NOVPUB[Spider Maid]
A servant of the boss-tier entity [Madam Spider]. Unlike named entities, multiple Spider Maids exist as mass-produced variants, making them relatively weak creatures. However, in this situation, they were the worst possible opponent.
[Madam Spider]’s domain wasn’t supposed to be here, so why was one of her servants present?
— Ding!
The bell rang. Despite its clear and crisp sound, a sticky sensation wrapped around my body. My movements slowed down, naturally making it harder to run. Right now, the effect was minor, but if it stacked, it would become a serious problem.
Even if I personally took part in the race, [Turbo Granny] would match my speed. Now that a [Spider Maid] had appeared, victory was practically impossible. I needed to deal with it immediately!
Deciding that there was no time to waste on words, I materialized outside the mirror and ran in the opposite direction of the kids.
"Keep running!"
I dashed past Eun-jung, who was already being targeted by the [Hell Hands]. Most of them shifted their focus onto me, reaching out from all directions with their crimson fingers. Avoiding them all seemed nearly impossible.
What a hassle!
"Out of my way!"
With a single slash, I cut through a cluster of [Hell Hands]. While they recoiled, I used the opening to sprint at full speed. As I neared the entrance, the silhouette of the [Spider Maid] came fully into view. It had already prepared to ring the bell.
— Ding!
My movements slowed again. It wasn’t enough to hinder me significantly in combat, but at this point, the race with [Turbo Granny] was already lost. If I lost the race, Ella’s legs would be cut off, and the next target would be the kids.
I had to finish this quickly.
The [Spider Maid] raised its bell, sinister energy swirling around it. If it thought I would just stand there and take it—
"Not a chance!"
Whoosh! Slash!
"Serves you right~!"
I threw my sword, severing the hand holding the bell. The creature writhed in pain, clutching its severed wrist, giving me just enough time to retrieve my fallen weapon. At that moment, a sharp left spider leg lunged toward me.
Thud!
It was heavy, but after hearing the bell’s chime, even I could see how slow the attack was. The right spider leg then swung toward my side. I twisted my body slightly, catching it under my arm.
The exoskeleton was naturally tougher than its human-like hands.
Which meant...
I stabbed my sword into the joint, severing the leg at its weakest point.
[MMMMMMMM!!!!]
"Oh? You can scream now?"
As the massive body flailed wildly in a desperate attempt to shake me off, I stepped back. But the fight was already over.
I aimed my sword directly at its head and threw it. The creature deflected the attack with its remaining hand—
Which meant I was now in its blind spot.
The human torso of the [Spider Maid] twitched, desperately searching for me.
Pathetic.
Climbing onto its back, I grabbed its shoulders.
"Goodbye~"
CRACK!
I twisted its neck. The spider half of its body slumped over as it disintegrated into smoke. The lingering mist was absorbed into my being, and only then did my battle-high start to fade.
The [Spider Maid] wasn’t an enemy that fought directly in the game. It only appeared throughout the boss stage to cast curses—debuffs to weaken the player.
It wasn’t supposed to appear here.
This fight wasn’t part of the game’s mechanics.
Which meant the world wasn’t following the same script anymore.
‘I need to be more careful.’
The uncertainty of the future clouded my mind like a thick fog. It was frustrating. I might’ve stayed in that mood all day—
If I hadn’t noticed the fallen [Spider Maid]’s bell.
‘It dropped even though I didn’t meet the in-game conditions?’
In the game, this item could only be obtained under specific conditions since combat wasn’t an option. But I had simply taken it by force.
An unexpected reward.
"But more importantly..."
Why weren’t Ella’s legs getting cut off? The race should’ve ended already.
-----
Ha-rim was sprinting through the darkness, leading the group. With the help of Soo-ho and Kyung-min, who fended off the attacking [Hell Hands] from behind, she managed to keep going.
She was ahead of [Turbo Granny].
If she kept running, Ella’s legs wouldn’t be severed!
— Ding!
A crisp sound echoed in her ears, and an unpleasant sticky sensation wrapped around her.
It came from behind.
She wanted to turn and check, but at that moment, she realized—
[Turbo Granny] was overtaking her.
"Did she speed up? No... I slowed down!"
"Keep running!"
Ella’s voice rang out.
If Ella said so, then following her words was the only way to survive!
With that certainty, Ha-rim ran at full speed.
Even if she had slowed down, she could still make up for it.
She just had to push harder!
Deeper into the tunnel’s darkness, her vision blurred until only her own legs and the silhouette of [Turbo Granny] remained visible.
‘That...’
Something white came into view.
Ha-rim instinctively knew—it was the finish line.
— Ding!
“Ugh?!”
This time, the drop in speed was dramatic.
[Turbo Granny] disappeared from her sight.
The finish line was so close, but at this rate—
Ella’s legs would be cut off!
‘I have to do something!’
