Rise of the Eromancer

Chapter 54: BBC

"...They are all dead."

"Well, that's anticlimactic."

No. 2 was currently poking a wrinkled bag of skin, lifting it up using a stick. And although he was wearing a mask, everyone just knows that there was a disgusted expression on his face — how could he not when he was actually poking the wrinkled breast of a dead arache?

"Psst. Rhys, ever sucked on one of these bad boys? I bet you're a virgin."

"I have, actually. Not that one, but an arachne's nipples."

"Pft! Look at this guy making jokes!"

"Aren't you the virgin one, No. 2?"

"Who the fuck said that!?"

"Me."

"M...Ma'am!"

"And by the gods, these creatures are almost as ugly as you, No. 5."

Ayesha was trying her best not to step on the arachne's legs, carefully kicking them and making sure not even a strand of their hair would touch any part of her skin.

They were preparing to fight a horde of ugly spiderladies, but as they stepped off the jeep and approached, they quickly noticed none of the arachnes were actually moving. And as they got even closer, they realized that all of them were actually dead.

"This one's turned to stone too."

Dead, or either completely turned to stone. It was one problem to the next, as they needed to push the carcass off of their path if they wished to continue their journey home. Ayesha ordered No. 2 to just ram them with their jeep, but there were probably more than a hundred corpses there, each almost as big as their jeep; not to mention most of them were practically marbled statues. If No. 2 actually rammed them, their jeep would come out completely wrecked by the end of it — and that was something No. 2 would never obey, even at the cost of her life.

Most of the corpses were already on the side of the road and scattered on the trees, but there was still a lot to push to the side.

"What do you all think could have made them like this? Perhaps it is one of those gorgons?" No. 5 was perhaps the most effective in pushing away corpses; just slamming his body toward them and throwing them to the side.

"Euck, probably not. Look at this," No. 2 once again poked something with his stick; this time, it was slightly gooey and falling off from the branch, "This is bird shit, probably a cockatrice."

"A turf war?" No. 1 was just dragging the arachnes by the leg, but only really managed to push away a couple with how heavy they actually were, "All the way here out of nowhere?"

"Who the fuck cares, we just need to get these bitches out of the road," No. 2 stuck out his tongue in disgust.

"Maybe if you helped," No. 1 sighed, "Look at Rhys, he's still not fully recovered but he's helping!"

Rhys was also helping push away the corpses; rolling those he could roll to the side with No. 4.

"Can you freaks just stop talking and do your damn job!?" The hairs on Ayesha's skin stood up as she once again kicked a corpse away. This time, however, the gap between her boots and pants caught the hair from one of the arachne's legs, "Shit! Damn it! This feels like wet hair on a dirty—"

"!!!"

And before Ayesha could finish her words, a loud screeching whistle whispered from afar. The cockadoodle of a chicken, but seemingly more ominous; like a horn that signals one's death.

"Where... did that come from?" All the members of the Faceless crew except No. 4 quickly put up their guard as soon as they heard that, "That... didn't sound like a normal cockatrice."

"It's... a big black cockatrice," No. 2 gulped as he listened more carefully, "That's a Level 5 monster, why would it be here?"

"Well, that'll be a problem for us," Ayesha quickly looked to where the sound was coming from, "I'll handle it, you guys better be done here when I come back or I'll let you suck on one of their sagging titties."

"W—"

Before anyone could say anything, however, Ayesha quickly disappeared; causing the ground to burst as she rushed toward the screeching cockatrice,

"We are going to have some fried chicken, boys!" And with those words, everyone watched as Ayesha disappeared deep into the sea of trees.

"Welp, there she fucking goes to leave us clean this shit."

"You're not even cleaning anything," No. 1 could really only groan as No. 2 just played with her stick and continued to poke the dead arachnes.

"Meh, who cares? I'm only here to fight," No. 2 shrugged as he tapped on one of the arachnes which was turned into stone, "The cockatrice did all the work for us, I was itching for some action too."

And as soon as he said that, the statue he was tapping started to crack; soon revealing a pale skin... but still very much throbbing and alive.

