Even at only a hundred years, it was far more terrifying than most soul beasts of the same level. It was known to hunt thousand-year soul beasts with ease.

Those eight legs formed a perfect killing barrier. Its body was lethally toxic—one careless touch could wipe out the entire team.

The battle hadn't truly begun yet, but Barbara and Volt were already shaken to their cores.

Their earlier sense of luck vanished in an instant.

"Run?" Raziel Phoenix asked quietly.

They all knew the truth. Killing this spider would only grant a hundred-year spirit energy, yet the danger was extreme. The risk far outweighed the reward.

The Man-Faced Demon Spider chose that moment to display its dominance.

Two of its legs flashed like lightning, shredding Lily's incoming fireballs into sparks. It didn't even bother defending. Instead, it slowly circled them, a yellow-green silk thread dragging from its spinnerets. Wherever the silk brushed, vegetation withered instantly.

"We're not running," Ray said firmly. "We're killing it."

The decision came without the slightest hesitation.

They had already spent a long time in this area. If they fled blindly during the rebellion period, the chances of stumbling into even deadlier soul beasts were high. Surviving another half hour would become far more difficult.

And more importantly—

For Volt, this spider was a shadow carved into his soul.

If it wasn't killed, it would continue to haunt him.

Today, they were together. Five people. Fully prepared.

An opportunity like this would not come again.

Strands of Silverfalls Vine crept along the ground as Ray tightened his grip on both hammers. His mind rapidly reviewed everything he knew.

Man-Faced Demon Spider.

Swift. Toxic. Patient.

Strong defense. Weak physical body.

The forest's silent executioner.

Ray's greatest weapon was brute force. Close combat with his Golden Dragon Claw was too risky. Against this enemy, his Thousand Refined Heavy Silver Hammers were the optimal choice.

"Stay together," he commanded. "We face it head-on. Lily, support. Raziel Phoenix, wait for an opening. Barbara, Volt, observe and strike when the chance appears."

"I'm fine!" Volt suddenly roared.

Ray turned toward him.

Volt was still shaking—but his eyes burned fiercely.

Cultivating alongside Ray had changed him. His strength had grown, his martial soul had subtly evolved, and so had his will.

Fear had seized him when he saw the spider.

But the moment Ray said, We're killing it, that fear ignited into courage.

His blood boiled.

As long as Ray stood beside him, he felt capable of facing anything.

Their eyes met. Volt's gaze held unwavering trust.

He wasn't trembling from fear anymore.

He was trembling from excitement.

Defeat it.

It's only a hundred-year soul beast.

What is there to fear?

The Man-Faced Demon Spider continued circling them patiently, silk threads spreading wider and wider, forming a deadly ring.

It was cold, cruel, and endlessly patient. It could stalk prey for hours until the perfect moment arrived.

The five students didn't rush.

They waited.

The spider's silk suddenly wrapped around a towering tree. The bark blackened and withered instantly, yet the tree still stood.

Lily unleashed a barrage of elemental attacks, but they were largely ineffective. The toxic silk shielded the spider, and even flames failed to burn through.

Raziel Phoenix's voice was grim. "It's building a cage. Once it's done, it'll tighten it until we have nowhere left to go."

Ray gave a short nod. "Mm. Wait for the opening."

Beneath his feet, strands of Silverfalls Vine spread outward and interwove, forming a layered formation as he continuously supplied them with soul power. The Man-Faced Demon Spider was deliberately slowing the pace, testing them. Since it was offering time, Ray had no intention of wasting it.

Lily silently sat cross-legged at the center of their formation, eyes closed as she restored her soul power. Barbara and Volt stood shoulder to shoulder, both trembling, not from fear, but from restrained excitement. Their fusion skill hovered on the brink of activation, ready to be unleashed at a moment's notice.

Against an enemy like the Man-Faced Demon Spider, refined coordination mattered less than raw execution. The decisive factor would be whether they could break through its defenses.

Ray's Golden Dragon Claw carried terrifying power, but the problem lay in getting close. Those eight-bladed legs and the spider's corrosive toxicity made direct engagement nearly suicidal.

