Bai Li crouched and inspected it.
"Fresh."
Yan Cijin touched the floor near it.
The liquid gave off a faint warmth.
"Something ate from the fruit?"
"Or something touched it."
A sound came from above.
Scratching.
Slow.
Heavy.
Then something whispered from the darkness.
Not words.
Just a wet, breathing sound.
Yan Cijin raised her weapon.
Bai Li smiled slightly.
"Do not worry."
"I was not worried."
"You looked worried."
"I was thinking."
"Same thing."
The creature dropped.
It was enormous.
A spider-like monster with a bloated body crashed through the ceiling and landed directly in front of them. Its legs were long enough to reach across half the corridor, and its abdomen glowed faintly from inside.
Yan Cijin stepped left.
Bai Li stepped right.
The spider turned between them.
Its mouth opened.
A web shot toward Bai Li.
She cut through it.
The second web came toward Yan Cijin.
She ducked under it and ran directly toward the creature.
