Overlord: Welcome the Birth of the King

A lone hanging spider isn't much of a threat.

But when they appear in swarms, they become terrifying, earning their reputation as the most difficult creatures to deal with in the outer regions of Forest of Tob.

These hanging spiders can shoot their silk at an incredible speed. Once a group of them targets you, you'll quickly find yourself entangled in thick layers of webbing, leaving no room for escape.

It's said that this spider silk is remarkably durable, making it a valuable crafting material.

But now wasn't the time to consider its value.

Lyle darted swiftly through the dense forest, his mind racing to figure out how to eliminate the swarm of hanging spiders hot on his trail.

In this environment, his speed was severely hindered by the thick undergrowth.

The spiders, each the size of a basketball, faced no such issue. They moved rapidly by shooting silk that adhered to the nearby trees, allowing them to swing and maneuver effortlessly through the air.

Whoosh!

The sound of air tearing behind him sent a chill down his spine.

Without hesitation, Lyle swung his sword backward.

Slash!

The leading spider let out a shrill screech as it was cleaved in half, its thick green fluids splattering across the forest floor.

[You gained 23 experience points]

Hmm?

Lyle's eyes widened slightly as he processed the message. That was a considerable amount of experience for a single kill.

He quickly estimated the swarm chasing him. There had to be at least seventy or eighty of them, possibly more.

If he could somehow wipe out the entire group in one go, he'd gain over two or three thousand experience points, enough to level up twice!

Whip! Whip! Whip!

Dozens of silk threads, as thick as a finger, shot toward him from the pursuing spiders.

Lyle twisted his left foot sharply, taking cover behind a large tree trunk, which absorbed the brunt of the attack.

Several strands of silk fell to the ground nearby. An idea flashed through his mind, and he raised his sword to test if he could cut through the silk.

Clang!

The sword struck the silk but only managed to bend it before finally slicing through with effort. The fibers emitted a faint snapping sound, a testament to their resilience.

"Troublesome!"

Feeling the silk's toughness, Lyle finally understood why it was prized as a high-quality magical material.

With a sharp glint in his eyes, he planted a foot against the tree trunk and pushed off, propelling himself forward and away from the swarm once more.

Yet despite his maneuver, the spiders closed the distance with alarming speed, quickly surrounding the tree he had just left behind.

Though he had momentarily evaded capture, it was clear he couldn't keep this up much longer. The spiders were relentless.

"If I had Druidic abilities, a forest priest's skills, or even the talents of a ranger, this wouldn't be so troublesome," Lyle muttered, sweat beading on his brow as he continued to dodge through the forest.

He knew he couldn't keep running indefinitely.

The menacing hissing from the spiders grew louder, signaling that they would soon close in completely.

Magic?

His mind raced through his options. The only offensive magic he had was "Magic Arrows," but against such a large number of enemies, it would barely make a dent.

He needed something else.

Suddenly, a spark of inspiration ignited in his mind.

"Heat!"

He recalled a utility spell he had mastered—"Heating." It was a minor spell that allowed him to heat objects through touch. While useful for cooking and mundane tasks, it had little combat application due to its low temperature and the time required for it to take effect.

Though he had spent a skill point upgrading it once, the improvement was negligible, so he rarely used it for anything beyond heating food.

But now, a new idea dawned on him. If he could heat objects, could he heat his weapon?

Without wasting a moment, Lyle gripped his iron sword tightly and whispered, "Heat."

Within ten seconds, he felt the temperature of the sword rise noticeably, the heat spreading from the blade to the hilt.

Hiss!

Lyle tore off a strip of cloth from his sleeve and wrapped it around the sword's handle to protect his hand from the rising temperature.

A minute passed swiftly.

By now, the sword's temperature had risen to a scorching 150 degrees. Though not hot enough to turn the metal red, it radiated intense heat, visible as waves of distortion in the air around the blade.

Whip!

The sound of silk threads shooting toward him pierced the air once more.

This time, Lyle didn't evade. Instead, he raised his now-heated sword and slashed directly at the approaching threads.

The previously resilient silk melted and snapped effortlessly under the high temperature.

"As I thought, no matter how tough spider silk is, it can't withstand heat."

"Now, it's my turn to strike back!"

With a gleam in his eyes, Lyle turned to face the swarm of spiders chasing him. Without the threat of their silk, they were far less dangerous.

He stopped running, dug his foot into the ground, and charged toward the nearest group of spiders.

"Fourfold Slash!"

With a shout, he swung his sword, and four dark afterimages trailed behind the blade.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

The scalding blade tore through the air, easily slicing apart both the silk threads and the spiders themselves.

[You gained 21 experience points]

[You gained 27 experience points]

[You gained 22 experience points]

[You gained 25 experience points]

The system messages flooded his vision as he continued his onslaught.

Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!

The hissing sounds grew frenzied as more spiders swarmed around him, their crimson eyes gleaming with malevolent intent.

Silk shot toward him in dense waves, forming a complex web that threatened to trap him.

"Useless!"

Lyle smirked, swinging his heated sword in a wide arc. The web dissolved instantly upon contact, falling harmlessly to the ground.

The spiders momentarily hesitated, their hissing turning into an uncertain murmur.

"Time to end this—slaughter begins now!"

Lyle charged toward a nearby tree, kicking off its trunk and launching himself into the air.

"Fourfold Slash!"

Slash! Slash! Slash!

More spiders fell as green and red fluids splattered across the forest floor, filling the air with a nauseating stench.

With their silk rendered ineffective, the spiders became nothing more than helpless prey before Lyle's burning blade.

And so, the slaughter continued...