Chapter 66: Last Raid: The Trump Card
Fire spread wildly, burning the giant web into ashes.
Crumble!
"Kiik!"
All the spiders on the faraway webs shrieked.
The tongue of the fla licked them, swallowing them whole.
"Kiikkk!"
Hearing her kind’s shrill shrieks, the web ball inside the queen’s mouth stopped expanding for a split second.
A chance!
"N-now! Hurry!"
Leona slapped Leon’s head hard and the man’s blurry mind cleared up for a split second.
He imdiately stretched his hands, pointing them at the chamber cave where the queen was—
The only place not touched by the fire.
"Earth...collapse!"
A huge amount of energy burst out of the tan-skinned man and his arms instantly fell limp, his eyes rolled back.
Grrkkk—
The ground under the spider queen’s feet shook.
"K-kiiik!"
The spider queen moved, trying to get away, but...
She was too slow.
The ground under her body crumbled.
Boom!
Huge rocks fell like rain, hitting the deep chasm.
Bang! Bang!
Thump.
Loud thumping noises echoed from the darkness below and the entire dungeon shook.
Shaaa...
Dust rose, covering half of the entire cave.
The grey dust and the green mist entangled in the air.
"Kiikkk!"
The spider queen’s body plumted, her huge belly dragging her down.
Above, the gatekeeper spiders on the burning web felt the heat licking them.
The fire touched their front legs and the sll of burnt at spread.
They were about to jump onto the cave’s wall but the mont the spider queen fell—
They jumped down without hesitation.
"Kiiik!!"
Lucien saw the scene and his voice rang in the queen’s mind, his tone urgent.
"Queen! Web...belly!"
The sa voice rang in the gatekeeper spiders’ minds.
"Cocoon— protect!"
The queen and the gatekeepers only heard fragnts of words but they instinctively obeyed.
"Kiiik!"
The queen shot out the ball of thread in her mouth—
Towards her own body— precisely, her belly.
As if in sync, the two gatekeeper spiders moved their burnt front legs, weaving the queen’s webs, turning her into a cocoon.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The gatekeeper spiders each tied the queen’s pupa to their front legs and opened their mouths wide.
Splat! Splat!
New webs shot down towards the cave’s wall deep in the chasm.
Swoosh!
The darkness engulfed their bodies whole, along with the queen’s huge cocoon.
The light from the fire didn’t reach the darkness, only swallowing the last pieces of the giant web.
Crackle.
The sparks fell down before disappearing.
In the darkness that the hunters couldn’t see—
The gatekeepers’ bodies swayed, with the huge cocoon beneath them.
The webs on the wall were stretched thin, about to snap—
When the wall right next to the cocoon slowly moved.
Grrkkk.
The wall hollowed up a space— just a perfect size for the cocoon.
"Throw."
Lucien’s voice rang again and the spiders imdiately threw the cocoon into the new cave.
Thud.
The cocoon padded the impact and the queen laid inside, shrieking weakly.
The gatekeepers quickly climbed down into the cave, their front legs already charred beyond imagination.
So flesh fell off, their legs limp.
"K-kiiik— "
The two spiders crawled closer to the queen’s cocoon, each of them blocking the cocoon with their bodies.
A split second later— both spiders fell listlessly.
Their breaths faint.
The queen inside the cocoon breathed lightly, her legs trembling.
The cocoon protected her fragile belly, yet a damp green still seeped out.
"K-kiikkk..."
A drop of green liquid slid down her eight eyes—
Like tears.
Lucien’s voice rang, softer than before.
"Good job."
As the three spiders succumbed into a deep sleep, a red panel suddenly popped up in front of Lucien.
[ -50 durability]
The giant spider was gone.
The old cave chamber crumbled.
A new one was forcibly carved.
The system blared ominously.
[Warning! Warning! The spider dungeon’s durability has reached a critical threshold!]
[Forcibly draining energy ?????? ]
[Spider dungeon’s energy reserve: 65%]
[Durability: 60/100]
The green crystal dimd even further and Lucien could feel a large amount of energy escaping his body.
Grrkkk.
His back throbbed, a tearing pain stabbed him from the inside, as if sothing was about to burst out of his back.
"Ughhhh..."
A burst of hunger drilled Lucien’s belly, the pain blurring his mind.
—More...energy.
Mixed with the unbearable hunger was a prickling pain stabbing his entire body.
For every single spider lost, Lucien felt his own flesh being torn apart.
Tear. Tear.
