Chapter 115 Spider 2
Xu Zhao was displaced in her childhood and her family property was seized. She gritted her teeth and endured, balancing her studies and life, huddled in a dilapidated house. Winter was the most difficult season, and her thin coat could not support her walking back to the old house from where she worked.
At that moment, she encountered a cleaning lady sweeping the streets in the freezing wind. Aunt Guo pulled her only thick coat over her, bringing a moment of warmth to Xu Zhao's chilled body. Her kindness was like sweet dew in the desert, priceless and invaluable.
Later, Xu Zhao's friendship with Aunt Guo deepened. Knowing her story—that her husband had disappeared, leaving behind a seriously ill daughter and the enormous monthly medical bills she needed to pay—Aunt Guo would always offer Xu Zhao a bowl of hot porridge or buy her daughter fruit and toys whenever she saw her, as if she were a spiritual support.
Aunt Guo was optimistic and positive. Xu Zhao loved being near her, until one day, when Aunt Guo burst into tears, lamenting the unfairness of fate and begging why such suffering had befallen her daughter. She was willing to bear all the pain, just for her daughter's safety.
Xu Zhao asked her what happened.
It turned out to be Aunt Guo's daughter, the bedridden little girl. She had finally been offered surgery, but the cost was exorbitant. Even with a substantial fee reduction from the hospital, the sum was still incomprehensible to a single mother who could only make a living sweeping the streets.
Xu Zhao had saved enough money for tuition and was ready to continue her studies. But she couldn't bear to see Aunt Guo suffer in such a plight. Moreover, on that cold night, if it weren't for Aunt Guo's warmth, she might have frozen to death on the street.
She handed the money to her. Aunt Guo thanked her, but it was still not enough.
Hospital. The little girl smiled and comforted them, saying she was a burden. She asked Aunt Guo and Xu Zhao not to be sad. She was very lucky to have met her mother and Sister Xu, and she could leave with satisfaction.
At that time, Xu Zhao had a strong desire in her heart. She didn't want the little girl to leave. She remembered the missing person advertisement she had seen hanging on the street a few days ago.
The reward amount is enough for the little girl to have the surgery and even pay for her subsequent medical expenses.
Xu Zhao followed the address and came to the villa area of the city where every inch of land is worth a lot of money.
See the noble lady with a sorrowful face who had lost her beloved son.
This was a missing persons case that nearly rocked the nation. Several young university students, traveling together, vanished while passing through a forested area. No matter how many resources were deployed, no trace of them could be found. Even more bizarrely, every rescuer who went to the missing persons' location got lost.
—It seemed as if some mysterious magnetic field was disrupting the area, rendering all electronic equipment inoperable. Ultimately, the rescue effort came to nothing. The missing personnel were presumed dead.
The Zhao family had only one son. After he disappeared, the Zhao family offered a huge sum of money to search for him at the place where he disappeared, but no matter how many people they sent, they could not find him.
Many people, like the missing persons, have never been found again.
Xu Zhao only wanted to get the money that could save the little girl's life. People who were also in need of money and went to Zhao's house got on the bus arranged by the Zhao family to the place where they disappeared.
After they got off the bus, they each searched the surrounding area.
…
The narrow glass window was blurry. Xu Zhao took a deep breath and wiped out a clean spot with his fingertips. The street did not become brightly lit because of the arrival of night. The lights on both sides of the road were just decorations. It seemed that every household was keeping absolute silence for the sake of peace and health in the coming year, just as the mayor said.
Abnormal, very abnormal.
The scenes from the daytime memories replayed in my mind.
The streets are littered with all kinds of garbage, the air is filled with an unbearable fishy smell, the doors and windows of the red-painted two-story building are closed, thoughts are scattered in the silent night, the windows of each household are boarded up, the mayor and his wife are unusually enthusiastic... The strangest thing is the huge sticky spider web at the entrance of the town.
Did Zhao Wenqing really disappear in the mountains?
