Chapter 9: Big Fight

"Alright, time to go." With a quick bite to eat of the leftover meat from the night before. Cyrus prepares himself mentally and makes sure his gear is in check. He walks over and through the portal out of his shadow with an icy look of determination in his eyes. Looking around the water cavern that he was in, he didn't see any enemies in wait luckily.

Walking over to the water, Cyrus reached into the pool that is his shadow pulling out his near empty water pouch. Uncapping it he dunks it in the water filling it up of the crystal-clear cave water. Capping the water pouch and returning it back into the shadow, Cyrus stood up to walk back into the tunnel with the spider knight. Crouching low and only using his Child of Shadows passive to barely see in the dark. Cyrus slowly made his way through the cave while avoiding any new webbing to prevent alerting any spiders before Cyrus was ready.

Finally making it back to where he fought the spiderlings, Cyrus has yet to see the spider knight. Walking further than he has walked before. Cyrus started to get slightly nervous as he hasn't encountered anything yet. Passing the empty egg sacks, with seeing that he was at least a little relieved knowing he probably dealt with a decent sized problem.

Making his way to an entrance to what appeared to be a pretty big cistern from his limited vision.

'This could be the end of the cave; I have a feeling I'm going to be fighting something else along with that one spider knight. Well death waits for no one, hopefully it won't be mine from this encounter.' Cyrus thought to himself with a breathless sigh from his lips. Keeping crouched Cyrus cast Orb of Light in the middle of the cistern filling the room with a bright light. The room from where Cyrus was standing sloped down into ankle deep water, that reflected the room from its glimmering surface. Within the reflection in the water a sight most horrifying to anyone with arachnophobia. Across the cistern rock ceiling Cyrus could see that it was completely covered in dark moving masses. With one mass much larger than the rest of the moving masses.

When the light filled the room there was a moment of silence between both sides before there a cacophony of screeches.

"HOLY SHIT!!!!" Cyrus yells out, quickly standing up. Whipping his dagger out of its sheathe and throwing his hand forward. Cyrus cast two more orbs of light making the room slightly brighter before the orbs glowed brightly before each one unleashed 8 scorching rays of energy. The rays slamming into the ceiling, blasting rock and gore across the room. Splashing into the water a mix of spider parts and rocks. Getting another wave of Scorching Beams out of the orbs before the spiders could retaliate. Killing off more spiderlings and doing some more damage to bigger spiders.

As the beams settled, 8 large splashes were heard as 6 Giant Spiders and 2 Spider Knights dropped from the ceiling. Using Menacing Gaze Cyrus stopped the spiders in their tracks for enough time. For Cyrus to slam his palm into the ground casting Shadow Pets. As 2 Giant Spiders formed out from the shadows.

"ATTACK!" "SCREECH!" Yelling out the command for the pets they launched themselves. Toward the Spider Knights to keep them busy. With that the 6 Giant Spiders launched themselves toward Cyrus. 2 of them launched globs of poison from their mouths at Cyrus. Filling his body with wind mana using Weightless Dodge to throw himself to the side away from the poison. With a side roll, Cyrus started sprinting around the room. Holding his hand out while sprinting, Cyrus casted Airburst 3 times at one of the Spiders that launched poison. Blowing off one of its mandibles and two of its legs as it slammed down into the ground injured but not out.

In the corner of his eye Cyrus saw a leg being launched toward him. Jumping up into the air he spun himself throwing his dagger into the way. Blocking the leg but the force launched Cyrus into a tumble across the ground. Keeping his body into a tight roll reducing the damage from it. When he felt his legs get close to the ground, he threw them out to catch himself. Popping his body back into full standing position as he started running seamlessly from the tumble. Seeing the other 3 Giant Spiders getting close to him, Cyrus casted Scorching Beams from the orbs again. Focusing them on the Giant Spiders within striking distance of him. The beams slamming down across their body burning pocket marks where they hit. Causing the spiders to falter in their advance because of the beams.

