[Consume?]
"Yes," Alex said, his voice barely heard in the swirling wind.
It shot towards him, covering him in an instant, seeping into his clothes, his eyes, nose, and mouth.
The last thing Alex saw as the ashes engulfed him was the system panel twitching, buzzing, and glitching. It turned blood red to display an unreadable message.
[ ???????d?????s?????''???????t??????i???????? ??????s???????i??????h?????t???????]
Oh shi- he panicked.
Then everything went black.
***
The quiet of the canyon was shattered as ten figures descended from the sky. Each bore an air of superiority, of celestial power, their eyes cold as they gazed at the lone figure before them.
An old man sat cross-legged at the mouth of the canyon, his eyes closed, seemingly oblivious to the impending danger. His body seemed frail, as if a gust of wind might sweep him away, but an aura of serenity radiated from him, an immovable mountain amidst the chaos of the world.
"Phoenix, we have come for your head," the leader of the ten immortals declared.
The old man, Phoenix, opened his eyes slowly. His gaze was deep, a gaze that had seen epochs pass, yet retained an impish spark. Their demand was clear¡ªhis head for stealing their sect''s valuable resources; a batch of higher worlds. They believed it was their birth-right, as cultivators- as members of the empire, to rule over all who were different, who they deemed lesser. They called him a ''spirit beast'', or in ages past, a ''Mythical Beast''. They believed him to be a beast, a resource, something to be consumed. At the thought, he held back a chuckle.
To him, such distinctions are without point. Aren''t men- humans, beasts? The cultivators need for separation baffled him. They are all connected, some more than others, but all the same. Despite his aged form and vision, Phoenix felt almost as though he could see completely through them, The ''immortals'' high above.
The old man, the ''beast'', found humor in the paradox of the immortals before him - beings who had used Qi to cheat mortality and attain a state of unchanging permanence. In his timeless gaze, Phoenix saw an unnatural state of existence; a suspension of the natural law of change, the ebbs and flows of life. From his position on the precipice of time, Phoenix mused at the immortal''s futile rebellion against the cycle of existence. Their forms restructured into something unyielding and everlasting, their bodies becoming the embodiment of Qi itself, unaffected by time or mortal constraints.
How foolish.
To be so unyielding, unchanging. As they shackle countless worlds through the unrivalled supremacy of their path. To face heavenly tribulations in pursuit of a path of stasis. They believe they have reached the peak of power, not knowing they stand at its precipice.
His mind wandered to a memory from epochs past, when the Empire was in its infancy, when Qi, mana, and the Dao were not yet shackled by imperial decree. Back then, the energies of the universe flowed free, the cultivators not blinded by fear, and the need for power and dominion. He remembered how the universe had thrummed in resonance with the freedom of its energies, the violently incompatible clashes of mana, magic, and Qi. Many sought to harness both, none succeeded, and all died with horrific immediacy, returning to samsara. They believed one energy to be superior to the other, the fools. Their rigid ways, and their infernal ''System'', had stained history.
As Phoenix''s gaze remained fixated on the immortal, his thoughts drifted towards the Martial Empire. The Empire, which once stood for the principles of cultivation and ascendance, had now become a monolith of control and manipulation. The control over Qi, mana, and magic, all tools once used to guide the cultivators towards understanding the Dao, had turned into leashes to keep the realms in check.
A sigh escaped his lips unbidden. The grand design of the cosmos had been distorted. The universal essence that breathed life into existence had been warped into a chain, denying beings their right to touch Qi, and most important of all; to touch the Dao. Yet in the midst of all this, Phoenix felt a shred of hope. After all, barring someone from the Dao was as impossible as stopping the river from reaching the sea. The Dao was omnipresent. It was only a matter of time before the true nature of existence asserted itself, as unyielding and everlasting as the Empire believed themselves to be.
And now they wanted his head, for freeing worlds under their heel. "The head of a phoenix is as hard to grasp as the wind," he retorted, his voice echoing across the canyon, "as fleeting as the life of a mortal."
Laughter filled the air, cruel and full of scorn. "Anything can be killed, old man. Even you."
The battle began.
The ten immortals lunged at Phoenix. They moved like dragons, swift and graceful, their celestial weapons reflecting the fading sunlight. Phoenix remained seated, an amused smile tugging at his lips.
A sword struck, and Phoenix moved. A flicker of motion, as if reality folded around him. A phantom amongst the onslaught.
The leader of the immortals snarled, slashing at him with his divine sword. Phoenix¡¯s hand moved. Faster than thought, he reached out and caught the blade in his bare hand. His laughter rang out, shrill and unexpected. The sword shattered.
Shock rippled through the immortals. Before they could react, Phoenix moved. The ground beneath him erupted as he surged forward. The air twisted, reality warping as he launched himself at his attackers.
His movements were a melody of destruction. Each stroke, each step was timed to perfection. Each attack, a glimpse into his mastery. Every breath, a declaration of his defiance.
One after the other, he wounded several of the immortals. The canyon echoed with their screams of rage. Still, Phoenix moved, unstoppable, a force of nature.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
The immortals fought back, their eyes burning with determination. This was their chance for retribution. They could not fail. Divine artifacts were wielded, formation arrays drawn, bloodline abilities unleashed. They fought like gods at war.
Phoenix stood in the eye of the storm, calm as still water. His body moved in ways that defied logic, a dance of devastation. He was a phoenix, a creature of rebirth, of life, of change.
A sword pierced his heart.
Time seemed to slow, Phoenix''s laughter lingering in the air. He looked down at the blade protruding from his chest, then at the immortal wielding it, a grim smile etched on his face. "So, this is death," Phoenix murmured. His body crumpled to the ground, life fleeing from him.
The immortals watched in silence as Phoenix''s body disintegrated, his form becoming ashes in the wind.
Then, the ashes began to move. A whirlwind formed, swirling with energy. The immortals stepped back, their expressions turning to shock. From the whirlwind emerged a figure, reborn, renewed.
Phoenix was back, younger, and his eyes burned with a fierce, undying light.
The immortals braced themselves, forming a defensive line as Phoenix, reborn and vibrant, stood before them, his form a beacon of life in the looming twilight. The tattoo on his left hand, formed from the swirling remnants of his own ashes, pulsed with a divine glow.
One of the immortals stepped forward, his arrogance barely concealed. He raised his celestial weapon high, slicing it through the air and into the heart of the canyon. A shattering crash boomed, and for miles the very earth split asunder. The immortal''s power had left a deep scar across the landscape, a mark of violence that would forever tarnish the beauty of the canyon.
Yet, Phoenix remained unfazed.
His grip tightened around the hilt of his sword, a weapon born of eternal existence. The Blade of Eternity. With it, he would sever the cycle of birth and death, ensuring the liberation of his opponents from their suffering. His eyes burned with the calm resolve of a warrior undeterred, the tranquillity of a storm''s eye amidst the tumultuous winds of battle.
With a leap, Phoenix closed the distance between himself and the scarred canyon. He twisted his body mid-air, spinning like a cyclone as he unsheathed his sword. The Blade of Eternity ignited into radiant life, its fiery aura a symbol of its wielder''s indomitable spirit.
Phoenix struck.
His sword cut through the canyon''s scar, his swing so powerful it reverberated throughout the immortals'' formation. It was a Karmic Rift, a swing so potent it disrupted the flow of time and space, opening temporary dimensional rifts that allowed Phoenix to strike his adversaries from multiple angles simultaneously.
An immortal fell, his divine essence snuffed out as the Blade of Eternity cleaved through him. Phoenix pressed his advantage, his movements a blinding whirlwind of relentless aggression. He was power incarnate, a force of life that would not be extinguished.
Again, Phoenix struck.
The immortal who had scarred the canyon moved to intercept, but Phoenix''s Blade of Eternity was faster, burning through the air in a devastating arc. The Blade of Eternity tore through the immortal, its eternal essence severing the ties of his life force. The immortal crumbled, his form dissipating into a cascade of divine energy that the wind swept away.
One by one, Phoenix cut them down, his fiery wrath undiminished, his swordplay precise and ruthless. His strikes mirrored the swift and lethal precision of a hunting falcon, each one promising imminent destruction.
Another slash.
Phoenix''s sword blazed with incandescent fury as it swept across the battlefield. His opponents recoiled from its radiant brilliance, their divine artifacts powerless against the might of the Phoenix. The karmic power of the Phoenix''s sword eclipse their existence, stripping away the traces of their past actions and accelerating their journey towards liberation.
Yet another one fell.
The sword moved of its own volition, a conductor guiding the symphony of destruction. It ripped through the fabric of existence, severing opponents from their mortal coils. Their divine essences were released, extinguished like candles in the winds of a storm.
Phoenix, at the heart of this storm, was unstoppable. His flame seared his opponents, purifying their karma and liberating them from the cycle of existence. His ethereal wings flapped, their flames carrying him above the canyon, his form outlined against the dying embers of the sunset.
His divine gaze surveyed the battlefield, the ashen remains of the fallen immortals scattered across the torn earth. His rebirth had given him a new perspective, a new understanding of his existence, and a newfound respect for the impermanence of life.
Victory was his.
***
A profound silence blanketed the mountaintop as Alex stood rooted in place, his heart pounding uncontrollably against the rhythm of the universe. He felt as if he had been swept up in the midst of a celestial whirlwind, gazing upon an eternal conflict that spanned the chasm of time and space.
[Dao detected - Dao assigned: The Dao of Regeneratio-]
"No." Alex murmured, his voice firm, rejecting the path that the system had prematurely assigned him. His mind was still occupied by the vision, filled with the echoes of a monumental battle. His spirit still resonated with the intensity of Phoenix''s pursuit of true immortality, a concept so profound it transcended the confines of physical existence.
Cloaked figures resembling ancient China, celestial beings wielding immense power that could shake the earth to its core, had fallen one by one before Phoenix. They had sought immortality, a perpetuity of life, never-ending. But Phoenix had shown them another path. A path that suggested the pursuit of immortality wasn''t in the preservation of the self, but in the liberation from it.
The Dao of Phoenix did not align with the pursuit of literal, eternal life. Instead, it resonated with the cessation of suffering, the liberation from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. His eyes, full of ancient wisdom and blazing courage, had faced his adversaries, bearing the essence of his enlightenment. He was the embodiment of the deathless state, a symbol of ultimate freedom from the mortal coil.
[Dao detected - Dao assigned: The Dao of the immo-]
"No," Alex declared again, his tone resolute. He was not seeking an endless life, he sought true immortality as the Phoenix did - a transcendence from suffering through enlightenment.
His eyes closed as he immersed himself in the echoing remnants of the vision, the Phoenix¡¯s Blade of Eternity disrupting the fabric of reality. The rifts it created were not mere physical wounds, they were profound glimpses, disruptions in the cycle of existence. Each swing was a step toward liberation, a progression toward a state of deathlessness, a stride on the Noble Eightfold Path he had once been taught in his younger days.
His thoughts returned to his grandfather, to the old man''s teachings on religion and the Eightfold Path. He had listened but never taken them seriously, always preferring to train or spend the little time he was allowed to roam free, with his friends. But now, alone, in this foreign world, he would give anything to sit through one of his grandfathers lectures. They had always seemed to mirror the Phoenix''s path. A path that had been with him even before the system, before his own rebirth. The endless cycle of life and death, of suffering and rebirth, and the pursuit of liberation from this cycle, rang true in his heart now more than ever. He felt as though its lessons had been with him his whole existence.
A red, bold message manifested before his eyes.
[True Dao detected - Dao identified: The Dao of True Immortality - Early Stages Detected. Progress: 0.01%]
This time, there was no opportunity, no choice to reject. The acceptance was already woven into the very fabric of his being.
In the wake of the message, a strange, exhilarating sense of connection bloomed within him. A connection with something beyond himself, beyond the dungeon, and beyond the world of Pyra. A weight, like that of the universe itself, seeped into him, humbling yet empowering. He felt attuned to the true nature of existence, to the deathless state of Nirvana. A path towards enlightenment, towards true immortality, had opened before him.
And as he stood there, atop the mountain summit, beneath the endless expanse of the cosmos, Alex took his first step.
Chapter 14: Respite
Alex stood at the edge of the summit, his gaze sweeping across the chaotic landscape. The aftermath of the battle lay scattered before him. The smoke veiled his view of the island landscape, the endless sea, and stars above. He stared at the jungle, his eyes tracing the path of the fire as it leapt from tree to tree, more ravenous than before.
Deadly silence reigned.
He blinked, forcing his eyes away from the fiery devastation, bodies of wolfmen and Titanapes lay strewn across the mountainside and jungle, victims of a devastating force. Some were molten statues encased in hardened lava, their last moments frozen forever; others lay sprawled across the mountainside, their lives extinguished as abruptly as they had been ignited, still, lifeless. His eyes found the scorched remnants of the wolf clan''s camp, a mere shadow of its former vitality. Once a buzzing hub of life and energy, it now lay in ruins, decimated and unrecognisable.
A thick grey curtain of smoke obscured his vision. Somewhere beyond it lay the portal, a beacon calling him to freedom. The island was in ruins, a morbid painting of death and destruction, craters both small and gargantuan, littered the jungle in a trail leading to the portal. And here he was, a single spark of life amidst the shifting carnage. He remembered Plantie, the carnivorous flora, and hoped it had survived somehow.
A sigh slipped past his lips.
Yet amongst the destruction, no sign of the pack leaders. No hint of the juvenile phoenix. Relief washed over him. A battle against such a force would be... daunting.
The thought of facing such a creature, given what he had just witnessed, sent a shudder coursing through his body. If such levels of power existed, he had to become stronger. Incomparably stronger.
His journey back was eerily quiet, no creatures stirred, their remains lay strewn about the mountain, an eerie silence hung heavy in the air, a brutal testament to the calamity that had taken place. He trod carefully among the bodies, weaving through the sea of corpses, his sword held high, ready to strike should a monster lunge out from the deathly stillness.
His gaze constantly shifted, scanning his surroundings, warily aware that survivors might still lurk in the shadows. But there were none. Only death welcomed him.
Death that would eventually empower the soil and create life.
His thoughts lingered on the phoenix. Those sword techniques¡
Hazy memories of his vision filled his mind. The Phoenix. The battle. The immortal masters. Their power was unparalleled, unlike anything he had seen or experienced in his life. He thought of his grandfather''s teachings, the echoes of a past life resonating with the Phoenix''s path. A path that he now walked.
The immortal masters were a blur in his mind, the raw power, technique and feats he witnessed a swirling vortex of impossibilities. But the phoenix... its movements were ingrained in his memory, echoing in the depth of his soul. Karmic Blade Dance, Samsara¡¯s Fury, the Cessation Strike.
Nothing in his kendo training had ever hinted at such techniques. No books, lessons, videos, scrolls, no whispered legends. The techniques were transcendent, impossible, baffling in their complexity yet beautiful in their execution. As he descended the mountain, he attempted to emulate those moves, incorporating his enhanced stats and spatial awareness.
The old masters used their divine artifacts, formation arrays, bloodline abilities. But the Phoenix, it had only its blade and an unyielding spirit. And yet, it had triumphed. He vaguely remembered not sensing any mana during the battle¡ How had they not used magic and still been so overwhelmingly powerful?
Could the Dao achieve such power?
The thought sent a thrill down his spine. His Dao, the path of True Immortality. If he walked this path... what heights could he reach?This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
As he entered the jungle, his thoughts turned to his Dao, and the vision of Phoenix and the immortal masters, their techniques continued to flash before his eyes.
Their footwork, the evasion, the powerful kicks, the flurry of sword strikes. Their moves were etched into his mind. He adopted a stance, his feet steady, his grip firm.
He exhaled a deep breath. Then another.
The first strike was swift. His blade cut through the air, the sound rang true in the otherwise silent jungle. It was a simple kendo strike, a horizontal slash. The next move, a vertical cut. The rhythm was slow at first, his movements measured and precise. But as he continued, his pace quickened. The sword became an extension of his arm, moving in a blur of metal.
He leapt into the air, a move he¡¯d never dared before. His body spun mid-air, and he slashed downwards. It was a reckless move, a desperate attempt to replicate the Phoenix''s acrobatics. But he landed on his feet, his sword pointing forwards.
He focused on his connection to the truth of immortality, not the illusion that the masters held, but his own dao.
Swiftly, he moved, leaping forward, his sword a blur of motion. He mimicked their movements, their grace, their power. He was no immortal master, no phoenix, but he was a warrior. Each strike he unleashed carried the essence of impermanence, for he understood that true immortality lay not in physical longevity but in liberation from the cycle of birth and death. As his strikes reverberated in the silence, creating echoes, they formed a barrage of profound teachings, a whirlwind of destruction rooted in the impermanence of existence. With every practiced strike, his blade whistled through the air, continuing to leave behind afterimages of swirling destruction. Though he knew he was still far from the harmonious fury witnessed in his visions, the images of the battle stored in his memory drove him forward on the path of understanding, liberation, and enlightenment.
Yet, it was still miles away from the harmonious fury he''d witnessed. The blurred fragments of that vision faded with every passing moment, but the lessons it taught, they were etched into his soul.
The ground crumbled beneath his feet, his trajectory altering from branch to branch, mimicking the celestial beings'' aerodynamic prowess. Each leap, each strike was an attempt to capture that uncanny grace he had witnessed. His movements began to flow like water, no longer bound by earthly restrictions.
Then, something clicked. A shift. Subtle, but powerful.
His blade danced through the air, slashing at invisible enemies. A new rhythm pulsed in his veins, one that mirrored the Phoenix¡¯s lethal ballet. And with that rhythm came understanding.
Each movement could disrupt the spiritual balance of his opponents, forcing them to confront their negative karma and suffer the consequences, ultimately leading to their demise. Each successful hit could unravel their life force, consigning them to oblivion and ensuring their permanent liberation from the cycle of suffering.
The strikes offered him a fleeting glimpse of enlightenment, hinting at a distant chance to break free from the perpetual cycle.
He could see it, the way his energy intertwined with his movements. It was raw, primitive compared to the Phoenix''s elegance, but it was a start.
In the solitude of the jungle, Alex danced. A whirlwind of bronze, a specter in the night. His form shifted, mimicking the masters, the phoenix. Leaping off trees, pirouetting mid-air, he became a storm, a maelstrom of razor-sharp wind. Kendo merged with the dance of immortals, forming something new.
Something uniquely his.
Phoenix leap.
In a blink, he shot forward, his sword slicing in an arc. He spun in mid-air, evading an imaginary foe, his body twisting, defying gravity. He landed, a cyclone of destruction, his blade tearing through the silence, echoing the Phoenix''s karmic dance.
The force of his strike shook the earth, shattering his blade, trees toppled over in a wave, sliced cleanly in two, creating a clearing in the dense jungle far larger than the length of his sword. He stood there, in the aftermath, his breath heavy, his body trembling from exertion. His eyes were wide, his mind in a state of shock.
How had he done that?
He was unsure, but still, he had done it. He had mimicked them. It was crude, nowhere near the elegance and power of the Phoenix and the immortals, but he had done it. A surge of victory rushed through him, his heart pounding in his chest.
His gaze turned to become locked onto the distant portal. But his sword - the bronze weapon he had relied on - lay shattered on the ground. With a sigh, he moved on.
The walk to the portal was silent, save for the occasional crackling of distant flames. He walked past molten bodies, through decimated camps, past the craters left by the Phoenix''s rebirth, and found another bronze sword on the corpse of a wolfman, although this one was broken at the tip. Yet, amidst the desolation, there was a certain tranquillity. The chaos of the past seemed muted, reduced to mere whispers by the roaring flames.
He continued to head towards the portal.
And as he arrived, he discovered the Wolf clan alpha and the hulking, giant titanape leader in front of it.
Badly wounded.
But alive.
Chapter 15: Apex Predator
Stood there, in front of the portal, were the last two survivors: the Wolf clan alpha and the Titanape leader.
Both looked as if they were hanging on by a thread, their once intimidating figures now reduced to wounded husks. But they were alive. And they were blocking his path.
Their bodies, both a mass of bruises and wounds, were only holding on by the sheer force of will and, perhaps, the remnants of their pride. The Titanape was missing an arm, riddled with cuts and burns, and the wolf Alpha seemed aged, emaciated.
The ground beneath them was scarred from their battle, and their lifeblood stained the terrain, all signs of their ferocious struggle with the juvenile phoenix.
With a thud that shook the ground, the Titanape drove his massive fist into the Wolf alpha, and with a retaliatory growl, the wolfman''s claws raked across the ape''s thick hide. The two primal leaders were locked in a deadly dance of survival, too consumed by their combat to notice Alex''s approach.
"Guess we aren''t done yet," Alex muttered to himself,
He looked down at the broken blade of his sword, contemplating.
The echoes of the Phoenix battle in his vision resonated within him, instilling him with newfound determination. He might not have possessed the celestial prowess he witnessed, but he could try to apply the lessons learned.
He began to draw from the connection to the greater truth infusing his being, attuning himself to the Dao around him. A subtle, warming sensation flowed through him, an energy akin to the life force he saw in Phoenix¡¯s dance. His eyes narrowed, focusing on the duelling titans, sizing them up.
He took a step forward, then another.
As Alex neared the giants, the hum of his Dao grew stronger, more focused. He could almost see it, a shifting veil around him. It didn''t make him stronger or faster, but it gave him an unexplainable feeling of purpose and clarity. It was not power, he realized, it was understanding.
He tried to move as the Phoenix did, reaching for the impermanence and fluidity he saw in its dance. Moving in a rhythmic pattern, his footsteps followed an unheard melody that only he could sense.
An errant swipe from the Titanape sent a shockwave his way. Instinctively, he moved with the energy, not against it, redirecting himself and continuing his dance. He wasn''t there yet, but he could feel it, the potential within him, the promise of what he could become.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
As he moved, he found himself increasingly in tune with his surroundings. He felt the life forces of the Alpha and Titanape, the vibrations of their battle, the energy of the land, even the faint echo of the Phoenix. His awareness extended out, blending with the world around him.
The beginnings of a soft, painful pounding began to ring in his mind, but he ignored it. He couldn''t give in to pain, or distractions. Not now.
He closed his eyes and for a moment, he could almost feel it. The web of life, impermanence and changing nature of everything, and he was in the center, feeling both small and immense at the same time.
The pounding in his skull grew stronger, but he pushed through regardless.
The battle before him slowed, not in reality, but in his perception. Each move of the alpha and titanape, every flicker of their energy became a piece of the dance he was learning to master. He didn''t seek to control it, but to understand it, to become one with it.
The howl of the Alpha shattered his meditation, and the sharp return to reality nearly took him off his feet. He opened his eyes to the sight of the two giants, locked in a fierce grip. Their struggle had come to a standstill, each waiting for the other to make a fatal mistake.
With a deep, steadying breath, Alex stepped forward. His dance was not yet complete, and he could feel the rhythm of his Dao calling him back to the fray. He no longer had just a sword, but he had something else, something just as sharp and unyielding.
He had his will.
Phoenix leap.
Gyaku Yokomen Uchi¡ Reverse Horizontal Slash.
Alex''s sword cut through the air, swift and precise. The first slash sliced through both monstrous opponents simultaneously, cleaving them apart. Without missing a beat, he reversed the direction of his blade, executing a swift and unexpected second strike, carving a path in the opposite direction, and further rending their weakened bodies.
Weakened and injured, they were defenceless. Their bodies lay in fragmented pieces, shattered remnants of their former strength strewn before the portal.
Alex felt a wave of remorse wash over him as he looked upon the broken bodies of the weakened alphas. Their frail condition made him wonder about their true strength, having somehow survived the brief passing of the Phoenix, even in its juvenile form as a ''world spirit.'' How powerful were they really? The question lingered, unanswered, filling the atmosphere with an unspoken heaviness, mixing with his own sense of regret.
[You defeated level 86 Apex Canid Alpha - additional experience points due to the level difference]
[You defeated level 79 Titanape Troop Alpha - additional experience points due to the level difference]
[Floor Quests: Wild Warrior, The Champion, Floor Destroyer, Completed - Floor cleared]
Reward: survivor feat, warrior feat, champion feat, Unique Skill Creation - Unknown grade]
[System Message: Level 23 > Level 27]
[45 unassigned stats - Speak or think ¡®Status¡¯ to allocate pending stats]
[2 Classed level stat boosts available]
[Class selection available]
Chapter 16: A Class above
[Select a Class of your choosing. Classes are based on your actions and achievements during your induction, and will aid you in spearheading your displayed strengths. Grow strong, and serve your imperial masters well]
[???????o????????t??????? ???????s??????????????Sys???????t??????? ???????emi???????c ???????Reg ???????ent ??????? (Unique): This cla ???????ss grants bon???????s???????es to s???????b ???????verting th ???????e system, manip ???????ulating its functi???????o????????ns, and gain ???????ing unique in ???????sights int???????o???????? the m???????ltitude of energ ???????i???????s??????? and path???????s??????? to power in exi ??????????????s???????tence. This class??????? is assigned ¡®Forbidden¡¯ and its acceptance will res???????ult in imperial action.
Levelling bonus: all stats +10
Skills: Energy Affinity, Control]
[Eternal Sword Sovereign (Unique): The Sword Sovereign is a class that emphasises strength, agility, magic, and strong sword skills. A Sword Sovereign utilises their mana to enhance their sword strikes, speed, and evasion. They are particularly adept at using their advantages in battles. rapid strikes. Mana combat. Controlling their blade with mana. swordplay and martial prowess. Sword Sovereigns use their mana to understand and execute complex sword techniques, as well as comprehend the profound essence of their weapon. They often integrate metaphysical mana into their fighting style, channelling essences of magic and its many forms into their blade. This class is more in tune with affinity for swords.
Levelling bonus: Strength +4, Dexterity+4, intelligence+6, 4 free stats
Skills: Mana Blade, Boundless Dodge]
[Karmic Rift Blade (Mythic): The Karmic Rift Blade class emphasises precise, devastating sword strikes that disrupt the flow of mana in opponents, akin to creating karmic rifts. It possesses the ability to disrupt mana around itself, thus interrupting enemy attacks. This class possesses high agility and attack stats, enabling swift movements and powerful offensive capabilities. The Karmic Rift Blade''s focus is on manipulating mana, to disrupt and incapacitate foes. With their exceptional agility and mastery over mana, these warriors excel at delivering impactful strikes that unravel the magical abilities around them.
Levelling bonus: Strength +5, Dexterity+6, intelligence+4, 5 free stats
Skills: Karmic Severance, Flux Barrier,]
[Nature''s Sentinel (Legendary): a class that focuses on encounters with magical, alien, rare, or floral wildlife, harnessing the power of mana to navigate and thrive in these diverse environments. Through the mastery of mana, class holders tap into the intrinsic magic of nature, enabling them to enhance their survival skills and interact harmoniously with their surroundings. By channelling mana, they gain heightened sensory perception, allowing them to sense the subtle movements of creatures and perceive the underlying magical forces at play. Furthermore, their connection to mana grants them the ability to communicate effortlessly with animals of all kinds, forming an unspoken bond that transcends language barriers. As the class progresses, Nature''s Sentinels can shape and manipulate mana to manifest protective barriers, tame creatures, create natural illusions, and even momentarily infuse their own being with the essence of nature mana, bestowing them with increased and new capabilities. With this arsenal of natural and magical abilities, Nature''s Sentinels become formidable guardians of the balance between civilization and the untamed realms of nature. grants bonuses to survival skills, nature magic, and the ability to commune with animals.
Levelling bonus: Endurance+3, Intelligence+4, Widom+4, free stats +4
Skills: Wildstep, Nature''s Aura, Fell Forestation]
[Apex Predator (Rare): This class, harnessing the power of mana, becomes a formidable force in the realm of hunting and vanquishing apex creatures. Mana, the essence of magic, infuses their every move, granting them unparalleled abilities. They can manipulate mana to enhance their hunting skills, enabling them to track elusive targets with remarkable precision. Furthermore, this infusion of mana provides them with heightened senses, allowing them to view and analyse the weaknesses of powerful creatures, making them exceptionally efficient at exploiting vulnerabilities. By utilising mana, they can detect the presence of apex creatures from a distance, attuning themselves to their unique magical signatures. Apex Predators are exceptionally devastating, dealing amplified damage to apex creatures, leaving no doubt as to their dominance in the realm of hunting.
Levelling bonus: Endurance+1, Strength+5, Dexterity+2, Intelligence +2, free stats +2
Skills: Hunters Shroud, Mythic Maw, Mark of the Hunted]
[Cursed Blade (Mythic): This class utilises mana to shave off and harnesses the user''s soul and life-force, infusing it into their weapon and body to unleash devastating attacks and movements bordering on the realm of imperial masters. A small portion of life force is consumed upon selecting this class, permanently boosting the stat gain by three times the standard of mythic classes. This class drastically reduces the holder''s lifespan, and excessive power results in a guaranteed untimely death. This class is assigned ¡®Forbidden¡¯ and its acceptance will result in imperial action.
Levelling bonus: All stats +10, free stats +10
Skills: Unholy Resilience, Soul Sacrifice, Devour, Death''s Embrace, Mortal Frenzy, Blink step]
[Crafter (common): This class is skilled in crafting and utilising weapons, items and equipment. The Crafter class is a specialised role focused on the creation, enhancement, and modification of various items and equipment. Crafters possess unique skills and knowledge in gathering resources, refining materials, and crafting powerful gear for themselves and others. They can also unlock and upgrade recipes, imbue magical properties into items.
Levelling bonus: Endurance+1, Strength+2, Dexterity+4, free stats +3
Skills: Blacksmith''s Touch, Artisan''s Eye]
The words hung in front of him, more significant than any he''d witnessed so far. The system claims the classes reflect his past actions and hint at futures where his strengths can be fully realised.
A smorgasbord of power. An all-you-can-eat buffet of potential.
Alex stood there, deep in thought, notifications flashing around him, each one carrying implications, and possible meanings and clues to the wider multiverse. He immediately dismissed the clearly broken and strange class called ''Systemic Regent''.
A glitched class? A hard pass.
The text was jumbled and hard to read, but he managed to parse its meaning. He stood there, pondering its meaning, implications, and possible relation to his glitched unusable second skill. The class, would most likely be no better than the glitched skill. He would shackle himself to a path of uselessness with that choice. Although... the choice itself was strange, and the description was admittedly tantalising. Subverting the system could be useful. That is, if the skills ever managed to work. Until then, It remained a liability. The glitches were unpredictable and have proved useless so far. He couldn¡¯t even use his glitched skill, so how could a glitched class help him? His skill had not activated a single time, despite all the times he had teetered on edge between life and death. The strange skill had been listed as a passive, but could he even trust it to even work like a normal skill? No, he had surmised that the skill just didn¡¯t work at all. Passive, or active, he felt no different; the skill changed nothing.
Could a glitched class be any better? Doubtful.
His eyes caught sight of the stat boosts. Tempting. Plus ten to all stats, with strength, dexterity, endurance, Intelligence and wisdom all receiving a boost of ten stats each, that was fifty stats in total. Fifty per level was insanely powerful, and ''Cursed Blade'' was even more so, at sixty. But he had already witnessed the power held by the outside worlds, and wondered what kind of power a group that holds dominion over such worlds- the Imperials, could have. He had no idea what effect the glitches could have. What if they played havoc? And he couldn''t risk an untimely death, shaving off pieces of his soul, and lifeforce.
Yet a thought nudged him - his Dao. True immortality. Could it help? Revive or rebirth his soul? He was unsure. It was too risky, too filled with uncertainty.
And why was he offered the cursed blade? It had the highest rarity but came with the steepest cost, not only his life and soul but also immediate attention and intervention by the ones powerful enough to control the system. Although it did seem to offer the power to combat them. Could he choose it and gain enough power before they arrived? What if they arrived immediately? Could he defeat them with the plethora of powerful skills the class offered? It seemed doubtful, but the skills all seemed immensely powerful ¡ª unholy resilience, devour, blink step. No doubt, he would gain an insane stat boost of some kind with soul sacrifice and likely a permanent one.
His gaze slid to the other classes, each carrying potential. He pondered each class''s potential pros and cons. Mana Blade was clearly some kind of blade made of mana. Outside of his dao and personal techniques, he lacked offensive capabilities. The description hinted at versatility and "controlling his blade," or ¡°the blades essence¡± which seemed like a skill that could make up for what he lacked. Boundless Dodge was also pretty clear ¡ª some kind of dodging skill. The "boundless" aspect caused him to feel it may allow him to dodge without constraint.
Very useful.
The glitched class offered energy sensing and hinted at paths to power beyond magic. The idea caused his thoughts to return to the immortals and the phoenix. Perhaps the skill could allow him to tap into their methods. It was something extremely interesting and tempting, but the uncertainty and thought of facing an imperial stayed his hand. Facing someone strong enough to rule over the masters in his vision was now an impossibility. He just wasn''t strong enough. How could he face a blow that could cleave a mountain in two? He would simply die as soon as they arrived or be captured.
Control, the other glitched skill, held no meaning to him. For all he knew, it could be just as useless as his existing one. The class was undoubtedly offered to him because of his glitched skill, but now, because of it, he had a hint as to the nature of his useless skill. It would be safer to learn how to use it than to select a dangerous class and set powerful monsters on his tail. If he could, he would subvert the system without a spotlight siccing world conquering masters after him.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
Karmic Rift Blade was clearly because of his Dao and the Phoenix''s ability to interact with karma. Could he do the same using the dao? If so, this class was redundant. Why choose a class that does what he already can? The Phoenix could sever karma and create barriers. He didn''t know how, but he was sure he would be able to do so with his dao once he gained understanding. The class would not be useful at all.
Nature''s Sentinel made him smile. It must have been because of his encounter with Plantie. It was an interesting class, extremely versatile, and came with what looked like combat skills, but the stat boosts per level were paltry. In more peaceful circumstances, he may have chosen it and grown stronger while fighting with an army of monstrous plants and tamed animals, but it couldn''t help him here. It wouldn''t give him the edge he needed to survive and make it back to Earth.
Apex Predator, however, was a top contender. Hunter''s Shroud must have been some sort of stealth skill, Mythic Maw an attack of some kind, and Mark of the Hunted could have many meanings, all of them impressive. The stat boosts focused on strength but still didn''t outshine the other classes. It was no doubt offered due to his slaying of the pack leaders and floor guardians. Deep down, he felt he didn''t deserve this class. That had barely even been a fight.
And ¡®Eternal sword sovereign¡¯. Another ¡®unique¡¯ class. Although mythic, legendary and rare classes offer more starting skills, the unique rank suggested that it may have been made just for him, and it felt that way. But he did not need a class that mimicked his Dao in a much weaker way. His vision had shown him that the dao was supremely powerful when compared to magic. What he needed was versatility, something that played to all of his strengths, and the class seemed perfect for his journey with the blade.
He glanced at the classes one last time, searing the details into his memory for future reference.
So... He thought, Common Classes give stat boosts of ten per level,
Rare Classes give twelve,
Legendary Classes give fifteen
Mythic Classes is twenty, according to the class description
and Unique Classes give stat boosts anywhere from eighteen to sixty per level... Eternal sword sovereign gives eighteen, and Systemic regent gives fifty... Damn, unique classes are OP. I wonder if i can evolve them... you can evolve race, probably. Why not classes?
Alex rubbed his chin in consideration. Should he ever encounter someone with a powerful or even weak class, it would be good to know what he was dealing with, and what stats, and strength, they could potentially have.
After pondering all of the skills and classes and which of his actions could have possibly led to them being made available, he decided to choose ''Eternal Sword Sovereign''. The class was clearly created due to his dedication to the blade and attempts at creating an immortal sword style. It''s perfect. He selected the class, received a notification of class confirmation and skill confirmation, and felt the mana within him deepen and expand. A warm feeling spreading throughout his body, centering on his heart.
Pain seized him.
The holographic panel turned blood-red for a second time. A jumbled mess of glyphs crossed it, bleeding off the screen and into reality, a confusing mess of symbols that hurt Alexis gaze. His eyes unfocused as he struggled to understand, and his heart skipped a beat as he saw the crimson message warp, twist, and change.
[Class: ??????? ???????s???????Sys???????te??????mi???????c ???????SwO??????rd S ???????o????????ve???????reign?????? selected!]
No. Not again.
His heart jumped, and his body convulsed, seizing and falling over as pain engulfed his every nerve. The pain, white-hot and blinding, lashed through him, causing his muscles to bulge and contort. A deep ache filled his being,a wrongness. It felt as though the very essence of who he was was being torn apart and altered. For a moment, all he knew was pain. But it was over as soon as it began. The pain stopped and vanished completely, as if it had never even happened. He was back, crumpled on the jungle floor, the moist earth cooling his heated skin. He rose to his feet and viewed the fading blood red panel.
[Class: ??????? ???????Sys???????te??????mi???????c ???????SwO??????rd So????????ve???????reign??????:
The Sword Sovereign is a class that emphasises strength, agility, magic, and strong sword skills Ab??????????????O??????ve ??????? all. A Sword Sovereign utilises their energ ???????i???????s??????? to enhance their sword strikes, speed, and evasion. They are particularly adept at using their advantages in battles. rapid strikes. Mana combat. Controlling their blade with mana. swordplay and martial prowess. Sword Sovereigns use their mana to understand and execute complex sword techniques, as well as comprehend the profound essence of their weapon. They often integrate metaphysical mana into their fighting style, channeling the essences of energ ???????i???????s??????? and their many forms into their blade. This class is more in tune with affinity for swords.This cla ???????ss grants bon???????s???????es to s???????b ???????verting th ???????e system, manip ???????ulating its functi???????o????????ns, and gain ???????ing basic in ???????sights int???????o???????? the m???????ltitude of energ ???????i???????s??????? in exi ??????????????s???????tence.
Leveling bonus: Strength +4, Dexterity+4, intelligence+6, 4 free stats]
[Class Skill: Mana Blade gained!]
[Class Skill: Boundless Dodge gained!]
[Class Skill: Due??????l of C???????orruption gained!]
Alex blinked, the glitching system messages still seared into his vision. His choice, his action, had been completely subverted, and the very nature of his class twisted into into an unexpected consequence. He had chosen the Eternal sword sovereign, but whatever was causing his system to malfunction had warped the class and granted him something else. Something unknown, and something he hoped was more than it had once been.
[System Inductee level 27 - Unclassed threshold exceeded by: 2 levels]
[Class selected: 2 class stat boosts assigned]
[Strength +8, Dexterity+8, intelligence+12, unassigned stats +8]
[Floor reward - Unique skill allocated, please proceed to the portal to create skill]
So the glitch didn¡¯t boost my stats to 50 per level. How disappointing. But at least there¡¯s no threat of ¡®imperial action... maybe overpowered stat boosts trigger the warning? He had 52 free stats, but decided to wait to see what the next floor had to offer before assigning them. A small part of the reason he had chosen the sword sovereign class was because it''s natural state gain matched what he had intended. He supposed that was why the original class had been offered to him, ¡®based on his actions so far¡¯, it had said. This was life and death, and he would happily dump all 50 stats into strength, dexterity, or even endurance if it meant he would survive, it could even be an evolution. He understood the need to hone his path more than anyone, to focus himself to become the sharp point of a blade. But deep down, he felt that only a fool would treat their life flippantly, dying because they were attached to some silly ideal ¡®build¡¯. What if you met the perfect counter to your specifications? Would you die with a smile? Alex wouldn''t. In his mind, a true fighter had to be fluid, adaptaple, able to change at a moment''s notice.
Like water.
He inhaled sharply and rubbed at a phantom pain in his chest, it still tingled and ached, as if some part of his being had been burned, hammered and twisted. The ghostly pain interrupted his train of thought.
That ache during the class gain¡ What was that? it was strange¡ it felt like my soul was on fire¡ I could¡¯ve sworn the pain was stat growth, but my stats hardly changed¡ To Alex, it had felt like he¡¯d been rolled down a hill in a sack filled with glass while being chased and beaten by angry hobos- or at least how he imagined something like that would feel like. The second of pain had seemed to stretch longer than possible, as if time had stood still for minutes. But somehow he knew it had only lasted an instant, passing through him in milliseconds. He stood, and dismissed the notifications and stat boosts- it could wait. He was more interested in testing his new skills.
He thought the words "Boundless Dodge," but nothing happened, although he felt his mana dip slightly. Instinctively, he felt that if something were to be striking at or attacking him in that moment, once the skill had been activated, he would be able to see what the skill was truly capable of. It was almost as if he¡¯d always known that information and just remembered it.
It was an odd sensation. To Alex, having feelings and knowledge planted in his head so subtly felt strange. And while it was convenient, it just didn¡¯t feel right.
Eh, whatever. I''m sure there¡¯s ways around it. He vividly remembered one of the three powerful wolves spamming ¡®Phoenix Leap¡¯ without any of the cooldowns he was subjected to, in fact, all three of the wolves had done so with each of their traversal skills. That told him there were ways to get past the system''s skill limitations; he just needed to figure them out. Let¡¯s hope the new class lives up to its description and isn''t as useless as the glitched ¡®Agemo¡¯ skill. He thought. Actually¡ Agemo, activate?
Alex stood there in silence, amidst the aftermath of chaos, the scorched jungle swaying, caressed by the wafting winds of dying flames and growing embers, his mana not budging an inch at his attempted skill activation. Still nothing. Well it was worth a try.
Alex''s gaze lingered on the holographic panel, its glitching text a buzzing reminder of the unexpected twist in his fate. The scorched jungle around him, littered with the remnants of battles, seemed almost peaceful compared to the turmoil in his mind.
Okay, let''s break this down. The system''s clearly gone haywire. ''Systemic Sword Sovereign'' instead of ''Eternal Sword Sovereign''?
The existence of multiple glitched classes and a procedure for ¡®imperial action¡¯ suggested a broader phenomenon. It suggested that the glitches weren''t new, they must''ve happened before. ¡°You can''t forbid a class you''ve never seen,¡± he muttered to himself in deep thought. The warnings around overpowered stat boosts could suggest that other glitches or forbidden classes were all based around overpowered stats and growth. That makes sense. If I was an imperial ¡®master¡¯, I wouldn''t want a serf to get too strong, or as strong as Phoenix. The fact that there was no Imperial action or warning around his new corrupted class implied that the nature of both his glitches and class was truly unique. It had to be something the system, or the Imperial had never seen before, that could explain why it wasn''t forbidden. Or maybe it was the classes pretty basic stat gain. But either way, why him?
Although the new class might allow deeper understanding of the system, on reviewing the changes in the skill description, it seemed to Alex as though ¡®systemic regent¡¯ was more powerful than ¡®systemic sword sovereign¡¯, although it wasn''t geared towards the sword. Systemic Regent offered ¡®unique insights¡¯ rather than the ¡®basic insights¡¯ of systemic sword sovereign. But the fact that his class choice had been subverted at was a slight cause for concern. Perhaps any choice he made would¡¯ve produced a warped, glitched, and twisted version.
Is the system even reliable, then? And if the imperials created the system, wouldn¡¯t they have free control over it? Why would it even have forbidden classes? An idea was creeping on the corners of his mind, the idea that maybe his class and the glitches had nothing to do with the Imperials at all.
Well, this is a fine mess. He moved on to his second latest skill, deciding it was better to focus on the things he could control.
¡°Duel of corr-¡° His instincts screamed a warning. Without a target, this skill would do nothing, and its cool-down would last a whole day.
Huh, at least it works, sort of. I wonder what it does? Another glitched skill, his second one so far- ¡®Duel of Corruption¡¯- It hadn¡¯t been in the original class description, meaning that whatever malfunction twisted his class had added that skill in there. This ''Duel of Corruption''... sounds ominous. It¡¯s got to be an attack skill of some kind. What''s it going to corrupt? The system? My enemies?¡ Or me? He guessed he wouldn¡¯t find out what the skill did until he had a target.
Mana Blade'' and ''Boundless Dodge'' are still there, at least. Same foundation as the eternal sword sovereign class, but it could be the skills have changed somehow. He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, the sensation reminding him of the youthful vigor in this new body. Despite all the changes and uncertainty, a small part of him revelled in the forgotten feeling of youth. Resigned but relieved, he moved on to the final class skill.
Mana Blade, he thought.
The skill, ''Mana Blade'' coated his blade in a thin, barely visible sheen of pure mana. He sensed that he could influence the mana somehow but had no idea how to do so. Strangely, this time his instincts didn¡¯t tell him how. Curious, he rested the blade on a nearby log, only for the blade to sink in as if the log was made of butter. His mana reserves were almost exhausted from the brief use.
It seemed that the skill had a constant drain while activated and could only be used for a minute at most. It wasn''t something he''d be able to use indefinitely.
Still, it was a start.
Chapter 17: The End of a Dungeon
Alex walked towards the pulsing portal, uncertainty etched on his face as he contemplated his next move. His hand tensed slightly as he extended it, cautiously placing it through the magical barrier. The moment his hand breached the portal''s threshold, he felt a surge of powerful magic enveloping him, an alien sensation that tingled through his fingertips and spread throughout his body. He was submerged in a cocoon of energy.
Amidst the swirling currents of magic, a notification had materialised before his eyes, its words glowing in golden letters:
[Floor completed, proceed to next floor & claim unique skill and rewards?]
"Yes," he breathed out, almost lost in the overwhelming rush of energy that consumed his senses.
Gradually, the sensation subsided, leaving him gasping for breath. As the storm of magic dissipated, Alex found himself standing in a vast expanse, the ground beneath him and the distant surroundings bathed in unrelenting white. The emptiness stretched endlessly, an unknown realm devoid of any discernible landmarks.
[Quest ¡®Incursion event -Daemon Sentinel¡¯ Completed]
[Rewards: Granted.]
[Reward: E- rank weaponry - Standard Canid Bronze Sword, has been placed in your Possession!]
Alex felt a weight settle in his free hand. He looked to his open palm, and saw a pristine bronze sword within his grip, reflecting the light of the expanse. His attention was then drawn to screens that continued to appear before him
[Gained Feat: "Survivor" need for sustenance of all kinds reduced by 50%]
[Gained Feat: "Warrior" all stats +5% when in battle against higher level opponents.]
[Gained Feat: "Champion" all stats + 5% when outnumbered in combat]
[Initiating Skill creation protocol¡]
[System Alert: Skill creation has been influenced by your class]
[¡]
[Congratulations on receiving the first unique skill on the planet. ¡®Inner Focus¡¯ - Rank B gained!]
[ Pioneer All stats +5 > Pioneer I - All stats +7]
Alex felt the rush of instant stat gain, reduced to a slight tingle, before a deep voice shattered the tranquility. The flashing feat vanished with a swift wave of his hand. It seemed he had company. There was no room for distractions, then.
"An interloper? So soon? Strange..." The voice, deep and tinged with authority, interrupted his thoughts.
Alex pivoted on his heel, his eyes scanning the expanse behind him. There, he saw a figure emerge from the stark whiteness¡ªa large and aged wolfman, distinguished by his gray streaks and weathered countenance. Clutching a long cane and draped in a patchwork attempt at an Asian traditional robe, the wolfman exuded an air of ancient wisdom and power. Despite his advanced age, he stood tall, towering over Alex with an imposing presence.
To Alex''s surprise, five more wolfmen, similarly robed, were seated in a wide circle some distance away, engaged in a mysterious ritual. Between them, the flickering traces of a portal danced and jolted in the air, the beginnings of a gateway to another realm, its myriad energy and vivid colours in striking contrast to the monochrome world.
The old wolfman followed Alex¡¯s gaze to look towards his companions, before he stepped to the right, blocking Alex¡¯s view of his allies in an instant. The small movement had been too fast for Alex to track, causing a slight shockwave and a puff of white dust-filled air.
The old Wolf had instantly shifted position with a single step, blurring before Alex¡¯s system enhanced vision. It was almost as if the wolf had moved so fast it had disappeared entirely.
¡°Focus, interloper.¡± The wolf growled, its voice booming with rugged irritation. ¡°I''m talking.¡±
Alex paused in shock, and without hesitation, He opened his stat sheet and dumped all fifty three of his unassigned stats into strength, dexterity, and intelligence. Sixteen into strength, sixteen into dexterity, and thirty-one into intelligence.
[Name: Alex Ironwood
Level: 27
Race: Human - Rank F
Primary Class: ??????????????Sys???????te??????mic SwO??????rd So????????ve???????reign
Sub-class: Locked
Strength: 119 (77)
Dexterity: 166 (107)
Endurance: 65 (42)
Intelligence: 180 (116)
Wisdom: 43 (28)
Feats: First Encounter, Pioneer, Pinnacle IV, Survivor, Warrior, ChampionFind this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!
Active skills: Phoenix Leap, Mana Burn, Mana Blade, Boundless Dodge, Du???????l of C???????orruption,
Passive skills: Inner Focus, A???????l????????¨¤???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????¦¸??????? ??????????????? ???????????????????????g???????e??????e???????E??????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????? ????????????????????M???????m????????????????????????????????????????? ??????? ???????????????????????O??????o??????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????? ??????????????? ??????? ???????????????????????
Dao: True Immortality - 0.03% Progress
Unassigned stat points: 0]
Viewing his stats, Alex was dumbfounded, he was receiving a 55% bonus. That meant two things; this wolf was stronger than he was, and the system was including his summoners as a part of the force Alex was battling, despite them apparently not being directly involved in the fight and busy with the portal. That was a cause for concern. Still, his key stats had all entered the hundreds, almost double his levels worth. That put him on equal terms with someone around level 65, assuming they had a common class and skills. Maybe in the level 50¡¯s if the rarity of their class was higher.
He hoped it would be enough.
He needed strength and speed, but he would need the reaction time even more, to fight and even see this old monsters'' movements. With higher dexterity his body could move faster, but without intelligence, his mind would not be able to keep up with the speed of things around him. If this system was similar to the ones he played on earth, then intelligence should involve mana in some way... he¡¯d long suspected it dictated his mana pool. He was pretty sure it was between intelligence and wisdom, but his money was on intelligence. It would explain why it usually took so long for him to run out of mana. After all; intelligence had been and now was once again his highest stat.
He exhaled, centering himself as the warm sensation of evolution engulfed him.
The old wolfman regarded Alex with a haughty gaze, his eyes glinting with knowledge and superiority. "Ah, a human," he sneered, a faint hint of a snarl curling his lip. "Somehow arriving before our dungeon has even begun to be built, and before the tutorial has ended. Alone.¡± The wolfman eyed him curiously. ¡°There are eight more stages to be built in our dungeon, and many more bosses to arrive, a legion, even. I am merely a Commander, and the General, Swifthelle the unyielding, is not here- but I doubt you would even survive her blades swing.¡± The Wolfman mimicked a swinging motion with both arms and smiled, his sharp teeth almost blinding as they reflected the light of the empty expanse. ¡°This stage, this small realm- it¡¯s incomplete. And yet here you are.¡± The Wolfman gave a hearty laugh that sounded like a mix between the howls of a fat man and the huffs of a canine. He continued. ¡°Tell me, stranger, are you really strong or just really lucky?"
Alex, considered the question, and held back a chuckle at all of the insanity he had faced in the last week. ¡°A bit of both, really¡± he said, with a smirk.
The cavern rumbled with the growl of the ancient wolf, eyes alight with age-old wisdom. His demeanor shifted at Alex¡¯s response. "You younglings, think yourselves special. That you stand a chance against the inevitable. The Canids are ordained by the heavens themselves to rule over this plane when the Imperials arrive." His voice was like the crackling of burning timber, ominous yet enchanting.
Alex, struggling to calm his pounding heart at the words and hidden meanings, stared at the towering figure.
Finally, he had met something that could speak in a language he understood. It had been too long since he had communicated with something other than the inhuman system, perhaps he could finally get some answers. "Why?" He asked, eyes narrowed. "Why invade?¡±
The old wolf''s gaze fell on the portal nearby. "That," he pointed with his staff, "is not a decoration. It''s a gateway to our world. When the Imperials arrive, we, the Canids, will ascend, becoming the rightful caretakers and regents of this plane. We will rule this realm in all but name, answering only to them. If you surrender now, you will keep your life and remain in this dungeon as a part of our force. That would be best, pup."
Alex gripped the hilt of his sword, feeling the rough grain against his palm. So this is what was happening on Earth, and in this strange world he had yet to truly see. He hoped his family was doing well. Everyone on Earth, and Pyra too, for that matter, had time on their side. They had their tutorials, and whatever benefits the experience would bring. His family, his friends, they would definitely be ok, he hoped. In the week he¡¯d spent studying the wolfmen camp, he had seen their brutality and ruthlessness first hand. The daily battles, and what looked like ¡®honour duels¡¯ or simple tests of strength often ended in death matches among the clan. How would they treat those below them, or their enemies, if they killed their allies for simply being too weak? A Spartan culture like that would be a nightmare to live under, millions would die.
That was unacceptable.
¡°And why should we surrender without a fight?" He asked, his voice low and steady, ready.