While running, Ha-rim rummaged through her pocket.
It was an emergency.
Maybe she could throw the hand mirror Ella gave her at [Turbo Granny]’s head.
Under normal circumstances, this would be cheating. In a real race, she’d be charged with assault.
But this pure-hearted girl had pure-hearted logic.
However—
What she grabbed wasn’t a mirror.
It was a frog egg.
The small, bouncy object Ella had given her earlier.
It came from a monster.
Which meant it wasn’t ordinary.
‘Think! How do I use this?’
.....
I Don’t Know!
"Take this!"
Without hesitation, Ha-rim threw the frog egg at [Turbo Granny].
Aiming precisely in the darkness was nearly impossible—it was a gamble.
The moment the frog egg left her hand, the gemstone embedded in her necklace emitted a green glow.
[Luck: Fortune favors those who never give up.]
Thunk!
The sound of an object colliding.
Immediately after, her vision wavered slightly. 𝙣𝒐𝙫𝙥𝙪𝙗.𝙘𝙤𝙢
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
"This is...!"
She quickly realized what had happened.
The sound of [Turbo Granny]’s footsteps... was now behind her!
[My position changed!]
The finish line was right ahead.
But [Turbo Granny]’s footsteps were approaching far too quickly.
At this rate, she would be overtaken at the last moment.
She would lose.
[I’m going to lose.]
Like the darkness surrounding this tunnel, loneliness wrapped around her.
The isolation of having no one by her side when she needed help.
The despair of knowing no friends would come to ease this suffocating silence.
She was alone.
[But I’m already used to that!]
She had been alone since her parents passed away.
So she would keep running.
Even knowing she would lose—she would run!
She would run as if her life depended on it.
The gemstone in her necklace began glowing orange.
[Survival: Those who accept death will reach the end.]
The sticky energy that had been binding her suddenly vanished.
And in the same instant—her consciousness flickered.
......
When Ha-rim came to, she ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) was gasping for breath.
What happened?
Looking around, she realized—
She was outside the tunnel.
And in front of her stood [Turbo Granny], frowning.
["...Unforgivable..."]
With those parting words, [Turbo Granny] disappeared.
In her place, a smooth, round glass marble lay on the ground.
It seemed important, so Ha-rim picked it up and put it in her pocket.
Come to think of it, where were the others?
Ella had assured them that the [Hell Hands] wouldn’t be a threat, so they should be fine.
Still... she wanted to see them as soon as possible.
Without hesitation, Ha-rim turned and re-entered the tunnel.
-----
After taking care of the [Spider Maid], I made my way deeper into the tunnel to retrieve the others.
The first person I found was Eun-jung.
"Eek! Sthop! Sthooop!"
She was being swarmed by the [Hell Hands], struggling and flailing as they tormented her.
They really went after her, huh? No wonder the others weren’t as harassed.
She took the brunt of their attacks.
I cut her free with a single swing.
Shaking, she immediately clung to my arm.
From her perspective, I was a murderer too, but... well, I suppose a frightened child would latch onto the nearest source of safety.
Next, I found Soo-ho and Kyung-min.
They were pressed against the tunnel walls, trapped by the [Hell Hands].
Pale-faced and trembling, they looked like they had just seen death itself.
When I asked why they were in such a vulnerable position, they explained—
They hadn’t been able to keep up with Ha-rim.
So they had slammed against the tunnel walls, trying to draw the [Hell Hands]’ attention away from her.
Huh.
That was... unexpected.
Smart kids.
They must have been terrified, yet they still tried their best.
And finally, I found Ha-rim.
Since my legs were still attached, that meant she had won the race.
She even had the glass marble to prove it.
She never ceases to surprise me.
She must have used some kind of artifact, but I was curious how.
But... she was probably exhausted.
My curiosity could wait.
"That’s it for today! Let’s go home."
As we exited the tunnel, I absentmindedly slashed at the [Hell Hands] that got in our way.
Would there ever be a way to completely eliminate them?
From what I remembered, creatures that had merged with the game’s map couldn’t be permanently destroyed.
Not worth testing it now.
Once we emerged from the darkness, I finally got a good look at the kids.
No injuries.
Good.
But something felt off.
Like I had missed something important.
As they checked each other over, the boys suddenly turned their heads away from me.
Their ears were a little red.
Still scared of me, huh?
"Ella! Your... your skirt—!"
Eun-jung’s alarmed voice made me glance down.
One of the persistent [Hell Hands] that had followed us out of the tunnel had grabbed my skirt—
Slash!
"...Forget this ever happened."
An adult getting mad over something like this... how ridiculous.
Thankfully, my skirt was long enough to keep anything too revealing from showing.
But it was close.
Too close.
And yet, I took out my frustration anyway.
No, no. I wasn’t mad.
Stop trying to give me chocolate, Ha-rim.
And so, our journey home carried an unshakable awkwardness.