"Raziel Phoenix," Ray said quietly, eyes never leaving the spider. "If I get trapped and can't break free, you take over as acting captain."

Raziel Phoenix's expression stiffened, but he nodded without hesitation.

They were all aware of the danger. Constant evasion against the Man-Faced Demon Spider was unrealistic. This was their final exam. Passing was uncertain now, but as long as they survived one hour, they would still qualify.

None of them wanted to pass like cowards.

Ray's pupils suddenly contracted.

Without warning, he hurled the hammer in his right hand straight at the Man-Faced Demon Spider. A strand of Silverfalls Vine was tied to the handle, and the weapon tore through the air like a meteor.

The Man-Faced Demon Spider reacted instantly. Its powerful legs launched its massive body backward, retreating into the web it had woven.

The hammer slammed into the webbing, forcing it to stretch violently. The web absorbed the impact like rubber, failing to break. Worse still, the hammer became stuck, firmly glued in place.

Ray pulled hard.

The webbing caved inward, dragged along with the hammer. The contact point rapidly turned pitch-black from corrosion. Fortunately, the hammer was Thousand Refined, its internal structure dense enough to resist dissolution for the moment.

These webs… are terrifyingly resilient.

The throw had only been a test, yet he had nearly lost a weapon. The spider's caution and intelligence were far beyond expectations.

They all knew it was waiting. Waiting for the moment when fear or impatience cracked their formation. When it struck, it would be sudden and fatal.

The web dome continued shrinking, tightening like a noose. Their movement space steadily diminished.

At least, Ray noted grimly, no other soul beasts could interfere now.

"Still not attacking?" Raziel Phoenix whispered.

"Patience," Ray replied coldly.

Raziel Phoenix fell silent, seeing the intensity in Ray's gaze.

Ten minutes passed.

The original hundred-meter webbed zone had shrunk to barely a dozen meters.

Ray crouched beside Lily and murmured a few words into her ear. She opened her eyes, nodded once, and rose to her feet with him.

The Man-Faced Demon Spider froze.

Its eerie, almost intelligent eyes locked onto Lily as its abdomen slowly began to swell.

"It's about to attack!" Raziel Phoenix shouted.

On Ray's signal, Lily's aura surged. Her soul ring rose, glowing brightly as her first soul skill activated.

Elemental Tide!

Pew!

The Man-Faced Demon Spider abruptly spun around and fired a massive yellow-green net straight toward them. After launching the net, it screeched sharply and charged.

This net was far larger than before, wide enough to engulf all five students at once.

They retreated in unison, barely avoiding it within the cramped space. Toxic webbing coated the surrounding walls. One wrong step meant instant death.

Having missed, the Man-Faced Demon Spider surged forward, eight legs slicing the air like blades.

At that exact moment, a brilliant yellow radiance erupted from the center of their formation.

From the ground, a massive obelisk of earth shot skyward, nearly a foot in diameter, piercing straight through the peak of the web dome.

The web was tough, but it had no offensive power. The earthen pillar punched through at precisely the weakest point.

The spider lunged.

Raziel Phoenix sprinted up the obelisk in a blur, while Barbara activated his first soul skill.

Curtain of Darkness.

Pitch-black fog spread instantly, swallowing the area. The brilliance of the Man-Faced Demon Spider vanished from view.

Barbara's fog distinguished friend from foe. It blinded only enemies, and its coverage expanded with his soul power.

For the first time, the Man-Faced Demon Spider lost track of its prey.

Its charge slowed.

Suddenly, a strand of Silverfalls Vine shot upward from the ground, and a figure was flung into the air.

Volt.

Ray had thrown him.

Two soul rings blazed as Volt activated both of his soul skills. Bone Dragon Claw transformed his right arm, while Bone Soul Transformation spread across his body. His transformation was completed just as he slammed toward the spider from above.

In that instant, the Man-Faced Demon Spider revealed why it was feared even among thousand-year beasts.

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