Pillar of Yita

After Mr. Greyrock had proceeded along the direction of the gorge for two hours, the distribution of the forest on both sides of the gentle slopes under the crimson cliffs began to show significant changes; The coniferous trees and white wax woods commonly seen in the river valley area gradually disappeared, replaced by darker-colored pine and cypress forests.

And a thin layer of fog seemed to rise between the dark forest, from a distance, it looked like a vast blanket of white smoke covering the dark green canopy.

However, upon closer inspection, it was not mist at all, but layers of spider webs draped over the tree branches, with numerous white silk threads overlapping to create this spectacular scene.

They even fully encapsulated the tree trunks, giving them the appearance of ”wax trees,” with rows of such dead trees lined up on both sides of the valley, truly a striking sight.

Of course, to the ladies, this was not at all spectacular, but rather made their scalps tingle.

Fang Hong rarely saw Elisa’s face look so unsettled. She shivered at the countless spider eggs piled under the trees, then turned firmly to have Ai Xiaoxiao and Gita close all the windows on the platform tightly.

The two little girls ran away swiftly, and for a moment, the platform was filled with the sound of windows being slammed shut.

Even Tang Xin couldn’t help but follow suit, first checking the doors and windows of her own quarters, then neurotically checking them again, and cleaning up the infirmary before finally staying by the door, refusing to come out.

Fang Hong looked at her speechlessly: ”Tangtang, you are a healer.”

Tang Xin hid behind the door, responding righteously: ”I’m only level three.”

”Even so, you have to come with us.”

”I won’t,” Tang Xin’s tone softened considerably, pleading: ”Brother, can’t I not go?”

She was most afraid of these furry things.

And Luo Hao, who was just walking out from the lower hold holding a set of armor, heard Tang Xin’s words, raised his shield with a righteous expression and said: ”Don’t be afraid, sis, I’ll protect you.”

”Get lost.” Tang Xin gritted her teeth.

However, Fang Hong thought to himself that a level three healer indeed couldn’t be much help, and was difficult to protect, so it would be better for her to stay on the platform to assist any possible injured persons, so he nodded.

Tang Xin finally breathed a sigh of relief, and Ai Xiaoxiao also stayed behind for the same reason, although she seemed unfazed by the spider webs all over the mountains. Only Gita was left holding her magic guided book with an isolated and helpless look, glancing enviously at the mischievously laughing convalescent Tianlan beside her.

Hilveld remained as calm as ever, just patted the other’s soft short hair, and said: ”Stand behind me later.”

Gita pushed up her glasses, looking gratefully at Miss Ship’s Officer.

Meanwhile, Atira stopped Mr. Greyrock outside the canyon, and everyone quickly prepared to get off the platform one by one.

Since Miss Natural Historian had previously introduced the habits of the Silver Mane Giant Spider, Fang Hong voluntarily divided the team into two.

The Silver Mane Giant Spider is a communal web-weaving arachnid, usually surrounding a single Spider Mother to build a nest, where one colony can be large or small, with large ones having up to a thousand adult spiders.

This giant spider species almost only lives in this crimson mountain range, hence it’s also known as the Panier Cunning Spider. Of course, large colonies are rarely seen on the outskirts of the Panier Mountain Range, and those nesting within this gorge are almost exclusively small colonies.

They may be called small colonies, but they still consist of thirty to fifty spiders.

However, Fang Hong did not intend to confront these giants head-on.

The main objective of their trip was to obtain spider webs—after alchemical treatment, the webs of the Panier Cunning Spider are both tough and lightweight, with a certain elemental affinity to wind, making them the perfect raw material for crafting sails for floating ships.

But this doesn’t mean that in this forest full of spider webs, such raw materials are at your fingertips.

The webs sprayed from the giant spiders’ glands, once in contact with air, produce astonishing stickiness; even considering collection, once stuck, it’s a question of how to get down. Therefore, their primary target is in fact the web-weaving glands.

The Panier Cunning Spider is also a typical matriarchal society, with male spiders guarding the nest, but they do not weave webs, serving as outer guards of the nest.

Female spiders are responsible for hunting and nurturing offspring, weaving special giant webs on the outermost parts of the nest to capture passing large prey, and thus only the females have web-weaving glands.

But female spiders do not easily leave the nest range, furthermore, it’s the egg-laying season for giant spiders between spring and summer, and female spiders usually stay in the egg chamber at this time. The egg chamber of a giant spider is usually located at the very center of the nest, making entry no easy task.

While the body of the giant spider is huge, their glands are not, making a set of sails is by no means accomplished by slaying one or two; even ten or eight might be insufficient, and a single colony might just barely suffice.

Plus, with spare sails, they might have to deal with two or three colonies to make it.

Yet, a mature Panier Cunning Spider can generally reach level eighteen, with the Spider Mother being a level twenty-two boss level entity. The latter, even in a single fight, didn’t exhibit any less combat strength than the Grey-Spotted Lizard they encountered days ago.

Not to mention that giant spiders never fought alone; once mobilized, they would rush all out.

Attempting to ’pull a tooth from a tiger’s mouth’ from these giants was clearly not an easy task.

Fortunately, adventurers always find a way.

The giant spiders dwelling in the Panier Red Mountain are a typical carnivorous spider species, and the carnivorous traits endowed them with extreme aggressiveness; not only do they have local fauna like the large-horned deer and mountain sheep on their menu, but even the local dominant species—the Hill Giant also falls within their hunting range.