Single Mother of a Werewolf Baby

Chapter 224: Web of Terror

When they had planned the ambush, it had been six against seven. With the element of surprise and each member’s abilities, it should have been manageable... perhaps even simple. They were supposed to dictate the flow of battle.

But now the tables had turned. An unexpected outside interference had destroyed their initiative, leaving Eleanor under relentless assault. The orcs had seized control, and she was forced onto the defensive, reacting to every swing of their weapons rather than directing the fight.

And yet, she held on. She had prepared herself for the possibility of chaos, and her bloodline power kept her standing against the onslaught.

Still, the orcs were far stronger than she had anticipated... faster, tougher, and heavily armed. When the enraged one-eyed brute charged her again, its axe cleaving the air, she could only dodge desperately, blows raining from every side.

The situation was slipping beyond her grasp.

Then, at last, the others struck. With the orcs fixated on Eleanor, none of them noticed the rest of the team closing in. Shadows leapt from behind, blades flashing in the crimson light. Three orcs fell before they even realised they were under attack. Joshua and Maira immediately seized the fallen weapons, their hands closing around crude yet deadly iron swords. In that instant, the battle’s rhythm shifted.

The leader roared and turned on Kiara, pressing her back under a storm of heavy strikes. Eleanor, freed from the press of the others, found herself facing only the one-eyed orc. She sidestepped its wild swing and, with precision born of bloodline focus, drove her fist into the base of its skull. The impact sent it staggering forward before it crashed lifeless to the ground.

Her eyes snapped to the leader. Kiara was struggling, her bow useless at such close range. Eleanor darted in from the flank, her fist slamming against the leader’s temple. But the blow glanced off its thick skull, barely staggering it. The orc bared its tusks in grim satisfaction... until its eyes widened.

Ophelia emerged from its shadow like a phantom. The moment the leader relaxed, thinking Eleanor missed, a rusty short sword punched through the base of its skull and into the spine. The creature froze mid-breath, then collapsed with a dull thud.

Silence fell.

Eleanor turned slowly, surveying the battlefield. The corpses of the remaining orcs lay scattered, their blood steaming in the strange red light. Her teammates stood victorious—exhausted, panting, but alive. No one was gravely wounded. Eleanor alone felt the deepest strain; her bloodline and Overdrive had drained her strength more than she wanted to admit.

One by one, they armed themselves from the fallen. Kiara claimed a crossbow and quiver of arrows. Joshua, Jaciara, and Maira each selected a sword to their liking. Ophelia kept the same rusty blade she had used for the kill... worn, but appropriate in her grip. Finally, Eleanor slung a heavy broadsword across her back. Crude though the weapons were, the team was now properly armed.

From then on, the forest hunt began. They moved like a machine, cutting down patrols and packs. Orc after orc fell, each kill yielding thirty points. Their total soared past a thousand each, climbing steadily up the rankings. By the time they paused, all but Ophelia were firmly within the top twenty.

They had just agreed to push further, gathering points to secure Ophelia’s rank, when a notification echoed in everyone’s mind. The last two-hour countdown had begun.

Eleanor opened her status screen.

[Status]

Time Left: 1:59:48

Objective: Kill the Troll

Objective: Eliminate the

Team members: 6

Points: 1238 (Rank-5)

to hide the status

with a thought. They had

they would leave the forest and head for the castle. The climb up the mountain began as an upward march, their boots crunching against moss-slick roots and stone. The air was heavy,

"Spider webs," she murmured. Traps stretched between rocks and trees, some torn apart as

presence vanishing into the gloom. Minutes later,

They’re still alive... at least

group exchanged dark

it first," Eleanor decided. "We won’t free them

of a carriage

was

swaying gently like grotesque fruit. Each pulsed faintly with life. Auras leaked through the silk: werewolves, vampires, merfolk,

touch the webs.

went to work, slicing carefully through the sticky strands. Eleanor and Kiara stood at the mouth of the

cadets lay on the ground, breathing

above them, echoing through the stone cave. Everyone froze. Eleanor’s gaze

latching onto Joshua’s chest. With terrifying speed, he was yanked skyward, wrapped in webbing before he could

the others!"

Dozens of cocoons rained down with Joshua, lay on the floor still connected in sticky

a shrill, bone-deep vibration that made every eardrum ache. The air quivered. From the tunnel above, it dropped on a strand

than a wagon, its eyes glittering like shards of obsidian. Rage twisted every motion. Its legs, long and barbed, stabbed down like spears, gouging holes

broadsword in a desperate arc to buy some time for her teammates. But she wasn’t

leg whipped sideways, striking her squarely in the ribs. She barely managed to interpose her blade, but the force still hurled her across the cavern. She slammed against the wall, the impact ripping the breath from her lungs. Pain exploded through her side... hot, sharp, suffocating. Stars danced before her vision. Her knees nearly buckled. Still,

voice cutting through the chaos. "Target its eyes... blind it! Don’t let

pain through her ribs, but she didn’t falter. Leadership demanded more than strength... it