I Became the Male Lead who was Clinging onto the Female Leads

Chapter 42: The Sound of Lightning (3)

TL/Editor: Raei

Schedule: N/A

Illustrations: Posted in discord.

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Deep within the forest, where the concentration of mana was the thickest.

Sheets of heavy rain poured down.

A single leaf, unable to withstand the rain, slowly fell and settled on a spider's web.

How did the web maintain its form amidst such a torrential downpour?

It was due to the size of the webwide, anchored to a giant tree as its pillar.

Here and there, small and large beasts were ensnared, and among them, the white-haired princess, Eustia, was caught at the center.

"Where am I?"

Furrowing her brows, she opened her eyes.

She was surprised to find herself floating in mid-air and looked around.

"Oh no"

A shadow of despair fell across her pale face.

"I've been caught."

The spider was out of sight, but she was certain it would return soon.

"I can't move"

What would happen when the spider returned was obvious.

She wriggled instinctively in fear, but her body was limp, long since paralyzed by the spiders venom.

"I need to use magic, somehow"

Tears threatened to fall in this sudden, desperate situation, but crying wouldn't improve things.

She had to put all her strength on whatever slim chance of survival remained.

"Please"

Holding back her crumbling spirit, she manipulated the mana inside her body.

Before the spider returned, she had to expel even a bit of the deadly poison and escape from the web.

Slowly, very slowly, she felt the poison diluting.

"If this keeps up"

If the spider took its time, she could sever the binding webs and escape.

She had no idea where it had gone, but she hoped it would be late.

She focused all her energy on channeling her mana.

Then, a massive shadow loomed over her.

""

An ominous presence closed in.

Eustia looked up with a rigid expression.

"Kiiiek."

Beneath the massive tree, the spider, anchoring itself, looked at her and sneered hideously.

"Ah"

The spider had never left.

It was merely above her, watching Eustia's struggles and scoffing.

"It's over"

The spark in Eustia's eyes faded.

Not only because of the spider's unnaturally high intelligence and strength.

The spider, fully exposing its abdomen, revealed something eerily similar to a human face.

Eustia had heard tales of such a creature.

This being was likely the 'Human-Faced Spider'a spider that, due to unknown reasons, lived beyond its natural lifespan, growing enormous and powerful.

The pattern on its abdomen becomes similar to a human face.

As time passed, its size grew incredibly large, and its power increased proportionally.

The creature had surpassed the size of a large beast, indicating it hadn't been a spiritual entity for long

But even if Eustia were in perfect condition to wield her sword, she couldn't be certain of victory against such an enemy.

But now, her body paralyzed, without even a proper weapon...

Even if by some miracle she escaped the spider's web, she could neither flee nor fight.

The implication was clear.

"I'm going to be eaten by this Human-Faced Spider..."

There was no doubt about this unwelcome truth.

No matter how much she racked her brain, no escape came to mind.

Death was approaching.

Tears streamed down Eustia's face.

"I don't want to die..."

There was nothing she could do in the face of death.

Yet, she had so many things left to do.

"I don't want to... die..."

Thanks to a slight dilution of the deadly toxin while manipulating her mana a short while ago, she could speak, albeit slowly.

Her heartfelt emotions spilled out with her voice.

"I don't... want to die..."

She sobbed, looking at the Human-Faced Spider.

Such a spiritual creature wouldn't have a shred of mercy for humans, but her current despair made her hope for it anyway.

"Keek."

But the Human-Faced Spider only laughed more darkly.

It slowly descended its web towards Eustia.

Its eight red eyes gleamed menacingly at her.

"Please... save me..."

Overwhelmed by profound fear, Eustia felt as though she might lose consciousness at any moment, but with a tear-streaked face, she begged for her life.

Yet, the Human-Faced Spider had no intention of sparing her.

"Keek."

It raised one of its sharp legs.

That leg slowly approached Eustia's forehead.