"A fight, you say?" The old wolf chuckled, a harsh, grating sound. His fangs glistened ominously. "Why, what you faced was but a scouting party. Our main force approaches in waves, and believe me, boy, it''s more than you can handle. How long do you think we have had our system? Weeks? Months? years?"
The old wolf leaned forward on his cane, his sharp features contorting into an inhuman grin, "Or centuries?."
Canines as long as Alex''s fingers reflected the white of the expanse around them as the wolfman continued, "Our leaders, our Alphas, and our Supremes. Each of them could raze this planet. The system attempts to limit us, to protect you from our strength, reduce our levels, stats, and classes to give you a chance. But it has always been futile. A fresh planet cannot hope to compare. I commend you on your survival, human. But your journey has reached its end. Surrender or perish, it makes no difference. Our pack is endless." At this, the graying wolf displayed a smug, satisfied grin.
His words hung in the air between them like the scent of blood, heavy with an unspoken threat. Alex steadied himself despite its implications. He couldn''t afford to let the wolf get under his skin.
"And yet," Alex said, voice steady, "there''s only one of you guarding the portal."
A wry smile curled upon the old wolf''s lips, as if he had read Alex''s thoughts. "I alone am more than suitable," he declared, his voice dripping with confidence. And with those words, he raised his staff, pointing it directly at Alex. "Let us begin."
As they settled into stances, with tense movements, a sudden flurry of system notifications flashed before Alex''s eyes:
[Active Quests: Limitless Prospect: Reach level 200. Reward: Unlock sub-class.]
[Floor Quest: Complete quest to close Incursion Dungeon and return to Pyra.
1: Inducted Insurgent: Servant species ''Apex Canids'' are attempting to summon their main force into the dungeon and break free to invade and subvert planet designation ''Pyra'' - Defeat the Commander - designation ''Warbane Greydath'' and stop the summoning.
Reward: E rank ''Outer Focus'' skill, E rank ¡®Inventory¡¯ skill, Release from dungeon, E-grade equipment, ''Dungeon Insurgent'' Feat - Increased regeneration & resilience when invading planes or facing invaders]
"Huh," Alex muttered, a mix of surprise and amusement colouring his voice. "So I really only have to beat one guy?" A hint of a smirk tugged at his lips. "I wasn''t expecting it to be this easy."
The wolf commander cocked his head, a mix of curiosity and amusement hinted in his eyes. "¡ Humans." the commander sneered, before acting.
In a flash of motion, the wolf launched himself at Alex with explosive speed, almost appearing to have disappeared for a second to Alex''s senses, his movements a blur of fur and fangs.
A streak of grey and white instantly descended on Alex, faster than his eyes could follow. Alex barely even saw him move before a blade was at his neck, less than a second away from removing his head from his body.
Chapter 18: Overpowered
In a flash, the wolf commander launched himself at Alex with explosive speed, his movements a blur of fur and fangs as a plume of white dust sprayed across the empty expanse.
A streak of grey and white instantly descended upon him, faster than his eyes could follow. Alex barely even saw him move before a blade was racing towards his neck.
Alex was less than a breath away from being decapitated, frozen in time, only just realising what had happened, his eyes only just noticing the blade.
His body couldn''t move in time, and his mind barely kept up. Even with his enhanced stats, it was too fast.
He was going to die.
But then he remembered his new skill,
Boundless Dodge.
With the activation of his skill, his torso shifted at impossible speeds of its own volition, twisting and arching back. In one second, he was about to have his neck sliced in two, and in the next, he found himself arched back unnaturally, staring at the old wolf commander who had landed some distance behind him.
Shocked, Alex warily turned to face his opponent, watching for any sudden movement, his latest skill on the tip of his tongue.
The wolf stood before Alex, towering. Gray streaks of age adorned his fur, like a lion''s mane, and the long cane in its hand had transformed to become a thick spear, humming with energy.
With a roar, the old wolf lunged again, an explosion of white dust the only indication of its movement. Alex froze as in the blink of an eye, the wolf crossed the distance, a mess of fur and metal inches from impaling his stomach.
Alex''s instincts screamed to dodge, and his body obliged, moving slowly, too slowly to dodge in time, as if moving through molasses, as if submerged underwater. The old wolf was just impossibly fast. Alex couldn''t hope to keep up.
Boundless Dodge, he thought.
A force of mana seized him and shifted his body, instantly positioning his feet and sliding him unnaturally to the side. The wolf''s spear tip missed him by mere centimetres as he felt the gust of wind from the missed attack. He attempted to retaliate from his awkward angle, his sword blurring towards the wolf commander.
Phoenix Leap. He thought as he triggered his other skill.
Alex was propelled towards the commander in a blast of motion, his sword mid-swing. The commander shifted lightning-fast, his movements still a blur. Alex panicked at the speed and preemptively activated Boundless Dodge, feeling a force launch him over the wolf insanely fast. His body temporarily moved just as fast as the old wolf. A Phoenix Leap sent him crashing back down towards his opponent from the air, his sword held ready, raised high above his head to deal a devastating blow.
From above, he fell upon the monstrously large wolfman, his gaze unwavering, focused on the precise target.
He tapped into his Dao, the unending state of impermanence and change, and channelled it into his sword, activating his skills once again.
Mana Blade. Phoenix Leap. Boundless Dodge.
And as he fell, engulfed in mana, he utilised a kendo technique, one his grandfather had ingrained into him many times.
Menuchi... Mask Strike.
Alex brought his sword down in a powerful arc, moving at a speed he could barely control. His sword aimed for the wolfman''s head. The blade, guided by his focused intent, sliced through the air with precision.
Descending downwards like a thunderbolt, the blade came crashing down on the wolf commander. The impact resonated through the air, a resounding clash of metal, magic, and impermanence.
In that single moment of impact, a large crack tore through the ground, as if the dungeon itself shuddered beneath the weight of his clash. The once-clear white surface split open, revealing a hidden layer of weathered stone beneath. The area surrounding the point of impact now appeared withered and aged, as if the stone had been a part of this land for centuries, rather than a mere week.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
But Alex felt no other impact through his blade, no torn flesh, bone, or fur. No wolfman.
He had struck nothing but air.
The commander was already out of range, watching Alex some distance away while leaning on his staff. The old wolf, ''Warbane'', studied the crack in the ground and cocked his head towards Alex. "You fight like an imperial. A crippled, impossibly weak one. Amusing."
Alex''s brow furrowed, his fingers tightening around his hilt at the new information. "An... Imperial?"
The wolf chuckled. "Innocence. How charming. Yet, ignorance and charm won''t save your race. They are masters of the system, masters of the realms. As are we. And your realm; your planet, is next."
This wasn''t technically his planet, but Alex felt no need to correct him.
The wolfman gestured towards the sky, his tone growing darker. "Once they arrive, resistance will only lead to suffering. Surrender is the wise path. Minimise casualties, submit, and accept your place in the new order."
He wanted to keep the old wolf talking and gain some insight into why all of this was happening, as it seemed to have a penchant for gloating. Why do people even gloat, anyway? its pretty dumb telling your enemies all of your plans, Alex thought between breaths. He wanted to view the old wolfman as a dumb beast, something he could outwit and beat by playing it smart, and gaining information. But he had to admit, its overconfidence was getting to him. Alex couldn''t resist revealing his feelings on the matter. "We''ll see," he said.
"You think you can stand against the might of the Canids? Of the imperials?" the wolf commander snarled, his eyes narrowing and filled with an air of superiority. "Foolish."
To Alex, It was a taunt, a dare.
Alex''s response was swift and filled with conviction. "I''ve faced stronger foes.¡± As he spoke, he settled once more into his stance. ¡°I''ll be the one standing when this battle ends."
The commander bristled at this. With a roar, the wolf lunged at him, staff swinging, a spear tip having somehow appearing at its end. Alex raised his blade in defense, the metallic ring of their weapons clashing echoing through the air. The force of the impact sent him stumbling back, his boots sliding across the rocky ground as he regained his footing. His stats should have been boosted close to the hundreds by now. Just how strong was this old wolf?
Skills it is then. Phoenix Leap. Boundless Dodge. Phoenix Leap. he thought.
Alex shot forward and struck at the wolf, instantly shifted out of the way of its counter attack, and launched towards it again with his blade. He was getting used to this new skill.
The old wolf cocked his brow as he leapt out of harm''s way.
"Impressive," the wolf growled, his eyes gleaming with savage delight. "But you''re still only human. It seems you can only evade as fast as me, but not much else."
Alex didn''t respond, his eyes focused on the wolf before him. He swung his blade, their weapons clashing once again. Every strike, every parry, pushed him further, forcing him to reach deeper into his reservoir of strength. His bones shook with every impact, and he stumbled with every clash. The wolf was faster than him, much faster. And stronger than him too. He would have to rely on his technique, skills, and Dao to win this.
The battle raged on, the old wolf''s strength never wavering. But with each strike, Alex grew more determined, his resolve solidifying like steel in a forge. He wouldn''t give up. He couldn''t.
The old wolf''s laughter echoed around him, but Alex didn''t let it distract him. He was a warrior, and he would fight to the end, to victory. Phoenix Leap. His blade flashed, cutting through the air with a whistle.
The wolf parried his attack, but Alex was ready. Boundless Dodge. He shifted his stance, throwing his weight into a counter-attack. His blade met the wolf''s spear, the impact sending a shockwave rippling through the clearing.
Alex had realised during the fight how the ''Boundless Dodge'' skill truly worked. Once the skill was activated, there was a period of around 2 seconds where any single attack sent at him would be forcefully dodged, his mana seizing his body and shifting it in ways he would never be able to otherwise, even with his stats. He soon realised that if he thought of a general direction or way he wanted to dodge, the skill would instinctively oblige.
He could hardly see the wolf move, so instead, he anticipated the wolf commander''s every action, presenting it with fake openings, traps, faints, and misdirection. Aided by his Dao, Alex seamlessly transitioned between offence and defence continuously, his life at the blades edge. Boundless Dodge he thought. With a swift sidestep, he evaded a devastating blow that would have shattered bone. Phoenix Leap. In a fluid motion, he countered with a lightning-fast thrust, his speed boosted by the explosive leap at close range, aiming straight for the wolf commander''s chest.
The wolf commander twisted his body at the last moment, narrowly avoiding the strike. His eyes widened with a mix of surprise and admiration. "Once again, impressive," he growled, his voice filled with grudging respect. "But you''re not the only one with tricks up their sleeve."
As if on cue, the other wolfmen rose from their circle, their eyes blazing with a multicoloured glow. In unison, they chanted incantations, their voices rising and falling in an strange melody. The ground beneath them trembled, and tendrils of dark energy snaked their way towards the wolf commander, encasing him in a swirling vortex of power.
The wolf commander¡¯s form distorted and grew, his body expanding into a towering beast. Muscles sprouted from every inch of his skin, his hands morphing into massive claws, each finger sporting a long bladed claw half the size of Alex¡¯s sword. He had transformed into another form¡ªa more formidable and imposing werewolf, his power multiplied, and his size scaled even further. On all fours, he was big as a large car, or a van. He discarded his spear as lightning began to spark across his claws and arms, and he spoke once more, his voice now deeper and booming.
He sighed.
"Human. In the new order, and in the new worlds, you should fear the very old and the very young. For neither can survive long without great power."
The wolf then raised its hackles and prepared to lunge.
"I''m afraid this is where our game ends, little one."
Chapter 19: An Incursion of Mortals
A wave of dread washed over Alex, but he swallowed it down, eyes locked on the giant beast in front of him. His strength and stats were not enough, the old beast before him- now even stronger than before- had proven that. He had barely seen most of its blows, only relying on ''boundless dodge'' to survive. He needed to use all of the tools available, all of his skills, and Skills, to secure victory. He needed to level the playing field. He focused, settling deeper into his stance. He was in the eye of the storm, and he had to move with the lightning. He eyed the electric bolts racing across the beasts arms. They were concerning.
But he still had an ace in the hole, skills he hadn¡¯t used yet. And one of them would double his stats.
His voice swept across the clearing, resounding with determination. His hand tightened around his sword¡¯s hilt as he muttered the words ¡°Mana burn¡±.
[Mana burn (Duration: 30 sec): slowly Burns through the casters entire mana pool to double stats for a short period. A portion of your mana will be allocated to skill use during the time limit]
In response, the wolf¡¯s lips curled into a vicious grin, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth. It roared, a sound that seemed to shake the very ground beneath them, and charged, blurring towards him as a crack appeared where it once stood.
Alex prepared himself, steeling his nerves and attempting to channel his Dao into his blade. He activated Boundless Dodge as the beast descended upon him, its clawed hand whistling through the air. His blade came up to meet the attack, steel clashing against monstrous claws. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the clearing, kicking up clouds of dust.
Blood poured down his arms and out of his mouth. Every nerve in his body screamed at him to run, to flee from this impossible enemy. But he couldn''t - wouldn''t. This was his fight. His Dao.
He would change, become impermanent. Ending and unending, and his blade would be the catalyst.
His grip on his sword tightened, his knuckles turning white. He activated Phoenix Leap, launching himself towards the beast. His blade sang true in his hands, slicing through the air towards the monstrous wolf.
The beast roared again, swinging its claw down in an attempt to crush him. Alex activated Boundless Dodge, and his body twisted unnaturally to evade the blow.
¡°Mawashi-Giri." Spinning slash he whispered, his voice unheard in the winds of combat.
He retaliated with a swift spinning cut towards the beast¡¯s flank. His blade bit into the wolf¡¯s hide, drawing a spurt of dark blood. In that moment, his body moved on its own, years of Kendo training seizing his muscles and guiding his actions.
The wolf howled in fury, an explosion of lightning engulfing its form, racing off it in arcs. The explosion knocked Alex backwards, sending him flying. Alex crashed into the empty ground in pain as streaks of burn scars arced throughout his body. Warbane the wolf, sped towards Alex in a burst of electric rage, its speed enhanced by the bolts, and retaliated with a swipe of its clawed hand. Alex rolled to his feet and dodged, shifting his body aside with the help of a Boundless Dodge. Another activation of the skill allowed him to dodge the errant bolts leaping off the wolfmans passing form. Alex retaliated with another slash, this one aimed at the beast¡¯s arm. Again, his blade cut into the beast¡¯s flesh, drawing more dark blood.
But the wolf didn¡¯t seem to feel the pain. Instead, its fury grew, its eyes burning bright with a dangerous, predatory intensity. It roared and lunged again, its massive claws whistling through the air towards Alex. But Alex was already moving. He activated Phoenix Leap, shooting into the air above the beast.
He watched as the beast swiped at the empty air beneath him. Another Phoenix Leap. Alex brought down his sword in a powerful arc, aiming for the beast¡¯s head. His blade cut through the air, closing in on its target.
But the beast was still fast. Faster than he¡¯d anticipated. It raised a clawed hand, intercepting the blow. The impact reverberated through Alex¡¯s arms, almost making him lose his grip on his sword. But he held on, gritting his teeth against the shock.
He dropped back to the ground, landing hard on the stone beneath. He studied the wolfman, Warbane, as his chest heaved, and a sheen of sweat coated his brow. The beast was right in front of Alex, a giant mass of grey fur and muscle. He could smell the beast¡¯s rancid breath, could see the fury burning in its eyes.
And he was running out of time. Ten seconds. He had ten seconds left, and then he would be out of mana, out of skills, and out of strength. Reduced to his base stats and nothing else. He could do this. He had to do this.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
¡°Not yet,¡± he pleaded in vain, whispering. His hand tightened around his sword¡¯s hilt. ¡°Not until I¡¯ve won.¡±
A flame sparked within his eyes. The wisdom of his Dao flooded his senses. The world slowed around him, its ebb and flow clear as day. The wolf¡¯s snarl, the streak of dark blood, the crackling arcs of lightning¡ªeverything seemed strangely detached, yet vivid.
Like a flame that flared in the wind, the wolf lunged.
Alex moved.
With a roar, this time coming from Alex''s mouth, he leapt at the beast again, his sword raised high. His blade slashed through the air, descending towards the beast in a powerful arc. The beast raised its clawed hand, ready to meet his attack.
But Alex was faster.
Boundless Dodge, he thought. A force of mana seized him and shifted his body, instantly positioning his feet and sliding him unnaturally to the side. The world flashed by in a blurry whirl of grey and black. He saw the sharp teeth of the wolf, the twisted fury in its eyes as it flew past him. He breathed in, his breath mirroring the silent pulse of the world.
Phoenix Leap. His body shot forward like a bullet, and his blade flashed, cutting through the air with a whistle. His blade bit into the beast¡¯s arm, and into its flank. Slicing through flesh and bone.
The wolf retaliated, but Alex was ready once more. Boundless Dodge.
Moving him just out of reach of the beast''s grasp.
As the beast swiped, lightning burst and sprayed in all directions, erupting from its body and open mouth. It had used it''s Trump card, and thick bolts shot forward, scorching the air, razing the ground beneath them and everything in-between- threatening to engulf Alex and end him. The wolf grinned in victory, assured that its bolts would consume and fry his opponent alive. In response, Alex called upon his final skill.
Duel of Corruption.
A strange field of influence erupted from Alex, engulfing the two combatants. Alex felt his body become sluggish and heavy, as if his connection to something greater had entirely vanished. As if his connection to the system and all of its magic had been completely erased. Acting on instinct, he called for his status.
Nothing happened.
[Inductee ¡®Alex¡¯ has afflicted you with the debuff ¡®Duel of Corruption¡¯ - ???????Error - System disengaging. disconnect immanent.]
The wolf commander''s eyes widened as its movements stumbled and faltered, becoming sluggish. The lightning that had been moments away from securing its victory fizzled and faded to nothing in an instant.
They had both been severed from the system, all access to skills, feats, and boosts erased by Alex''s twisted skill. Their stats had been forcibly aligned, altered by some greater power and made to match each-others perfectly, becoming even. Strength meant nothing, magic meant nothing, and the system meant nothing. Only technique remained. For a moment, they had been forced into a corrupted duel of equals.
At that instant, Alex acted.
His sword sang as he swung it in a swift arc, the Dao harmonised with its edge. It¡¯s blade blurred, a flash of instant movement.
There was a moment of silence.
And then his blade bit into flesh.
The beast roared in agony. Alex was relentless, his sword continuing its journey, cleaving through bone and hide. Blood sprayed in a waterfall, dark and thick, staining the pale earth below.
The wolfman fell.
Its enormous body hit the ground with a thunderous thud, shaking the very earth beneath them. Blood pooled around it, seeping into the rock, painting the ground a dark, foreboding crimson, a stain in the sea of white.
It lay there, its breath rattled, ragged and laboured.
The world returned to its normal pace. Alex landed lightly, his sword dropping from his hands, and the world spinning around him. He had timed it perfectly. Throughout the fight, he had felt an inkling of the skills capabilities- that it would render both himself and his target powerless in some way. As a result, he had been biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment. It had been close. Too close, in fact. He hadn''t expected the lightning to be so powerful. If he''d activated the skill even a second later it would''ve been him that lay defeated on the ground. He hacked blood and stumbled, attempting to use his sword to regain balance. His breathing was raw, ragged, and his body trembling. He gave in, and fell to his knees in exhaustion.
The battle was over. He¡¯d won. His body sagged as he knelt, exhaustion finally creeping in as the adrenaline faded. He sat there, staring at the fallen wolf, the reality and cost of his victory slowly sinking in.
As the wolfman, Warbane, drew his final breaths, his eyes met Alex''s. The fury had left his gaze, replaced with an eerie calm. "Very¡ Impressive¡ little one.¡± A smirk played upon his lips, a final act of defiance. His voice was a mere whisper, each word strained.
¡°But not enough.¡±
A spark of life flickered in the beast''s eyes before it stilled, the light dimming until there was nothing but a cold, lifeless stare.
Alex stared at the fallen beast, as through his Dao, he watched and sensed its passing.
He felt something depart from the wolf; its soul, or life force. It left its body, and vanished beyond his senses, to begin a new journey.
The cold reality of mortality washed over him.
In the face of death, they were all the same - beasts and men.
All impermanent. All transient.
All mortal.
[You have defeated level 62 Apex Canid commander - additional experience points due to the level difference]
His skills sphere of corruptive influence receded, and notifications flashed before him.
[Level 27 > Level 32]
[Strength +20, Dexterity+20, intelligence+30, unassigned stats +20]
[Remaining inhabitants will be returned to their designated worlds.]
[Prepare for Dungeon Exit and closure. You will be teleported out shortly]
Alex was teleported outside of the dungeon as it collapsed, and into the mana-filled world of Pyra, for the first time.
Interlude: Empire of War
The Martial Empire stretched into infinity, a vast expanse transcending physical boundaries and dimensions. It embodied an unchallenged authority, its dominion far beyond mortal comprehension.
For It stood as a formidable realm of cultivators, masters of the divine arts.
In a galactic auditorium of this supreme Empire, two outer disciples of a hidden cult surveyed a low grade world from their ethereal perch. Their eyes, mirroring the cosmos, reflected countless worlds under the system''s yoke. Worlds that were trials, playfields, and sacrificial altars for those seeking the cults¡¯ favour.
The outer disciples, Jun Li and Mo Ye, sat in a warm wooden room of the multidimensional martial Empire, overseeing a world they''d been assigned to monitor and control.
The glow of countless galaxies reflected in their eyes as they hovered before a shifting, iridescent screen.
"See there," Jun Li pointed at a blip on the screen, "an anomaly."
Mo Ye leaned closer, his gaze narrowing on the glowing spot. A system message blinked into existence: [ALERT: Anomaly detected ¨C Soul Damage ¨C Skill Acquisition ¨C Incursion Dungeon].
"First hour of the tutorial and already in an incursion dungeon. Intriguing, isn''t it?" Jun Li murmured, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
Mo Ye grunted noncommittally. Their task was clear: monitor and dominate the world, distribute mana and magic, keep an eye out for anomalies, all part of the grand scheme of the empire. Magic users, mortals, all perceived as little more than ants scurrying beneath the celestial boot of the empire.
"Should we intervene?" Jun Li asked, a hint of concern colouring his tone.
The question hung in the air between them like a dense fog. Failures or faults at gaining dominion in their assigned world might cost them their status. Or worse, it might stain their prospects of becoming inner disciples, the coveted position of power and backing of the sect, and the Empire.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
"We can''t intervene, not yet, anyway." Mo Ye scoffed, his eyes filled with a quiet arrogance. One more year. Three-hundred-and-sixty-five cycles until they would be given free reign to do whatever they wished with the world that had been granted to them. Those were the rules of the sect they had struggled and shed blood to finally enter. And due to the nature of their Empire and the single tool in place to guarantee against such things- their System- the notion of a system user becoming any type of threat within that time-frame was as impossible as the moon rising before the sun. Even a thousand years wouldn''t be enough for those born into a world graded at the E rank.
"We''re cultivators now, Jun Li. We don''t bother with such trivialities," he continued. "It''s the law of our Dao, or it will be. Besides, the system would have told us if it needed to to be erased.¡± Mo Ye turned to meet his fellow''s gaze. ¡°And to enter before the day of the test would be to tempt fate, I won¡¯t be branded as a cheater and lose everything we''ve worked so hard to attain. It''ll die soon anyway."
Jun Li looked doubtful but nodded, convinced for the moment by Mo Ye''s audacity. After all, what could a mere mortal achieve against the grandeur of their Cultivation?
As the two disciples went about their duties, the system messages continued to flow. [ALERT: Anomaly Survives ¨C Progress Noted ¨C Minor].
Mo Ye ignored it, concentrating on their impending Conquering test. An entire world at his fingertips, a playground to practice deadly sect techniques, a pool of resources for his cultivation, all tantalisingly close. He wouldn''t let a single mortal stand in his way. The very idea was laughable.
But Jun Li, he wasn''t so dismissive. His gaze lingered on the anomaly. A seed of curiosity had been planted in his mind. He resolved to monitor the anomaly¡¯s soul signal closely. But for now, he joined Mo Ye in preparing for the test. The world beneath them unaware, its destiny tied to the whims of two disciples from an unfathomable empire.
Just another day in the grand design of the Martial Empire.
Their Authority wielded this single forgotten technology as ancient monarchs once wielded walls of stone, elevating their power with a dominion that clung to the world¡¯s bones.
To the high cultivators of the Empire, mana, magic, and the system were no more than crude tools. They held them with a contemptuous disregard, like cheap trinkets compared to the sublime power of Qi, the Dao.
A falsehood of hegemony, made true through unearned strength, and an intricate plan designed to shackle those they deemed lesser.
Chapter 20: A Newer World
In the midst of swirling mana, Alex rematerialized on solid ground. The transition intense as reality seemed to stretch and warp around him. Rather than an abrupt apparition, his form instead coalesced, piece by piece, like an image coming into focus. His feet made contact with the ground, a sensation both solid and fluid. The texture beneath him varied¡ªa patch of cool grass, a scattering of pebbles, a soft bed of fallen leaves.
A rush of fresh, rich, mana-filled air entered his lungs, filling him with renewed energy. It was a jarring contrast, a striking shift from the dungeon he''d just escaped. The air felt vibrant and energising, each deep breath he took filled his lungs with a warmth that spread through his whole body. He paused, shaking off the disorientation, and took in his surroundings. For the first time, Alex laid eyes on the world of Pyra outside the confines of the dungeon. An astonishingly new landscape unfurled before him - vast, radiant, and filled with a vibrant life force that was almost overwhelming. Dense forests of towering trees swayed in the breeze, their leaves so distant it seemed the sky was covered in a green curtain. Beyond the forest he now found himself in, he saw glimpses of a snow-capped mountain range that ran along the horizon, standing endlessly still in the vibrant world.
Well, at least it''s not another jungle. He sighed in relief as the cool mana-rich air swept past his skin. It tingled. He had been getting sick of the jungles humidity. Although he enjoyed the sun, probably more than most, the jungle had no warm rays to offer. Only heat and damp air. To Alex, it had felt like he''d just escaped a week in a sauna the size of Manhattan.
Stuck in a giant sauna, fighting monsters that made bears look like chihuahuas. Hiding and building traps against monsters and beasts that could''ve killed him more times he cared to remember.
Alex spun towards where he imagined the portal to the dungeon would be and raised a middle finger pointedly. He stared at the point where he imagined the dungeons portal to be in rage. He would''ve stabbed the thing if he could, but whatever force had brought him here and left him for dead without any aid was out of his reach- for now. Not only that, the experience gain from defeating that oppressively powerful wolfman had been woefully low. His finger shook with pent up stress and aggression as he muttered the words ¡°Fuck you.¡±
That ordeal was apparently one of many, inflicted upon worlds at the whims of the powerful. He should be grateful to be alive but instead he felt sick. How many would die on earth, if they had to go through that? Hell, how many would die on Pyra? He imagined his family, or his friends going through something like that and shuddered. The encounter with the Warbane had shifted his perspective. He had thought of this as a second chance, an opportunity to gain strength, and magic and to evolve. But the system had placed him into a dungeon of 8 levels, each presumed to be stronger than the last, each intended to be conquered by a team of people. If he had consistently chosen the easy quests and bided his time, he would''ve surely died. And all that was made to happen just so they could ¡®serve¡¯ some Imperial ¡®masters¡¯. It seemed wrong, somehow. Especially how the system had implanted and altered his thoughts whenever he gained a new skill, and limited his attempts at altering his skills or controlling his mana. When he used his skills, it was as if he there was another entity guiding and limiting him, and he had to wrestle back control from the system itself any time he wanted to use his skills as he wished. He had initially thought of the glitch and his new class as a mistake or misfortune, but his skill, ¡®duel of corruption¡¯ had taught him otherwise. It could be a boon.
The skill had removed the influence of the system for a short duration, about 5 seconds, Altering the stats of both him and his target. It barred access to skills and feats and reduced either his, or his opponents stats to match each others. It forced them to fight as equals, without the systems interference.
The skill wasn''t perfect.
He instinctively felt that it wouldn''t work on Someone with more than 50 levels on him. If he used it on someone closer to his level or lower, it would lower his stats to match theirs, and strip him of his buffs and skills. Sure he¡¯d still have his sword and martial arts, but he¡¯d loose a huge bulk of his advantages. And what if I¡¯m surrounded? He thought, realising another weakness, the skill only targets one person, I¡¯d be toast. Against a lone higher levelled opponent was where the skill truly shined. Against a higher levelled opponent with greater stats, the skill was a game changer and could secure his victory- if timed correctly to strip them of all of their systems enhanced boons.
¡°Status,¡± he murmured.
[Name: Alex Ironwood
Level: 32
Race: Human - Rank F
Primary Class: ??????????????Sys???????te??????mic SwO??????rd So????????ve???????reignThis novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
Sub-class: Locked
Strength: 141 (97)
Dexterity: 204 (127)
Endurance: 61 (42)
Intelligence: 211 (146)
Wisdom: 43 (28)
Feats: First Encounter, Pioneer, Pinnacle IV, Survivor, Warrior, Champion
Active skills: Phoenix Leap, Mana Burn, Mana Blade, Boundless Dodge, Du???????l of C???????orruption,
Passive skills: Inner Focus, Outer Focus, A???????l????????¨¤???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????¦¸??????? ??????????????? ???????????????????????g???????e??????e???????E??????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????? ????????????????????M???????m????????????????????????????????????????? ??????? ???????????????????????O??????o??????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????? ??????????????? ??????? ??????????????????????? , Inventory,
Dao: True Immortality - 0.03% Progress
Unassigned stat points: 20]
He dumped all twenty free stat points into endurance- it was lagging far behind his other physical stats. He had been injured in almost every battle, sometimes gravely, with the only exceptions being when he used ambushes and traps. He was still healing from the numerous slashes, cuts, and stab from the battle with commander wolfbane. With only one healing potion left, and no idea how to get more, he needed that stat more than ever.
His updated stat sheet read as:
[Strength: 141 (97)
Dexterity: 204 (127)
Intelligence: 211 (146)
Endurance: 90 (62)
Wisdom: 43 (28)
Unassigned stat points: 0]
He sighed with concern as he assessed his stat growth. His wisdom stat was the lowest, and although it hadn¡¯t caused any problems just yet, he still felt he needed to do something about it. He didn¡¯t want to unknowingly limit himself by refusing to invest in the stat. But he just had no idea what it did, besides being ¡®probably¡® related to magic. Better ask one of the locals what ¡®Wisdom¡¯s¡¯ good for the first chance I get. He thought, eyeing the settlement in the distance.
Satisfied with his growth, Alex sat down on the forest floor, wincing as he aggravated the stab wound in his stomach, and reviewed the notifications he¡¯d been forced to ignore during the dungeons final battle.
[Quest ¡®Inducted Insurgent¡¯ Completed]
[Rewards: Granted.]
[Skill: E rank skill ¡®Outer Focus¡¯ gained!]
[Skill: E rank skill ¡®Inventory¡¯ gained!]
[Reward: E- rank equipment - Standard Canid defensive boots, has been placed in your Inventory!]
[Gained Feat: "Dungeon Insurgent" 2% conditional increase to Endurance stat - Increased regeneration & resilience only when invading planes or facing invaders to planet designation ¡®Pyra¡¯]
An inventory¡ finally. He thought as he immediately attempted to tap into the skill. He didn''t need to imagine what the skill did- he''d seen enough TV to know it was some kind of personal storage space. The portal had immediatley flung him before the most powerful being he had ever met, at the time, he did not have the luxury to test his new abilities, lest the distraction cost him his life. But now, things were different. He attempted to access and was met with a worrying notification, though he could feel something strange, as if a foreign space was still willing to trigger, if only he knew how to battle the vague sense of vertigo he felt to access it.
[2 hour mana cooldown in effect. Skill unavailable]
Damn, Alex huffed in mild irritation. Forgot about that. Mana Burn¡¯s cool-down. Last time I used the Mana Burn skill there wasn¡¯t a cool-down problem though¡ That Dao vision must¡¯ve lasted longer than it felt. If the experience had lasted for over a hour, meant while he experienced the vision he¡¯d been in even more danger than he¡¯d imagined, Unless the system had protected him somehow as it granted the reward.
And an ¡®Outer Focus¡¯ skill, huh? Sounds too much like ¡®Inner Focus¡¯. They''re both passives, which means they¡¯re working all of the time¡ and Focus implies concentration, but I don¡¯t feel any different, any sharper or smarter. I wonder what they do? He supposed he would have to wait until the cool-down was over. Somehow, he could instinctively sense that he had just over 1 hour and 42 minutes left before he regained full access to his skills. That was a new sensation, he¡¯d never been able to sense his inner workings like that before. There was a faint haze to the immediate world around him, spanning about 20 feet. It was as if everything within that range was more vibrant. Within a wide sphere around him, everything seemed slightly brighter than the rest of the world, slightly more colourful than it was supposed to be. Except for him, apparently. He looked at his arms, chest, and body with his new senses; he appeared and felt bare, empty, as if whatever vibrancy filled the immediate world around him did not exist inside of him. He felt monochrome, with the vibrancy clearly nowhere to be seen even on, or inside him. Is it because of the cool-down? He wondered, before coming to a sudden realisation.
It was Mana, he realised. He could see and feel mana, a little. Within a small sphere around him, he could faintly see and feel the fluctuations and flows of mana, and it was everywhere. It drifting in the air, pushing against his senses, flowing and seeping into the trees.
Weird, he thought, it¡¯s like someone stuck a new pair of eyes in my head, with antennas. Alex looked around in amazement, and with new appreciation for a world he¡¯d never truly seen before.
Everything just looked¡ better.
The towering trees, like distant cousins of redwoods seemed to hum with life to his new senses, and as he looked around with new eyes, far ahead, nestled in a distant valley, he spotted what looked like a collection of structures. A settlement of some sort, though it seemed far away.
The sight gave him a sliver of hope; he was not alone in this world. Maybe he could find some people- Human people, to talk to.
And maybe this time, they wouldn''t try to kill him.
Determined, Alex began his journey towards the distant settlement, traversing through the lush forest.
Back to civilization.
Chapter 21: A Peculiar Party
Day turned into night and back into day again. Alex continued on his path undeterred. He slept in the forest, hunting small and occasionally large creatures, and some strange variations of boar, and elk. All the while wondering why he hadn''t encountered anything significantly larger. Where are all the monsters? He wondered, a question often repeated. His status hadn''t changed at all, the small creatures only giving him negligible gains. Alex enjoyed the serenity of the forest, coming from a big city, he had always relished the trips he''d taken with his family into nature. Camping was one of his favorite pastimes. And although he hadn''t enjoyed it as much in the dungeons jungle, Staring into a breathtaking alien night sky filled with nebula in unseen colors had left him breathless. The air was always cool, carrying the scent of pine and earth, and its winds blended the subtle sounds of distant animals with the rustle of leaves. He loved it. But despite this, he still found himself itching for growth, and for a challenge, and anticipating his arrival to the settlement.
One afternoon, during his long trek to civilisation, the rustle of leaves broke the monotonous rhythm of his footsteps, and he stilled. From the forest emerged a group of individuals, decked in various armours and weapons. Their faces watched Alex with curiosity tinged with frustration and exhaustion.
They were human, or at least, appeared so. Alex should have been cautious, wary. But after a week of fighting and scavenging, he only felt relieved. And elated.
"Who''re you, stranger?" The woman leading the group questioned, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword. She was tall and fierce, and well muscled, as if she could spring to action at a moment''s notice. Her bright and piercing green eyes glaring at him with a challenging gaze.
"Alex," he answered, raising his hands in a non-threatening gesture. Or what he hoped was a non-threatening gesture. Now that he thought about it, with the system and all of the magical skills it brought into play, raising your hands could probably be interpreted as a threatening gesture.
He really hoped they wouldn¡¯t try to kill him.
"I mean no harm." he called out, meeting her gaze.
"Alex," She began after a while, curiosity piquing her features. "What town, or city are you from?"
Alex felt a twinge of something at the question. Remorse? Longing? He couldn''t say. This wasn''t his world, and he had no idea how they would react to that information. He had to think of something, and fast. "I... I don''t remember," he lied. He saw the surprise, then suspicion in their eyes. He hurriedly came up with an explanation, a half-truth. "I was hit by a memory wipe skill in a dungeon. I only just escaped alive."
"Dungeon?" The older man¡¯s eyes sparkled with a mix of excitement and dread. "There are still dungeons? Thank the gods."
Alex nodded, rubbing his temples, relieved. "Yes, it was deep in the forest. It took me many days to get out. But the forest is pretty dense, and the path isn''t clear. I''m afraid I can''t find it again."
"Many... Days?..." The party shared a look amongst them, and an awkward silence briefly engulfed them. Then, one of them shrugged. "We''ll find it, or another one. We''ll manage." The larger man carrying a staff said, cracking his knuckles with a determined look in his eyes. "We always have."
Did I say something wrong? When did they leave the tutorial? If it was recent, it could explain why the forest has been so empty... Realising his mistake, Alex hastily added "The time spent recovering from the memory wipe is a bit of a haze, I was just attacking everything in sight until I recovered. Its... I think its how I survived." Alex hated having to lie like this, as they seemed like good people. But until he understood more about this world, he wouldn''t risk information that could threaten his life.
The group eyed him warily but didn''t attack. The woman exhaled and seemed to relax a little. "I''m Lyra," she said, breaking the tension, then gestured to the rest of the group. "This is Finn, Keir, and Ayla. We are... were, an adventuring party."
"Were?" Alex questioned.
Lyra sighed. "Ever since this new ''system'' came into place, things have changed."
Keir, a tall man with grizzled hair, grunted in agreement. "I used to be known in this region as the Archmage of Waves. My command over mana and its influence on water was unparalleled. I could move oceans. But now, I am a level 26... what was it? Ah, yes, ¡®Aquathaumaturge¡¯. Hmph."
¡°Bah, that''s not so bad, you''re just being negative. And we were all pretty well known,¡± Finn, the youngest among them, joined the conversation with a dismissive wave. "But I will admit that it''s not ideal. The wild magic most once had mastery over has been shackled by these... ''Skills.''"
"Indeed," Lyra said, giving Alex a tight smile. "Well, since you''re also an unwilling participant in this system, you''re welcome to join us. We can help each other. Teach you the ropes, so to speak."
The offer was kind, and Alex felt a wave of gratitude wash over him, though he found the mention of their noteriety a little intruiging. Assuming thier strong, I suppose it makes sense that thier out venturing so soon after everything they''ve most likely been through, he thought, curious as to their comparative strength against his own. How would they fair against the final wolf elder? at level 30 and boosted beyond that by supporters, Alex found himself doubting their odds. Plus, my stats put my ''actual'' level at a much higher number than it appears. I''m probably stronger, he concluded. He nodded, accepting the offer. "Thank you. I would appreciate that."
The group welcomed him, and together they made their way through the forest.
As they walked, Alex tilted his head slightly, trying to keep a casual tone in his voice as he queried a point that had been on his mind ever since he''d met the group. ¡°So, about the tutorial. I can''t remember much of it. Any of it, really. Have I lost anything important?¡±
At his question, Ayla, draped in leather armour embroidered with vines and flora, let out a light giggle. ¡°Anything important, he says.¡± She slowed down, a lightness in her step as she moved to walk beside him and continued. ¡°It was mostly rules. Lots of rules. And quests¡ Gods, I hated those quests.¡±
Keir snorted, ¡°If I see another quest, it''ll be too soon. There wasn''t a single one where people didn''t die. Although equipment rewards were fascinating, they were never worth the lives they cost. We lost too many for too little; hundreds died in our cluster for mere relics. E grade, and F grade, they called it.¡± He paused, an air of frustration taking over him. ¡°Although, how the materials were made from nothing by the ¡®system¡¯ was fascinating, like perfect transmutation. But hardly the work of masters, and hardly worth lives. Perhaps the winners and top performers received better rewards, D ranked or even higher.¡± He slammed his staff into the earth and huffed, causing the ground around the point of impact to sink slightly.
Alex tilted his head slightly, the casual tone in his voice long forgotten, replaced with sheer curiosity. ¡°D ranked equipment? How high does the ranking even go?¡±
Keir, running his fingers through his beard, looked thoughtful. His eyes, normally calm and contained, now sparkled with the excitement of sharing knowledge. "It''s quite the system. These ranks, they''re all about the density of mana and energies in the materials. It''s fascinating, really."
He tapped his staff on the ground, and water spiraled around the wood briefly before settling. The staff glowed subtly, the air around it bursting with a fine mist.
Alex watched, his eyes widening slightly as he observed the phenomenon. The staff and even the very air around the mage lit up in Alex¡¯s senses, a soft pulsing of energy trailing and surging through the air moments before it manifested into water. So that''s what someone else magic feels like, that must be water mana he just used, and Outer focus allowed me to sense it before the skills effects manifested, Alex realised.
Keir, oblivious to Alex''s internal musings, continued enthusiastically. "These grades, they start at F and go up. To S, and all the way to L- legendary, and M- mythical. They apply to everything here - skills, equipment, even the worlds themselves."
He gestured broadly with his staff, encompassing their surroundings.
A leaf, caught in a gentle breeze, fluttered by, drawing Alex''s attention momentarily. "And this affects how strong or effective something is?" he questioned, his gaze returning to Keir.
Keir''s eyes gleamed with the passion of a teacher. "Precisely. A twig from a high-ranked world could surpass metal from a much lower one. It''s all about the underlying energies infused into the materials." He plucked a leaf from a nearby bush, holding it up. "This might look ordinary, but in a world of a much higher rank, even this could hold immense power."If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
As they advanced through the forest and searched for hours, Alex, keenly observant, listened intently to their explanations. They all sought to help him ¡®recover what he had lost¡¯. They seemed like good people, and were starting to grow on him. As they walked, Lyra spoke next, commenting on her experience with the systems tutorial realm. "It taught us that experience isn''t just about fighting,for some classes, although we all had to battle in the end." she said, her voice low to avoid startling the wildlife. "Different classes gained from different activities. As a warrior, I thrive in battle, but for others, it could be crafting or exploration. They were said to receive bonuses to mastery, experience, and strength for allowing their actions to follow their path."
Alex, his hand on the hilt of his sword, nodded thoughtfully. ¡°That¡¯s quite different from what I¡¯m used to. In the dungeon, it was mostly about fighting.¡±
¡°Yes, everyone had to fight constantly, regardless of their class or level. Daily. The tutorial was unforgiving. I imagine your cluster would''ve been the same, if you could remember it.¡±
Alex considered her words.
Their stories and insights into ¡®the new system¡¯ was illuminating. There were things he hadn''t known about its effects on the world, things he hadn''t considered. The group, despite their own struggles, were more versed in the workings of this system, their time spent in the ''tutorial'' realm giving more clarity and safety than Alex¡¯s hellish crash course in jungle warfare.
As they conversed, he continued to ask questions, discovering the party members'' classes in the process before sharing his own, in a way. Before the tutorial, Ayla''s magic had originally been closely connected to the forces of nature, acting as a specialized form of druid. But now, she was a "Chosen of Paradox," a class so foreign to her that it appeared to cause her frustration. Her class embraced the power of paradox, using abilities that are contradictory in nature, such as bringing both life and death, strength and weakness, or even niche concepts like loss and gain. Though it contrasted against the druid she had once been, and was probably somewhat weak in it''s early stages, Alex thought such a class held endless potential. It''s probably high ranked, he concluded. Finn revealed himself as an "Symbiotic Phantom," a class adept in symbiosis, able to merge either himself or parts of himself, with any object or element he held or grew affinity to, infusing said thing, though his current affinity with all things except shadows and strangely nature, were woefully low. Lyra''s class, "Stone Warden," specialized her already deadly sword skills with the ability to control minerals and barriers. And Keir, the "Aquathautmaturge," class made him adept at working miracles with all things water.
Alex suspected that classes were only limited by the wielder. What if the greatest warrior in the world was granted a simple ''Blacksmith'' class? They would recieve skills related to heat resistance, strength, endurance, and both the destruction and manipulation of elements. Almost any skill would aid a warrior if they were creative enough, though their stats would be far lower than required. In such a circumstance, they would have to acquire as many feats, Dao''s, and skills as humanly- or inhumanly- possible. In such an instance, wouldn''t that person still be the greatest? "A true master is not limited by their tools." Alex muttered to himself thoughtfully.
Finn nodded in apparent agreement. Lyra, Ayla, and Kier did not, thier faces dark with loss.
Alex had told them that he was a spellsword in response, deciding that admitting the true nature of his class would be an astoundingly terrible idea; not only did he not want to paint a target on his back in Pyra, he did not want to paint one for the Imperials either, at least not until he was strong enough to withstand anything they threw at him. He''d forgotten most of the Dao vision, but the images of destruction caused by the Imperial would be forever seared into his mind; he needed power like that of his own.
He briefly demonstrated his mana blade skill before deactivating it to solidify the lie. His Mana Blade had lit up with mana, blazing in his new vision more than anything he''d ever seen before, and yet strangely, he didn''t find it blinding. He hated lying, but this was essentially life and death.
Lyra, Kier, Finn, and Ayla had been in the tutorial realm for over a week, and had not too long ago been returned back to their world en masse. In the tutorial realm, they had been tasked with quests to learn the intricacies of the system and test their skills and uncommon and rare classes in ''safer'' environments. Although from the stories they told, what constituted ''safe'' to the system, was relative.
Ayla, who had been quietly observing, spoke. Her voice was like a soft melody, calming yet sad. "I believe the system is a shackle. I cannot commune with my great mother. My skill will not allow it.¡± She pointed towards the ground at what Alex presumed to be a representation of some earthen deity, or Pyra¡¯s version of Gaia as Ayla continued. ¡°Our abilities, our magic,¡± she said, emotion seeping into her voice, ¡°our mastery, and everything we worked for, it''s all been reduced to numbers and levels. Most of them were completely removed. Finn''s skills- even Lyra''s, their mere shadows of what we could accomplish before. We''ve lost everything.¡±
"And we''re not the only ones," Lyra added. "It seems everyone from our world, every last one of us, was forced into that strange tutorial realm. To learn to grow powerful in this new system. I''m glad we are back home, my sword skills remain, but my mana is gone. We have been set back to day one. Like pups, or babies."
Keir, the grizzled mage, had initially struggled with the system. As an ex-Archmage the sophisticated, vast, and free-form magic he once commanded was now trapped in the rigid ''class'' and ''level'' structure. His magic, once as wild and untamed as the seas, now seemed tame, like a river flowing within its prescribed banks.
"But there''s a unique challenge here," Keir mused one evening, as they all huddled around a campfire. He held up a small blue stone glowing with intricate runic patterns. It was a mana crystal, one of the few good things the system had introduced. "I have already successfully battled the system''s impulses, and altered my skills. It takes constant focus, meditation, and countless failures. But you only need to succeed once. I can no longer sense pure mana, my skills forbid it. But I can sense the mana in water, and water is everywhere. The magic hasn''t disappeared, it''s merely... changed. It''s a riddle, one that I intend to solve.¡±
Lyra had her own trials. She had always been a warrior, relying on her brute strength, experience and battle-worn wisdom to best her opponents. But now, every ''Level'' she climbed, every ''Feat'' she gained, brought her new techniques, new tactics to master. She reminisced about the vast battles and skirmishes that took place before their world- one with thousands of years of mastery over wild mana, had been introduced to the system. Although she had to admit, the mock wars of the tutorial taught her more about strategy and leadership than she''d ever thought possible. A war where every single soldier had competent magic was... interesting. Still, there had been exceptions. Those powerhouses of the tutorial that had taken to the system like fish to water.
She wondered how they would fare against the old legends of this world.
Ayla, who had the quiet grace of the wilderness in her every movement, thanks to her new class. She had found herself becoming one with Pyra more and more each day. The tutorial realm had initially removed her unique bond with nature, the ability to read the beasts and the environment. It had been a connection so profound, it had made her part of the world of Pyra itself.
With her new class, she had begun to re-establish and attempt to regain her connection to the world.
"Every creature, every tree, they''re all part of a larger tapestry," she explained one starlit night. "The system, these words. It¡¯s only made me see it more clearly. I don''t know how long it will take, but I will regain- No, I will surpass my old limits."
"It wasn''t so bad," Finn said one evening, his voice low as he tinkered with a contraption he''d found on their path. "There was this trap so bloody complicated I thought I was done for. But when I managed to disarm it, I found out I¡¯d gained a skill ¨C ''Master of Mechanisms.'' Seems like a fancy name for something I''ve always been good at, but it''s made it so much easier. It''s made everything easier.¡±
"These traps, they''re child''s play," he''d mutter, dismantling another poorly concealed snare, his hand merging with the metal to harmelssly release its trigger with a twitch of his thumb. "Back in the tutorial realm, the traps were like puzzles - intricate, deadly puzzles. And I beat ''em all." His words were full of scorn, Finn wasn''t the type to grin or cheer. He was more likely to scowl than anything, but there was a certain pride in his eyes when he spoke about his triumphs.
Keir kept to himself, mostly. Still, there were moments when the old mage would look up from his studies, a spark in his weary eyes. "This system, it''s like a dam holding back a river. Like a block in my mind, hindering me everytime I try to tap into the mana all around us. A week ago, I could use the mana that flows around us to summon a storm from the moisture in the air. Or remove it all to cause a conflagration.¡± He waved his hand in a grand gesture and looked hopeful, as if expecting something to happen. Nothing did. Keir sighed and continued. ¡°The system has disconnected us from the mana of the world. Forcing us to use it as a proxy. It''s restrictive, frustrating... but it also stores potential. I used to command the oceans, now I am limited to puddles. But even a puddle can hold a storm. It may have weakened us, but I suspect these ¡®levels¡¯ will make it easier to surpass our old limits. Maybe even rival the gods." he''d say, his hands gesturing as though he could almost touch the raw, unshaped magic. "There''s something more, beyond the numbers and levels. I can feel it."
A slight crease formed between his brows as he studied a skill crystal in his hand "one cannot just mourn the loss of the old," he reflected. The crystal pulsated softly, its light was almost soothing. "We need to understand this system, comprehend its limits... and then perhaps, we can learn to break them."
The ex-archmage''s words were not hollow. Alex saw how diligent he was in his efforts to decode the system''s logic, often using his limited mana to experiment with various spells. Kiers curiosity had taken a hold of him, a spark in his eyes that refused to diminish. There was a sense of challenge in his voice, a keen determination to reclaim his control over the boundless, wild force of mana.
"It''s the same energy," he continued, his gaze far-off and thoughtful. "It is still mana, but now it is bound by new rules. To regain our mastery, we must understand these rules, perhaps even bend them to our will. Break them. Rediscover the edges of magic and shatter our skills, limitations and influence.¡±
Such reflections were common among them. They wondered about the world they knew, how it had changed, and how those changes had affected others. Alex joined them in their musings as they pondered on how the old entities ¨C beings who had been close to gods in their power and wisdom ¨C were managing in the new system.
"Those beings... They could shape reality with a mere thought," Lyra murmured once, her eyes distant as they watched the moonlit landscape. "Did they too have to endure a tutorial realm? Are they also confined to these... ''levels'' now?"
Her words hung like a weight around them, reflecting their collective anxieties and uncertainties. It was a world that was familiar, yet so foreign. A place where they belonged, and yet, felt utterly lost.
And the monsters, and mythical beasts of the world, were they still as powerful as before the tutorial? Or even worse¡ Had they been empowered by the system? While the rest of them were weakened?
Only time would tell.
Chapter 22: An Aura of War
Lyra, the group''s leader, loved recounting stories of the battles and bloody conflicts she''d taken part in before and during her time with her team. Her animated gestures and passionate words would bring past or ancient wars to life. It was through her tales that Alex learned about the grandeur of his new world. She often spoke of the city Elderhallen, and its ''Violet Spires'' reaching for the sky like a hand of giants under the sun. She recalled its grand halls, filled with scholars engrossed in magical tomes and relics. Of how its streets buzzed with goods from every corner of Pyra.
And most of all, she remembered her glory.
"The battle of Violet Pages, in Elderhallen. I was there, you know.¡± She reminisced to Alex, aiming to fill his ¡®gaps in memory¡¯. ¡°The deep halls have always been said to hold heavily guarded tomes. Sacred things that grant great magic to whoever reads them- or take their souls should they be unable to bear the strain of the tomes¡¯ blessing.¡± She seemed to visibly shudder at the thought before continuing. ¡°A tyrant of greed, his men, and his God sought to sack the city and claim every tome and pound of gold within.¡± Lyra continued, her voice steady yet growing animated by the second. "It triggered a war. The largest I¡¯ve ever experienced. A vast battlefield stretching across the horizon. Many forces met under a crimson sky. Thousands died to protect the enchanted parchments.¡±
That sounds like the crusades¡ men dying for profit, disguised as a religious crusade. Considering her words, Alex felt sick at the thought of thousands dying over something as meaningless as gold. Gold that would most likely only truly fill their leaders'' pockets. In his opinion, his life was worth much more than some pretty metal rocks, no matter how they packaged it. ¡°That sounds¡¡± he began to speak his mind, but Lyra interrupted him.
¡°It was glorious.¡± She said, looking upwards as if glimpsing some distant memory of slaughter, dimples forming as a genuine smile painted her features.
