Chapter 45: Her Existence
A primal terror from which one can't escape.
Impossible is what it seemed.
A challenge that wasn't meant to be overcome, a nightmare.
—Wake up
What is fear?
What is…strength?
—Please Wake Up
Skill, ability, by whatever means possible, no matter the outcome.
Just once more, what kind of power…
—Oh Lord, I Pray…
A single glimpse, that was all.
The words that flowed, escaping as if breaking free.
—Not For Salvation, But…
The will to push onward, a vitality that never ends…
The strength to say—
"...You're next."
A small figure, a mere child standing before a giant.
A gaze that burned brightly, like a raging bonfire amid the darkness of night.
Blood stained her skin, marred her clothes, and pooled beneath her feet.
The atmosphere desolate, a horrid stench filled the air.
Once a battlefield, now a graveyard that claimed the lives of countless.
The Arachne Queen, a massive spider, a harbinger of disaster, slowly clacked its vicious fangs together, producing an ominous sound that'd make one's hair stand on end.
Its spawn, a horde of spiders that it created, had been slaughtered right before its eyes.
Behind the wrathful stare directed at the girl below existed naught but pure instinct, an instinct…to eradicate anything and everything standing in its way.
Yue could see it, this much was clear to her.
A silent pain that festers.
A numbing agony that eats away at the soul.
She knew it best.
If nothing else, she of all people was well accustomed to it.
—A single step forward, unhurried.
The darkness, the sorrow, misery.
—Engulfed in blood, her boots splashed.
Deep seated, engraved to the bone.
—Advancing forward, slow, one step at a time.
A question of suffering, negotiation, despair.
—Closer, she stared dead into its hate-filled eyes.
Dissipating hope, fizzling out of existence like a flickering candle.
Oh, just where did it run off to…?
—A weapon in hand, dripping with the essence of those who'd perished.
A remaining cold chill that coils around the heart.
The tight squeeze of a vice, and once more for good measure.
—At once, the colossal monster lashed out with a single front leg, fed up.
No longer do curses slip from tongue like venom.
Fate, in all its unfairness, sets in with finality.
—A blur, barely perceivable, dexterity that contradicted its size.
Entrenched.
Inescapable.
—Aimed straight at her, seeking to crush her into nothing.
Clinging to the last rope of sanity, it persists.
—Past the dust clouds, it closed in swiftly, moving faster than anyone could imagine.
A fierce struggle, a fight to maintain.
Oh, just what was my name again…?
—In mere moments, it would soon be upon her.
Chaos, insatiable madness.
—Perhaps in the blink of an eye, yet her face remained impassive.
Yet, the time to give up hadn't arrived.
—Like a massive dagger, the monster's grotesque nail expanded in her field of view.
Because…
—Regardless, no decline in confidence, no lapse in concentration.
A realization, akin to enlightenment, harboring the belief that this crippling darkness that once bound the soul—
Truly wasn't that frightening.
"...Hmph!"
*BAAAAAAAaaaaaaNNnnNNgggGGGg!!!*
Pure destruction, kicking up rocks of varying sizes and thick patches of grass, leaving a deep crater in the ground.
A devastating collision, an impact that left the entire room quaking violently.
The power behind that casual strike was unlike anything the people of this world could ever hope to reproduce.
Moreover, judging from the slight look of pleasure that flickered in the Arachne Queen's eight scarlet eyes, it was confident in eradicating this contemptible pest.
However, just before the attack had landed, Yue leapt high into the air with impeccable timing and finesse, displaying full focus in spite of her uncaring attitude.
"Updraft"
*SHWA!*
Utilizing wind magic, she cast a spell that propelled herself further into the air, swiftly arriving at eye level with the Arachne Queen.
—It laid eyes on her figure.
Winding her arm back, blood fizzled into existence, bubbling in the palm of her hand as it formed into a red, 3-meter-long javelin.
—A completely alien sound escaped its maw, echoing throughout.
In less than a split second, like the snap of a camera, six more of such deadly weapons manifested in the air around her.
—As if the bottom lake of an abyss had surfaced, a sphere of murky, dark green liquid the size of a car swelled within the gaping hole of its mouth.
Staring straight into each other's eyes, it felt as though time had stopped.
—The whole world was gray, leaving color to only two beings.
And just before gravity enforced its laws, Yue floated momentarily, changing her posture, twisting her waist, tensing her muscles, and strengthening her entire body with magic.
—Her lips parted, her voice a melodious tune.
"...Scarlet Wrath"
A descent of crimson stars.
The coming of Ragnarök.
Released from her hand, a shockwave of force that propelled her javelin like a falling comet.
Each of her weapons dropped with the tyrannical strength of a meteor.
Destruction imminent, they neared their target almost immediately.