"Keek."

With what seemed like a cruel delight, it tapped her forehead several times before stretching its leg back.

At that moment, Eustia envisioned the end of her life.

Tears falling, she closed her eyes.

'So this is how it ends...'

She had yet to avenge her mother...

Her lonely and desolate life was about to come to an end.

"Keek."

The leg of the Human-Faced Spider tensed with great force.

Swoosh!

The leg, with the sound of fierce wind, flew towards Eustia's forehead.

Crash!

Just then, lightning struck from the sky.

The Human-Faced Spider flinched and stopped its leg.

Crackle!

Another peal of thunder followed immediately.

The sound was quieter than the earlier thunderbolt from the sky, yet it resounded more clearly in her ear.

With a shriek, Eugene swooped in like a flash of light and delivered a fierce slash to the spider's leg.

"Kiyaack!"

A deep gash was etched into the leg of the spider.

Using a beast caught in the web as a springboard, Eugene launched himself forward again.

"Whoosh!"

With a swing of his sword, he cut through the web that had pinned the spider in midair.

"Kiyaack!"

The creature plummeted to the ground.

"Boom!"

The giant body hit the ground, sending a thunderous roar through the air.

Eugene landed lightly before the spider.

"Eu, Eugene...?"

Eustia, who had witnessed the entire scene, couldn't hide her astonishment.

A mix of surprise, gratitude, and curiosity swirled within her as she stood dumbfounded by the turn of events.

She had closed her eyes, resigned to death, but the sound of thunder from the sky had startled them open again.

She regretted it immediately, seeing the sharp leg of the spider flying towards her forehead.

She had not wanted to witness her end.

Yet, what unfolded next was beyond her wildest expectations.

The sound of crackling electricity was followed by Eugene's unbelievable speed as he flew in and struck the spider's leg, causing it to fall from its webbed platform.

The spider's legs were as hard as steel, and the strength of the webs it produced was more resilient than most swords.

Yet, he had overcome it.

'Just what on earth happened here...?'

How on earth did Eugene even get here?

Questions multiplied endlessly in her mind.

She shook her head vigorously to cast them aside.

The important thing right now was that Eugene had come to save her.

Though she had no idea how he had arrived!

"I'm alive... I'm alive..."

---

Raei Translations

---

I ran into a spiritual beast while practicing.

Eugene looked at the spider with an impassive face.

"Kiyaack!"

The spider shrieked in fury, unable to tolerate the wound on its leg.

How did he end up facing this dangerous spiritual creature?

He had been searching for places with high mana concentration to train his Lightning Sword more efficiently.

At some point, he had felt the density of the mana become almost oppressively thick and realized a faint murderous intent mixed within it.

'A murderous aura? Was there a fight somewhere?'

Curious, Eugene had run towards the source of this killing intent, and before he knew it, he had arrived here.

Then he saw the spider aiming for the princess's forehead...

He didn't know what the situation was, but he knew he had to save her.

With that thought, he kicked off the ground and flew into action.

And so it had come to this moment.

'I'm fighting a Human-Faced Spider.'

There was no avoiding it now.

'Her first.'

Eugene's mana poured out.

Crackle!

The mana quickly transformed into lightning energy, enveloping his sword.

Eugene kicked off the ground and soared before Eustia's eyes.

Eustia gazed at him with wide eyes.

With a composed face, he separated Eustia from the spiderwebs, lifted her in his arms, and jumped down to the ground.

He gently set her against a tree.

"Rest here for now."

"Eugene..."

Her face held many questions she wanted to ask, and much she wanted to hear.

"Thank you so much for saving me..."

"We'll talk later. I have to deal with that thing first."

"Deal with it?"

"Just wait here."

However, there was no time for a leisurely conversation with the uncertainty of the Human-Faced Spider's next attack.

"Eugene! It might be better to run!"

Eustia's voice reached him from behind.

