189 The Chattering Forests (2/2)

Faye immediately narrowed her eyes, her pupils alight like flames as she intensified her stare to the tree in question. The deep cuts in the bark had not healed and looked as if they were made by an axe or some other heavy sharp weapon.

Likely the death throes of an adventurer who had tried to hack his way through the spider ambush and perished from their neurotoxin.

She clasped her hands together, and when she withdrew them, a line of fire began stretched out between them, glowing bright red.

”Wait,” said Li. ”Fire is volatile. It can damage the forest. Let me.”

Faye looked to Launcelot again, and the shieldman nodded. ”Trust in Li. He is well experienced in combat and life within the forest.”

Li walked past Faye and came under the tree. He could sense the spiders skittering above. There were ten of them hidden in the thicket of their leaves. They were unpleasant creatures by human standards, their abdomens fat and gorged like those of a tick's. They extended proboscis from their jaws, eagerly awaiting for someone to walk beneath the tree so they could leap downwards and instantly decapitate them to sip on their brains.

Li loosed some power from himself. Green energy flickered from all around his body in a faint aura, and a wind danced around him, picking up loose foliage. The pressure of that divine power reached the spiders, and instinctively, they ran, crawling deeper into the treetop, even going so far as escaping to the neighboring tree.

This was not the only effect of Li unleashing his presence. Nearby creatures that were dormant also picked up pace and began to ran. The bushes, treetops, and undergrowth rustled as insectoid monsters of all kinds - Bloodsucking Moths, Sleep Striders, Gut Worms, and even an underground Helmeted Tarantula all moved away.

”They're gone,” said Li.

”You can do that?” asked Faye.

Li nodded.

Faye exhaled and crossed her arms. ”Then hells, you should be leading. I'm tired sick of feeling like an overgrown bug is going to drop down on my head and pop it wide open.”

”If you have faith that I'm capable of leading,” said Li. ”Then I'm all for it.”

”Then how about you and I position ourselves as front vanguard?” said Launcelot. ”I can lead you, and you may warn us of what threats you can sense.”

”Sounds good to me,” said Li.