When I regained consciousness, I was disoriented but oddly hopeful, half-expecting to see Jack and the others hovering over me. I tried to look up, or at least I thought I did, but something felt off. I wasn’t looking up at all. I was upright.

  I attempted to turn my head, only to find I couldn’t.

  A wave of panic crept in as I realized I couldn’t move. Not my arms, not my legs, not even my neck.

  I tried again, harder this time, but my body refused to respond.

  “Calm down. You’ll only get more web wrapped around yourself if you struggle,” a voice cautioned. It was deep and resonant, with a thick brogue, though I couldn’t see its owner.

  “Who’s there? What’s going on?” I asked, my voice tinged with panic as I continued to squirm.

  “The name’s Bass, and you’re stuck in the spiderwebs,” he replied in a resigned tone. “I've been here for a miserable night. There’s no way out, except perhaps...” He paused, his following words heavy, “being devoured by the spider.”

  "Don't worry, we'll get out of here. My friend Jack should be coming for me soon," I said, my tone infused with optimism as I calmed down.

  "That bloke who was fighting with you? He held out a bit longer than you and fought bravely, but he also fell," Bass informed me somberly.

  "Did he die?" I asked, my worry palpable.

  "Nah, he's caught in the spider web across from me," Bass replied, his words providing an odd sense of relief.

  Even though I knew no rescue was forthcoming, finding out Jack was still alive brought me a measure of comfort. Clinging to my usual optimism, I convinced myself there was a way out. I just needed to reach into my bag. Surely, I could find something there to free us. I attempted to move my hand, managing only about an inch of movement. Pushing harder proved futile. In desperation, I tried shifting my shoulder and entire arm, hoping to gain just a little more leverage. Instead, my efforts only resulted in more webbing binding my left side.

  "Told you, you're stuck here until we die," Bass remarked morbidly, punctuated by a cough.

  “Well, let’s just wait until Jack wakes up. He’s a lot stronger than I am. He’ll probably have better luck,” I replied.

  “I doubt he'll wake up. You’re the only other one I've seen recover after getting caught in these webs. They contain a numbing agent that even keeps the Ban-Sior behind you asleep,” Bass responded.

  “A Ban-Sior?” I echoed.

  “You’re surprised? Ban-Siors are great apes, strong despite being only slightly taller than you. They’re notorious for their screams and powerful enough to kill a weak lass like yourself,” Bass explained, his tone laced with a hint of sass.

  I immediately recognized the term Ban-Sior. It was strikingly similar to the term 'banshee' from Earth, a connection Rabbit had noted as due to language evolution. He explained that historically, 'Ban' meant both white and woman, while 'Sior' signified eternal or constant. Over time, these terms transformed from describing an endlessly screaming white ape to a screaming white woman.

  However, it was Kaylie and Sana who provided me with helpful information about these apes. They mentioned that these creatures are particularly dangerous when encountered alone due to their devastating scream. However, traveling in groups could mitigate the risk, as the scream has a cooldown period. By spreading out, a group could ensure that not everyone would be affected.

  “That doesn’t make sense. How are you awake when even a Ban-Sior is knocked out?” I questioned skeptically.

  “I’m a Dwarf. We are known for our high resistance. It is probably from our mastery of drinking and whoring,” Bass said with pride, his voice still dry from dehydration. “Also, the Ban-Sior isn’t exactly wearing any clothes or armor, so it has more skin in direct contact with the web.” It seemed that the Dwarf didn’t mention that since he is smaller, he also has less surface area than a Human. “What I don’t get is how a dainty Elf lass like yourself isn’t snoring like a princess. I doubt any Elf would be able to drink someone like me under the table.”

  I realized that my newfound resistance and healing abilities were likely the only reasons I remained awake. At first, I thought this was somewhat beneficial, as it kept me alert and aware rather than unconscious and oblivious to danger. However, the more I considered it, staying awake might just prolong my fear without offering any real advantage. If I were going to be eaten, perhaps it was better not to see it coming.

  "Let's just say I might be able to hold my own in a drinking match," I countered with a smirk.

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  "Hoho. An Elf who thinks he’s a Dwarf. I’d love to see that. Most Elves are too high and mighty. It’s refreshing to see one who doesn’t keep his sword up his ass," Bass replied. I couldn't help but respect his blunt humor.

  “So why are you here? If you have been here for a day, why didn’t I see you solving any of the riddles?” I asked, curious as to why the Dwarf would be in a place that was so difficult to get into.

  “Aye. As Dwarves, we have many skills. Among them are mining and crafting. We’ve spent about a hundred years digging tunnels throughout these mountains,” Bass explained, pausing to swallow and cough a bit. “We always knew to avoid the tunnels that led this way and even blocked them off to prevent the spiders from reaching us. Unfortunately, our settlement was attacked yesterday. We were set up for a trade, but were betrayed by a man named Drusus. Many of our strongest were killed before we even grasped the situation, leading to a massacre of our people. In a desperate move, I led two Unionist soldiers chasing me into these tunnels. I might have escaped, but leading them into this trap seemed worth it. At least I saw them devoured before my eyes.”