Alex would¡¯ve found her beautiful in that moment if it wasn¡¯t for her clear psychopathy. Okay¡ so she¡¯s totally nuts. But maybe that¡¯s just normal for this world, like the Middle Ages. He mused. ¡°Hundreds dead? Good, less mouths to feed!¡± Or something like that. He was starting to get an idea of the kind of world he¡¯d found himself in, but he had to know for certain. ¡°Do wars of that scale happen often then?¡± He asked curiously.
Lyra seemed to sulk, ¡°In these lands, rarely. We¡¯ve spent over a decade in peace, with only small skirmishes occurring here and there. The neighbouring lands are lucky to be locked in perpetual war with the Endless Enemy. But us, not so much. In these lands there are no real wars to speak of. The royals would not allow it, and they were too powerful to disobey.¡° A look of rebellious frustration flashed across her features for the barest of moments, which she quickly schooled.
¡±The Endless Enemy?¡± Alex enquired, capitalising each word with his face a mask of curiosity. That sounds like a point of concern, he thought. In the corner of his vision, he noticed Ayla subtly stiffen at his words.
Lyra waved a hand in response as if completely disinterested in the topic. ¡°A foe that attempts to conquer all foreign lands, but not ours. Nothing for you to worry about. We have no immediate threats of such magnitude. In these lands, the great wars ended with the spires'' victory.¡± Her mood seemed to darken, before brightening up again. ¡°But with this ¡®system¡¯ granting every man, woman, and babe a path to quick power, there will likely be many tyrants, many new foes, and many great wars to come!¡± She giggled and drew her sword, practicing a set form that seemed both alien and impressive to Alex.
So according to her. It''s been mostly peaceful but the system¡¯s wrecked it, setting everyone back to zero mana and zero power. He studied her practice swings, thinking her quite talented before returning to his thoughts. Now it''s like the gold rush, she says. Except it¡¯s the whole world rushing instead of just one country''s state. Sounds like there¡¯s bound to be some people racing to gain levels and become the new royals, instead of racing to gain gold and wealth like the rush back on earth. It painted a picture of a world of opportunity, violence, and inevitability.
So political instability with a touch of anarchy. Nice, just what I needed. Alex thought derisively.
Confusing his stern look for quiet anticipation, Lyra commented. ¡°I¡¯ve seen how you cherish your blade and still practice your swings despite losing everything.¡± She pointed towards the sword still in his grip and met his gaze in a misguided attempt at comforting him. ¡°The war, perhaps you would¡¯ve loved it.¡±
¡°Picture it,¡± she started, her hand whipping out and then pulling back swiftly before she spoke, as if mimicking arcane gestures, or hurling fireballs. ¡°In the Great War, the Mages came first, they always did. From a distance, mind you. The opening volley.¡± Lyra reminisced excitedly. ¡°You see, wars of aura, magic, and such are different from skirmishes with blades, and mages are generally considered the bane of the weak. It was the same in the tutorial realm, Mages kill tens of men from a distance. They¡¯re like overpowered bowmen, drawing on their storm within, always unleashing their fury in war.¡±
Her eyes turned grim. ¡°And back then magic roared through the battlefield." She said, with some skill from her ¡®Stone Warden¡¯ class causing the ground beneath them to tremble.
She slapped her hand on the ground, sending a small shudder of rippling earth through the gathered group. "Beasts, monstrous, colossal, joined the fray. Their impact shook the very earth we stood on. A presence that, even now, still scars the land."
¡°Then, once the beasts and mages had hammered the enemy''s forces and caused enough disarray, the knights charged next, and we were a wall," she said. "Unyielding, undaunted." The campfire flickered in her eyes, casting shadows across her fierce countenance.
Her hands clashed together.
A resounding clap.
"Steel met steel. It was a concert of chaos."
Next, she swept her arms apart, painting invisible arcs in the air. The group watched, then- their attention rapt.
Her fist clenched, a raw power exuding from her simple action. ¡°Enemy knights, steadfast, drove into our lines in retaliation, breaking our formations. A lone enemy knight- a master- broke through and scattered my men."
Her voice lowered.
She reached towards the fire, a sword hilt gripped tight in her hand.
"With a blade in hand, I charged."
Her hand mimicked a firm grip. "Opposite me stood the warrior, his stature imposing, a relic of our lost era. An Aura knight, like I was."
She paused at Alex¡¯s confused expression as if suddenly remembering his amnesia. ¡°Oh. Of course you don¡¯t know what that is. You see, Aura was strength, drawn from the world''s mana and made our own. It refers to two things; the first is the ability to absorb the mana of the world into your being, through meditation or more advanced techniques- absorbing and infusing your entire being with mana. The second and most important thing ¡®Aura¡¯ refers to is the ability to use your body''s muscles, bones, and essence to consume your mana to momentarily gain strength. Through the body consuming mana to empower yourself you could gain the strength of tens, hundreds, or even thousands of men- depending on your mastery over technique, or the school of Aura followed.¡± She gestured in a wide sweep, addressing all of them. ¡°Kier has touched on its similarities to the system, and I agree. Aura is like an advanced version of the system''s stats, Alex. Except it¡¯s limitless in its application and freely adjustable once mastered. Unfettered and unbound strength at a moment''s notice. It¡¯s truly superior. It could allow a single man to win wars, and my opponent, the knight, was renowned for having used Aura to do so before.¡±
¡°He was skilled, with more strength than I.¡±
She raised her arm slowly, demonstrating. "As our blades met, and sparks flew. Mana coursed through me, consumed by each muscle, seeping into my bones and vanishing, turning into my strength.¡± She continued, her voice steady. "My swings grew faster, stronger, my movements a blur, as the world''s mana strengthened me with each breath.¡±
A pause, a moment. "As did his. His talent was unmatched, a master of aura, commanding the strength of legions of men in his small frame. He moved fast, and so did I. The world seemed to stand still as we fought, all else failing to match our movements. Arrows moved slowly like oxen before us, and fire fell with the speed of feathers. It was as if we fought while frozen in time, and the few that could match us were spread too far across the battlefield to intervene.¡±
¡°Tell him how it ends already!¡± Finn rudely interrupted, startling Alex as he suddenly appeared at his side as if sprouting from his shadow. I think that¡¯s exactly what he did, Alex thought as he stared at the way his shadow fluctuated strangely before it settled to match his movements. He had felt a chill a moment before Finn appeared, as if someone had walked over his grave- that was probably the sensation of Finn travelling through his shadow, he realised.
Finn interjected once more and although Alex couldn¡¯t see his face, he could practically hear the man grinning. ¡°For the rest of us, the system is pretty great. I never learned magic a day in my life but now I¡¯m practically a wizard! Heh.¡± As if to demonstrate, Finn vanished into the ground in a whirl of shadows, only to reappear in the flickering shade of a tree by their supplies before rummaging through them, pulling out a flask. His permanent grin stretched as he continued, ¡°Let¡¯s hear it then, tell him the ending.¡± He gestured to Alex, before handing him a flask filled with water. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s curious, and it¡¯s not like we haven¡¯t heard this one a million times already.¡±
Lyra rolled her eyes at his provocation and swung her arm, a rapid, horizontal slice through the air. "Sure. In the end my blade met his shoulder, as it always did. It cut through his aura and I won. The strength of a thousand men, defeated." She said sternly and somewhat deflated as Finn grinned in schadenfreude with the satisfaction of ruining the story of his teammate''s favourite battle.
¡°But you said he was stronger than you, better with Aura. How did you win?¡± Alex asked, leaning backwards. It wasn¡¯t adding up. Without some kind of edge she should not have survived, let alone won a battle against someone that outclassed her.
Lyra smirked, but the motion did not reach her eyes. ¡°The system has taken away our ability to channel Aura, as it has taken all else. You see, Aura has- had many applications. While others were fast with aura, so fast you would not see their blade, and most were simply strong, so strong you couldn¡¯t fend their blows, my aura was always the sharpest. The best. It could sever anything and none could survive, it would cut through any blade or shield when channelled to its limits. It turned his strength against him as he threw himself against my blade. My aura could cut through it all.¡± She sighed as she sat down before the fire, digging her hands into the ground. ¡°I miss it,¡± she murmured, so low Alex barely heard the words.
Aura¡ Alex considered everything she had just told him. A method to consume mana, allowing it to seep into your muscles and cells and be consumed to temporarily strengthen you far beyond your capabilities. That sounds a lot like ¡®Mana Burn¡¯ Alex¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at the thought. Did the system give me a nerfed version of Aura? He considered the possibility. She said she could use it as much as she wished, and could even use the mana in the air as a resource. But I can only use Mana Burn for 30 seconds, and it takes all of my mana with a two hour cooldown, and only makes me twice as strong¡ damn. At least I have something to work towards, maybe I can improve the skill somehow, and break past the system''s impulses. Perhaps if he had true and unfettered access to Aura as Lyra described it, he would have a chance at standing against the power of the Imperials- the ¡®immortals¡¯ he saw in his Dao vision.
That would explain why they nerfed it. His eyes widened further, his jaw dropping in shock. Then nobody could hope to compete with them, at least not without a crazy amount of levels- way more than you could hope to achieve in a lifetime. And that¡¯s assuming they haven¡¯t placed a hard cap on level growth. Hell, that¡¯s what I would do.
The reality of multiple worlds situations was beginning to gain deeper clarity. But the revelation gave Alex some hope, and a new goal; he had to develop his skills and his class. He had to master them and gain Aura before the imperials arrived.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
Feeling renewed and reinvigorated, Alex caught the forlorn droop of Lyra''s shoulders, her eyes reflecting a deep sense of loss. Compelled to lift her spirits, he leaned closer, his voice tinged with optimism. "I''m sure there''s a skill for it somewhere in the system. An ''Aura'' skill that does everything you say and more, it''s not gone forever." Lyra''s eyes, upon hearing this, held a faint trace of hope.
She sat back, her tale finished, her energy expended. Around her, her group sat. Finn yawned and lay on his back while Ayla held some game over the campfire. Kier was some distance away in deep concentration as he tried to alter the functions of his skills. They soon began to set up camp for the night, with Fin directing Alex, showing him how they functioned as a group and set up tents, not that Alex needed instruction. But it turned out he did because he couldn¡¯t concentrate- he was still enthralled by the concept of Aura, his breath held in the wake of her tale.
He would need to get her to teach him more about it, maybe he could use any lesson she could give on Aura to improve his ¡®Mana Burn¡¯, the skill seemed almost identical to it- if much weaker and only half of the equation. But if he learned more about what he suspected to be its origins, maybe someday he could make it whole.
***
As the camp settled, Alex turned to Lyra, keeping his voice steady, casual, but letting the vagueness of his words test the surface of their knowledge. ¡°So, that notification. Did you all see anything about a¡ time limit?¡± His fingers traced the rough edges of his sword, tapping faintly in rhythm with the question. Lyra nodded, the quiet twist of her brow revealing something between anger and determination. ¡°We saw it, the one-year countdown. ¡®Till the arrival of the ''Imperial masters'',¡± she murmured, the last word falling like a stone. "Whoever they are..." Her hand moved to her sword, fingers curling and uncurling. Keir, watching her with a tense, subdued focus and added, ¡°A force that can do this¡ªwield this ¡®system¡¯ against us, choking every bit of mana from our world.¡± His fist clenched, veins pulsing against his skin. ¡°Every being here struggles to gain power now, not just to defend what we have¡ but to claim it,¡± Ayla said quietly, a note of something darker edging her words.
"Perhaps even the Gods." She murmered.
Finn nodded, his voice low as he said, ¡°Yes, perhaps even the Arach¡ª¡±
"Finn!" Ayla¡¯s shot up, rising to her feet as her voice sliced through his, fierce and unrestrained. ¡°Stop! I don¡¯t want them mentioned.¡± Her words carried a force that shuddered through the clearing, breaking the quiet between them, uncharacteristically harsh and raw. Alex¡¯s brow furrowed as he watched her, struck by the sudden transformation. Ayla, whom he¡¯d only known as gentle and quiet, now stood bristling with fury, her entire form trembling as if her rage demanded release. Electricity sparked to life around her, flashing in chaotic but beautiful patterns that branched out from her form, snapping outward in fierce, branching webs that illuminated the space around her, their paths traced by short, glowing trails that faded before reaching the ground.
They cast faint outlines and pulses across the air, leaving brief, luminous trails. In thier wake, the absence created dark, static zones- areas where movement and light were pulled inward and consumed in muted, darkened pockets, creating a stilled, almost void-like effect around her. They''re grounding zones, Alex realised, though he knew that such a thing usually required a physical surface. The grounding zones blended with the arcs, creating soft voids of darkness, dampening and absorbing energy rather than radiating it. These zones held a strange, stilled darkness, a thick absence that pulled the surrounding space in as if devouring the edges of movement itself.
Finn¡¯s mouth tightened, and he lifted a hand in an attempt at conciliation. ¡°I get it, Ayla, really, I do." He stepped back slightly with placating arms, his tone earnest but unwavering. "You¡¯ve lost more to the Arach¡ to the great enemy than any of us. But hiding from it? From the enemy of all that lives? It has taken from every border and every land. It¡¯s not going away.¡± He looked directly at her, steady, as the snapping electricity began to slow, the pulses and sparks easing from her form as she fought for control. "It was most likely taken by the system too."
Ayla shifted her weight, lowering her gaze as she moved to sit, appearing exhausted from mana drain, her reserves likely near depleted. Her voice dropped into something softer, almost reluctant- as if resigning herself to a truth she¡¯d rather not face.
"I know," she murmured.
Alex studied the voids around her resigned form as the arcs faded, the disappearing pockets where the light bent inward and consumed energy into a muted, hollowed quiet. Shes utilising her mana to generate light and energy, mixed with darkness and emptiness- a paradox... I wonder what it does? With the effects of whatever skill she had likely passively triggered faded, he turned his gaze towards the others.
Kier¡¯s eyes followed the exchange without a word as he remained still, his gaze unwavering, yet holding something unreadable in the set of his face. Lyra¡¯s expression, on the other hand, shifted, her lips slowly parting in a smile that caught a wild glint, the thrill unmistakable. The fierce spark in her eyes and the hand flexing over the pommel of her sword betrayed nothing but savage delight at the mere thought of this ¡®great enemy.¡¯
Alex found himself infinitely curious as to who, or what the ''Great Enemy'' was.
But he knew it wasn''t the time to ask, so instead he asked a different question, one that he guessed might be related to the mysterious enemy that apparently plagued thier world.
"Where are all the monsters?"
It turned out, that was the entire reason they were in the forest. Since their return from the turorial, something had been killing all of the beasts, with few exceptions. The wilderness, once teeming with life, was now a desolate void. Alex sensed a current of discomfort running through the entire party, some current of suspicion that ran between every single one of them, that even Lyra was hesitant to confirm.
He moved to rest for the night with more questions than answers. He would have to dig deeper.
***
Dawn broke the next morning, casting a warm light over the camp as they packed up. Alex trudged along with the group, squinting at the sun rising opposite to where he expected the town to be. "Are we not going back to town?" he inquired, a hint of confusion in his voice.
¡°Not yet. We¡¯ve heard reports of a creature causing disappearances close to the settlement,¡± Lyra explained, her eyes scanning the surroundings. ¡°Mostly criminals, but It usually doesn''t take long for these things to start targeting hunters or other civilians in the region. A beast of some kind, probably a forest bear. It shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to deal with- The tutorial realm was unclear about the system¡¯s effect on native wildlife, just that they have levels like us now, but no classes. And that they''ll get stronger over time the longer they live. Some beasts were said to level quicker than others, let''s hope whatever¡¯s responsible for the disappearances isn''t one of them.¡±
Alex considered her statement. Then with a flex of his will, he accessed his Inventory skill.
The first time the skill had activated had been a surprise, it emerged before he¡¯d even begun to utter the words. He supposed that¡¯s why it was placed in the ¡®Passives¡¯ section of his status; the skill was always active. Alex had spent some time exploring the skills sensations and grown used to it, to a degree. With his latest activation, his consciousness drifted and connected with what felt like a tiny spatial realm, no bigger than a small room, or porta-potty: those small potable toilets he¡¯d often see in public festivals on television. the space was small and cramped, and if he was physically standing inside it, he doubted he¡¯d even be able to turn around. But it was taller than he was, by a head, and then some, and it could fit plenty of weapons, items, or even armour if there was any to be gained. It was a useful skill, invaluable even. He often explored the phantom sensation of its cramped space, the invisible boundaries of this pocket dimension pressing in around his senses. Aside from the sword he¡¯d placed in there earlier, It was empty. But he didn''t plan on it being empty for much longer.
Alex placed his last remaining healing potion in the pocket space and pulled his bronze sword from his inventory with a nudge of intent, the blade landing in his open palm. Gotta get better at that, he thought. He¡¯d already spent some time in the forest practising changing weapons on a whim, trading his sword for sticks and other items mid-swing. He was getting better at it, but the skill he really wanted to develop was pulling his sword from the pocket space and slashing in an instant; marrying the magical skill with Battojutsu¡¯s fundamental quick draw. If he mastered it, it would be the perfect surprise attack, capable of ending battles before they¡¯d even begun. Back on earth, such a move was designed to defeat opponents potentially stronger, faster, or even more experienced than you- removing all the variables an extended battle could bring to ensure your victory as soon as possible.
It was deception, plain and simple.
But all true fighters knew that deception was the essence of combat. Alex had learned that from a very young age. Using feints, positioning, pretending to be injured or falsely stepping in one direction only to move in another, targeting areas to trick your opponents into lowering their guard, and even looking at an opponent''s stomach before slashing at their face. Misdirection, creating vulnerabilities and controlling the distance. All of it was deception, and all of it was combat.
He didn¡¯t always deceive while fighting, though. Back on earth, sometimes he just had fun and helped people to grow and improve their skills, or if the bout called for it, destroyed them without needing to exert himself. But when he truly needed to win, or when he found himself swept up in the focused states of combat; he used every tool in his arsenal.
Like when he faced the wolves in the dungeons jungle, and on the mountain in that chaotic race.
Only the inexperienced, or those who watched too many Hollywood movies thought of battles of life and death as some chivalrous endeavor. Fighting could be fun, sure. It could even be noble, depending on the cause or reason. But in a battle of life and death there was always only one winner. Nobility and mercy were something only afforded to the strong- Alex could often leave opponents intact and improved because he was occasionally much more skilled than them- back on Earth. But here in Pyra, he couldn¡¯t afford to take that risk. Any battle would have to be faced without mercy. He would strike swiftly and unexpectedly, and capitalize on the advantage to overwhelm and overcome them without leaving them room to breathe. A tsunami of advantage.
Slash.
He swung his empty hand at speed as if drawing from an imaginary sheath, and a sword appeared grasped in his fingers in a blink of motion. His poise and motions felt right, this time. He was almost there. The move reminded him of an old quote his grandfather had tried to ¡®teach¡¯ him over a decade ago. ¡°All warfare is based on deception.¡± He¡¯d said. ¡°When we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; and when far away, we must make them believe we are near.¡±
Alex had always known this, that combat was rooted in deception- a game of chess played at high speeds. But it turns out so had the person who originally spoke the words; Sun Tzu, who according to his grandfather was an ancient Chinese military strategist known for his insights into warfare and strategy. Great minds eh? Who knew? He chuckled to himself as he placed his sword back into his inventory.
Slash. He swung again, displaced air popping faintly as his blade materialised at inhuman speeds.
Lyra looked towards him at the sudden appearance of his sword, before immediately accepting its appearance, looking away and pressing forward. She was more used to magic- true magic- than Alex had ever been, and although the sight of a dimensional space was rare to her, it wasn''t unheard of.
Alex stored and withdrew his sword a few more times, practicing as they walked. He kept his eyes peeled and strained his senses, ready for whatever they might encounter. He found the idea of facing a creature from this world was both intriguing and exhilarating.
Finn crouched, his eyes scanning the environment. He moved with a stealth that spoke of his keen awareness, his presence almost imperceptible among the trees as his form seamlessly merged with the foliage and nature.
"We''re not alone," Finn whispered, his voice low.
Lyra nodded, her eyes focused. "Fan out, but stay within sight."
They moved with quiet coordination, each step measured. Alex felt his heart rate pick up, a sense of anticipation building.
The signs of the creature¡¯s presence became more obvious. Branches were broken and the air carried a unique scent.
"We''re close," Ayla voiced quietly. "Be ready."
Alex''s hand tightened on his sword, a natural response to the impending danger.
Alex returned the nod, his focus narrowing on the task at hand.
Silence enveloped them as they approached the source of the disturbance. The forest around them was a mix of shadow and light, the tranquillity belying the danger that lurked.
A deep, resonant rumbling growl vibrated through the trees. The sound was raw, filled with primal power.
It repeated again, in consistent intervals.
Lyra raised her hand, signalling them to halt. The group stopped, their formation tight and ready.
As they edged closer, the underbrush gave way to a clearing. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, creating patterns on the forest floor.
¡°So that explains why most of the predators have fled the area.¡± Keir exhaled and glanced at Alex, a subtle nod acknowledging his presence. "It''s a Griffon, they can be unpredictable at the best of times. Stay sharp."
Alex followed his gaze towards the massive creature resting at the base of a large Redwood tree.
In the clearing, the griffon rested, its vast form sprawled across the ground. Each rumbling breath it took stirred the dust and small leaves around it. Its feathers, a mix of gold and brown, gave it an almost regal appearance. But Alex didn''t miss how metallic edges as sharp as blades lined the corners of its wings and flashed as the sunlight played off its feathers, revealing faint scars, broken barbs, and several broken feathers otherwise hidden beneath the shadows of its wings.
The area around the griffon was a jumble of bones and remnants of various creatures, large and small. There were traces of a battle; torn and crushed trees lay scattered, and the earth was scarred and gouged in sections as if the beast had battled something equally ferocious. Tangled among the surrounding bones were pieces of armour: a rusted helm, a shield split in two, the metal dulled and bent. Finn, with a cautious step, directed his gaze to a particularly large set of remains, partially concealed by a crater in the clearing. "Bear," he mouthed silently to Alex. Stepping closer, Alex noted the sheer size of the bones and flesh, piecing together their former shape ¨C unmistakably a bear, but unlike any bear he''d ever seen before, now reduced to mere fragments after facing the griffon.They edged closer, and alex saw a mass of glistening dark corpses that surrounded the griffins form in a circle. They were the dead bodies of insects of some kind, each as large as cars. The others had yet to notice.
The group paused at the clearing''s edge, every member poised for action. Watching, waiting for signs of aggression from the creature.
The griffon, oblivious to their approach, rolled to its side in deep slumber, its back exposed to the group as it basked in the light of the sun.
In that instant, the tension broke, and they stepped into the clearing.
Chapter 23: The Challenge
As they tiptoed towards the slumbering griffon, Ayla''s eyes scanned the area, drifting over broken bones and brutalised corpses as her expression grew puzzled. "It''s not like a griffon to hunt this aggressively," she whispered.
¡°Or hunt this many¡±
Finn, his gaze locked on the bear remains, added, "It wasn''t the griffon. I was tracking a bear, a massive one, but lost the trail just before we got here." He gestured towards the bear''s large carcass, nestled in a crater, its enormity dwarfing their presence, even now. ¡°Most of the corpses here have been shredded by claws and teeth, not gouged by talons. This isn¡¯t the griffon''s lair- I reckon it¡¯s the bears.¡± He thumbed towards the carcass once more.
They halted, the ground beneath their feet a mosaic of bones and remnants. To proceed any further would be to shatter bones both old and fresh, and create a cacophony that would startle and wake the sleeping griffin.
It was then that they noticed the corpses of insects scattered along the ground, their brittle forms arranged in unsettling stillness across the forest floor. Ayla¡¯s face drained of color, her mouth slightly agape as she took a shaky step back. ¡°No,¡± she muttered under her breath, the faintest tremor edging her voice, ¡°this can¡¯t be possible.¡± Her hands clutched at her arms, fingers digging into her sleeves as her gaze swept over the remnants. To her side, Finn¡¯s complexion turned ashen, his shoulders tense, and he managed only a single whisper. ¡°It¡¯s them,¡± he breathed, the words falling from his lips as though torn out against his will. Beside him, Kier¡¯s grip on his staff tightened, fingers clasping so firmly that the knuckles emerged pale, the wood creaking in his grasp. His face set in grim resolve, a single sentence slipped out, no louder than a murmur that none dared challenge, though Lyra appeared to almost vibrate with excitement as he spoke the words in her stead, ¡°we¡¯ll have to inform the settlement once this is over.¡±
And so it was Finn''s turn to move ahead silently. His form phased in and out of the shadows, soundlessly moving from place to place as he inspected the remains for more clues.
A crashing sound ensued, and shards of tree bark erupted in a spray, shattering bones throughout the clearing. The cacophony of splintering wood and shattering bones erupted in the tree line.
A bear, larger than any Alex had ever seen, burst into the clearing. Its fur lined streaks of metallic sheen and its claws and teeth glinted like cold steel. The ground was gouged with its every movement, and bones were crushed like brittle clay.
Finn, stepping back into invisibility, "That''s not like any bear I''ve ever seen. The system truly warped it,¡± he remarked in surprise, as his form faded into darkness.
The griffon, awakened by the intrusion, staggered to its feet, a deep wound in its stomach oozing crimson blood into the grass and mud. It let out a screeching challenge, staggering under its own weight. The bear responded with a guttural roar, and the air burst amidst the chaos, rattling all present.
The two colossal beasts clashed, their roars and screeches intertwining in a deadly cacophony, their battle sending vibrations through the ground. Ayla, eyeing the griffon, said, "We can¡¯t let it die," her voice tense but resolute. ¡°Griffons can be peaceful, It¡¯s not the one responsible for all this death.¡± She eyed the shattered corpses and bones while muttering the name of some skill under her breath. ¡°This was the work of... something else.¡±
"The metal bear," Alex murmered in agreement.
Lyra, watching the creatures exchange ferocious blows, nodded. "Hmm. Regardless, they are both beasts. But we target the bear," she commanded, her tone resolute. "Ayla¡¯s right and Finn''s already confirmed it. For now, the Bear¡¯s our mark, we''ll deal with the rest later. Take position.¡±
The group moved into position, the griffon''s eyes shifting to them, warily registering their presence as it shifted and limped, unsure of their intentions. The bear, its metallic fur glinting in the light, roared a challenge to their intrusion.
Lyra, her stance firm, muttered words that sounded to Alex like ¡°Stoneheart¡±. Her skin transformed into a stone-like armour, hard rocky, and grey, appearing ready to withstand the upcoming onslaught. Keir, with a fluid motion, summoned blades of water, the moisture in the air coalescing into lethal weapons. One blade, then another, then many more.
They charged.
And the bear charged too, its metallic claws gouging lines through the earth. Ayla reacted swiftly, her arms and shoulders morphing into powerful, bear-like appendages. She met the bear''s charge, their clash resounding through the clearing.
A meaty thud sounded as they collided. Alex was shocked to see Ayla still standing, although injured.
¡°Phantom Step¡± Finn hissed as he vanished once more into the woodland, merging with the flora.
Finn reappeared behind the bear, bursting from the ground beneath its feet wrapped in tendrils of fading earth.
He appeared with shortswords in each hand, longer than his forearms and twice as thick, their handles seamlessly merged with the metal flesh of his palms. He struck without hesitation. Alex noted his strikes were precise and silent, the only sound made being the bears'' thrashing attempts to retaliate and its blood splattering against the surrounding earth and bone.
They¡¯re¡ actually pretty good. Alex thought with mild surprise. He believed he could still take them, but it wouldn¡¯t be easy. They were handling the metallic beast without great difficulty and moved with a cohesion that spoke to years and years of teamwork.
He had decided to step back and observe the battle at first. Having no idea of the average level of strength that existed in this world when compared to his own, an opportunity to witness a battle of experienced and somewhat famous adventures could be nothing but eye-opening.
And so he observed, with a loose grip on the edge of his resting blade.
¡°Stoneweavers Edge.¡± Oblivious to Alex¡¯s ongoing assessment, Lyra shifted her sword into a massive hammer of some strange dark rocky mineral. She swung with all her might, the stone weapon colliding with the bear''s side. The impact sent the creature stumbling, but it regained its footing, unfazed.
Finn, stepping into the sky, vanishing in flickers of motion before he reappeared out of breath beside Alex and spoke, "Its hide''s tough as steel. Hit the soft spots and the areas already damaged, or the sections without a sheen of metal. It''s the only way.¡± He vanished again, slipping into his the ground beneath him as the earth rose to embrace its symbiosis, before he reappeared near the bear, bursting from the bark of a tree high above to strike swiftly.
As the battle raged, the griffon limped away in retreat. It watched them from a distance with tentative movements as it licked its wounds, a mix of caution and curiosity in its every reactive twitch.
Alex, still observing from a distance, noted the bear''s agility as it twisted and turned to face every attack. "Faster than it looks," he muttered. Okay time to move, can''t let them soak up all the experience. He observed as the bear suddenly snapped its jaws at an unsuspecting Kier, only for Lyra to hammer it away. With a lot more levels, that thing could be a real problem. He decided it was time to act.
Mana Blade.
The skill shone brightly, slicing through the bear''s metallic fur with ease. His mana clearly depleting to his enhanced senses, thanks to Inner Focus. Phoenix Leap'', he thought, immediately soaring over the melee as he deactivated the sharpened blade.
He landed gracefully beside Ayla, just as the bear''s massive paw descended towards her. Without hesitation, he activated Boundless Dodge, and his movements blurred into a streak, snatching Ayla from the path of the blow.
Her eyes met his and although they briefly flashed with gratitude, her words were anything but grateful. ¡°Thanks,¡± she said, ¡°But I could¡¯ve handled it.¡± She raised her ¡®bear¡¯ arm as if to prove a point, its ruffled fur and bulging muscles extending into oversized shoulders. It looked strange when compared to the rest of her dainty form.
¡°See.¡± She said, a slight grin forming on her freckles features. ¡°No biggie. Duality Prison.¡± She reached out towards the raging beast, and as she did so, brittle leaves formed thin strings that sprouted from the ground in perfect sync with her movements. To Alex, they looked so weak a single finger could crush them. Yet they snapped and grasped the creature, slowing its movements and weighing it down, causing it to stagger.
Fragility and Durability, he noted. Alex stepped back to observe them once more.
In the clearing, chaos reigned as the group converged on the metallic bear with a flurry of coordinated attacks. Finn, a shadow among the trees, darted in and out of visibility, his strikes swift and precise, targeting the bear''s vulnerable spots, distracting it from the others with sharp bouts of pain while Ayla grappled the creature with her beast-like arms, ensnaring it, her grip unyielding. Kier''s control over water manifested as sharp icicles, striking from a distance, each icy projectile finding its mark on the gaps within the bear''s tough hide with lethal accuracy. Lyra, her skin hardened to stone, absorbed the bear''s retaliatory swipes, countering with powerful, earth-shaking blows. Her heavy blows caused deep meaty thuds to sound through the clearing, leaving visible dents on the creature''s body.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
The bear, caught in this relentless assault, reeled under the impact of their combined might. Its attempts to break free were thwarted by Ayla''s constriction, Finn''s elusive movements, Kier''s piercing ice, and Lyra''s unyielding force. In a coordinated flurry of action, each member of the team played their part flawlessly, seamlessly shifting between attack and defence, overwhelming the bear until it finally succumbed, collapsing onto the scarred earth.
The bear rose to its feet with a final roar and lumbered towards the group, staggering forward as they spread to surround it. To Alex, it appeared to be on its last legs, as if an errant wind could cause it to collapse. Its metallic fur, which had blocked blows from countless opponents, was now dented like fragile wood in places. It was a battered hulk of fur and scars, and one of its eyes was missing.
And yet, it moved towards them, heedless of its injuries, the ground trembling with each step.
Tough bastard, aren¡¯t you? Alex thought with a strange kind of begrudging respect as he prepared to summon a mana blade and put the creature out of its misery.
As they all stepped forward to face the beast''s final advance, a group of armed and armoured men burst through the trees and raced towards the massive creature.
Five men in full armor, who Alex immediately found himself thinking of as ''knights¡¯. They raced on foot, armed with swords and shields. Ahead of them raced a man on a horse, a man wearing armour so heavily embroidered that it bordered on impracticality. He was clearly the leader of the armoured knights, and he yelled as they charged.
¡°The metal monster! It¡¯s here!¡± At his provocation, the foremost member of the intruders yelled again, this time an order to ¡°Charge!¡±, and the rest raised their weapons and followed. They hammered toward the wounded beast heedless of Lyra, Alex, and the rest of the group already in battle with their target.
They burst past Alex¡¯s team without even so much as a glance.
Alex stood in slack-jawed surprise and watched as the newcomers made short work of the already-beaten beast. It soon collapsed in a bloody mess on the ground, a blow from the man in embroidered armour denting its metallic fur as if it were made of nought but wood. The beast had fallen for a final time, joining the rest of the carcasses as one of its own.
[You have defeated a level 33 Direforged Bear.]
There it is again, but without an experience bonus. Probably because it¡¯s now taken 10 of us to collectively defeat a single beast. Through the notifications, Alex was beginning to understand how the system distributed experience. It seemed that so long as he defeated a higher-levelled beast alone or with a significantly smaller number of people, the level difference bonus would be applied. But in this instance, the beast had suddenly been grossly outnumbered.
A bulk of their experience had essentially been stolen.
The leader''s knights surrounded the massive carcass, pulling out tools and cutting instruments, intent on harvesting large swaths of undamaged and clearly defensive metallic fur. Two knights stood watch, eyeing them with unspoken intensity; an intensity that radiated from between the slits in their silver helms.
They were stealing the loot, too.
Lyra''s voice, sharp and indignant, cut through the tension. "Thieves! You waltz in here with your fancy armour, claiming to protect our town, but all you''ve done here is steal what''s rightfully ours."
The leader of the group, a man bearing impractically decorative armour, turned. His gaze was disdainful as he retorted, "Your town? I assure you, I am the guardian of these lands. We have the right to harvest the spoils of our hunt, and that includes this beast."
Kier, his fists clenched, interjected, "Your hunt? We bled and fought against this creature, and now you claim the prize? That''s not justice or protection; that''s robbery."
The leader''s knights, clad in armour that gleamed with arrogance, brandished their weapons, ready to defend their lord''s claim. Lyra, undeterred, stood her ground, her eyes ablaze with defiance. "You''re not the saviour you pretend to be,¡± she spat, her hand on the hilt of her sword.
The man¡¯s gaze narrowed, a predatory glint in his eyes. "You dare accuse me? I am Baron Frostthorne of house Winterfall, and my authority surpasses your petty grievances. The town''s prosperity is my charge, and you, Lyra, regardless of your fame, would do well to remember your place."
¡°Even so.¡± Lyra, unyielding, stepped forward, her voice laced with conviction. "Your authority doesn''t grant you the right to steal from those who shed blood for this town. We won''t bow to your arrogance."
A knight, with swift motions, unsheathed a long dagger, the blade catching the dappled sunlight. "Commoner rabble. How can you talk to our lord like that? It''s insane!" He flanked the baron with stern movements, his back rigid and body stiff, as if every muscle beneath the metal seethed with anger at the perceived slight. "What gives you the right to insult him?¡±
Another knight, clad in glinting armour, drew his sword with a metallic rasp, eyes locked on the group with an unspoken threat. His gauntleted hand held the blade loosely, as if he considered a battle with the adventurers beneath his notice or care.
A third knight, his visor down, moved forward with measured steps. The clinking of armour resonated, creating an ominous rhythm that underscored the slow drawing of his blade.
And another knight, the rear guard, positioned himself with a bow at the ready. With his arrow notched, he aimed with precision, eyes cold and calculating yet filled with indignation. "Put your weapons down or deal with the fallout of your disrespect." His sharp voice sounded from within his helm, cutting through the clearing with a hollow cadence.
The fifth, a bulky figure in knights armour brandishing a broadsword, shifted his weight as his deep voice boomed, muscles tense beneath the metal. "Indeed, insulting our lands Baron won''t go unanswered. Prepare yourselves.¡± His gaze swept over the group, a silent assessment of the impending confrontation, as if he was judging who he would slay first.
He stepped forward.
But the Baron raised a commanding hand to stop his armoured men, a subtle yet firm gesture that silenced and captured the attention of the entire group. He held a wickedly calculating look in his eye.
"A Baron such as myself would never need to steal anything." He pointed at the town, a gesture laden with implied responsibility. "I am the guardian of all its citizens,¡± His gaze turned cold and imperious, sweeping over all present as he spoke with an air of authority. ¡°Even you."
In a deliberate continuation, his gauntleted hand motioned towards the group, armour creaking subtly. "We''ve been hunting this beast for an entire day," he declared, his voice carrying through the forest. Baron Frostthorne rose to his full height, shoulders squared and chest puffed out, the metallic embroidery on his armour glinting in the light as he shifted. "I extend my thanks for your assistance in the hunt."
His party, armoured figures standing in disciplined formation, emanated an aura of strength. The clinking of their gear added a percussive undertone to the forest sounds, underscoring their claim. "However," he continued, the metal plates of his armour rustling with the movement, "we''ve dealt significant damage, earning us rightful claims to the bounty, harvest, and experience."
"If you truly dispute the claim," he announced, his voice carrying a sinister edge, "one of you may challenge me to the rights at a time and place of my choosing according to the law.¡±
A hushed murmur spread among the baron''s men, their anger momentarily subdued by the prospect of a legal resolution. ¡°And as for the time and place; I choose here,¡± The baron, confident in his convictions, fixed his gaze on Lyra, and drifted from each member of her group to the other, challenging them to take the next step. ¡°And now.¡±
His gaze lingered on Alex for a moment, and a look of unfamiliarity briefly flashed across his features before he returned his gaze to land on Lyra. His eyes settled on her with unnerving focus.
At his provocation, Kier, Ayla, and even Finn seem to falter and reconsider. But Lyra stepped forward without hesitation, drawing her sword in agreement.
At this, the Baron smirked and asked, ¡°I challenge you to a ¡®Wager Of Battle¡¯, do you accept?¡±
Something about the way he said those words caught Alex¡¯s attention. He''d said it as if each word carried weight and was capitalized, as if they were more than just mere words. As if he was saying the name of a skill, he thought.
¡°Of course,¡± Lyra said before blinking in confusion, ¡°I see no message, where is your challenge?¡±
The baron''s smirk expanded into a full-on smile as he replied, ¡°I did not challenge you, but him,¡± he pointed a gauntleted finger in Alex¡¯s direction with a self-satisfied sneer. ¡°He was a part of your hunt, no? Some new member of your group, perhaps?¡± He seemed to size Alex briefly before appearing unimpressed with whatever internal appraisal he''d clearly come to. ¡°I have never seen him before, and I know everyone worth knowing. He will represent you, or you will forfeit the rights.¡±
¡°I''m giving you a chance.¡± Another sneer, his words seeped in disingenuity as he relished the confrontation.
[Designation ¡®Baron Frostthorne¡¯ has challenged you to a Wager of Battle. As a combat class, refusal will result in a penalty. Do you accept?]
Alex blinked in surprise at the notification and hesitated. He was tempted to immediately agree, but was unsure about cultural faux pas and needed some clarity. The prospect of a duel, however, held no uncertainty to him. He had observed them slaying the beast, and while they were all surprisingly strong, their strength did not seem intimidating.
He just wanted to be sure it was the right decision.
Alex whispered back a question to Lyra, addressing his main concern of the systems ¡®Penalty¡¯. ¡°What happens if I refuse?¡± he asked. Lyra pursed her lips in response, hesitant to answer, before finally responding. ¡°Then he will steal some of your experience. It''s a paltry amount and he can only do it once, as less is stolen if you''re far below his level, and we estimate there''s a cut off in level difference where the skill simply doesn''t work, though it''s unknown how high a persons level would have to be. ¡±
At her words, Alex¡¯s eyebrows arched in surprise. That was practically a cheat; to gain experience from mere challenges. ¡°You said less is stolen if I''m far below him, but what if I refuse the challenge when my level is higher than his?¡± Lyra looked at him incredulously, as if he''d just said something stupid, before she muttered a response. ¡°Then he''ll steal more- a level, maybe two- and all the stats the stolen levels provided. But you don''t have to worry about that, we estimate his level at being almost twice that of most.¡±
Loosing two levels? And 36 stats? That was unacceptable.
"And if i win? What happens then?" Surely there would be an additional reward, he surmised.
"It''s essentially curse magic, though this cursed system would call it a ''debuff''. The only reward, is that you are not debuffed- that you break the curse. That''s all." Lyra looked at him with concern, ¡°It''s dangerous, Alex. More than it seems. The duel is to first blood, but he will probably look to kill you and frame it as a mistake. In fact, he will definitely try to kill you, for the experience." She whispered that part before continuing. "And if he somehow fails, he will hunt you down. He has one of the higher levels among those in town, and during the tutorial his skills were among the most dangerous.¡± she hissed further in hushed tones.
¡°He uses light as a weapon, changing its form and even imbuing himself with its power. It¡¯s deadly. He''s a ¡®Solar Knight¡¯, we think, but he refused to confirm. Whatever his class is, it''s dangerous, indefensible. You can refuse if you want. We''ll find another creature to hunt and make back whatever we lost instead.¡± Lyra seemed to beg Alex to refuse with her eyes, her gaze filled with frustrated sympathy.
Alex looked over to the man''s smiling and smug features as he dismounted. The baron appeared to view them all with disdain and impatient irritation, as if he''d already won and the action of the duel was nothing more than an inconvenience. He then looked to Lyra, Kier, Finn, and Ayla''s worried expressions.
[Duel of Wager: Accepted]
Alex made his decision, and willed his acceptance to the system.
Chapter 24: The Duel
As soon as Alex agreed, a sudden rush of energy unfurled from the Baron, an almost physical surge in the air. The space around them warped slightly to Alex¡¯s Outer Focus, a clear sign of a mana field activating and spreading, emanating from the Baron.
The energy washed over the space between them as the sphere solidified, turning into a transparent glowing barrier that separated them from the outside world, encasing them in an impenetrable sphere. Within the barrier, the air vibrated with a force seen only by Alex and sensed by Kier. It thrummed with magical energy.
The Baron''s fingers drew a finely crafted rapier from a scabbard Alex had only just noticed. The slender blade shone as it reflected the magical light of the barrier, its length precise and its thickness indicative of its finely crafted nature.
He handled the blade with proficiency, a flick of his wrist causing the rapier to twirl effortlessly from finger to palm.
¡°I''ve set the condition to first blood, it could''ve been death, you know. What''s your level, stranger?¡± The Baron''s voice, smooth and controlled, resonated through the clearing as he inquired, calculation apparent in his shrewd eyes.
Alex, maintaining a cautious gaze and even tone, responded, "Does it matter?¡±
¡°Humour me,¡± the Baron said, his eyebrow-raising ever so slightly.
Alex had no interest in hurting the Baron, that would be a foolish way to ingratiate himself into the town and the world at large. But he wouldn''t let him steal their loot either, or his stats.
Got to end this quick, a single strike and leave a nick somewhere on him, just enough to draw blood and trigger the duel to end. That seemed to be the best course of action; winning the duel without a protracted battle, keeping the loot, and leaving the Baron''s health and pride intact.
Alex paused, catching himself. But what happens after that? After i beat him? He wont leave me- or us, alone. He''s a noble, and one who steals and kills at his whim, regardless of right or wrong. He was still thinking as he had when he was Earth. Alex didn''t want to kill a human, and he hated that the Baron was placing him in a position where the option was present. And the baron had spent days on end stealing stats and levels from all types of classes. There was no guarantee he would be weaker than Alex. This is a fight after all, I have to prepared for any possibility. It¡¯s us or them.
Alex loved to fight, in all of its forms. But something about a deathmath between humans felt... Dangerous, like a slippery slope with no end in sight. Alex''s hand trembled at the prospect of such a death battle- in excitement. the curiosity of testing his blade against a thinking practitioner intent on his death. He had felt the same curiosity against that final aged wolfman. He had even felt it in the allyway when he had faced the barrel of the gun. What he had felt then was not a battle frenzy- Alex wasn''t an idiot.
It had been curiosity.
This was martial curiosity and martial excitement- no, Martial Intrigue. It was a rare chance to pit the very essence of his training against one who had done the same. Martial artist vs Martial artist, to the death. Like the gladiators of Earth. Such a feeling couldnt be obtained by fighting mere beasts. He grasped his arm, holding it still, refusing to give in to the curiosity, the need to test his skills and the intrigue towards the outcome. Yet his heart still pumped with wonder, and his eyes honed in on the Baron''s weakpoints- the throat, heart, thigh, spine- all places where a single strike would end the threat he posed to Alex and others permanently. Alex closed his eyes and breathed out, settling his heart and focusing on Kendos teachings on mindful presence. His heart settled and his mind calmed to a still sea. That was not who he wanted to be, and was not how he had lived. Unless one''s back was against the wall, killing a human was not an easy feat. He was not a savage murderer. Unless the Baron gave him no choice, he would not allow himself to become that.
Still, the consequences were too dire. Regardless of his desires, there was too much at stake. He would have to take this seriously, though he was still loathe to commit to murdering a human. It''s self-defence, he reminded himself, soothing his conscience for the potential of what could come.
In a last-ditch attempt at avoiding the death match, Alex extended a verbal olive branch to the Baron. ¡°Look, if it''s just to first blood, let''s just keep it to a light spar? How''s that sound? It¡¯s Alex by the way.¡± Alex¡¯s sentence broke off as he took a small step forward.
¡°I did not ask for your name, stranger,¡± the Baron interjected, his hand dismissing the air with a swift, deliberate motion.
"Your level. What is it?" the Baron pressed, gesturing with the rapier, his voice growing firmer.
Alex¡¯s eyes shifted toward the magical enclosure''s edges, assessing the amount of space he had to work with. It was just about ten or twelve feet all around; slightly smaller than a Muay Thai or boxing ring, but standard for Kendo, he supposed. It would be a tight fit for his skills, but it would do.
Well, my level equivalent¡¯s actually much higher than 32, maybe closer to 50, or somewhere below that if you consider my stat boosts and feats. No need to tell them that, though, he thought, setting his shoulders in a relaxed posture. ¡°It¡¯s 32, why?¡± Alex''s response was straightforward.
Shock rippled through the group, Ayla shifted restlessly, her grip on her sword faltering. Kier''s fingers drummed anxiously against his slightly curved staff, and a stunned silence hung in the air.
Finn''s jaw dropped.
¡°Wh-what!?¡± Ayla sputtered as she subconsciously stepped back.
¡°32!?¡± Kier''s astonishment was evident, his head snapping back slightly in surprise.
¡°He lies!¡± one of the Barons'' knights yelled in disbelief, his gaze flitting between Alex and the Baron.
The Baron''s face briefly registered surprise, which swiftly melted into a composed expression, the rapier returning to a steady grip. ¡°That''s quite the claim.¡± He spoke, a hint of scepticism lacing his words. "How did you manage to reach such heights when the tutorial ending class quest was gained at level 15?¡±
Level 15 class quests? Why was my class quest at 25? Was I expected to die in that dungeon? What the hell? Alex forced himself to school his expression and remain calm at the revelation.
¡°I suspect your comrades are somewhere between level 15, and level 20.¡± The Baron continued ¡°I myself have just reached level 30, and with considerable resources and wealth spent in the process." The Baron gestured to his men, but as he gestured, his eyes betrayed him, landing on the distant town beyond the barrier.
His men shifted at his address, their armour shining with reflected magical light.
¡°There is no need to lie, stranger. It won''t make a difference.¡± The Baron¡¯s dismissal was accompanied by a slight shake of his head. He adjusted his grip on the rapier, muscles hinting at a confident combat stance.
"Look, dude. I''m not lying, I''m trying to tell you¡ª" Alex began.
¡°Well, I tried.¡± The Baron interjected. As he spoke, his hand extended the rapier to point at Alex, a glint of steel catching the blue light.
This guy just loves to talk, doesn¡¯t he? Alex thought. The Baron reminded him of some of the more arrogant practitioners he met from time to time back on earth. When they sensed you were comfortable with their dance, they liked to negotiate- to try and get their way with the least resistance possible, or dig for information that they could either use against you, or to convince themselves they had a strong chance at beating you. It was funny how scared they were of a real challenge, sometimes. This guy doesn¡¯t seem any different. Bet he¡¯s going to try and attack first now he''s convinced himself he has the upper hand. These types always do.
The Baron continued, oblivious to Alex¡¯s assessment. ¡°Brace yourself, and try not to die too quickly, stranger.¡± As he spoke, his grip on the rapier tightened. ¡°It would make you look far too weak, and as a result would make me look bad,¡±
A wicked grin spread across the Barons'' features. ¡°And we can''t have that. ¡®Sunstrike.¡±
Light coalesced at the tip of his rapier, a point of brilliance against the dimming sky. It burst forward in a beam, aiming straight for Alex''s heart. The air around it rippled with the intense heat.
Alex watched the beam, his pupils dilating minutely.
Predictable. He thought dryly, as the Lance of blazing light raced towards him at speeds only he could follow, if barely. Boundless Dodge, he then thought.
In an instant, Alex''s body responded. He twisted, the world around him blurring as his mana seized him, moving him beyond his normal capabilities. It twisted his body to the left, an agile and fluid motion. The beam of light grazed past him, searing the ground where he had stood a moment earlier.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
Alex spun on his heel and crouched, his empty palms reaching towards his hips as if holding an imaginary blade.
The Baron, rapier still in hand, tracked Alex''s movement with a curious look in his eye, his weapon a steady line aimed at him.
Alex still had no intention of injuring or offending the apparent owner of the land he intended to call home. I mean, I still could just kill him, but after all of that time spent in the dungeon, I would hate to have to spend my first moments of freedom warring against this worlds ruling class... Although that''s looking to be the way things will play out, he sighed, resigned to the inevitability of fate. That would be a terrible way to start his new life.
But ultimately there was no guarantee. This as a fight after all, anything could happen. I really don''t want to kill... but if its us or them... I''m choosing us,
The only possible way the Baron could pose a threat to him is if he held equivalent stats or exceeded him in sword skills. But talented swordsmen operated in discipline, and carried an air of assessment that one could only gain from experiencing countless battles. There were only two kinds of boastful fighters¡ª those who loved battle, and those who were weak. It was evident the baron was the latter, judging by his conduct and much lower level and stats. At best he would be a journeyman, trained by instructors made available through wealth, but that could only take one so far. Battle prowess came from understanding, innovation, and flexibility¡ª not from memorising lessons. If this guy can actually fight I¡¯ll chew my sword, Alex stifled a laugh, catching it in his throat. The baron was a negligible threat, only significant in his ability to cause irritation through his death. The fallout of murdering royalty would be a headache to deal with. For now.
If he gets annoying, or even a little bit threatening then I¡¯ll wipe them out, Alex promised himself. It would be easy. He envisioned a Mana Blade looping off the barons head, with a combination of his Dao and Boundless Dodge making short work of his retinue with a single stroke of his blade. Too easy, in fact.
Let¡¯s see how this goes¡ either way, it¡¯ll be fun. Despite his attempts at stoicism, a soft smirk briefly breached his features before his lips settled, his visage focused.
Alex''s muscles tensed, ready yet controlled. His eyes, sharp and clear, were locked onto the Baron, still focused on a spot just above the Baron''s right cheek.
He moved. In one motion, he swung his empty palm with furious swiftness as if drawing a sword, rotating his hips to face his target, stepping forward, and executing a powerful cut, leveraging his lower body''s strength.
His arm moved in a practised, fluid motion. With a thought, the air burst with a faint pop as a blade appeared in motion between his palms. He grasped the hilt tight in mid-swing. Alex¡¯s sword blurred in a flash, a silver streak arching towards the stunned Baron''s cheek.
The Baron''s eyes widened helplessly.
At the moment of contact, As the tip of his blade sliced the baron''s cheek, a brilliant burst of light replaced the expected sensation of metal grazing skin. Instead of the expected slight resistance of skin, the blade met light and air. The figure before Alex shattered like glass, scattering into radiant particles, scattering and fading. The figure before him, illuminated intensely, fragmented into a myriad of light particles, scattering and fading like sparks in the night.
Alex''s eyes registered surprise, a rare moment of shock.
The real Baron stood a few feet, eyes wide with surprise that mirrored Alex¡¯s own. He quickly realigned his stance, rapier aiming at Alex with precision. But there was something off about him ¨C his entire figure appeared to be composed of light, a hardened light that had the odd appearance of glass. To Alex, it looked like glowing plastic or the dim, ambient light of neon signs.
¡°You''re faster than I expected.¡± The Baron said, each word dripping with muted shock.
Alex didn''t deign to respond. Instead, he darted forward, his movements a blur, the ground barely seeming to touch his feet. He was upon the Baron in a heartbeat, Blade in hand. His sword was a blur of blue light as it swung, the light of the magical barrier reflected in his powerful swing.
