Chapter 158: What Kind of Old Hag's Parasol Is That?
A six-meter-diameter zone of absolute safety formed, with Yotsuya Miko at its very center. Everyone huddled in a tight circle around her, Haruto flanking her left and Kaguya her right, as they cautiously pushed forward.
Initially, the method proved remarkably effective. The spiders, as if encountering their natural predator, scrambled to the sides, clearing a distinct path for the group.
However, as they ventured deeper into the tunnel, the situation began to deteriorate.
The walls, the ceiling, the floor—every visible surface was now almost completely obscured by a writhing, skittering carpet of black. The sheer density of the spiders had multiplied several times over.
Although Miko's spiritual pressure was still effective, forcing the spiders to retreat, there were now just as many of their kin packed behind them. They had nowhere left to run. The creatures squeezed and piled on top of each other, forming a roiling, living wall of black chitin at the very edge of the deterrent field.
"Um... Little Miko, can you make your aura cover a larger area?" Ye Tian couldn't help but ask, his voice tight.
Even for a seasoned player like him, the sight of countless spiders everywhere he looked, their dense clusters of eyes all fixed upon him, was enough to make his scalp crawl. He was confident he could escape on his own, but the sensation of being swarmed and covered by them would be utterly revolting. Not to mention, most of the people here lacked the strength to survive such an onslaught.
Yotsuya Miko shook her head, a sheen of sweat plastering strands of hair to her forehead. "I can't," she whispered, her breath coming in shallow pants. "And... I'm about to reach my limit. I can only hold on for five more minutes, at most."
"Five minutes?"
The words sent a fresh wave of panic through the group. Without the protection of her power, the surrounding tide of spiders would surely bury them alive in seconds.
They glanced back, only to see the path they had just taken was already sealed off by layers upon layers of spiders—a pulsating black mass that seemed to have no end.
This is bad! We're doomed!
Terror seized them, and several immediately suggested retreating. If they were fast enough, they might just be able to break through.
Hearing this, Miko also looked ready to turn back, but Haruto simply waved a dismissive hand.
"No need. I have a magic treasure."
"What magic treasure?" the female secretary asked, her voice laced with anxiety. Knowing her boss's personality, a man like him often needed a prompt before he'd deign to take the next step.
As it turned out, she was right. A satisfied smile touched Haruto's lips at her question. He reached into a Gap that tore open beside him, and when he pulled his hand out again, he was holding a parasol.
Question marks practically materialized above everyone's heads. The parasol was exquisitely crafted, its design elegant and refined, but no matter how they looked at it, it didn't seem like any kind of ghost-warding artifact. Still, recalling the absurdly lucky carrot from before, they chose to trust him.
Haruto flicked his wrist, and the parasol unfurled with a soft thump.
Beneath its canopy were rows upon rows of tightly closed eyes.
The sight made everyone's scalp tingle with a primal dread. If the parasol hadn't shown any trace of being a supernatural item just moments ago, it now looked more like one than anything they had ever seen. Beneath its elegant and noble appearance, an unsettling, eldritch eeriness seeped into the air.
Suddenly, one of the eyes snapped open, its gaze hideously inhuman as it stared down at the group.
The moment their gazes met, an inexplicable, soul-crushing fear gripped their hearts. Their breath hitched, their blood ran cold.
Then a second eye opened. A third. One after another, the eyes under the umbrella lidlessy stared, all fixing upon them. The terror escalated exponentially, threatening to swallow their sanity whole.
It wasn't until Haruto noticed that the only ones frozen in place were his own people that he remembered he'd forgotten to warn them not to look. But before he could speak, he heard Ye Tian let out a thunderous roar.
"What manner of demon is this! Begone at once!"
He slammed his greatsword into the ground with a resounding clang, his aura flaring with righteous indignation.
The others were startled awake by his shout and hurriedly lowered their heads, not daring to look at those terrifying eyes again.
Haruto just stared. "..."
He had to admit, the guy had some skill. Though he'd been stunned for a few seconds, he had at least managed to overcome the initial wave of fear. One could only say that the heart of a chuunibyou was not to be underestimated.
But 'what manner of demon'?
'Yukari-nee probably isn't watching, right?'Haruto thought, a cold sweat beginning to form on his back.'And she probably wouldn't stoop to this guy's level... right?'
For one, he hadn't mentioned her age. And for another, he wasn't referring to her directly, just the umbrella. That should be fine... probably.
Kaguya's expression was equally subtle. The moment Ye Tian had uttered those words, she was already braced for a Gap to tear open in the void at any moment. Given Yakumo Yukari's notoriously petty nature, anyone who dared to gossip about her—unless they were a complete stranger with nothing to offer Gensokyo—was likely to end up 'passing away' from sudden, inexplicable causes.
However, after a long, tense moment, neither of them found any sign of Yakumo Yukari's presence.
It seemed she wasn't that petty after all.
The others, however, noticed the strained expressions on Haruto and Kaguya's faces and the way they were scanning their surroundings. A new panic began to set in. Even when facing so many dangers before, these two had been as steady as Mount Tai, treating the whole affair like a sightseeing tour. For them to be this nervous now... could a true boss be about to appear?
"Is there more danger? Is the Broodmother coming?"
"Big shots, why are you so nervous? Hasn't the danger been resolved?"
The questions came in a frantic flurry, but Haruto and Kaguya didn't answer immediately. After observing the area warily for a while longer, Haruto finally spoke, waving his hand dismissively.
"It's not the Broodmother, but something far, far stronger than her. But it seems we were just overthinking things."
Hearing this, the group's expressions were a mixture of relief, shock, and skepticism.
A boss far stronger than the Broodmother? It couldn't be that crawling monster that's been following us, could it?
By now, the area around them had become strangely open.
If Yotsuya Miko's power had merely made the spider swarm wary, this parasol plunged them into true, abject terror.
The spiders retreated in a frantic, chaotic wave. Those in the back, desperate to flee, crushed those in the front into a foul meat paste. Sour, fishy juices splattered everywhere, and a nauseating stench filled the air.
The path forward was suddenly, completely clear.
Before long, the group had successfully left the spider-infested territory. It wasn't until they had completely stepped out of that zone that the heavy stone hanging in everyone's hearts finally dropped. The feeling of constantly teetering on the brink of death was truly exhausting.
"Brother Bai Liu, where did you get this ghost artifact? It looks really powerful. Was it from some powerful old ghost's hau—"
Ye Tian's words came to an abrupt, shocking halt.
Before everyone's eyes, he was suddenly sent flying sideways to the left. With a sickening BOOM, his entire face was deeply embedded in the stone wall.
By the time anyone could react, Ye Tian was just hanging there, limp and motionless as if he'd lost all signs of life. His greatsword fell from his slackened grip, clattering to the ground with a dull thud.
"Boss! Are you okay?!"
"Enemy attack! On alert, on alert! Everyone on alert! Two of you, help me pull the Boss out!"
The members of "Ascending God" descended into chaos, despair welling up in their hearts. They knew with chilling certainty that if an opponent could instantly take down their boss, its strength was far beyond their wildest imagination.
Just moments ago, some of them had felt that Haruto and Kaguya were being overly dramatic, believing that the final boss of the instance was clearly the Broodmother and that no stronger existence could possibly appear.
Now they understood. They were the frogs at the bottom of the well, looking at the sky. Their only hope now rested on Haruto and the others. Their own boss had been taken out in a single, unseen blow; this was a level of power they couldn't possibly resist. Charging in would be nothing more than suicide.
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