Really? I Don't Believe It

It was an oppression radiating from the depths of the soul, a fear born of primal instinct.

A mortal's soul was utterly powerless before a higher-order existence.

It had nothing to do with courage, nor did it have anything to do with strength.

When one became aware of that mysterious will transcending common sense, the very act of perceiving it became the source of danger, delivering a violent shock.

Even with her ironclad will, the female officer's mind went completely blank under the intense impact. Her muscles gave out, and her body collapsed to the ground.

She was just a single step away from the tunnel.

The radiance and power within her had already dispersed. Her sword remained gripped in her hand, but she no longer had the strength to swing it.

The shock suffered by her soul left her body utterly limp and powerless, hopelessly stuck to the cobwebs covering the ground and the corners of the walls, unable to move a muscle.

The vision of the abyss and the crimson eyes had lasted only a fleeting instant; as soon as she hit the ground, her vision returned to normal.

It was still the same underground cavern bathed in green light, the same dim cave blanketed in cobwebs.

Yet none of the monsters pursued her. Instead, they shrank back into a distant cluster, warily watching the female officer—who was trapped like a fly in a web—or rather, watching the empty space just ahead of her, not daring to step an inch closer.

There was nothing there, yet the space seemed warped by some unseen force, forming an invisible vortex.

From deep within the vortex, a twisted gaze seemed to project outward, bearing a terrifying, near-tangible pressure that locked onto Officer Natalie. She felt like an insect caught on a web beneath the spider's fixated stare, the oppressive weight making it difficult to breathe.

At the same time, an incomprehensible, bizarre pull emanated from it. Though her physical body remained firmly stuck to the cobwebs without moving, her soul felt as if it were being hauled by an immense force, on the verge of tearing away from her flesh and being sucked into the vortex at any second.

“Praise be to the Lord; praise be to the great Weaver.”

Seeming to sense that gaze as well, Jeremy dropped swiftly to his knees, while the giant spiders pulled in their eight long legs, prostrating themselves. Jeremy kissed the ground several times before straightening his back and calling out loudly:

“It seems your fate is sealed, Officer. Your soul will be dragged into the abyss by my Lord's web to become a breeding bed for its kin, while your flesh incubates those kin into the mortal world, only to be devoured clean by the newly hatched young. What a pity you didn't bring any other Watchers along, sparing them from the destiny of nourishing my Lord's kin with their souls.”

The female officer paid him no heed. Her gaze never strayed from the vortex. That horrific stare grew increasingly tangible, and the gravitational pull intensified by the second, as though her soul could be ripped from her body and drawn entirely into the vortex at any moment.

Even if I must die, I will die struggling to the end. You can forget about making me wait obediently for death.

The officer could not remember where she had heard those words, but she bit her lip hard. Enduring the immense pressure, she summoned every last shred of strength to tear her arm free from the cobwebs' restraint and raised her sword toward the vortex.

Come on, then. I'm not afraid of you.

The sinister gaze within the vortex remained unchanged, even growing ever more overwhelming. The entity inside seemed unwilling to wait any longer, and an exquisitely warped, eerie power quietly seeped out from the vortex.

It spread slowly yet relentlessly, as if purposefully granting its prey ample time to savor their impending despair and terror before death.

“Hahaha, it is the will of my Lord! Fear, struggle, you insect caught in the web! Alas, not a single insect has ever escaped my Lord's grasp!”

“Really? I don't believe you.”

A flash of light suddenly erupted in the darkness, illuminating the entire cavern.

A furiously burning humanoid figure of fire came blazing into view, tearing out from the tunnel trailing brilliant flames. Along the way, every cobweb was ignited, bursting into a roaring inferno.

Flames soared toward the ceiling. The spiderlings within the webs fled in mad panic as if doomsday had arrived, and even the giant spiders retreated under the fierce press of the fire. Trailing a path of blazing fire, the flaming silhouette sprinted straight up to Natalie, skidded to a halt, dropped to one knee, and slammed a fist into the ground.

Whoosh.

Flames erupted from the point of impact, transforming into a crescent wall of fire that surged swiftly forward, blazing fiercely between Natalie and the spider horde to temporarily cut off all contact between the two sides.

As the wall of fire erupted, the humanoid blaze extinguished, revealing a formally dressed man kneeling on one knee.

Ignoring the swarming spiders, the man stood up, brushed the cobwebs from his clothes, took off his top hat, and pressed it against his chest. Turning around, he gave a slight bow to the female officer lying on the ground: “Lady Natalie Angel, I apologize for being late.”

For a moment, the female officer was dazed.

Reason had led her to keep everyone in the dark and venture into danger alone, because anyone who followed her would be doomed to the same fatal fate.

Yet beyond reason, there was always a sliver of hope lingering in her heart.

If only someone noticed. If only someone came to save me. If only someone were here to face this danger with me.

I don't want to die yet.

Yet never in her wildest dreams did she expect someone to actually appear.

And of all people, it was him.

Lynch Levive.

A surge of tenderness welled up within her resilient heart, warmth gathering at the corners of her eyes. But the terrifying aura surging to burst from the vortex instantly snapped her back to reality, and she shouted sharply, “What are you doing here? It's dangerous—get out!”

“Someone still owes me two favors, and I was worried she'd renege on her promise and never come back, so I came to drag her home.” Lynch took a step sideways, placing his body squarely between the officer and the vortex. “Unfortunately, I've heard the truth as well. We are both its prey now, sharing life and death together.”

Under Officer Natalie's apologetic gaze, Lynch placed her hat back onto her head. Then, straightening up abruptly, he strode forward to meet the power reaching out from the vortex.

“Don't forget I have a trump card. I don't think it can kill both of us today. If we really survive this, remember that you'll owe me three favors.”

With that, Lynch adjusted his suit and suddenly picked up his pace.

As if sensing the provocation, the gaze within the vortex condensed abruptly. An indescribable, twisted will, carrying mysterious filth that triggered dizzying visions in Lynch's mind, erupted from the vortex and slammed toward him.

Lynch's expression turned peculiar. Flashing a subtle smile just before that will reached him, he ripped open his shirt to reveal his chest.

Right over his heart, the pattern of a dark red eye was radiating an eerie aura.

“I'm here to deliver dinner.” Sensing that indescribable will, Lynch gritted his teeth, gripped the moon pendant on his chest, and charged directly into it without dodging in the slightest, his expression tinged with reckless madness. “I hope this feast doesn't break your spider fangs!”

In the unseen realm, the hiss of a spider's spiracles seemed to echo in his ears, and then Lynch collided head-on with that indescribable will.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

Whether it was an illusion or not, he seemed to catch a fleeting glimpse: a colossal spider with a human torso and arachnid abdomen emerged from the darkness, colliding head-on with a human-faced monstrosity crouching like a toad behind him.

Boom.