This story takes place during Ch.103, when Sylvia decided to go out on an adventure with Ve after her fight with the others.
Sylvia Talgan’s POV
I made my way through the city to the front gates, with my mind swirling and conflicted. I wasn’t sure if what I was doing was actually the right decision. The way Voker was acting was…odd…I guess.
I know he has been going through a lot recently but so have I. I just…I just need a little break from everything. I did think about taking him along, but I decided against it. Maybe giving him so space and free ti to himself may help him?
Wait…I’m lying to myself…Voker is going to do sothing stupid! I know he is…oh…I should just turn back right now and stop him before it’s too late.
“Good morning, Sylvia,” Ve chid.
“Ah!” I squealed. “Ve! That’s…that’s not okay!”
Beastn! I swear…how are they able to sneak around so well? Or maybe I just wasn’t paying attention…gah…
“Sorry, I didn’t an to frighten you,” she apologized.
We weren’t even close to the front gates, and Ve had already found . Or was it by coincidence that we ran into each other early?
I stared at Ve’s blank expression for a while. Ve was beautiful and had an aura of maturity that surrounded her. Sothing I felt that I lacked…amongst other things.
Why are Beastn so well endowed? What did Elves do to deserve this? What did I do?! I’ll sacrifice a hundred years of my life for just a little bit more!
Ve tilted her head, but her face never changed. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” I told her.
Talking with Ve was like talking to a female version of Voker. The two were so similar it was frightening. They both talked and acted the sa. They even asked questions with the sa blank, placid look on their faces.
It’s sort of adorable…in a weird way when they do this. Even when Voker…am I weird? No…I’m not.
“Your ears…Sylvia, are you well? We can—”
I waved her concerns away. “No, it’s fine. Let’s get going. We have a carriage to catch.”
I need a break…everything is reminding of him.
—
After a few hours on a carriage, we found ourselves east of the capital, heading towards the border with Tel’an’duth. Of course, we weren’t going anywhere near the actual border, but this was the closest I’ve ever been. It’s also been ages since I’ve left Vinovia.
When Ve and I arrived at the end of our carriage ride, we decided to walk using the last few hours of light we had left. I was very tempted to buy a room at the small inn, but that would have increased our travel ti, and I did promise Voker I would be back in two nights.
Two nights…two nights for him to do sothing stupid! I know it! I just know it…
“Sylvia, would you care to take off your mask and relax?” Ve asked while stoking the fire.
“Eh? What why would I—”
“It’s okay. I know you are a Vampire,” she told bluntly.
I blinked a few tis and shrugged. Well…I suppose it’s my scent. It would probably be pretty obvious if sobody slled like blood every day. I’m sure the Beastn around the school have figured it out, or maybe since I’m not close to any, it’s not a problem.
I do have that soap I use…it’s terrific and masks any slls…not that I really sll like anything…I think.
“I uh…it’s probably best if I keep my mask on most of the way,” I told her.
She may know I’m a Vampire because I sll like Voker’s blood, but she doesn’t know what kind of Vampire I really am. Unless I’m old!
“Do I sll old to you?!” I blurted out.
Ve’s cyan eyes showed a small amount of confusion as she looked at . “No, you don’t sll old.”
“That’s good,” I moaned in satisfaction.
I don’t know what old slls like, but I don’t want to find out or sll like it. But…
“Aren’t you afraid of , Ve? What if…I attacked you or sothing,” I questioned nervously.
“I don’t mind you being a Vampire. I’ve only ever seen one from a distance, and although people do speak poorly about your kin, I have no reason to think that way. I imagine you are just a normal person, living your life like all of us,” she said honestly.
“Thank you, Ve…” I whispered.
Ve grunted and started unpacking things from her bag. Pots and pans and a small satchel of sothing overwhelming in overpowering and conflicting scents. It was like twenty different things in one. She also brought out a slab of at that was wrapped in paper, and the aroma was making my mouth water.
Oh, that slls great.
I don’t typically crave regular food all that often. Sotis I’ll eat sothing if Voker leaves food for or if I’m just bored. I do enjoy the taste of regular food, but that’s about it. It never sates my hunger and just kinda makes tired, so I try not to eat it all too often.
