Seeing Kael draw the last red-headed arrow, the orcs instantly fell silent. They held their breath carefully and became even more cautious.
Orcs respected strength above all. They deeply feared that Kael, having drawn the red arrow, might fly into a rage and take it out on them.
But to the orcs' relief, Kael showed no expression on his face and directly announced, "Well, since I drew it, I'll go deliver it with that guy!"
Hearing this, the other orcs all showed expressions of joyful escape, while also being surprised that Kael would honor his promise.
They thought this new captain was not only strong but also true to his word. If he could return safely from the spider's lair, they would truly accept him as their leader.
Only the remaining orc, who had also drawn a red arrow, looked utterly defeated. He was already half-dead with fear before even seeing the giant spider.
Next, amid the gleeful farewells of the other orcs, Kael and the other orc carried the orc corpse toward the giant spider's lair over twenty miles away.
Kael naturally wouldn't lift a finger himself, walking ahead like a master.
Only the unlucky orc miserably carried the former captain's corpse, which was bigger than himself, resignedly following behind.
After Kael left, the remaining orcs realized they still didn't know their new captain's name.
"Who cares what he's called? He's just going to be fed into the spider's belly anyway!" one orc said carelessly.
The other orcs all agreed.
In their view, Kael and his companion most likely wouldn't return alive from this trip.
The former captain was dead, and the newly appointed captain was also about to die. Perhaps they could compete for the leadership position themselves?
All the orcs began harboring their own thoughts, looking at each other with growing wariness.
Meanwhile, Kael leisurely walked along the steep stairs and tunnels leading to Cirith Ungol, appearing relaxed but mentally focused, ready for anything.
Behind him, the orc gasped for breath, carrying the corpse, looking half-dead from exhaustion.
Seeing Kael not helping in front of him, the orc dared not speak up. He even quickened his pace when Kael impatiently urged him on.
The Ephel Dúath mountains, where giant spider Shelob dwelled, were, as their name suggested, perpetually shrouded in dark clouds and black mist. Sparse vegetation, exposed rocks, and no human habitation.
Finally reaching the massive rock wall on the western side of Cirith Ungol, the area was strewn with jagged rocks like a giant natural maze, with a huge dark cave.
The cave was pitch black, like a black hole that would swallow even light beams. You couldn't see inside at all.
It also emanated a foul stench, with stagnant, deathly air that gave one an oppressive, terrifying feeling.
Seeing the cave entrance, the orc carrying the corpse showed terror. "B-Boss, this is the spider's lair. Let's just dump the body here and leave quickly, or we won't be able to get away!"
Seeing the orc's legs trembling with fear, Kael seemed to listen and nodded with a smile. "Alright then, put down the corpse and leave."
"Really?" The orc was delighted, not expecting the new boss to be so reasonable.
"Of course not. Imperio!" Kael directly used the Imperius Curse to control the orc.
"Now, take the corpse to the cave entrance," Kael commanded directly.
The orc nodded with glazed eyes, then unhesitatingly carried out Kael's order, dragging the orc corpse toward the cave entrance.
Kael concealed his presence and quietly hid, waiting for giant spider Shelob to appear.
The Imperius-controlled orc dragged the corpse to the cave entrance and stood there blankly.
Finally, movement came from within the cave.
A black giant spider the size of a house crawled out. Its form was twisted and grotesque. A short neck followed by a bloated giant body, with segmented legs ending in sharp claws. A head bearing huge horns and numerous eyes clustered into two large groups.
The entirely black giant spider emanated an evil glow and foul odor. It was like a monster born of darkness, surrounded by powerful dark force that made one feel suffocated and terrified.
Looking directly at it felt like facing darkness itself. Your vision would gradually be stripped away. Even all memory of color and light in your mind would disappear. Touch and hearing would become numb.
This was Shelob, the last offspring of the spider-form evil deity Ungoliant.
As one of Middle-earth's most powerful and terrifying surviving spiders, Shelob was also called "Spider Queen," "Weaver of Fates," and "Mistress of Darkness."
Evil and independent, serving only herself, and not following Sauron's commands, she maintained a delicate alliance of mutual use with Sauron.
Having inherited part of her mother, the evil deity Ungoliant's abilities, Shelob endlessly craved to devour all living creatures. Elves, humans, and orcs were all her food.