However, the Arachne Queen refused to bend, its horrific eight eyes displaying an ironclad bloodlust and fury rather than terror.
The swamp-like sphere of sludge that had gathered within its mouth suddenly shot forward, yet, what spiraled into the sky wasn't just one sphere, but a whole three successive spheres of dark green liquid.
Two opposing sides faced off, approaching the other in a matter of moments, before—
*PAH!—PAH!—PAAAaaAaAaa!!—PAH!!
Six javelins collided with three venomous spheres of sludge, seemingly canceling each other out, but—
"...Too Weak."
At Yue's words, all three dark green spheres suddenly burst apart, giving way to the blood javelins that had also lost a good deal of their strength.
Still, they continued racing toward their target without fail, aiming to skewer the Arachne Queen's massive body and take its life.
Upon witnessing this scene, the monster gnashed its wicked sharp fangs as it prepared to evade such an attack.
With the distance between the two, and its own level of agility, it was more than capable of doing so.
But before it could even move a single leg, it felt an agonizing pain running across its lower abdomen, causing it to shriek in surprise and immediately look back.
…Only to find nothing, no blood, not even the smallest wound, serving only to confuse it further.
However, it had no time to ponder over this mystery as it was flooded with an overwhelming sense of crisis.
A rather simple warning at that.
If it didn't move…it would die.
Without bothering to turn back around, the monster just barely managed to dodge the six blood javelins in time before they severely wounded it.
…But it seemed to have completely forgotten about the seventh…The One Thrown By Yue Herself.
Barreling down at full speed, the only 3-meter-long javelin that hadn't lost any of its power swiftly arrived in front of it, causing all eight eyes to widen in shock.
There was no time to evade.
—It would die.
No time to move out of the way.
—It would die.
Overtaken by intense dread, only the ghastly feeling of death remained.
—If it could just…
Move, it willed its colossal body to move even the slightest bit.
—Just once was fine.
And as it desired, the massive spider reacted, but only with enough time to lean to the side in the midst of a blood javelin tearing through its thick exoskeleton.
*BOOoOOOoOOoooOOOMmmMM!!!*
*KAAAAaaAaAaaAA!!!*
An ear-piercing shriek resounded, filled with unadulterated rage and agony. Accompanying the spider's terror was the blood javelins earth shattering impact, kicking up waves of dirt and debris.
Large amounts of dark green blood splattered to the ground, pouring out from a long wound that nearly spanned across the Queen's entire abdomen…and an open gash where one of its back legs used to be.
Not only that, but steam also hissed from the open wounds and festered with acidic bubbles, indicating that the blood javelin boasted more than just physical damage.
On the other hand, Yue watched on impassively, merely a few seconds passing since the release of her attack.
She fell headfirst, barreling toward the ground, yet her eyes never left the Arachne Queen's enormous, writhing figure.
Despite the seemingly dangerous situation, her presence oozed a sense of tranquility.
Her gaze, a sea of calm, reminiscent of a certain someone.
A change was occurring, a shift in her mentality.
It was no longer just about eradicating the enemy in front of her but reaching her perfect state.
The pinnacle of both mind and body.
True…Transcendence.
"Updraft"
Once more, she cast wind magic, flipping her body into an upright position as she drastically decreased her momentum.
Her clothes fluttered in tandem with every golden strand of her hair, before she gently set foot onto thick mounds of dirt.
To draw first blood against the opponent, it seemed she had won this round.
The scales of the battle had ultimately been tipped in her favor, though it was nothing less than an expected result.
With her skill 'Illusion Casting' which she had gained due to her status as a Progenitor, she could trick the minds of others into seeing or feeling things that weren't actually happening, such as when the Arachne Queen had no wounds despite feeling pain.
The difference in stats also played a huge role in the success rate of actually affecting one with an illusion.
Although the Arachne Queen had far higher physical and defensive stats than her, Yue's magic power had completely surpassed it by a large margin.
Thus, there truly wasn't a way for anyone to defend against it if they were weaker than her, unless, of course, they were someone like Aziel or perhaps even Suzu.
As for the reason why the Arachne Queen had what seemed like acid residue spreading throughout its wounds, it was because of her other skill: 'Acid Blood'.
Normally, she conjured blood using mana through her 'Blood Manipulation' skill, however, this time, she used her own blood, which was also the only possible way she could create a blood javelin with an added acid attribute.
Every action of hers played a vital role in securing the upper hand in this battle, even anticipating the Arachne Queen's sudden attack beforehand.
Her calculated and meticulous planning all lead up to the result of her previous attack, and that too, was also something to behold.
To be able to split her concentration between the usage of skills and manipulate mana all at once spoke volumes of her genius.