With the force of Alex''s strike, the Baron''s Hardlight body shattered. His form broke like fragile crystal, its pieces vanishing into thin air.
Again.
The Baron reappeared as a blur, attacking Alex from all sides as if moving through light. But Alex''s blade moved in a blur too, striking down each attempt at his life in a succession of swift, precise movements. The Barons form constantly shattered upon impact, dissolving into motes of light only to reappear in another location.
The luminescent figure of the Baron emerged, this time directly behind Alex and in mid-swing, an arc of heated air trailing his rapier. Alex''s reaction was immediate - a swift sidestep followed by a precise, forward lunge. His blade met the baron''s shoulder, and with a resonant clash, it too shattered, scattering the Baron¡¯s form into countless motes of light.
Where?- Alex searched for the baron''s new location within the confined space. There he is.
The Baron reappeared, moving with a controlled stride, and halted a few feet from Alex. His stance was rigid, eyebrows raised with an air of disbelief. "Are you truly level 32? You''re almost as capable as I am," he said, pausing slightly after each statement, as if he was still weighing Alex''s worthiness.
"But you cannot hope to keep up. When you shatter my form, for a moment, I reappear at a location of my choosing at the speed of light. Did you know light had a ¡®speed¡¯? That it travels? Hah! The wonders never cease, I love this ¡®system¡¯, truly. It''s going to turn me into a god," he continued, his chest rising and falling more noticeably with each word.
In the next moment, their blades met in a clash. Alex moved rapidly, his arm and blade forming a seamless arc. The Baron''s form fragmented under the impact, dissolving into a cloud of light particles. He instantly rematerialized, suspended in mid-air above Alex, his figure a blur of rapid movement. Arms stretched out, his rapier moved in patterns that released beams of lasers that rained down, charring the earth where they struck to carve deep furrows into the dirt. The ground hissed and steamed, the air around the impact sites rippling with heat.
Alex''s evasion was swift, each step and turn avoiding the descending beams, his mind elsewhere. How can I cut this guy? How do you cut light? Alex wondered.
Alex lunged again, blade first, targeting the Baron''s reappearing form. The Baron attempted to parry with his rapier, and the clanging of metal rang through the clearing. He went tumbling to the ground.
No way, really? Alex thought incredulously, it wasn''t even that hard.
With another swift cut of Alex¡¯s blade, the Baron disintegrated, only to materialize again, this time at a distance, showing signs of fatigue. His shoulders slumped slightly, and his breathing became more pronounced.
¡°Alex, did you say your name was? I''ll remember it. If you survive this, come work for me,¡± the Baron said, standing a bit straighter, the offer hanging in the air between them. ¡°If placed under the right leader, a man of your talents could rise to heights that extend far beyond this land''s borders,¡±
¡°With the right support, You could be a King¡¯s right hand - a Vizier,¡± he continued, his hand gesturing slightly as if holding treasure. ¡°My Vizier.¡±
¡°I''m good thanks. I work alone.¡± Alex replied, his grip on his blade tightening, ignoring the cheesiness of his own words. He felt as though he was close to finding an answer to the question that had eluded him this whole time. He had been hesitant to use it, wanting to test his skill with the blade without relying on the external factors, but the system wasn''t external, it was internal. And now that he finally had a bead on the man''s speed and movements, he felt he had found the answer to the question; How does one cut light?
With magic, perhaps?
His Mana Blade sprang to life, humming with bright energy, as he prepared to end this.
¡°SolarWind Slash.¡± The Baron, not missing a beat, swung his rapier in a wide arc. As he did, a rush of wind followed, charged with scorching energy, cutting through the air towards Alex. Alex''s eyes tracked the movement, his body already responding. He stepped away, hopping to the side with a burst of speed, feeling the heat of the solar wind singe the tips of his hair.
Gusts of hot, charged air swirled around the Baron¡¯s rapier. With each swing, visible arcs lashed out, leaving trails of scorched earth, shimmering air and singed grass as they raced towards Allex.
Alex, dodging the scorching gusts and beams of light, closed the distance. The heat from each strike warmed Alex''s cheek, scorched his clothes and singed his hair as he moved closer.
But it didn''t touch him. Alex simply dodged and advanced.
He stepped forward, tilting his head to dodge a beam of superheated light and air.
He sidestepped an errant blade of superheated solar wind that gouged through the earth towards him, then ducked another beam.
His sword hummed with energy that vibrated in his grip, casting a blue light of its own as impossibly sharp mana encased it. He stepped closer, and closer, as the baron frantically hurled projectiles in his direction, the concern on the baron''s face growing into full-blown panic.
Alex¡¯s Mana Blade sliced through the air.
The Baron stumbled backwards in surprise, his techniques forgotten. He yelled ¡°Hardlight Legionnaire!¡± as he fell. His skin morphed into a glowing, glassy neon material as the blade descended toward his shoulder.
A legion of soldiers materialized around him, perhaps twenty in total, each a mass of thick, dense light. Their bodies radiated with an almost muted luminescence, an intense brightness encased beneath layers of glass-like skin that seemed to trap and diffuse the light, holding it tight within their forms. They stood firm, each one poised with two shields, gripping them with a determined precision, angled forward with unwavering purpose. Every shielded surface faced Alex, forming a barrier that felt unyielding, ready to absorb or turn aside any blow he might deliver. Their presence was daunting in its unity, an unmoving wall against his advance, and each figure bore a sense of inevitability, as if their very purpose was to repel his force, block his strike, and force him back into submission.
Alex leaned into the swing, intent on ending the duel.
His Mana Blade cleaved through the legion, losing momentum with each legionnaire destroyed, until finally it reached the Baron, held in place by a faltering construct whose grip caused his Mana Blade to simply shear through the Baron¡¯s armour as if it wasn¡¯t there, with the air hissing as the blade cut through it. The weapon carved into the Baron''s skin, right as his fallen form burst into hundreds of motes and fragments of glittering light.
A sound like shattering glass filled the air.
The Baron reappeared, a potion to his lips and a shaking hand pressed to his shoulder. A thick line of red marred his skin beneath his cleanly cut armour, and rivulets of blood fell between his fingers in gushes as his firmly held flesh knit itself back together under the potions effects. Alex¡¯s Mana Blade had worked, though the Baron''s evasive skills had saved him from the brunt of it.
Finally, Alex sighed. That damned skill, it''s like he has nine lives. No wonder his level¡¯s among the highest in town. Unless you hit him with something powerful, he just keeps getting back up.
Without a strike imbued with significantly sharp or strong mana, someone like Finn or Ayla would never be able to draw a drop of blood from the Baron. The duel would often be rigged.
Why¡¯d the system give a dick like him such a great pair of skills? He would''ve called it unfair, but his feats and class were no different, he supposed.
The barrier around them began to dissolve, the energy dissipating into the air, leaving behind a scene of shocked silence.
The Baron rose to his feet and studied Alex, his expression unreadable.
The clearing held its breath, as Lyra¡¯s group and the Barons knights tensed, prepared for battle in the wake of Alex¡¯s victory.
Then the Baron spoke.
Interlude: History
Year 476 - Alderhall Crown City, Pyra
There is a kind of weight that only history can give to a life¡ªthe burden of knowing that what you do will outlast you, shaping the lives of those who follow. It was the kind of immortality that evaded the many fools who scoured the tomes of litches in search of permanence. A truer kind, the kind forced upon those who stood where no one else dared. History¡ªno, Legacy was not about glory. Not really; it was about the tales others carried forward into eternity when their voices were gone, faded to rest among the dead and dying. It was about immortal actions.
The Giant King understood this as he walked to the edge of the end, where the line between defiance and surrender blurred beneath the shadow of the Tide.
The King stood atop the mountainous battlements of Alderhall, his colossal frame framed against the bruised sky. Clouds churned as though the heavens themselves recoiled from the horrors below. His grip on the great hammer, Forgefall, relaxed, the iron haft etched with runes long faded by centuries of war. It had been his father¡¯s hammer, and many fathers before him. Ahead of him, the land stretched wide, scarred and smouldering¡ªa patchwork of ruin and decay.
The Endless Tide had come.
Their forms spilled across the horizon. Crawling. Skittering. Towering shapes moved among the swarm, the earth quaking beneath their weight. The smaller creatures surged like water, a flood of limbs and jagged appendages. Their bodies reflected no light¡ªblack carapaces broken only by red fissures that surged with a faint, internal glow, some visible at this distance.
The king raised his hand. A wall of silence spread through the defenders behind him, knights and soldiers bristling with steel and grim determination. Their armor glinted dully beneath the oppressive gloom, some stained with the ichor of earlier clashes. He could feel their fear, thick and unspoken, weighing heavy in the charged air in a curtain of foreboding.
They will not hold, the thought came, unbidden. The Giant King¡¯s jaw clenched, the bones of his face pronounced beneath his weathered skin. His gaze swept across the battlefield again, his mind mapping each crevasse, each choke point. A tide of black surged forward, pouring into the valley below. The creatures didn¡¯t march¡ªthey swarmed, limbs tearing at the ground with manic purpose.
Power is a fragile thing, this thought came to him as he felt his soldiers waver. It tempted those who wielded it to believe in permanence, in the weight of their own authority against the shifting tides of the world. Yet it bent and shattered beneath forces greater than itself, like the wood thrown into a furnace or stone crumbling before time. What would replaced power, then, when it met something it could not crush or shape? Would it be strength, legacy, or something else?
Perhaps it would be sacrifice.
Beside him, the Council of Twelve stood in stony silence. Their robes were threadbare, their faces wan. None of them had spoken in hours, their spells spent, their prayers unanswered. One elder swayed slightly, the glow of the crystals on her staff dimming, the life force it siphoned leaving her more gaunt with each passing moment. This would be their final battle, that much was certain.
But at least the children would survive.
The king descended the battlements. For him, there was no pride, no fear or hubris to guide his steps, only the certainty that his actions, no matter how futile, would carve a path through the dark for those left behind. His heavy boots the size of houses thudding against stone, the vibrations traveling up through the fortress. Soldiers parted as he passed, their eyes fixed downward, their hands shaking over sword hilts and spear shafts. He paused near the iron gates, glancing at the warriors assembled there.
"You are Alderhall¡¯s last sons," he said, his voice carrying like the groan of mountains. ¡°Hold your ground, even as it crumbles beneath you.¡±
The gates groaned as they opened, revealing the teeming darkness beyond. The Tide surged forward, a screamless wave of destruction. The first rank of defenders braced, shields locked and spears leveled. The king stepped past them, his massive frame a monolith of defiance against the encroaching chaos.
The first creature reached him¡ªa towering abomination with limbs jagged as scythes. The kind spawned specifically to face them, he suspected. It lunged, its weight cracking the vast stone beneath its feet in wide fissures. The Giant King met it head-on, swinging Forgefall in a damning descent. The hammer connected with the creature¡¯s torso, shattering its carapace with a deafening crunch, thunder bellowed as the hammers enchantment ignited. The force of the blow sent its mangled remains hurtling backward, carving a furrow through the creatures behind it and spraying geysers of earth.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
The king slammed his hammer into the ground, releasing a shockwave that rippled outward, the runes on Forgefall blazing to life. The earth rose to consume the next creature, swallowing its lower half before closing again, severing its legs in an explosion of ichor.
Behind him, the defenders surged forward, emboldened by their king¡¯s display. Spears thrust into the mass of writhing limbs, blades severed claws and mandibles. For every creature felled, two more emerged, their bodies piling into the breach with relentless force.
He pressed forward, his hammer a blur of destruction. He moved with grim efficiency, his blows calculated, his strikes following the forms, each designed to maximize devastation. Yet, even he felt the strain. His muscles burned, his breath came harder than the last, and the creatures showed no sign of thinning.
A shadow loomed above him. He turned, raising his hammer just in time to deflect a massive claw that came crashing down. The impact forced him to one knee, the stone beneath him cracking under the pressure. He glanced up at the towering monstrosity¡ªa creature of impossible size, its elongated limbs ending in barbed hooks. Its head twisted unnaturally, yet familiar.
A mockery of life.
The king roared, a sound that shook the air, and drove Forgefall upward into the beast¡¯s skull. The hammer struck true, splitting its head in two. The creature collapsed, its body crushing dozens of its own as it fell.
But there was no time to rest. Another wave pressed forward, and he would rise to meet it.
His hammer shattered limbs, crushed torsos, and splintered spines, but his movements began to slow. He felt it then¡ªa pull, faint but undeniable. A force beyond comprehension, emanating from the Tide itself. The creatures were not mindless; they moved with unified purpose, their actions driven by a will he could not see but could feel. It bore down on him, suffocating in its enormity.
Sacrifice was a strange kind of strength, he thought, his giant weapon raised with a breath, its shadow racing across the landscape. For some, it could be a burden too heavy to bear; for others, it was the only thing worth carrying.
For him it was the fuel for a fire that would burn the creatures before him to cinder.
A scream tore through the defenders behind him. Larger creatures breached the wall, their scythe-like limbs cleaving through stone and flesh alike. Soldiers scattered, their formation breaking under the assault.
The king leapt, bringing Forgefall down on the creature¡¯s back. The force of the blow sent a shockwave rippling outward, collapsing the wall further and crushing several smaller creatures beneath the rubble.
One claw slashed upward, then another, then several more, catching the king across the torso. His armor held, but the force of the strikes sent him sprawling and wild swings of his weapon sent earth and Ichor spraying. He hit the ground hard, his hammer slipping from his grasp.
Pain flared through his body, but he forced himself to stand. His vision blurred for a moment, the edges darkening. He reached for Forgefall, gripping the haft with both hands as the creature loomed over him.
Above him, the clouds churned faster, their edges glowing with an unnatural light. The ground trembled, and a deep, resonant hum filled the air¡ªa sound that seemed to come from the earth itself. He looked around and saw the tide pressing in on all sides. The defenders were falling, their lines breaking under the relentless onslaught.
The king turned his gaze to the horizon. Beyond the swarm, and he saw it: a figure, massive and indistinct, its form wreathed in shadows that reflected no light. It did not move, yet its presence was overwhelming, a weight that pressed down on his very soul.
The source, he realized. The Tide¡¯s will made flesh.
The Giant King tightened his grip on Forgefall, his resolve hardening. He knew he would not survive this battle. He had known it the moment the Endless Tide appeared on Alderhall¡¯s borders. But he would not fall in vain.
He raised his hammer high, the runes along its length flaring with blinding light. The earth beneath him groaned in protest as he channeled his remaining strength into a single, desperate act.
The Tide hesitated, its relentless advance momentarily stilled.
He turned his gaze to the figure on the horizon, his voice a low growl. ¡°Come, then. Let me see the face of my end.¡±
The figure did not move, but the Tide surged forward once more, its countless forms blotting out the ruined landscape. The Giant King raised his hammer one last time, the runes flickering weakly as his strength gave out.
And then they were upon him.
***
The Fall of Alderhall: A Historical Account of the XXIV Giant King¡¯s Final Stand
The fall of Alderhall marked what some argue to be the true beginning of the Endless Tide¡¯s conquest across the known lands. History records him as the final bastion, standing against a tide of creatures so vast they swallowed entire cities within days. The Giant King¡¯s hammer, Forgefall, broke hundreds of the beasts¡ªcreatures with limbs sharp enough to cleave stone, bodies bristling with unnatural weapons. Yet, despite his immense strength, the Tide overwhelmed them as it did all others during that dark period.
¡°You do not choose legacy¡ªlegacy is shaped in the moments when choice no longer exists. It clings to what remains when the dust has settled and the world moves on, indifferent to the cost. For kings, legacy is carved from the remains of desperation and the wreckage of a good death. In our King¡¯s final stand, his glory was without question, as was the certainty that the tale of his hammer¡¯s fall would last far longer than the sound it made.¡± - unnamed spearman and survivor
¡°To see the cost of your life measured against something larger, something that may endure beyond your last breath. That was what he fought for. ¡± - unnamed archer and survivor
Witnesses described his contribution to the last stand to have been exceptionally significant. Though the Giant King perished, his defiance stalled the Tide long enough for scattered survivors to flee to safer lands. His death was arguably not in vain, but it marked the beginning of an era defined by the Endless Tide¡¯s progressive advance.
Chapter 25: The Endless Enemy
Tension filled the clearing, as all present prepared to reach for their blades. The knights listened in silence, ears straining eagerly for the Barons'' order in the wake of their duel.
Alex and the Baron held their positions in the stillness that followed the clash, both breathing hard, their hands firm on their swords. The Baron¡¯s eyes drilled into Alex, his fingers flexing over his weapon¡¯s hilt, as if weighing his next move. Alex tightened his own grip, lifting his blade higher, his muscles tense as he prepared to face down the Baron¡¯s men. From the corner of his eye, he caught Lyra and her crew mirroring his stance, their weapons steady and faces grim.
The Baron drew a slow breath, his mouth just parting to speak when a voice tore through the tense air. A knight staggered back, his arm thrusting forward as he pointed to the ground, his voice rising in a shout, ¡°Oh gods, look!¡± His face went pale, eyes wide, his finger trembling as he fixed it on a dark patch near in the distance. Another knight, his eyes darting toward the same spot, took an unsteady step back, his hand clenching his bow and his jaw set tight.
A third¡¯s voice cracked as he muttered, ¡°Impossible¡ it can¡¯t¡¡± His fingers clenched tightly around his sword, knuckles paling. Another drew a sharp breath, shoulders rising stiffly as his hand shifted on the hilt of his weapon. A third knight¡¯s gaze darted over the corpses, his brow damp with sweat as his grip tightened, stance unsteady yet prepared for an unseen threat. Alex¡¯s own hand flexed on his sword as he watched them, feeling the weight of their fear settling in his own mind, the tension thickening around them with each small movement.
Ayla''s jaw set hard as she stared at the ground, a rigid, unreadable expression taking over her face. She seemed locked in place, her crew silent around her, each bearing a matching look that Alex recognized¡ªa look of forced acceptance. Lyra¡¯s eyes traced the sight with a hardened, unblinking focus. Her jaw set, the edges of her expression a grim acceptance as she took in the scene. Her face held no fear, only a kind of bitter understanding, the muscles in her neck tense and pronounced as she stood rigid. Alex felt the same tension knotting within his own gut, a feeling of something vast and foreboding lurking just beyond his reach.
Alex glanced to where the other knight was pointing, taking in what had shaken them: The sprawl of various giant insect corpses he had spotted earlier, blackened shells cracked and unmoving on the earth, thick and still.
The Baron moved slowly, each step heavy and hesitant as he approached the corpses. His gaze stayed fixed on the insects scattered at his feet, his previously assured stance now faltering. His gaze flicked back to the Baron, watching as the man¡¯s expression shifted from disdain to something colder, his mouth closed in a line that betrayed nothing, but Alex could see it in the way his posture faltered, his weight pressing a little heavier into each step as he reluctantly moved toward the scattered corpses. The once-commanding presence dimmed as his gaze fixed downward, his body moving with an almost reluctant gravity. Alex watched, a sense of realization settling in his mind that this was no longer the same figure who had so confidently wielded his authority moments before.
The Baron was afraid.
The Baron¡¯s boots pressed into the churned earth as he crouched near the insect corpses, his gloved hand reaching out, fingers hovering over one jagged, blackened limb. The appendage extended from a body torn and broken, its edges splintered into viciously sharp points, their surfaces as polished and deadly as obsidian. Alex¡¯s gaze traced the limb¡¯s spear-like length, so finely honed that even the slight touch of the Baron¡¯s fingers sent the tip slicing through the ground, tearing through soil with the ease of a knife through softened butter. Another limb lay sprawled beside it, a thick, scythe-like curve, dark and cruelly sharp, vaguely resembling an axe with its shearing edge.
The Baron inspected the array of limbs and mangled bodies scattered in varying sizes, some limbs and pieces were broken, small and brittle, others monstrous and nearly as large as his own horse. His eyes moved slowly over the shattered shells, black carapaces torn open to reveal hollow insides, limbs twisted into unnatural shapes that seemed to reflect some ancient, malevolent design. ¡°After a century... hundreds of years¡for nothing,¡± he murmured, his voice low, roughened by something deeper, older. His gaze shifted over the insect remains, fingers brushing absently over his sword¡¯s hilt. ¡°The Black Mass¡ it¡¯s reached our shores.¡±
He took a step back from the corpse, the heel of his boot pressing into the softened earth as he continued his inspection, his fingers lifting yet another severed limb¡ªone that narrowed to a barbed, almost needlelike point, the surface darkened with an oily residue. He straightened, brushing the dirt from his gloves before glancing back at Alex and the others. ¡°I¡¯m going to be honest,¡± he said, his voice steady, resonant as the faintest line appeared on his brow, a crack in his well honed mask.
¡°I was going to kill all of you.¡±
¡°But it¡¯s likely none of us will live to see the year¡¯s end.¡± A faint, bitter smile played over his lips as he spoke, his eyes shifting to linger on the ruined shells scattered across the ground. He dropped the limb back to the earth, the impact sending a soft tremor through the ground, his face fixed and distant as if searching for a solution beyond the dead remains at his feet.
¡°Now that the Black Mass is here, we will need warriors. Heroes. Or we will all die.¡± He paused, eyes shifting back to Alex, and a calculating gleam settled over his features. ¡°I have better uses for you all.¡± With a final glance at the twisted remains, the Baron moved, his shoulders stiff as he walked back to his horse, leaving the shattered corpses strewn in his wake, a broken omen that lingered in the torn earth. He adjusted the reins with a gloved hand.
¡°Come find me when you''re in town, Alex,¡± he said, as he turned, sheathed his rapier, and leapt into his horse''s straddle in one swift motion.
¡°I have a job for you. It''s something only you can do, and the pay is nothing less than life-changing.¡± he continued, his voice smooth and calm, as if they hadn''t just had a protracted battle and declared the inevitability of their impending deaths. ¡°We¡¯ll discuss the terms of your retainer once you arrive.¡±
"I''ll pass."
Alex stated the words bluntly and stabbed his sword into the ground with finality, though his fingers never left the hilt.
The Baron simply laughed as he turned his horse, a forlon sound that rang through the clearing."I doubt you''ll have the luxury of choice."
"None of us do, now." The Baron then raced off into the trees without another word, his men following his horse on foot, disappearing into the thick forest. The group watched in silence until they could no longer hear the clatter of hooves and armour.
Like hell, Alex thought. There was no way he would ever work for that morally corrupt excuse of a man. And neither did he suspect that the Baron would cease trying to kill him, regardless of whatever their great enemy the Black mass, seemed to be.
The tension that had gripped the clearing began to dissipate, and the group of onlookers turned their attention back to Alex, who stood there, breathing lightly with a thin sheen of sweat, his Mana Blade still humming with energy.
"That was... intense," Finn said, breaking the silence as he eyed the departing figures.
Ayla agreed. "That was insane! I''ve never seen anyone go toe-to-toe with the Baron like that."
Finn nodded in agreement, his eyes shrewd with understanding. "I have, a few times. But you did better than most, that blade of yours is something else."
Ayla chimed in again, her voice tinged with admiration. "And that last move, when you finally got through his defences! That was great!."
Keir, who had been silently observing, finally spoke, "Yes, but¡ that bear... it wasn''t natural. The way it moved, the metallic sheen on its fur. A simple bear, as strong as an Orc Horde leader." he shook his head.
Finn nodded, his expression grim. "System-evolved creatures are becoming more common- more widespread. Imagine a Revenant gaining even more power. Or a Wraith, or even a Gazer.¡± He shuddered at the thought. ¡°It''s worrying."
It''s like their all trying their best to not talk about the black corpses, Alex noted, How bad could it really be? He pondered. Feeling the weight of their words and an insight into their lives, said thoughtfully, "Seems like you all have been dealing with these kinds of threats for quite a while."
Lyra glanced at him non-commitally. "Yeah, it''s part of the job. Keeps things interesting, at least."
The wounded gryphon, a massive creature that had been observing the duel, now limped into view.
Ayla approached the gryphon, her hand extended carefully to avoid startling it.
She gently petted its feathers, feeling the gratitude in its eyes as it limped closer, its injured leg clearly bothering it. Despite this, Its movements displayed a mixture of pain and gratitude. "It''s hurt," Ayla whispered, her hands gently exploring the griffin''s wings.
She reached higher, her hands gentle as she further inspected the griffin''s injuries. "Easy there, big fella," she cooed, ruffling its feathers in a soothing manner.
The gryphon was large, much larger than Alex had expected, but somehow less imposing than its first impression had led him to believe. Although clearly dangerous, it seemed almost peaceful, like an elephant, capable of trampling you to paste but choosing not to.
Tentatively, he joined Ayla in ruffling its feathers.
The gryphon let out a low, rumbling sound, almost like a purr, as they continued to care for it.
Ayla, while tending to the griffon, added, "This griffon was just defending its territory. It''s lucky we were here. And thanks for the Bear, Alex. We should give him some of its pelt.¡± Her eyes turned to the rest of her party.
¡°We wouldn¡¯t have this bounty without your help.¡± Keir agreed, gesturing towards the bear''s metal corpse. Alex imagined it would make some formidable and flexible armour. Keir continued ¡°Your maneuvers against the Baron were quite unique. Unorthodox, but effective.¡±
The conversation paused as they all looked at the griffon, now standing more confidently. It stood as tall as several men, and the sun''s Sheen reflected off its gold and silver feathers. It eyed each of them with a soft cooing rumble that shook the grass around them before it sauntered off towards the treeline, its gait slightly improved.
¡°You¡¯re welcome, Kier," Alex said as he watched the gryphon, its wings parting the treeline with a soft brush as it slowly retreated into the forest. "And the way you guys handled the bear¡ That was some impressive teamwork," he said, his respect for their skill evident.
Lyra, wiping her brow, replied, ¡°Well it¡¯s far from our first battle, and thanks, you weren''t that bad yourself.¡± She gestured towards his scorched clothes and singed hair. ¡°Took you way too long to beat him, though.¡°
Lyra, Finn, Keir, and Ayla burst into fits at her comment as Alex flushed red and attempted to muster a response.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
***
"What''s the Black Mass? The great enemy?" Alex decided to go for the direct approach.
Ayla looked up, her eyes hardened, and Kier¡¯s mouth set into a grim line before he answered. ¡°An army,¡± he said, his voice weighted with something deeper than mere anger, ¡°of creatures. They come in all shapes and sizes. Things that crawl, things that walk, things that fly. They don¡¯t stop. They¡¯ve been fighting against every race, across nearly every land, for hundreds of years.¡±
Kier''s eyes softened, his voice taking on an edge as he continued. ¡°The Black Mass came upon us centuries ago, out of the north, if the stories are true. Their first attack on known lands¡ªbefore anyone understood what they were facing.¡± He paused, his hand resting on the his, as if touching it could bring those tales of war into focus. ¡°It was the Kingdom of Sellenhold that first fell."
¡°It''s said that none saw it coming,¡± Kier continued, his voice low and taut. ¡°Sellenhold fell in a week. Entire cities swallowed in silence. They call it the Siege of Forgotten Night¡ªthe first time anyone saw the creatures of the Endless.¡± His hand remained on his staff, a faint tension in his fingers as if holding back his desire to witness such events himself.
¡°They don¡¯t fight as an army would, not as we do,¡± Lyra added, her gaze unfocused, as if seeing distant battles beyond the trees. ¡°They don¡¯t retreat, don¡¯t tire. There¡¯s no logic to it, no hunger for victory or wealth. They¡¯re not flesh and blood in the way we know¡ªthey¡¯re endless, as if some curse breathes life into them, a force we can¡¯t touch. We win a battle, and they surge forward again, spilling over what was lost, as if none of it ever mattered, stronger than they had ever been before the battle began.¡±
"That''s just a myth," Finn interjected as he ran a metal finger along his blade, practicing his skill. "They bleed and die just like we do, we just saw it." Kier nodded in agreement as Finn leasurely strolled ahead, "If they were truly immortal, we would never have killed thier queen."
Ayla kept her gaze forward, her voice quiet, almost hollow. ¡°Their forms are¡ varied. It¡¯s as if they¡¯re drawn from nightmares,¡± she said. ¡°Some say they¡¯re the remnants of forgotten gods, or the very heart of the Endless Enemy given shape. In the oldest legends, they mention the War of Twelve Suns. The Giant King of Alderhall was killed at the Red Spire defending against them, and they say the Spear Saint never returned from the Eastern Watch. Great cities fell¡ªSellhaven, Alderhall, Kairhold¡ all taken by the Endless tide and its spears.¡±
A pause filled the forest, heavy with something unspoken, as though even the trees knew this history, felt its weight lingering in their roots.
Finn spoke uponce more, his tone sharp. ¡°The Black Mass adapts. Those limbs you saw¡ªthey were made for killing, for nothing else. Some bodies bristle with spears sharper than steel, some built with claws that could shatter stone. They cut through earth, metal, flesh as if tearing through grass. They say the real strong ones could rival a kingdoms best. A single creature can take on dozens, maybe hundreds, if it¡¯s a large one. And for every one that falls, another takes its place.¡±
Alex¡¯s eyes stared into the distance as he listened, his mind struggling to picture what they described. He remembered the dead insects, their limbs cruelly sharpened, shaped by some nightmarish purpose. One of the corpses¡¯ legs stretched long and needle-thin, as if crafted to pierce through bone and armor alike. Another, broad and jagged, hinted at the shape of an axe, a slashing limb that could sever through flesh and armor. He tried to imagine creatures bearing such limbs, monstrous forms born from some hellish dream, endlessly spilling forth to erase everything before them.
It seemed this world was far more troubled than he''d initially anticipated.
Alex walked deeper into the foliage, his eyes set on the distant landscape.
***
And then, days later, they arrived at the settlement. The group stopped at the edge of the town, looking over the small congregation of life. A scattering of buildings and stone structures nestled in the lap of a valley.
Ahead, stone and timber houses stood neatly lined, their roofs of slate and thatch worn but otherwise well-maintained. The main street was bustling with townsfolk, some heading to the market where stalls brimmed with fresh produce and fabrics.
The smell of freshly baked bread wafted from a bakery, mingling with the scent of roasting meat from a nearby tavern. Children played near a fountain in the town square, where water cascaded over carved stone. The town, nestled comfortably in the valley, thrived under the watchful eye of the Baron¡¯s castle, perched on a nearby hill.
The sight of other people brought Alex a sense of relief, a small comfort in his journey. There were others like them, others who had also been swept away by the system''s tide.
"We should get going," Ayla finally said, breaking the silence." With that, they set in motion, the perimeter of the settlement a visible silhouette against the dying light of the day.
Finn followed, an air of casual nonchalance about him. His eyes scanned the scenery, but he managed to keep the conversation light. "I can''t wait to see what ''levels'' these townsfolk are," he chuckled, a hint of mischief flashing across his eyes. "I wonder if there''s a ''Master Baker'' or a ''Supreme Whoreson'' among them. Maybe a ''Grand Maestro of Ale'',"
A ripple of laughter spread through the group, momentarily replacing the undercurrent of uncertainty that had followed their journey. Keir, usually stoic and reserved, allowed the ghost of a smile to cross his features. Lyra, on the other hand, rolled her eyes, albeit with a fond shake of her head.
Amidst the bustling main street past the town''s entrance, the sound of hammers and saws mixed with the chatter of townsfolk.
As Alex peered around him, the surroundings revealed small signs of recent turmoil. Signs so small they were easy to miss. Among the stone and timber houses on the outskirts, some bore deep scorch marks, their walls etched with claw marks and gouges. A small scattering of buildings here and there were reduced to rubble, leaving gaps like missing teeth in the neat rows of existence. But a few buildings among hundreds were easy to miss, and would soon be forgotten, as people, their faces marked with fatigue, worked to repair and rebuild.
¡°Did something happen here?¡± Alex asked, his gaze tracing the scarred walls and the splintered floor, noting the scratches that ran jagged and deep. It looked like the aftermath of an attack. ¡°This¡ looks like something was dragged away against its will.¡± His tone held a mixture of curiosity and unease as he took in the gouges and splintered stone.
Lyra glanced around, her gaze sharp and assessing. "A colony, and most likely a Queen are nearby.¡± She said, the word carrying a weight that was impossible to miss.
¡°The Endless.¡± She whispered in awe, her face solemn. Alex studied her as she spoke, and notice how her eyes lit up with excitement beneath the facade of melancholy. She practically vibrated on the spot in contained glee.
Alex recalled thier previus conversation and everything he had seen. He braced himself, prepared to face the worst this world had to offer.
Kier drew a finger along a damaged wall, tracing the scar of a deep gouge, his expression dark. ¡°An Arachnae colony, Alex. And a Queen.¡± His finger traced the length of the scar as though it held a hidden truth, his brow furrowing. ¡°They¡¯re lethal beyond reason. It''s unheard of for them to appear this close or even in this region; their are entire nations between us and the frontlines, their borders. We''re deep within the lines of safety. It should be impossible.¡± He pulled his hand away from the wall, a look of bitter acceptance in his eyes. ¡°Evil things. They exist like a plague, waging war wherever they exist- sweeping through towns and kingdoms, tearing away bodies, land, people¡ªanything they can use to grow their numbers.¡±
"They have stolen so much. Nations, lives, people, bodies." He paused, his jaw tight as he seemed to remember something distant and unpleasant. ¡°At birth, they¡¯re nothing but mindless hunger and cannot survive without being driven to feed on the strong to grow. They evolve through feeding, you see. Assimilate what they consume, building on what they steal.¡±¡± He continued with evident disgust. ¡°At birth, they cannot survive without feeding on strong species, assimilating them.¡± He paused as if visited by a distant memory. ¡°There were rumours of a colony nearby¡ but we''d assumed it was the fear of children.¡±
Ayla stood silently, her face grim and drained of warmth, her gaze locked on the scratches. ¡°They¡¯re unstoppable... People taken, turned into... it''s bad, Alex.¡±
Finn, leaning against a fractured column, glanced up, a smirk tugging at his lips, though his eyes held a darker glint. ¡°Oh, they¡¯re trouble alright,¡± he said, his voice low, steady. ¡°They steal people right from their beds. You¡¯ll be taken, torn to shreds, fed to their spawn, eaten alive.¡± He paused, taking a long pull on a pipe, smoke drifting lazily from his mouth. ¡°And if you¡¯re truly unlucky,¡± he continued, his tone dry, ¡°the young might inherit your qualities, and those creatures will return to hunt down what¡¯s left of your family or the ones you love.¡± He took a long draw of what Alex assumed to be tobacco. ¡°Last time they were here, it sparked the Blackfire War. Bled us all dry. Looks like history¡¯s decided to come back around.¡± Finn gestured to the rubble, his fingers tracing the air above the ground. ¡°So yeah, they¡¯ve been here.¡±
He tipped his head toward a dark smear on the wall, a look of detached interest in his eyes. ¡°And I told you,¡± he murmured, voice low, almost too calm, ¡°I¡¯ve seen one." He pointed toward the rubble. ¡°Others in town have too.¡±
¡°One can only hope it''s true.¡± Lyra chimed, the corners of her lips seemed to fight back a smile at the thought. ¡°If so, war will come sooner than one could hope.¡±
At this, the others sighed and tutted in disagreement.
Keir turned to face Finn with a thoughtful nod, "It had seemed unbelievable at the time.¡± He then turned to Alex ¡°The last sighting in this region was over a century ago. A horde. A queen. If it''s true then this is new. For this century, at least."
Ayla, her demeanour calm yet sombre and resigned, added, "They''ve been at war with the other lands- with the entire world. But not out here." She tilted her head and whispered, "I thought we were safe."
Keir, his face etched with concern, interjected thoughtfully. "Yes. A frightening possibility.¡±
Alex absorbed their words as they informed him, the gravity of the situation dawning on him with each spoken word. It was Lyra who concluded with a decisive tone, "See a Arachnae, any at all ¡ª it''s them or us. Kill it on sight.¡±
Finn began to argue that was superstition, and that the common house spider was no more related to the Arachne than they were, but all but Keir seemed to shut him down.
They need death to survive, grow, and evolve, Alex thought as the argument continued, a grim realisation setting in. Bodies to make themselves stronger, it was a gruesome cycle. According to them, around the globe these ¡®Arachnae¡¯ colonies and all their pupae were hunted, their existence a perpetual war against all other life forms. Alex pictured nations united against this common enemy for days, months, years, and decades. No, he thought, for centuries. They fought tirelessly fighting to take back land from these nightmarish creatures.
Yet the Queens- a handful across the world- remained shrouded in mystery and myth, and as far as he was aware were never uncovered. At least not by any who survived their encounter. But someone had to have survived and perhaps even faced one in order for the rest of the world to be aware of the Queens existence at all. Finn had mention one had been killed far before their lifetimes. A breadth of history existed there. something ancient and from a time where gods walked among them. he was certain of it. Perhaps the Arachnae were some punishment of some kind. An attempt to wipe out life on the planet.
Whole wars just to find them...These queens, hiding out there, somewhere. Turning death into life for their own kind. The idea was wild, almost too much to take in. People fighting, and dying, all to stop these creatures from spreading
Alex pictured it ¨C the queens, hidden in their territories, turning the dead and even the living into feeding grounds. It''s horrifying. Being trapped, helpless, as their eggs hatch in a corner a room and unleash spiderlings that promptly eat you alive from outside in.
Alex shuddered despite himself.
A race of monsters fighting for survival while being hunted to extinction. People''s fear had even led to killing harmless common spiders, a misguided superstitious attempt to stop the Arachne''s proliferation.
The queens were key to their reproduction, and the pupae were their babies, all targeted to prevent their evolution into more formidable beings. Each hunted down in a desperate bid to stifle their growth into future forms, or worse;
New Queens.
And with the system causing everything to change, how much worse could these creatures become?
Alex glanced at Finn with new understanding, realizing why the sight of the evolved bear grown far beyond its limits had caused him such concern.
So, these¡ Arachne colonies... Queens¡ they''re like a plague, he mused. Crawling over the land for hundreds of years, battling to take territory. A never-ending war. He then glanced at Lyra¡¯s peaceful expression, her soft smile maintained throughout the discussion. And she had the nerve to call this world peaceful?
Alex, with Lyra and Finn, heaved the heavy carcass of the bear towards a Tanner, or perhaps to a high-level leatherworker, one capable of skinning the metallic creature. After the metallic pelt was removed and prepared, they would take it to a blacksmith. Alex was looking forward to discovering what his share of the highly durable material would be turned into.
As they walked, a scream sliced through the evening sky, followed swiftly by another. Clashes of steel rang out in the distance. From the direction of the town''s border, the distant roars and yells of men and women could be heard. Some of them screamed like babes.
¡°Spiders?¡± Alex turned to Lyra inquisitively.
Lyra scoffed, poorly attempting to hide her excitement. ¡°Surely not.¡± She said. ¡°It''s likely some beast, amped up or high on the system''s twisting. Orcs, perhaps."
They get high here?! Purely out of curiosity, Alex wondered what kind of drugs a magical world¡¯s society produced. He imagined any magical drug would be insanely addictive- probably inescapable once consumed.
He made a mental note to avoid dodgy health potions.
Lyra broke into his thoughts. "Finn, guard this," She pointed at the gargantuan bear carcass and then nodded at the rest of the group. "We¡¯re investigating the border. You''re free to join us if you wish, Alex. We would not mind the help.¡± She looked at him inquisitively and with gratitude, but there was no expectation or demand held behind her gaze.
He had no intentions on joining a group, that could slow him down. But one battle wouldn''t hurt, he decided. It could be fun.
¡°See you there," Alex smirked and raced ahead.
Chapter 26: The Black Mass
As he arrived at the town''s border, a harrowing sight befell him. Houses were aflame or crushed. Checkpoints and gates alike were shattered.
Everywhere he looked there were spiders. Giant spiders, swarming the area.
Masses of giant spiders, varying from the size of a child to that of several adults, engulfed the area. About 200 I''d guess, maybe 300, he thought, it''s not that many and the Arachnae don''t seem too high levelled¡ So why do the guards keep losing?
It made no sense.
Alex was met with a bizarre scene. It was a swarm of Arachnae devouring the town''s outskirts stretched across the plains between the town and the forest, with more arriving by the second. Their sizes varied drastically, some as small as children, others as large as multiple men. The scene was frantic, with guards engaging in a desperate battle, their blades clashing against the spiders'' carapaces, while civilians, gripped by terror, ran for their lives. The spiders, relentless in their assault, ensnared the townspeople. Alex saw the horror in the eyes of civilians¨C some were motionless, likely dead, while others screamed, their arms reaching out, trying in vain to escape the spiders'' grasp. One by one, guards and civilians alike were being overpowered. A young guard, fighting bravely, lost his footing and was quickly seized by a spider as his comrades fought to save him. He was dragged away, joining the unfortunate fate of the others. Alex watched in horror as the spiders disappeared with their victims into deep crevices, which led further into the dark, dense forest surrounding the town. The ground was chaotic, with guards and civilians alike being overpowered and taken away, their chances of escape diminishing by the second.
"Stay behind me!" he shouted over the roar of the flames, his voice firm, commanding as he stepped between a villager and an advancing spider and swung, then he turned and leapt. His heart skipped in mid-flight as he spotted a child cowering behind a shattered gate, trapped by a monster twice its size.
A swing of his blade caused both metal and carapace shattered, freeing the child to flee back to safety. The sight ignited a fierce urgency within him.
Without time and surrounded by the chaos of death, he moved.
Alex noticed a guard with a hammer yelling orders and crushing large arachnids with a flurry of swings, only to have his weapon snatched from his grip by a smaller Arachnae that latched onto his body. The guard, a captain by the looks of things, was momentarily stunned at the sudden disappearance of his weapon before another larger arachnid clamped on his leg with powerful fangs and mandibles. It dragged his screaming form away as if he weighed nothing.
At the sight of their captain''s capture a portion of the guards fled, and the ones who remained fought even more fiercely.
Alex joined the fray. He sliced through the spiders as if they weren''t there, trying to save as many as he could. A sharp pain flared in his arm, but he ignored it as
He raced toward the fallen guard captain some distance away, slashing and hacking a path forward with each step. Alex surged forward with swift precision and a downward swing of his blade, severing its pincer. The guard, freed, scrambled to safety through the closing path Alex had made.
Alex searched for more survivors.
He bisected a large Arachnae a head taller than he was as it pounced on an unsuspecting Spearman and moved to save more. The spearman was a civilian, or ¡®adventurer¡¯ judging by his intricate gear. The man turned in surprise and yelled ¡°No! I have to save her!¡±, but could hardly afford to continue, or even continue to spare Alex a glance as they were both suddenly swarmed.
Spiders, Arachnae of all sizes converged on the pair of them, and Alex thought the words ¡®Mana Blade¡¯ as the surrounding light dimmed, replaced by thick walls of carapace.
Alex swung his blade in all directions.
Each spider he cut down was quickly replaced by another. He countered, his blade striking an overhead spider''s underbelly. The creature recoiled, then collapsed, ichor pooling around it.
He grabbed the guard, yanking his injured form from the spiders'' grip, and yelled at him to run back and regroup with the rest, but a thick mass of spiders separated the two, and in the opposite direction more civilians and guards were being dragged away with each second that passed. Alex needed to be there to save people and not stuck here protecting a lone guard.
He picked up a fallen warrior''s sword and triggered his skill to hurl its Mana Blade as far as he could, aiming at the ground slightly ahead of the nearest batch of defenders.
The weapon created a path. It sliced through the spiders as if they weren¡¯t there before embedding itself in a screeching creature, its mana disconnected and spent.
¡°Regroup!¡± Alex yelled.
The guard nodded sternly and sprinted, hacking at his sides as he ran while Alex searched for more survivors.
Phoenix leap.
He pivoted as he landed closer to the edge of the forest, spinning on his heel and extending his elbow to slash an arachnid and free its barely conscious captive. His sword sang, shining with the light of his Mana Blade through the mounds of twisted carapace as he freed another. One, two, three spiders fell, their ichor spraying in an arc around him.
Phoenix Leap.
Alex spotted another hammer-wielding guard being dragged to his doom and shot toward him. In two strides, he was there to slice the offending pincer clean off. The spider dug its remaining one into his arm, and heat flushed throughout his limb before he sliced its head off. The guard, now released, collapsed to the ground. He lay there, limp, but his chest rose and fell with shallow breaths. He¡¯s alive, Alex thought, good. He turned and locked eyes with the people fighting around him and pointed, urging one of them to save their comrade. A guard nodded firmly in response and moved to meet him.
There¡¯s no-one else who can save them, Alex, thought, his heart pained as he watched men, women and children dragged into the dark depths of the forests edge, never to be seen again. The towns folk tried their best, struggling to gain ground.
But Alex was the only one who could fight to the edge, he was the only one capable of breaking through the lines of arachnid beast without effort.
He was their only hope.
it was dangerous¡ª stupid even, but he had to try. He couldn¡¯t sit back and watch children being dragged to their doom. The spiders were weak, and low level¡ª barely even a threat. But there was just so many of them; a quantity of beasts that held a quality of danger just through numbers alone. There was a chance he would run out of mana long before the hundreds of low-level arachnids could even truly harm him.
If I run out of mana, I¡¯ll just retreat, or use ¡®Mana Burn¡¯ & ''Phoenix Leap'' to retreat through the sky, he thought, leaping forward.
But for now, it¡¯s just me¡ª, his eyes never left the unconscious figures being dragged beyond the treeline.
I¡¯m all they have.
***
More spiders were coming. Alex raced forward, and another Phoenix Leap led him to cleave a large spider in two. Saving a woman stuck in its grasp, he threw her unconscious form to land near a batch of guards he¡¯d rescued. They stood back to back, hacking and slashing at the creatures around them. ¡°Protect her!¡± He yelled. It was the best he could do. The spiders weren¡¯t difficult to deal with, he''d killed scores of them. But saving people was. He was constantly stuck between moving to save more or defending the ones who were defenceless.
He swung his blade in an arc with one hand and tore a lost sword from the earth with the other as he imbued it with Mana Blade and hurled it into the remaining mass of Arachne, freeing a woman from another spider''s grasp, and clearing a swathe of the horde.
Doubt gnawed at him as he parried another attack; could he truly save them all?
He a sting near his neck and reflexively reached up. His fingers closed around a small Arachne latched onto him. As he pulled it away, his hand was stained with a mix of his own blood and the creature''s ichor, the Arachne writhing violently in his grasp.
Alex killed it.
People fled as Alex fought towards the forest''s edge, desperate to save more. He fought, and the world spun and hope dimmed. The guards aiding him fell one by one, and the ones he''d saved were some distance away, forming a phalanx of sorts. He heard screams in the distance as more joined the fray, fighting to reach him.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
But it felt muted.
Unless he did something drastic, they were all going to die. The settlement he had struggled so hard to reach would be reduced to nothing. In that moment, the air shifted. Alex saw hope fade from the eyes of the surviving combatants, the strength leaving thier arms as they witnessed something they had only ever heard of.
The sound came first¡ªa low, reverberating rumble like distant thunder. Then, breaking through the foliage above the treeline, came the monstrous arachnid, its size breaching the tall trees and each of its many legs striking with a rhythmic, terrifying cadence as it barreled toward the town. Perfectly circular, the hulking mass heaved through the trees crushing all in its path, like a giant wrecking ball of dark carapace that bore a sheen identical to steel, a thing born from nightmares. It''s a living siege engine, Alex observed, his jaw slightly ajar at the sight before his lips set with determination. We cant let that thing reach the settlement... It''ll kill them all. The Siege-Arachnae raced forward, impossibly fast, each step a blink that caused a small earthquake, each machine-like movement radiating the intent to destroy. Its legs, thick as iron bars, stretched and then vanished, folding in and out of its body with relentless, machine-like precision, disappearing into seamless partitions. It was an unrelenting juggernaut that ignored all obstacles, and Alex could feel the shockwaves of its weight impacting the earth as it drew closer.
"Siege-breakers!" he heard a distant yell, it sounded like Kier, or perhaps Finn. "The settlement is lost!" he heard, from another.
Alex walked past stunned and hopeless guards, towards the speeding monstrocity, collecting the blades of the fallen with each step. Alex launched them all at the creature, hurling a volley of Mana Blades, one after another, streaking arcs of energy that searing toward the creature¡¯s rolling form, leaving after-images and trails of light.
The Siege Arachnae whirled, thick mechanical legs shooting from its side like bullets, again and again, weaving between the streaks of Alex''s deadly application of skill. Shockwaves caused all to stagger from the elegance to its dodges, and for a moment, Alex stared, thrown by the sheer impenetrability of its armor.
Phoenix Leap. Phoenix Leap. Boundless Dodge.
Alex raced ahead, deep into the forest beyond the treeline, reaching the creature in an instant. He witnessed spiders pouring out of expertly concealed holes in the ground around them and felt his empowered and high levelled steps land in hollow spots as he surged forward. He turned, bracing himself against the constantly rumbling ground that felt like an earthquake, his grip steadied on his hilt and his gaze locked on the creature he now raced beside. Perfectly circular, it was a monstrous ball, smooth as polished steel, high as a city wall, its body retracting to conceal spiked limbs. As it rotated, he saw no joints or crevices, nothing his blade might catch. The polished armor-like exterior glistened, unyielding.
He unleashed a whirl of attacks, his reinforced stats and the full breadth of his martial technique impacting the creature, the sound of thuds and cracks merging with the sound of cut wind.
Each strike landed, but the blade glanced off the creature¡¯s armor, merely biting in centimetres where there should have dealt far deeper damage. The scratched carapace reflected Alex''s features as if taunting him with its apparent indestructibility as he effortlessly raced beside it. Its dark sheening lustre as solid and unyielding as the hardest metal ore.
Mana Blade, Alex thought.
He struck this time with a blade of pure blue light, one that lit his surroundings and turned all black carapace a reflective blue, as he felt the pulse of energy run through his arm as he struck again, the blade carving deep into the edge of the creature¡¯s carapace. A crack appeared appeared, and Alex struck harder, a whole section of the creature falling to the ground, the size of a man, though the creature was many times larger. Finally, some progress, he thought, before he saw a compartment holding several gold potions open within the creature, a thin insectoid limb retrieving one as it sped to pour the gold concoction over the gaping wound. Alex''s eyes widened with shock as he witnessed the deep injury he had dealt after much effort completely recover, the sheen of new flesh and carapace reflecting the blue light of his blade. It has regeneration potions!? Shouldn''t they be extremely rare!? He wondered with immense frustration and utter shock. He had seen at least 5 in the compartment, and a few red potions too... That meant that the damage he would be able to deal... would simply not enough. But he swung anyway, witnessing the evasive and durable creature vanish as the its endless motion and shooting legs spun it out of reach. A realization struck him cold¡ªMana Blade could not be used for extensive battles of attrition, it required far too much mana for each use. Through that armor-like exterior and its potions, his mana would be drained long before he could cause enough damage to force the creature to exhaust its survivability. It was clear that the creature was designed for sieges, a monster meant to endure.
Another identical siege creature fell from the sky, interrupting his thoughts and causing an impact that sent them skyward.
Phoenix Leap. Phoenix Leap. Alex landed on his feet with grace, seamlessly transitioning to a sprint, a siege creature now on each side of him, other smaller creatures scuttling at thier heels. The settlement was doomed. He guessed the potions came from the surplus of nations they had sacked over the centuries, though the regeneration potions was likely only given to the siege creatures due to their destructive capabilities. As he raced to stop them, Alex recalled witnessing how some lower level guards had faltered without so much as a scratch, falling from a single bite from the smaller ones. And theses things have venom, too, he surmised. He could see how such a species could raze a world without a system or levels.
But now these creatures have levels too, don''t they? The thought filled him with concern. He had to end this, now.
He began collecting the blades of the fallen as he ran, weapons dropped by those who had been dragged into the hidden burrows that littered the path to the settlement. A single touch sent the weapons swiftly to his inventory. If he did not have the mana pool needed to permanently harm the siege creatures he raced to stop... Then I just needed to deal one decisive strike, he thought, something devastating. A blow that would give them no time to utilise any of their rare or stolen potions.
A new idea formed, his gaze falling to the weakened ground beneath them.
Mana Blade.
He drew his arm far back, and his blade, flung with the power of someone far beyond his level, sunk deep into the earth, meeting no resistance. The first impact sent a shockwave out from beneath him, an arc of force spreading through the soil, cracking it open. He struck again, a summoned sword carving a trench with each swing, his focus on breaking the ground beneath the beast rather than its impervious body. The Arachnae advanced, oblivious to the shifting ground underfoot.
Mana Blade.
Alex felt the tremor beneath him, as the blade carved through the tunnels the creatures had dug beneath them with the resistance of a blade through air. The rumble of earth gave way as his summoned blade struck again, channelling the dredges of his Mana into the ground, carving through the soil in a desperate attempt to bring the creatures down. Another strike. The world flashed blue from the light of his skill and he felt the ground weaken, the surface beneath him shaking as the force of his attacks carved deeper, splitting the terrain. fissures followed their mad race.
