Chapter 295: Spider Meat
Only thirty seconds had passed, yet the members of the noble travel party who had turned into life elementals and giant spiders had already completed their transformation. They scuttled across the ground in panic, no different from those that had been killed outside earlier. The only proof of their existence was the scattered piles of clothing left behind.
The players and pirates present were stunned by the tragic scene before them, their hearts filled with a sense of shared misfortune. If it hadn't been for Wayne Sturwell's warning earlier, or if they hadn't dodged in time, they might have ended up the same way—turned into monsters wandering the depths of the swamp, with the best outcome being death at the hands of adventurers.
No one had expected that the famed Life Tide of Southwells County, so sought after by countless people, could end in such a catastrophe.
Zhou Ning's mind raced as he glanced at Spark Lambert. The effeminate-looking young noble still hadn't recovered from the incident. His face was pale, his eyes vacant, and his hand kept fumbling at the emblem of the Hermitage Order on his chest.
From the unlucky Joshua Lambert, to Spark Lambert, and now to this tragic incident, the shadow of the Hermitage Order was everywhere. Behind them stood the ancient dark spider goddess, Matalita. In the field of occultism, spiders were lustful creatures of darkness. Marien, the wandering nightingale, was a prime example—she enjoyed hunting young, handsome men accepting them without hesitation. It wasn't unusual for Matalita to gather followers and organize a few cults to provide her with faith. But what was going on with this whole group of noble heirs, all wearing the Order's emblem?
Most of these people were from the noble families of Bryston, with long lines of military merit. The Bryston royal family hid transcendent professionals, even demigods—not people to be trifled with. For so many young nobles to vanish all at once, weren't they afraid of stirring up massive trouble? Or did they already have a way to handle the aftermath—or enough confidence to ignore it?
Thinking also of the Life Alchemy Society and the Curse God Cult, both long hidden in Darkland, Zhou Ning felt certain that beneath the surface calm, a storm was brewing—one strong enough to topple the Bryston Kingdom itself.
"Let's get out of here first. The Life Tide could shift direction at any moment. Staying here is too dangerous," Zhou Ning said softly.
"What about him?" Richie Burke pointed to Spark Lambert, who still stood dazed to one side.
"Bring him along." Zhou Ning exhaled. He hadn't forgotten that Spark Lambert was tied to a hidden quest.
"Thank you. The Lambert family will reward you generously," Spark finally came to his senses upon hearing their words. His expression was sincere.
The Life Tide was spreading from the southeast toward the northwest. Normally, it would take two to three hours to fade. Guided by his sense for danger, Zhou Ning led the group southwest, where they camped on a sheltered ridge to wait until the tide passed.
By then, it was nearly noon. Richie Burke's sailors busied themselves, building a bonfire with wood and swamp sheep dung. Some tended the fire and cooking, while others sorted through the spoils of battle—mostly materials from the life elementals, and a few spider silk threads and venom sacs from the swamp crawlers.
The fire mage Sheldon handled the tally. A few minutes later, he announced: "All these extraordinary materials are worth a total of 3,780 Vecktas."
Richie Burke walked over to Zhou Ning, avoiding his gaze. He cleared his throat. "By rights of battle contribution, we should get a share of the loot. How about this—the Life Lord's tendrils can be used by meteorologists for hurricane materials. I'll buy them for 1,200 Vecktas. The difference will count as our share."
Zhou Ning considered. The market price for those tendrils was about 1,700 Vecktas, but given how much they had contributed in battle, the price wasn't unreasonable.
"Deal. But we'll also deduct the price of these life cores—about even. As for the rest, sell them afterward and pay me my share."
"Very fair!" Richie and Sheldon exchanged surprised looks. Their impression of Zhou Ning shifted greatly. The life cores weren't very useful, and they had already assumed he would keep them. They hadn't expected him to insist on paying. For North Sea pirates, who usually lived by the law of the strong, it was rare to meet someone with absolute advantage who still cared about fairness.
Richie gave Zhou Ning a thumbs-up, then called over a sailor to fetch a stack of banknotes. He handed them to Zhou Ning. "Here's 1,800 Vecktas. I'll take the rest of the loot."
Once the exchange was complete, Richie grew bolder. He pointed to the grill. "You should try this. It's a Bryston delicacy—delicious, and it boosts stamina and natural resistance."
"What is it?" Zhou Ning asked, picking up a fluffy white skewer from the grill. His spiritual sense didn't warn him.
"It's the venom sac of a swamp crawler. Don't worry—it's been treated, no poison left," Richie explained.
"You should all try it. These sacs stay fresh for only three hours. You won't get another chance outside the swamp."
"Venom sac?" Zhou Ning's face stayed impassive as he bit into the skewer, swallowing the sac.
The taste was better than he'd expected—like chicken, with no gaminess, and even a hint of sweetness.
"Not bad." Zhou Ning gave a thumbs-up.
Just then, his interface displayed a prompt:
[You consumed a Swamp Crawler's Venom Sac. Stamina +2, Natural Resistance +5%.]
It felt great—two points of stamina for free. Too bad the effect only applied the first time. After eating several more skewers, Zhou Ning stopped reluctantly.
Several players who had been watching grew curious about the exotic dish.
"This must be a quest reward. Who wants to try?"
They glanced at each other before Jinse bravely took a skewer.
Her expression shifted from disgust to excitement as she chewed, quickly swallowing. "Tastes amazing—and it really boosted my stats!"
With her lead, the other players rushed to grab skewers, eagerly eating. Only Spark Lambert sat by the fire, unmoving, appetite gone.
"What's wrong?" Zhou Ning sat beside him and asked quietly.
"I can't eat… They remind me of Argus and Jenna… Tell me, do you think those swamp crawlers outside were also once human?" Spark's face was pale.
"That… should be impossible. Their sizes are too different. The ones that turned into spiders here were much larger," Zhou Ning replied, though the question left him at a loss. Then he asked seriously, "I have a question for you—how did you know a Life Tide would occur here?"
"It was Lecturer Fred of the Hermitage Order and his assistant, Alan Oakham, who told us," Spark said bitterly. "We're members of a hobby group called the Miracle Study Society. As for Lecturer Fred… I met him through my brother, Joshua Lambert. I saw him accurately predict a Life Tide once. Do you know Marilyn Squire? She was my brother's mistress. She got what she wanted through that tide. That's what led to this expedition… Damn them, how could they!"
Marilyn. Zhou Ning thought of the beautiful girl he had met that day. Luckily, he hadn't played the scoundrel. He suddenly felt that Joshua Lambert, unlucky as he already was, had suffered even worse. But now, everything made sense.