Weekend Greetings, Everyone! Chapter 67
22. Magical Beasts, Evolution, and the Great Escape
066 – Magical Beasts, Evolution, and the Great Escape #3
There was a moment of silence between me and the Spider Woman.
She was weaving long, white threads from her palms and fingertips like she was playing cat’s cradle.
Before I knew it, the tangled threads became thick, like a rope, as they intertwined.
The Spider Woman wrapped the web she had made around a thick branch that jutted out near her nest.
Then she held out the other end to me and opened her mouth.
“Use this to climb down. You should be able to reach the bottom without any issues.”
I accepted the web that she had created, or rather, the spider rope.
To my surprise, it was super soft, feeling more like silk underwear than the sticky, gooey mess I had expected.
“But isn’t this a bit short?”
“It’ll stretch well enough to reach the ground. Don’t worry about it, just hurry down so you can meet Salome. I can’t wait for you to see her!”
The Spider Woman cackled with laughter.
After chuckling for a few seconds, holding back a fit of giggles, she waved a few of her legs at me.
“Ah, I shouldn’t be laughing. My bad! Hehe, I’m not trying to tease you; it’s just that you want to see Salome so badly! Have you already fallen head over heels after just a few days?”
“Yeah, something like that.”
I was left feeling embarrassed by the excuse I came up with on the spot.
With my frantic thoughts swimming around, a hasty getaway was imperative, and I had taken quite the gamble.
‘Well, at least it seems to be working out.’
I tugged at the web in my hand.
It stretched easily like dough being pulled for noodles—it was quite bouncy.
“It stretches nicely, but it’s so slippery! What if I drop it?”
“Ah, did I go overboard making it not sticky?”
The Spider Woman took the web back from my hands and deftly tied it around my wrist.
“You can cut it with your teeth or claws when you get to the ground. I made it sturdy, but you’ll need to handle that yourself.”
“Got it.”
I looked at the life line securely tied to my hand, nodding with satisfaction.
‘Well, I have a lifeline for now.’
I glanced down at the base of the nest.
Even with a rope, I wasn’t feeling brave enough to jump down.
Was this how people felt standing on a bungee jump platform?
While I was contemplating how to drop down without making a mess, I heard a sigh from the Spider Woman behind me.
“What are you waiting for? You need to go meet your girlfriend!”
“Oh, right! Thanks for all your help. By the way, since we’ve come this far, what’s your name?”
“My name?”
Her red eyes widened.
Then she lifted her pale lips, smirking as she said, “My name is Rahel. Are you suddenly scared to jump? Hurry up! Go and tell her about your hot feelings. Want me to give you a push?”
“No, no! Don’t push me! I’m good!”
Phew! I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves.
With my eyes tightly shut, I stretched one leg out toward the void.
“And if you make Salome cry, I won’t let it slide. I am the North’s…”
Rahel seemed about to say something, but my body tipped forward, and I started freefalling to the ground.
It felt like the sensation of my insides floating, just like being on a roller coaster.
But that was short-lived; the web around my arm stretched out, slowing my fall gently.
The web continued to stretch at a gradual pace.
It seemed to thin out the closer I got to the ground, but it was thick enough that it wouldn’t snap easily.
‘Creating a rope like this is quite a skill.’
I might despise spiders, but Rahel wasn’t half bad compared to my first impression.
Of course, if she hadn’t been Salome’s friend, I might have gone to battle with her without a second thought.
‘Who knew I’d need connections even in the forest?’
As I was mulling that over, the web stretched endlessly and brought me safely to the ground.
I left a bit of slack while cutting the upper part with my claws.
Contrary to its supposedly tough nature, my claws sliced through the spider silk as easily as sharp scissors.
I wrapped the part around my wrist like a bandage or protective strap, thinking this web would be useful for various tools later.
For now, I could only think of using it as fishing line or a net, but I felt an irrational confidence bubbling up that something amazing could come from it.
I carefully tucked the hazelnut seed I had been holding tightly in my front paw into the waistband of the spider silk.
With that, my two front paws were free and clear.
‘Ah, the smell of freedom!’
I could feel the soft earth and small pebbles underfoot vividly as I reveled in the long-awaited opportunity to escape.
The scent of the damp soil from the long rainy season mingled with the sweet aroma of dawn before sunrise—who would have thought it could be so delightful?
‘I have to head South.’
I lifted my head, recalling where the sun had set and where the moon had risen.
With the sun rising in the east, I figured that direction would be to my right, meaning west would be to my left, thus automatically making south the way I needed to go.
While I might be slightly off, there was no mistaking that direction led to the Southern Forest.
To move away from the Western Forest, I believed fleeing southeast would get me where I wanted.
I shook out my stiff muscles and body from the evolution and nest escape, lightly stretching.
Then, I got down on all fours and put all my power into my back legs.
“I’m escaping!”
At my own signal, I dashed off at full speed.
Thanks to the evolution, my body felt lighter and bursting with energy—I could move my legs at a surprisingly fast pace.
Having a tail helped me maintain my balance while weaving between trees and making turns much easier.
Before I knew it, the dim light to my left began to brighten the sky and ground.
Rahel’s words about how the sun was about to rise floated back to me. I seemed to have less time than I had anticipated.