The numerous orcs were consumables to Sauron, so to win over Shelob, he sent all seriously wounded or dead orcs here to satisfy Shelob's constant hunger.
Even when not at war, orcs constantly fought among themselves. From the smallest orc squad leaders to the greatest orc kings, almost all emerged through fierce combat.
Those orcs who were severely injured or weakened received no treatment. Maintaining cruel survival-of-the-fittest rules, they were directly sent as food for giant spider Shelob.
Shelob naturally accepted this endless stream of delivered food. The trade condition was merely eating all who tried to pass through Cirith Ungol.
Such trade conditions hardly counted as conditions. Even without this arrangement, Shelob wouldn't allow food to escape from her vicinity.
At this moment, giant spider Shelob smelled meat and emerged from the cave.
Seeing the orc corpse on the ground, she immediately spat out spider silk and quickly wrapped the body into a bundle with her two front limbs.
Then her countless eyes looked at the Imperius-controlled orc. She instantly rushed over, stinging the orc unconscious with a poisonous barb before quickly wrapping him in webbing.
After finishing this, giant spider Shelob didn't drag her prey back to the cave. She suddenly fixed her gaze on Kael's hiding place in the distance.
Discovered, Kael stopped hiding and emerged, removing his Disillusionment Charm.
Seeing another piece of food, Shelob's eyes showed a predatory look. But after sniffing the air, she showed confusion.
"You are not an orc. What are you?" A harsh, shrill voice emerged from Shelob. It sounded like someone who hadn't spoken in ages with dried vocal cords, like fingernails scraping glass.
When clearing giant spiders from Mirkwood, the spider queen encountered there could speak, so Kael wasn't surprised to hear Shelob talk.
However, facing this giant spider emanating powerful dark aura, Kael remained extremely vigilant. He didn't dare be careless.
Shelob possessed extremely dark power, like an invisible great web that made those facing her feel shrouded in darkness. All five senses became numb, and mental consciousness got enveloped by darkness.
The whole person seemed trapped in a dark quagmire, becoming sluggish.
Kael quickly used Occlumency. His mental fortress blocked this darkness outside, while his wooden club returned to wand form as he directly cast a spell.
"Avada Kedavra!"
A brilliant green light flashed, shooting toward Shelob's massive body.
Shelob sensed great threat and instantly spat out a huge black web, blocking it in front of her.
The Killing Curse struck the black web, causing a violent explosion.
But what made Kael's expression tense was that the black web actually successfully blocked the Killing Curse's attack. Like an elastic net that only tore a hole.
Seeing this, Kael became even more determined to obtain this spider silk.
Such strong spider silk would definitely create the most perfect invisibility cloak.
Meanwhile, giant spider Shelob was enraged. Looking at Kael's wand, she snarled, "You are not an orc! You are a wizard! I will devour you!"
Then she directly attacked Kael, her massive legs covered in sharp claws heavily smashing toward him.
"Reducto!" Kael attacked the approaching leg.
But Shelob's defense was astonishing. Her segmented legs were hard as steel. The spell only delayed her attack motion without causing damage.
Kael's pupils contracted as he quickly cast Protego to block that steel pillar-like spider leg.
But the Shield Charm barely blocked Shelob's one strike before shattering under the next.
Kael continued casting attacking spells, but none could break through Shelob's solid shell. Her body defense was powerful, with virtually no weaknesses.
What made Kael feel even more troubled was that Shelob's countless eyes released powerful mental illusions. After inadvertently making eye contact, Kael fell into illusions.
Without his mental fortress resisting and preventing complete loss in illusion, his visual senses were still affected by illusions. He felt consumed by darkness, trapped in boundless ultimate darkness, surrounded by thousands of giant spider Shelobs.
They attacked Kael from all directions, even above and below, making him momentarily unable to distinguish which was real.
Outside the illusion in reality, giant spider Shelob saw Kael trapped in mental illusion. Defenseless and directionless in his vigilance, she immediately showed triumphant eyes.
She opened her mouth and spat out a thick, long black spider silk toward the unguarded Kael. She was preparing to bind him like other prey and drag him back to her cave as food.
But just as the silk was about to stick to Kael, it was blocked by an invisible barrier one meter away from him.
Shelob instantly locked onto the source of this defensive barrier. The Ring of Power on Kael's left hand finger.