civilwarnovels Chapter 296: The Ettercap
Chapter 296: The Ettercap
Lakeside Town.In the Adventurers Guild hall, the crowd was in an uproar.
Gauss was also somewhat tired.
From last night until dusk today, he had been almost constantly engaged in high-intensity monster subjugation missions.
Even for a stamina monster like him, he couldn't help but feel exhausted.
However, when he saw his name finally reach the top, any claim that he wasn't happy would be false.
Human competitive spirit, huh.
Gauss placed his hands on his hips and shook his head.
"So amazing."
"He's finally first." Aria looked at the rankings, sharing in the honor.
"Finally? Actually, Captain only took one day." Serlandul smiled and shook his head.
"This is the position Lord Gauss should be in." Albenia also nodded in agreement.
Others might not know how powerful Gauss was, but as his teammates, how could they not understand?
When it came to slaying monsters, he was practically a monster himself.
Before the gap in strength levels became clearly apparent, they couldn't imagine what kind of competitor could possibly defeat Gauss in this area.
"Look!"
"That Herbert's score has changed again!"
Just as Gauss and the others were about to turn and leave, the situation on the rankings changed once more.
Herbert: 1117
After Herbert updated his point data, he reclaimed the top position.
Gauss's 907 points once again fell to second place.
Many people in the hall turned their gazes toward Gauss's group.
Clearly, many already knew who Gauss was.
However, their looks toward Gauss now didn't carry any schadenfreude.
Obviously, everyone understood that someone who could temporarily claim the top spot in just one day could reclaim his position as easily as eating or drinking.
Some people score full marks because their ability only reaches that level, while others score full marks because the test's maximum score is full marks.
Though the scores look the same, the difference between them is immense.
"Lord Gauss! Shall we take on another commission?" Albenia rubbed her hands together eagerly, as if her own ranking had been surpassed, proactively suggesting.
Aria and Serlandul also looked at Gauss.
At his command, even though the sun had already set, they were ready to mobilize immediately to help Gauss reclaim his ranking.
"Forget it, forget it."
Gauss waved his hand with a bitter smile.
This was such a trivial matter.
He wasn't in a hurry to reclaim his ranking anyway.
It would just take one more day's effort.
As long as he firmly held the top position before the competition ended, that would be enough.
He was also quite tired today.
Some people in the crowd saw him shaking his head and speaking quietly to his companions, guessing he probably didn't plan to take any further action today.
They collectively sighed.
They had really wanted to see Gauss take back the top ranking.
Although it had nothing to do with them personally, since they were all temporarily active around Lakeside Town, they could be considered half "allies" of the same camp.
"He's panicking, Herbert is truly panicking."
"I've been watching this ranking for many days;he always updates his data the next morning."
"Can you blame him for panicking?"
"But he'll only hold the top spot for this final day."
No one approached Gauss to strike up a conversation.
When someone leads by a small margin, others feel envy. But when that lead places them on entirely different levels, only admiration and reverence remain.
Under the somewhat respectful gazes of the crowd, Gauss left the Adventurers Guild hall.
Peaceful night time flowed slowly by.
After Gauss's group finished eating, they came to Blue Lake again, admiring the fluorescent blue water glowing in the night while watching the nighttime sailboat races.
This was also an event for the commoners group.
The sails of the small boats had been specially treated to refract flowing colors under moonlight, allowing clear viewing of the race even at night.
The race rules weren't purely about speed;competitors had to navigate around many glowing buoys in a designated lake bay area, with the first boat completing three laps declared the winner.
Spectators could also choose to place bets on boats they supported in advance.
The shore was bustling with noise and excitement.
The populace cheered and shouted support for their family, friends, or chosen betting vessels.
The evening breeze blew, the cool wind feeling very comfortable.
Gauss and the others leaned against the railing on the shore, looking down at the lake surface events from their elevated position.
"Quite lively indeed."
"I think that maple leaf boat seems about to win." Aria and the others gestured toward the lake surface.
Occasionally emptying their minds, thinking of nothing, and enjoying this rare leisure time had its own unique charm.
Adventuring wasn't only about fighting and killing;there were many scenic views and moments worth appreciating along the journey.
However, Aria ultimately guessed wrong.
When reaching the final buoy on the third lap, the originally leading maple leaf boat misjudged the wind direction, greatly increasing the time needed to round the buoy.