But there are so things I am looking forward to, and this is going to be one of them. “Ve, can you cook?” I asked her.
She nodded and began preparing the at by slicing it into strips. It was already seasoned, and it looked like she had done a lot of prep work already. “I can,” she responded flatly.
I felt like I could get along with Ve. I an, if I can get along with Voker, the two of us could be friends. Even more so since I just ruined all my previous friendships. At least, Ve isn’t going to try and seduce Voker behind my back.
“Okay…do you…like cooking? Is it a hobby for you or sothing?” I asked.
“I wouldn’t say that. It’s more or less a simple choice. The choice between eating sothing bland or sothing flavorful is simple to . So it only takes a little extra bit of effort on my end as well,” Ve stated.
“So…you like cooking?” I asked her again.
Ve shrugged. “I suppose I do.”
This brings back to the dungeon. It’s like I’m experiencing him for the first ti all over again, just without the yelling and screaming…or nearly dying parts.
Ve sighed, and a slight frown tugged on the corner of rose-colored lips. “I…am sorry. I don’t make for the best conversations.”
I couldn’t help but giggle. “It’s fine. You see who I spend most of my ti with anyways.”
Ve chuckled slightly, and that frown turned into a slight smile. “Yes, I suppose I do. Say, do you enjoy cooking, Sylvia? Do Vampires even eat regular food?”
I felt my ears flush, and my heart started beating just a little faster. “I…well…cooking is uh…”
How do I explain to her the only reason I started learning how to cook was for Voker?
Ve watched expectantly. “Ah, yeah, I guess I enjoy cooking. It makes happy, in a way. Although I’m not very good at it, to be honest. And yes, we can eat regular food for fun.”
Ve opened her satchel, and inside was an assortnt of small shakers with labels. I saw spices of all different kinds from all around the world. Her collection was impressive, and I even recognized a few of them as being from Nul…or, well, what used to be Nul.
“Is cooking sort of a hobby then? I’ve heard people often do things they enjoy even if they are not necessarily good at them,” Ve asked curiously.
“A hobby? Uh, no, I wouldn’t call it a hobby,” I admitted. “More like…sothing I really want to do to help soone else, you know what I an?”
Ve licked so of the fresh spices off her finger and parted her white and gray hair from her face. “Sort of.”
The conversation seed to enter a lull as Ve set the at onto a pan and began working on cutting green vegetables. She must have paid a considerable amount for this food…it seed a little much for an adventure like this. On the other hand, perhaps she just wants to be kind? I guess I can help her with this much.
“Would you like so help with that? I can prepare the greens for us.”
Ve looked from her ingredients to a few tis. She seed almost conflicted, but she nodded and handed a wooden board along with the vegetables. “Thank you.”
I accepted them and began separating the leaf bits from the hard stock using the knife she gave . “Do you have any hobbies, Sylvia?” Ve asked .
“I uh…no, I don’t think I’ve ever really had any. Now I just study for tests, do howork, and train with Voker. That normally takes up my entire day, so I don’t do much else,” I explained. Ve grunted softly and pursed her lips like she was about to ask sothing but stopped short. “What’s the matter?” I asked.
She had just finished buttering the pan, but Ve was furrowing her brows. “You ntioned that you were going through a lot and needed a break from things. Perhaps it is because you don’t have any free ti to yourself?” Ve asked, uncertain.
“No, that isn’t…it…mmm,” I stopped myself short in a mont of clarity. Perhaps what Ve was saying was right. I really don’t do anything for myself these days.
I an, I lounge around and make sure to get a proper amount of sleep, but that’s just the basics; everyone needs to do that. I don’t really like doing anything else…I don’t go shopping, nor do I want to. I don’t do anything for fun like hunting, riding horses, or…literally anything. Hanging out with my friends exploded into a raging ball of fire and put in my current situation, so that’s not going to be happening again anyti soon.
Honestly, we may not even be friends anymore. But…yeah…I guess I don’t do much other than spend my ti with Voker. And you know what?