Xu Zhao felt that his thoughts were about to deviate from the normal track and enter a fantasy realm that was difficult for ordinary people to accept and believe. He stopped immediately, took out his mobile phone and reported his whereabouts to Mrs. Zhao, but the message always had a red exclamation mark.
It is true.
She was mentally prepared, scanning her chat history with Aunt Guo. She transferred half of the funds she had received in advance to Aunt Guo's account. After learning of the situation, Aunt Guo, faced with a dilemma, knelt before Xu Zhao.
"Xu Zhao. You are the savior of Yueyue and me. I will remember you forever. Without you, Yueyue would be finished... Thank you, thank you."
The little girl had money for medical treatment, so she should be happy. She had volunteered to take on the task of finding missing persons. There was nothing to be sad about. But when she saw Aunt Zhang's tearful thanks, Xu Zhao felt something shattered deep inside, and a faint feeling of sadness welled up in his heart.
She glanced away and stuffed her useless phone back into her pocket.
Focus again on the surroundings in front of you.
The hotel was just as Zhao Chunhong had said. She was the only one living there. Lying in the cramped room, she could smell the rich herbal scent in the air. The previous guest who had stayed here was probably a frail and sickly person.
She turned over and planned to take a walk in the mountains and forests during the day tomorrow to see if she could find any traces left by the travelers.
The people in the town gave her a very strange feeling, and she instinctively didn't want to interact with them.
It's better to act alone.
…
In the second half of the night, Xu Zhao was aroused by a strong smell. The smell was so unpleasant that she couldn't tell what it was. She turned over and the wooden bed creaked. She lost all sleepiness and sat up to put on her clothes.
I took out some food from my backpack and filled my stomach.
It was really inconvenient that the hotel had no toilet. Xu Zhao looked out the window and saw it was pitch black. She took out the clothes that Zhao Chunhong had stuffed into her backpack. They were all boys' clothes, shirts and trousers that were washed white and covered with blood and medicine stains.
Xu Zhao wore his own clothes next to his body, and a long coat and trousers on the outside.
Leave the hotel.
When I arrived at Zhao Chunhong's door, it was pitch black.
The door was closed tightly and boarded up.
Xu Zhao used the light from his mobile phone to illuminate the way and walked towards the public toilet at the end of the road.
The smell of the public toilet covered the strange smell in the air. Xu Zhao sniffed, her expression unchanged. After she finished, she stepped out of the public toilet. The cold wind blew across her cheeks. At that moment, she felt a fear that she had not felt in more than 20 years, and the feeling of her heart racing. The fishy smell of rancid meat penetrated her nose.
“…Ah! What is this…”
Are you dreaming?
Xu Zhao covered her mouth and stared in shock at the giant spider that was half her height.
This was definitely the most horrific scene she had ever seen.
Even though I was prepared to never return from Blackwater Town, I never expected to encounter something like this.
The spider is about the size of a young child, with round black eyes distributed 360 degrees on the top of the head, two ugly chelicerae in its ferocious mouthparts, four pairs of shiny legs covered with bristles, and a round belly hanging behind it.
Years of single life had made Xu Zhao braver than ordinary people, but even with his greatest courage, he could not cope with the giant spider in front of him that was enough to make one's limbs go weak... This creature, which seemed so small in his cognition that it posed no threat at all, made Xu Zhao clearly observe its body structure for the first time.
I want to vomit, cry, and scream.
Xu Zhao turned and ran.
The moment she left the spot, the giant spider jumped to where she had been. It seemed that it did not expect that the prey in its mouth would escape. It made a terrifying and strange sound, and its legs chased after Xu Zhao quickly.
Xu Zhao's mind went blank as she ran forward recklessly. The whistling sound of the wind blew past her ears, like a death spell, and the sound of spider legs landing on the ground was strange and terrifying. She was surprised by the strong survival instinct that erupted at this moment.
When she took on the task of finding someone, she was prepared to go missing like those people, or even die. After all, how could she possibly find someone who even professional rescuers couldn't find? Getting the money so Aunt Guo's daughter could have surgery was enough.
