Chapter 368: The Tunnel

The right moment hadn’t come, yet the spider’s egg-laying date drew near.

The spider occasionally appeared, crawling through the void.

Each time, Helag suppressed his presence, holding his breath to avoid detection.

Luckily, the mucus’s strong odor masked his scent.

For eight days, the spider hadn’t checked, seemingly unaware of any disturbance.

Helag observed the spider’s changes; its abdomen’s swelling was increasingly pronounced, indicating imminent egg-laying.

He prepared to make his move, knowing waiting meant certain death.

He planned to escape that night.

From his observations, the spider rarely ventured out at night, preferring daytime.

Helag assumed this was due to its egg-laying phase; despite its strength, it avoided nighttime prowling in the polluted zone.

Thus, night was the best escape opportunity.

Helag took deep breaths, rehearsing his plan mentally.

As night fell, the cold wind howled through the gorge.

Silence reigned, even the small spiders found places to rest.

Helag moved slowly within the silk ball, recalling his rehearsed actions.

Gathering magic, he flashed to the pile of reserve food.

He charged into the pile of silk balls.

In his Power of the Titan form, breaking through was easy.

Covered in mucus and creature remnants, he resembled someone drenched in egg yolk.

A sharp screech echoed behind him.

The giant spider emerged from the void, screeching angrily, its voice piercing the air.

It noticed the disturbance, immediately spotting Helag, the intruder.

To the spider, Helag was a thief stealing its food, meant for its offspring.

Enraged, it sought to protect its provisions.

Helag didn’t look back, executing his plan without panic.

He pushed through the reserve food, reaching the small tunnel entrance, and jumped in.

He’d observed the tunnel’s vertical drop was 17 meters.

Such a height wouldn’t harm him, especially with the Feather of Flight and Feather Fall.

As Helag jumped, the spider descended, its massive form covering the area.

But it was too late; Helag had already entered the tunnel.

Helag fell straight down, ignoring Feather Fall.

Speed was crucial; distancing from the entrance was paramount.

He landed smoothly after the 17-meter drop.

The spider’s eyes focused on him, its mouth open in a screech, sound waves echoing from the entrance.

For an average person, the sound could cause unconsciousness.

But Helag, unaffected by the Burner’s roar, found the spider’s screech less impactful.

Landing, Helag saw a narrow tunnel ahead and ran.

As he left, a thick spider silk struck where he’d been, creating a crater.

Had he been slower, even with Titan’s protection, he’d have been pierced.

Helag increased speed, crouching in the low tunnel, unable to run at full speed.

Releasing Titan’s form would help, but the tunnel’s unknowns required caution.

After some distance, the spider’s screeches faded.

The tunnel shook, dust falling.

Helag knew the spider was trying to bury him.

The tunnel, old and stable, showed no signs of collapse.

Far underground, the spider’s impact was minimal.

Above, the spider fumed at the entrance, too large to enter, pounding the ground in frustration.

Thuds echoed, reaching all directions.

Through Deep Blue, Helag watched, thinking, “Don’t stress, spider lady.”

With the spider no longer a threat, Helag focused on the tunnel.

The tunnel bore clear excavation marks.

Helag recognized them as human-made.

The tunnel’s structure and location suggested careful planning, avoiding collapse.

“Who dug this?” Helag wondered.

He guessed it was from the Glorious Age, unlikely dug in the current era.

Deep in the polluted zone, who would dig a tunnel here?

Following the tunnel, Helag noticed it sloped downward.

This wasn’t promising; he aimed for the surface, but the tunnel led down.

With no branches and the spider above, Helag continued down.

If humans dug it, there must be an exit. Helag decided to follow it, seeing where it led.