137 Spider vs Spider ③

Hahahaha!

How about this mid-layer view of magma burning crimson red?

Must be unbearable for spiders weak to fire!

I’m feeling the heat—intense, painful!

But Ark’s suffering must be incomparably worse.

Below is an ocean of magma—falling in means certain death.

I’m small enough to land on the small islands scattered here and there.

But Ark’s total length is roughly fifteen meters.

No island large enough for such a massive body to land on.

Moreover, the environment itself drains HP just by existing.

I’ve gradually built up resistance over time, but Ark has no fire resistance.

HP recovers at high speed, so the loss isn’t immediate—but it’s still agonizing.

This effectively renders HP recovery useless.

Suspended in midair through spatial maneuvering, confronting me—his most incompatible opponent—within a flame field, a domain he is weak against.

A situation of absolute checkmate.

Kukuku.

Let him regret his foolishness, a spider daring to oppose me, as he perishes.

Thus, first, Repel and Draw Evil Eye—Go.

Repel and Draw Evil Eye is an evolved form of the Heavy Evil Eye skill. Previously capable only of pulling downward, it now allows the force to be applied in any direction—up, down, left, or right.

Moreover, it now enables a repelling force, opposite to the pulling one.

When this repelling force is projected around the user, it creates a pseudo-ward-like effect.

However, it also repels air and other matter, limiting sustained use.

Despite the enhanced functionality, as expected, the strongest force remains the downward pull.

Apply this downward force to Ark with full intensity.

Even with the massive frame already struggling to remain airborne, gravity is added once more.

You can fall, you know?

What’s the matter? You’ll just die if you fall.

Come on, hurry up and fall—become my experience points.

Ark struggles to maintain position using spatial mobility.

Extends a thread upward toward the ceiling.

Hurry up and fall already.

Not a chance I’d let you.

Dark Magic — Dark Bolt activated.

Dark Magic is a higher tier than Shadow Magic, one step below Abyss Magic.

Weaker than Abyss Magic, but offers a more manageable single-target attack.

This is the Dark Bolt.

A superior form of Shadow Magic’s Shadow Bolt, as its name implies, launching a completely black orb.

The attack carries both dark and shock attributes. Upon impact, it detonates, inflicting damage on the target.

Notably, as a higher-tier spell, its power exceeds its appearance.

The dark orb strikes Ark’s rear, where threads are extending.

The shock propels the threads sideways. Ark’s HP decreases.

Keep going.

Unrelenting, the dark orb continues to strike.

Will Ark fall first?

Or will its HP deplete first?

Which will it be?

Ark fought hard.

Yes, it fought hard.

It endured the assault, healed itself with a healing spell, and even gained dark resistance.

Remarkable endurance. A commendation is warranted.

It fought hard.

Therefore, it is time to die.

A new spell, upgraded from the dark magic now at level three, is activated.

Its name: Dark Lance.

Dark Lance version: additional penetration damage applied.

The dark spear pierces Ark’s deteriorating body.

The great spider, whose stats now surpass even the Earth Dragon, finally expires.

Level increased by approximately four points.

Discard the shed exoskeleton.

Yes, yes.

Retrieve corpse before impact.

Use teleportation to collect Ark’s corpse as it begins to fall.

Place it near the mid-level entrance, close to the upper-level home.

Will consume it later.

Though it is poisonous—inevitably inedible, really.

Would prefer to wrap it in silk, but disposing of other Greater Spiders takes priority.

Thus, re-teleport.

Return to the vertical shaft from earlier.

Yes.

The spider legion, including the Greater, remains.

Letting them escape now would cause trouble later.

They're eating the corpses of bees I was hunting.

Hey. You.

That's mine.

How many of them have you stolen?

Just thinking that, the Small Ones are locked in combat with the bees.

The Greater ones are holding their own, but quite a few have already fallen to the bees.

Ah, the chaos is getting intense. Can I join in?

No?

Even if you say no, I'm going in.

With Ark absent, three Greater Ones aren't a threat to me.

At first, I was intimidated by Ark's stats, but the only way the Spider Legion could win was by using the weaklings to disrupt, leaving Ark only capable of physical strikes.

Now that Ark is gone, they can't even land a proper hit on me.

Therefore, I'll finish this quickly.

Too much trouble. I'll clear them all at once with a area spell.

Without Ark present, and with the bees swarming in close combat, it’s safe to prepare a spell now.

If I had parallel consciousness, I could cast a area spell during battle. But even I can’t manage a complex spell like that while fighting alone.

Still, focusing like this shortens the casting time significantly.

It’s still difficult when moving, though.

Then, Dark Magic, Abyss Realm activated.

Darkness surges violently from beneath the earth.

Any being touched by it takes significant damage.

Not as strong as Abyss Magic Gate of Hell, but still a spell of considerable range and power.

When the darkness recedes, the small ones are all eliminated.

Even among the adults, only a few survive—those affected by poison included.

The greater ones survive, but not unscathed.

One by one, the survivors are subjected to dark magic.

Thus, the spider legion collapses with surprising ease.