  He smirked slightly. “Luckily for me, neither the giant arachnid monstrosity nor the smaller spiders fancy me as much as they do you tall gangly folks. They’d rather eat you first. Unfortunately, I’ll probably be dead too if I don’t get a drink soon.”

  “You mean water?” I asked, noting his apparent dehydration.

  “More like ale and a good woman,” Bass laughed, then coughed. “But water would work too.”

  “I have some in my bag,” I said. “I just can’t seem to reach it.”

  “That be life,” the Dwarf replied, his tone resigned.

  “So, how long do you think before we’re eaten?” I asked, trying to sound casual while masking the quiver in my voice.

  “Well, I haven’t seen the wee spiders in a while. If they're out hunting, then you might have a day or two. I guess that the giant monstrosity will want to either devour your human friend or the Ban-Sior first, because both hurt it. But that be a guess,” Bass answered thoughtfully.

  “How did the Ban-Sior even manage to do that?” I asked.

  “Oh, that’s a great story. The Ban-Sior unleashed its infamous scream, which momentarily paralyzed the spider. But, being in a cave, the echo paralyzed the Ban-Sior as well. It woke up first and started attacking the creature, but of course, that didn’t do much good. With that hard shell made of Carbinium, the spider is nearly impenetrable. When it finally woke up, it just toyed with the Ban-Sior. I guess the ape couldn’t use its scream again so soon, or else it would have...” Bass trailed off, lost in thought for a moment. “I’d love to get my hands on some of that metal. I could forge weapons of real power.”

  “How about armor?” I asked, curious.

  “I could make armor, but that isn’t my specialty. Like every smith, I excel at something. It’s better to focus deeply on one skill rather than spreading yourself too thin by trying to master everything. That way, you maximize your skill points without diluting your expertise. My master excelled in weapon forging and was truly the best. Unfortunately, he’s gone now, thanks to those Unionist scoundrels, who are not worthy of being spit on,” Bass added, his tone darkening with the memory. Unsure of how well I knew Bass, I hesitated to respond, fearing any words might come off as insincere.

  After sitting there for a while, alone with my morbid thoughts, Rabbit finally chimed in. “I’m bored.”

  “Sorry, I would slit my own throat to speed up my death if I could. But at the moment, I can’t move. So I guess you are stuck being bored,” I replied.

  “Well, if I told you how to get out, would you entertain me?” Rabbit teased.

  “You have a way out? How?” I asked, my hopes rising.

  “Whoa, whoa, calm down. Let’s make this interesting. What would you do if I got you out?” Rabbit probed.

  “What if I told you I already had a plan? It’s chaotic and the odds are slim, but it might work.”

  “You had me at chaotic,” Rabbit chuckled. “Forget reaching for your bag. Instead, try to move your neck as much as you can until you can see Jack. Remember, Jack always keeps that knife in his boot. You’re going to use your teleport ability to get that knife right into your hand.”

  Turning my head was less cumbersome than moving my hands, which were thoroughly entangled in the webs. With a concerted effort to stabilize my neck, I glimpsed Jack and Bass out of the corner of my eye. Bass was short and stout, his skin dark, and his full beard bristled with tight ringlets. Despite his compact frame, his build was remarkably sturdy, with muscles well-proportioned for his size, making him nearly as broad as me, although he lacked in height.

  After observing Bass, my gaze shifted to Jack. He lay unconscious, his mouth slightly ajar, a thin trail of drool escaping the corner. At that moment, I wished I could take a picture and frame it on the wall just to embarrass him later.

  Ah, the simple joys of friendship.

  Concentrating on Jack’s boot, I successfully teleported his dagger into my hand, which turned out to be surprisingly easy. Then the real challenge began. It took me a grueling half hour to cut myself free from the web's ironclad grip. I started with my hand, a task made more challenging because I needed to ensure I didn’t lose the dagger while managing my limited mobility. After meticulously severing each strand around my hand, my mobility improved, making the subsequent cuts considerably easier.

  Once I extricated myself, the Dwarf immediately insisted on being freed next. However, I prioritized helping Jack first. Contrary to my expectations, Bass neither threatened nor tried to bribe me for his release. After Jack was free, I turned my attention to the Dwarf.

  When I finally cut him down, I handed him my water. His first gulp was hasty and desperate, catching him off guard and nearly making him choke. He coughed, then took a few more cautious sips. After a moment, he sighed in relief and leaned back against the ground, visibly regaining his strength as he rested.

  Bass’s cough echoed loudly in the cavernous space, momentarily raising fears that the spider might be alerted. But nothing stirred. It wasn't surprising, really. We had been talking for some time without disturbance. It seemed the spider wasn’t actively monitoring its prey, likely assuming we were securely trapped. Nonetheless, we lowered our voices to avoid the possibility of detection.

  “What’s the plan?” the Dwarf asked.

  “Cut down the Ban-Sior, would you? And I’ll keep trying to get my friend up,” I instructed.

  “The Ban-Sior? You know it will attack us the second it wakes up. It’s strong, but it can’t be reasoned with,” Bass added.

  “Yep. Don’t worry, I have a crazy plan,” I said with a smirk across my face.