In a move of sheer desperation, serrated limbs erupted from both seige creatures, moving with the speed and momentum of their endless rotations, the targeted Alex upraised arm, aiming to sever it and end his assault. To Alex''s perception the moment coalesced, frozen with the weight of decision. At the speed the blows descended, he could either dodge the blow and fall back, or he could test his durability against theirs and strike the final blow.
"Boundless Dodge, Mana Blade!"
With a shout, Alex released another summoned Mana Blade, hurling it downward with every ounce of strength, splitting rock and soil in its wake.
He braced himself, feeling the earth shift, the ground caving in beneath him. The rumble grew, the soil beneath their feet loosening, giving way. A crack opened in the earth, a widening chasm that spread beneath them, pulling at the ground with a relentless force. The ground trembled, the cracks widening into a massive rupture as earth gave way, opening up a yawning chasm beneath them.He glanced down, his eyes catching the sight of the collapsing soil, the chasm widening.
Phoenix Leap. Phoenix Leap. Alex took to the sky, evading the cataclysm.
The Arachnae¡¯s endless rotation faltered, its limbs clawing for purchase, but the ground crumbled beneath it, dragging it into the abyss below.
The creatures, the others scuttling to impede him¡ªnone could hold their footing. The earth caved beneath them, swallowing them whole.
***
Alex stood before the chasm, staring deep into its depths in thought. It was wide and deep, far deeper than he could have possibly imagined. His attacks had fractured the foundations of whatever network of tunnels the creatures had dug beneath them. The ground had opened into a vast, gaping maw, the edges jagged and raw, freshly split by the force of his strikes. Ribbons of dust drifted down from the walls, coating exposed roots and fractured stones clinging to the chasm''s crumbling walls. Earth and rubble trickled into the void, whispering their descent before vanishing into the blackness below. As wide as a football field, the earth caving like splintered bone beneath a crushing weight, swallowing all beneath it. All he could see was darkness.
His arm was missing, severed up to the shoulder. His final blow had been a sacrificial one; the siege creatures hadn¡¯t stopped it, but their deaths¡ªand the deaths of the surrounding creatures¡ªhad come with a toll. His high endurance stat, coupled with hastily applied pressure and tourniquets had managed stemmed the bleeding, curiously. He would survive, and curiously, he could already see the wound scabbing over, repairing at a much faster rate than a baseline human could ever achieve. But that was all it was doing, repairing. It wasn''t healing him, he would never get his arm back. He was deep into the forest, their mad dash to escape the spreading fissures leading him and the creatures far from the settlement. The distant sounds of battle faded in the winds, and Alex had no clue how long it would take them to find him, if they even came at all, that is. He did not want to live his life without an arm.
The regeneration potions, he thought, eyes wide with remembrance of the compartment of golden potions he''d witnessed the siege creatures utilize. He stared into the depths of the chasm a final time, his gaze fixed on the seemingly bottomless pit before him. It felt as though he was staring into the mouth of some ancient beast or into the very depths of hell itself.
Alex leapt into the darkness.
As he fell, notifications rose to meet him.
[You have defeated level 12 Arachnae Spiderling x7]
[You have defeated level 23 Arachnae Spiderling x6]
[You have defeated level 17 Arachnae Spiderling x14]
[You have defeated level 7 Arachnae Spiderling x9]
[You have defeated level 4 Arachnae Spiderling x 24]
[You have defeated¡]
[You have defeated¡]
[Level difference penalty applied]
[Level 32 > 36]
[Strength +16, Dexterity+16, intelligence+24, unassigned stats +16]
[Class milestone reached. Class milestone skill available. Please choose skill]
A final notification appeared among the rest, one that caught his attention even in his fatigued state.
[Dynamic Quest - The Queen¡¯s Lair: Arachnae Queen...]
Chapter 27: Four Options II
He landed an hour later in a dim cave, a series of dwindling Phoenix Leaps arresting his fall and the world returning to its static place, no longer blurring in his falling vision. His mana was near-depleted. He would need to rest soon to recover. He had to rest soon, there was no way he would risk an encounter without access to his skills.
Rubble lay scattered at Alex¡¯s feet. Broken stone, fractured armor, twisted bodies¡ªremnants of what had fallen, compressed by the weight of impact. He moved forward, each step grinding debris into the ground.
A faint, distant moss clung to rock fragments, casting a soft, persistent light that held back the dense darkness. Far above, the sky was a distant pinprick, barely perceptible. His Mana Blade flared to life in brief, controlled bursts, illuminating small swaths of the chasm floor with each flash.
His eyes swept the ground with intention. Piles of shattered glass gleamed among the broken earth. Sifting through the wreckage, his hand brushed jagged metal and coarse stone. He moved carefully, brushing aside fragments and shards, feeling the grit of pulverized rock under his fingers.
Rubble and shattered glass crunched underfoot as he moved, disturbing the twisted remnants of armor and splintered weapons. Broken bodies lay twisted among the debris, their lifeless forms mingling with the fractured earth. His hand, steady, sifted through the remains, searching, each piece of rubble and broken metal a potential hiding place.
There it was. A single, unbroken vial, gold-hued, glinting amid the sharp remains of shattered potions and glass, bright with intense mana. Colors sizzled around it, streaks of volatile energy snapping in erratic bursts, their chaotic force pulsing in a relentless, chaotic beat he felt in his bones. He observed the pool¡¯s colors, sharp-edged and menacing, thrumming like a heartbeat, alive in its potency.
Cautiously, he extended his sword, easing the blade beneath the vial. No contact with his skin. No unnecessary risks. His eyes stayed fixed as he lifted it, the blade steady, raising the vial from the bubbling chaos below.
Alex attempted to read the rest of the notifications, but he was distracted by the dull, throbbing pains he felt thrumming all over his limbs from the landing.
He downed the potion, venturing deep into the depths of this world''s hell.
The stump tingled as he walked, a prickling sensation that grew sharper, needling into the raw skin. Muscle fibers coiled outward in slow twists, binding together with an almost instinctual purpose, each strand thickening as sinew pulled over bone. He stared, transfixed, as veins laced over the fresh flesh, pulsing as though fed by some invisible force. Skin began to stretch, smoothing itself across the surface, following the shape of his arm as it extended, inch by inch. Fingers unfurled, trembling briefly before they settled. Holy... He flexed them, feeling the strange weight of newness, his mind grappling with the impossible reality spreading from his shoulder.
But now''s not the time to be stunned, he thought, his eyes tracing the walls for a path. He neede to get away from here, it was likely the creatures would come to investigate, or at least repair the collapse. Being so deep within enemy territory and low on Mana, safety and rest became an ultimate priority. at least, before he moved toward his newer objectives. Once he had mana, he would begin searching for survivors.
But still, I got my arm back. It was worth it. Alex allowed himself a smile, as a swordsman, his arm was his life.without it he would have been at half strength, learning to wield the sword again with a new body. I would''ve jumped into ten chasms to avoid that reality, he thought with a satisfied exhale and a step into the darkness, still searching for a safe place to rest.
Mana Blade. Once deep enough, Alex moved inside closed the hole with earth to rest, intent on recovering his mana.
constricted? Why do I feel constricted?, he wondered. It felt as though he was wrapped in loose linen, soft yet inhibiting.
Laying on the ground and giving up on his battle with gravity, he attempted to assess his surroundings.
A quick chance around revealed that he was in a cave of some sort, about the size of a small house. Dull green light from luminous moss painted the surrounding cave walls with wavering shadows that played across his vision. He blinked, trying to clear the grogginess.
He was suffering from what felt like a hangover of biblical proportions. His thoughts were still hazy, and his memories were a blur as his consciousness surfaced more clearly by the second.
With a mental nudge for answers, Alex summoned his notifications once more in the hopes it would shed some light on his amnesia. The system intuitively responded to his will.
[Active Quests: Limitless Prospect: Reach level 200. Reward: Unlock sub-class.]
[Dynamic Quest - ¡®The Hidden Queen¡¯s Lair¡¯: You have found yourself in the heart of an Arachnae designation ¡®The Hidden Queen¡¯s¡¯ colony. You are one of the few to have miraculously survived the Arachnae colony¡¯s larval consumption of foreign species. An opportunity to accomplish something never before achieved on this region presents itself to you - Chart a path through the colony cave system and accomplish what none have done before: Escape the heart of Arachnae designation ¡®The Hidden Queen¡¯s¡¯ colony alive. reach any non-Arachnae settlement to complete quest]
[As accomplishing extremely rare and difficult unrecorded feats on inducted worlds will provide the system with new and valued data, rewards for this quest have been increased. Grow strong and serve your masters well.]
[Reward: Feat generation, E grade equipment, Insight of the imperial]
Oh, that''s right, he thought, I was fighting the Arachnae. Memories returned to him in a flood, as if doused. His battle, the giant Spiderling, their many legs, the fight. It all returned to him.
And they were weak as hell, he concluded. So how did I end up here? He let out a muffled groan as a sharp pain throbbed in his chest through the numbness, still confused as to how he had ended up in such a narrow space. It was as though something had altered his memories. How did I end up in this cave?
The memory of battle came back to him ¨C sharp, sudden ¨C especially the final collapse of the earth.
Oh snap. I killed them all. The Siege Arachnae... And all those other smaller spiders... they were injecting venom into the townsfolk, the pieces were falling into place and causing the image of his capture to become clearer. It explained why the guards and adventurers were losing despite being stronger than the numerous ¡®Spiderlings¡¯.
Whatever toxin the Arachnae have must be potent, potent enough that it could affect those at lower levels even with their endurance stats. He now understood the guards'' faltering steps, how they seemed to stumble and fall in the battle in seconds, and their unsteady hands dropping weapons.
Most of them had been killed as soon as they fell. Except For him, apparently.
Guess my stats are just way too high for these creatures... Maybe even for anyone in this world, he guessed, before recalling Lyra and Kiers mention of ''Powerhouses of the tutorial.''
Still, the loss of the guards and citizens was all due to whatever venom the hostile species had. Probably a paralytic, Alex realized, one bite was all it took to immobilize a person of a much lower level.
Anger bubbled beneath the surface of his thoughts. How did they not have countermeasures against the venom? From Kiers words the wars with the Arachnae had been raging across the world for far longer than any of their, or their children''s lifetimes. But mainly in other lands, they¡¯d said.
Maybe they had Perceived the Arachnae as a foreign threat, a distant nightmare. Something that only other nations had to deal with and had thus made no moves to prepare for the possibility of the end of thier world reaching thier borders, beyond what Lyra had called ''The Frontlines''. That would explain the towns defences being so swiftly overrun. A lack of supply, perhaps. Why order stores of antivenom to fight when your country hasn''t seen the planet''s enemy in over a hundred years? It made sense, economically.
The lands waging the wars and facing the more immediate threat of the Arachnae had to have stores of antivenom Stockpiled. Maybe even immunity spells. But then Kier and Lyra had said all freely controlled magic was gone, that means spells too, he realized, his eyes widening. Any magical defence they had against the Arachnae is long gone, and unless they have the right skills, class, or a stockpiles of antivenom, they''re screwed. That could explain how what should have been an initially easy battle turned into such a disaster.
They would have lost, eventually, he thought. With their magic and access to magic reset, Ayla, Lyra, Finn... The thought lingered. They all would have died without his prescence. Without his intervention, the Siege Arachnae would have tore mercilessly through the entire settlement and it''s defenders.
With a relieved exhale, he turned his attention back to the rest of his notifications.
[You have defeated level 12 Arachnae Spiderling x7]
[You have defeated level 23 Arachnae Spiderling x6]
[You have defeated level 17 Arachnae Spiderling x14]
[You have defeated level 7 Arachnae Spiderling x9]
[You have defeated level 4 Arachnae Spiderling x 24]
[You have defeated level 23 Arachnae Mettalore x 2]You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
[You have defeated¡]
[You have defeated¡]
[Level difference penalty applied]
[Level 32 > 36]
[Strength +16, Dexterity+16, intelligence+24, unassigned stats +16]
[Class milestone reached. Class milestone skill available. Please make selection]
Milestone¡ He thought, that implies a pivot of some kind. Will this affect my future options, or will all options be available for me to select at the next milestone? He made a mental note to ask any native of this world for an answer the first chance he¡¯d get. But more importantly, the quest had said that he was in the ¡®heart¡¯ of the colony, which suggested that he was at the greatest possible distance to any exit he might find. And the quest also heavily implied that nobody had ever managed to escape this colony, dubbing it the colony of ¡®The Hidden Queen¡¯. Alex reviewed the quest once more, ¡®accomplish what none have done before¡¯ it said. so nobody had ever managed to escape this place, and as a result a queen¡¯s been hidden under the land for only god knows how long, He realised. He could be facing an endless horde of beasts and creatures. His milestone skill choice would be critical to his escape, he couldn¡¯t afford to wait; he would choose whichever option ensured his success now.
[Please make selection]
He willed his acceptance, and another notification appeared.
[System Message: Choose one of 4 Skills]
[F-grade Skill 1: Limitless Edge (Active- 30 seconds): To the sovereign, the entire world is a sword. Any item with an edge or point in the users grasp will become as sharp as blades, with sharpness and hardiness dependant on mastery. Skill utilises a 4 hour cooldown. Peak mastery and understanding allows for precision strikes and deep wounds, capable of severing vital points or even bones.]
[F-grade Skill 2: Sovereign Poise (Passive): The sovereign''s stature reflects the blade, unyielding. Grants permanent enhanced agility and movement, propensity to lose footing drastically decreased. Enhanced footing on all surfaces. Peak Mastery and understanding allows for perfect footing on a wider variety of surfaces.]
[F-grade Skill 3: Systemic Eye (Active-30 seconds): Peer beneath the surface of the system to glean glimpses of things unseen. Skill utilises a 24 hour cooldown.]
[F-grade Skill 4: Sovereign Executioner (Active): The sovereigns blade extends to fealty, endless in its numbers. For a mana cost, summon a phantom, a sovereign executioner to mimic a single slash. The executioner will perfectly mimic your strike and simultaneously strike an enemy from an angle of your intent.]
Wow¡ that¡¯s better than I was expecting. Nice one, Pyra. Maybe this world wasn¡¯t so bad after all. Alex was genuinely impressed. And conflicted.
Alex lay still, the weight of his decision pressing on him as he considered the four F-grade skills before him. His mind painted vivid scenarios with each potential choice. The immediate threat of losing his life and surviving the predicament took priority over the long-term implications of his skill choice on his class growth and future skill choices. He already had two movement skills: Phoenix Leap, which gave him three-dimensional movement, and Boundless Dodge. Although primarily a defensive evasion skill, Boundless Dodge was almost a movement skill of its own, sort of.
First was Limitless Edge, its allure in turning any object into a lethal weapon. He envisioned himself, surrounded by Arachnae, grasping a broken stalactite. In his grip, it transformed, edges sharpening to a deadly point, slicing through the exoskeleton of a nearby spider with ease. This skill''s versatility, transforming mundane objects into deadly weapons, could be a lifesaver in the unpredictable environment of the Arachnae colony, where his primary weapon might be lost or damaged. Precision strikes targeted their vulnerable joints, immobilizing them, their venomous fangs clattering harmlessly to the ground. With the enhanced sharpness, Alex could penetrate the tough exoskeletons of the larger spiders, making his attacks lethal and ensuring survival against the immediate threat. The adaptability of using various objects as weapons would give him a strategic edge in the confined cave environment.
Next, his thoughts shifted to Sovereign Poise. He saw himself, agile and swift, moving through the Arachnae swarm. His feet found solid ground on the slickest surfaces, his body moving with an assuredness that belied the danger around him. However, with Phoenix Leap already giving him significant movement capabilities, Alex weighed the necessity of Sovereign Poise''s enhancements. Its potential for increased combat efficiency and fluid swordplay was appealing, yet he pondered if the skill overlapped too much with his existing abilities. The poise skill was intriguing; at high mastery, he pictured himself standing on water or fighting along a vertical wall as if it were solid ground. But he already had Phoenix Leap. What was the use in wall-running or wall-walking when he could already move in three dimensions? It was still a skill he wished he could have, simply because it was cool, but it wouldn¡¯t help him here. I already have Phoenix Leap, soveriegn poise is just a more permanent version, he thought. Choosing it would be redundant when i can already literally walk on air, or leap, rather, he decided.
And besides, if the venom of small spiders could take the guards out, how much more effective would the higher levelled venom be? What good is perfect balance if I¡¯m surrounded by higher level creatures? He thought, imagining the scenario. He had been stung by the weaker creatures once, and it had hardly affected him. But what of the stronger ones? To assume his stats gave him unconditional immunity seemed like the height of folly. Venom inherently existed in nature to allow predators to hunt much larger foes. Maybe one sting would be all it would take at much higher levels, he concluded, deciding that the skill carried too much risk in exchange for the benefit it provided. Only a fool would choose such a skill when their life is on such a thin line with such thin margins for error.
The third option, Systemic Eye, unfurled a world unseen. He guessed Systemic Eye was another glitched skill, judging by the garbled, glitched text and its subversive nature. But the key words of its description read ¡®peer beneath the system¡¯ there was no guarantee it would allow him to see in the dark, and only promised to grant him sight in relation to system-oriented elements, like stats and skills, which would not be entirely as helpful as the others in an underground cave system. Still, it sounded like an appraisal skill, and such a skill would be a boon outside of the cave system and beyond¡ªhe desperately wanted it. He could picture it clearly; Hidden weaknesses of the Arachnae shone before him. This skill''s potential to reveal vital information about the Arachnae and the equipment was captivating. By understanding the stats, attack patterns, or weaknesses of the spiders, Alex could better evade their bites and avoid being paralyzed by the venom of higher level creatures. But in his current predicament, trapped in the heart of the swarm, he questioned the immediate utility of this tactical skill. Could it provide the offensive power he needed right now? Or even the navigational powers he needed? He couldn¡¯t be certain. It wouldn¡¯t help him escape or survive the colony or another swarm. Though he craved the skill, he had to let it go out of necessity; he prayed that with his choice, the skill wasn¡¯t lost to him forever.
Lastly, Sovereign Executioner beckoned with its promise of multiplied force. Besides Systemic eye, which mirrored Phoenix leap, it was the only other skill that didnt have a limited duration and steep cooldown period. In his mind¡¯s eye, Alex saw a phantom emerging, mirroring his movements perfectly with a singular strike. The ability to attack from different angles, reaching enemies in difficult-to-reach positions, seemed like a crucial advantage in the cramped cave. This skill, capable of dealing with multiple threats at once, could likely be the key to his survival and escape.
His existing skills melded with these possibilities. Phoenix Leap and Boundless Dodge provided unmatched mobility, Mana Blade a relentless edge, and Mana Burn a surge of raw power. Yet, the swarm of Arachnae, vast and venomous, demanded more. Alex''s choice crystallized as he imagined the Sovereign Executioner in action. The skill''s immediate benefit in the dire situation he found himself in outweighed the potential long-term implications for his class growth.
Choosing Sovereign Executioner felt like a necessary gamble. The phantom, projection and silent ally, would bolster his offensive capabilities. With this new skill, the Arachnae, no matter their size or the deadliness of their venom, would face an opponent they could not envenom.
The skill''s future potential tantalized him. While currently, it only provided a single phantom, Alex pondered the possibilities of mastery. Could they potentially last longer than one strike, acting as an extended limb, or even potentially work from a distanced, as a long-range strike, perfectly mirroring his movements? The possibilities unfolded in his mind like a map, each path brimming with potential.
Ultimately, he chose Sovereign Executioner, his thoughts remaining fixed on the myriad of ways it would help him battle a venomous swarm of Arachnae while complementing his other skills.
Alex mentally nudged the system, affirming his choice. Sovereign Executioner was now his to command.
[Grade F Class Skill: Sovereign Executioner (active) selected!]
His decision made, he attempted to shift and finally noticed all of the webbing. Thick silken spiders web engulfed his body. It wrapped around him, binding his limbs and torso tight like a mummy in a spider''s craft. He was covered in the stuff.
And he was also covered in wounds. Endless injuries from the battle outside the cities borders after he crashed to the earth.
Painful awareness of his body''s unnoticed injuries came into focus, and his gut sank at each new sight. Horrified, he saw chunks of his flesh gone, leaving raw, open wounds. He saw fist-sized holes in his calf, legs, arms, stomach, and chest. In his chest, a particularly large wound exposed his cracked ribs and damaged lung. A damaged half-eaten lung.
The spiders paralytic venom still ran through his veins and dulled his senses, muting the pain even now as he assessed his gruesome wounds. He had assumed any injuries from the battle he¡¯d gained were light, but he had clearly been wrong.
He assessed the damage further.
He had heard of this; in wars back on Earth, sometimes soldiers didn''t notice they were shot or had limbs blown clean off when they were given enough morphine and at times opium, although morphine was said to be stronger.
Alex was experiencing something similar in real time due to the spiders venom.
Now that he could see the wounds, the pain that he had been ignoring this whole time held vivid clarity. The pain was persistent, but numb. Muted. A mild irritant instead of excrutation. A dull echo of something sharper, as if muffled by layers of cloth.
It was with that realisation that Alex began to worry.
How the hell am I still alive?, he wondered, before immediately realizing that his high endurance was keeping him from death''s door, just barely hanging on. The world dimmed and brightened and swayed briefly and his breathing became mere whispers, faint and unnoticed as the world dimmed further. Colours became muted as darkness crept into the corners of his vision and Light faded.
This felt familiar.
Crap, crap. I''m dying, he realized, in further panic as in a rush he mentally summoned his inventory and made to grab the last healing potion. The vial materialized above his palm. As he grasped for it, his enhanced strength tore through the webbing on his fingers.The potion landed in his open palm and promptly fell through his fingers rolling among the rocks a few paces away with its contents shining reflectively in the dim light. The venom was still affecting his fine motor control.
Alex rolled to his side and pushed all his remaining free stats into boosting his endurance.
[Strength: 164 (113)
Dexterity: 207 (143)
Endurance: 113 (78)
Intelligence: 247 (170)
Wisdom: 41 (28)
Unassigned stat points: 0]
Between the battle at the town''s borders and now, his stats had skyrocketed to increase by 235, with almost half of that coming courtesy of his feats. And he had just dumped 16 more into his endurance, the one stat that was likely keeping him alive. The increase would boost his resilience, but that would only delay the inevitable and the effort might just buy him a few more seconds.
But seconds would be enough if he could just reach the potion.
Using all his strength and will he moved towards the vial and began crawling, locking his eyes with tunneled vision on the potion a short distance away.
Alex reached the potion with a sigh of relief, his fingers moments away from grasping the small vial of red liquid.
And that''s when he noticed the girl.
She stood directly in front of him, with hair so dark and thick it seemed to shine reflectively¡ªalmost metallic, the light of the moss bounced off her dark locks with each of her movements. She was wrapped in the same prey webbing as he was, except hers was covered in ichor and blood. Did she use a potion of her own to heal herself? Does she have high endurance like me? Or higher? Unlikely, she must''ve woken up earlier" Alex assessed her instantly. The webbing around her covered her arms, legs, and torso completely. It even covered her face completely, with only a small slit where her mouth was; probably to allow her to breathe.
Alex would''ve wondered how she could even see anything at all with her eyes wrapped like that, if she hadn''t just knelt down and picked up his potion, taking it out of reach of his grasping hands.
Chapter 28: The Lifeless Executioner
Alex lay on the ground dying, in a cave based in the heart of an Arachnae colony as a strange girl held his last healing potion up in the dim light. She examined the small vails every curve and contour while peering at the liquid within, fascinated with whatever her completely bound eyes were capable of seeing.
"Hey," Alex called weakly, "I need that, hand it over, will you?" He stretched his arm toward her as she turned to face him at his words. She then knelt to study him instead of the potion. Quirking her head to the side in mild surprise as if she too had just noticed him moving and alive for the first time. The girl then eyed each of his wounds with grotesque curiosity and fascination.
She still held the potion tight.
Alex¡¯s world lurched as the pain of his countless wounds briefly exploded through the numbness, causing him to cough up blood. "Hey. Excuse me. Hey. Hi. Hello.¡± He called, his voice growing louder with each attempt to grasp her attention. She didn¡¯t respond.
¡°HEY YOU LITTLE SHI¡ª" He stopped and forced himself to breathe deeply to calm down, coughing more blood in the process. No, anger won¡¯t work here. I just need this idio- I just need this girl to give me the potion so I can not die to some weak spider babies. If she could see the potion, he reasoned, then she could see him despite the blindfold, most likely due to whatever class or skill she possessed.
He tried a different approach.
He pointed meaningfully at the potion, staring at where her eyes should be beneath the webbing and mustering as much intent as he could into his gaze before speaking.
"I need that." He spoke emphatically and outstretched his palm at the final word, splaying his fingers. Despite his attempts at reigning in his anger, his face still twisted into one filled with suppressed rage as he spoke the order.
The girl seemed to understand and dropped the potion into his hand, jerking up in surprise at his croaking but firm and demanding voice.
"S¡Sorry," she muttered, speaking sheepishly in a strange disjointed accent. She seemed surprised at his pained expression and, if Alex wasn''t mistaken, a little upset by it.
Not trusting his fingers, Alex held the vial pressed between his palms and downed the potion with haste, the girl completely forgotten. He felt his internal organs knitting back together, and his ravaged muscles reconnecting while other repairs took place, though not as fast as he''d like. At least my arms are working properly again, he thought as he used his healed arms to sit up, pink-red skin shining where the flesh had grown to fill in his numerous gouges. Alex glanced down briefly to see a spider''s fang embedded in his flesh, a trickle of blood staining his pants. He pulled out the fang and looked around him to realize he had been lying in a pool of his own blood.
Shuddering, Alex rose to his feet He eyed his surroundings, wondering how he could''ve survived. The dim cave was filled with bodies- everywhere, among the rocks and around them. Many of the surrounding corpses were just bones and scarce meat, and strangely, a majority of them were empty cracked carapaces where the Spiderlings had cannibalized each other for some reason. Probably to gain levels, he thought. The babies must have eaten each other in some sort of twisted game of survival of the fittest. It was barbaric, but it would be effective. A free for all with the one spiderling from this cave gaining a multitude of levels from slaying the captured high-level humans and their kin. Alex bowed his head. So many human lives lost in such a way was a horrific tragedy, one that should be avoided at all costs, he thought solemnly. And as a result of such tragedies, each surviving spiderling would leave its cave at a higher level. Not to mention that if they operated like ants, they could perform this ad infinitum- sacrificing their members for the good of the colony; all to create high-level elites. He was starting to truly understand how much of a scourge this species was.
He would have certainly died if he didn''t have the last healing potions or if a swarm of the Spiderlings returned. His high endurance stat had most likely made his skin and muscles too tough to be quickly and easily consumed. But judging by the damage wrought to his body before the potions healing, he would¡¯ve died either way. Alex¡¯s expression turned grim with the realization of how close he had come to a pretty gruesome death. The system reincarnating him again seemed downright impossible; the first message had said it was an ''inductee final recycle'' because he died when the system first entered Earth. That implies everyone had just one, and most likely for those unlucky enough to die in the brief period of the system''s initial introduction message. Not to mention the tutorial period was over, and any attempts at whatever twisted form of ¡®safety¡¯ the system employed had all but been removed. There would be no second chances. Or third chances, for that matter.
Deep down, he had known the moment he''d set foot in Pyra that the system would not give him a third chance. If he died in this world, or any other, that would be it. His fate would be sealed, and his journey would end, snuffed out like a candle.
Unless he somehow managed to mimic what Phoenix had achieved in his Dao vision; Rebirth.
Hah, the Dao¡¯s pretty much endless. That would take forever. Alex had been raised in Buddhist teachings all his life, he was aware of the endless depths of Earth''s understanding of the universe. It was not something that could be grasped with ease. And that was the mundane version. With all of the progress he had made in his Dao, within his mind''s eye, whenever he connected with its truths, it felt like he was a spec trying to grasp a vast galaxy of information, information too complex to even understand. It was too much for him.
But it wasn¡¯t without its merits. The little he¡¯d managed to glean from the Dao had already allowed him to win battles.
If the spec of dust he''d managed to grasp had given him such power, then to grasp the entire star would give him control over complete aspects of reality itself, like Phoenix. But that seemed like an impossible feat, he still felt like an ant trying to control a mountain any time he tried, chipping away at it with small bites, only gaining microscopic shards of the mountain but making no real progress.
He would need more Dao visions to truly progress, he believed. The first one had given him access to Phoenix''s perspective, and fleeting glimpses of Phoenix¡¯s endless lifetimes of truths that had expanded Alex¡¯s awareness. This quest offered an insight of its own for him to claim. [Reward: Feat generation, E grade equipment, Insight of the imperial] It had said. An imperial insight.
Alex would finish the quest no matter what.
His thoughts returning to the present, he attempted to completely remove the webbing that mummified his form before giving up. He¡¯d cleared a good portion of it¡ but it was just everywhere. There was just too much of it. It was sticky as all hell, and each movement shifted it to another part of his body rather than completely removing it.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!
He still had a skill to test out in preparation for what was to come; his escape. He glanced at the girl digging through the surrounding Arachnae corpses. And her escape too, although protecting her is not going to be easy. He had no idea what a class milestone skill was, but the name suggested it was pivotal in some way, and most likely powerful. Despite the implication, he''d chosen something that would allow him to escape the Arachnae colony. The quest had said he was in the ¡®heart¡¯ of the colony, and had heavily implied that escaping its heart was something nobody had done before.
Before the system.
Let¡¯s see what my ¡®executioner¡¯ can do. Alex thought, as his eyes focused on his surroundings.
Alex¡¯s eyes took in the carnage around him. He found a triangular shard of exoskeleton, sharp and jagged, and gripped it firmly. Standing up, he assumed a balanced stance, his makeshift weapon pointed forward, settling into an advanced stance of kendo. Focusing on a heap of exoskeleton remains to his left, he prepared to engage. He took two short steps forward, left and then right.
If his hunch about this skill worked was correct, then distance wouldn¡¯t matter as much as it should. He could feel it, a new instinct.
Alex concentrated on a space some distance away, about 15 steps to the side where the pile of broken exoskeleton lay, and activated his new skill.
As he thought the words Sovereign Executioner, the air in front of him visibly distorted, resembling a blade parting the very fabric of space.
And in its wake a figure emerged, notably taller than Alex, stepping into the cave. The figure wore robes of deep maroon, the fabric rich and heavy, flowing down and covering its form. Along sections of the robe, gilded patterns were intricately woven, in a way that made them hard to look at directly, even when the robes were unmoving. An insignia was embellished on the robe that shared the same quality as the patterns, in that it was hard to make out, constantly blurring out of focus whenever Alex tried to discern its contents. Even looking at the insignia too sharply seemed to cause a strange discomfort.
The figure''s hands, extending from the flowing sleeves, were covered in gauntlets and held a large, thick ceremonial blade. Where a face might be beneath the hood, only shadows were visible. In the shadows, traces of a jawline could be seen, eerily similar in shape to Alex''s. The lips, visible within the darkness, were set in a grim expression, akin to Alex''s own frown.
The figure, the Sovereign Executioner, stood some meters to the side of Alex, mirroring his movements perfectly, their stances identical.
¡°Whoa¡±, Alex breathed in surprise. So that¡¯s what I¡¯d look like with a few extra months in the gym and an NBA contract¡ He studied the lifeless features buried within the depths of its hood. Nah, I like ¡®me¡¯ better, it doesn¡¯t have my winning smile. He smirked, and the figure he summoned smirked too, mirroring his every twitch and breath. Alex studied the skills sensations. It felt like he had an extra body, like a disembodied limb that followed his every subconscious command.
So it won''t disappear until I make an attack, that''s useful, Alex noted. His improved sense of his internal workings gave him the minute feeling of his mana constantly draining while the summoned construct of mana stood still. The sixth sense gained by Inner Focus allowed him to instinctively feel that he could keep this up for an hour at best, and then he would be completely depleted of mana. Quick strikes then, he thought, attempting to decipher the patterns and insignia on the skills robes before wincing in pain at the ache it induced in his eyes. And what''s with that, anyway? He blinked and rubbed his eyes, and noted the construct mirroring him, its gauntleted hands soundlessly reaching into the depths of its hood to rub whatever lay beneath the darkness. Isn''t that supposed to be MY insignia? Why does it hurt to look at it? Feels like staring into the sun, but it''s burning my insides as well as my eyes, not that he had ever stared into the sun, but Alex imagined that would feel just as bad as trying to decipher whatever meaning lay being the constructs insignia. The slow ache behind his eyes quickly faded as he focused on its other features, but the pain had reminded him of the pain he''d felt when he''d chosen his class, but far less agonizing. He felt his mana dip by a fraction and decided to end the skill; he had only used about a second''s worth of mana, but as much as being unprepared would be tantamount to suicide, so would wasting the energy he used to fuel his skills.
Alex lifted the shard above his head, his arms extended but relaxed, in a state of violent calm. His skill¡¯s creation stood several places ahead of him, its movements identical to his own as it too raised its sword overhead.
Alex swung. And so did his construct in perfect sync. He brought the shard down in a swift diagonal strike- a ¡®Men¡¯ strike, aiming for an imaginary opponent''s head. It was a strike he employed often when ambushed, where you would wait for the right moment- when an opponent''s guard dropped or they lost focus, even for a second. It''s that key chance where the ¡®Men¡¯ strike would hit the head, when they''re not ready to defend.
Alex¡¯s arms blurred as he struck the air, the juvenile shard cracking in his hands under the strain of his enhanced movements. The shard sliced through the air, landing with a thud in the cave wall. The constructs arm blurred similarly some meters ahead, and sliced the tip of a large shard of cracked chitin clean off- Alex would''ve preferred to target the entire heap, but he could not afford to make such a large sound in the cavernous cave system, what if it attracted the swarm?
The construct faded as if it had never been there, distorted reality settling to normalcy in an instant.
And the girl was stock still, watching Alex with pure shock. He could see her mouth slightly Ajar by the slit in the webbing covering her entire face. Why hasn¡¯t she taken it off of her face yet? I know it¡¯s tricky, but that¡¯s got to be annoying.
Sighing, he gestured to his only companion.
"Hey, you good?" He stepped closer to her crouched form. She had been inspecting the corpse of an Arachnae about as large as she was before Alex¡¯s display had distracted her. Now, she broke pieces off the large corpses carapace and studied the chitin as if in a trance. ¡°Yes.¡± She spoke a single word, her voice croaked and unused.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll get you outta here,¡± Alex said. ¡°Do you know if your family¡¯s safe? You¡¯re parents? Were they taken too?¡± She looked at Alex with utter bewilderment at his words as if he¡¯d said something strange. Something alien, even.
¡°Uh¡¡± Alex continued. ¡°You know¡ your mom? Dad? The people that take care of you, keep you safe?¡± More confusion. ¡°The reason you''re alive? They were there when you were born?¡± At Alex¡¯s more detailed description, her bewilderment intensified. She rocked her head as if in a daze. Must be the venom, Alex realized, he had experienced a similar daze moments ago, but his stats had quickly evened it out. Exasperated Alex continued. ¡°You share their appearance? Their DN- uh, I mean, you share their ¡®essence¡¯, or something like that. Their blood? Your family? They take care of you? Do you know where they are?¡± She brightened at his words and what looked like a genuine smile could be seen beneath her wrappings, but she did not respond. Alex¡¯s concern for the girl began to become tingled with pity. He sighed. She clearly couldn¡¯t remember a thing. "What''s your name?" He asked, as another more poignant thought occurred to him.
"M-My name? I¡" she seemed lost in thought as if grasping at memories just out of her reach. "I''m not sure¡"
Poor kid. Come to think of it, how is she still alive? What''s her level? He wondered.
He studied her further. There''s definitely something strange there, he decided. He was curious as to why she was bandaged in such a manor, but not to the point of action. Tearing the bandages off a younger girl seemed like something he could not bring himself to do without good reason. What if she was hideously scarred? Or held fresh and open wounds? Removing them would risk infection and almost guarantee her death. No- he couldn''t do it, he decided. There was a chance she had already witnessed the horror of her townsfolk being consumed, and Alex did not want to traumatise her further. Still, he would have to keep an eye on her. If she was skilled, then the path to escape could go a little smoother.
"What''s your leve¡ª" Alex''s words were interrupted by the sounds of soft groaning from the corner of the cave. The sounds were pained and muffled as if buried.
Human sounds.
Chapter 29: The Lost Berserker
Hearing the sound of a human trapped somewhere amongst the remnants of the deceased, Alex moved, rushing over to the corner of the room where a large Arachnae corpse seemed to be nestled unnoticed and hidden amongst the surrounding rocks.
It was about the size of a small bus, and its carapace strangely resembled the surrounding moss and cave rock. At first, Alex had mistaken it for a boulder.
Hold on¡ Alex thought, it just moved; it''s alive.
The large creature lay resting above a mass of wrapped webbing in the shape of an adult human, complete with limbs, arms, and a completely wrapped head. As Alex approached, the creature seemed to rouse and rose to its feet as its eyes swivelled toward him.
That must be the victor of the battle royale, Alex determined.
He was devoid of any weapon, having lost his sword at some point during his capture. So he simply reached forward, grabbed the large arachnid''s head, and pulled, while being careful to avoid its large fangs.
He tore its head clean off.
Huh, that really worked. I mean, I thought it would, judging by the level difference between me and a newborn. But I''ll be damned if that isn''t the grossest thing I''ve ever done. He shook the ichor off his hands and heaved the massive Arachnae corpse off the writhing and waking human wrapped in spider webbing.
[You have defeated level 4 Arachnae Spiderling]
That''s a bit low of a level for all of the corpses here¡ I was expecting more. Alex rubbed his chin curiously as the mummified human wriggled before him.
"Come here, kid. Help him," Alex called back at the girl, nodding towards the guard. Still clutching a piece of arachnid carapace, she moved towards the struggling webbed figure.
¡°O¡ Oh¡ Oh k-kay?¡±
She worked methodically, her fingers deftly pulling at the strands of web. Alex watched the girl''s precise movements, his own body rejuvenated from the potion. He had initially been suspicious of her survival, but the small glimpse of soft and obviously human flesh he''d caught under her wraps each time she spoke had alleviated most of his suspicions. So for now he continued to observe, wondering as to the identity of the person trapped beneath the wrapping. Each pull from her fingers freed the bound male in guards uniform further, her delicate digits working with unnatural precision, unravelling the sticky strands effortlessly. The guard¡¯s eyes, clouded with confusion and fear, fluttered open.
"Who are you?" the guard croaked once his head was freed, his voice hoarse. The girl didn''t respond, her focus solely on her task as she moved to free his bound hands and feet. Her hands never paused."Where am I?" The bound man''s voice echoed and bounced off the walls, his face laced with confusion.
¡°Calm down, and try not to be too loud. It''ll come back to you eventually.¡± Alex wanted to tell him where he was, but most people didn''t take well to finding out they were in the heart of an undiscovered colony of giant man-eating monsters. He didn''t want the guy to cause a scene or attract attention. None of them could afford it at the moment. Better to let him realize how messed up things are slowly. Alex decided. ¡°We¡¯re in the same situation as you. What¡¯s the last thing you remember?¡± he asked cautiously.
The man rubbed his head, trying to piece together fragmented memories. "I remember the battle... Arachnae swarming¡ and I¡ lost myself in my skill, lost track of the others."
"I''m¡ John," the guard said, more to himself than anyone, as he rubbed his wrists where the webs had been. "Level 19¡ berserker." His voice held a hint of pride despite his evident exhaustion. His hand instinctively touched the insignia on his uniform. "Third strongest in my squad."
A grin spread across his features at the memory of his strength, before other memories returned, setting his face into a grim countenance. ¡°Oh, I see. I was fighting the Black Mass.¡±
Alex nodded in confirmation. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m Alex, nice to meet you. Although I wish it was under better circumstances¡±
¡°It¡¯s nice? What¡¯s nice about this?¡± John gestured innocently and offered him a quizzical look at his unfamiliar phrasing. John sat up, looking at the ground, feeling the damp sediment beneath them. He then sighed and raised his head. "Do you think anyone knows we''re down here?" He looked to Alex with a hopeful yet forlorn gaze.
"Hard to say," Alex replied, squinting in the dim light. "Does your¡ squad have a way of tracking us ?"
The girl removed the final strands binding his feet and moved closer to Alex. She had left the rest of webbing on his limbs, torso and face unremoved, choosing to leave the uninhibiting bindings on his form. Probably as not to waste time, Alex guessed. All of them were still mostly covered in webbing.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
She moved to stand beside Alex. He noted her apparent dependence on his presence and guessed she would even go as far as holding his hand for emotional support if he allowed it. It was most likely the need for physiological stability as well as a need for physical protection. It reminded him of behaviour often seen back on Earth in people rescued from harrowing environments. Poor thing, he thought.
Once freed, John the guard leaned forward and made to brush off the remnants of thick spider silk on his face and uniform, before giving up and settling with only freeing his face. He sat there, swaying slightly and clutching his head in pain. ¡°This stuff is tougher than the stories said.¡± He muttered in disgust, pulling at another strand of webbing. ¡°And as far as my squad finding us; I doubt it. Everyone thought the disappearances were an orc tribe using scare tactics. Not the Black Mass, not these creatures.¡± He spat out the word with disgust. ¡°No one was prepared for that. Without a¡ Wayfinder, or Pathfinder, it¡¯s not possible.¡±
The guard then tried to stand and stumbled, his legs wobbling. Seated once more, he checked his pockets, only to find the hilts at his waist drew broken daggers and missing sheathes. Relief finally washed over Guard John''s face as he discovered a single weapon still attached to his belt. He pulled out a pristine and unused long sword, Inspecting it for damage. "Still sharp," he muttered.
¡°Can I use that?¡± Alex asked, eyeing the blade. ¡°It''s better for all of us. I¡¯m good with a blade, and I''m level 36.¡±
¡°Sorry, can¡¯t give up my main weapon,¡± John replied, a bit too eagerly. Then, looking at Alex with an apologetic expression, John straightened up. His chest puffed out slightly, his youthful face set in a determined, albeit naive, expression. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll keep us all safe, just stay behind me.¡±
Alex exchanged a glance with the girl, who giggled softly, a dainty wheezing sound beneath her wrappings. As they talked further, the girl moved to rummage through the corpses, both Arachnae and human, with an unsettling curiosity. She returned to Alex, and approached him, her arms extended, presenting several chipped claymores and a fresh and undamaged one.
¡°Where¡¯d you find these?¡± Alex asked, taking a chipped sword and storing the rest away in his Inventory with a touch of his finger on each blade, four in total. The girl merely shrugged, her expression hidden behind the webbing. Alex met her obscured gaze, ¡°Well thanks again, kid.¡±
She beamed, a smile clear beneath her coverings.
The girl¡¯s curiosity seemed boundless. As they spoke she moved from corpse to corpse with ease, her actions meticulous and silent. She soon approached Alex again, this time with a handful of small marbles glowing faintly with a swirling purple light in his Outer Sense-enhanced vision.
Alex turned one of the marbles in his hand, its light still pulsing weakly. ¡°What are these?¡± He ask, intrigued.
¡°P-power,¡± she replied, rolling the words on her tongue as if tasting them for the first time.
John, overhearing the conversation, explained the nature of magical cores. "It¡¯s a core, I think. The memory is hazy, but I¡¯m pretty sure of it.¡±
¡°Magical creatures develop them at some point, although human mages and some other living races have their hearts become mana organs instead.¡± He paused in consideration, and stared at his hands as if mesmerized, ¡°Although¡ I guess we¡¯re all magical creatures now, in a sense.¡±
His expression dimmed as he raised his head ¡°Core''s brightness indicates their power. These, though,¡± he gestured to the dull cores in the girl''s hand, "see that? They have no glow, so they¡¯re pretty much useless.¡±
Alex turned to look at the cores in the girl''s palm, each soft and swirling purple light made visible by his passive skill. ¡°So they have no power? Are you sure?¡±
John shrugged. ¡°I mean, they don''t amount to much. Dozens would be needed to even gain any simple effect, and only master blacksmiths found in the greatest cities can combine multiple magical cores, and they only combine the greatest of cores for the highest prices.¡± He waved a hand dismissively and groaned, no doubt distracted by venom-induced nausea. ¡°So no. They have no power, no more than a Child''s toy. They''re worthless.¡±
Alex eyed the glowing cores. He wasn''t convinced.
John closed his eyes and rubbed his temples as he rose to his feet as if trying to summon more memories. His eyes brightened as something seemed to return to him. ¡°But higher beasts, the evolved Arachnae cores, those are valuable."
John stood and sighed heavily. "Great, no way to call for help." he stopped moving and stood still, breathing heavily.
¡°Eya save us.¡± He muttered under his breath. He was staring into space as if reading an invisible panel. ¡°Have you seen this quest? Oh gods.¡±
Alex nodded. ¡°Yeah. I know. I don¡¯t know much about caves, but I figure as long as we keep heading up or find a running stream we should be able to make it out of here. We should get moving.¡±
At his words, John hesitated before nodding despite his fear, and all three of them made to move to the spaces exit, before a sight caused them to slow to a stop.
Four Arachnae had appeared at the cave entrance moving slowly on a multitude of legs. Arachnae slowed and stopped in apparent jerky shock as they noticed Alex, John, and the girl some distance ahead of their path.
These Arachnae are large, about twice as tall as Alex, but they were different. Vastly different. While they all had 8 wickedly sharp limbs, each as long as he was, none of them had the spider''s head and fangs he¡¯d come to expect.
Instead, above the eight muscular segmented legs the base of their bodies rose to a mound where a muscular segmented human-looking torsos sprouted, each as large as Alex was tall, and with arms as thick and long as he was. But their similarities to humans ended at their basic shape, their skin was smooth chitin with the hard jagged contours of a spider''s exoskeleton, and their faces were a featureless mask, as if undeveloped. On their torsos where a collection of eyes, spread in the same way all arachnid''s eyes were. Their long fingers were unnaturally sharp as daggers, all four, and each digit dripped with a strange liquid that flared in Alex¡¯s Outer Vision.
They weren''t fingers he realised. They were fangs.
The three humans stood there in shock, frozen, as a much larger Arachnae approached from behind the four entrants, looming behind its brethren with an air of scrutiny. Its face was slightly more defined, with some semblance of a nose protruding from the smoothness and even had the beginnings of a mouth. Yet its featureless segmented body was still smooth with unnatural contours of chitin plates, like a crash dummy from Earth, but monstrously large and insectile.
It stood with authority behind its four lesser kin and observed the surrounding corpses, the girl, John, and then Alex.
Then it spoke.
¡°Kill them.¡±
Chapter 30: BloodBerserker
¡°Kill them.¡±
Silence followed the gravelly command. None moved. They stood there in silence, the eight of them, three humans and four Arachnae and a strange, commanding Arachnae.
¡°I said, kill them.¡±
It spoke again. And still, no single figure present moved even an inch.
John, the town guard, looked nervously between Alex and the enemy blocking their path to freedom. ¡°Shit! There are too many! What do we do!?¡± He hissed at Alex, eyes wide wide fear.
Alex¡¯s gaze never left the four, his focus on the venom dripping from each of their sharp digits. And the myriad eyes across their forms.
¡°We have to fight.¡± He summoned a sword from his Inventory with his free hand and softly tossed it hilt-first behind him toward the feet of the girl. She caught it in mid-air with a snap of motion. ¡°Here, take this. And stay back.¡± Alex said, she would have to fight, eventually but she had seemed traumatised, dazed, and somewhat incoherent ever since he regained consciousness. If she clung to him ineffectually during the fight she would just get in the way. Better to have her safely ease into becoming an asset during danger by hanging back during the fighting than dive into becoming a liability by forcing her to fight while mentally unprepared, Alex reasoned. ¡°John. Stay behind me, stay close and kill the stragglers as soon as you see them.¡±
John held his pristine sword fight and nodded with a grin, but Alex caught the slight tremble that shook his legs on the brief moment that it appeared.
Well, they would have to make this work, somehow. He would have to deal the brunt of the damage.
They were vastly outnumbered. The evolved Arachnae¡¯s long legs caused them to tower over them all by a head. And the one at the back was undoubtedly strong, although how strong exactly, Alex had no clue. It would not make a difference either way. It was them or him. A big portion of his plan was dependent on John sticking behind him and doing his part, while he in turn did his best to not get struck by the Venom dripping from the large and abnormally long clawed hands.
A voice broke through the silence again. The large one, with the somewhat human face and fully formed arachnid mouth, spoke once more. Its voice was gravelly and alien, like plates of rough metal scraping together with timbre. ¡°You won''t? You want Me to kill them? To ¡®try¡¯? Impudent. Insubordinate. Drifter. They will all die.¡±
The large one at the back spoke, and the four before it charged. Two raced ahead while the latter two followed in formation. Their steps were timed perfectly, their movements eerily in sync, as if they could communicate through more than just mere words. ¡°You will regret this.¡± The large one spoke again, its smooth facsimile of a face lacking the features needed to show emotion. But Alex felt as though he could feel sheer rage emanating from its voice.
Two in front. Two behind. The sound of patters and clicks rang through the dim cave as 32 blade-like feet sped towards them.
He charged forward to meet the four with John close behind. ¡°Watch out for the claws!¡± He yelled, keeping his pace deceptively slow to match John. ¡°One scratch¡¯s enough to knock you out!¡±
John followed him with his sword raised, and a potent mix of fear and determination painted across his features as he yelled back ¡°You think I don¡¯t know that!?¡±
One, two, three more steps and Alex was before the first two, they were side by side, and each drew back an arm in preparation for an assault of some sort.
But Alex saw it all. He jumped, then leapt, and then he swung his blade.
Phoenix Leap. Sovereign Executioner. While he willed his skill¡¯s executioner to appear before the target to the left, he targeted the Arachnae on his right, and his skill launched him under its envenomed swing towards its base, where many thick legs met the main body. He drew back his blade, clasped it with both hands and swung with all his might, aiming to dismember all eight limbs of his inhuman foe. Reality warped some paces beside him as his skills mana construct- the executioner- appeared and disappeared in a breath, its movements dictated and controlled by Alex¡¯s own. The construct''s blade connected at the same moment his own blade connected with its target.
And 16 limbs the size of men fell to the ground like toppled trees, each bisected cleanly. Screeches soon followed.
Alex rocketed past.
Two down, three more to go. He thought in the second he flew past droplets of suspended ichor. Now that he had dealt with the initial two, Alex couldn¡¯t afford to hesitate or pay attention to what was happening behind him. He just hoped John was quick on the uptake and capable of dealing with both of the downed and disabled Arachnae- even without their limbs they would still be dangerous, for someone at John''s level, a single strike would be all it would take to end the fight.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
[You have defeated level 25 Arachne Juvenile Worker x2]
He inwardly felt a brief moment of relief as the notification alleviated his concerns over John and the girl''s safety.
A wall of black chitin raced to meet him.
Alex met the second pair with the same attack, target the right, double body skill attack to the left. Let''s go. Sovereign Executioner. He thought in mid-swing. Alex¡¯s blade cleaved through the eight thick legs of his targeted enemy. But the leftmost Arachnae Jumped.
It hurtled over his Skills construct towards John with a leap of its own, and angled its legs to a point, all of them aiming downward intent on crushing the Gaurd as it landed. It had learned from witnessing Alex''s first attack and evaded.
Alex would''ve raced back to help, but he was distracted by a dark reflective grasping hand the size of his head milliseconds away from cutting into him. The group''s leader had taken advantage of his moment of distraction and attacked. Boundless Dodge, he thought while spinning, causing his mana to seize his body and drastically enhance his movements. As he spun, he extended his arm to swing his sword and thought Mana Blade for good measure. His brightly lit blade cleaved through the commanding Arachne- the worker- with ease. It fell to the ground in two pieces, twitching as it curled in on itself in death throes.
[You have defeated level 29 Arachne Juvenile Worker]
[Level 36 > Level 37]
[Strength +4, Dexterity+4, intelligence+6, unassigned stats +4]
Huh. Alex thought, I must''ve been pretty close to the edge of levelling up from experience gained from the last battle.
He turned to see the brutalized remains of the Arachnae Workers he had disabled, and both John and the girl hacking into the final one with reckless abandon. The pair of them hardly used any technique as they swung into the struggling creature, bisecting its limbs and deflecting attacks with what looked like nothing but desperate rage. As far as sword techniques went, Alex noticed that the girl was even worse than John, she darted around him and the Juvenile Worker with surprising speed but treated her weapon as if it was an axe or a club. Screaming as she struck wildly.
How is she faster than John? And surviving the venom¡ That doesn¡¯t make any sense unless she¡¯s higher level and frontloaded all of her stats into dexterity, or has a feat that does something similar. Maybe she has a passive that boosts speed? Or a passive against poison and venom resistance? Alex wondered about the girls class and stats, and miraculous survival, and made a mental note to enquire about it later.
John raised his sword high into the air, a crazed look in his bloodshot gaze, as ichor drawn from the fallen Arachnae coalesced around his upheld weapon, the simple longsword became covered in ichor and grew in size until it became a dark greatsword, with a reflective sheen that seemed to give it an almost glass-like quality.