One had to know that just having a skill didn't mean that they'd automatically be proficient with it, it took actual hard work and talent, just as it did with leveling up.
Yes, Aziel might've been the greatest monster to ever exist, but Yue herself was also a beast to be reckoned with.
"Finished already…?"
She taunted, looking up at the wounded monster with icy disdain.
It continued writhing painfully, struggling to regain balance on its remaining legs. The ground trembled with every one of its harsh movements, splattering blood in all directions.
Still, although it was displaying such unsightliness, it was far from dead.
It was a boss monster, not one with sentience, but one with enough cunning to effectively hunt its prey.
Yue could tell it was putting on a show, whilst simultaneously searching for an opening, an opportunity to strike when her guard was down.
"...Disgusting."
Raising a single hand, a blood red halberd fell out of the sky and dropped into her grasp. It was the same one she had tossed up some time ago, and the one she had used to slaughter countless lesser Arachne.
It wouldn't dissipate unless she did it personally.
Then, without a moment's hesitation, Yue shot forward, heading straight for the Arachne Queen's wounded side.
She would personally see to it that a distinction was made.
A distinction between who was the prey…and who was the predator.
*SHWA!*
In an instant, Yue swung her halberd with all the power in her body, connecting with one of the monster's front legs in an attempt to parry it away.
*BAH!*
And as expected, the colossal monster immediately overpowered her, sending her flying a few meters back.
Her feet dug into the soft dirt below, bringing her momentum to a gradual halt.
There was truly no comparison in physical strength.
However, Yue had already decided.
Whatever weakness she possessed now, would eventually become her strength.
By any means, she would make it happen.
Out of the corners of her eyes, she noticed the shattered bones in both arms regenerated at once.
It may have originally been hard to tell, but her speed of regeneration was miles ahead of what it was previously.
Even if she were completely destroyed, so long as she had a single drop of blood left in existence, she too, would never cease to exist.
"Once more…"
She kicked off the ground, strengthening her body with as much magic it could handle.
—Her momentum picked up.
Nearing the Arachne Queen's gigantic figure, she gripped the blood halberd in her grasp.
*KIIIIEEEEEEIEIEEEEIEIEEE!!!*
—The monster let loose a wrathful shriek, beginning its charge toward her.
In the face of such disparity, Yue, instead of slowing down, pushed forward at top speed, seemingly preparing for a collision.
—Its fangs bared; globs of toxic spit flung from its maw.
And at this moment, just before they made contact, a thick, bloody aura enveloped Yue's figure completely, further bolstering her strength and increasing her agility.
Not expecting this sudden threat, the Arachne Queen's eyes widened as the speed of its charge noticeably lessened.
Yue disregarded its shock, slipping past its defenses and maneuvered toward its wounded side.
—A huge leg swung in her direction, seeking to thwart her approach.
With her enhanced stats, though it wasn't on par with the monster, her physical abilities had reached a new height, no longer able to be thrown about like before.
*KA!—KA!—KA!*
The blade of her halberd bounced off the spider's large nail multiple times, but not before chipping deep into its tough chitin.
Yue slid backward a few feet, watching silently as the monster finally regained composure.
Then, without a word, she charged in at its side, refusing to wait for it to turn toward her.
*BANG!—KREEEEEK!*
Again, her halberd collided with the monster's leg.
—Another swiped at her from the side.
Pushing herself away, Yue lowered herself, leaning back as far as she could possibly go.
*FWAAA!!*
—Like a scythe, the leg passed over her body, merely cutting a few loose hairs.
Straightening her posture, she gazed at the Arachne Queen, its figure seemingly moving in slow motion.
—From above, a massive leg came down, intending to crush her completely.
'...I see. So this is all you're worth…'
The blood aura surrounding her grew stronger and stronger.
—With this final attack, the Queen would rid itself of one less enemy.
It was no longer a competition, not for the Progenitor.
—A few feet away, it sought to destroy.
Honestly, it was a bit…disappointing.
*BAH!*
—The blade of a halberd clashed against the spider's giant leg, neither backing down.
Yue stared into the Arachne Queen's eight scarlet eyes as its vicious maw came down upon her.
—Akin to a black hole, a never-ending darkness awaited.
No response was necessary, she merely watched it close in, its palps clacking in anticipation.
—Her head, upper body, down to her feet, swallowed whole.
And no more of her remained, completely taken into the spider's maw without any sign of struggle or resistance.
She was nowhere to be seen, not where she stood previously or anywhere else.
Eaten.
She'd been eaten by the Arachne Queen.
Astonished, the monster halted for a moment, looking around to see if it had truly dealt with that pest.
However, upon seeing no one but the other two standing far back, its body shivered with excitement, releasing a guttural, almost alien sound like a victory cry.
