-Fire Howling Wolf, then repeatedly activated Insight on the creatures before him.

Ding!

As the skill activated, its ability to reveal past events began to take effect. Notes of what had happened in the temple gradually surfaced, allowing Marcus to piece together the sequence of events that had led to the current predicament.

’So that’s what happened.’

A thousand years ago, Lady Silvia and the White Tiger Mercenary Group had been fleeing from the Ice-Fire Howling Wolf when they accidentally wandered into the territory of the Spider Demoness’s Shrine, located within the Temple of the Lustful Demon Lord. At that time, the temple had been sealed and concealed from the outside world, making it impossible for Lady Silvia and her companions to realize what lay hidden beneath their feet.

Inside the shrine, the Spider Demoness’s soul had been cultivating in seclusion when she sensed something extraordinary within Lady Silvia: the Hundred-Beast Bloodline.

Although the Spider Demoness’s Corpse Possession technique was not yet perfected, she couldn’t resist the temptation presented by such a rare bloodline. The potential contained within Lady Silvia’s body was simply too great to ignore. Unable to suppress her greed, the Spider Demoness unsealed the temple and summoned her four handmaidens, the Millennial Spider Demonesses, each of whom was a Level 85 Golden Boss.

Together, they ambushed Lady Silvia and the White Tiger Mercenary Group, capturing them before they could escape.

’Level 85 Golden Bosses?’

Marcus’s gaze shifted toward the four spider-humanoid monsters restraining the Ice-Fire Howling Wolf. He remembered all too well how dangerous the Level 80 Golden Boss Iceflame Black Serpent Man on Black Serpent Islet had been. If a Level 80 Golden Boss could give him that much trouble, then a Level 85 Golden Boss was certainly not something he could afford to underestimate.

And there were four of them.

"Damn."

Marcus felt a headache coming on. One thing was absolutely clear: he couldn’t afford to upset the delicate balance between the Divine Beast and the four Millennial Spider Demonesses. If either side broke free and turned its attention toward him, the consequences could be disastrous.

He swallowed his misgivings and continued examining the memories revealed by Insight.

After Lady Silvia had been dragged to the temple’s third underground level, the Spider Demoness had intended to incapacitate her and immediately begin the Corpse Possession ritual. The prospect of absorbing the Hundred-Beast Bloodline had left her impatient, and she had no intention of allowing such a rare opportunity to slip away.

Unfortunately for her, Lady Silvia possessed the strongest divine artifact of the Beastmaster Manor, the Hundred-Beast Heaven Seal Ring.

The moment the Spider Demoness attempted to devour her, the divine artifact activated automatically, releasing a powerful white barrier that protected its owner. No matter how fiercely the Spider Demoness attacked, she couldn’t get through the barrier to reach Lady Silvia’s body.

Faced with this unexpected obstacle, the Spider Demoness had no choice but to activate another divine artifact, the Lustflower Staff, which the Lustful Demon Lord had left behind in the shrine. She hoped that its immense power would be enough to shatter the Hundred-Beast Heaven Seal Ring’s defenses.

Instead, the two divine artifacts became locked in a stalemate.

Neither side could overcome the other, leaving the Spider Demoness unable to complete the Corpse Possession ritual despite having already captured her prey.

And then, just when she thought the situation couldn’t get any worse, something else happened.

Howl!

Two thunderous wolf howls echoed through the underground chamber.

A gigantic wolf with two heads, one radiating scorching flames and the other exuding freezing energy, charged into the shrine with terrifying momentum. The Divine Beast Ice-Fire Howling Wolf had followed Lady Silvia’s trail all the way to the temple’s third underground level.

The Spider Demoness and her four Millennial Spider Demonesses had succeeded in capturing Lady Silvia, but they had made one crucial mistake: they hadn’t realized the Divine Beast was still pursuing her, and they hadn’t sealed the underground entrance in time to prevent it from following her scent.

Now, the beast had arrived right at their doorstep.

Under ordinary circumstances, the Spider Demoness and her four Level 85 Golden Boss handmaidens might have been able to fight the Divine Beast together. Their combined strength was nothing to scoff at, and the Spider Demoness herself possessed several formidable treasures. However, the situation was far from ordinary.

The Spider Demoness was still occupied with the Hundred-Beast Heaven Seal Ring, unable to abandon her struggle without risking the loss of Lady Silvia. That left the four Millennial Spider Demonesses to face the Ice-Fire Howling Wolf on their own, and even at their original strength, they were no match for such a terrifying Divine Beast.

Fortunately, the Spider Demoness had another treasure at her disposal.

It was called the Venomous Sky Spider Silk.

Under the guidance of the Lustful Demon Lord, the Spider Demoness had cultivated this treasure using the venomous energy within the surrounding environment and the silk produced by her own body. Even ten thousand years ago, the Venomous Sky Spider Silk had been a notorious treasure capable of giving powerful opponents a serious headache. After ten millennia of refinement, its strength and resilience had only increased, making it even more formidable than before.

Faced with the rampaging Divine Beast, the Spider Demoness had immediately activated the treasure.

"Venomous Sky Spider Silk!"

The white silk scarf shimmered with black light as it shot toward the Ice-Fire Howling Wolf, wrapping around its enormous body before the beast could fully unleash its strength. The silk tightened rapidly, binding its limbs and restricting its movements until the Divine Beast could no longer charge freely through the chamber.

However, even the Venomous Sky Spider Silk couldn’t restrain such a powerful creature indefinitely on its own. The Spider Demoness immediately ordered her four Millennial Spider Demonesses to channel their venomous energy into the treasure, reinforcing its bindings and preventing the Ice-Fire Howling Wolf from breaking free.