As for her - she is single, and if she dies, she dies, and no one cares.
She thought so, but when death really came...how could she not run away?
Xu Zhao raised his arm and threw the phone over with force.
The hard shell fits into the spider's open mouthparts.
There was a fork in the road ahead.
To the left was a dense jungle, to the right was an empty road, and far away from the town's two-story buildings, there was only one house that looked like it was made of thatched grass.
It was obviously impossible to turn back. The giant spider was closing in on her. Xu Zhao ran towards the thatched hut without a second thought. She was more afraid of being blocked by the giant spider the moment she stepped into the jungle than the thatched hut which was empty and had no place to hide.
Who knows what else is out there in the jungle?
The sound of fleeing footsteps pierced the silent night. The violent heartbeat and panting due to fear covered all her senses. The thatched hut that seemed to be crumbling in the night wind became the only life-saving straw that Xu Zhao could grasp at this moment. Her urgent desire made her ignore the weirdness around her.
The giant spider that fell behind him stumbled forward.
Staring at the fleeing prey, the tentacles impatiently pierced the phone screen, leaving messy fragments all over the ground.
Xu Zhao closed the door tightly, picked up the wooden stick standing next to him, and concentrated his mind, paying attention to the movements outside the door at all times.
The spider didn't follow.
She breathed a sigh of relief.
His chest heaved several times before he finally relaxed and looked around.
This is a house built with wood and thatch. It seems that the people who lived here were poor. Xu Zhao stood at the door. The cold wind penetrated his skin through the cracks, causing goose bumps. The moonlight poured in through the huge hole in the roof. The bright beam of light made his vision clear.
The house was empty.
Xu Zhao took another breath. The moment the rustling sound came, his scalp felt like it was exploding. He stared stiffly at the man who gradually revealed his figure in the corner...?
Perhaps calling him a boy would be more accurate.
In a corner where the moonlight could not reach, he was half lying with his back leaning against the wall. If Xu Zhao's vision had not adapted to the darkness, she would not have been able to find him at all. He was as quiet as if he were dead, with only faint gasps coming from him from time to time.
Xu Zhao took a few steps forward: "Do you... need help?"
He opened his eyes, his pitch-black pupils seemed like an abyss with no end in sight. Xu Zhao almost thought he was looking at the giant spider, which was also emotionless, with only the appetite and... malice it felt when facing its prey?
He was pale and dying, his chest looking greasy in the darkness as if glowing fluorescently. His vision was not very clear, but his outline was thin and weak. Xu Zhao seemed to smell the familiar bitter fragrance of Chinese herbal medicine. When he smelled it carefully, there was no smell of herbs, only the lingering smell of blood.
Soft, broken hair covered her forehead, revealing a pair of affectionate eyes filled with mist, a delicate nose bridge and petal-like lips. Her cheeks were retracted, and she was so thin that only a thin layer of flesh covered her bones and internal organs. Her slightly moving body looked like a suspended shadow puppet that would fall apart at any moment.
This was his house after all. Xu Zhao took a few steps forward awkwardly. Perhaps noticing the young man's frail appearance, she spoke cautiously, hoping that he could take her in temporarily so that she could safely get through the dangerous night.
"I, um, there are spiders outside. Speaking of which, since you live here, you should be more familiar with it than me. I want to hide here with you for one night and leave at dawn. I promise not to disturb you. Um...is there anything I can help you with?"
The boy didn't say anything.
A rustling sound was heard.
He stood up straight.
The sound, like fingernails scraping across a blackboard, made Xu Zhao's calmed heartbeat jump up again like crazy. She clutched the clothes on her chest, trying to relieve the suffocation, but it was no use. Her eyes moved upwards and she saw that the boy's neck was wrapped with sticky white silk thread, the other end of the silk thread was stuck to the beam, and the rope made of silk thread bound his slender neck, locking him tightly to the wall.
Both wrists were tied identically.
But Xu Zhao could no longer offer to help.