I’m okay with that for now.
I feel happy and satisfied around him. Voker makes happy, and although we aren’t doing things, I have fun. They are fun because he’s there with . I guess…I just want to spend more quality ti with him…the kind of ti that really matters.
Ah! I can’t believe I’m even saying this to myself right now! Focus!
“You know, I guess I do have a hobby, Ve,” I told her.
Ve raised an eyebrow at . “You do? What is it?”
“Taking care of the world’s biggest idiot,” I said playfully.
Ve snorted and actually started laughing. She began to touch the collar around her neck fondly, and a shy smile appeared on her face. “I understand how you feel.”
Ad—adorable…
Ve looked up to my ears and gave a worried look. Instead of addressing the problem, I just decided to go around it. “I rember you ntioning you had a partner, but I’ve never even seen you with anyone before. Where are they?” I asked Ve.
Ve set the pan with the steak onto the fire, and I added the chopped vegetables after seasoning them. “Far away. We agreed to et up again in Luminar in two years' ti after we saved more money. However, I’m starting to get old, so it’s getting more difficult by the day. I’m afraid having offspring of my own may prove difficult…”
“Old?”I choked. “What? How old are you, Ve?”
“Four decades and a year,” she stated flatly.
“Forty-one?!” I said in shock.
Ve cocked her head. “Yes?”
No, you do not have a right to be confused with . Forty-one? She looks like she is barely twenty. Do Beastn even age? How is this fair? What god did Elves piss off?
I cleared my throat and sat a little straighter. I could see that Ve’s deanor changed ever so slightly at the ntion that she couldn’t have kids. It was a slight change…almost like sobody let out a bit too much air from her. I doubt I would even pick up on her slight change if it weren’t for my extensive skills in picking up on Mr. Grumpy’s mood swings.
“You shouldn’t worry about it too much,” I told her. “I don’t think you will have any problems, and if it cos down to it, I may be able to help you. But no promises.”
Ve blinked a few tis. “I thank you for your offer, but I don’t need you to birth my children, Sylvia.”
“What!?!” I scread.
Ve sighed, and a tiny hint of sadness washed over her face. “That was…a joke…” she said in defeat.
They are too much alike.
Ve wiped her face and gave a kind smile. “But thank you. I appreciate it, and…if it cos down to it, I may request your help, whatever that may be.”
“Of course.”
The steak began to sizzle, and the savory odor began to waft through the campsite. We did have to be cautious of monsters sowhat, but it shouldn’t be a problem for the two of us. I honestly didn’t think we were going to have any issues on this quest.
We were tasked with hunting a Lurker that was sighted on a farm. Initially, Ve offered to take on another quest, but that fell through, so we were doing this one instead. Thankfully it hadn’t been activated, so the creature should still be docile. However, it’s been proving difficult to find as Lurkers have a natural ability to hide. The hunters ended up putting a quest to the guild, which Ve and I accepted.
“Co to think of it, why didn’t Bella join us?” I asked.
Ve blushed slightly and turned away from . “Bella is…busy. I guess you can say she is on her own kind of hunt right now.”
“Oh…okay then,” I muttered.
That’s an odd yet cute reaction from her. I’ve never really seen Ve get embarrassed before.
“I hope you like your at rare because that’s how I’m cooking mine,” Ve said, trying to change the subject.
I snickered and suppressed my laugh. “The more blood, the better,” I told her.
Ve stopped flipping the steak and gave a worried look. “Uh…”
“It was a joke…”
Ve let out a single breath that sort of sounded like a fake laugh, but she didn’t continue on. Instead, she nodded her head thoughtfully. “Okay.”
Well…it was worth a try.
—
“I never did tell you that your cooking was amazing,” I told Ve.
“You think so? You seasoned our vegetables to perfection. I can see your practice is paying off,” Ve praised with a half-smile.
“I’d hope so…I’m dedicating almost seven hours a week or more to practicing cooking. But, even then, I still don’t think I could cook a steak half as well as you can,” I admitted.