It crashed into the Arachnae Worker and cleaved it in two.
As the monster fell, the girl hurriedly raced towards the fallen corpses, she soon returned with 5 slightly larger marbles, all of them carrying the faintest glow- visible to the naked eye- she handed the largest one to Alex and muttered the words, ¡°Thanks for taking care of us.¡±
Alex scratched his head sheepishly. He really did feel bad for her, for John too. He would try his best to make sure they all survived. No- scratch that, he would make sure of it. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, Kid.¡± He said.
John fell to the ground in a huff near the corpse of his latest victim. ¡°Sorry,¡± he wheezed as Alex drew closer. ¡°Got carried away by my class. And I can only do that a few times before I''m out of mana, just give me a second.¡±
¡°We don''t have a second.¡± Alex placed John''s arm over his shoulder and hefted him up. ¡°And we don''t know whether more will be coming. We have to start looking for a way out of here.¡±
¡°What¡¯s your class by the way? Was that an Elemental Blade skill I saw you using?¡± John seemed to be regaining vigour with each step, and the girl leaned forward curiously at his words.
¡°I¡¯m a SpellSword. Pretty good with a blade, and a bit of unarmed combat.¡± Alex responded, still not keen on revealing his secrets. He liked these two, but there were too many variables telling them his class could create if they made it outside, and telling them wouldn''t improve the situation in which they found themselves in any way. A thought struck Alex as he hoisted John towards the edge of the dim cave, and he asked a question of his own. ¡°You said you got carried away by your class? What class did you choose?¡± Alex had heard him mumble his class name before, but hadn¡¯t quite caught it.
John offered a weak smile. ¡°Blood-Berserker. The blood spilled around us makes me stronger, doesn''t matter who or what the blood belongs to- if it spills, I get stronger. It¡¯s a Rare class. Can you believe that?¡± He thumbed his chest in pride as he struggled to find his footing, leaning into Alex¡¯s carry. ¡°I lucked out and won a skill crystal pretty early in the tutorial quests. Had to charge into the frontlines naked, nobody else wanted to take the quest. Can you believe that? I had the first skill crystal and one of the first rare classes.¡± He summoned another smile and straightened his back, his chest welling up with pride. ¡°A few others ended up getting rare¡¯s or even uniques and higher, but those guys were crazy.¡±
Alex offered a weak smile at the sentiment. His thoughts were drifting to his latest notification; he had some stats to apply.
They began moving towards the exit, and the girl silently followed, her sword held in a poor mimicry of the way she had witnessed Alex hold his own.
Deep within the heart of the Arachne Colony of the Hidden Queen, surrounded by hundreds of enemies, each one more deadly than the last, the three of them headed out and looked for an exit.
As they walked another thought struck Alex, and he turned to ask John a poignant question.
¡°What''s a class milestone?¡±
Chapter 31: The first Soldier
"So, what''s a class milestone exactly?" Alex''s voice cut through the cave''s oppressive silence as they trudged toward the uncertain exit.
John glanced over his shoulder, his eyes reflecting a mix of weariness and alertness. "A class milestone? It''s a significant boost you get after you''ve grown into your class. A skill that usually hits between levels 15 and 50. And then a new milestone comes every fifty levels after that with the next one being at level 100, then 150, 200, and so on.¡± He gestured with enthusiasm.
The girl stepped towards John, and chimed in curiously "And what do they do? The ¡®milestones¡¯?"
"They''re more than just new skills," John explained, his tone growing enthusiastic. "It''s like... They shape your path, influence the nature of your class, making it stronger, more... unique," John continued, ¡°at least, until the next milestone comes and takes things in a different direction, or further down the same path.¡±
The girl, still holding her sword in an awkward and unwieldy grip, pressed further, "Influence? How?"
"It''s hard to explain," John said, his voice low, as if wary of the echoing cave walls. "It''s like... each milestone skill you gain can alter how your class operates, change the nature of a majority of the skills you gain until your next milestone at level 100, or 150, and so on.¡± he waved his hand to express the vagueness of his understanding. ¡°And the quests mentioned something called class and skill consolidation too. But it''s supposed to be a long way off for anyone. It''s like combining what you''ve learned into something more... potent." His raised brow and gestures with upraised palms betrayed his lack of knowledge on the subject. ¡°In the tutorial, they said that consolidation was ¡®a distant dream¡¯, and that none of us were expected to reach a milestone in the first few months,¡± John¡¯s eyes then took on a sparkly gaze as if recalling the fondest of memories. ¡°But I saw Tuln do it. Everyone did.¡±
At his words, Alex¡¯s curiosity peaked. ¡°What did he do?¡± he asked.
John continued. ¡°He reached a milestone during the tutorial. He was the first to gain a class, you see. Some form of pugilist class that matched his old style. But at the milestone, he summoned Spears of flames from the sky, conflagrations that decimated a horde of beasts. The power was immense." He gesticulated with restraint as he spoke in hushed tones, ¡°After his milestone, his powers, man, like a god. He and a few others single-handedly turned the tide of the first few tutorial hordes. Gave the rest of us a fighting chance. Fire from the heavens, everyone''s been talking about it for days.¡±
The girl''s eyes widened beneath the webbing in pure fear. "F-Fire? Flames from the sky? That''s¡¡±
¡°Amazing, I know.¡± John continued, oblivious to her true feelings and swept up in the tale of witnessing his childhood idol in the flesh. ¡°He was a war hero, you see. And a retired guard captain. But he was much more than the stories of his youth claimed. Even with the system stripping all of our strength away, he took on the first horde practically by himself and won before the first milestone.¡±
Alex smothered a smirk. That sounded familiar.
¡°But consolidation, and milestones.¡± Alex frowned in thought as his attention lingered on the prospect of merging skills, and merging classes. "Sounds like it''s rare to reach that point."
"So soon? Very," John agreed. "Tuln was one of the few. But he''s always been a legend." John scrutinised the cave''s uneven and rocky ground as he spoke, then turned to Alex with a gaze full of intrigue¡ and excitement. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±
Alex shrugged. ¡°My memory is still hazy, but the words felt important for some reason.¡±
John eyed him sceptically, his face lit by the faint luminescence of the cave walls. Then he too shrugged and then replied, "Sure¡ Keep your secrets. Either way, it''s like a major power-up. And if you have one, then it may improve our chances considerably.¡±
Alex nodded, then turned to study the girl. her permanently covered face was odd, to say the least. But upon entering the town he had noticed people with odd affectations that aided their skills in some way. Like a woodcutter draped in axes, or a blacksmith constantly aflame. He had assumed through her ease of movement that she had been similar; it implied she had a skill of some sort that allowed her to see. The most recent battle with the Juvenile Workers had damaged the webbing covering her body, revealing some of the person that lay beneath. The sight of vaguely humanoid Arachnae had caused him some concern and suspicion towards her hidden face, but they had been like crash dummies with hard chitinous plates and smooth features. He looked at the girl once more. Her clearly human skin could be seen in places where the webbing on her body had frayed, her skin tone matching his. Her clear facial features and even her bare lips could be seen beneath the webbing- clearly human- in a way that reminded him of his sister. He mentally sighed in relief at a concern that had been nagging at him ever since he''d seen her completely covered form; now that parts of the webbing had frayed during battle, it was clear to see that she was human. ¡°What skill do you have?¡± he asked her with interest.
She hesitated, unsure. Then she spoke, ¡°I can sense things, all things around me without having to look, but it¡¯s all so new, confusing.¡±
She turned to John. "And that sword you made from ichor, how did you do that?"
John looked down at his blade. "Ah, that¡¯s ''Bloodletting'' and ''Sacrificial Blade''. All blood essentially becomes a weapon.¡±
She looked down, a sense of longing in her voice. "I wish I had a class. And my skill is weak, and it requires me to be blindfolded. I want something cool, like yours or Alex''s."
¡°I want something powerful."
She doesn''t have a class? And she''s doing a special Quest while being carried by us? Alex was impressed with the girl''s fortune. Some people have all the luck.
"Don''t worry about it.¡± He voiced his thoughts as they stood. ¡°Survive this, and whatever class you get, it''s going to be something extraordinary. It''s all based on your actions."
John nodded in agreeance, "He''s right. You''re doing great with just one skill. Imagine what you''ll do with a full class."
Her lips curved into a small smile beneath the webbing. "Thanks. I hope it''s something cool."
Alex steered them around a sharp rock. "We can''t stand here forever. Let''s focus on getting out of here first. Once we''re safe, we''ll figure out the rest."
They set off through the cave system.
***
The three moved slowly in silence, their every breath a further attempt at stealth. They trudged through the labyrinthine caves, each passage identical to the last. It was a maze. Each drip of falling water caused them to shift to attention, and each sound of distant scuttling forced them to pause their steps.
Alex crawled to the cave wall, feeling its cold, rough surface. "A dead end. We need to find another way out. There has to be another exit."
John followed, his hands skimming the cave floor, picking up a small, sharp stone. "Maybe we can use this to mark our path, avoid going in circles."
Alex nodded. "Good idea. Let''s stick to the left wall, and keep track of our route."
The girl, keeping close behind, clutched her sword tight. Her covered eyes focused on Alex¡¯s form, her attempts at mimicking his stance aided by whichever ability she held that gave her uncanny control over her body. She focused on the way he shifted his feet and held his blade in readiness at every turn.
Click.
A soft rustling echoed through the cave. Alex halted, signalling the others to stop. "Did you hear that?" he whispered.
John nodded, gripping his weapon tighter. The girl, her face a mask of curiosity, stayed motionless, her breath shallow.Stolen novel; please report.
All three moved silently to hide within the cave''s shadows.
For a moment, there was silence. Then, strange voices sounded in the distance. The voices carried a raspy clicking quality like scrapped chitin. They sounded a safe distance away, but Alex caught the words ¡°Queen,¡± ¡°orders,¡± and something that sounded like ¡°Evolution.¡±
He strained his ears to hear more.
Then, without warning, a giant arachnid emerged from the darkness, its many eyes glinting in the dim light. A Worker, with eight thick legs planted firmly on the ground, a humanoid torso rising from its arachnid base. It held the same doll-like, featureless carapace Alex had grown to associate with the Juveniles, but this one also held a fully formed and segmented mouth of pure black reflective exoskeleton.
Another identical Juvenile Worker followed.
It wasn''t alone. Smaller glowing counterparts, their bodies illuminated by inner bioluminescent light, accompanied and surrounded it, casting elongated shadows in the cave. The arrival of glowing Arachnae caused Alex, John and the girl to duck behind the rocks and meld deeper into the shadows. Hidden in the shadows cast by the glow, Alex took another peak and noticed that each of the glowing Arachnae had tree-like qualities to them, their exoskeleton seeming spongy, or stringy, and shining with inner bioluminescent light.
It''s the moss, Alex realized. Those smaller ones evolved by consuming the moss. He wondered whether the Arachnae used them solely as light sources.
There were about five of them, each reaching up to Alex¡¯s waist and covered in plant life and glowing Moss. And they all surrounded and illuminated another Arachnae, one very different from any Alex ever had seen before.
It stood on two legs.
It had an almost completely humanoid form, betrayed only by the segmented dark exoskeleton and clearly inhuman arachnid flesh that lay beneath.
It stood only slightly larger than him, closer to human in stature than the oversized workers, and it was covered in naturally segmented carapace that seemed to form the shape of armour.
Chitinous exoskeletal armour.
It held an inhuman face full of shifting and clicking exoskeleton and hard angles- resembling an armoured helm and visor- with venom-infused fangs and large mandibles at the mouth. Its pattern of arrayed eyes gave it a clear view of a large portion of the area it stood in.
It had six bulky arms.
And it carried six swords.
Held in three pairs of arms were an array of swords, held loosely while it walked with an air of sheer authority.
From a distance, a person could easily confuse it with a knight, so long as it didn''t spread its many arms.
Alex sucked in a breath at the thought of facing several of these humanoid Arachnae. But despite himself, he felt a tingle of excitement in his belly. How would he fight a thing with six limbs and six weapons? Was it the same as battling six people? His mind whirred at the possibilities, but his thoughts ground to a halt as the thing spoke.
¡°Hurry. We will have to prepare for the Right of Evolution.¡± It declared, addressing the surrounding Arachnae. ¡°Our attainment of ¡®levels¡¯ and ¡®stats¡¯ have raised the efficacy of the Rite to an unimaginable degree. It is very likely some of you will ascend to higher forms, but most of you will perish.¡± It spoke in dismissive tones and with absolute authority, the kind of tone you''d hear from people who thought the word ¡®No¡¯ was something only they were allowed to say. It spoke again, its voice a complex series of clicks and tones that resonated within the cave to form a strange, deep timbre. ¡°Perhaps some of you will rise to join me as soldiers, although I plan to become something more.¡± It turned to pick something from the ground, its voice sounding through the cave once more. ¡°As the Queen wills it.¡± It said.
So that''s a Soldier, and the larger ones are workers. Alex mentally noted. Despite its smaller size, he didn''t doubt for a second that the six-armed and two-legged Arachnae Soldier was more lethal than a worker could ever hope to be.
It rose to its feet and held a glowing beast core the size of Alex''s head in one of its many arms, unceremoniously throwing it upward to the closest Arachnae worker. The worker snatched the core from the air with oversized palms and placed it in a pile of equally sized cores that shone in Alex¡¯s Outer Focus enhanced vision like a mound of small flames.
At the sight, John¡¯s eyes went wide as saucers. Alex could practically see the dollar signs- or whatever passed as currency here- ringing up in the town guard''s head as he eyed the pile of treasured cores.
The worker spoke, releasing the core into the pile and responded, its voice a slightly higher-pitched amalgamation of sharp clicks and throaty hisses. its tone carried a mix of reverence and anticipation as it spoke.
¡°For the swarm.¡±
All of the surrounding Arachnae froze at the workers'' words, and the air suddenly became filled with tension so thick none dared to speak further.
The worker''s mandibled jaw hung open as all six of its eyes went wide. It had just realized its mistake. ¡°I-¡±
Cut short. Its words never landed on the ears of those present, as before it could even begin to defend itself its head was swiftly separated from its body.
The armoured, six-limbed, humanoid Arachnae had twisted and struck with a fluidity that belied its size, each of its six swords finding a target on the worker. It had shifted from calm to extreme violence in a blink, its body moving from a state of relaxed authority to brimming with swift fury. It shook with barely controlled rage in the wake of its strike.,
"For the Queen.¡±
The six-limbed Arachnae corrected the slain Worker with finality, its voice resonating with a potent surge of unyielding loyalty and cold authority.
And Alex observed the swift blow from the shadows. As the soldier had struck, for a moment, its speed was worryingly only half as fast as Alex¡¯s own. With six limbs, any speed advantage Alex had would be lost, and distance would have to become his ally. Within the split second it struck, Alex had instinctively resummoned a sword from his Inventory and held the blade tight- some crazy recess of his subconscious mind willing him to ambush the Soldier and defeat the lot of them there and then as he had done in the jungle. But then he considered John, and the girl¡¯s presence. If more soldiers and workers were summoned he couldn''t guarantee their safety. He knew they couldn¡¯t linger in the darkness forever- As when trapped or stranded it was best to move as soon as possible before fatigue and exhaustion or hunger set in. Each second in hiding was a second lost in finding their escape, a second where their finite reserves of energy became depleted and the need for sleep and rest drew nearer. But the risk of his companions'' immediate deaths was greater. So for now, they watched, learning from their enemy. They would wait here for the enemy to leave, and attack only if necessary.
The quest''s objective was to escape, and Alex¡¯s objective was to claim all of the quest''s rewards and another Insight into the Dao. They would have to continue to attempt stealth until they escaped or had no choice otherwise, he decided.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sharp sound of a resounding thud. Several more thuds followed.
Limbs and ichor fell to the ground like rain at the Soldier¡¯s single swing, each consequent thud sent soft vibrations through the cave. Then finally, the severed head of the worker Arachnae fell, its mandibles still twitching in silent protest. The remaining Arachnae stood still, some vibrating in fear, others in rage, their bioluminescent glow lighting the visage of the Armored Soldier for all to see.
It beckoned a nearby glowing moss Arachnae closer and wiped the ichor from its blade on the creature''s mossy form as it arrived. ¡°Another abomination.¡± The armoured Arachnae muttered with disgust. ¡°This ¡®system¡¯ brings as many curses as it does boons. We cannot allow any capable of disobeying the Queen to live. Only the Queen can disobey. Drifters cannot be allowed to live.¡± It spoke the word ¡®drifter¡¯ with a mix of rage and indignation, displaying a weight of meaning to the title that caused all of the Arachnae present to shudder in fear. The smaller Arachnae huddled close, their forms quivering slightly under the gaze of their formidable superior.
And Alex was lost in thought.
Drifter¡ the word was summoning a vague sense of deja vu in Alex¡¯s mind. Growing up, he hadn''t always been the most studious, often focusing on training the sword rather than academics. And although he never struggled with his studies, he''d never particularly found a majority of the topics they taught him in school to be interesting. But a few had held his attention over the years, one of them being a slight interest in nature. He vaguely remembered that in nature, a "drifter" often referred to a single creature, typically from a social species like bees or ants, who had been separated from its colony or group, wandering alone without the allegiance, support, or structure of its native colony.
So the system has been giving some of them the ability to disobey orders? Alex noted with interest. But that suggests that the rest of them are incapable of disobeying the queen''s whims. He realised. So in the end it all boils down to the Queens. They run the entire species. The depth of the conflict was beginning to make further sense. No wonder they called them ¡®The endless enemy¡¯. Their soldiers could be ordered to die with no capability to resist or choose not to. The Queen could always birth more. It was an endless war, too, he noted.
The armoured Arachnae sheathed one of the swords in a strap attached to its bare carapace. And dug through the large corpse of the felled worker, before pulling out a glowing core the size of its palm.
¡°The cores you carry are vital. Add this to the others and take the cores to the entrance,¡± it ordered in deep screeching tones to the surrounding workers and glowing moss Arachnae, who all moved to collect the worker''s core and add to a pile before making it to carry it away.
¡°And prepare for the Rite of Evolution.¡±
With a collective movement, the arachnid group began to disperse, the workers and soldier taking different and opposing paths through the cave. ¡°The workers are carrying the cores to the entrance¡± John whispered to Alex¡¯s group. ¡°That''s our way out of here, we have to follow them!¡± his arm outstretched to point at the light of the bioluminescent workers in the distance and his whispering hiss cut through the cave''s silence.
The leader paused, its head tilting slightly as if sensing something amiss. It sniffed the air, its mandibles opening and closing with a soft clatter. For a moment, it seemed to stare directly at the shadows where the humans hid, but then it turned away, dismissing the threat.
As the Arachnae moved away, their glowing forms faded into a dim light in the distance. And in the darkness, the leader lingered. It raised one of its swords, examining the blade with an almost contemplative gesture. Then, with a swift motion, it sheathed the weapon and headed in a different direction of its choosing, disappearing into the depths of the rugged cave.
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Alex called, moving to follow the faint light of the workers heading toward the entrance.
Chapter 32: The Rite of Evolution
In the damp confines of the cave, Alex, John, and the girl moved cautiously, their eyes straining in the dim light. They traversed the deep cave system, their path uncertain, surrounded by the oppressive silence of the underground. Alex led with caution, his sword ready, John followed, his hand tight around his own weapon, his eyes constantly scanning the dark. The girl, her movements fluid, lingered close to Alex, her attention shifting curiously to the surrounding darkness and then back to his form. The air was cool and musty, thick with the scent of earth and something far more sinister.
The only sound was their soft footsteps, the distant faint clicks of the workers they followed and the occasional drip of water ringing through the cavernous space.
One female foot found its place on the damp earth. A droplet of water caught the faint light, drawing a brief glance. The hand, barely touching the cave wall, sought balance, obscured and covered eyes intently observing the soft lights ahead.
A second foot, belonging to another in the trio, cautiously stepped forward, the sole brushing against the cavern''s uneven ground. Dim light from a distant worker''s mossy carapace cast a faint glow, breaking the encompassing darkness. A pause followed, breaths held, as the shadowy figure of a soldier passed by, the sound of its chitin armour a soft clicking in the silence.
"Do you think the soldier was looking for us?" John asked, his voice tinged with worry.
The third of the group adjusted his gear, a strap on the bag sliding into a more comfortable position. His gaze, sharp and alert, shifted to the right, noting the approach of another passing group of workers. He lowered his body, his form melding with the shadows, eyes momentarily catching the flicker of the distant light of the group they pursued.
"Possibly," Alex responded, his body crouched low in hiding. "We did leave a cave filled with dead workers, remember?"
John¡¯s whispering voice faltered as he spoke more of his thoughts. "It''s just¡ I''ve heard stories of what the soldiers can do¡ how many they slaughter¡ and I have to make it back¡ to my family. I just hope they''re not too worried. They''re probably organizing a search party as we speak."
The trio had swiftly followed the distant light of the workers through the cavernous depth in silence until the light grew brighter and easier to follow. They halted often, pressing close to the damp, rough walls, or crouched low, as the workers they followed encountered other groups and soldiers that passed by, each threatening step resonating through the cavernous expanse.
Each group they passed appeared to be performing separate tasks and orders, all of them seeming to prepare for some strange ¡®rite¡¯. But the three humans couldn''t focus on the mystery, for their minds were set and filled with dreams of escape, the entirety of their focus on the ticket to their freedom; the troop of workers and luminous Moss Arachnae ahead.
So, they followed.
They kept their distance, scouting and hiding, employing stealth while following the light of the workers as they headed to the entrance.
The path they took led them upwards, ever upwards on an incline. That was a good sign, they reasoned, up meant they were very likely headed outside. Hope filled all of them in equal measure.
The light ahead served as their guide to freedom.
During their pursuit, they noticed the surrounding caves and caverns change. Rocky terrain and mossy walls gave way to smoothly carved stone, marble, and earth.
Gradually, the environment transformed.
The walls, once rough and unadorned, now displayed craftsmanship. Jagged lines and uneven flooring became segmented and tiled, detailing patterns that would inspire envy from Tzars and Kings alike. Opulence was visible in every corner, gold, bronze, and silver adorned the walls and floors in a way that led one to believe the entire section of the cave system had been designed by a master smith and architect. Alex found himself momentarily admiring the Gold, and bronze inlays adorning the walls, interspersed with floral displays of glowing moss. For the briefest of moments, he wondered how monsters could be capable of such displays of artistry, but the thought was a fleeting distraction as the path became clear of obstacles. Moss hung on the ceiling in floral displays, illuminating patches of the space they found themselves in.
And eventually, there was nowhere left to hide.
Together, they approached a narrowing of the path. Alex signalled a halt with a subtle gesture, his hand raised just enough to catch the others'' attention. They all stopped, their breaths shallow in the newfound silence. Ahead, a grand archway guarded by two Arachnae soldiers came into view. Alex peered ahead to witness a single door between the soldiers and beneath the archway.
The door within the arch opened. The group''s eyes followed the workers, with their stringy luminous bodies and their load of glowing magical cores, disappearing as they entered the space beyond.
The door closed behind them, and the Arachnae soldiers resumed their stoic sentinel.
The silence that followed was not of peace but of a looming storm. Alex thought back to the first soldier they had encountered, and its death blow. The creature¡¯s swift, brutal act had been a display of lethal efficiency and perfect coordination.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
¡°We have to take them out,¡± Alex whispered to his two companions. John nodded in agreement, and the girl mimicked his movements, agreeing with Alex¡¯s decision.
Their conversation was cut short as the cave walls began to rumble. The ground beneath them started quivering, a low rumble escalating with each passing second. The sound was deep, resonating through the ground and walls. Small stones fell from the ceiling, bouncing off the uneven floor. Dust motes danced in the air, dislodged by the growing vibrations.
John''s eyes widened, his eyes darting from shadow to shadow with wary concern. "What''s that?" His voice, tinged with unease, barely rose above the low growl of the earth.
"Cave''s shifting," Alex said, looking around cautiously. "Stay alert. Could be anything causing it."
The girl, undisturbed by the commotion, slowed her steps to follow behind them cautiously. Her movements were fluid, almost blending with the shadows. She would occasionally reach out, her fingers brushing against the stone, feeling the vibrations and screeches that rippled through the cave. She considered warning Alex and John of what was to come before deciding against it; her reasoning unclear.
The cave''s groans deepened, a chorus of cracks filling the vast space. Rocks began to crumble, and distant crashes shook the space around them. Distant screeches sounded, one after the other a chorus of arachnid screams. The rumbling grew louder, the sound of distant crashes and smashes echoing through the caverns. The composition of the cave made it difficult to pinpoint the direction of the noise.
It was all around them.
A sharp stone, its point sharp and jagged, detached silently from above. It plunged towards Alex. The girl, her movements a startling blur, lunged forward. Her arms reached out, a futile gesture to intercept the fall.
Alex, with a swift wave of his arm and a grunt of resistance, swatted the rock out of the sky. It crashed beside him, fragments scattering across the ground.
¡°C-careful.¡± The girl spoke softly beneath her bandages, ¡°I tried to stop it.¡±
¡°Thanks, Kid.¡± Alex felt genuinely appreciative of her help. Johns too. Having company amid chaos was a far cry from his days spent alone in the Jungle.
The cave''s tremors increased in intensity as dust shifted off the surrounding rocks, floating in the air in haunting waves. Alex stood still, his brow furrowed, eyes scanning the newfound shift of their surroundings. It sounded like battles were occurring through the cave system, or perhaps there was a wide-scale cave-in. He gulped at the idea of being trapped below ground and a bead of sweat trailed down his temple, catching the dim light. He slowly lifted his gaze upward, squinting at the glowing text of a notification that appeared with a ding and hovered before him.
The soldiers guarding the entrance turned to face each other and began to battle, all allegiances seemingly lost. Their many limbs blurred and sparks flew as 12 swords clashed between them.
In the midst of distant crashes and screeches, Alex and John stared at the battling Arachnae in confusion, their stupor halted as rocks began to fall from the ceiling.
Large rocks.
"Keep moving!" Alex''s command sliced through the tension. ¡°Head to the entrance!¡±
All three of them moved with unsure steps, towards the battling soldiers.
They stopped their mad race, all three halting in their tracks as the Arachnae soldiers fought on at the end of the path, unaware of the humans in their midst.
A few feet away from Alex, John, breathing heavily, wiped a smear of dirt from his cheek. His hand trembled slightly as he reached up, touching the notification with a tentative finger, his eyes reflecting a mix of confusion and wariness. As both he and Alex received identical notifications.
[Dynamic Quest Updated!]
[Dynamic Quest - ¡®The Hidden Queen¡¯s Lair¡¯:
Designation ¡®The Hidden Queen¡¯s¡¯ colony has completed its first sapient evolution birth cycle and initiated a ¡®Rite of Evolution¡¯. The members of the colony will proceed on designation ¡®The Hidden Queen¡¯s¡¯ orders to attack, cannibalise and consume each other and all present life forms within the colony en Mass until they either achieve higher unseen forms of evolution or a set number of designation ¡®Mature Soldiers¡¯ and designation ¡®Mature Workers¡¯ have evolved.
¡ calculating.
Should the Rite complete, high-level members of designation ¡®The Hidden Queen¡¯s¡¯ colony will proceed to subjugate the land above, as the predicted level difference of colony members as a result of the rite will leave a 47% chance of subsequent non-Arachne victory.
As a result of the Rite, colony protocols and defences will be abandoned as all members seek to evolve and strengthen the hive. The opportunity to accomplish feats that have not been achieved on planet designation ¡®Pyra¡¯ for over a century has presented itself to all surviving non-Arachnae inhabitants present within the lair.
1: Harbinger of escape: Escape the heart of Arachnae designation ¡®The Hidden Queen¡¯s¡¯ colony alive. reach any non-Arachnae settlement to complete quest
Reward: Feat generation, E-grade equipment, Insight of the imperial
2: Arbiter of Evolution: Defeat the evolved swarmlings before an unprecedented evolution occurs.
Reward: E grade Weapon x2, E grade equipment x2, Insight of the Imperial.
3: Sapient Saviour: Defeat the Queen of the swarm while there are no defences!
Reward: Various E Grade equipment. Various E Grade weaponry. Insight of the Imperial. Insight of Evolution.]
[Quest Rewards and Quest reward volume dependent on contribution.]
In contrast, the girl stood apart and some distance behind the two, tilting her head curiously at the floating words. The subtle, unnatural fluidity of her movement was more pronounced in the stillness. Her fingers twitched at her sides, almost imperceptibly, as if sensing something beyond the notifications. The faint, purplish light from the marbles in her hand cast a ghostly hue on her web-covered face, her eyes hidden yet seemingly focused on the floating messages. She could not understand what she was looking at, for she did not know how to read. She had grown accustomed to the system translating her companions'' words to her and felt no surprise as the meaning behind the Quest screen flooded directly into what she believed to be the space behind her eyes.
The webbing in her face parted briefly, moving with a life of its own to reveal human lips and soft flesh that strangely resembled that of Alex¡¯s sister. And If Alex had taken a better look earlier, he would¡¯ve thought the small section of her lower face that he¡¯d glimpsed resembled that of old pictures of his mother that he¡¯d seen as a child.
As Alex and John faced the notifications, the girl''s human mouth split into five parts. Chitin, fangs, and mandibles lay intertwined with human flesh, and two large fangs dripped with venom as an inhuman mouth opened wide before sealing again with webbing wrapping back of its own accord.
And as it did so, the girl popped several of the glowing cores into her open maw.
Oblivious, they all stared at their notifications.
Chapter 33: Proliferation
¡°What do we do?! John yelled, his voice reaching Alex over the maelstrom of rumbling rock and distant screeches.
For a second and for a breath, Alex hesitated. Indecision seized his joints and the temptation of endless rewards tugged him in all directions. He did not think he had performed enough acts to secure the most valuable quest rewards for escaping. After all, John and the Kid had dealt all but one of the final blows. He found himself tempted to head back into the darkness to find some more Arachnae monsters, to slaughter more of them before leaving.
I mean, it couldn''t hurt to check, right? He bargained with himself as the ground trembled.
He really wanted that insight.
Alex took a step in the wrong direction before coming to his senses. His desire to further his journey into the Dao influenced his subconscious steps. John frowned in concern and the girl quirked her head in disbelief as Alex seemed to abandon their escape completely- right when their path to freedom lay clear in sight.
Alex sagged- catching himself, and mentally shook away the greed clouding his thoughts. He attempted pragmatism in the way one would wear an undersized coat- that is to say, he forced it.
He forced himself to think logically of all the things that could go wrong if he turned back, even for minutes. If we head back¡ there''s a big chance of getting lost, Alex reasoned, the prospect of being trapped shattering his greed further. And who''s to say we¡¯ll be able to find our way back here? And how many battles would it take to complete the second quest? There have to be hundreds of these things in here¡ And only god knows how long they''ve been hiding underground. Alex also considered the fact that the system¡¯s message heavily implied the colony had been dormant for at least a century. Hiding, growing, only making sure not to disturb the humans until they were ready to break the surface. A hundred years of untampered proliferation.
Their numbers could be in the thousands.
¡°We escape for now!¡± he yelled back, decision made. It wouldn''t end here. He reasoned that the Baron and whichever monarchy existed above his station would have every reason to deal with the waking lion in their midst. Not to mention the local adventurers and ambitious warriors desperate for a chance to level. They would escape to come back later and end this, one way or another. ¡°We''ll come back with an army, and wipe them out,¡± he said.
¡°Damned right.¡± John nodded and held his sword at the ready. Beneath her coverings, the girl frowned with unreadable emotions at her companions'' words.
All three headed toward the battling soldiers in the distance. Alex took a step, summoning a blade into his right hand. Then with his next step, he summoned another into his left. ¡°Follow my lead. When I attack, all of you follow suit.
¡°If either of you have any long-distance skills, that would be the time to use them.¡± Alex set off in a sprint, the rumbling earth and crashing rocks masking his ascent.
Alex pulled up his stat sheet and dumped his four free stats into dexterity; he would need any speed advantage he could get while facing 12 blades at close range.
[Name: Alex Ironwood
Level: 37
Race: Human - Rank F
Primary Class: ??????????????Sys???????te??????mic SwO??????rd So????????ve???????reign
Sub-class: Locked
Strength: 170 (117)
Dexterity: 219 (151)
Endurance: 113 (78)
Intelligence: 255 (176)
Wisdom: 41 (28)
Feats: First Encounter, Pioneer, Pinnacle IV, Survivor, Warrior, Champion
Phoenix Leap, Mana Blade, Boundless Dodge, Du???????l of C???????orruption, Sovereign Executioner,
Passive skills: Inner Focus, Outer Focus, A???????l????????¨¤???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????¦¸??????? ??????????????? ???????????????????????g???????e??????e???????E??????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????? ????????????????????M???????m????????????????????????????????????????? ??????? ???????????????????????O??????o??????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????? ??????????????? ??????? ??????????????????????? , Inventory,
Dao: True Immortality - 0.03% Progress
Unassigned stat points: 0]
Fight the three guards, bust the door open and escape, or find the workers and escape. He thought while preparing to lunge forward. His two companions raced beside him as silent spectres, all three planning to aim death at the distracted foes ahead. Alex mentally zeroed in on his targets, all other distractions fading away. If I beat the soldiers before we leave I''ll definitely have the highest contribution. He thought between steps. The quest isn''t lost just yet.
Alex shot forward like a rocket, leaving the two behind. His system-enhanced physiology cracked the ground as he leapt, and a trail of earth and rock followed in his wake.
John was left gawking and intensified his sprint in an attempt to catch up.
The girl crouched low and launched off the ground in another attempt to mimic Alex¡¯s movements. She soared forth, but slower.
Ahead of them, Alex was a blur. Phoenix Leap. Mana Blade. Mana Blade, he thought, mentally activating his skills as he soared through the air.
The swords in each of his arms blazed blue and encased with mana, and Alex spun in mid-air, stretching his arm taut.
The large-scale battle at the town''s borders taught him another use for the mana-intensive skill. Through the battle he had discovered that ¡®Mana Blade¡¯ could be used to turn his blade into a potent projectile. Mana Blade was an attack unblockable by anything he¡¯d seen so far. If his opponents were close enough, and if he threw mana-infused blade hard enough, it could reach his enemies with deadly unstoppable efficiency. If he released his weapon from his grip without deactivating the skill, the skills mana remained infused in the blade for just over a second. In some cases, a second was all it took.
He flung the first sword as hard as he could. Aiming at the insectile soldier to the left of the other, and hurled the sword in his right hand immediately after.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Using Mana Blade so early was a risk, of all of his skills, it was one of the few with a heavy cost. He had developed a habit of saving it for openings and killing blows. But he wanted to end these soldiers as swiftly and definitively as possible, to escape without any hindrances and claim his Dao reward.
A trail of light blurred forward as Alex''s swords shot through the air, the light and sound of their passing masked by the chaos all around them.
The soldier, without looking, raised two of its arms with unerring accuracy to block Alex¡¯s ascending blade. It moved to block the projectile even as it struck and defended the blows of its arachnid opponent with the others.
A mistake.
The remnant mana of Alex¡¯s Mana Blade sheared through two of the soldier''s arms and swords in a blur of blue and silver, the cut limbs and broken weapons fell to the ground brutalised. The flung blade sank into the wall with a swift thud, its mana long disconnected from its owner, spent.
At the sight, the other soldier twisted beneath the glowing sword with its arms splayed, causing the second blade to miss, whizzing by its target and sinking into the embroidered wall behind it.
Alex raced forward to meet them with a clash, and ten blades descended on him from all angles.
Boundless Dodge. Boundless Dodge.
Alex was a blur of movement as blades grazed his hair and sliced his clothes. The blades missed by millimetres.
He inhaled sharply, a single breath focusing his mind. His right foot pivoted, shifting his stance to employ the Ren Dan- a complex multiple-strike technique, its movements forged into his muscles as a blacksmith would forge his own hammer. body swerving just as the first blade whistled past, missing him by mere inches. His left arm shot up, parrying a downward strike from a second blade. Four more descended. No time to think. He struck and twisted and struck again, then once more. each aimed at a different vital of his multi-limbed adversaries. He unleashed a flurry of strikes a baseline non-system human would not even be able to see.
But the strikes were ineffectual, each arm of the soldiers appeared to move with dexterous independence, blocking and striking simultaneously. Each block sent them sliding back, or tumbling. Then they began to parry, and Alex¡¯s heavy blows merely caused them to buckle or tilt. They move with uncanny, almost prophetic accuracy, at some strikes not even looking as they defended with extra limbs. It was as if they could see for each other, or share their vision, somehow. As if they could communicate without speaking.
Another coordinated strike, 10 lances of death. Blows targeted in ways Alex could not hope to evade. But he had been prepared for this, after the first clash.
Boundless Dodge, he thought.
Hair was sheared, and clothes cut further, but his skin remained untouched. His skills mana seized him, aided by his intent, causing him to spin to a crouch beneath a storm of ten crashing blades above.
He looked up to see the injured soldier with all of its four remaining limbs overextended above. Its body was wide open.
Phoenix Leap. The skill sent him crashing into the injured soldier at close range.
The soldier went flying into the far wall with another crash.
¡°Tch.¡± Alex clicked his tongue in irritation. The soldier was further injured and now lay stuck, embedded in the wall- but it wasn¡¯t dead. He had been intending on cleaving it in two, but it had twisted all of its blades at the last second to intercept the blow, somehow.
He wasn''t sure how non-humans allocated their stats, but the creatures before him were identically fast to each other. Fast and strong enough to face him as a threat. He imagined their stat sheets would have disproportionately high dexterity and strength numbers and not much else besides that. Probably on the orders of the Queen, he guessed. They were like glass cannons, impossibly dangerous, but all it would take to end them was one good strike.
Alex landed in a crouch with frustration bubbling within him. This fight was taking too long. Despite the difference in strength, their coordination and sheer number of limbs made them a difficult enemy to deal with. He shuddered to think of how it would be to face an Arachnae soldier with stats equal to or greater than his. He wasn''t sure that it would be a battle he would win.
Be one hell of a fight, though, he thought grimly.
He turned to face the remaining soldier, sword raised, ready to end this.
In the heat of battle, Alex couldn¡¯t count the number of myriad eyes arrayed in the depths of its chitin visors, but he did see two large ones in the front, and several more arachnid eyes to the sides. They probably had perfect 180, or 240-degree vision.
He struck out anyway, aiming to overwhelm them with his inflated stats.
Two blades parry Alex¡¯s attack, the soldier grunting in chipped alien tones at the difference in strength, and in the same instance, seven more struck towards him with swiftness, all aimed at his vitals.
Alex felt a shadow behind him and twisted just in case, and his heart sank at what he saw.
The second soldier had raced forward to capitalize on his distraction. It was practically dead on its feet, its carapace a mosaic of fractures. But it moved with a crazed zealousness that bordered on insanity.
His companions were too far to reach him, his plan to race ahead had created as much risk as it had opportunity.
Alex¡¯s thoughts screamed as he instantly unleashed the trump card he¡¯d planned the moment he¡¯d begun to battle them.
Boundless Dodge. Sovereign Executioner. Mana Blade.
He swung wide, aiming at their heads, while he summoned his mana construct on the floor beneath both soldier''s feet. They seemed to see everything and could communicate somehow, warning each other of their blind spots. But all of their eyes were focused on the front and sides, Alex gambled on their inability to perceive something in the heart of their shadows. Their blind spot was at the base of their heels.
The Arachnae soldiers arched back to dodge his glowing unblockable blade with inhuman flexibility in the same instant as the ground beneath them rippled and warped, a long ceremonial blade swept in an arc under Alex¡¯s control. It cleaved through both of their legs, sending them toppling. The six-armed soldier recovered swiftly despite losing its legs, landing on four of its arms and thrusting two at Alex¡¯s throat.
Fuck! Boundless Do-
Before Alex could summon his evasion. The girl came crashing into the Soldier with both feet. A crunching impact akin to a gunshot sounded as both of her webbing bound feet sent the amputee arachnid tumbling.
John soon followed, and together he and the girl made short work of the dazed and badly injured soldier.
[You have defeated, Level 35 Arachnae Soldier]
There goes my contribution, Alex rose to his feet with a sigh and slew the remaining soldier. The soldier lay on its stomach struggling to crawl towards its scattered swords. hadn''t recovered as well as its kin.
Alex killed it.
[You have defeated, Level 35 Arachnae Soldier]
Only level 35? Both of them? The notification gave credence to his ¡®glass cannon¡¯ theory. Alex had a total of just over 740 stats. The stats of someone with a level near seventy, assuming they had a common class and gained ten stats per level. Or the stats of someone with a level in the 50s- if they had a unique or greater class or something that rivalled his own.
But despite the stat inflation he only had 168 strength and 211 dexterity.
If an opponent went all in on strength and dexterity and had a common class that allocated stats to just those two and nothing else, then at level 35 they could have 113 strength and 113 dexterity. They would be almost as strong and fast as he was, but any injury would leave them at death''s door. There was a high chance that each soldier at that level had two-thirds of his strength and half of his speed. And it wouldn''t take many levels for them to outstrip him in either stats.
At level 45 they would rival him as he was now in speed and strength alone. And anything beyond that level would outpace him in those fields.
Alex gulped in trepidation at the prospect.
It caused past notifications to rise to the forefront of his mind.
[2: Arbiter of Evolution: Defeat the evolved swarmlings before an unprecedented evolution occurs.]
It had said, and then a calculation:
[¡Should the Rite complete, high-level members of designation ¡®The Hidden Queen¡¯s¡¯ colony will proceed to subjugate the land above, as the predicted level difference of colony members as a result of the rite will leave a 47% chance of subsequent non-Arachne victory.]
With the advent of the system and its physiology-enhancing stats, these things stood a real chance of proliferating the planet. The natives would have to scramble to attain levels just to keep up with the threat.
They had to escape to warn the others in town as soon as possible.
He paused as a dark glint by the dead soldier caught his eye. Crouching, Alex¡¯s palm grasped a dark crystal that swirled with strangely coloured mana in his Outer Vision.
¡°Let''s go,¡± Alex called to the others with a step forward. And his companions joined him in heading towards the door beneath the archway. As they drew near, Alex retrieved his swords embedded in the walls, storing them in his Inventory with a swift gesture.
As the sounds and screeches of battle drew distant, Alex cradled an item in his hand as he hesitated before the door.
A skill crystal of arachnid origins.
Chapter 34: The Entrance
Alex pushed, and the door opened before his fingers could even graze its surface. Cautiously, the three entered. The girl''s expression beneath her wrappings grew increasingly concerned with each step.
Then the door slammed shut behind them, and an overload of bright colours, sounds, tastes, and smells assaulted their senses.
For a heartbeat, silence reigned.
Alex leaned into the stillness, shock consuming him. Momentarily blinded by the shift in light, he tried to parse the overload of information that lay before him.
A woman, at the far corner of the large space they found themselves in.
At the end of the room she drifted.
At first, he thought she was floating in the air, suspended high above at the end of the chamber.
Until the luminous Moss variants entered, a congregation.
They surrounded her, glowing like fallen stars. Each one a beacon of unnatural life. They were like living trees, exoskeletons spongy, pulsing with bioluminescent life. The moss, a key to their path of evolution.
They circled the chamber like ghostly forest spirits. Some vanished into distant chambers, silent as the dark itself. Lighting the paths ahead.
The ones that remained, circled the floating woman. Illuminated in sudden light, a grotesque form loomed. The extent of the floating ¡®woman¡¯ became clear.
Eight legs, thick like tree trunks, stretched to reach the corners of the chamber. Deeply rooted, they held aloft the true breadth of her towering torso.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
A womb far larger than should be possible, enough to fill a corner of the chamber. Enough to fill a house to bursting. But filled with eggs, teeming with life beneath a mother''s suspended bosom.
A giant arachnid, a blend of human and spider, made manifest. Almost human, but not quite.
She smiled with delight at the sight of her visitors.
Carapace glistened, doll-like in the bright light. Her many eyes held mirth, glinting as sinister jewels would.
In shadows deep, other figures appeared where some vanished, silent and unseen. Humans. Victims. Workers. Cores. Each second stretching like an eternity. Then, a swift, brutal act.
She ate them. It ate them all.
A subordinate Arachnae dared to speak.
It ate that, too
Its protests cut short. A swift motion. The subordinate''s body, crushed. It''s core, consumed.
A splatter, muted. Ichor and blood hit the ground in melded rains, an end to dissent. An end to protest.
It advanced, a nightmare given form. Legs like twisted pillars supported its half-human, half-arachnid body.
With deceptive beauty, It smiled at its visitors once more.
The sound of its movement, a chilling scrape. Eyes, numerous and unblinking, fixated on the group ahead.
Clicks resounded, chitin scraping stone.
Click. Click. The sound, relentless. A rhythm of impending doom.
A medley of death.
The matriarch, clothed and fearsome, moved with deadly purpose. Eight arms, each holding a meal. Several holding Arachnae, several more holding humans.
Its mouth, a black abyss, issued commanding rhythms. Voice cold as death.
The Queen, a grim monarch. Authority absolute.
In her midst, more figures. Humanoid, two-legged, yet unmistakably Arachnae. Closer to the ground than the towering worker companions, armoured in natural chitinous plates. Slightly larger than human men, they stood at attention, stoic gazes beneath natural chitinous visors. Their stoic forms commanded the spaces in which they stood. Their faces shifting mosaics of exoskeleton, each resembling a knight''s helm, hard and angular. Venomous fangs peeked from large mandibles. Six eyes, Six swords, and arms six ¡ª warrior casts, soldiers of the swarm.
Alex, John, and the girl were frozen in stunned inaction at the sight. The three of them stood before the soldiers and the Hidden Queen¡¯s Chamber.
The ¡®Entrance¡¯.
John gulped, and sliced through their statuesque and shocked senses with shaky words,
¡°Uh¡ guys. I don''t think this is the way out.¡±
Interlude: The Hidden Queen
She sat on her throne and pondered her nine sisters, each with their own unique impressions that left ripples across the globe.
She picked up a morsel, examining its texture before placing it between her teeth and savoring the satisfying crack as it split open. Juice from her morsel''s core squirted, cooling her tongue with its freshness.
Her first sister, much like a shadow, seemed ever-present yet elusive, her actions like mirages that barely stirred the air. The girl tossed another morsel high, watching it spin before catching it deftly between her teeth, her movements mimicking the first sister''s quiet grace.
And her second sister? She shivered, causing a soft tinkling sound to ripple through her. the less time spent thinking of the second, the better.
The girl nibbled on another morsel, pondering if life''s true essence might elude the tomes and rituals that so captivated her strangest sister.
The third sister''s artisan hands constantly shaped metal and stone into forms of beauty and strength. The girl split another treat, appreciating its solid exterior giving way to the softer inside, much like her sister''s ability to turn rigid materials into art.
The fourth sister was something of an alchemist, lost in her labyrinth of bottles and concoctions, forever in pursuit of the perfect mixture. The ¡®key¡¯ she called it. As the girl reached for another morsel, she felt akin to her sister, each nut a mystery of flavor waiting to be discovered.
The fifth sister''s touch brought healing and comfort, her nurturing presence a balm for any ailment. The girl smiled as she felt the juice of the snack soothe her palate, a momentary comfort much like her sister''s reassuring mental presence.
The sixth sister''s elusive nature made her blend seamlessly with her surroundings, her steps light and untraceable. The girl playfully tossed a morsel, this one with 12 legs, and watched it disappear momentarily into the shadows before plucking it from the air, a nod to her sister''s art of vanishing.
The seventh trained tirelessly, her spirit unyielding and fierce. The girl''s fingers gripped another appetizer firmly, feeling its resistance before cracking it open, a small tribute to her sister''s indomitable will.
The eight¡®s ambitions stretched far, her dreams as vast as the lands she sought to claim. As the girl savored another morsel, she pondered the vastness of her youngest sister''s aspirations, and each meal became an image of the territories yet to be conquered. Each bite was an example of what was to come for the lands above. In her mind''s eye, the fat human she held in one of her many hands was identical to the entirety of the town her brood had recently assaulted; ripe and ready to be consumed.
Crunch.
Another notification.
The ninth sister, the strategist, saw life as a grand game, her every decision calculated and precise. The girl carefully selected the next morsel, from a shivering line of them. Some morsels avoided her multifaceted gaze and attempted to hide. How futile. She considered its shape and size before snapping it up, an homage to her sister''s deliberate and thoughtful approach.
The Drifter arachnae disappeared down her gullet.
But the Hidden Queen was still hungry. Perhaps she would try more humans next? She mentally issued orders to her hive to deliver a new batch to her chamber.
All Arachnae of all forms and variances still possessed many similarities that tied them together. One of these similarities were the countless pores that inhaled and excreted their pheromones.
They filled the air with their pheromones, at all times and on all lands, and had been doing so since the first Arachnae evolved into being hundreds of years ago. Yes, They were a young species, but they were powerful, unstoppable. the apex of life. The Hidden queen estimated that a tenth of any single pocket of air on the entire planet consisted of Arachnae pheromones.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
The pheromones they excrete were harmless to living creatures, no different from the very air it proliferated, but the undetectable scent contained microscopic patterns of information that allowed the Queens to communicate with each other and give general commands to their respective hives. In the past, Arachnae variants could only project subtle feelings of intent, emotions, and fleeting impressions. A few words at most. Only the queens could truly utilize it to hold conversations in any way they wished. In the past it was a limited thing, a tool to control the hives and communicate with her sister-queens over vast distances.
But some weeks ago, everything changed.
The system arrived. She had despised it at first, unwilling to trust a method of primitive written communication that reminded her so much of her enemies, the lesser races. But then it had placed information directly into her mind as a fellow queen would. It brought so many changes, it granted them ¡®levels¡¯, and ¡®stats¡¯. She loved the ¡®stats¡¯. And the ¡®skills¡¯, too.
The passive skills, ¡®Hivemind: Arachnae¡¯, and ¡®Adaptive Evolution¡¯, for example.
¡®Hivemind: Arachnae¡¯ gave every single Arachnae in the world a voice. Where before, only the queens could truly utilize and control the information stored within their pheromones, now, all Arachnae could communicate as the queens would, although with some difficulty. The non-queen Arachnae variants still obeyed their every whim, if she wished, she could order the entire hive to kill itself, and almost all of them would. The non-queens, the workers, soldiers, and variants, had weak mind-voices. Like a soft wind so low you didn¡¯t know it was there, if she concentrated, she could hear the newborns babbling thoughts throughout her hive, and observe the running of her kingdom. Some voices were slightly louder, like the soldiers and some of the stronger variants, they were about as loud as a soft tap, and easily ignored. The queen''s mind-voices were like storms. If she wanted to, she could stop the hive with a thought. Call out to her ¡®sister-queens¡¯ on a whim. But she didn¡¯t feel like it.
She loved the hive mind; with it, she and her sister-queens'' voices could shake the world, or send thoughts, sights, sounds, tastes, and smells to each other, have conversations across vast distances and yet see each other as if they were standing side by side. One of her sister-queens could even send memories. They would use the skill to rally their armies to decimate their lessers.
And for a while she had thought they had won. When news that all the living races born with sentience had disappeared from the land entirely, she had been confused. The beasts- from the weakest to those strong enough to develop sapience and power of their own- ruled the land for a short while. The first few days had been a bloodbath, many of her enemies fell. In those moments She believed the humans to have been eradicated. It was a good time.
Until they returned.
But they were weaker. She laughed audibly. So much weaker! She giggled still. They had all been weakened considerably by the system, but her kind had engorged themselves on the lesser races and quickly regained some semblance of strength, ¡®Adaptive Evolution¡¯ had caused the setback to only be a temporary one. They simply had to feast until they¡¯d gained a remnant of their power.
She had intended on remaining hidden for longer, increasing the hidden numbers of her beast-like brood who evolved without adequate sentience from only having feasted on creatures and animals, but the system''s arrival had changed everything; from now on, humans and all the living races above would be the main course.
And their search for a final evolution would solve that.
All Arachnae evolved throughout their life, once at birth, another shortly after, and once more at some point in their lives. Maybe four times for the most talented of them. ¡®Adaptive Evolution¡¯ had simply given a name to something they had always been capable of.
Idly, she plucked a soldier from the ground, and her beautiful porcelain face, resembling almost identically the woman she had eaten upon birth over a hundred years ago, split into 5 twisted segments, an arachnid mouth and fangs stretching impossibly wide beneath her porcelain carapace''s face. Then she frowned.
Stop it.
The soldier immediately stopped struggling at her thought-message-command.
Crunch.
She squeezed, and the brittle thing fell apart in her oversized hands like dried leaves, a mess of ichor and clattering carapace littering the floor. Someone would have to clean that up.
Idly, she sent a soft thought-message throughout the hive, ordering the closest cleaner variant to come and remove the mess from her eating. Perhaps she would order them to stay in her chamber.
