Fantasy Realm [One Piece] [Harry Potter] [Naruto] - [Progression] [LitRPG]

Chapter 195: Cowardice, Insanity, and Madness - Culling the Nest

Alex's words are still fresh in the air, and Roja and Perlah's faces visibly contort.

"Yes, we need to hurry—or it will be harder for us," Rishi says, calmly walking down into the ravine, with Tereza and Alex following close behind.

"Are you insane?! You still want to go down there? Do you want to die?!" Perlah exclaims, shocked at the three allies' decision to press on.

Roja also speaks up, her voice filled with concern. "This is too dangerous. It's not worth the risk! Rishi, you must realize this too! This area is not suitable for groups. We need every single group to combine to take care of these targets! We need a full raid!"

Rishi, however, just shrugs, not bothering to respond to the protests. Alex, carefully observing Rishi's neutral expression, manages to catch a glimpse of something darker beneath the surface—a tiny hint of clear disdain, along with a faint but unmistakable spark of hatred and madness in his eyes.

They're lucky we made a contract... Alex thinks, his mind racing. Rishi looks ready to kill. That guy may appear calm and act the most rational out of all of us, but he harbors the most violence and the strongest potential for killing inside him. He would sacrifice weak, useless helpers at the earliest opportunity. The contract is the only thing keeping these two alive.

Alex responds, looking a bit annoyed as well, and says in a firm voice, "We went for the weakest possible target, and we haven't accomplished anything yet, aside from earning a few white-ranked chests and bagging a few low-ranked spider corpses, most of them ruined by fire! We need to clear the nest! If you're not up to it, you can stay here. This is still relatively easy. Honestly, I could have done this alone with a few more grenades and more spells. Anyway, we need to go in. Guard the entrance and kill stragglers, or follow us inside. We won't blame you, but we will finish this!"

Roja thinks for a moment before reluctantly responding. "We'll provide backline support and kill stragglers who try to leave the ravine."

Alex, Tereza, and Rishi nod at them and proceed into the ravine.

Rishi, with his vast MP pool, uses the AoE variant of Fire lvl 4 to quickly burn away any webs blocking their path. The flames spread rapidly, consuming the sticky silk.

As the fire rages, Alex hears the wild screams and agonizing cries of young spiders being burned alive.

Rishi's face contorts into a twisted smile, no longer hiding his true feelings. He even whispers, "Alex, your gift from when we first met is very much to my liking. These flames... I can't get enough of them."

Scary guy. Well, not a surprise at this point.

"Creep!" Tereza snaps, though her own expression isn't much different. She looks as though she's comfortably sitting around a cozy bonfire, clearly enjoying the situation.

The group continues moving forward, and Alex can't help but voice a concern. "This is suspicious. Not one real enemy... either they're planning an ambush, or..."

Alex halts mid-sentence as they round a large stone and see the Thornback Matriarch in the center of the small ravine. Surrounding it are 20 to 30 large Thornback Shooters, Warriors, and Ambushers, as well as around 30 smaller Thornback Hatchlings.

"Thez will gather up and defend their Matriarch!" Tereza finishes Alex's sentence, her eyes fixed on the scene ahead.

"Well, it's time for some explosions," Alex says with a happy, slightly crazed expression, pulling out numerous Annihilation Grenades lvl 4. Rishi and Tereza grin as well, drawing their own grenades.