Ve shrugged and stared off into the empty farm. “On the way back, we can hunt sothing, and I’ll show you so things I’ve picked up. You can probably find so of my spices in the Vinovia markets.”
I followed her gaze. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
This place was desolate as the property was empty as all the farrs and farm hands had been evacuated. The area consisted of one large farmhouse, a barn or two, so sheds, and a smaller house for the farm hands—all of them were made of white timber from those massive white trees.
These monsters were weird in every sense of the word. They looked strange and acted weird as well. Lurkers were slippery bastards, and finding them was a challenge for anyone unless you happened to be a Beastn. Ve had confird that the Lurker was indeed still here, but its scent was just about everywhere.
All the overpowering slls of manure, fresh soil, and people are mixing together, making it difficult for her to pinpoint the thing, which is unfortunate because we are probably going to have to split up soon. These things were attracted to the blood of mages and often prayed on children because they were easy targets. But well…Ve and I weren’t children, nor are we mages.
But am I a mage? I sort of am…but also not really…huh…
“Ve, why did you take this quest? It’s at Athyst level, so don’t you miss out on any serious rewards?” I questioned.
Ve was a Ruby-ranked adventurer, and this quest was technically out of her bracket. Although the guild allows people to accept quests one rank below or above one’s rank, taking a quest below isn’t a wise decision as the pay is less, and the credit that goes towards your rank up is nonexistent in most cases. Sotis people even get angry if higher-ranked adventurers are taking lower-level quests.
“Not every quest needs to be an epic adventure. Sotis it’s just best to relax and reset. Besides, no one was taking this quest, and it pays well for the travel, so all is well,” Ve said while sniffing the air.
“We are going to have to split up, huh? So we are positive this thing isn’t active?” I asked.
Ve nodded. “Yes, there have been no deaths or missing people reported. Splitting up to maximize our search range and getting ho sooner is ideal.”
“Agreed. Just shout if you need ,” I said to Ve while walking towards the barn.
Ve made her way towards the farmhand’s ho. “Likewise.”
The barn was longer than it was wide. It was primarily made of timber but did have so stone holding it upon a second look. The second I neared the building, I instantly regretted my decision. I should just turn around and search the house.
This place reeks like a farm…which makes sense but doesn’t make it any better.
I tossed the giant barn door open, and it slamd against the wall with a loud thud. Oops, that may have been a little much. I peered into the gloomy darkness and felt the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. Dark…dark…of course, the damn barn is dark and slly!
I summoned my sword from my ring and slowly walked into the barn, checking every corner...stabbing loose hay…just being careful. Careful…yes…careful…I need to be careful. And wait…
Where are all the animals? Maybe they went with the farrs? Yeah…that makes sense.
I climbed a ladder and began searching through the rafters. Lurkers were sowhat intelligent in that they would hide anywhere they thought they could get the jump on soone. Why these monsters felt the need to touch the sa person twice in a row was beyond , but…at least it would be easy to kill.
Huh…I’ve gotten used to killing monsters, haven’t I? I guess I am changing after all this ti.
I poked the end of my sword into a large stack of hay, and I nearly had a heart attack as soone scread bloody murder. It was so loud, and the timing was perfect to where I thought I had just stabbed soone, but I realized the scream was from far away.
Ve!?
Blood rushed into my limbs, and my beating heart went wild as I jumped down from the rafters and ran straight towards the house Ve was in. As the wind rushed past, it took almost no ti to make it there. I booted the door in and found Ve standing in the center of the room, her body shaking in fear.
Ve turned and faced ; complete terror was written on her beautiful face. This was the sa Ruby adventurer that barely raised her voice when a Lich showed up or when a horde of the undead surrounded us. What has gotten into her? Is that…
“A spider?” I muttered.
“Yes! I checked the cupboard, and it jumped out at and—” Ve kept rambling on while repeating herself.
I’d never seen her act so animated as she threw her hands around wildly, trying to explain the situation. Her face was a bright red, and the poor woman looked ready to keel over from embarrassnt and fear. Never in my life did I imagine she would be afraid of a spider…a spider that she demolished with a single blow.