‘I need to move quicker!’
I envisioned the vastness of the forest and increased my strides.
Just a few days ago, running on all fours felt so foreign and awkward, yet now, it felt as if I had always lived with this body—I felt like I could run forever.
But alas, living creatures eventually tire.
As time passed, I struggled to catch my breath, and my back legs began to wobble.
Running through a forest filled with obstacles rather than on a flat field or track meant the sudden ups and downs were taking a toll on my stamina.
Still, I couldn’t afford to stop striving for escape.
Whether I could avoid it or not, I embraced the bursting pain in my chest with a mind set to enjoy it, and a refreshing sensation washed over me like soda fizzing in water.
Maybe it was the dizziness affecting me, but I felt less connected to my limbs, as if my body was running on autopilot.
‘Is this what they call runner’s high?’
They say marathon runners or sprinters experience a moment of bliss from the release of endorphins when they push through the pain barrier.
I didn’t know for sure, but maybe I was in a similar situation right now.
“At this rate, I feel like I could fly!”
I was intoxicated by the thrill of escape and the sheer act of running.
I felt like I was becoming one with the forest and the natural world, as if I had turned into a mere wisp of wind.
The ancient, unexplainable animal festivals I’d encountered and the bizarre destiny of living as a beast in this strange place all faded into a bright haze in my mind.
Perhaps I was simply born to run.
Such whimsical thoughts seemed strangely plausible as my mind emptied.
I forced myself to open my eyes, resisting my weary legs and panting breath.
“I feel like I’ve been running forever. I must have gotten past the Western Forest by now, right?”
Without a map or navigation, it was tough to gauge my approximate location.
“The Western Forest had a lot of vines…”
I recalled my first moments in the Western Forest, comparing its differences to the Southern Forest.
Everywhere I looked, I still saw vines and winding thickets.
It seemed I still had a way to go before breaking free of the Western Forest.
With my lungs reaching their limit, I finally halted.
Looking up at the eastern sky, the bright morning glow painted the sky in beautiful colors.
Although obscured by large trees and underbrush, the sun must be dawning over the horizon or mountain ridges.
“It’s nearly morning. I’m curious how everyone will react when they realize I’m missing.”
Of course, I was curious but didn’t want to be seen.
It had been a nice encounter, but I thought it was time to part ways, so I resumed my walk.
Pausing and then running again prevented me from regaining the same speed as before.
My insides felt like they were aching, making me uncomfortable and distressed.
“Why did I stop? I should have just kept going.”
While I was lamenting my decision, I noticed the vines around me starting to withdraw, changing the vegetation around me.
Due to my blurry vision, I couldn’t see well, but in the distance, I spotted an open space—it looked like I was nearing the end of the tedious Western Forest.
“Finally…!”
My weary steps regained their vigor.
With a longing for freedom, I pushed through the trees, and at that moment, when I emerged into the open space, I shouted like I was having a moment from the Shawshank Redemption.
“Ahhhhh!”
But what escaped my lips was not a cry of joy but a scream of horror.
“Oh, morning has come! I was going to come get you, but you came to me instead. So diligent of you!”
Salome fluttered toward me, flapping her wings.
The clearing was filled with countless root vegetables and veggies sprouting up from the earth.
Believing I was heading south, it turned out I had barely arrived at Lao-Hoo’s garden.
“Why are you heaving like that this early? You seem pumped. No, you look a bit different from last night…”
Salome circled me, tilting her head at my evolved appearance.
“You’ve got a tail now, huh? Did you always have a tail like that? No way! I’ve never seen such a fluffy tail before! Wow, it’s so soft…”
She gingerly lifted my tail with her wing.
At that moment, my tail began to thrash around wildly, as if it had come to life.
Startled by my swaying tail, she squeaked, “What the!?” and stepped back a few paces.
“Oh, but it’s not just the tail. You seem bigger too. You were barely half my size, but now you’re almost chest-high! What happened? Can a beast change this much overnight?”
Salome asked, looking perplexed and bombarding me with questions.
I half-ignored her antics as I entered the garden.
I pulled up a root vegetable and shoved it into my mouth, munching down.
The crisp scent and moisture bursting forth quenched my parched mouth.
As I chewed on the vegetable, a wave of unstoppable laughter erupted from deep within me.
I didn’t know what was so funny, but it was an uncontrollable flood of mirth.
I laughed silently for a while.
Salome regarded me with suspicious eyes as if thinking I had lost my mind.
“Is the festival starting that exciting? You said you’d be taken away, yet here you are, walking right in! You couldn’t wait, could you? I guess you’re more aggressive than I thought.”
“Yeah, I’m freakin’ aggressive. The honey badger doesn’t care about festivals; it just tears and kills.”
“Confident, are we? Anyway, you were the first to arrive among the great warriors. The first participant is honored with a ceremonial speech…”
Salome began rambling about something that made no sense.
I spat out the tops of the root vegetables I had been chewing, and my smile twisted at the disgust.
‘With this, I’ll aim for victory to claim the title of the forest’s master. This is destiny!’
And thus, my joyous summer festival began.
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[Author’s Note] Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it, please press the recommendation button at the top of your mobile screen. You can give a writer a happy day with just two seconds of kindness!
