I arrived back at the Thornback nest with renewed confidence, my newly advanced high-Elite rank and new aspect were reassuring. What had seed like a gamble hours ago now felt like a manageable challenge.
"Ti to clear out this infestation," I muttered with anticipation, a predatory smile forming on my face.
Unlike my previous cautious reconnaissance, I didn’t bother activating Silent Predator or suppressing my aura. There was no point in stealth when my intention was total extermination. Every spider in this nest was going to die tonight - nothing would leave this place alive.
I strode directly toward the entrance.
Pat! Pat! Pat!
Rain poured outside like the clouds could no longer hold it in.
The familiar webbed interior appeared as I crossed the threshold, but this ti I wasn’t sneaking past patrols.
Almost imdiately, I encountered my first targets. Three Noble-rank Thornbacks scurrying along the wall on so routine patrol or maintenance task. Their multiple eyes registered my presence, their sharp legs beginning to shift into defensive positions.
They never got the chance to attack.
Blood Control! Heart Burst!
I focused my trait on all three simultaneously, commanding their hearts to rupture from within. The technique was effortless against Noble-rank opponents - their cardiovascular systems offered virtually no resistance to my blood manipulation.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
The spiders collapsed instantly, their bodies convulsing once before going still. Blood oozed from their mouths and leg joints, pooling beneath their corpses as their circulatory systems failed catastrophically.
I continued forward without pause, leaving the intact carapaces behind. The hard exoskeletons remained completely undamaged by my internal attack thod - those shells would fetch excellent prices from rchants who specialized in monster materials.
More targets ahead...
A larger group appeared as I moved deeper - ten Thornbacks of various sizes erging from a side passage. Nine were Noble-rank workers, but one larger specin at the front registered as mid Elite-rank, likely a patrol leader.
They detected the blood scent from my previous kills and began advancing aggressively, their sharp legs clicking against stone in coordinated rhythm.
I targeted all ten hearts simultaneously, pushing my trait to handle multiple opponents at once. The Noble-rank specins died instantly as before, but the Elite-rank leader’s stronger constitution provided a split second of resistance.
The patrol leader managed to take half a lurching step forward before its heart ruptured completely, joining its subordinates in a spreading pool of spider blood.
"Efficient," I noted with satisfaction, already moving past the corpses.
Bursting hearts proved remarkably useful for resource harvesting. The carapaces remained pristine and undamaged, aning I could sell them for premium prices rather than dealing with the reduced value of combat-damaged shells. The technique was both tactically effective and economically sound.
Deeper... stronger specins...
As I penetrated further into the nest’s interior, the ambient mana density increased and the spider sizes grew noticeably larger. These were the mid-Elite and high-Elite specins that ford the colony’s primary defence force.
A group of five appeared ahead, each one registering as mid-Elite rank with the enhanced auras of experienced combatants. Their multiple eyes reflected intelligence beyond the instinct-driven behavior of lesser specins.
Blood Control! Execute!
I targeted their hearts with concentrated force, but these stronger spiders possessed enough constitution to resist montarily. Their bodies convulsed violently as they fought against the internal attack.
SHRIEK! SHRIEK! SHRIEK!
Before dying, three of them managed to release piercing alarm calls that vibrated through the entire nest structure. The high-frequency sound would alert every spider in the colony to the intrusion.
It seems like the warning has been issued...Well, irrelevant.
I didn’t panic at the alarm. In fact, I welcod it. Having all the spiders converge on my position would be more efficient than hunting them individually through the maze of passages.
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
The mid-Elite Thornbacks finally succumbed to the heart rupture technique, collapsing in rapid succession as their cardiovascular systems failed. Blood pooled beneath their larger bodies in quantities that shouldn’t be wasted.
Blood Control! Harvest!
I drew the spider blood from the corpses, collecting it into storage vials. Thornback blood had unique properties - its venomous characteristics and natural anticoagulants made it valuable for certain alchemical applications and weapon enchantnts.
More importantly, I could use their blood for creating blood weapons during the upcoming fight rather than depleting my existing supply of higher-quality Transcendent blood. Why waste premium resources when abundant inferior alternatives were available?
I hear them... many approaching...
The nest erupted with activity as the alarm call triggered colony-wide response. I could hear the clicking of hundreds of sharp legs against stone, the rustling of disturbed webbing, and the aggressive chittering of aroused Thornbacks converging on my position from multiple directions.
Co... all of you...
I activated my blood enhancent fully and drew my rare-rank sword, the blade gleaming with crimson energy as I prepared for the swarm assault. The collected spider blood began forming into additional weapons above my head - spears, blades, and projectiles ready to launch at my command.
My Strong Body aspect provided passive protection that would prove crucial when surrounded. My Stone Armor Echo could be activated if the pressure beca overwhelming. And my various bloodline traits had proven effective against everything from Noble to Transcendent rank opponents.
The Thornback colony had survived for decades in these caves, eliminating countless adventurers who dared disturb their domain.
Tonight, that reign would end.
The first wave of responding spiders appeared from three separate passages simultaneously, easily thirty Elite-rank Thornbacks advancing with coordinated aggression born from hive-mind communication.
I smiled grimly and launched my blood weapons forward while simultaneously targeting their cardiovascular systems with internal manipulation.
The slaughter was about to begin in earnest.
The first wave crashed into my position like a tidal wave of chitin and venom. Thirty Elite-rank Thornbacks converged from multiple passages, their sharp legs clicking in synchronized rhythm as hive-mind coordination drove them forward.
SPIT! VENOM SPRAY!
Multiple spiders launched streams of corrosive liquid at simultaneously, the large amount of yellowish venom was capable of lting through steel armor.
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