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After drinking a Potion, Imitia finally stood up.

“You okay?” Woodback asked her.
“Yea. S̲h̲i̲t̲. This stuff tastes like crap no matter how much I drink it.”

Imitia said with a disgusted face as she angrily stomped on the empty vial. The wolf ears on top of her head, which were a product of her Beastian nature, indicated that the next threat was approaching.

Imitia swiftly picked up her wand off the ground and tucked it into her waist belt.

“Woodback!”
“Yes?”
“Pick me up and retreat. I want to see what’s going on.”
“Yes.”

Woodback said, sensing an urgency in Imitia’s tone. He gently picked up her petite body and placed her on his right shoulder, then moved away without taking his gaze off the gate.

“Is something coming?”
“I don’t know. But it sounds ominous. It’s definitely not good.”
“I see.”

The Mages hurriedly gathered to seal the gate, but there was an undeniable sense of unease in the air. The tension between Woodback and Imitia did not subside one bit as well.

Woodback kept his alertness high, ready to draw his battle-axe and leave the scene if needed.

“……Huh?”

Imitia’s ears perked up. A wolf’s keen ears wouldn’t miss even the slightest sound. It was a crack. A dull, heavy sound, as if the hard bedrock itself had screamed, emanated from the massive gate in front of them.

This is bad. Don’t tell me it’s breaking…

Cold sweat forming on her forehead, Imitia reached for her chalk bag. She still had three Potions left.

Can I still go on… No. As things are, it’s best to retreat…

Imitia made up her mind. The massive stone gate in front of her shattered with a deafening roar. The momentary relief in the air was instantly replaced by a sense of hellish terror.

Crushed by the collapsing gate, the first thing to assault their eardrums was the agonizing screams of the Mages.

The stone gate, larger than a colossus and thicker than a giant tree, was utterly demolished. The soldiers at the forefront were all trapped beneath it, their bodies like crushed tomatoes.

The screams of the soldiers, tainted with fear, echoed through the air. The small spiders, no longer constrained, began to swarm inside the gate, climbing over each other like an avalanche.

The soldiers that were still keeping their formations were rapidly engulfed by the spiders’ relentless onslaught, pulled down into a deadly sea of arachnids.

A true pandemonium. The battlefield was, indeed, a hellish place.

“Imitia!”

Woodback’s voice rang out wildly. Imitia gazed abhorrently at the scene before her, quickly issuing instructions so as to not be overwhelmed by the surrounding chaos.

“The outer gate is done for! Head to the inner gate!”
“Is it really okay to retreat?!” Woodback asked.
“We can’t retake the outer gate anyway! Think straight Woodback! We aren’t soldiers! You should only think of how to survive!”

Dry and composed, Imitia’s merchant-like decision, which was also backed by her experience as a battle hardened veteran, was met with an immediate nod from Woodback.

Besides, just because the outer wall had been breached didn’t mean Ulbdor had fallen entirely. There was still the inner wall of the double layer of defense.

Staying focused and understanding the bigger picture were crucial for survival on the battlefield.

Damn it! I’d planned to go south if they used the vessel, but I never expected they’d break through here.

Riding on Woodback’s broad shoulder, Imitia bit her lip, realizing the naivety of her own calculations. As the chieftain of a traveling merchant group, she had a significant number of members she needed to protect.

Even if the city were to fall or the world plunged into darkness, her priority was to keep her group members safe and alive. Imitia did not wield her sword for the sake of fighting or destruction. She used her power solely to protect those she cared for and loved.

However, it could also be interpreted as her being indifferent to the lives and circumstances of strangers. She didn’t care what happened to Ulbdor. Her focus was solely on saving the Great Belbed Caravan she held dear

What should I do? The south’s no go. Should we head west? No. I should first consult with Remilia and the others.

As Imitia tried to get lost in thought, a terrifying scream came from the breached outer gate. Imitia was snapped back to reality and even she, who was a seasoned warrior, was left at a loss for words.

Even the giant Woodback couldn’t help but gulp in apprehension.

Black, black, black. The pouring waves of little spiders seemed endless. Each spider was about the size of a small child.

Individually, they were not formidable foes, as their bodies were fragile, and they were considered Lower Rank Demons that a single soldier could handle, if not in overwhelming numbers.

However, these were not just ordinary “small spiders.”

“It seems the Mother Spider is here.”

Woodback muttered, his voice tinged with unease.

Even he had to slightly tilt his head upward to look at the giant spider Demon, whose swollen abdomen was covered in noxious spots. Its eight legs shimmered like steel, contrasting with its otherwise soft body.

The face of the spider was not that of a typical arachnid but rather resembled a jet-black goddess carved from stone, possessing an inorganic and unique appearance.

Middle Rank Grade 1 Demon.

The nameless yet formidable giant spider Demon gradually began to consume the land of Ulbdor, shaking the city to its core.