Finally, a boat marked with a silver barracuda symbol seized the opportunity to accelerate, completing a comeback with a slight advantage just before the finish line.
"Wooooh!!!"
The shore erupted with massive cheers and sighs of regret.
"Never expected that reversal."
Aria shook her head and sighed.
While Gauss and the others were immersed in watching the events, other towns weren't so peaceful.
Many competitors activated their networks or inquired with familiar Adventurers Guild staff about Gauss's situation, primarily investigating the authenticity of his point ranking.
But to their despair, no matter how they asked or probed indirectly, the feedback from the Adventurers Guild was consistent: Gauss's points were genuine and valid, with no issues in points or timing.
The guild even subtly reminded some competitors who inquired too "enthusiastically" not to attempt to interfere with other participants' normal hunting activities.
Although this was just a local competition, since the local guild was involved, it naturally served a supervisory role.
Another day passed in the blink of an eye.
After resting through the night.
Gauss's physical fatigue had eased considerably.
He looked at his panel.
"Total monsters killed: 8311"
"Normal Monster Encyclopedia species: 49"
Only one more species was needed to meet the requirement of 50.
Although he hadn't taken on particularly suitable commissions yesterday, Gauss coincidentally killed the 49th normal monster species, the Spined Arrowfish, near the commission location.
"Shall we go to the guild first to browse and select a commission?"
After breakfast, Gauss and the others headed straight to the guild.
Under the watchful eyes of others, the group entered the VIP room to select commissions.
Early in the morning of the new day, the Adventurers Guild had indeed updated with many new commission items.
Gauss held the commission crystal, quickly scanning through the ordinary routine commissions.
Goblins, dog-headed people, slimes - though all familiar faces, unfortunately, they needed to focus on accumulating Monster Encyclopedia species first, so these had to be temporarily set aside.
Besides new monsters, they also needed to meet the requirement of accumulating points.
They needed to select commissions with sufficiently large monster tribe members and sufficiently powerful leaders.
Soon, a commission marked with an urgent symbol caught his attention.
Exterminate the Ettercap nest in Clear Stream Marsh.
Gauss ultimately selected this commission.
Ettercaps were monsters resembling humanoid spiders, possessing considerable intelligence, tending to their spider flocks like shepherds.
Their lower abdomens could shoot extremely strong silk threads and form webs.
Adventurers and creatures entering their territory would become their hunting targets;they would mobilize their cultivated minions to jointly surround prey. One could say the presence of a single Ettercap could cause massive ecological damage to the surrounding environment.
Even originally lush, vibrant forests would quickly turn into dark places densely populated with spiders and insects.
According to the commission details, some villagers had unfortunately already gone missing.
"Let's take this one."
Gauss found it quite suitable.
On one hand, it was a new encyclopedia entry he hadn't unlocked;on the other hand, hairy things are weak to fire, and spider-type monsters were similarly countered by dragons and himself.
Meeting him was like running straight into gunfire.
"Alright."
Although Aria wasn't particularly fond of contact with spiders, she was far from being afraid of them, so she nodded, having no objections to Gauss's decision.
Gauss turned to look at Serlandul.
After pausing for a moment, he turned to look at the final member, Albenia.
"Hmm?"
"Albenia, are you okay?"
He noticed Albenia wearing a slightly awkward smile.
"No... nothing, I'm fine. Let's... let's take this one."
Gauss blinked.
Could she possibly be afraid of spiders?
That shouldn't be the case, right?
Gauss found it hard to imagine that someone as tall and sturdy as her might actually fear creatures like spiders.
Now that he thought about it, crabs and spiders weren't that different in appearance...
After confirming the commission.
Gauss's group set off immediately.
The Red Drake in the sky slowly descended.
This commission location wasn't near lakes or rivers, but rather in a somewhat gloomy, mist-shrouded marshland.
The atmosphere had clearly become much more oppressive.
The air was filled with a damp, rotting smell.
Twisted, bare tree branches reached toward the gray sky like monster arms, while the ground was treacherous with muddy patches and puddles.
"This is the place." Gauss checked the map.
"Clear Stream Marsh... this name really doesn't live up to reality."
The so-called "clear stream" had long been covered by turbid muddy water and aquatic plants, difficult to spot.
Hephaestus let out a low growl, twisting its neck.
The environment here instinctively displeased it.
Different dragon types varied greatly in form, and their habits differed even more.