Slashing his arm down launching Sightless Slash at the Giant Spider that smacked him with its leg. As the arc of shadow flies forward, slicing off all the legs on one side of the spider. Forcing it down to fall onto its stomach incapacitated.

"2 kind of down, 4 more two to go." Cyrus mumbles to himself as he launched himself toward the nearest spider still halted in its tracks. With a flick of his thumb a blue glint flipped into the air, quickly catching it as he feels his strength increase with the success of Lucky Coin. Jumping into the air with his dagger out. The spider reacting quickly as it launched a glob of poison at Cyrus's falling body. Throwing his hand out Cyrus used Airburst to blast the poison out of the way. With a slight grimace as some still splattered across his skin quickly damaging it. The Airburst still traveling forward as it slammed into the head of the spider.

The condensed air slamming into a quarter of its eyes, popping them and blinding the spider slightly. Falling down onto the Spider, Cyrus stabbed down into the spider with his dagger. It sunk down into the flesh of the spider causing the spider to slightly buckle from the impact of Cyrus slamming into it from the air. Before any of the other spiders could react, Cyrus started stabbing down repeatedly into the body of the spider. Causing blood to splatter across Cyrus's face and his Dark Leather Armor. The green blood standing out on the dark black leather.

With a decent sized hole opened from the stabbing. Cyrus stuck his hand into the body of the spider, casting Airburst a few times. The condensed air quickly blowing a path through the body of the spider. Blasting blood and chunks of flesh sending them skittering across the water before sinking slightly. The body of the Giant Spider below him going limp and falling down. Ripping his arm out of the body, Cyrus looked around to see what the situation was looking like. Seeing the two he incapacitated still stuck in the same spot while the other three spiders were quickly closing in on Cyrus. One of which was closing in fast, almost in striking distance.

It jumped toward Cyrus with its mandibles stretched out to clamp down onto Cyrus. Rolling off of the body of the spider he was on. Falling down next to it in a crouch as a glint caught his eye. Putting his dagger into his sheath, reaching out he grabbed the shaft of the black and grey shaft of a weapon buried under the body of the spider he killed. As he grabbed hold of the shaft the Giant Spider that launched himself toward Cyrus slammed into the ground 10 feet away from where Cyrus was. Cyrus quickly pulled out what was under the body.

- Dredged Glaive: +10 Strength, +4 Endurance, 30 + Strength Stat = Damage (Standard)-

"Nice, just what I needed!" Cyrus grinned as he swung the long glaive at the spider as it was within reach now that it had time to make it to Cyrus while he was grabbing the weapon. The weapon arced through the air as it swung down fast, with Cyrus's muscles bulging from the weight of the weapon. As it sliced right through the head of the spider splitting it in half as it slid to a stop in front of Cyrus.

Quickly Cyrus stabbed the staff of the glaive down into the ground and used it to push off from where he was just in time. As one of the spiders able to move slammed down into the ground where he was with a hiss. Holding the staff of the glaive he brought it to waist height as he spun it around, slashing across the face of the spider that landed. With a loud thump and splash a mandible fell to the ground as a screech of pain filled the air. Without warning though a glob of poison hit Cyrus in his back, stumbling forward in pain. Feeling the poison seep into the armor and into his skin, filling his mouth with the coppery taste of blood. Slamming the glaive down into the ground and bringing his hand into the air casting another string of Scorching Beams.

The beams slammed into the one in front of Cyrus and the injured one that was able to hit Cyrus with poison. The beams burning holes into the bodies of the spiders as green blood sizzled and popped from the burning light mana. The injured one succumbing to its injuries as the beams burned away at its body and blowing away the last of its legs. The body splashing in the ankle-deep water with a dying hiss. A light steam filled fog starts to fill the area from the beams that missed and hit the water. As a bead of sweat slipped down Cyrus's forehead and slid slowly down his nose. The moment the bead fell from the tip of his nose he launched himself into a sprint at the spider missing his mandible. Swinging the glaive in a wide horizontal cleave, the glaive sliced off one of the legs as the spider stabbed forward with his leg in retaliation.