It had finally rid itself of one annoyance, and that was enough to disregard the agonizing wounds that still bled even at this moment.
…And yet, if it had taken the time to notice that…its supposed prey, which had been fighting fiercely all this time, put up no resistance whatsoever.
Just this fact in itself would've been alarming, but the massive spider paid no heed.
A grave mistake.
*KIiiEIEIIEi….?!!?*
Its entire body began to twitch and spasm, giving rise to a low shriek of terror.
Something was terribly wrong.
But at this moment, its worries were made certain as dark green blood suddenly fountained out of its mouth, splattering onto the ground in a gruesome fashion.
*KAAIIIIEIIEIEIEE!!!*
The Arachne Queen stumbled to keep itself upright, vomiting blood of its own color.
It shook and swung its huge legs in an attempt to crush this invisible enemy, but to no avail.
There was no one around to attack it.
Then, it froze.
Not due to any low temperature, but the 'something' it felt inside its body.
It shivered from the strange feeling.
Stumbling even more, one of its legs gave in, forcing it to nearly collapse.
The monster struggled to lift itself up, but the blood loss had finally begun to take its toll.
Unwilling, it attempted push itself off the ground, before—
*SPLSSSCHHHHHH!*
The back of its abdomen where its spinnerets used to be suddenly burst open, spewing fountains upon fountains of blood.
*KAAaaAAaAAaaAaaAaAA!!!*
A deathly screech echoed throughout the vast room and beyond, its shrill cry damaging enough to send stalactites tumbling down from the ceiling above.
However, it was far from over.
*SPLICHHHH!*
Chunks of meat and blood spewed out from the tops of its huge abdomen, increasing the volume of its agonizing cries.
*SPLOOOCHHHH!*
More flung out from the right side where it was previously wounded, causing the monster to writhe and twitch on the ground in the hopes of alleviating the pain.
Yet—
*SLCHHH!!—CRSHHH!!—SPILCHHH!!*
More holes appeared around its abdomen, spewing out blood like geysers.
Internal organs and shredded muscle gushed out of its engorged body, pouring onto the dirt.
And eventually, the Arachne Queen collapsed to the ground completely, laying unmoving with the faintest breath.
Despite all of this, it continued to live, but it seemed, even that wouldn't last too much longer.
As if sensing its impending demise, the monster went completely silent, releasing ragged breaths at odd intervals.
If one wasn't perceptive enough, they would've probably believed it to be dead, yet the fact that it survived this much meant that its vitality wasn't anything to scoff at.
Still, its silence seemed almost ominous.
It was as if something was coming.
Something frightening, unimaginable.
The terrifying wait of the monster's death seemed to last forever.
Until—
*SPLAAAAAAAGHHHHHH!!!!*
The Arachne Queen's body completely exploded.
Like a watermelon, it simply popped.
Blood, flesh, and organs were flung in all directions, falling to the ground in a downpour of dark green.
An utterly gruesome demise, one most wouldn't even wish on their worst enemies.
But standing amidst this ghastly spectacle was a sole figure.
Golden blonde hair, Crimson red eyes, and Porcelain white skin.
It could be no one else.
The person who'd been devoured whole by the monster stood completely still; no visible emotion could be discerned.
However, one thing was certain.
An undeniable fact. She, who had been swallowed and came out alive...
She had defeated it…all by herself.
Unthinkable.
It was an achievement no one would believe even if they heard it.
A monster with physical stats nearly on par with the Hydra, the final creature this labyrinth had to offer, had perished at the hands of a single vampire.
No, not just any vampire—
But the Progenitor herself.
To be slain by an existence higher than royalty.
An accomplishment one ought to value to the highest degree.
After all, its life was put to great use…
"Be honored…Insect."
…To satisfy a Vampire's Pride.
*
*
*
Both Aziel and Suzu stared at the scene ahead blankly, watching, the former in mild surprise, but the latter…in complete shock.
Reflected in both their eyes, an awe inspiring sight.
Blood rained from the sky, an ominous green shower.
It drizzled as a warm ray of light shone down, unknown of its origins, like heavens gates had been thrust open, a sole figure, petite but well proportioned, such beauty.
Completely naked, bare, displaying her porcelain white skin.
She stood, wreathed in a mystical aura that seemed to ascend the mundane—far from the secular world.
Untouchable.
With her head raised high, she gazed calmly at the dark ceiling of this hellish labyrinth, allowing residual drops of blood to slide off her fingers and drip into her mouth.
This was…
—Something More
Blinding, no longer a belief, but…
—Providence
A reality meant to be.
A final truth that couldn't be denied—
The Advent of Destiny.
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3.5k words
I don't really feel like typing right now, but if you didn't stop by my story till now, Ion know what I should do with you...
Prepare for punishment.