I couldn’t be sure how big the spider was before Ve smacked it, but it couldn’t have been bigger than the palm of her hand. Now it was just a blue and black splatter on the wall.
I gently rubbed her shoulder to stop her hysterical fit. “Ve, relax…it’s dead. You killed it.”
She stopped suddenly and her eyebrows furrowed, and she looked about ready to cry. “I did?”
“Yes, Ve, you did. It’s very…very dead,“ I reassured her while patting her on the shoulder.
I guess this is what separates her and Voker. Voker would probably burn that thing’s nest down to the ground without even batting an eye.
And I would help him.
“So I take it you didn’t find the Lurker?” I questioned.
Ve was wiping her face and taking long deep breaths. Finally, she stopped shaking and nodded her head. “Yes…I searched the house and didn’t find it. But it’s been in here for sure and recently.”
“You sure about that? Doesn’t it have those long claws on its hand? How is it going to get into a house without making a ss?” I asked.
I an, I could understand it sneaking into a barn or waiting in a basent or sothing. But sneaking into a house without being noticed or leaving any kind of trail doesn’t seem possible for a monster. Are their stealth abilities really that top-notch? Voker did tell that he found it difficult to pinpoint that monster despite it watching him.
“You are underestimating this thing. It may be aggressive in its active state, but when it’s docile, a Lurker can be very cunning. It’s been in this ho, I’m certain of it,” Ve said with absolute confidence.
I waved my hands towards the door. “I understand. In that case, lead the way.”
Ve finished composing herself, and she led towards the main house. I cald my body down and released so of the tension caused by my Blood Sorcery. It probably didn’t help that I was still a little taken aback by Ve’s sudden scream of panic.
At least it’s good to know that Ve is normal…not that I didn’t think she was in the first place. Well…maybe a little.
Once we got closer to the house, Ve stopped, and her nose wrinkled. She looked behind us and all around, then seemingly settled on the farmhouse again. “Be careful.”
There was no second floor, and the basent was relatively small. There was an attic because of the slanted roof, and that would be the last thing we checked. I had a sickening feeling that it was going to be in there.
This damn monster. I know it’s going to sneak up on , and I hate it. Of course, it’s not dangerous in its current state, so it’s not like it’s going to hurt or anything. But I just don’t like being scared or nervous…
Maybe I don’t really like going on adventurers… perhaps I just like going on nice vacations. Like an average person does. A vacation would be nice. Maybe Voker and I can go to the coast or sothing…I’ve only seen the ocean a few tis, and it has been a few years, to say the least…maybe it’s changed?
What am I doing? I’m just trying to distract myself…gah…
The gnawing fear I was getting grew as I put my hand on a doorknob to a closet. I didn’t hear anything, but it was just a gut feeling that this thing would be inside of it. I steadied my heart and strengthened my resolve, and threw the door open. And…
Nothing.
There was so random assortnt of things on the ground like winter coats and such, but not enough to hide a Lurker. So I shifted them around just to be sure when a loud bang echoed through the house.
Ve looked back at sheepishly. “Sorry…it was a pan,” she muttered.
“Jeeze, Ve what—”
I stopped talking as sothing touched the back of my head. It felt soft, and it was broad like a palm. I could feel the pulse of a living thing, and now I could hear its breathing right next to my ear.
I turned around slowly and ca face to face with a single large eye. It was a deep green, and it observed with a curiosity that made want to vomit while screaming. Then it retracted its clawed hand from my head. Those things looked sharp enough to sever a limb, yet the monster didn’t even so much as scratch . Of course, it was hiding in the top of the closet the whole ti…
I scread.
It scread.
Ve ran towards .
In a panic, I forced warm blood into my limbs and lunged at the Lurker. My blood was pumping, and we were still screeching. The Lurker was trying to get out of the closet, but I wasn’t going to allow that. I wrapped my fingers around the hideous monstrosity's neck, and my scream grew louder upon feeling its sweaty, slimy skin.
So I tossed it through the wall.
