Lassim stood at the edge of the bustling town, feeling a twinge of melancholy as he watched Cirra and Gregor disappear into the distance.
They were friends and allies now, and after spending the last week together he had grown fond of their company. Their departure marked the end of a short, but fulfilling chapter where he learned a lot and gained two additional people he could trust.
He sighed, shaking off the lingering sadness, and pulled out the old map he had purchased from the cartographer so many years ago now.
Unfolding the map, he traced his finger along the original sketched-out route. The towns and villages originally marked for a Spirit Growth stage newbie cultivator as resting places after a day’s travels seemed almost laughable now.
He had grown so much since then. His current stage of cultivation, bolstered by his recent acquisition of the brooch of merit, made him confident in his ability to traverse more challenging terrains, cover more distance in a single day, and possibly save time with short cuts through more dangerous, beast-filled areas.
The map had indicated several towns and villages, but Lassim decided to adjust his route. Instead of skirting the large swamp nearby, he chose to cut straight through it. This detour would save him two days of travel and bring him closer to the center of the Threads, near a swirling mass of lines the cartographer had marked as "The Funnel."
He wasn’t sure what "The Funnel" was, but he was hopeful he could reach it by the end of the day and find a way to pass through once he reached the other side. Possibly he could find a well-worn road or pathway over there and find a traveler or arachnid local for directions.
He reviewed the route carefully, noting the landmarks and potential hazards that would come after his journey through "The Funnel".
First, crossing the swamp seemed feasible with his [Tempest Steps]. He made a mental note to avoid towns as much as possible until he needed to rest.
Second, he would slow down once he reached "The Funnel’, but then he could continue almost entirely straight south towards Mt. Aso after that. It didn’t appear that there were any obstructions or issues in the way. After he could scale and climb over Mt.
Aso, which would take possibly another day or so, he should be able to see the coastal region that would lead him to the ocean he’d cross to finally reach the South Continent.
He felt like he should arrive at the coastal region in just a few days if he kept a good pace and didn’t run into any issued.
With his route made and committed to memory, he rolled up the map and stored it away in his magic pouch.
"Time to move on," he muttered to himself.
As Lassim exited the town at a casual pace, he mentally reached out to Mari and Zaphy in his inner world. Their presence, though not always visible or constant, was a source of support that filled his heart and mind when he needed it. Typically they would rest dormantly, enjoying the mana-dense and rich inner world in a relaxing, carefree manner.
"[Mari, Zaphy, we’re heading south through the swamp. Be alert in case I need your help]," he communicated telepathically.
"[Yay! Yay! Adventure again! Let’s go go go!]," Zaphy replied, her voice carrying a hint of amusement. "[Let’s see if these swamp creatures can keep up with you, brother!]"
Mari’s voice was more serious. "[I’ll be watching as always, my child.]"
With their assurances, Lassim felt ready.
Once he put some distance between himself and the town, he activated his cultivation and the [Tempest Steps] movement technique. In an instant, he transformed into a bolt of lightning shooting across the ground, his form a blur of violet and gold as he surged forward.
The landscape whipped past him in a dizzying rush, the swamp’s murky waters and dense foliage appearing almost as a series of fleeting impressions, but his spirit sense surrounding him and his path ahead quickly processed the information at a such a rapid pace that made him feel like he was just taking a stroll through a garden. Albeit, a very watery and marshy garden.
As Lassim jolted across the surface of the water far away into the distance, his cultivation pressure radiating outward but slowly disappearing, causing the Swamp Town’s Guardian to shudder in relief.
It was as if a giant predator had stopped eyeing it, allowing it to finally relax. Lassim’s presence was that imposing and its encounter on the first day they met had actually scared it horribly. It was thankful there was Maelin in the town if Lassim had actually tried to attack it. Luckily, it was just a communication issue solved by Cirra.
As Lassim continued zipping across the top of the swamp, he noticed that at first it had fairly shallow waters teeming with life.
Creatures scurried to flee, swam away in terror, or froze, hoping Lassim wouldn’t notice them. The tall reeds and heavy marshland soon gave way to deeper waters filled with towering Cypress trees. Their root knees broke the surface, creating platforms for algae, unique insect beasts, and other creatures.
Dense mangroves added to the challenge, their gnarled branches forming giant cobweb-like structures housing families of fish beneath the surface.
This journey continued for several more hours, the scenery an almost unchanging blend of mangroves and Cypress trees, punctuated by occasional open spaces.
At one point, up ahead, Lassim caught sight of a massive reptilian beast, nearly seventy meters in length resting and floating atop the water with it’s giant scales and head just above the surface tension. Then, its tail suddenly whipped through the water as it dove deep into the depths to avoid him, causing a large splash.