She held the soldier''s glowing core between her fingers, suspended above her gaping maw.
She swallowed it whole.
[You have predated the mana heart of the defeated. +1 to strength, +1 to dexterity, for 15 minutes]
She smiled again at the system''s message. That was a good morsel. Its ¡®stats¡¯ had truly changed things for her and the sister-queens.
Bring me more. More humans. More cores. More hearts.
Her command shook through the minds of all within her hive.
Interlude: The Hidden Queens
The hidden queen
Perched above her immense, transparent womb filled with unborn Spiderlings, the hidden Queen shifted in surprise.
She sensed the minds of the soldiers outside her chamber instantly fade into nothingness. Snuffed out in a blink. Had they killed each other during the rite? She wondered. How pitiful.
Shock engulfed her further as the door to her chamber opened, and an arachnae mind she had not yet sensed entered her chamber. How had she not sensed this one? She could feel every mind in her swarm, every birth and death if she wished, and this one had somehow remained unnoticed until now, but how?
It must be an evolution, she concluded. She studied the strange arachnae''s form. Yes, definitely a new evolution, she decided. The queen relaxed and sagged into her throne as she saw two humans enter the chamber along with it. She had requested more humans, she remembered.
They must have been the humans she had commanded her brood to bring. A small batch, only two, but they looked fit and healthy. More delicacies for her unending appetite. Very good, she hoped their cores- mana hearts, as the system called them- would enhance her speed even further.
A swift predator herself, she was obsessed with breeding offspring that epitomized speed and agility. Silently, she admired the traits of races known for their agility, and in her relentless pursuit she had targeted races known for their agility, seeking to claim those qualities for her swarm. She firmly believed that in the art of war, speed and agility were paramount, and in her mind''s eye, she saw her brood excelling in speed. Or ¡®Dexterity¡¯, as the system labelled it. Its application had furthered her desires by leagues, painting a clear path to her swarm: her legacy would be a lineage of unmatched swiftness and agility, dominating their realm with precision and speed. She and her brood would become demigods of swiftness- of dexterity.
In the grand, opulent underground throne room, the hidden Queen sat still. She observed Alex and his two companions, the unnamed girl and John, who had just entered her chamber. The door behind them blended seamlessly into the surrounding stone as it shut closed, leaving them enclosed in her domain.
She studied the two humans for a moment, dismissing them as mere food, and then studied the evolved arachnae that accompanied them.
She had never seen such an evolution before, it reminded her of one of her sister-queens, but smaller. Much smaller.
It was a strange evolution, to be sure. The sight touched upon her singular obsession: breeding offspring unparalleled in speed and agility. In her relentless pursuit, she had meticulously selected traits from races known for their agility, crafting her brood into the epitome of predatory swiftness before they were even born. Humans were a necessary first meal for her young to gain some semblance of sentience. A good start.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
The evolved Arachne that accompanied the humans- strangely pristine and conscious humans, the queen noted- had experienced an evolution that had caused all eight of her legs to fuse and intertwine into two powerfully thick limbs, like her soldiers. Except, her arms had fused too- four arms becoming two powerful ones- condensed in a way that hid their true capabilities. The hidden Queen suspected that this young one could most likely display powerful bursts of speed while using the limbs as equally powerful weapons. But the thin, almost invisible seams on the surface of the girl''s legs and arms suggested the possibility that two legs could become eight once more. Perhaps it was a skill?
And the wrappings that covered a majority of the young arachnae female¡¯s form and features were strange.
The queen could sense her surroundings in myriad ways, as all arachnae could. She could sense vibrations through substrate, feel the subtle shifts of the currents in the air through the microscopic hairs that covered every inch of her form, detect chemical signals in the environment through specialised organs, and he many legs could feel the texture, shape, and vibrations of her chamber.
The young arachnid girl¡¯s wrappings meant nothing to the queen, she could see the girl as if she had no coverings at all, as all arachnae could. So why did the girl cover herself? Small sections of her form could be seen beneath frayed webbing, and each resembled a human''s skin identically, with seams and hidden layers of carapace only an arachnae¡¯s acute senses could detect.
It must be because of her form that so resembles a human- she must be ashamed, the queen reasoned.
But it was a good evolution. A powerful one that made her as strong as any soldier, it should be a point of pride.
¡°Congratulations on your evolution.¡± The queen called without words. ¡°I see you have brought the humans I requested.¡±, her gargantuan mind sounded like thunder through the Hivemind¡¯s thought-space. The young Arachnae flinched at the message but did not falter. She straightened her back unperturbed, and the spark of her mind blazed brighter at the queen''s thought-message. To the queen, it looked like a sputtering flame; brighter than most others within her hive, with strange colours and contours- but not brighter by much.
¡°The humans. Bring them closer.¡± She called out once more.
¡°No, they¡¯re mine.¡± The young one replied with tightening fists, at the last word her thought-voice shook the mindspace subtly as a Queen¡¯s would. Was that a Queen¡¯s order? The hidden queen wondered. Strange, lesser arachnae were not capable of giving orders. Whatever it was, it was a pitiful imitation.
Time stood frozen as they communicated at the speed of electric synapses; the speed of enhanced thought. None moved through the stalemate, the soldiers observed, vibrating with imperceptible rage, and the luminous moss arachnae cowered in fear, unable to disobey the queen''s orders and flee as they truly wished to.
¡°Oh?¡ No?¡± The queen laughed, and a sound like chiming bells and chittering hordes washed over the minds of all present. ¡°They¡¯re ¡®yours¡¯? Are you an evolved drifter? That is new, and new is good.¡± The ground shook as the queen shifted to gaze at them with her many eyes. ¡°Everything here is mine, drifter.¡± Her thought-message blazed. ¡°Everything in this land, including your body and your humans.¡±
She pointed a large finger towards the group and spoke with thoughts ¡°Your evolution will be tested, studied, and recreated before you are disposed of. Your humans will become a feast. Your achievements will strengthen the hive, you should be proud. Bring the humans closer. That one looks strong.¡± The queen''s head tilted to focus on Alex¡¯s frozen form.
¡°Fine, I will bring them myself.¡± She released a mental sigh that felt like a cool breeze running through the minds of those near, then she began to reach towards Alex, John, and the girl, her gargantuan porcelain joints clicking as they stretched across the chamber.
Chapter 35: Four Options III
As soon as Alex realized his surroundings. His attention flashed in all directions, soaking in information and assessing his options.
The queen was stationary on a throne of opulence, webbing, metals, and treasures, and she was large, nestled with a transparent womb filled with countless tiny cores of unborn Spiderlings. The top half of her body appeared like a porcelain doll with beautiful, near-perfect features, save for the twelve eyes arrayed around her forehead like constellations, and the dark, thin lines that patterned across her form, detailing the segments of deceptive carapace that shone reflectively in the light of the chamber. She had eight long, thick, spindly, and hairy limbs, each able to stretch the width of the cavern. The womb was many times larger than she was and seemed to root her to her throne as a trunk would root a tree. He mentally sighed in relief at the sight. She did not seem like an immediate threat, but the length of her large limbs caused him to pause. He shifted imperceptibly, his back touching the wall, and his grip on his blade tightened until his knuckles turned white. The words ¡®Mana Blade¡¯ were on the tip of his tongue- if she made a move he wouldn¡¯t take any chances.
If she made a move he¡¯d make the monstrous thing regret it.
For a second, the queen seemed content to just stare at him and his group, for some reason. All three held their breath in anticipation, none of them wanted to break the stalemate and initiate hell. Even Alex found himself hesitating at the prospect.
So she¡¯s just going to watch us? He thought, still surveying the contours of the room to find an escape route. Ok, he thought, so the way out has to be through one of those hallways, we just have to kill the soldiers and the queen bolt before their evolution ritual ends. He doubted his companion''s ability to survive the encounter, it made him hesitant to act. He knew that the moment he acted, the two of them would most likely die.
But at some point, he would have to. How do I guarantee their survival? The question rattled his thoughts as he desperately searched for an answer amid the stalemate.
His eyes flicked to the queen''s body and finally noticed her swords. She had two weapons close to her body- a sword of pure gold and a sword of smithed bronze, both blazing with mana. They looked somewhat dangerous to Alex¡¯s Outer Vision, but he was pleased to see that the queen had not reached for them. They lay on the ground beside her womb, ignored as she swallowed beast cores and studied him in turn. She reached towards a metal pile beside her and retrieved a core of mana, consuming it with relish.
Arachne soldiers stood guard around her, three m in total, as silent monstrous knights, myriad swords sheathed. We¡¯ll have to deal with them, first, Alex decided. I''ll take two, and John and the kid will have to take out the other one, somehow. The prospects for his companion''s survival looked grim, but they would have to make it work, somehow.
The chamber lit further as dozens of seemingly harmless luminous Moss Arachnae entered and left with each breath, each lighting paths to execute unknown tasks required of them.
An Arachnae soldier entered the chamber through one of its many pathways, accompanied by a congregation of glowing Moss variants, but this soldier was different from the rest. Its chitin armour held a deep green hue, and light seemed to emanate from between the gaps in its carapaced helm and torso- a contained luminance. Antenna crowned its head with twists and splits, forming something akin to antlers. It joined the other Arachnae soldiers and stood at ease, Silent with their knightly forms. Its movements appeared rigid and forced.
That one¡¯s clearly evolved, but how dangerous can a stringy Moss variant really be? Alex decided he would target it first with swiftness- to remove any unpredictable elements. But now there were four soldiers present for them to face, alongside the Queen. The quest had claimed she would be defenceless, is this what the system considered defenceless? Alex''s gut sank further. So I''ll take two, and John and the kid will have to face two? The probability of his companion''s survival had just dipped furtherIf you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
There had been humans present also, but they had seemed incoherent and barely cognizant. They had stood and sat as if in a daze, and had barely begun to protest until they belatedly realised Queen''s grasping palms had engulfed them. Some of them hadn''t even screamed as they''d been consumed. They were under the influence of some lesser form of venom, and the mouth and fangs of all Arachnae present would have to be avoided like a plague, Alex decided in an instant.
There was a pile in one corner of the room, slightly to the right of the Queen. Alex¡¯s'' eyes widened as he realized it was items taken from the town: swords, armour, and a pile of metals of all colours, interspersed with glowing cores and tiny red gems that sparkled like fireflies, reflecting the light of the chamber.
A gasp escaped Alexis'' lips as he realized he was looking at about 20 healing potions, nestled beside the Queen. He swallowed hard.
That was it. That was how all three of them could survive the encounter. He would have to make it to the potions.
A rumble shook the chamber.
Alex was pulled from his concerns by the sight of the queen''s large hand raised. She pointed a finger towards his group and spoke with a delicate voice that croaked as if barely used.
Still, her words swept across the chamber, and all the arachnid beings present shifted in discomfort at her command. It was as if her voice affected them in some unseen way, the sound of her words appeared uncomfortable to the surrounding Arachnae in a way that Alex couldn''t fathom. Alex noted the girl beside him had subtly shifted with discomfort too, in perfect sync with the surrounding Arachnae.
Shit. He thought, she¡¯s one of them, isn¡¯t she?
¡°Come, humans,¡± the queen''s voice bounced through the walls of a chamber as a church organ would, demanding obedience. As she spoke she stretched a carapaced limb, thick as a tree heading in their direction. The limb reached for them, grasping, fingers as thick as men, splayed ¡°GREET ME,¡± she said.
***
At the sight of titanic fingers reaching toward him, Alex immediately crushed the dark crystal in his palm. To be honest, he should have done it before entering the room, but he hadn¡¯t given up on the second quest despite their attempted escape. he had planned on waiting until they found an evolved creature before deciding on whichever skill the crystal held that would allow him to counter and slay it.
But they had found something much worse.
The world went dark as Alex''s consciousness was transported, and he found himself strapped for time once more, swimming in a sea of systemic inky blackness and forced to make instant decisions with consequences that would fray the lines between life and death.
That is to say, Alex had to pick a skill, and whatever he picked would have to be chosen fast as hell.
[Skills limited by differing race]
[¡]
[Skills Altered for host race compatibility]
[System Message: Choose one of 4 Skills]
[Lesser-Hivemind (Passive): Grant mutual mental cognition and communication between yourself and accepting beings of your choosing. The number of hive mind members will be limited to skill mastery. Current mastery: 0% - 1 member]
[Beastial Senses - Arachnae (Passive): become highly attuned and sensitive to vibrations transmitted through surfaces such as the ground, plants, or the walls. detect air currents and vibrations and sound waves, chemical signals in your environment, and gain a detailed, almost three-dimensional view of your surroundings that transcends several mundane materials and limitations]
[Predation (Active - 5 minutes): consume the flesh of your enemies to gain temporary stat boosts, by consuming the flesh of living foes gain a chance at temporary stat gain. Consuming the hearts of living foes will guarantee temporary time-limited boosts to your stats. Stronger foes will yield better and more guaranteed results. High mastery will yield better and more guaranteed results. at mid to lower mastery, the consumption of beast cores will result in mana overload and subsequent death]
[Abyssal Chitin - Arachnae (Active - 5 minutes): consume a large portion of mana to transmute your skin into a layer of dense Chitin. This skill grants the ability to alter your exoskeleton at will, morphing your body''s surface shape into different forms. Lower levels of mastery will produce limited shapes, Higher levels of mastery can range from growing exoskeletal constructs to sprouting additional limbs for added defense or offense.]
As the shadow of the Queen¡¯s grasping digits loomed, Alex reviewed his options in a blink and instantly made his decision.
Chapter 36: Bestial Senses
In the system''s inky blackness, Alex¡¯s consciousness stood vividly alert. He lost whatever purchase his feet had found in the empty space and began to drift, detached from reality, Here, he was not bound by its rules or limits. Except one; the limit of time. Aside from times March- slowed to a crawl- His mind was his reality, and it was here he faced a crucial choice: the selection of his latest crystal gained skill.
His first option, ''Lesser-Hivemind,'' presented itself as a network of thoughts, a web of minds interlinked. Alex envisioned the strategic advantages, the seamless flow of information and tactics between allies. But it would be limited to just one person, either John or the kid- that ¡®thing¡¯. Perhaps he could use it to find out her true motives, if she was acting on the Queen''s orders. And then what, think them to death? He thought. The skill had no immediate combat uses and relied heavily on others. Aside from the single use of shared thoughts, the skill would be useless against the queen and her soldiers.
But Predation had potential. A lot of potential. It was primal and beckoned to him. He saw himself gaining strength, and vitality from his vanquished foes, a direct path to power that was easily exploitable. But the act of consuming another''s flesh for power was a step into a realm where humanity and monstrosity blurred. And if it gave significant stat boosts at higher levels, what was to stop him from tweaking his moral quandaries? What if he needed to take a bite out of someone to survive? What if the stats became permanent? That kind of temptation could topple even the most noble of men. All it would take would be a moment, a single lapse of judgement or bending of his views of the right and wrong things to do, however small, and he would be set down a path of no return, a path that lead to him treating people as mere morsels to be consumed. He found himself wondering if the path was all but guaranteed to strip him of the very essence of his human soul, and his questions led him to a definitive answer. The skill absolutely had the potential to turn a man into the very thing he sought to defeat. Eating monsters and eating people wasn''t something he felt was befitting of a swordsman; not only was it pretty evil, but In all honesty¡ it was kind of gross, too.
Then, there was ''Abyssal Chitin'', another tempting skill, but for different reasons. A carapace of armour, a shield against the physical assaults of this unforgiving new world. The shapeshifting elements were pretty damned cool, and the ability to conjure a weapon at will paired well with skills like mana blade and his executioner skill. But technically his inventory already did that, in a way. And then there was the fact that the skill didn¡¯t match Alex¡¯s fighting style; It promised resilience, a chance to become a bastion and bulwark against an onslaught of enemies. But Alex wasn¡¯t a defensive fighter. He could be, but it just wasn''t his style. Not to mention the skill was not without its drawbacks ¨C the heavy toll on his mana reserves, the potential sluggishness and vulnerability when the mana waned. It was a fortress, yes, but one that could crumble under sustained assault.
Finally, ''Beastial Senses'' emerged from the depths of his mind, a skill that would amplify his perception to superhuman levels. It paired well with his Inner and Outer sense skills and matched his style almost perfectly. He imagined sensing the slightest tremor, the faintest rustle of an enemy''s movement, turning the world into his personal theatre with everything easily seen and interpreted. But with this heightened sense came the risk of overwhelming his mind, the barrage of endless information that could distract and confuse him at critical moments.
The skills appeared as distinct pathways, each branching off into uncertain futures. His decision loomed, a defining moment in the inky blackness of the system. But he was out of time, he had to make a decision now. And so he chose.
[Grade F Skill: Bestial senses - Arachnae (Passive) selected!]
At the notification''s arrival, colour bled into the system''s world of darkness, and within a fraction of a second, Alex returned to the world.
But the world to which he had returned was unlike any world he had experienced before. It was a world of new sensations.
He could feel the sounds of the chamber, he could feel the currents of air in the same way one could clearly feel a finger''s path tracing along their skin.
He could almost see them.
The subtle shifts of the air on his skin sent a surge of information flooding through his mind. Of The air drifting in his vicinity, its currents, ebbs and flows pushed by the mouth, pores, and movements of all beings close to him.
It painted a static image of his immediate surroundings. Like a subtle hazy picture in Alex''s mind''s eye. It was Blurry and unclear, but enough to make out important details; the movements and general figures of all present. With this, he could sense any attacks or projectiles even while blindfolded.
He leaned into the sensation, his head tilting imperceptibly forward.
A crackling series of clinking sounds from the Queen''s porcelain joints sent pulses through the chamber, waves of sound that cleared the fuzzy image in Alex¡¯s mind. The rings of sound waves shot from one end of the chamber to the other, turning soft lines clear and hard as each wave of sound washed over him, adding small details like the slight twitch of John''s fingers beside him, the fact that John wore three rings beneath his gauntleted hand, the blood-stained scar on his back beneath his clothes. See the form of a human girl beneath the webbing of the kid to his right and outside of his field of visual view.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Then the rest of his new senses crashed into him in a wave of overloading sensations.
The queen''s grasping hands had stopped about 15 metres away from them, the chamber was oblong, and they were all on the far end, out of her reach apparently, the Queen made to move closer and the chamber rumbled further, then she stopped and looked to her soldiers, who at her mere glance, began to approach Alex and his companions as though they had garnered her full intent from a single glance.
The soldiers moved with slow and sure steps, confident in the knowledge that the only path that could allow humans to escape would be a path that led directly to their many blades.
Each step sent waves of information through Alex, an overload. For a moment the overload of information was blinding, his enhanced intelligence stat allowed him to process information at speeds a baseline human could only mimic with tools, but the sensations remained foreign and disorientating. He simply wasn¡¯t used to being able to see so much, so suddenly. He struggled to parse the information until the systems instincts guided him- giving him the sense of the possibility of sorting the overload, allowing him to choose what he wanted to focus on. He has the subtle feeling that if he wished, he could subconsciously choose the level of his focus and grant himself only a 360-degree, 3-dimensional image of his close surroundings, and not that of the entire chamber or the many chemicals, sound waves, and vibrations it held. It felt like holding a conversation while ignoring the freeway behind you. This¡¯ll take some getting used to, he thought with a tightening grip on his sword.
He focused, chasing the sensations of his new Instincts, allowing only the smallest parts of information around his immediate vicinity to seep into focus. as a result, chemical reactions in the air around him washed over everything in his vision, and a few things outside of it. It sent vibrations through substrate that turned everything immediately around him in a 360-degree radius into a view as clear as if he was staring at it all from above. And below. And from the front, too. Vibrations from the floor beneath his feet and the wall behind his back rocked through him, and Alex found himself picking up the most minute of details, things outside his field of vision and things the naked eye could never perceive. He saw the bead of sweat trickling down John''s brow to his left and a little behind him¡ saw the contours of the girl''s facial features beneath her webbing, how small pores all over the surface of her skin released waves of chemicals into the air, almost identical to the waves released by the gargantuan looming palm of the queen some metres away. Yep, she''s definitely one of them. Alex was almost sure of it now. He could clearly see the form of a human girl beneath the webbing of the kid, despite her standing to his right and outside of his field of view. Alex frowned at what he saw. it was like he was seeing her for the first time, beneath all the frayed layers of ¡®prey¡¯ webbing that covered her.
She looked almost exactly like his sister, but different.
The sight of her features conjured buried memories in the recesses of Alex¡¯s mind. He had seen those features before, as a child. Blended in with the features of his younger sister were small hints of his mother''s features, too. Alex reeled in shock, his mouth Ajar.
Why does she look like my sister? He knew it couldn¡¯t be her, she had nothing of his sister''s personality. Her mannerisms, speech and behaviour were that of a complete stranger.
Another step from the soldiers sent a wave of information crashing through Alex, and this time, rather than treating it as background noise, he chose to accept it all, focusing on the details of his ¡®companion¡¯.
He could thin lines patterned across her human-like form, so thin the naked eye would never be able to detect them, arrayed across her otherwise mundane appearance in fractal and insectile patterns. Another vibration rocked through the chamber, as the soldiers marched in unison, and then Alex sensed- no - saw beneath her surface.
She was an arachnae, with dense muscle packed beneath her form. Myriad limbs fused together in each arm and leg, compressed and fit to burst with power. She was dangerous.
Should he kill her? The thought came to him unbidden and unwelcome, but still, he found himself considering it.
Should I kill her? He asked himself, weighing his options. They needed her to fight the soldiers and the queen, but trusting one of them with his life would be the height of stupidity. She could be working with the queen, a sleeper agent, of sorts. He would expect a betrayal at any moment, and would never be able to rest. Her existence also put John in danger. There¡¯s the possibility that she¡¯s a drifter, that worker called her one before, didn¡¯t he? Alex¡¯s eyes widened in realisation. The clues were all there, but he¡¯d been initially blinded by his filial instincts and some semblance of a saviour complex his system granted power had caused him to develop. Then he¡¯d been further blinded by her human appearance to his previously mundane senses. But now it was clear as day, she was a drifter, some strange form of arachnae that mimicked a human perfectly, but she was still one of them- still a monster that kidnapped and ate people.
And she had saved his life.
Alex didn¡¯t know what to think, but he did know that he had to deal with this here and now. But that could be an act to gain his trust, but she had killed plenty of her kind to get here. But she had still attempted to deceive him the entire journey, from the moment he¡¯d come to. He didn¡¯t trust her, he wouldn¡¯t allow himself to- the facts overrode any reasoning; she was one of them, and despite her freedom as a drifter, she had lied to him. She had helped and saved him, sure. They had even developed something resembling camaraderie, the type of familiarity that could lead you to forget to ask for someone¡¯s name as if some part of you already knew it. That was the only reason why he found himself struggling to end her, that and her usefulness in the fight to come. She had already helped countless times in their escape. But why go to all that trouble? He thought, still assessing her. And why does she look like my sister? The question kept finding its way to the forefront of his mind.
Alex raised his sword to the girl''s throat. ¡°Who are you?¡± He asked.
Chapter 37: The Green One
Alex raised his sword to the girl''s throat. ¡°Who are you?¡± He asked.
John¡¯s head turned at Alex¡¯s swift gesture, surprise etched on his pale brow. ¡°Hey,¡± he hissed, ¡°what are you doing!? They¡¯re coming! Leave her alone!¡± His sword was still pointed towards the slow march of the soldiers.
Alex ignored him, pressing his blade closer to the girl''s throat. She looked confused beneath her coverings and a little hurt. But she didn¡¯t look threatened.
¡°What are you?¡± Alex asked, this time an edge of threat seeped into his voice unbidden. ¡°You¡¯re one of them, aren¡¯t you?¡±
¡°WHAT?¡± John''s sword faltered at Alex¡¯s question, he scrambled away from the girl as one would from a lake of fire. He switched his sword from pointing to approaching soldiers to pointing at the girl, then to the soldiers, and back to the girl once more. He repeated this gesture in frantic intervals, confusion marring his face with each movement. ¡°Take the webbing off your face, let us see your skin. prove him wrong.¡± John said, his sword growing steadier with each word, he switched back to the soldiers, eyeing their approach, then back to the girl.
The girl raised her sword and expertly parted the webbing covering her features, but Alex noted the imperceptible shift of the webbing that moved with a life of its own. She had two human eyes, brown and perfectly normal in appearance. But Alex could see ten more closed eyes through his sixth, and seventh senses. They were arrayed around her forehead and temples like nebula, closed by imperceptible seams.
¡°She¡¯s human.¡± He said, ¡°Look at her. I already thought so from the little I¡¯d seen. But they don¡¯t have human skin.¡± John sagged in relief and turned to face the soldiers. ¡°At best they¡¯re like the queen with hard surfaces that are passable from a distance.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t want to do this so soon.¡± The girl sighed in response and opened her eyes. All of them. Eight pitch-black eyes came into being across her unblemished features and John sucked in a breath. ¡°I¡¯m on your side,¡± She said, ¡° I didn¡¯t think you were ready to see. I-¡°
¡°Why did you follow us? Did you lead us here?¡± Alex interjected. Perhaps he should¡¯ve played along, expecting her inevitable betrayal and turning it on her at the last moment. It''s what he would have done if she had bore any other appearance.
But seeing the forms of people he thought he would never see again had stirred something in him. He knew she wasn''t his sister- they were alike in appearance and nothing else. But a small part of him hoped for something, some sign that she was more than an imposter. It was foolish, he knew. To his enhanced senses, it was clear as day that she wasn''t family. But the sight of something he''d thought was lost forever still brought him comfort. But that was a fleeting comfort riddled with danger. He would have to prepare for any attack from her- focus on her while even in battle. With his new senses, he would be able to react to surprises or betrayals from all angles. She would not be able to harm him.
Unless she attacked while he was fighting the queen. He wouldn''t allow things to come to that. Sword still pressed at her throat, he asked of the detail that had been bothering him the most, ¡°Why do you look like people I know?¡± he left it vague and non-specific to give her room to inadvertently slip the extent of her knowledge.
She raised her hands in surrender, her expression forlorn and hurt, ¡°I didn¡¯t lead you here, I didn¡¯t even know where ¡®here¡¯ was until we were closer.¡± her sword was held loose between her fingers, without intent or hostility as she continued. ¡°I''m not a part of them and I just wanted to find a way out, like you. All this time I''ve only cared for helping us survive and make it out of here. I swear, I''m on your side.¡± She said, her words seeped in earnestness, her two human eyes pleading with Alex¡¯s.
Alex focused as she spoke, sensing the steady pulse of her heartbeat, and the layered organ he guessed was her lungs did not seem to move erratically as she pleaded. He had heard that tremors in heart rates and breathing signified lying, but he was far from an expert. He was a martial artist, not a walking polygraph- the information did not mean much to him.
The girl continued. ¡°And as for the rest¡I¡ I can explain¡ But now isn¡¯t the time, they''re here.¡±
She pointed a raised hand at the soldiers who were now close to an arm''s length away.
Three of the soldiers had arrived with unified steps, eerily synchronized, each reaching for the closest human. The green one marched a few steps behind as if leading the small regiment.
A soldier reached out intent on dragging Alex into the queen''s range. It dismissed his weapon and prowess in the way it dismissed all of the humans it had encountered in its short life; as negligible and inferior. Alex¡¯s arm extended, his blade moving to make the creature regret its lack of care.
Alex swung. Mana Blade, he thought at the very instant the blades touched.
The blade, charged with blue energy, sliced through the soldier''s reaching arm and countering blade. It hummed as it cut through the air, aiming for the soldier''s neck. It connected, sending a spray of dark ichor splattering against the cold stone wall. He had caught it unawares, and the thing had never imagined his blade to be capable of such damage.
The soldier''s head, severed, fell to the ground with a thud, its body collapsing moments later.
[You have defeated, Level 36 Arachnae Soldier]
Alex heard a cry sound through the chamber, and the waves of its vibrations painted a picture that caused his heart to pulse with concern.
John, several feet away, was visibly struggling. An arachnae soldier, towering over him, lunged with a swift strike. It''s six arms struck independently, three aiming high, three low. John raised his broadsword in a shaky defence, attempting to intercept the lower arms. His blade connected with one swing, and the force of the blow caused him to stumble. his back crashed into the wall behind them as he successfully deflected the blow. He grinned in triumph, but the triumph was short-lived. The soldier he faced had many more swords. Two of its blades slashed down, cutting deep into John''s thigh and side. Blood soaked his clothing, turning the dark fabric of his uniform a deeper shade. John roared in defiance, His broadsword, heavy and slick with his blood, was swung in a desperate arc. The soldier''s other blade bypassed John''s defiant swipe of retaliation, slicing across his left shoulder. Blood spurted from the wound, staining his armour. John staggered back, grimacing in pain, his face contorted in a mix of fear, agony, and rage. John screamed in pain and swung, his sword seemingly too short to reach his opponent. His blood changed that. It crystallizes at the last instant, extending into something akin to a spear, shearing towards the creature''s legs in an instant.
The creature leapt over the blow, the spear of hardened blood only grazing its hide. But to a weak Constitution, a graze was enough. A rain of small slithers of cracked chitin scattered across the chamber¡¯s floor as the creature landed. A small section of carapace on the surface of its leg held a fracture. It Screeched with a rage that on the surface appeared to rival John''s own.
Alex turned sharply. He saw John stumbling, trying to maintain his balance as his foe prepared for a killing blow. Phoenix Leap, he thought. Alex leapt towards John, landing beside him, boots sliding across the stone floor. As he swung his blade. The soldier had sensed him coming and further sensed an opportunity. It lunged at them both with its many arms swinging in arrayed angles.
With his new senses, Alex found the myriad blades far less intimidating. He felt calm, composed even. He knew that if he tilted his head just right, and splayed his arm at just the right angle, he could time his counterattack to sweep through the gaps in the soldier''s attack to use its own momentum against it. Boundless Dodge, Alex thought.
His skill shot him forward and his blade sang.
Two arms clattered to the ground, blades set free from dead fingers as Alex¡¯s swing carved through a portion of the creature''s attack. It screeched as it staggered back in surprise, an arm from each side missing. It then reoriented itself and changed strategy, focusing all of its efforts on harrying John, using his prone form as a hostage and forcing Alex to be on the defensive.
Alex had fought countless battles, so many he didn''t know the exact number- he guessed it was somewhere in the hundreds, possibly the thousands.
He had fought to defend others before, but he had never experienced fighting solely to defend a single person incapable of defending themselves. To act as a human shield with a blade was alien to him. He was struggling, and the creature knew it, so it intensified its efforts.
John, leaning against the wall, attempted to stem the bleeding from his wounds. His face was pale, his breathing ragged. He looked up at Alex, his eyes conveying a mix of fear and determination. ¡°Just let me die.¡± he called out, ¡°I''ll fight it, you go on without me.¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
Alex wouldn''t hear or accept it, he simply parried and blocked, leapt and swung, keeping the soldier at bay.
Boundless Dodge. Phoenix leap. He had been saving his more versatile skills to use on the Queen or the green one. but he was inching closer to deciding to use them to keep John alive.
A clash sounded beside him from the sounds of another battle.
The girl had been assaulting her opponent with wild and reckless swings. Her technique was Non-existent, but her movements were explosive, with speed that lagged only slightly behind Alex. Her every strike was a display of her monstrous strength, a force that even the arachnae soldier seemed wary of. She ducked beneath a many-armed swing and held a blade in each hand, swinging with both as she rose. Two blades locked with six as she met the soldier''s blow. They struggled against each other for a moment before the soldier began to falter, her strength proving superior. Her leg lashed out in a blur, a kick that crashed through chitin and removed both of the soldier''s legs. It crumpled to the ground, its swords scattered. The girl moved, going for the final strike. aiming for its head with her sword raised high she swung. The soldier, its movements hampered by the injury, couldn''t react in time. Her blade came down, crashing into the soldier''s skull.
Before it could collapse, lifeless, at her feet, she turned and sprinted towards Alex and John, two of her powerful steps closing the distance. She crashed into the Arachnae soldier as it attempted to evade, both of her feet crushing its thorax, soon her blades followed, until nothing but a lifeless mess of broken chitin remained.
[You have defeated, Level 39 Arachnae Soldier]
She crushed it under her foot, its shell splattering with a crunch. Alex could only scratch his head in apprehension and a mix of emotions at her swift action. "Thanks, kid," he muttered, almost out of habit.
She beamed at his words, then turned to face the green one.
What¡¯s her deal? Alex felt both curiosity and apprehension, but now wasn''t the time.
The green soldier, having observed Alex''s skill, approached him with a calculated strategy, ignoring the others completely. It mirrored his trajectory, advancing with a fluid grace that was unsettling- in contrast to its previously jerky movements. What''s its level? Alex wondered.
If its level was higher than his, he would need to recalculate his strategy.
The green soldier moved, its arms growing a layer of bark-like carapace that turned its form bulky and stalwart. Its ghostly light caught the three¡¯s attention, and they stared at its approach, their expressions a mix of wariness and resolve, and Alex''s of determination as he stepped forward to meet it.
A Phoenix Leap sent him rocketing forward, and a boundless Dodge sent him sliding beneath a thick root that shot from the gaps between the things armour like twisted webbing. Another application of his skill sent him hurtling over another wave of sharp vines, heading towards the luminous soldier. A combination of outer sense and bestial sense had allowed him to see its attacks coming- he doubted he even needed the skill to evade it but he was still wary of its venom and unsure if any evolution it experienced had caused it to become more potent or disappear entirely. His senses were picking up something strange about the green one. He wasn''t taking any chances.
He landed with a forceful thud, the ground beneath him cracking from the impact and swung in the same instant, intent on removing its head with a single blow. It swung all six of its blades to defend.
The impact was brutal.
Alex staggered as the creature''s strike landed, the stone beneath him cracking from the sheer force. A force that nearly toppled him. Reacting instinctively, he pivoted sharply, his heel grinding against the stone floor. As he turned, the spectral figure of the Sovereign Executioner materialized behind the soldier, mirroring his motion. Simultaneously, Alex activated Phoenix Leap, propelling himself forward with explosive speed. His Mana Blade, enveloped in a vibrant blue aura, sliced through the air, its unblockable edge aimed directly at the soldier''s vulnerable point. He crashed into the green one from both sides.
Alex''s blade cut through one of its arms, severing it cleanly. The arm fell to the ground, still clutching its blade.
The green soldier, now with five arms, showed no sign of retreat. It hissed, a chilling sound that resonated in the chamber.
And It erupted into a spray of vines.
Its plant-like arms extended, vines shooting out towards Alex. As they carved through the air, their tips, sharp as blades, etched deep grooves into the stone, sending chips flying. They snaked through the air, aiming to ensnare Alex like a spider''s web capturing its prey. Reacting instinctively, Alex''s blade moved in practised arcs, a blur of motion that sliced through the approaching vines. His swift cuts sent pieces of vines falling to the floor, Yet, undeterred, new vines sprouted rapidly, surging forward, unyielding in their pursuit. each new wave attempted to ensnare him, their assault as persistent as the relentless advance of a hunting spider.
And the green one in the center of the web of bark remained, its arms moved faster, a whirlwind of green blades that Alex found himself struggling to counter.
Until the girl joined the fray.
She attacked with raw, untamed ferocity.
Her movements, though lacking the refined grace of a trained warrior, were imbued with an explosive power. As she struck, her blade whistled through the air, its path erratic but forceful. As the duo breached the wall of writhing vines, her sword met not flesh but wood, The green one dodged her assault with a swift sidestep, the manoeuvre leaving behind a cloud of splinters. These fragments, in turn, became the creature''s weapons, coalescing into tendrils that lunged towards her, even as its many eyes remained locked onto her, unblinking and calculating, its multiple eyes tracking her every move
And in its moment of distraction, Alex struck. Phoenix Leap, he thought, Propelling himself off the ground. He became a blur, moving at a speed that was almost disorienting. He reappeared behind the soldier, his blade coming down in a swift, decisive strike aimed at the creature''s back.
Alex shifted his weight to his left foot, a subtle movement but one that allowed him to pivot away from an incoming strike. His blade arced through the air, leaving a trail of Mana Blade¡¯s blue energy. It met the soldier''s weapon, the sound of sliced metal echoing in the chamber as the blade cut through without resistance.
The green soldier extended an arm, and light flashed as roots shot forth from its armour to retrieve another. It lashed out with its remaining blades and vines, creating a deadly pattern of steel and wood that forced Alex to create some distance lest he be skewered. Alex, his inhuman senses tracking every motion, instinctively leapt back. His boots skidded on the stone floor, sending small pebbles and cut bark scattering. He narrowly dodged a vine that whizzed past, leaving a shallow cut on his cheek, the sting of which was immediate and sharp. He sliced off a portion of his cheek without hesitation, deeming it better to be scarred than envenomed. The air around him was sliced by the passing blades and vines, creating a symphony of whooshes that underscored the peril of his situation.
The girl remained trapped in the storm of vines, frantically dodging in an attempt to retreat.
¡°Use your other arms!¡± Alex yelled through the onslaught of vines. ¡°I know you have them!¡± he summoned a Sovereign Executioner with a thought as he swung, and the long ceremonial blade of his construct cleaved through a section of the assaulting vines in tandem with his movements.
¡°No!¡± the girl yelled back as she thought against the vines assaulting her.¡°I- I can''t!¡± she yelled once more, twisting her body in a pirouette to evade a spray of stabbing roots. ¡°I won''t,¡± she whispered.
John, watching from the sidelines, tried to rise, but his injuries were too severe. He slumped back against the wall, his broadsword clattering to the floor. His eyes remained fixed on the battle, a silent observer of the unfolding carnage.
Alex gripped his sword tight determined. It was time to end this, vines or no. His mana blade shone as a blend of Phoenix leaps and Boundless dodges sent him rocketing through vines intent on skewering him- straight towards the vulnerable creature in the centre.
Alex''s boots scraped against the stone as he pivoted, the gritty texture resonating up his legs. Gripping the Mana Blade, he felt its pulsating energy seep into his palm, sending a tingling sensation up his arm. He lunged, his blade slicing the air with a hiss, then striking the soldier''s lower left arm with a resounding snap of chitin. The soldier staggered back, its arm hanging limply, a spray of green ichor shot forth from where it was cut, splattering the floor beneath its feet with a mosaic of softly lit blood. In response, wood sprouted rapidly from the wound, morphing into a glowing, bark-covered limb, radiating a sinister, pale light.
In that instant the ichor breath its feet burst into glowing crystalline spikes that sheared through its legs, locking it in place. In the distance, John wiped blood from his brow and stumbled to his feet, the blood from his injuries strengthening him.
¡°CUR!¡± it roared in rage, breaking the silence of the chamber.
The girl''s eyes widened at the site of its lost composure- a vulnerability. With a burst of speed, she lunged forward, her muscles tensing as she thrust her sword towards the creature''s underbelly. The blade connected with a sharp, audible crack, breaking through the chitin. The green soldier stumbled backwards from the force, its armoured plates splintering, and a guttural hiss escaped from its mandibles, its vibrations ringing through the chamber.
Phoenix leap. Boundless Dodge. Sovereign Executioner. Mana Blade. Sovereign executioner. Alex was a blur of movement. He dodged vines by a hairs breath, but with his enhanced senses, and the soldier''s weakening form, they might as well have been miles away. Each movement brought him closer, each swing of his blade coupled with the swing of his executioner skills mana construct, crushed the endless vines that sprung forth from the green one. And the girl followed close beside him, hacking and slashing and tearing away sharp roots to deal damage to the creature at the center.
Together they hacked apart the green monstrosity.
[You have defeated, Level 46 Arachnae Soldier]
[Level 37 > Level 38]
[Strength +4, Dexterity+4, intelligence+6, unassigned stats +4]
In the midst of the fray, the Queen watched, her presence ominous yet passive. Her smile grew with each of her soldiers slain, whether in entertainment of the kill or excitement at the strength of her captives, Alex wasn''t sure. He suspected it was probably both.
¡°I levelled.¡± John muttered, rising to his feet, ¡°a lot,¡± he added as his blood-hardening into glistening constructs that stemmed his bleeding. He swayed as he stood, and almost stumbled. But he persisted and headed forward, each step becoming surer, gaining a strange form of second wind and Joining them in heading to end the Queen.
The porcelain Queen Perked up as she observed the strong human and drifter approaching her. ¡°Oh? Are you done?¡± she said, as they entered her range, her wide smile tinted with hunger. ¡°COME CLOSER.¡±
"We can''t fight her," John whispered, his face pale and voice trembling.
¡°We don¡¯t have a choice¡± The girl spoke with finality, clumsily raising her sword in mimicry of Alex¡¯s stance. Alex eyed her warily with his many senses as he faced the queen.
For now, the girl appeared to be opposed to the queen, and her strength was potentially a part of their ticket out of there.
But at some point, and likely some point soon, he would have to turn his blade to face her, too.
Interlude: Ichor and Blood
John, the town Guard - level ?? BloodBerserker
John had mixed feelings about change. Over the past week or so, he had become intimately familiar with it; change had become his constant companion.
Ever since his time spent in the tutorial realm everything had changed. many times, in fact. And not only had things changed, but things he hadn''t even known could change had rapidly become capable of change. His capabilities changed, his ¡®skills¡¯ changed, the town had changed, local beasts changed- twisted by the system- and most noticeably, magic had changed entirely. The town had been turned upside-down by the sudden surge of magic in all of its citizens and with the introduction of ¡®Classes¡¯ and ¡®Skills¡¯, every soul had found themselves capable of wielding powers that they had only weeks before thought of as the territory of nobility, or those wealthy enough to afford to study the arcane for decades. Powerful magic was not meant for farmers or bakers and certainly not town criers. Magic expertise had become the norm for laymen, much more so than it had ever been before. The prospect of a visiting Mage or Aura Knight no longer sent the town''s children into a frenzy. Magic was ubiquitous now, no longer a dream for ambitious youths who struggled to levitate small objects, or practising swordsmen who barely managed to infuse a mage''s power into their swings. They had all changed and now had magic of their own. Well, Except for Fred. Fred didn''t have shit.
John didn''t feel bad for Fred, though. The unassuming town cobbler had somehow evaded magic''s notice. And Fred had somehow turned his lack of magic into the most useful of tools.
Fred had a knack for survival.
The town, once a haven from the wilds, found itself besieged by creatures of all kinds, things twisted to become deadlier than ever- some becoming close to creatures of myth and nightmare. These beasts, emboldened by whatever changes had occurred during the system¡¯s introduction, often expanded their territories or migrated after being ousted by stronger altered beasts. They often attacked the town and struck terror into the hearts of the newly empowered townsfolk. Occasionally John''s nights had become a cacophony of roars and magical blasts as the townsfolk fought for their lives. Each week had broken with stories of narrow escapes and valiant stands, the town''s history rewritten with each battle.
But Fred persisted, unharmed. John didn''t think he''d ever seen a monster even try to attack Fred. Perhaps they considered the man too mundane to be worth consuming? John wondered.
Magic altered everything except for Fred, the cobbler. Fred¡¯s life remained as it always was, repairing shoes and boots. As chaos reigned outside, Fred''s shop was a haven of normalcy. He had sort of just appeared during the tutorial, an unassuming cobbler from a town no one had ever heard of who had no access to magic or skills- even with the system sweeping over the world and altering magic as they knew it. As far as John knew Fred couldn''t do much, aside from mending shoes. But Fred¡¯s mundanity had rendered him hard to notice at times. He was the kind of guy you wouldn''t notice walking into a room, the kind of guy you''d find yourself surprised to see even though he had been standing beside you for the last ten minutes in a bright orange suit. The cobbler had an uncanny way of going beneath your notice until he was right up in your face. Was that strange? John questioned. It didn''t feel strange.
Why was I thinking about Fred again? John wondered, as he tried to use his skills to channel the power of blood to strengthen himself and pressed into his wounds to stem the bleeding. Oh yeah, I was thinking about ¡®change¡¯, wasn''t I?
His thoughts returned to the changes that had beset his beloved town in the past fortnite. And then they summarily returned to Fred. Amidst the maelstrom of arcane upheaval, there was the cobbler. While everyone and everything around John had changed, embracing newfound powers and evolution, Fred remained as he always was. Always?¡ John''s thought was interrupted by the discrepancy. Where was I, John thought once more, as a large dark green wooden splinter the size of his arm crashed into the wall beside him with a shattering crack, a spray of lesser splinter clattering harmlessly across the marble floor he sat upon.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
Ah yes, he thought I was thinking about magic, wasn''t I¡ And Fred.
John had visited Fred every few days after his battles defending the town and settlement, always to have his shoes repaired. And Fred had continued his work, attending to his craft with a steadiness that had become rare. Fred''s life, unchanged by the magical chaos, made him an anomaly. He hadn''t so much as received a bruise during the tutorial realm or their return from it. Neither had he slayed a monster, so far as John was aware.
Even when disappearances became common talk; people vanished without a trace, leaving behind a void of confusion and fear, Fred remained unscathed.
And those tales about system treasures on the other side of town? The large ¡®incursion dungeon¡¯? Yeah, no one who went looking for them came back. All the adventurers and travellers of all levels had failed to return from the dungeon. Except for Fred, he seemed to be the only person capable of traversing these new lands without significant notice or trouble. The rumours of World changing treasure within the dungeon on the other side of town had claimed many victims since their return besides that sole survivor. He claimed there was nothing to see, and that the dungeon had been empty. And yet still others failed to return.
Even during the tutorial, John had wondered what class Fred had, a part of him suspected that Cobbler didn''t even have a class¡ There was something really strange about Fred, wasn''t there?
John paused as a system notification alerted him to class-skill choice and without much thought or consideration, John selected his new active skill; Blood Manipulation. Information, senses, and instincts surged into his memories, implanting him with a beginner-level understanding of how to utilize his new skill. Pain and his flowing blood immediately lessened as he attempted to purify and retrieve his lost blood while stationary on the stone floor.
Where was I? He thought, once more, as he experimented with his new skill by turning a drop of his blood into a sharp glass-like structure.
Ah, yes. I was thinking about the town, he recalled.
At the receipt of a new skill, his thoughts once more returned to that of his beloved town.
In the tutorial realm, their settlement had been a magnet for monsters and saw regular attacks. Huge creatures had come each night, and it had taken all of the townspeople to use their magic to fight them off. Their return to Pyra hadn''t changed that reality, it seemed. The system''s new world had not given them a break. With every battle, they''d found new damage to repair and sometimes a hero who''d saved them.
And then there was Fred. He just kept fixing shoes.
***
As John walked, sword in hand, through the chamber of a hidden Arachnae Queen, he found himself feeling a little bit like Fred.
He felt ordinary.
Before he awoke in the hive of an Arachnae swarm. John had believed himself special. He believed that everyone was special in their own way- but he had felt as though he had been tapped into the qualities that made him special for as long as he could remember. He was special, had told him and had always considered himself so. The feeling he had felt his whole life had only been enhanced by the change that swept the new world. In the past few weeks his boldness had led him to race ahead to complete multiple quests with high contributions, he had even managed to find a hidden quest! One that he had wisely kept to himself, of course.
He had gained a special class and had special skills. He had defeated special beasts and faced the worst the system had to offer.
But now he stood facing down an unknown hive Queen, hidden deep underground. He found himself standing beside a girl who was apparently the world''s first truly human-looking Arachnae- something indistinguishable from humanity that suggested a potential for infiltration that could end life as he knew it.
And finally, to his other side stood a man- Alex- whose strength and skill rivalled the most talented monsters of the tutorial, even appearing to exceed some at moments during his journey through the hive.
Amongst his current peers and enemies, John felt like Fred, mundane in a way that he could only hope would protect him. But he doubted his mundanity would serve him as well as it had served Fred.
John manipulated the surrounding ichor of fallen Arachnae into a rough and unwieldy gauntlet and a thick slab of hardened ichor coated his chest, serving as a bastardized chest plate. That way he wouldn''t lose his grip on his sword or die at the first blow- he hoped.
He eyed the monstrosity before him as it exchanged words with the drifter girl, then turned to look at Alex who stood with his sword drawn, staring in another direction entirely.
His torso increased in bulk as layers of vital fluid continued to form in crude blocks over his vitals.
Blood and ichor solidified in malformed layers around him, and John breathed deep, preparing himself for the inevitable conflict.
Chapter 38: Gilded Throne
Alex
Alex¡¯s attention was solely focused on the pile of treasure and healing potions that lay beside the Queen. The rough outlines of a plan were beginning to form within his thoughts.
He needed to close the distance between them without initiating a battle. He would need them to get closer, much closer.
¡°Talk to her,¡± he said, nudging the girl beside him.
The girl stared intently at the Queen as they approached, and the Queen stared back in turn, some silent battle of wills taking place. Alex saw an imperceptible shift in the air, Like chemical lightning. It was so fast his enhanced mind barely even caught it. But it hadn''t escaped his skills, he had seen some strange exchange between the two Arachnae. A combination of his Bestial Senses and Outer Focus skills had caught what looked like a chemical exchange erupting between the two Arachnae at the speed of thought. Was that their Pheromones? He wondered,maybe The Hive-mind skill? He questioned as he observed the Queen grimace in distaste, Or both? Probably both.
¡°Use your voice, Kid. No hive mind-speak,¡± The kid''s eyes widened slightly in surprise at Alex''s perceptive words before she pursed her lips and spoke aloud to the Queen. And with each word she spoke, Alex took a step closer to his true prize; the healing potions.
¡°Yes!¡± The girl spoke aloud to the queen, who eyed her sudden change in communication curiously.
"You really believe humans can change?" The Queen''s disbelief hung tangibly in the air, her lips barely moving.
The girl stood with a steadfast posture, her feet firmly planted on the mosaic floor, reflecting the room''s soft green, golden and bronze light. she replied firmly, "Yes, they can learn, adapt. As we can.¡±
The Queen laughed, a rumbling chime that shook the air and passed through all present. Alex sensed thick waves of chemical signals bursting from each giggle washing over the surrounding luminous arachnids, their bodies pulsating with each note. It hit the girl too. Her fist clenched tighter with each note, her knuckles whitening as she stood unwavering, stalwart, pressing forward with her unaffected human peers.
Alex paused, eyeing the small sections of throne he could see beneath the Queen''s engorged womb. Like the rest of the chamber, it was another display of opulence, with elaborate designs in gold and bronze- a strange selection, yet intricate and alluring. Alex found his gaze irresistibly drawn to the fractal patterns and images, a wonder of foreign artistry and elegance.
Yet still alien.
The Queen leaned back on her throne, an elaborate structure that seemed to merge with her form. Her face displayed amused ease, but her movements, subtle and restrained, betrayed her irritation. "Centuries of war, child. They''ve never shown mercy to us."
"But we''ve never offered peace either," the girl countered, stepping closer to the Queen, her bound feet softly tapping against the stone floor. "And what of the things we have done to their villages and their families? There''s a different way, I''ve seen it."
"A different way?" The Queen scoffed. Her voice dripped with scorn, reverberating off the high ceiling, and her fangs caught the light as she spoke. "Centuries of bloodshed at their hands, and you speak of harmony?"
The girl''s eyes held a steady, unwavering gaze, reflecting the chamber''s bioluminescent light, Her human-like appearance belying the monster within.
¡°You think you are the first? To dwell with humans? To seek peace?¡± The Queen''s voice remained calm, but for a moment, Alex¡¯s enhanced senses caught her trembling with rage. ¡°They are destroyers!¡± she continued, her voice growing in volume, ¡°They are worse than beasts. You have not seen our foreign borders, nor the deaths of those who hold the line," the Queen gestured broadly, her arm movements fluid and graceful, her face now contorted with anger.
She snarled, "They started this war!" Her words seemed to reverberate off the gold and bronze, amplifying their intensity.
The girl sighed, her voice calm yet firm. "And we have the power to end it. We''ve both lost so much."
The Queen''s head shook, a slow, deliberate movement, her many eyes squinting in judgment. "The lies. You sound like one of them." a hint of disgust crept into her porcelain features.
¡°If we were not made as their natural predators we would not have survived. They are lesser in mind but greater in Evil. You will see¡¡± Her voice trailed off.
¡°Or perhaps you will not¡± The queen added after the pause, her gaze scrutinizing.
The three, Alex, John, and the girl stepped closer to the Queen. The Queen shifted to receive them, drawing in all eight of her thick tree-like arms to lounge on her throne and support her gargantuan womb, teeming with life. Alex craned his neck to take in her full stature, his eyes scanning the intricate designs of her throne, then he refocused on the treasure. He shifted his sword imperceptibly, the temptation to test his skill and retrieve the potions present. But with the senses these creatures possessed he knew even the slightest move would be detected. He had to be certain of the distance for this to work.
So they moved closer, and the girl spoke once more.
¡°Let us leave, Queen.¡± the girl said. ¡°I don¡¯t wish to harm you. I don''t want to fight. I simply wish to leave the hive with my humans.¡±
John looked to Alex with concern at her last statement, his brows creased, he silently mouthed the words ¡°MY HUMANS???¡± quizzically to Alex, seeking answers. Alex put a finger to his lips in response, signalling what he believed was the universal sign for ¡®keep your damn mouth shut¡¯- a sign he hoped translated across worlds.