I wasn’t sure how heavy the Lurker was, and I didn’t give a damn either. I felt violated just by touching that thing, and the only thing I regret is not snapping its neck. A wave of disgust washed over , followed by pure anger.
Thankfully, Ve had reacted better than and chased the monster through the hole I had made. With my body enhanced, it only felt like a few steps to catch up to Ve, but this monster was fast. I was going to have to push myself a bit harder to catch up.
I started running faster and pulled ahead of Ve. The warm wind rushed past, and for a mont, I felt free. Then I rembered what had just happened, and my anger returned with interest.
I’m going to kill this thing, and when I catch it—
I heard sothing odd and felt the ground beneath move. I planted my feet, and I could feel my legs burn with pain as I ca to a sudden stop. I pushed off the ground as hard as I could and rolled to the side.
The ground began to rumble, and I turned just in ti to watch sothing explode from the soil. Eight massive hairy white and black legs wrapped around the Lurker, crushing it. Bones snapped, and blood sprayed as the Lurker disappeared along with the legs back into the ground.
I looked over to Ve to confirm what my eyes were seeing, and she was stunned as well. Her sword hand was shaking, and her cyan eyes had a single tear rolling down her face. I knew she was either about to pass out or scream.
That was one gigantic spider.
I tried making it to Ve in ti, but I watched as her eyes rolled to the back of her head as her body went limp, falling to the ground. “Ve! Ve!? Ve!” I shouted while slapping her in the face a few tis.
Wake up! I can’t leave you here, you big dumb wolf! Gah!
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine Ve making it this far as an adventurer with a crippling fear of spiders. I an, that thing was absolutely terrifying, and I was getting scared just thinking about it, but that didn’t an I was going to pass out over it.
Does she just…not fight spiders? In theory, she could avoid any quests with spiders in them…it may be hard in dungeons, but…ah…whatever.
I scooped Ve up and took her back to the house. Now that I had cald down a bit, I winced slightly at the hole I made, but I just rationalized it as a necessary sacrifice. I’d leave so money for them to fix it at the very least.
Ve started to rouse, and her head snapped forward like a baby, so I supported her. Her eyes went wide, and she let out a very late scream but quickly cald down upon realizing she was inside.
“I’m! I’m so sorry, I can’t believe I fainted!” Ve was really going in on herself. Watching her act like this was so weird that it made kind of nervous.
“Okay, Ve, I’m going to need you to take a deep breath and relax,” I told her.
And just like that, Ve stopped and took a long deep breath. “Now…please wait here while I go kill those things.”
“Wait, I can—”
I laughed at her and felt bad as her face turned bright red. But what I was about to say was the absolute truth. “Ve, there is no way you can go down there and kill that thing…is there?”
Ve shrugged, and although she couldn’t see my face, I gave her a knowing smile. This is what Voker must feel like when he decides to do sothing on his own.
It makes feel kind of stupid inside…hopefully he gets that through his thick skull.
“You wouldn’t happen to know what that thing is by chance?” I asked her while standing in the new doorway.
Unlike Voker, I wasn’t aware of every monster that existed. So things seed to surprise him, but he had an odd amount of knowledge about monsters he should have never seen before. I think he said he read a book but what kind of book gives that much information?
And what kind of parent buys that for a child? I’d be pissed if I got a book full of information on ugly creatures and scary monsters…
“It’s a Winter Burrower. They live deep under the ground in small packs of three to four with a matriarch that leads them. They dig right up to the surface and then surprise their prey with a lightning-fast attack. After that—” Ve brattled off before I stopped her.
“I don’t need you to tell what happens after that,” I groaned.
For soone so afraid of spiders, she sure knows a lot about this. Maybe it’s her fear that leads her to this information?
“Well, I’ll be back,” I told her.
Ve barely managed a wave as she sank into the chair. She was pale in the face, and I felt sort of bad for her. But, I won’t hold back and co back to her quickly.
I made my way towards the tunnel left by the massive spider, and my heart sank in my chest. Oh…it’s dark…it’s underground, so it’s going to be dark!