Once the Divine Beast had been restrained, the plan was simple.

Wait.

Wait until the Spider Demoness’s soul successfully possessed Lady Silvia’s body and completed the Corpse Possession ritual. Once she had absorbed the power of the Hundred-Beast Bloodline, her strength would increase dramatically, giving her a much better chance of dealing with the Ice-Fire Howling Wolf.

Only then would she turn her attention toward the Divine Beast.

At the time, the Spider Demoness had been practically ecstatic. Not only had she stumbled upon a stunning beauty possessing the rare Hundred-Beast Bloodline, but a Divine Beast had practically delivered itself into her hands as well.

It was the kind of good fortune most people could only dream of.

Unfortunately, things hadn’t gone according to plan.

Lady Silvia had proven to be an extraordinary genius, and the Hundred-Beast Bloodline within her body had allowed her to draw upon the incredible power of the Hundred-Beast Heaven Seal Ring. Rather than succumbing to exhaustion in a short time, she had managed to maintain the stalemate against the Spider Demoness’s soul for over a year.

An entire year had passed, and neither side had managed to break through the other’s defenses.

That was how the situation had remained until Marcus finally arrived.

’So that’s the whole story.’

Marcus finally understood the situation unfolding before him, and the realization left him feeling considerably more cautious.

The four Millennial Spider Demonesses had to keep the Divine Beast restrained while the Spider Demoness’s soul continued trying to overcome Lady Silvia’s defenses. As long as the Spider Demoness remained locked in that struggle, the four handmaidens couldn’t afford to release the Ice-Fire Howling Wolf.

Unless the Spider Demoness’s soul came under direct attack, they would continue pouring their energy into the Venomous Sky Spider Silk to keep the Divine Beast imprisoned.

Which meant that if Marcus attacked the Spider Demoness’s soul right now, the four Millennial Spider Demonesses would have every reason to abandon their current task and focus on eliminating him. Worse still, they might decide to release the Ice-Fire Howling Wolf and let the enraged Divine Beast wreak havoc on everything around it.

Marcus wasn’t about to make such a foolish mistake.

"Hyah!"

He urged Blackie forward, deactivating all of his attack effects to ensure that he wouldn’t accidentally provoke the four Millennial Spider Demonesses. Then, instead of heading toward the Spider Demoness’s soul, he rode directly toward the four creatures restraining the Divine Beast.

Just as he had expected, the four Millennial Spider Demonesses completely ignored him when he approached. Even when he drew close enough to stand beside them, none of the creatures so much as turned their heads in his direction. Their entire attention remained fixed on the Ice-Fire Howling Wolf, whose repeated struggles threatened to tear through their restraints.

Marcus couldn’t help smiling.

"I’ll help you!"

He announced his intentions with a cheerful grin, then continued toward the enormous Divine Beast bound by the Venomous Sky Spider Silk.

From the Millennial Spider Demonesses’ perspective, his offer couldn’t have come at a better time. The Ice-Fire Howling Wolf was by far the most dangerous creature in the chamber, and anything that helped them deal with it was welcome. If Marcus wanted to lend a hand, they certainly weren’t going to complain.

In fact, they probably couldn’t have asked for a better outcome.

First, they could work together to kill the Ice-Fire Howling Wolf. Then, once the Divine Beast was out of the way and the Spider Demoness had completed her Corpse Possession, the four handmaidens could turn around and deal with Marcus.

After all, what threat could a Knight who hadn’t even reached Level 60 possibly pose to four Golden Bosses?

The Millennial Spider Demonesses were undoubtedly confident in their chances.

Unfortunately for them, Marcus wasn’t nearly as foolish as they assumed.

He had already used Insight to examine their current attributes, and what he discovered had changed his assessment of the situation considerably. Although the four Millennial Spider Demonesses had originally been Level 85 Golden Bosses, they were no longer anywhere near their former peak.

Their strength had declined significantly after the great war ten thousand years ago. Then, after spending over a year struggling to restrain the Divine Beast Ice-Fire Howling Wolf, they had been forced to expend even more of their already diminished energy.

As a result, their current levels had fallen all the way to Level 68 Golden Bosses.

—

Millennial Spider Demoness: Level 68 Golden Boss. HP: 500,000.

A Golden Boss and handmaiden of the Spider Demoness. Originally a Level 85 Golden Boss, her strength had declined following the great war ten thousand years ago. After spending more than a year struggling against the Divine Beast Ice-Fire Howling Wolf, her energy had been further depleted, reducing her to Level 68.

—

Marcus examined the information with a thoughtful expression. Level 68 Golden Bosses. And there were four of them.

That was still a formidable lineup, but it was no longer an insurmountable obstacle. He had already decided that once the Ice-Fire Howling Wolf was dealt with, he would turn his attention toward the four Millennial Spider Demonesses and eliminate them before they had a chance to become a problem.

For now, however, he had a much more immediate concern.

Marcus glanced at the enormous, two-headed wolf standing less than two steps away from him, its body still bound by the black-glimmering Venomous Sky Spider Silk. One head radiated scorching heat, while the other exuded a bone-chilling aura of ice. Even restrained, the Divine Beast possessed an intimidating presence that made it clear just how dangerous it would be if allowed to run wild.

Marcus’s confident smile gradually faded as he studied the creature.

He had a plan for dealing with the four Millennial Spider Demonesses, but the Ice-Fire Howling Wolf was an entirely different problem. He couldn’t simply attack it without risking the collapse of the fragile balance holding the entire situation together, and freeing it might be even more dangerous.

’All right, then. How exactly am I supposed to deal with this Ice-Fire Howling Wolf?’