"That thing is incredibly dangerous! If its poison even touches you once, your whole body will be paralyzed! So..."

"It's alright."

She had been gripped by fear ever since she was captured by the Human-Faced Spider.

She wanted him to carry her away and run.

But there was no need for that.

Indeed, the thought of facing such an abominable thing made Eugene somewhat reluctant, but he did not think it was a battle without hope.

Above all, he had one thing to rely on.

'It's worth a try.'

Moreover, killing the Human-Faced Spider would yield a Neidan.

It was enough motivation.

"Screech!"

The Human-Faced Spider, having astonishingly regenerated its leg wounds, charged at him with a ghastly shriek.

Its grotesque mouth opened, and a purple liquid was ejected.

'That must be the poison the princess spoke of.'

Getting hit by it didn't look like it would end well.

Slash!

The Human-Faced Spider swung its leg at him.

Watching its trajectory, Eugene realized it had anticipated that he would dodge the poison.

It seemed to have gauged Eugene's strength and naturally assumed that he would avoid the poison.

'Impressive.'

The corner of Eugene's mouth rose in a smirk.

Enjoying a life-threatening fight was a bad habit, but the confidence bolstered by his sword spirit made it impossible to control his grin.

Whoosh!

Mana imbued with lightning began to surge through his body.

That mana explosively burst forth, wrapping around his sword.

Crackle!

A bright blue light flashed from the blade.

Eugene launched himself at the Human-Faced Spider.

The burst of purple liquid hurtled toward him from the front.

Swoosh!

Eugene, unfazed, took the hit head-on and penetrated the gap in the Human-Faced Spider's defenses.

"No, no, no, no!"

The Human-Faced Spider, having swung its legs expecting Eugene to dodge the poison, now exposed a perfect opening.

'Lightning Sword Technique, First Form: Lightning Strike.'

With precision, Eugene propelled his lightning sword forward, striking the sturdy abdomen of the Human-Faced Spider with an electrifying force.

Boom!

"Kieeeek!"

A thunderous explosion echoed as the Human-Faced Spider was flung back, crashing into a large tree.

"Phew."

What Eugene had just revealed was his self-developed First Form of the Lightning Sword Technique, born naturally through his practice.

'The destructive power is beyond imagination.'

It was a technique of thrusting a sword charged with strong lightning energy forward, superior in attack range and power to ordinary sword energy.

"Ki, kieeek"

Thick blood dripped steadily from the gaping wound on the Human-Faced Spider's abdomen, a testament to the Lightning Sword Technique's tremendous destructive capability.

'Its still a ways off from being a fatal blow, though.'

Eugene lifted his sword once more.

"Eugene! Didn't I tell you to avoid the poison!"

Eustia's anguished voice rose from behind.

Turning, he saw her face had turned a ghastly shade of blue.

She clearly thought Eugene, now poisoned, would soon succumb to paralysis.

Eugene casually waved his arms.

"See? Im perfectly fine."

"What?"

Bewilderment washed over Eustias face.

'How is that possible?'

She had felt the sting of the poison firsthand.

The poison from the Human-Faced Spider was no trivial matter.

Enough time had passed for the poison in Eugene's system to induce paralysis, yet there was no such sign, there wasn't even a hint of it.

Eugene's face remained unnaturally composed.

'What on earth is happening?'

Eugene's display of exceptional combat prowess was already baffling, but his apparent immunity to the poison doubled her confusion.

"Now that Ive shown you Im alright, stop worrying and just wait."

Eugene gave a nonchalant shrug and turned away.

He wasn't affected by the Human-Faced Spiders poison for one simple reason.

'I ate the Golden Toads Neidan*. A poison of this level wont affect me.'

After consuming such a precious bead and acquiring resistance to a multitude of poisons, it would be unthinkable for this one to have any effect on him.

"Shall we continue?"

Grinning, Eugene advanced toward the Human-Faced Spider.

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