Damn it…
I sighed and rubbed my face from underneath my mask. I can’t just leave these things here. They may kill soone if I don’t stop them. Of course, Ve and I could go back to the guild and report this, but…it would be expected of her to deal with these things since they are a threat.
If I were being honest with myself, I knew these things were beneath , and killing them should be as easy as breathing. And since I was being honest with myself…I really…really don’t want to go down there.
It’s for the people, Sylvia…it’s for the people of this farm. So what would Voker do…what would he do…
With that in mind, I took out a wet torch from my ring and a red and orange gemstone. I used my sword and the weird-looking rock to try and make so sparks, but it was a long process that I was all too familiar with.
When I woke up and found this single gemstone in my possession, I had no idea its intended purpose. In a bout of rage and confusion, I tossed it against a wall really hard and saw so sparks fly. And it was at that mont I realized why whoever put down there gave it to , so I’ve been using it to light torches.
I put a little more oomph into my strike, and this ti I got a really nice spark going. The torch took, and the orange fla consud the wet rag. With that, I took off my mask and stored it in my ring while descending into darkness.
“This is for the farrs…this is for Ve…this is for the people…this is for everyone…yes…yes…”
I was muttering to myself like a lunatic, and I let out a small screech as one of the loose rocks fell to the tunnel floor. This tunnel was massive, and I could stand straight up and even put my sword above my head a little.
It was very unnerving knowing a giant spider monster was down here, but now that it wasn’t in hiding, I could hear it moving around sowhere. Its long legs scratched the surface of things…I could distinctly make out at least two different Winter Burrowers.
And that sound…what is that sound? It’s horrifying and revolting at the sa ti. It sounds like a body is being…crushed…into a ball…oh…
I peered around the corner and into a massive cave. The white and black spider was crushing the Lurker's body and literally rolling it into a ball while another was shooting a white rope from its abdon. I looked up and into the ceiling to see it covered with white sacks made of silk. They were all… huge…
Oh…that’s where all the animals went, huh? So what would happen when they ran out of food…
The spider that was busy with the Lurker must have noticed as it hissed. Fangs the size of my forearm shone brightly in the torchlight as eight red eyes glared at . I felt a mont of panic, but I swallowed it down and sliced a bit of my arm open.
Blood pooled and then started flowing as it obeyed my command. The spider dropped the Lurker and went straight for , hissing and skittering across the ground. I ford the blood into a spear and ramd it straight into the spider’s face.
The monster was pinned to the ceiling with a sickening crunch. The other Winter Burrower was coming after now, and I used the blood from its fallen companion to kill it. Dozens of black and blue spikes rained down on the spider.
The second I felt the control of the creature’s blood, I expanded it with just a thought. The monster was no more as it exploded into a shower of guts and blood. Unlike most tis where I do this, I actually put so thought into it first and hid away in the tunnel, missing the blast.
Once the shower stopped, I gathered all the blood under my control into a sphere. I winced at the sll, but I ignored it. Not all blood slled as heavenly as Voker’s, and monster blood was putrid, to begin with. I almost felt dirty using this stuff for my Blood Sorcery, like I was committing so kind of deviant cri.
I walked into the dug-out cave a little and sighed. I could hear it moving behind on the wall. It had apparently hid itself in a little crevice while its servants were doing the hard work.
I barely turned my head over my shoulder and glared at the creature. It was nearly double the size of the first, and its long legs and shiny body looked almost armored with white ice. The monster reflected the torchlight, and I could see myself in its crimson eyes.
It was almost beautiful…almost…
The monster lurched at , and I put the sphere of blood into its path. I expanded it into one enormous spike, pinning the creature to the wall. It let out a blood-curdling screech that hurt my ears, but that would be the last ti it ever hurt anything.
Just like the one before it, the monster's blood obeyed my will. I did feel sowhat tired from using so much blood, but my reserves were still high, and things would end here. I couldn’t dodge the shower of black and blue blood this ti, and I promised myself I would take a long bath and clean my clothes before going ho.
I wiped the sickening blood from my face and sighed.
Next ti, this will be a nice relaxing vacation with Voker instead. If that idiot is still breathing…
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