"So you simply wish to leave, and join the humans." The Queen''s voice turned cold, and Alex could almost swear he felt the slightest of drops in the chamber''s temperature. "To forsake our heritage, our very nature, on the whims of a newborn?"
The girl''s voice was almost pleading. "Not forsake, evolve. We can be more than what history and evolution has made us."
The Queen''s posture stiffened, her gaze piercing through the dim light. "You challenge the very core of our existence."
Silence engulfed them.
"I challenge us to grow, to change. Isn''t that the essence of what we are?" the girl spoke softly, cutting through the silence of the chamber.
¡°It¡¯s kill or be killed.¡± The Queens voice rang like church bells. ¡°And we are unkillable, we have evolved past anything the savages have ever used to harm us. We are the predators and they are our prey.¡± Alex sensed Queen¡¯s voice sending ripples through the air with each word.
¡°You think we are this world''s monsters?¡± The Queen laughed, and the chamber rumbled with each delicate chime, the sound resonating off the ornate walls.
¡°It¡¯s a shame you won¡¯t live long enough to discover the true monstrosity of sentients. You speak of change, as if we need to show them less of what we are.¡± the Queen chimed, eyeing the girl with an unreadable expression.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
"I spoke of showing them we''re more than their nightmares." the girl took another step forward, her voice determined.
"Nightmares? No child, we are their doom. They deserve no less. Their fear is our weapon. We should strike, not parley." the queen responded swiftly, and her frontmost eyes- the most human-looking of her set- narrowed.
¡°Our path is set and clear to see. We will rule over a world of ashes and bones and build new structures through the smoke. Peace? A fool¡¯s dream. The final evolution is the only truth. Power is the only path.¡± The Queen''s voice, laden with conviction, reverberated through the chamber. As she spoke, her eyes, intense and commanding, locked onto the girl.
"Dreamers are the first to die. Survival is our only concern.¡± The Queen''s stance was formidable as she delivered her declaration. Her presence dominated the room with each word. "Brutality is the language of this world. There is no end to this. There''s only evolution.¡± The Queen plucked a glowing core from the pile of treasure, her movements fluid and deliberate as her fingers delicately grasped it. she dropped it into her open Maw, the fading light reflecting false beauty as it fell ¡°And prey.¡± She said.
The girl pulled a handful of much smaller cores from a pouch and did the same. ¡°And your plan?¡± she asked, her voice steady, ¡°To Wipe them out? Every last one? To soak the world in blood?¡±
"If that¡¯s what it takes. Blood is the price of survival.¡± The light from another large core in her hand played across her features, intensified by the chamber¡¯s bioluminescence, amplifying the surrounding patterns of gold as bronze. She swallowed it whole before speaking again. ¡°If every sentient must be sacrificed to attain our final evolution then that is no sacrifice.¡±
¡°That is a bargain.¡± The Queen''s reply was chilling, her expression unyielding.
John and Alex locked eyes at the monstrosity¡¯s statement, silently communicating a decision to end the false monarch''s existence by any means necessary.
¡°They fear us as we fear them. But I''ve walked among them, and seen their capacity for kindness. There are other possibilities.¡± The girl took a step forward, her voice now unsteady- uncertain. ¡°like being more than just the sum of our fear."
The three stepped closer, following the girls'' lead. Alex followed in step, his evolved senses strained to detect the slightest hint of attack from the Queen''s many limbs.
"Kindness? Possibilities" The Queen''s laugh was a bitter rumble. Then the Queen''s eyes flashed dangerously. "You think me afraid?"
Two of the Queen''s long limbs, previously resting at her sides, gripped the edges of her throne. She squeezed, Sending a shower of stones and minerals spraying before the three. The surrounding luminous arachnae scattered to the corners of the chamber to avoid the hail of stone and metal, submerging Alex and his companions in the dimness of shadows. They were close to her now, less than fifteen feet away and well within range of her gargantuan limbs. Alex looked pointedly beside him to John and caught his eye, and signalled with his lowered sword for John to retreat. Swaying the blade to point behind him and shoving it pointedly backwards several times. He hoped the town guard would understand what was needed of him when the time came. And the time was almost here. Just a few more steps, Alex thought, his every muscle coiled like springs and strained with tensile restraint.
The Queen leaned forward to address the girl one final time as they approached, completely dismissing her accompanying humans.
"I was curious to see how far your evolution had extended the lengths of your cognition, Drifter. That is the only reason why I entertained this farce of a discussion. Do not believe yourself my equal,¡± the Queen spoke, her voice resonating with authority.
¡°You talk of peace, child? After centuries of slaughter? Humans will never stand with us,¡± the Queen''s voice rose slightly, the resonance of her words filling the underground chamber. Her eyes, reflecting a depth of centuries, remained locked on the girl, scrutinizing her every reaction.
¡°But they will KNEEL,¡± the Queen declared, her voice booming in the chamber. Two arms, massive and formidable like ancient trees, moved beneath her, shifting to cradle a womb the size of a house. The womb squirmed with countless eggs, endlessly shifting. The chamber trembled as her remaining six limbs moved in unison in preparation to attack.
Two more of her limbs extended to land behind them.
A boom sounded from all sides.
The chamber shook as they landed, dust cascading like rain from the ceiling.
It was now or never. Alex made his move.
His new skill, Bestial Senses allowed him a 3-dimensional view of his immediate surroundings- he could see and sense things from multiple sides if he chose to. The only limit to the passive skill was that he had to be close to what he wanted to perceive or he''d risk facing a painful form of sensory overload.
The skill paired well with his milestone skill, which summoned a mana construct under his direct control in any place of his choosing.
Sovereign Executioner, he thought as he drew his sword and held it as one would hold a baseball bat.
Reality rippled as his mana construct appeared standing amidst the treasured cores and healing potions, its large ceremonial sword cocked back in mimicry of Alex¡¯s batters stance.
Alex swung, and a spray of potions flew through the air, most of them headed toward him.
Alex raced forward to retrieve them, expertly moving with precision to touch swords and healing potions as they flew through the air. The moment they made contact with his skin, a flex of his will would store them in his inventory.
The move had netted him six potions.
Seeing her treasures stolen, the Queen screeched in rage.
¡°RUN!¡± Alex yelled at John, pointing to the section of the chamber that had been proven to be beyond the twisted queen''s range. John nodded and sprinted off, strange hardened blocks of blood and ichor forming on his back with each step. And Alex leapt. The girl followed.
Phoenix Leap. Mana Blade. Sovereign Executioner.
Alex shot towards the Queen''s head and swung, the hum of his blade momentarily lighting a portion of the chamber. The long blade of his construct appeared behind her and crashed down with equal force.
And the next thing Alex knew, his world became filled with pain.
He crashed to the ground, struck by a blur he had barely sensed coming. More tree-sized blurs shot past him As he faced the Queen. he sensed her gargantuan limb crashing into John''s fleeing form, and practically felt the fluids around John''s torso morphing into spikes the instant before the impact, scoring deep wounds across the offending limb. But the impact still connected.
John went flying, a sound akin to smashed glass shooting through the chamber as his defences crumbled and he crashed into the far end of the wall, crumpling into a heap.
Another arachnid limb shot past Alex¡¯s prone form, a blur he could only just follow through a combination of his high intelligence stat and ¡®sense¡¯ skills. It crashed into the girl before she could muster a response, sending her flying to join John, crashing into the far wall and landing in a heap of broken skin, carapace and ichor. She rolled to her stomach, groaning in pain but still alive.
Alex looked up as he lay on the ground and made to rise, belatedly sensing another attack from the Queen.
She was fast. Too fast. Faster than anything he''d ever encountered.
His mind could keep up with her speed, but his body couldn''t. He couldn''t move fast enough, couldn''t react in time, it felt like he was moving through molasses, submerged in a sea of inadequacy while forced to watch his death inch closer.
Sovereign Executioner, he thought, clearly envisioning the space in front of him, positioning the constructed blade in the path of her swing at the speed of thought.
Alex had done the only thing he could; he had used his high intelligence and summoning skill to react at speeds his body could not yet follow. It was not intended to be a defensive skill, but his adaptation had worked.
Her limb crashed into Alex¡¯s construct and veered off course, impacting him slightly but failing to take his life.
Pain blossomed across Alex¡¯s face and the right side of his world went dark. Her blow had ruptured his eye.
The world flashed white in what remained of his vision.
Alex stumbled to his feet, reality spinning with each movement. He accessed his inventory, combining its use with his Bestial Senses to envision the space before his mouth and summon a potion, which appeared between his lips. He bit down on its cap and felt its rejuvenating energies mending the torn muscles and tissues in his face. Vision in his right eye refused to return, and his ears still rang from the impact.
He stared up, swaying as he struggled to meet the monstrosity¡¯s gaze.
The Queen''s many eyes fixed on Alex, a predator assessing its prey. He felt a chill run down his spine, the primal fear of a hunted animal. Alex fought back against the feeling, crushing it with a force of will and experience.
Soft patters of bound feet on stone sounded a distance behind him. It was the girl, racing to help, but she was too far away to make a difference, and far too slow to be of any help. With the Queen''s speed, she may have as well been in another country.
¡°Human,¡± the Queen said, addressing Alex. ¡°You have a useful, more permanent core. I''m sure of it. Offer yourself to me. Give me your mana heart and I will consider letting the drifter and her human live.¡± all of her dark eyes stared at him with intent, a constellation in the gloom.
She reached for her swords, one bronze and the other pure gold.
What kind of a deal is that? Alex chuckled and hacked blood, not bothering to respond to the creature. He simply summoned a sword in each hand in turn and muttered three words under his breath.
¡°Duel of Corruption.¡±
Interlude: Souls and Glory
Her glory was in combat- in speed. It was a glory she had long since abandoned since her rise to Queenhood a century ago.
Her glory had been a typical and basic thing, but through relentless refinement and skill, even the most mundane objects and concepts could be elevated to extraordinary works of art. it was a form of alchemy that transformed base materials into something of great value and beauty. And she had used it to elevated her glory to realms that had once forced nations to abandon their differences and band together to slay her.
But that was an age ago, before she had ascended to join her sisters and had to end her old life to pursue something greater. Sometimes, her old glory called to her. She thought back to when she had walked upon the earth with a different form and crushed nations with her mastery, only to watch new nations rise in thier places.
But now she walked a new path. The path of Queenhood; to carry the fate of her species on her back. Her new path was one filled with purpose and greater glory, one that filled her with pride and the endless purpose granted by potential. But despite this, at times still her old glory called to her.
She eyed her attackers with melancholy.
Three strikes. That was all it had taken to defeat them. Two humans and the most unique variant she had ever seen. She could not even call that a battle. It barely stirred her heart, and could not even touch the heels of the foes she had faced in her youth- on battlefields this generation of humans would call legend.
She was unimpressed with her three would-be usurpers, certain they had somehow fumbled their way to her. A mistake, soon to be rectified. They were slow before her- painfully so, as if weighted down by lead or some greater metals, and the fastest among them had only barely managed to evade her blows through a combination of trickery and the new magics; the magic of the systems ¡®skills¡¯.
One remained.
The human male was the only one remaining in her presence, he rose to his feet before her with a burst of unbroken will. A smile pursed the corners of her lips, it reminded her of a human king she had battled over a century ago, before she ascended. she had been mired in glory that day. She set her features and banished the memory for it would do no good to long for the unattainable. the human before her would not put up as much as fight as her old enemies could.
A section of his face was covered in rapidly healing gore, and a broken mound of flesh remained where his right eye should be. A small and deeply buried part of her felt disappointed in his lack of dexterity, it had been so long since she¡¯d had a real battle.
She held back a sigh, and instead allowed her mind to drift to the first time she had ever held a blade. The moment her young palms grasped the hilt, Memories and echoes of mastery had rushed through her, stemming from her soul and making her more than her flesh ever could.
It had been the birth of her path and the start of a journey that led to what she considered her true name- the name given to her by her enemies.
They were not worthy of her blades, but they had at least made it this far- that was a feat worthy of dying by her hand. it had been so long since any other had arrived in such conditions as these humans had- with the will to fight.
She would end this quickly.
As the human made his last stand, the hidden queen prepared to end the farce of a battle of glory.
Then something occurred that stirred things buried in the very depths of her souls.
The human muttered words- a skill¡¯s name, and the atmosphere twisted and warped before her senses. She sensed an abrupt change, like a sudden drop in temperature. Except the drop affected everything she could perceive within the space between them. A strange force burst forth from him, surrounding them. This force felt like a tangible shift in the air, unique and disorienting.
It manifested first as a subtle charge in the air, almost imperceptible, yet she felt it through the delicate hairs covering her form. It was as if the very atmosphere around them had started to vibrate with an unseen struggle as the system itself was usurped from its throne of mana, disrupting the new flow of the world.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
The most startling change, however, was in her connection to the magic that permeated the air ¨C a connection as integral to her being as the web is to a spider. It felt as though this magic was being unmade, decomposed into its most basic elements. The queen, so attuned to these forces, sensed it as a series of minuscule explosions, each one liberating the mana from an unseen tether. This disintegration cascaded around them, leaving her feeling exposed and vulnerable in a way she had never experienced.
Her movements became sluggish in a way one would when mired shoulders deep in thick mud. The very air struggled against an invisible force, stripping away the organised and limited forms of minuscule mana. And stripping her of her enhanced abilities. It left her in a raw, unadorned state. Her connection to this source, once a wellspring of magic and power, seemed severed, leaving her bereft of her enhanced speed. Turning her into what she had been before the system''s arrival; mortal.
It reminded her of something.
In the days before her final evolution to Queenhood, she had seen many things. Captured many humans, and battled many more. She had killed so many of their champions that the humans had given her a name, a title brewed from fear. It was a name she avoided thinking of- not because she hated it, but because sometimes in moments of silent melancholy, when her thoughts were hers alone, it was a name she preferred to her new one. She was almost 180 years old- not the oldest of them, but far from the youngest. The phenomenon that stemmed from the human male before her reminded her of a distant memory, a memory of something that occurred before her time; the memory of a god.
And the memory persisted. It was not a real memory, and not truly hers either. Her core was made up of two souls- hers, and a source, as all Arachnae cores were. And this memory was a remnant of her source''s memory, an echo of recollection from the being that formed the base of her mana.
Longevity was fraught with the Burden of Memories. While most memories were easy to forget, some would linger in permanence, etched into souls in a way lasting beyond even lifetimes. Only the queens knew how much the Arachnae truly took from the beings they consumed, and how important the first evolution was to their kind. Much more than likeness was transferred in their evolutions- not just essence or blood or capabilities. Arachnae souls were made of two large parts; their souls would form one half and the soul of one other being would form the other, and infinitesimal pieces of the souls of all others they consumed would be scattered across their soul''s surface, less impactful than the first two. Whenever they consumed cores or mana hearts or flesh, they would steal a portion of the consumed being''s soul. The amount stolen was lessened with each evolution and would only steal valuable things- like strength or prowess. And eventually, it would need larger and more powerful cores to gain anything of value, like permanent strength or capabilities- even fragmented memories that granted understanding allowing one to pursue and recreate techniques.
The first consumption upon birth was raw and unrefined; it would steal almost all of their initial victim''s soul and meld it to their own- and persisted through all evolutions until their deaths. Everything after that was lesser, their patchwork souls would experience less growth with each evolution until eventually, they gained almost nothing at all from their predations unless they consumed something truly powerful. It was a game of diminishing returns, something that was doomed to fail without a powerful evolution that could retain the entirety of a person''s being upon consumption- to keep what would add to their power and discard what was without use.
A final evolution.
That was what they chased, their final evolution would not only alter their forms to perfection- but their souls. The Queens wished to create beings that had lived a thousand lifetimes, with the knowledge and mastery of legions trapped in each solitary form.
Past lives were more than theory for arachnae, they were fact.
Fragmented notions and broken feelings at the sight of the twisted skill that erupted from the human left her with more questions than answers. The Hidden Queen had expected to face resistance of some kind in the coming months after the first attack, but not an immediate reprisal at her doorstep. From the memories of her youth, It usually took the humans months or weeks to muster any form of response that warranted her attention.
She could still detect a faint electric charge in the air. It was a buzzing energy of anomaly within the sphere encasing them that resisted and converted any energy it touched. It altered the very nature of existence within the sphere around them and any attempts by the systems mana to impose itself upon them was thwarted as one would thwart a child.
For the briefest of moments, the concept of equality in combat imposed itself upon them. It was an unfamiliar feeling. Their strengths had been forcibly aligned by this unseen power.
The changes in the air continued to sweep through her, altering the nature of magic that existed with her very being. The mana twisted and snapped into pieces that expanded and stretched, and The system snapped free from them both, cast away.
A wave of dread washed over her as she viewed her surroundings. The mana in the air- she could feel it burst and shift, it changed in nature and poured into her. What was he?
She shuddered, an action a human had not forced her to make in over a hundred years, But what she had just witnessed was not an act mortals were supposed to be capable of.
The human had altered reality and the very nature of magic- he had banished the system, and for the briefest of moments, he had banished magic. Her dark eyes shone faintly in realization and remembrance, reflecting not just the ambient luminescence and a lifetime of cunning and swift cruelty. Now they reflected confusion.
And fear.
¡°What did you do?!¡± she half roared- half screamed, her nobility momentarily lost and the soft chimes of her cadence long forgotten. This time her voice boomed- a twisted scraping sound. the surrounding Moss-variants collapsed to the ground, their lit forms dimming in the face of her rage.
The light of the chamber dimmed as Alex imbibed another healing potion and charged.
And in the dim light of the chamber, shadows moved in the darkness large and menacing- they shifted.
The Queen attacked.
Chapter 39: Sea of Spears
Something strange had happened to Alex¡¯s skill. It wasn¡¯t broken. Well, maybe it was broken, corrupted. His entire class was. But it had become more twisted than before. His skill wasn¡¯t broken in the way a blunted blade snapped at the hilt was broken; the useless kind of broken. No, It was a different kind of broken, of a more useful nature. Like a faulty ignition switch that would start a car too easily, or a sword that snapped vertically to create a sharper, more jagged and deadlier needle edge.
The air tingled, a sensation that prickled his skin and his passive sensing skills- which still worked somehow, although muted - fed him a myriad of information on how his corrupted duelling skill impacted the world around him. But his skill still felt wrong, somehow. It felt broken in the way paths could be. it felt like it had skipped some steps it had taken upon its first activation and now it ran with a freedom that exceeded his control, guided and enhanced by his advanced senses.
A shortcut for the skill had been carved by his senses, it seemed.
Inner, Outer, and Bestial. Skills that allowed him to view the world in more ways and channels than most could dream of and others could take years or centuries to master. Together, the three skills became greater than the sum of their parts. They gave him insight into the battle of energies that occurred around him, the corruption of his skill against the inhibiting structure of the system. But insight without understanding was like a boat without moors- and Alex¡¯s boat could only wonder at what it was seeing.
The electric charge around Alex intensified making the hairs on his arm stand. Unseen Sparks of mana erupted around him then settled, the system''s influence nowhere to be found.
Did the mana get¡ stronger? He wondered in awe. Within his sphere, the world''s mana felt more potent, and richer. Wilder and thicker, it blazed and thrashed unconstrained. It pressed against his skin like a summer''s breeze, and he felt it. He sensed and saw the system¡¯s diluted mana at the edge of his corrupted sphere, fighting to regain control of its lost space. but it made no progress. rarely, it would trap and assimilate the richer mana of his sphere, shackling it to its strange indecipherably rigid structures, but it was a slow process, like a legion of wolves capturing lions. It would be minutes before his skill ended this time. he could vaguely sense the system''s attempts to encroach on the space influenced by his Duel of Corruption and judged the limit based on the slow encroachment of the system''s weaker mana. It wouldn''t stop others from joining their battle uninhibited with their systems intact, as the corrupted debuff skill was not capable of removing the system-mana seeped into the bones and bodies of more than one target. But it would put him and the Queen on level ground, for a time. It felt like he had five minutes, maybe.
¡°WHAT DID YOU DO?¡±
The Queen roared and attacked Alex in panic- an erratic response to the unknown fuelled by both distant memories and a primal fear she did not understand.
I don¡¯t actually know what I did, Alex thought as his world became doused in shadow. Eight tree-like limbs descended in a blur, all aimed at his stationary form. They blotted the light as they moved to engulf him from all sides. The quick motion of her strikes created whistling sounds and her limbs split the air, but thanks to the unholy duel his skill had initiated, Alex could track her attacks as easily as he followed the movements of his blade.
The sharpest of her strikes launched towards his heart with the swiftness of a striking serpent. A swiftness he now matched perfectly.
Alex responded.
He turned on his heel to pivot and evade the strike''s path, a trace of his movement carving divots in the stone ground as he sidestepped.
The limb halted abruptly in the space where he had just been-
A shower of inhuman life fluids descended, painting the stone ground black. Digits fell to the ground, removed from the monstrous palm. Monstrous palm fell to stone, removed from an inhuman wrist.
Alex hacked off her limb as a woodman would hack through a tree. He pulled his blade in as he withdrew it from her wound to cause further injury, tucking his elbow inward as he pulled to slice her deeper. That was a trick taught to him by his grandfather and one he had never expected to have to use before his rebirth- but that trick should not have been enough to completely remove her thick appendages- after all, she shared his strength and endurance, not to mention that her chitin armoured limb was thicker than he was. Some other force had dramatically enhanced the damage he was capable of delivering;
His Dao.
He had touched upon the Dao as he struck- only a little, and the Dao had poured into and through him in a way he had not anticipated.
Meaning washed over him effortlessly, truths he had uncovered long before he¡¯d set foot on this world''s grass.
Where before it had felt like a single drop of water, it now felt like many more. Not a deluge, but several thicker, larger raindrops that swirled fell to him in excitement. The surge of meaning he¡¯d gleaned during his time in the incursion dungeon rushed hungrily into his blade, eager to unleash itself upon the world.
What the- Alex felt tingly, the kind of feeling you felt right before a storm. And the Dao was suddenly unnaturally strong within his corrupted skills sphere. There was a metallic scent to the air- no, not a scent, he realised, it¡¯s more of a feeling. It felt Like the air was heavier, like it was somehow more of itself: more air-like than it had been before. He vaguely sensed an electric charge in the air in a sphere around him and sensed it slightly further as it rushed into his body, altering and changing the energies within him. It looked as if microscopic explosions of mana were taking place, as if the mana within the sphere was being forcibly freed from the system''s control. There was no time to investigate the sensation, but he suspected his Inner Sense skill wouldn¡¯t even be capable of further discovery.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Ichor rained through the chamber. The queen recoiled.
¡°Luck and strange magic,¡± The Queen grunted In surprised confusion and pain. She retracted her spear-like limbs and cradled her broken limb. She seemed unconcerned with his achievement.
¡°What are you, Little thing?¡± She looked at him, really looked at him, reassessing his capabilities and potential as a threat. And still she was unimpressed.
Alex didn¡¯t respond. Feeling the airwaves part in a rush behind him he leaned aside and tilted his head to let her limbs graze past his hair.
A surprise attack? She didn¡¯t seem like the type. He had expected her to face him haughtily with nose held high until the end. If she can abandon her emotions and adapt so quickly, She might be smarter than I¡¯d thought, Alex mused.
A single strand of his hair floated to the ground. A miscalculation, but an inconsequential one. He still had the advantage and his empowered connection to the Dao.
He sensed minute tremors in the ground beneath his feet and saw her next strike as one would see a city from above. Is this how they see the world? Alex was in awe as he twisted and jumped, his lost eye making no difference in his capabilities. Her limb shot beneath him to carve a path through stone. How have they not taken over every city yet? He wondered, as he stepped with back turned and legs coiled like springs to launch to the side. And if they all have these senses, how strong must the humans have been to keep them from taking over?
More questions. It felt as though this world had an ocean of secrets for him to uncover.
The queen''s second appendage sliced through the air aiming at his previous position. It crashed into stone, causing the ground to shudder upon impact and cracks to radiate from where her limb narrowly missed.
His movement and the crashing limb sent a cloud of dust into the air briefly obscuring the battlefield. But the dust meant nothing to the combatants, both of them saw what lay within clearly.
She struck several times more.
Clouds of chipped earth and stone rose with each strike to obscure mundane vision. Alex felt a rush of air, chemicals, and sound as a limb shot to his head, he dodged it as an expert would dodge a novice. He sensed another limb, this one aiming lower, targeting his legs. He jumped, and The impact of her limb against the ground sent vibrations through the soles of Alex''s boots.
Holy- He was in the air and he still felt it carving the ground as if his feet were planted firmly on stone. He felt it in intricate detail, deeply and intimately. The blow parted stone like a blade through water, small pebbles of marble stone and earth separated in a long line beneath him to scar the chamber''s floor. The clear image he felt made him thankful for his skill choice once more.
Hive-mind was great but it would¡¯ve been pretty useless right now, wouldn¡¯t it? He thought absent-mindedly as the queen struck at him with careless abandon. He had observed a pattern in the queen''s attacks and realization dawned. She only moved to position her limbs to strike but didn¡¯t attack until he shifted. She¡¯s reacting to movement, of course, he noted internally while adjusting his stance.
A feint left. A limb followed the bait. A miss.
A dash right. The next limb pursued, slamming into the ground again. Another miss.
Limbs converged in a mass of spears so thick a simple dodge would not suffice, and Alex¡¯s visual sight became engulfed with death. A surging wave of finality.
The blow landed.
Alex dug his heel into the stone floor, pivoting and launching himself with strength many times that of a baseline human. The strike missed.
¡°Human filth!¡± The queen screeched in rage and indignation. ¡°How do you see like us?¡±
She struck again. This time it was not in mindless rage or callous disregard, but a display of practised forms bred from contempt- Her martial discipline short forth and her art of war raced forward.
Her Sea of Spears fell upon him.
Chaos. A strange martial art erupted from the queen and engulfed Alex¡¯s senses- her limbs surrounded him from all sides and crashed into him, eroding his wariness. It was an effortless wave of strikes and stabs from all angles- several would crash into his position and recede where several more took its place. It was a wave. Many waves. The flow of her strikes seemed to blend together, softening to a lull before crashing into his bank with a force that could erode mountains. The two combatants moved in blurs before the eyes of all present, their speeds unmatched by all others within the chamber. Luminous Arachne pressed themselves into the walls attempting to meld themselves to it, lest they be eviscerated by the fallout. The queen''s limbs moved in a mirage of spears- deflecting, striking and eroding Alex¡¯s 3-dimensional senses with their ubiquity.
Then there was a lull. The waves receded. Her ocean calmed.
Alex stilled, envisioning his surroundings in its full capacity. He saw every curve and contour of the chamber and felt every inch of the queen''s form. But when he tried to grasp her limbs, he couldn¡¯t. Where?-
The lull ended, the waves of her assault returned and fell.
He could see and sense her limbs now.
They were everywhere and crashed into his location.
An ocean of spears descended upon him.
Strikes crashed into where Alex was and where he would be, causing Chunks of debris to scatter and dust to billow wherever they landed. the queen retracted her limbs smoothly, an action that generated a gust, clearing the dust and creating a clearer visual view for the luminescent onlookers pressed against the walls in fear of their standoff.
The queen struck again, and Alex¡¯s Dao surged in response to her offending waves.
One royal limb fell, bisected, and the ground quaked in its landing.
Enraged, the queen screamed, and lights dulled to dim as the luminous variants lost consciousness in the face of her fury.
From her sea of spears, a tsunami of limbs descended. It blotted the remaining light from Alex¡¯s vision.
Madness. Alex darted beneath the Queen''s mad assault. His blade sank into her chitin, unable to pierce completely. He wrenched at the sword, stuck fast. No choice but to let go. Another limb swooped down. He rolled clear, feeling the rush of air as it missed. Pain blossomed. It didn¡¯t miss. it grazed his back, taking flesh. A instinctive flex. Without thought he summoned another blade. Why did his inventory work? No time. He swung hard. Blade bit into chitin, stuck, unmoving. She wrenched the blade free from his grasp. He downed another potion.
She was adapting, learning how to fight him. She had too many limbs and her martial art had made them illusionary, faster. Even to his senses.
He could still fight her like this, but it would take too long. He only had 5 minutes before her speed and strength would return and outstrip his. Alex was wondering what he should do, assessing his options and grasping for answers as the Queen grew more skilled with each evaded blow. She was close to fully adapting.
And it had only been the first minute.
Interlude: Ichor and Steel
John felt his body give a start. It was a strange feeling, to grow stronger with each fading breath.
John lay on the ground in a heap, having been struck by the queens opening blow and crashing into the wall. He was dying and yet he felt stronger than he¡¯d ever thought possible. His heart beat in stutters as he made to rise, he felt himself stumble as he stood and yet his steps cracked the ground. But he was dying. He willed his blood to move through him, it guided his steps and kept him alive- kept him strong. But he felt his chest convulse and his heart aching in pain. This wouldn¡¯t last long.
John was terrified of death. But now that he found himself facing it, it wasn¡¯t so bad. He knew that was just the effect of his doomed class swaying him- to grow stronger with each injury and each drop of blood shed meant to feel better and greater the closer you came to the end- but it didn¡¯t make it any less true. He felt strong.
Strong enough to hurt her.
And so he tried. Tried to slay a monster that could destroy countries with his blood sword. He tried to do something meaningful before he died. But he felt his steps begin to falter further and his grip on blood slip. His lungs burned, not with exhaustion, but with collapse. It seemed death had come sooner than he¡¯d planned, and without a skill to keep it at bay, John braced for the inevitable end.
Then he heard a yell and saw a red glint flying towards him.
A lifeline. Alex had thrown him a healing potion, an expression of worry on his face. As John reached out and caught it, he looked forward and saw Alex smile.
John downed it in one.
Healing energy seeped through John and his strength returned and increased. Each of his steps were fueled by the chambers deluge of spilled life fluids. Relief filled the BloodBerserker as he gazed ahead and witnessed Alex battling the monstrosity. And then, just as suddenly, the relief turned to fury.
A creature beneath the shell of a human girl stood beside him, with hair so dark and thick it seemed to shine reflective¡ªalmost metallic. She lifted her sword. John¡¯s eyes traced her features in a fraction of a second, it felt like forever. He was unsure how he was supposed to feel about her nature, all his life he had been taught that her kind¡¯s existence was a blight. They were the enemy- she was the enemy. But without her he would surely die and with her he might die still. She met the town guard''s eyes and held his gaze. He lifted his blade. She nodded to him and the unspoken meaning held within the action passed between them.
He and the inhuman girl besides him charged.
¡°Don¡¯t let them trap you! Find the gaps!" John yelled as he swung at the nearest limb, digging his blade into the reflective carapace. The queen had eight limbs that spanned almost the entire length of the chamber. Most limbs shot like spears to fight Alex, several more aimed to kill John and the girl with swift blows. Limbs like massive spears struck out at them from all sides as they drew closer to the stationary queen¡¯s throne in the hopes of aiding Alex. The girl charged left towards another limb. She raced forward and leapt, her blade swinging down in a wide and powerful-
The wind was knocked out of her. Gasping without air, she crashed to the ground as a spearing limb struck her down.
Red and black. That was all she saw next, her world became tinted in two colours. Gargantuan limbs failed to reach their target. They hammered down to end her, but didn¡¯t reach her flesh. Her world was still covered in a thick pane of red and black, riddled with cracks that shattered and reformed constantly. They split, and black became red. What was she seeing? She closed her eyes and sensed the world, ignoring its colors.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
It was John.
John had summoned a dome of life fluids to protect her, a layered structure of thick crystal that reformed the instant a strike would shatter it. Another strike, and red became black, the ground shuddered under the impact.
The dome returned to liquid. life-fluids flew through the air in a stream, returning to the call of its master. John reformed his blood-armor and covered his blade. His armament of crystallized blood. The girl rose and for a split second their gazes met, human and inhuman. Then she leapt and burst through the remnants of the dome.
Blood and Ichor. The first wave of the queens strikes had hemmed them together, boxing them in to make them easier targets. John used his most powerful skill to part the crushing limbs. A Sacrificial Blade. His dark greatsword swung in the widest of arcs, its width fit to match the queen''s limbs. A crescent of his ichor and blood painted the chamber''s floor on impact. He saw a huge shape blur past, he swung. His blood-crystal blade shattered against its carapace, but the limb recoiled. John leapt forward and swung again. A crack- a hole, small. Another limb lashed out but his shielding took the impact, hardened blood and ichor shattered, removing his defenses.
Fury and steel. The girl matched his pace, her own steel blade a wild whirlwind of furious destruction. She deflected an errant blow and crashed to her knees under its strain. She stabbed and hacked and slashed, chipping away sections of already damaged carapace. She saw John without his blood-armour stood there Like trapped fauna before a hunting party, gawking at spears of massive limbs shooting to skewer his defenceless form. She charged left, towards the gap between John and his doom. She pushed him and spun, crouching and pivoting on her heel like Alex had taught her to do, then she leapt while channeling her imitation of the forms she had seen him use since her their first encounter. She crashed into John and pushed him out of deaths path.
Three limbs large enough to carve tunnels crashed into the space behind her.
They dug deep into the ground and a web of cracks spread wide, stone jutted out at uneven angles. John looked stunned. For a split second the adrenal rush of death surged through him. It held relief, shock, confusion, and fear¡ and for the second time in his life, he felt something that felt like gratitude for a monster.
He recovered and raced forward, his broad sword growing as liquid swirled wildly around him. The town guard swung his bloody greatsword and the three limbs cracked. The girl swung her sword close behind, low, cutting a path that led to the exact spot John had impacted. She saw cracked and broken limbs rising in preparation for more swift strikes.
She swung harder.
The impact of her blade on damaged limbs sent small fragments of chitin scattering across the floor. Flesh pulsed, exposed and unprotected.
The Queen screeched and her longest limb raised a blade of pure bronze, its flesh still exposed. The girl looked up. John pointed.
¡°Sacrificial Blade.¡±
Johns body moved with surety that defied his exhaustion. His sword elongated and shot forward, extended by blood. It blurred and whizzed towards the Queen¡¯s soft flesh. He stabbed.
The girl struck at the same instant. Her sword flashed, slicing off fingers as thick as she was. A bronze blade hit the dirt.
The Queen''s blade. A blade of power.
John leapt out of the way and the girl dove to retrieve the weapon, just as limbs crashed down on her location in a current of desperation. Dust erupted, a plume hiding her from all views but Alex¡¯s.
***
John lay on the ground, surrounded by dust and rubble. He couldn¡¯t see a thing.
¡°She almost killed me!¡±
Did his voice quiver? No, of course it didn¡¯t. He was incapable of feeling fear and as a result was not afraid. He cleared his throat. Yes it definitely wasn¡¯t fear. His fingers trembled. Nope, they didn¡¯t tremble, surely not. He was not afraid. He wasn¡¯t!
¡°Blood¡¯s Debt.¡± As the dust cleared he lifted his sword and spoke, and blood came to him in serpentine movements more under its own control than his.
Then he raced after the Girl who stood amidst the rubble holding a bronze blade, stolen from their adversary. He charged and spoke again.
¡°Sacrificial Blade.¡± His blade became deadlier with each step.
The girl awaited his charge with a faint smirk. There was no way either of them would miss out on what came next.
Chapter 40: Sacrifice
Alex felt tremors running through the ground beneath his feet. The vibrations spiked and the sound and airwaves soon joined them, bursting with meaning and imagery; the sensations painted a picture of destruction. Several of the queen''s limbs had crashed into the girl¡¯s location behind him causing the stone floor to erupt in a plume of chaos, dust, and rubble. He tilted his head slightly, assessing the dust cloud and debris-covered wreckage without eyes, searching for the girl''s condition.
She would live.
Alex climbed. Each stab of his blade left behind as he ascended the monstrous limb. More blades appeared in his hands, thrown forward with each leap.
¡°FIGHT ME HONOURABLY!¡±
The Queen lashed out. Alex felt the attacks before they came. Most of them. He twisted in mid-air, dodging with difficulty. Dust billowed where the Queen¡¯s strike missed and landed on stone.
The limb''s return to the queen stirred the air, cooling his face. To fight her with honour was a strange notion. Did monsters have honour? He wondered.
In his mad ascent he reached a joint. Paused. Below, the battle raged on, a maelstrom of dust and fury as his human and humanoid companions fought against monstrosity.
Maybe they did, he concluded.
But the queen was distracted.
All three of them had bisected her limbs and his companions had stolen her sword.
Her martial assault had been belayed.
He saw her porcelain beauty, a human form atop a monstrous one, and sensed the chemical depth and unfathomably complex mass of mana that lay deep within her sternum. Her core lay in her upper half, the part atop the monster that so resembled a human female. He¡¯d found the mana-heart that made up the entirety of her soul and sought to slay it.
To destroy the essence of what she was.
Alex raced up her form and summoned his Dao a final time to separate Queen from throne.
***
He dodged frantically as he raced higher, past the womb and to the base and his sword plunged deep into limbs as thick as his own body. The blade stuck, refusing to cut through entirely. Broken chitin shifted under his feet as he struggled to free it. Unable to dislodge his sword, he let it go and leapt aside just as another limb crashed past where he stood seconds before.
He summoned another edge and stabbed where he landed.
Alex rose to his feet, raising his new blade with swift motions. Drops of his Dao greedily infused his weapon with mere dregs of understanding, but the dregs were empowered by the altered space- and his Dao-infused blade bent reality wherever it moved.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
A massive spear of chitin whistled through the air with speed as it shot directly at his heart.
He sidestepped, a blur to any onlooker. The movement cracked the carapace beneath his feet. He kept moving forward and upward to the base of the Queen''s form; her humanoid porcelain upper half.
An upward swing. A surge of Dao. A limb fell like a bisected tree, or a stilled wave.
He felt the rush of air as another limb passed him, missing him by centimetres. But her martial form had been abandoned in her distraction. He had felt the attack even as she had begun to move, The sensation was familiar to him, now. Strikes missed and more limbs fell, separated from their royal owner. Some strikes came close, but the sensations they left- of narrowly escaping death- filled him with so much excitement he could burst. It was exhilarating. Adrenaline surged, sharpening his senses further. The world was his to view in any way he wished. He could sense everything. Anything.
He had never felt this way before. Not really. It made him wish the battle would never end.
But it had to.
Alex stood atop the base of her form; the thorax-like structure that merged with her womb. Eggs squirmed beneath his feet, protected by a thin layer of transparent chitin. The final limb blocking his way from her main body fell, and The Queen''s human torso became vulnerable. She was unprotected but still a distance away from him- at the top and in the centre. Her porcelain form was bare- half human, half arachnid. Her giant limbs had been either removed by his assault or preoccupied by his companions. Her sea of spears had been quelled.
¡°You have been lucky.¡± That was all she said.
Alex shifted. Muscles tensed, then released with explosive power. He surged forward to land before her in a crouch, then he rose to look her in the eye.
And she was beautiful.
But a monster. The beauty was a facsimile. A foyer to rot that had massacred beings for uncounted years.
She had to die.
His Dao surged and his blade became the embodiment of flux, ever moving and changing and ceasing to exist in states while existing in many others. It vanished before his senses and before all present, replaced with something none could truly perceive.
The Dao surged greedily in freedom as Alex swung without a word.
Facing his impending blade, the Queen''s eyes widened in a mix of emotions; there was surprise, fear, and immense shock- or more aptly, disbelief. Disbelief radiated through her, the disbelief of a giant being felled by ants. She froze as Alex¡¯s blade connected.
It split her in two.
The strike landed beneath her navel where humanoid stomach met arachnid form, and the human form fell. She reached out as she fell, dying but clawing for survival, one arm found purchase and clung to the dying womb removed of its legs and owner, and the other arm struggled to keep her organs inside of her.
She paused as she hung there suspended between life and death and Alex drew near to end it.
The Queen eyed Alex with a complex gaze as if considering her options. Her expression was torn, and her eyes turned cloudy as if the option of her death was far less an evil than whatever act she was considering taking to survive.
She trembled as Alex stepped forward, but it wasn¡¯t from fear- she wasn¡¯t even paying attention to him. She was staring at her dying womb and the eggs that lay within.
Another step, he raised his sword to strike her down a final time, his senses honed like lasers into the place where he sensed the thrumming of her core. She held a strange expression.
Alex had seen the expression before, it looked like¡ grief?
She looked back at Alex, not with hatred or contempt, fear, or even anger. Her eyes were clouded with tears and her lips trembling with regret. She stilled as whatever internal struggle she faced had been decided. Then she did the unthinkable.
The broken queen tore open her womb and plunged herself within, consuming any eggs she found within reach.
Alex struck, then. But it was too late.
The chamber flashed white as she became something else entirely.
Chapter 41: The God of Duels - Part 1
But changed.
She looked¡vaguely human. She was lean and tall, like an Olympic runner with a humanoid form. But well-muscled, the kind of form you would find on short-distance sprinters, those that cleared 100 meters in bursts of speed. But her two legs were long and inverted at the knees. She had long hair and a human face, oval-shaped with a nose and lips that if taken in isolation, one could confuse for the palest of women.
Alex¡¯s brow creased. He spotted something odd about her arms at first glance ¨C it looked like she had just had one on each side. But no, there were actually three on each side of her wrapped tight as one, the extra two hugging the main arm so tight they almost disappeared into it. These extra limbs, pressed against the main like intricate sleeves and left only the central hands free on each side. Her spare hands secured the main wrists, clasped tight light the cuff links, reinforcing strength and stability.
Parts of Her skin was grey, or at least the very thin lines Alex could see beneath her bright white plates of exoskeleton. Her plates of chitin were uniform and symmetrical, ergonomic and aerodynamic. The plates looked vaguely like the sleekest of armour and made no sound as she twisted. The plates still held porcelain qualities - they were sturdy and thick but immensely reflective. Every inch of her was covered in bright white and glossy plates of chitin, in pure contrast to the usual black carapace of her kind. If she were in battle, she would¡¯ve stood out amongst her kin like a beacon in the dark.
Her many eyes opened, eight or ten¡ªno, sixteen eyes. More than sixteen of them arrayed atop her head like a crown of stars.
Her finger touched her new form curiously and the three moved to strike, but cautiously. Because Alex wasn¡¯t sure how far her senses ranged, but he was certain that at least one eye was still looking at them.
The Queen ignored their presence and spoke in resigned tones. She glanced at the remnant of her past form, her thorax, dying egg sack and its amalgam of living, dying, and dead eggs and grimaced at the sight. Some were devoid of life and consumed, others lay dead before her. Few remained undamaged. Dead eggs for a living mother. ¡°I had only ever consumed the weakest and most broken of swarmlings before today. They had been the ones at fault, they were not true Arachnae. I would never have consumed assets or those of us who had proved themselves true members of our species.¡± Her voice quivered at every second word.
It was clear for all to see that her metamorphosis had come at great sacrifice. It looked as though she held some semblance of maternal love for the swarm, in her own twisted way. ¡°They will punish me for this.¡± She said.
Alex was unsure what had happened, but he knew what he had to do. Whatever humanity she showed did not erase the monster he had faced moments ago and would not revive the lives of countless humans he had witnessed slaughtered by her hand and on her orders. he took the lead in their approach, his senses strained and wary of any sign of attack or enhancement from her evolution.
She ignored them still and spoke in soft tones ¡°With the first Queen, you would not allow us to live. You would not even trade your dead for our children.¡± She spoke softly, yet her voice echoed through the chamber to all present. The queen cradled the cord erupting from her stomach as one would hold the most cherished of treasures- of children.
¡°you would not accept her peace.¡± She said. ¡°You burned her swarm as repayment for her compassion and You forced us to hunt you. You forced us to fight.¡± she squeezed the cord tight.
¡°And now you have forced me to take action from which neither I nor my swarm will ever recover,¡± Her pale hands squeezed, and the cord snapped with a dry crack, like wood breaking. All present tensed at the sound mid-stride, bracing.
She took a step forward, and at the light from the bioluminescent Arachne that lined the walls dimm as they each tried their best to meld into the background, to be forgotten lest they become collateral. ¡°my womb is broken,¡± she pointed, all of her eyes twinkling like stars- or are they glistening? Alex wondered as she continued. ¡°Barrenhood is all that awaits me, I can no longer spawn more eggs, only consume them all for power as my sister did. But solitary power will not save us.¡±
¡°After those eggs are born, there will be no more new members of the hidden hive.¡±
Alex felt a cold tingle up his spine and judging by the way he sensed the hairs along the back of the girl behind him rise, she felt the same. Their steps turned into a racing charge.
The Queen paused to inspect her new form and its segmented, bright white sections. It rippled and flexed as she moved, like a second skin more than rigid exoskeleton. A poor reward for a heavy price. ¡°We just wanted to live,¡± she muttered, her voice low, yet heard by all, ¡°is it a crime to be born? We did not ask for this.¡± she stepped away from the remnants of her past form at the words. It was then that Alex reached her and struck.
Alex slid toward the queen on both feet. He crouched low mid-stride and performed a tsuki, a penetrating thrust aimed at the queen''s neck with the intention of a swift end. The girl followed some distance behind and rocketed into the air, careening down toward the queen with the stolen bronze sword clasped in both hands. John stood back, gawking.
The queen stood in complete disregard for her opponents, distracted by her loss. And Alex sought to capitalize, to end it in one fell swoop.
The remade Queen reflexively tried to jump back and twist away, but Alex barrelled into her. Her left hand clasped onto his wrist and halted his blade from piercing her neck. He dropped the blade and caught it with his left.
Her hand clasped his wrist, his free hand clasped a blade and hers did too. A struggle ensued.
A swing, a duck, a parry, a strike, and a block. Evenly matched. They continued, tied together in combat.
¡°One hundred years in hiding and many more in battle, ruined.¡± She said, mid-swing. ¡°The first consumption will always trigger an evolution, usually once the entirety of a being is consumed-¡± She swung her blade and Alex ducked ¡°We usurp the essence of our first meal. Their qualities-¡° Alex stabbed upward and the queen leaned back to evade, her grip on his wrist unshaken as the flat of his blade kissed her chin without injury. ¡°¡ª their soul is stored within us, diluted. and a portion of their traits are passed on to us, an echo if you will-¡± She tugged at his wrist to throw him off balance, but Alex steadied his footing and swung again. ¡°It is our ¡®Source¡¯, that¡¯s what we call it. The source of our being.¡± She flipped over him, still holding onto his wrist. She spoke in mid-air as if she was stood on ground ¡°-It forms the core of our being and alongside our arachnid core and remains throughout all evolutions; whether it be keen reflexes and intuition, or lost memories.¡± Alex swung at where she would land and tugged back to yank her from the air. She twisted so his blade passed below and landed on her hands and feet. Just one hand touched the ground, though. The other still held Alex¡¯s wrist in a death grip. ¡°-In rare cases, fragments of martial mastery are transferred between an arachnae and its first consumption,¡° she continued.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Alex pulled and swung. She rose and locked blades with him while still holding onto his wrist like a vice on iron as they struggled, their evenly matched strength at an impasse.
¡°Do you know from when and for whom the first half of my core was formed?¡± She asked between grunts and pulls. ¡°She died in one of the Great Wars, the greatest of them, some say. Her swings were magic and none could beat her honourably, not knights, not masters of aura, not even kings.¡±
So she just wants to talk? Why? Alex wondered. He couldn¡¯t allow this to continue. He pulled with all he had and she didn¡¯t move, She pushed with all she had and he didn¡¯t budge. Of course they didn¡¯t. She had his strength and was using it to delay him. ¡°-My source was among their best.¡± She grunted. ¡°And we claimed her, used her to create what you¡¯ve forced me to become once more.¡±
¡°She was called the ¡®God of Duels¡¯.¡±
John sucked in a breath at the name and went pale, muttering about a legend of the black wars who disappeared 200 years ago. Alex could barely hear him.
¡°And they called me the ¡®Death of Men¡¯.¡±
The queen spoke her forgotten name and swelled with pride despite the melancholy that bathed her tone. John paled even further, seeming to lose strength in his knees. ¡°We¡¯re doomed.¡± He said.
For a heartbeat they stood in stalemate, locked by blades and clasping hands, until the drifter girl fell from above on both with her sword swinging. The queen raised the golden sword in her free hand defensively in response and Alex saw the blade glow.
¡°How-¡±
The drifter girl¡¯s bronze sword stopped in mid-swing. It didn¡¯t slow down, and it was not blocked. It simply¡ stopped moving, losing all momentum as if some force had pressed pause on the world. The girl¡®s body did not receive the same treatment. Her eyes widened as she realised she was falling into a suspended blade and she turned in mid-air.
Too late. She crashed into the blade and spun to roll on the ground, groaning. The spin had saved her.
A huff of annoyance. The Queen pulled Alex¡¯s wrist and swung her blade, Alex threw up his sword to block the blow.
Hard. As hard as he could hit. But that light, a Skill? Impossible. How did she do that?
She was¡ªfast. But only as fast as he could be. Still, She came at him like lightning and they fought¡ªuntil she jumped and kicked out with both feet. With one wrist still locked in her grip, Alex could only raise his remaining limbs and blade to block it. An impact, and the powerful blow sent him back some distance, though he landed without issue. The queen watched him from afar, both of her hands bare and disarmed. Alex had kicked the gold sword out of her grip as her blow connected.
John still stood back, gawking. Alex rose from his crouched position and saw the Queen-
With her back to them, although Alex knew too well how she could see them through other means if she wished.
She looked regretful and forlorn. Staring with sadness at the remnants of her womb while feeling at the cord that had connected her to it. Then she turned and stretched both of her arms wide, summoning her bronze and gold blades. The swords flew into her open palms with a slap.
She took a step forward, eyeing them as she crouched and all present with a blade shifted at her movement, raising their weapons instinctively.
¡°Now I am a Queen of nothing.¡± She muttered the words, closed her eyes and took one deep, long breath. Then she tensed with her new legs and leapt.
Through the air she soared, a streak. Alex charged to meet her in turn, his sword held low in preparation for an upward swing. The queen, gripping her bronze sword, swung it downward. The sword elongated, slicing a path through the ceiling before descending towards Alex with unstoppable force.
Her speed and strength had been limited, constrained. She had been Barred from the system''s influence. Barred from its boons. She moved through the air with speed and strength that perfectly aligned with Alex¡¯s.
She was slow, even.
Alex could see her swing as clearly as if it was his own. He raised his blade to deflect it, and at the point of impact her blade shone brighter.
Her bronze blade carved through his blade as it would through butter.
Alex¡¯s eyes widened in shock. He threw himself from the path of her descending blade, spinning around to land on his feet. His blade lashed out without thought as he spun, aimed unnervingly at where his senses told him the Queen''s head would be. She was bent over, having finished striking the ground, her sword still embedded in the cracked stone floor. She¡¯s vulnerable- he thought.
mistakenly.
Her gold sword swung at an angle that would break human shoulders and blocked his blow with perfectly equal strength, then she rose from the ground and kicked and Alex¡¯s world lurched. His world spun not from nausea but from flight- her kick had sent him flying as his kicks could send her.
Alex could still sense the structure of the world around him as he tumbled through the air. Though it spun to his eyes the world remained stationary to his senses. He landed on his feet like a cat would and his bones creaked, bruised and most likely fractured, but not broken.
A red circle painted a bloody tattoo on his shoulder, but he felt no pain. He rolled the joint and a thin disk of skin and muscle tissue fell to the ground with a wet smack. A perfect cut.
The queen frowned. She had been intending on cutting him in half. ¡°So, we fight without the new magics. A pity,¡± was all she said.
Alex winced as the cold air of the chamber embraced his open wound. In the instant his blade had broken he had almost attempted to use his ¡®Boundless Dodge¡¯ skill out of instinct, forgetting he was as stymied and removed from the system as she was. It would have been his end if he had attempted it.
The ground was cracked beneath him in a line that smashed through the far wall, reopening the door that sealed them in. The line traced the path of her blade, stemming from the impact of her strike, and cut so deep into the earth it gave glimpses of other sections of the cave system, where Alex saw distant dark figures of arachnae battling far below.
Alex couldn''t hide his shock. His skill ¡®Duel of corruption¡¯ had erased the system''s influence on them both, it had created a field without the system. A domain that separated and clung to them even as they left it. He could see it now, faintly, the air was more vibrant wherever they moved and mana was wrenched free from the system¡¯s control wherever they ventured. He had banished it completely. They had no skills, no feats, no classes and equal stats.
She was still moving at his speed. Still swinging as fast as he could. So how did she do that? How was her sword glowing? How had her strike caused such decimation?
¡°How did I do that without the system?¡± She spoke as if reading his thoughts but merely sensed his expression. Alex¡¯s arm was shaking as he stared into the chasm her swing had created. ¡°You caused this, I think.¡° She said. ¡°This return of the old magics. It¡¯s all because of you.¡± The Queen looked disinterested by the notion of it, though. Detached.
¡°That was not a skill.¡±