Just slightly moving his shoulders, the leg grazes across his left shoulder causing a cut to form. Using the momentum of the swing Cyrus spins in a circle bringing it back around the same side from before. The glaive finding purchase in the head of the spider, getting stuck in the head halfway as blood spurts out around the lodged blade. Hearing something fly through the air behind him, Cyrus had just enough time to turn his head as a leg slammed into his shoulder launching him over the body of the spider he just killed. The force of him being launched, caused the glaive to rip out from the corpse. Luckily Cyrus was able to keep his hands wrapped around the weapon as he used the staff to stab into the ground keeping him from going much further.

Spitting out the glob of blood that filled his mouth, mixing into the now greenish water flowing around his ankles.

Health: 60/320

Stamina: 80/210

Mana: 85/660

Time before recovery kicks in 1 minute

"I'm running out of health and mana; I need to protect myself for a minute so I can regen a little bit." Cyrus mumbles as he keeps an eye on the spider that is still moving. Still hearing the fighting of his shadow pets and the spider knights. Running to the side while keeping his eyes on the moving spider, Cyrus makes his way to the one that hasn't been able to move as it was missing the majority of its legs. Rolling forward as a glob of poison flew over him as he launched himself forward from the roll with the glaive held high. Spinning the glaive handle in his hand until the blade was pointing down, he stabbed it into the back of the spider that was down. Holding the glaive Cyrus jumps into the air and off the side of the spider bringing the glaive down with him. As his feet hit the ground the spider split open from the side, spilling its entrails across the ground around his feet.

Flicking his eyes toward the last spider that was in sprinted scurry toward him. Feeling a surge of energy fill his body he brought his hand forward and launching two airbursts that blow away one of its mandibles. The other burst of condensed air blew off two legs on the other side of spider opposite to the mandible that is now laying in the muddled water. The spider in a less speedy scurry still is making way toward Cyrus, hoisting the glaive in a throwing position. Cyrus steps forward with his non dominant foot as he stretched his right arm back. Feeling his muscles flex as he then steps forward throwing the glaive following through with his hand touching his left knee.

The glaive soars through the air until with a sickening squelch it sinks into the front of the head of the spider. Its legs scurrying forward for a few steps before they seized up as the body tumbled forward, causing the glaive to launch off to the side sticking into the stone. Walking forward Cyrus grabs a hold of his glaive as the other fight comes to a finish. While heavily injured it seems the spider knights prevailed as Cyrus just catches the wisps of black shadow slowly disappearing in the air. Before he could take a step toward the spider knights a feeling of mana washed over him and knowledge of a language, he did not know entered his brain.

"Enough! I've seen enough, you have killed enough of my children. I will not let you kill more." Hearing a hissing voice fill the air as the large mass that was left on the ceiling started to slowly dangle down on a large rope of webbing. As the mass entered the light of the orbs, Cyrus could finally see what was talking to him. It was a woman or at least was half of a woman. From the top it was a beautiful red-haired woman with silken robes around her upper body. Where her pale skin was glistening in the light, just a bit past her navel was where it changed. It was the body of a very large spider, with red bristles across its body. A design made in red skin across its midnight black hide. Red and black plates covering its body.

-Red Queen Tyr-

Health: 100,000/100,000

'I definitely wouldn't be able to fight her as I am now.' Cyrus thought as sweat dripped down his brow in anxiety.

"You've proven yourself quite the annoying little pest. Many of my young have perished at your hand, and I figured this group of my most powerful young would be able to handle you. But I was wrong and now I paid the price, I should've delt with you myself. Now I need my energy to replenish what was lost." The queen said as she crawled around Cyrus in a circle taking his form in while the spider knights were back on the ceiling recovering from its wounds.

"I'll let you go this once, but I should reward you should I not for you won this battle." She bends down her face inches from Cyrus, her breathe tickling his face as each word leaves her mouth.

"I know a little about that tattoo, it proves you're not from this place. There's another like you with a tattoo similar to yours. I recommend you never run into this man for he is not one who will let another walk around with similar powers. He is the ruler of this land of oppressed. Here this is my gift to you." As the last words leave her mouth, she grabs his head with her hands pulling Cyrus forward. She leans down kissing him as mana that is not his own starts to flood his system. As she pulls away, she smiles as Cyrus's form starts to slowly dissipate into particles.

