The terrain of the Forbidden Forest was truly remarkable. One moment, starlight illuminated the path ahead; the next, after rounding a bend, the woods became so dense that not a breath of wind could pass through.
Besides that, the mist had grown considerably thicker. The starlight dimmed, and the woods grew dark.
It had something of a Silent Hill feel.
The four continued onward with the help of spells and the Invisibility Cloak. The farther they went, the denser the milky-white webs became, and the thicker the layers of withered yellow leaves grew.
For a time, the four could hardly find anywhere to step.
Su Er slipped out from under the Invisibility Cloak first and waved a hand. Seeing this, Fred and George stopped as well.
"What's wrong?" Fred said. "Why aren't we going any farther?"
"The Acromantulas' nest should be just ahead. For safety's sake, we can't go any farther, unless you think the four of us can handle a hundred or more giant spiders at a time," Su Er explained.
"We're only here to catch a few and collect some venom, not destroy the Acromantulas' nest."
"This is far enough." Su Er rose onto his toes and looked around. Densely packed white threads stretched straight into the deepest part of the woods.
"Our best option is to set a trap here, then lure them somewhere else to deal with them."
"We'll do it your way." George nodded readily.
"Now, let's divide up the work. I'll keep watch, and you'll do the setup." Su Er beckoned, and four heads huddled together, murmuring.
A palm-sized spider crawled through the fallen leaves. When it saw the oddly shaped creatures that had appeared in its field of vision, giving off the scent of meat, a trace of scarlet crept into its black