"I do not believe in superstition much," No. 5 halted his steps; his fats jiggling as he looked at the statue in front of him crumbling, but only on the surface, "But this is what they called a jinx, right? No. 2 jinxed us."

"D... damn it!"

"Kill them before they could hatch!" No. 1 immediately placed his palm on the ground, creating a field of electricity that only branched toward the arachne statues that were slowly shedding the marble covering them.

No. 4 quickly threw his knife into the air, letting it fly through the gaps that were forming on the arachne and killing them before they could even fully free themselves from their stone prison.

No. 5 just shredded them; almost turning into a blur as his speed increased. Suffice it to say, the arachnes with a Threat Level of 1 were truly no match for veterans like the Faceless Crew, especially when there were so few of them out and scattered.

Rhys did not even need to do anything, the fight was already over before he could even take a single step.

"Well..." No. 2 emerged from the shadows of the last arachne, leaping on top of it and stabbing it straight in the eye several times before it could fully free itself, "...That was boring. I was expecting a full-on fi—"

"Fuck."

"I believe you have jinxed us again, No. 2."

The Faceless crew did not even have time to wipe the little sweat forming from their faces as the leaves and bushes on the side of the road started to rustle wildly, and with it... hundreds more spiderladies emerged from the forest. Some, even coming from the ground.

"Shit... there's too many! No. 1, do something!"

"What!? I can't stun these many! We need to retreat and—"

"So... noisy."

"...No. 3!?"

And as Rhys and the others were about to be surrounded by an onslaught of arachnes, No. 3 finally woke up; lazily stepping off the jeep as he joined the others. And with a yawn, he very softly clapped his hands — causing a ripple of air to blast through the arachnes.

And just like that, Rhys and the Faceless crew watched as the arachnes dropped one by one.

"Oh... No. 6," No. 3 turned to look at Rhys,

"...You grew taller again?"

"...Long time no see, No. 3," Rhys could really only return No. 3's gaze as No. 3 started looking at him from head to toe, "Good... morning."

"Has it been that long...?" No. 3 lazily replied before very slowly walking back to the jeep, "Anyway... I'll sleep again."

"Wait, No. 3! Aren't you going to greet the rest of us!?" No. 2 let out a loud chuckle. No. 3, however, only raised his middle finger, "Whatever, I am going back to—"

"No. 3!"

Rhys's eyes turned wide as an arachne suddenly descended from above and landed right in front of No. 3. Rhys didn't know why, but all the hairs on his body stood up.

"That's... big. No. 3, run!" No. 2 immediately sent his shadow toward No. 2, "I think it's the queen of the horde!"

"..." No. 3, however, just lazily snapped his finger and whispered, "...Sleep."

And without even getting to do anything, the larger arachne also dropped to the ground.

"..." No. 2 and the rest of the Faceless crew who were about to rush in No. 3's aid could really only halt their steps, letting out loud sighs as they shook their heads.

"...Of course. You better do at least that much if you're only awake once in a week, you shit!" No. 2 also raised his middle finger at No. 3.

No. 3 just lazily waved his hand as he turned to look at No. 2 and the others. And while No. 2 and No. 3 were throwing middle fingers everywhere, Rhys was completely focused on the so-called queen of the horde.

Its face... it was awfully familiar to Rhys. And as he squinted his eyes, he saw the growing smile on the arachne's face.

"No..." Rhys let out a small gasp as he quickly looked at No. 3 and started waving his hands, "Nate, run! Run!"

"Hm...?" And as Rhys suddenly rushed toward him, No. 3 could not help but tilt his head to the side. He then heard a quiet giggle whispering into his ear. And as he very slowly turned around, a shadow loomed over him as the arachne he thought he had put to sleep stood up...

...and smiled at him.

"Slee—"

And before No. 3 could even utter another word...

...the arachne twisted his neck.

"No!" Rhys let out a loud scream as he saw this; his voice, almost cracking.

"...No," Rhys should have known. He should have known who it was as soon as she appeared, but he didn't.

But he didn't. He was too comfortable and... happy.

"Well..." The arachne then looked Rhys in the eyes and spoke, casually dropping No. 3,

"...He attacked me first, Descendant of Eros. But... I am glad you have friends now."

"...Arachnea."