Chapter 38: The Abyss’s Embrace

Rip! Rip! Rip!

In the pitch-black abyss, where one couldn’t see their own hand, a chorus of snapping webs echoed. The sounds rose and fell with the rapid descent of two graceful figures.

Sensing their webs tear, the giant spiders, encased in black armor, received the signal through their feet. One by one, they began converging towards the breaches.

First one, then two, then three, until a whole swarm gathered.

When Ye Yu was a child, he quite liked spiders.

As Nanyun Province boasted a subtropical highland monsoon climate, mosquitoes and various insects were abundant. In a way, spiders helped Ye Yu avoid being bitten by ‘some’ of them.

He remembered a spider, no bigger than his pinky finger, that lived near his doorstep when he was young.

Every morning, upon waking to find mosquitoes that had feasted on his blood, Ye Yu would vacuum them up with a vengeance and toss them onto the spider’s web.

He watched as the mosquitoes became ensnared, eventually consumed bit by bit when the spider grew hungry.

The sight always brought Ye Yu immense satisfaction.

Now, however, with the roles reversed, and himself as the prey, the mere thought of becoming a spider’s meal filled Ye Yu with an all-encompassing dread.

Just as Ye Yu’s mind conjured these terrifying images, Tang Yue’s voice broke through his reverie.

“Husband, we’re almost at the ground!”

Without any visual cues, Ye Yu instinctively curled his white-stockinged feet, preparing for impact.

Another sticky web tore, further slowing their rapid descent.

Thud!

With a crisp landing sound, Ye Yu, still cradling Tang Yue, finally dissipated the force after rolling twice.

Upon successfully touching down, the solid ground beneath his feet brought a profound sense of relief.

At this moment, Ye Yu felt not only safe but also incredibly fortunate. He was glad his preference leaned towards catgirls; had it not been for this particular interest, he wouldn’t have purchased the ‘Be Your Meow’ outfit.

If other cross-dressing attributes didn’t offer high agility and strength bonuses, he mused, they surely wouldn’t have landed safely, no matter what.

Yet, even as Ye Yu celebrated his catgirl fetish, his sightless ears picked up a dense, surging sound.

Tap, tap, tap…

Tap, tap, tap…

It was a sound akin to a girl walking in high heels on a floor, though typically, such a sound would be clear and melodious.

But now, hundreds of giant spiders surged forward, each with eight high-heeled legs. The collective tapping became utterly terrifying.

Truth be told, ignorance could sometimes be a blessing.

If Ye Yu could truly see the scene before him, he would undoubtedly be so shocked that his legs would turn to jelly!

Hunting was an inherent instinct for demonic beasts, especially when dealing with human intruders who dared to trespass on their territory.

Ye Yu and Tang Yue, having burst through several layers of webs, were now being fixated upon by hundreds of eight-legged spiders, each roughly a meter in size.

Some spiders scurried across the ground, racing towards Ye Yu, but many more were descending rapidly from the high-hanging webs. Weaving along silk threads, they moved like an army of Batmen.

They hung like countless black crystal chandeliers, densely packed. Combined with their already grotesque faces as they descended, the sight was nothing short of apocalyptic for Tang Yue.

After all, what beautiful girl wouldn’t be terrified of multi-legged creatures?

It took Tang Yue about a second to snap out of her shock. She stiffly turned her head, scanning their surroundings, and spoke urgently.

“L-Little Yu, r-run to the right! Hurry… run! So many spiders!”

Hearing the usually composed Tang Yue, who had always been the ‘big sister’ type, stuttering, and feeling her soft body stiffen as she spoke, Ye Yu instantly understood the gravity of the situation.

Though he couldn’t see the path or any of their surroundings, Ye Yu instinctively started moving. With his white-stockinged feet pattering, and bolstered by the high agility and strength bonuses of the ‘Be Your Meow’ cross-dressing outfit, Ye Yu moved nimbly according to Tang Yue’s instructions.

“Husband, there’s a spider to your left. Shift one body-length to the right…”

Pfft!

“…Husband, crouch down! Down, down, down!”

Pfft!

“Run forward, yes… wait one second, then jump!”

Pfft!

In the darkness, guided by Tang Yue, Ye Yu’s petite figure moved with the agility and softness of a cat in the night.

In contrast, the demonic spiders in the darkness, despite their eight tough, sharp, high-heeled legs, were hampered by their full body armor and the large silk-sac trailing behind them. Without the aid of webs, their movement speed on land was agonizingly slow.

While they couldn’t directly capture their prey, streams of silk were continuously sprayed onto the duo whenever Ye Yu passed by.

Initially, Ye Yu was terrified when the silk hit him. He remembered many horror TV shows where spider demons’ silk was impossibly tough and unbreakable.

In those shows, the prey would slowly be dragged to the spider’s mouth to be devoured, thanks to the silk’s tenacity.

However, after being sprayed a few times, Ye Yu realized that beyond a sticky, uncomfortable sensation, there were no other negative effects. He decided to ignore it, focusing his attention more on his beloved Tang Yue’s commands.

As Ye Yu continued his escape, the scene gradually shifted from the initial web-laden forest to a jungle where strange blue demoness flowers bloomed. It seemed the spiders found their prey too troublesome.

One by one, the grotesque spider demons began to give up, turning around with their large sacs dragging behind them, retreating with dejected steps.

Tang Yue, whose nerves had been tightly strung, finally let out a sigh of relief. As a girl, she was genuinely afraid of insects.

Relaxing, she instinctively rested her head against Ye Yu’s chest, seeking comfort in her young husband’s embrace.

As Tang Yue made this motion, she paused, a flicker of bewilderment crossing her features. *Emmmmm, why does my young husband’s chest feel a bit soft? And there seems to be a slight, adorable undulation.*

‘Perhaps I’ve lost too much blood, and my senses are playing tricks on me!’

Just as Tang Yue pondered this, Ye Yu’s worried voice rang out, timely and clear.

“Wife, there are no pursuers now. Do you want to replenish your energy and have something to eat?”

Inhaling Ye Yu’s faint, sweet scent and feeling the taut, smooth touch of his skin, Tang Yue’s eyes immediately lit up.

‘My meal is none other than my own young husband, isn’t it?’

‘Speaking of which, this is the first time I’ll be having a meal from my young husband after he’s cross-dressed. I have a feeling it will be incredibly sweet and delicious!’

Tang Yue nodded solemnly. After instructing Ye Yu on the path to a large tree hollow ahead, an expectant and excited look bloomed on her pure, pretty face. Even her long legs, still held in Ye Yu’s princess carry, began to rub together unconsciously.

However, both the excited Tang Yue and the worried Ye Yu overlooked one crucial detail. The spider silk sprayed on their bodies was, with the passage of time, transforming into an odorless gas, slowly seeping into their soft, creamy skin. And now, their breathing had become noticeably shallow and rapid!