Red Dragons naturally detested damp marsh environments, which happened to be Black Dragons' favorite habitats.
If not for Gauss's command, it would have taken flight immediately.
However, its arrival also caused the surrounding flying insects to instinctively avoid it, and even the mist dissipated somewhat, slightly altering the otherwise unbearable marsh environment.
Gauss's gaze seemed capable of piercing through the thick fog to see the distant environment.
Everywhere, tangled spider webs held the dried remains of numerous animals, hanging like terrifying decorations within the mist.
Although Ettercaps weren't particularly outstanding in combat prowess, their toxins shouldn't be underestimated.
Moreover, the gloomy environment instinctively made people feel somewhat creeped out.
"I'll first send out clay constructs to scout the surroundings."
Gauss chose the most efficient approach.
Due to the marshland fog, the conventional scouting method of riding Hephaestus high in the air using the Eagle Eye Monocle had become ineffective.
Soon, over a dozen small clay creatures, sized like wasps, scattered in all directions.
Gauss didn't choose to control a single one, but instead used his Insect Nest Consciousness talent to continuously receive feedback information from the clay creatures.
"Huh?"
In his perception, suddenly one of the clay flying insects "disconnected."
He looked in the direction it had flown.
"There seems to be something unusual over there."
Let's go check that area out.
No news could sometimes be news in itself.
Gauss quickly directed his teammates to follow.
According to the commission description, several hunters had mistakenly entered this marshland.
Although he doubted ordinary people could last this long, perhaps they might.
Arriving a moment earlier might save a life and change a family's future.
Within the white mist, visibility was reduced to only three meters.
Further away, not even the slightest outline could be discerned.
Maggie's originally tied-up hair now hung loosely, though fortunately she had already cut it short with her dagger beforehand, leaving it just past her cheeks.
She trembled all over, feeling bone-chilling cold spreading from her toes throughout her entire body.
If she lifted her calf now, she would discover her feet and lower legs had taken on a strange purple hue from prolonged immersion in the marshland.
This was also the primary cause of her pale lips and gradually weakening body.
"Father..."
Thinking of her separated father and uncle, her already pale face lost any remaining trace of color.
There were monsters in the fog.
Her relatives and village companions had separated from her specifically to lure away the monsters.
She wanted to escape this mist, to seek help outside, but the fog was too thick.
So thick that she couldn't discern direction while immersed in it.
Moreover, she constantly felt like she was being watched.
Though for some reason, the monster in the fog seemed to harbor a mentality of toying with its prey, following her closely.
She wasn't sure if this was just her imagination.
But her ears seemed to constantly pick up rustling crawling sounds, occasionally catching a fleeting dark shadow flashing through the mist.
This slowly approaching fear felt like invisible hands choking her neck, almost suffocating and driving her mad.
"Rustle... rustle..."
It's here again!
The horrifying sound emerged once more from the thick fog behind her, closer than before!
Maggie cowered in fear behind a half-dead crooked-neck tree, covering her mouth tightly with both hands, not daring to make a sound, though tears uncontrollably streamed down.
She had been agile since childhood;her father praised her as a natural-born hunter.
Her first trap, her first catch, village festival celebrations...
Through repeated hunting, her movement speed, reaction ability, and strength had gradually surpassed the adult men around her.
If her family had enough money, she might have been able to purchase a skill suitable for herself, and then...
She kept thinking of things that made her happy while swallowing hard due to nervousness.
To her horror, the rustling crawling monster seemed to be moving further away, its sound growing fainter.
"Has the monster left?"
"Saved..."
Maggie's back was completely drenched in cold sweat.
Her heart pounded wildly, the relief of surviving a near-death experience making her almost collapse.
But she knew this was far from safe yet.
She took several deep breaths.
Swallowing hard, leaning against the crooked-neck tree, she stiffly turned her head to look behind her.
There, in the thick fog less than five steps behind her, a twisted figure stood silently!
It hadn't gone far at all;it had been there the entire time!
It was a massive monster.
Its body was twisted, features ugly, lacking a nose, with a large mouth split to its ears filled with dense, sharp teeth.
Her mind went completely blank, even forgetting to breathe.
Extreme fear petrified her, rendering her immobile.
"Whoosh!!"
Her foot was suddenly wrapped in something cold.
"Thud!!"
She collided with a large web above.
The nightmare-like creature, carrying the aura of death, completely enveloped her.