The young man twisted his wrist, and the extremely resilient spider silk broke into pieces, including the silk thread around his neck. The silk fell onto his bare chest, resting on his thin shoulders, and then drooped along the thin skin texture to his narrow waist and abdomen, and then down -
His strange lower limbs were covered with a black shell as hard as steel. Unlike a frail human body, his lower body was sturdy and developed. His four pairs of spider legs were thicker than an adult male's thighs and were covered with densely packed black bristles. In the dark environment, his eight legs faintly emitted a purple-blue glow. His belly was connected by an oval-shaped belly, like a pebble with a faint blue glow hanging behind him.
He uttered the word slowly, his voice unfamiliar: "...hungry."
As if in a bizarre dream, Xu Zhao stared intently at the boy who was getting closer and closer. His segmented lower limbs were like giant sharp sickles. He calmly moved each leg to the ground, and the black base seemed indestructible.
The wooden stick that Xu Zhao was holding looked like a child's toy and had no intimidating effect.
As the boy approached, the enclosed space formed by the wooden door and the boy seemed to have been deprived of all oxygen by his frail body. The stuffy feeling in her chest almost made Xu Zhao faint, and her back was pressed tightly against the wooden door.
The cold wind lifted the boy's soft hair.
Revealing a smooth forehead.
And two round spider eyeballs arranged above human eyes.
Four empty, dark eyes without any human emotion stared at her.
Fear came like a tide.
Xu Zhao held on to her last hope and swung the wooden stick towards his fragile neck. In the blink of an eye, her hard legs rose up to block the attack of the stick, and the strange and terrifying spider legs kicked the stick away from her hand.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Xu Zhao opened the door. The night wind mixed with a fishy smell penetrated her nostrils. The moon was hidden behind the clouds. The dense jungle made a rustling sound of leaves blowing. The staggering figure of the giant spider shattered her last hope. The cool wind took away her warmth, and she felt as if she had fallen into cold ice water.
Since her parents passed away, her life has been filled with hardship, inferiority, and even despair. While her peers are carefree and only worry about homework, she has to think about how to survive in this harsh environment and live healthily into adulthood.
Am I really going to die here?
So what if I don’t want to die.
She was just a weak and ordinary human being, how could she possibly fight against such a terrifying creature.
The sharp tentacles pierced her clothes and dragged her back to the dilapidated wooden house. The sound of the wooden door closing hit her chest heavily. She was held high in front of the boy, and her delicate face revealed the greed of a monster facing food.
The petal lips open.
Xu Zhao saw two sharp teeth with black tips.
"……Hungry."
He said.
As he lowered his head, his hair covered his two spider eyes, and his human eyes were filled with mist. Tears rolled down his face like bright pearls and hit her chin. The warm touch made her tremble all over.
There was a flash of pain and confusion in the boy's indifferent eyes.
The tentacles lifted her high and placed her under the boy's lips. He bent down, and the shoulder blades on his back were like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, but were eventually wrapped in the cocoon, unable to flap its wings and died helplessly.
His fragile expression rekindled the extinguished embers of Xu Zhao's life. He pressed his fingertips against his chest. His weak skin gave Xu Zhao the illusion that it would break if he touched it lightly. He moved his hands more gently. As the fangs gradually approached her neck, the boy's hot tears slid across her chin and formed a small puddle at her collarbone.
Xu Zhao pushed his face away and begged, "...Don't kill me."
The boy stiffened.
He stared at her and mechanically repeated the monotonous sound of the word: "...hungry."
The delicate face confused the mind, the two inhuman black eyes had no eyelids, as if they were two exquisite gems embedded in the forehead. Xu Zhao blinked slowly, and the fangs that had not yet fallen made her think that the boy might not want to eat people... Otherwise, she would have lost her breath the moment she was caught.
The strong legs were not like the weak upper body of a human. They could easily pierce her chest and tear her flesh, but the boy did not do that.
He is struggling.
Was he once human?
Xu Zhao swallowed hard: "...Do spiders eat it?"
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