"You must have seen those people who were driven out of the main tent earlier. They had the same demands as you, but I refused them all," Unas said firmly. "You were never part of my plan to begin with, so I have to say no to you too."
Whitemane said coldly, "You've turned away your fellow humans and instead chosen the unidentified Night Elves and Trolls. This is a very dangerous decision, and I hope you'll reconsider."
"Nightmoon is the best candidate for scout. Haikesi's understanding of spiders is unparalleled. This is not Monastery. As the highest-ranking officer, I made the decision based on ability, not race or bloodline. No one has the right to question it."
Unas realized his tone had been too harsh as soon as he finished speaking, and quickly added, "I appreciate your concern. Don't worry about the Resurrection. I'm not a pacifist. I'll keep you close by in every battle from now on, and I won't let you leave my side for even a moment."
Seeing that Unas was about to start sweet-talking again, Whitemane, who was already a little angry, said "Remember what you said" and then turned and ran away.
Unas chuckled to himself. He knew that dealing with this woman required the right approach: a gentle approach would do the trick. He was confident that a barrage of sweet talk would drive her away.
The golden midday sun warmed the entire Canyon. Unas declined all offers of farewell and went with Nightmoon to the cave where the Trolls resided.
Spiders are generally not active at midday, so they chose this time to set off. Haikesi rode up to them on his Overlord Spider, and the two of them leaped onto the spider's back, receiving the two black robes handed to them by the Troll.
"These black robes have been soaked in a special Potions I brewed; they have a great spider-repelling effect. You should wear them." Haikesi put one on himself as well, wrapping himself up like an Arab woman.
The Overlord Spider was also black, so the three of them put on black robes. From a distance, no one would notice that there were people on its back. The concealment effect was excellent. However, the robes had a strong odor. Nightmoon frowned and hesitated for a long time before putting them on.
Unas didn't care. What scent could insect repellent possibly have? He was prepared for that; it was much better than applying it directly to his skin.
The Overlord Spider's back was very broad, enough to comfortably support four or five people lying on its side. The three of them stabilized themselves by sitting, squatting, and lying down respectively, and the Troll started the Giant Spiders with a grunt.
The speed was neither fast nor slow, and the eight spider legs moved frequently, making it look bumpy, but the three people on its back actually felt very stable.
The Red Stone Stele is right in front of us. This section of the road beyond the boundary is very dangerous. Spiders have a strong sense of territory, and the Giant Spiders that move near the boundary must be very vigilant.
Instead of taking the hidden route along the edge of the Canyon, Haikesi swaggered past the Red Stone Stele, and at that moment, at least three screams came from different directions.
The Giant Spiders beneath him suddenly stopped, raised its ferocious mandibles, and let out an extremely piercing roar. No spider dared to challenge the Overlord Spider's majesty, and the surroundings fell silent. The Overlord Spider lowered its head and continued forward.
"Well done, Master Haikesi," Unas whispered in praise, "I didn't expect you could even control its cries."
The Troll chuckled, "It's all thanks to you, sir. Now that the Undead Mage's mind has disappeared, I can control it much more freely."
As the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining; losing the Undead Mage's memories has brought many benefits.
They rode on the coattails of the tiger, charging recklessly, and soon passed through the most dangerous section of the road, arriving at the relatively wide interior of the Canyon. The shape of the entire Canyon resembled a long, thin gourd; if the previous road was the mouth of the gourd, then this was the first part of the gourd's belly.
There are many Giant Spiders here, but because the terrain is open, they are not very dense, making it much safer than the narrow path we passed earlier, so there's no need to risk it.
The Troll toned down its domineering, reckless attitude and began to choose routes that wouldn't infringe on other spiders. It was afraid that if it encountered some foolish spider that rushed up to challenge it, it would expose the true nature of the Overlord Spider as all bark and no bite, and it would be all over.
Unas made his way forward without any major incidents. He saw several kinds of spiders he had never seen before peeking out from the forest and behind the Rocks, but he was quickly frightened away by the Overlord Spider. He thought to himself that he was lucky to have listened to the Troll's advice; if the elite squad had come, there might have already been several battles.
Just when Unas thought everything was fine, the Troll whispered urgently, "We're being followed."
Unas quickly turned around, but apart from the tracks left by the Overlord Spider, there was no sign of any living creature behind him. He could only ask, "Who's following us?"
The Troll replied, "I'm not sure either, it should be a spider."
"How dare other spiders follow the Overlord Spider? Did you give yourself away?"
"Every disguise has its flaws. Perhaps this is a very perceptive spider that has become suspicious of us, which is why it followed us, sir. What should we do now?"
Unas remained calm and asked in return, "What's your suggestion?"
"Wait and see, maybe it will leave on its own."
Unas dislikes this ostrich-like approach of pretending not to know the enemy. It's abnormal for the Overlord Spider to remain unresponsive while being followed; it will only make the follower more suspicious. It's better to react quickly.
Unas ordered, "Find a secluded spot to stop. If it dares to attack, take care of it immediately."
The Troll immediately controlled the Overlord Spider to crawl towards a grove of trees. Unas nodded to Nightmoon, and the female Elf leaped off the Overlord Spider's back, her long legs gliding lightly between the trees before quickly disappearing into the woods.
Upon reaching a relatively open area in the forest, Unas quickly called out, "Let's wait here."
The Troll turned the Overlord Spider to face the way they came, Unas pulled the Troll down to the ground, quickly hiding behind a large tree, and took out Firekiss and Silver Hammer to prepare for battle.
A moment later, a giant blue Giant Spiders, no smaller than the Overlord Spider, appeared behind several trees. Its body was slender, unlike the Overlord Spider's thick and broad body, but what made it appear enormous were its eight unusually long blue legs. The long legs moved slowly, as if countless invisible threads were floating in the air, giving it an air of elegance. Perhaps it was a noblewoman among spiders?
The Troll whispered to Unas, "This is Green-Footed Blade Spider, known as the swordsman among spiders. Its long legs are extremely sharp and venomous, making them deadly weapons for us, but they can't penetrate the armor of the Overlord Spider at all."
"So that means it's no match for the Overlord Spider at all. Then why did it follow us? Was it courting death?"
"This one is so big, I think it's female. Maybe it wants to mate. Its behavior doesn't seem like it's going to attack, but rather it's trying to seduce a male."