Although the spiders were agile creatures, their giant size naturally couldn't go unnoticed by the Hero.
"We've been discovered, prepare to counterattack!"
She pushed aside her hesitation, gripping the longsword as she prepared to rise.
"Miss Hero, it's better to retreat for now!" Guard A said anxiously.
"Leave the rest to us. Even though you're the lady's friend, we can't let you risk your life. Too many heroes have perished under these magic creatures!"
"...I understand." The Hero hesitated, lowering her head dejectedly, her hair covering her eyes.
[Do you want to transform?]
The three guards exchanged glances, somewhat surprised.
They thought the Hero would never retreat in the face of the magic creatures.
The seven Hunters were cautiously approaching. They were not fools who couldn't assess the enemy's strength and were wary of the intimidating presence of the guards.
"Let's go, Miss Hero, we'll hold them off for you." Guard C's arrows were already poised and ready.
"——No, let's fight on our own." The Hero reinserted the longsword into the ground, her gaze resolute.
"Eh?" The guards were stunned.
"I'll make sure not to hurt you, so please don't attack me."
She stepped out from behind the guards, wearing the dirt-stained long dress, exposing herself unguardedly to the Giant Spiders' perception.
"I told the lady, didn't I? That I know some special spells—I'll show you now, so hopefully, she won't wake up angry, thinking I deceived her."
She glanced back at the guards with a radiant smile.
A Giant Spider that had climbed onto the tree above didn't let this opportunity slip. It leaped directly from the tree, launching an aerial assault.
"Miss Hero, it's dangerous!" The guards' faces changed dramatically.
In the next moment, the verdant snake tail stirred up falling leaves in the wind, sweeping toward the attacking Giant Spider.
[Hero LV14 (Green Snake)]
[Assault by Giant Spider A]
[Hero activated skill: Sacrifice]
D26+d53=d26(1)+d53(12)=13
With the iron tail of the Green Snake clashing with the descending Giant Spider, the magic creature, driven by gravity, was sent flying.
However, the Giant Spider got up unharmed after brushing its mouth, raising its two front legs menacingly against the Green Snake, hinting at the slight but barely noticeable dents left by the snake whip.
[Hero's Great Failure! Sustained maximum 12 points of damage, Beast Spirit Magic Power 248/265]
The Green Snake flicked its tail, somewhat awkwardly flicking its tongue until the scales punctured by the Giant Spider's spear were repaired, and began to shimmer subtly with magical light.
[Hero activated skill: Tree Skin Technique]
It was the Hero's first battle in her evolved Green Snake form. Even though she was now purely wild, the instinct that used to be of an innocent little snake didn't fully adapt to the new body.
In the previous brief engagement, though she hit the spider, it blocked it with its first pair of front legs, and the excessive number of legs found gaps in which to jab at her several times.
In that flash, she hadn't even managed to cast a spell.
Fortunately, these little injuries didn't cause trouble.
If she were in her human form, her body would now have several bloody holes.
"Is this... some sort of transformational spell ability?" The three guards were astonished as they watched the scene.
But before they could continue pondering, the next moment, the Hero transformed into a Green Snake, turning its body, climbing a tree, and its verdant scales suddenly morphed into rough bark, disappearing into the forest.
She never glanced at the guards behind her.
"This——" Guard A was dumbfounded.
"No idle chatter, they're coming our way! Since Miss Hero chooses to continue fighting, we must fulfill our own duties as well!" Guard C drew the bowstring and shot an arrow, also shouting.
[Guard's Aim (Ranged Attack, Perception+Agility)]
D32+d24=d32(9)+d24(4)=13
[Giant Spider B's Dodge]
D27+d34=d27(23)+d34(33)=56
But the arrow that had just skewered the Goblin like tofu missed this time.
The hairs on the Giant Spider's body quivered, instantly detecting the change in airflow, and its eight legs moved, leaving the spot before the arrow arrived.
The whistling arrow nearly embedded itself fully into the tree trunk, its tail feathers lightly trembling, regretting their futile effort.
"Tsk, these guys." Ultimately, not being the best at shooting as his profession was mainly melee, Guard C put away the short bow and, like his companions, drew a longsword, raised a round shield, standing back-to-back in anticipation of the spiders' attacks.
Now it was a stalemate...
And on the other side—
[Hero's Stealth (Perception+50, Mimicry+30)]
D100+80=d100(76)+80=156
[Giant Spider A's Perception]
D100+34=d100(67)+34=101
[Hero's Stealth Success]
The Hero had already spiraled up the tree trunk, moving slowly through the foliage in the tree crown.
The instincts within the Green Snake's body were gradually awakening, allowing her to silently approach her prey.
Below, a Giant Spider waved its front legs aimlessly, unaware of where the Green Snake, that had been confronting it, had disappeared to.
[Hero's Stealth Attack (Agility+39, Stealth Success+30)]
D100+39+30=d100(73)+39+30=142
[Giant Spider A's Perception]
D100+34=d100(1)+34=35
[Giant Spider A's Perception Great Failure, Green Snake's Stealth Attack Succeeded, gained Armor Break bonus, damage set to maximum]
[Hero activated skill: Sacrifice]
[Giant Spider A took instant-kill damage, Hero gained 570 experience points]
It happened in less than the blink of an eye.