"Good luck little hero for you need it far more than others." As she says this Cyrus completely disappears in front of her. The moment she leaves his view Cyrus finds himself against a wall of a house in the woods.

"Looks like I was teleported someplace." With a sigh as all the adrenaline leaves Cyrus's body as all the injuries finally kicks in with a groan. Seeing the plethora of notifications, Cyrus opens them.

Congrats! New Skills learned!

-Red Queens Armament: Gives the user 200 armor

-Acrobatics Lv. 4: Makes quick and lithe maneuvers easier to accomplish 1% per level

-Sprinting Lv. 2: Uses 1% less per level of stamina while sprinting

-Glaive Mastery Lv. 3: Increases damage done by Glaives and increases skill damage using Glaives by 1% per level

-Spider Language: Allows the user to speak and understand the strange hissing and screeches that make up the spider's language

-Scorching Beams has leveled up 2x-

-Light Manipulation has leveled up 2x-

-Poison Resistance has leveled up-

-Airburst has leveled up 3x-

-Wind Manipulation has leveled up-

-28 skill points earned-

-1,235 coins earned-

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Name: Cyrus Winters

(0/2) Equipped Titles:

Class: Hero Lv.1, Taster Lv. 1, Shadow King Lv. 4, Cleric Lv. 1, Apprentice Lv. 1

Stats:

Health: 235/235 (62 per 3 Mins.) (+85)

Armor: 200/200 (62 per 3 Mins.)

Stamina: 170/170 (62 per 3 Mins.) (+40)

Mana: 660/660 (62 per 3 Mins.)

Strength: 31 (+10)

Dexterity: 28 (+8)

Speed: 24 (+11)

1.2% (.55%)

Intelligence: 133

Endurance: 28 (+4)

.28% (+.04%)

Control: 46 (+10)

Luck: 32

+32 Coins

1.6%

Recovery: 62

Willpower: 57

.57%

Stat Points: 33

Coins: 1,255

Mana Skills:

Lucky Coin Lv. 2, Airburst Lv. 9, Mend Bones Lv. 1, Orb of Light Lv. 10, Sightless Slash Lv. 10, Weightless Dodge Lv. 8, Scorching Beams Lv. 10, Shadow Pets Lv. 12, Carnivorous Pit of Shadows Lv. 1, Shadow Expansion Lv. 1

Support Skills:

Analysis Lv. 3, Identification Lv. 3, Material Inspection Lv.1,

Passive Skills:

Sage's Knowledge Lv. 2, Simple Crafting Lv. 7, Climbing Lv. 1, Wind Manipulation Lv. 4, Pain Resistance Lv. 12, Foraging Lv. 1, Mana Manipulation Lv. 6, Stealth Lv.5, Dagger Mastery Lv. 18, Shadow Manipulation Lv. 20, Harvesting Lv. 4, Poison Resistance Lv. 2, Tracking Lv. 1, Fire Manipulation Lv. 5, Butchering Lv. 1, Enhanced Hearing Lv. 2, Light Manipulation Lv. 6, Weapon Blocking Lv. 5, Acrobatics Lv. 4, Sprinting Lv. 2, Glaive Mastery Lv. 3,

Physical Skills:

Bash Lv.1, Sneak Attack Lv. 2, Menacing Gaze Lv. 3,

Unique Skills:

Shadow King's Domain Lv. 3, Boon of Shadows Lv. 2, Child of Shadows, Archive, Red Queen's Armament, Spider Language,

Equipped Gear:

Greirat's Dagger: +5 Dexterity, +5 Speed, 15 + Dex. Stat = Damage (Standard)

Ring of Minor Control: +10 Control (Basic)

Dark Leather Armor: +35 Health, + 6 Speed, + 3 Dexterity (Basic)

Dredged Glaive: +10 Strength, +4 Endurance, 30 + Strength Stat = Damage (Standard)