His...kind...
The number of spiders on the panel flashed.
[33 spiders]
From a few hundred...down to just a handful.
A burning fire raged inside Lucien’s heart.
His lungs ached, his throat throbbed.
Kill...
His mind moved, sweeping over the cave floor where no light ever touched.
Thump.
Thump.
Several huge cocoons wriggled, the exposed mouths gnawed on the flesh and bones—
Humans and spiders alike.
Lucien’s fingers hooked the air and the cave floor slowly rose.
Grrrkk.
His eyes swept over the six hunters slowly floating towards the swirling purple arc hidden behind the queen’s cave chamber.
Whirl. Whirl. Whirl.
Two cocoons slowly unwind, revealing the familiar sleek, black upper body.
The thing sensed the loosening restriction and it thumped its lower body.
Thump.
Thump.
The sound was getting close.
Lucien’s fangs popped up.
A sneer briefly escaped his lips and he mouthed.
Bon appetite.
"Everyone, are you.....okay?"
The white-haired woman, Mina, clasped her fingers tightly, tears gathering in her eyes.
"W-we...okay..."
Both the tan-skinned man and Leona the fire mage mumbled, their bodies moving like a lifeless puppet.
"E-energy potion..."
Grrkkk.
Thump.
The harsh noise drifted from below, but the hunters didn’t even bat an eyelid.
The spider web is gone.
This spider dungeon is basically cleared.
"W-wait, I have a few— "
Mina the white-haired woman fumbled around her robe, her fingers trembling.
Grrkkk.
The rumbling noise sounded closer.
Thump.
A dull sound followed.
The monocle guy kneaded his aching brain, trying to re-focus.
Is the dungeon crumbling?
What’s with the noise?
"M-Mina...energy...potion..."
Raven, the gravity boy, breathed heavily.
His hands tied just to control the six people’s gravity.
He almost couldn’t feel his brain.
They’re close—
Huh?
A black shadow slowly rose from the chasm, right behind Mina.
What...?
Raven blinked. His vision was doubling.
What...is that?
Scrape—
The wall behind the shadow was scraped.
Thump.
The dull noise felt right next to the ears.
Mina grabbed three energy potion glasses and hurriedly shook them in the air, her face bright.
"I got it! Here, you guys— "
The other hunters’ faces suddenly contorted.
THUMP.
Their mouths opened and closed.
"Be...hind..."
What...?
Mina’s smile on her face hasn’t faded yet when she felt a strong gust of wind—
Splat.
Blood spurt.
Her hands holding the energy potions froze in the air—
Sticking out of the teeth.
Crack. Crack.
The sound of munching echoed.
The energy potions in her palms swayed— before plumting into the darkness.
Crack!
The sound of glass shattering mixed with the sound of bones crunching.
Shaa...
The hands sticking out slowly rose— higher.
"W-what..what..."
The monocle guy, Amon, covered his mouth tightly.
The shadow wriggled.
The bare arms slowly disappeared into the dark mouths.
Crack.
Everyone’s heart instantly skipped a beat.
Silence fell for a split second and then—
A black, sleek shell glead— smashing down at Leona.
Swish!
Amon’s shrill voice cut through the air.
"Leona!!"
He moved his hands and an invisible force grabbed the huge shadow like two giant hands— squeezing the huge shadow tightly.
[Telekinesis: Squeeze]
Crack!
The huge shadow paused.
Amon’s face brightened as he shouted at the pale-faced Raven.
"Raven! Now! Move Leona— "
Raven’s eyes widened.
He opened his mouth and then...
The wind blew.
"Ah..."
Amon’s pupils trembled.
The huge shadow’s body was close.
So close he could see the gleaming black light—
A shell.
Not...a spider.
Amon’s invisible force was still squeezing the huge shadow.
But...
Not a single scratch appeared on the black shell.
A glimpse of red— Leona’s fiery hair flashed in Amon’s eyes.
Her eyes widened in horror.
The next second—
Leona’s body hit the wall like a broken kite.
Splat!
Crimson liquid splashed all over the wall.
Tak. Tak. Tak.
Wood crumbs flew everywhere.
The staff’s debris cut at Amon’s feet.
I-impossible.
Amon’s face contorted.
The invisible energy was still squeezing the huge shadow, yet—
Crack. Crack. Crack.
It still wriggled near the red wall, munching on it.
Amon’s face turned deathly pale, his blood cooled.
H-his skill...
Didn’t work.
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