Chapter 28: Spiders Attack! (Patreon)

*Beast identified* [Junior Cave Spiders (common)] Level 10 – Typically nocturnal hunters who avoid the light unless provoked (I guess that one is on me here). They boast a set of wicked looking fangs and an incredibly tough chitinous exoskeleton that covers their body in layers with some parts being thinner than others to allow for flexibility.

The spiders attacked at once with their massive fangs. Hugo flew away to safety while I engaged the closest two with my sword. One of them raised their front legs to block my swing while other came for me. I retreated while fighting both of them. Each of my attacks caused them to momentarily stop to protect their heads.

As I backed up, I looked at how the others were faring. Damian smashed his crossbow into the spider’s head before firing it point blank into its face. The spider screeched and skittered back as the bolt became lodged in one of its eyes.

Meanwhile, Harold was dashing around the room, splashing his flask of reflective liquid across the floor. Small silvery puddles were formed all over the area that reminded me of mercury. Once he was done, the flask popped back into his inventory and out came the spear. The injured spider with a bolt in its eyes and a healthy one tried to gang up on him. Harold calmly backed away.

As one of the spiders crossed over a puddle, Harold slammed the blade of his spear down into the puddle next to his feet. Half of the spear went through the first puddle and up out of the puddle that the spider was standing on. The spear skewered the spider from below, and it fell still.

He’s using the reflective liquid to create miniature portals. Impressive.

Harold ran towards the second spider and then rapidly changed direction to its left to goad it into action. The spider skittered after him and he stabbed his spear down into puddles as he ran by. The spear would then shoot up and hit the spider with several glancing blows until it grew wise to the dangerous liquid and started to avoid it.

Harold brought the flask out and created a line around himself with the substance. The spider took one look at his protective circle and decided to go after easier prey. It moved towards Damian, who turned wearily to see the injured spider crawling towards him. He began limping away as fast as he could while reloading his crossbow. Damian reached a wall and was cornered by the spider that was closing in. He raised his crossbow like a club and waited for the final confrontation.

Suddenly, Hugo appeared, swooping down with a fiery torch clutched in his talons. He dropped it onto the spider, which quickly became engulfed in flames. It stumbled around, blind, and made this awful high pitch whine as it burned to death.

Damian nodded to Hugo in appreciation. “Thanks.”

“No problem. Just call me firebird from now on,” he whooped.

That just left the two that I was fending off.

I switched to fighting with my poisonous Green Viper Fang Kunai in one hand and my sword in the other. As the fight wore on, I began to notice points where the chitin was weaker, specifically at the head and joints of its legs. I focused on those areas and found my blades started to cut a little deeper. I fought ferociously, exhibiting a speed that the spiders couldn’t hope to match, until finally, they started to bleed from my cuts. Once that happened, my Viper Fang really began to shine.

I slashed at an open leg wound on the nearest spider with the Fang.

*Poison activated on Junior Cave Spider*

The other one thought it saw an opportunity and reared up to bite me. I dove underneath it and rolled out of the way, before stabbing into its exposed side with my knife.

*Poison activated on Junior Cave Spider*

Now it was a battle of attrition. All I had to do was stay alive long enough for the poison to spread and do its work. The effects weren’t immediate, but as we fought, their movements became slower until they almost seemed disoriented. It was like they were drunk.

I sheathed my knife and approached the nearest spider. With two hands and all of my strength, I swiped down and cut part of its head clean off.

*DING!* You have slain [Junior Cave Spider (common)] Level 10 – Experience Points and Currency Acquired.

I turned to the other one, but it had already collapsed due to the poison. Its muscles had frozen, and it was beginning to suffocate. I drove my sword through its head in one quick clean stab.

*DING!* You have slain [Junior Cave Spider (common)] Level 10 – Experience Points and Currency Acquired.

Now that the fighting was over, I suddenly felt tired. The adrenaline was wearing off and fighting two level 10 creatures at once had been more taxing than I realized. Not to mention the pain I became aware of from several small bites that the spiders had managed to land on me.

I dove my hands into the spider blood and held them there for a few seconds until I was fully refreshed before turning to the others.

*DING!* Class: [Blood Reaver] has reached level 10 – Experience Acquired.

The two spiders, plus the level up, had given me twenty-five points, which I dumped into perception. My enhanced reflexes and speed from dexterity were useless if I can’t react in time. I should’ve spotted the spiders on the ceiling sooner. I had to get better. I had to be more.

I turned to appraise the group. Harold and Hugo looked the same as before, but Damian was moving a lot slower. His ankle had gotten worse from all the strain he must have put it through, but I had an idea that might fix it.

“Harold, come over here and copy one of my abilities,” I said. “We can use it to heal him.”

Harold shook his head. “I can’t use that ability too often because of how powerful it is. I can only use it twice a day.”

“So you’ve got one left,” growled Damian.

I was about to agree when I stopped myself. Something just occurred to me. “No. He can’t,” I said.

Earlier when the stone floor had broken, and we were falling, Damian had injured himself, but Harold had landed just as easily as I did.

“You copied my acrobatics skill,” I said.

He shrugged unapologetically. “It beat breaking both my ankles. I’m a lot older than both of you, and my constitution isn’t great. We’ll just have to muddle through as best as we can.”

“Muddle through?!” shouted Damian. “I almost got eaten! You could have at least told us about the mirror spear thing so that we could have mounted a defense as a group with it.”

Harold rolled his eyes. “The spiders would have seen right through it. It had to be a surprise. I don’t know who’s listening or watching right now.”

I had to admit Harold had a point there, and the arguing would get us nowhere.

“Alright,” I said. “Let’s see where we are. Damian, how many more bolts can you fire?”

“Quite a few, but it requires concentration to reload. The pain in my ankle and fighting them directly both interfere with it and slow me down.”

I nodded. That was good to know.

“Harold, how much of that liquid do you have left?”

“My mirror water?” He brought out his flask and shook it. “I think I’ve got about half of it left.”

“We have three more gates to do,” I said. “Try to save the water if you can. Those spiders might be the easiest enemy we face here. Now, we have to be more coordinated. Harold, I need you to stick with Damian and use the range of your spear to hold the enemy's back while Damian reloads.”

“And what will you be doing?” he asked, his voice full of suspicion.

“Hugo and I will either be splitting their forces or leading the attack while you two back us up.”

“You sound pretty confident you can handle them on your own,” said Harold.

Damian sighed as if he was frustrated that he had to explain the obvious. “His rapid healing ability allows him that confidence.”

Harold swallowed an angry retort and the three of us huddled in the center of the room while Hugo went to flip the next switch. All of us were looking around, wary of where the next ambush would come from. It turns out we should have kept focus on the obvious.

The second stone barring the door turned to dust and as the gate went up, blue ethereal shapes came out of the darkness. As they became clearer, I realized that they were ghosts of people. Six of them, an even mix of men and women wearing medieval metal armor, and carrying swords and axes.

They were moving slowly, but I wanted to get this over with fast. I walked up to the closest one and swung my sword. My blade went straight through the ghost with no effect. Confused, I only had a moment to frown before I felt the ghost’s short sword swing up and cut into my arm. I leaped away from it before it could cut any deeper.

Okay, this might be a problem.