As Lassim shot overhead where the creature disappeared, he caught sight of it and watched it disappear into the dark depths below, marveling at the sheer size of the creature.
"[Impressive]," Mari commented snarkily. "[Good to see these water beasts know their place.]"
Lassim chuckled, his laughter echoing in the stillness of the swamp. "[Maybe they’re more afraid of you than me, I reckon.]"
For another few hours there was still no change. Lassim moved with purpose, his eyes fixed on the horizon.
Finally, with the sun starting to lower in the sky to mark the middle of the afternoon and approaching dusk, he spotted a line far in the distance indicating land.
A smile spread across his face, and he picked up his pace.
Reaching the shore, Lassim was met with a surprising change in the landscape.
Everything in front of him was covered in webbing—the ground, the trees, the plants. The webbing stretched in intricate patterns, forming a vast, silken network that glittered in the sparse sunlight that weaved its way through the dense webbing that connected the trees overhead.
The sheer density of the webbing was astonishing, as if an army of spiders had been weaving tirelessly for centuries. The trees were cocooned in layers of silk, their branches sagging under the weight, while the ground was a continuous carpet of silver threads, obscuring the natural terrain beneath.
He stepped cautiously onto the webbing, expecting his feet to sink into a sticky mess.
Instead, he found it surprisingly dense and solid, more like walking on firm ground than the adhesive trap he had anticipated. The webs did not cling to him; instead, they provided a stable surface, albeit with an eerie, elastic give under his weight.
As he moved further into the forest at a cautious pace instead of a [Tempest Steps] empowered one, Lassim’s senses were assaulted by the myriad forms of life inhabiting the webbed world.
Extremely tiny spiderlings scurried across the silken expanse, their movements quick and purposeful. They seemed to recognize his brooch and cautiously avoided him like the plague, but still busy with their own lives.
He spotted delicate, luminescent insects trapped within unique webbing, their wings fluttering weakly as they struggled in vain. What was so unique was that these little spiders didn’t catch the insects into the carpet of dense webbing that surrounded them. No, they created little lassos that shot out and wrapped around their limbs or heads or wings, before being pulled in and cocooned.
Lassim watched one such instance occur with his spirit sense as he was fascinated by their hunting method.
Some of the webs were also adorned with vibrant, bioluminescent fungi, casting an otherworldly glow that bathed the surroundings in a soft, ethereal light.
The plants themselves seemed to have adapted to this strange environment. He observed web-shrouded flowers that opened and closed rhythmically, their petals a vibrant contrast to the silvery threads encasing them.
Vines wrapped in silk spiraled up the trees, their leaves peeking out through the gaps in the webbing.
Even the air was thick with the scent of the forest, a mix of damp earth, decaying vegetation, and the faint, sweet aroma of blooming flowers.
He continued onward at a slow pace, hoping to find a pathway or road in the dense forest.
After realizing he could only see threads in every direction, he made a decision. He retrieved his halberd and [Slash]ed upwards as he performed a quick jump that sent him soaring a hundred meters into the air, his enhanced physique and cultivation making it easy.
Above the treeline, he saw no clear path but noticed a craggy, web-covered hill or small mountain in the distance. The hill loomed like a fortress of silk, its slopes covered in even denser webs that seemed to move with life scurrying across it. The sheer scale of the webbing was overwhelming, creating a surreal landscape where nature and spider silk were entwined.
Determined, Lassim landed softly back on the ground and began making his way towards the hill.
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As he moved, he couldn’t help but marvel at the unique ecosystem thriving within the webbed forest. Small, web-dwelling creatures peeked out from their silken burrows, their eyes reflecting the ambient glow.
He saw larger predators too—arachnids the size of small dogs, their eyes fixed on him with a wary curiosity and respect before scuttling away into the shadows. Yet, none of them seemed to have the extensive intelligence or the confidence needed for a conversation to give directions that he could use.
He continued onward, hoping to find a pathway or road in the dense forest as he made his way towards that spider hill. The journey was slower and cautious, each step careful to not excessively shake the webbing to disrupt the environment.
Yet, as he got closer, he suddenly picked up vibrations with his spider sense before his ears could pick up the sounds of fighting in the distance. The ground and surrounding webbing shook slightly with each explosion, accompanied by a long sizzling sound that carried outwards.
Lassim debated rushing over, but his protective instincts won out.
He rotated his cultivation once again, this time trying to aim the extending divine spiritual pressure towards the fighters in hopes of causing a stop to whatever was occurring as he charged ahead towards the commotion.