Fox Versus Spider

The spider bolted at Zulu with enmity. It was incredibly fast; Even Zulu wasn't its match.

'Damn, so much for the agility advantage,' Zulu thought as the spider arrived in front of him.

The spider's jaws unhinged as it swooped down to pierce Zulu's neck; However, he managed to pull back his head at the last second, saving himself from decapitation before retreating with a leap.

Zulu's heart was pounding at an incredible pace as he intently watched the superior opponent. One mistake meant certain death when facing something so powerful.

The spider regained focus on its target and rushed forward again.

Zulu wouldn't let it in front of him this time, dashing to the side in an attempt to circle around to the spider's blind spot; However, to Zulu's dismay, he simply couldn't outmaneuver the quicker creature. The spider's eyes remained locked on him like a targeting missile, and it turned to meet him no matter where he went.

The spider rapidly closed the distance and pounced on Zulu. He twisted his body to avoid the attack, but it was impossible for him to avoid injury. The spider's fangs clipped the side of his shoulder and gashed it deeply.

Zulu used that moment of attack to jump beneath the spider and deliver a [Bite] on the underside of its body, trading blow for blow; However, his eyes widened in fear when he realized he could not pierce the spider's rock-like carapace. His newborn teeth could only leave small white marks.

'Dammit!'

Zulu scrambled out from under the spider and behind it, using the little time it needed to turn around in order to retreat into the darkness. He swooped the torch up in his mouth and sped away.

'Retreat! Live to fight another day!'

It all happened too fast for the spider. After delivering a blow on its enemy, the orange creature disappeared from its sight. At least that was until it felt a slight pinch on the underside of its belly and heard fleeting footsteps coming from behind. It spun around to see the tiny creature fleeing. Immediately, it gave chase. It would not let the destroyer of its home leave with its life.

Zulu continued to sprint as fast as his tiny legs could manage, panting heavily.

The wound on Zulu's shoulder wasn't fatal but was still extremely agonizing and leaked a considerable amount of blood. He needed to escape and recover.

Zulu wasn't the match of the spider in any category: defense, strength, size, or even speed. It was a one-sided affair. After the first clash, he immediately understood the sheer difference in strength between the two.

For a short while, Zulu managed to keep at a distance from the spider, gaining the most out of the head-start that his abilities permitted. Yet the spider was gaining ground, albeit slowly.

'Okay, maybe I really have a chance to lose it, especially if I can trip it or something,' Zulu thought.

However, as though he were cursed by the gods, a dull numbness began to spread throughout his shoulder.

'Fuck. Was I poisoned?'

A great amount of dread surged in Zulu's heart. If the poison spread throughout his body before he could kill or escape the spider, he would surely be eaten.

'I can't escape. The poison will spread to my legs soon, and the spider was catching up to begin with. I have to kill it, but how?'

Zulu's brain ran at maximum efficiency, trying to deduce any possible solution, but he just couldn't come up with anything realistic.

'Where is this world's hero? Where is my savior? The one who will swoop in last second to rescue me? I really am fucked, aren't I?'

As he cursed the world, Zulu felt a sharp pain in his front left paw. He tripped and flew forward onto his stomach, sliding across the rocky ground for a couple meters.

'Fuck! This isn't the time to be stubbing my toe!'

The spider didn't miss the chance to catch its prey and prepared an attack. When within three meters of Zulu, its eight legs radiated a dazzling white light before it shot forward like a cannonball.

Zulu could only limp up and look backward before an incredible mass slammed into his body, hurling him dozens of meters away.

Zulu felt some of his ribs snap with an audible crack. He grimaced at the sharp, fierce pain as he yelped, the torch falling from his mouth. After a second in the air, the back of his head crashed into a solid stone stalagmite protruding from the ground, knocking him unconscious.

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[Rank 1 - Chef Rat (Soldier) x2 consumed]

[5 Essence gained]

'Hmm? I'm back? Oh shit. I'm unconscious!'

"Guide, show me my upgrades!"

Zulu had no time to contemplate about his situation. If he was unconscious, that meant the spider would currently be approaching his body. He had to act before it had the opportunity to strike a finishing blow.

After making his demand, the orange upgrade panel materialized in front of Zulu. He quickly focused on it, searching for the most immediately helpful option.

>—————————<

>>Available Upgrades<<

-Rank 1: [Night Vision (3 E), Quick Feet (3 E), Razor Teeth (3 E)]

>>Available Skills<<

-Rank 2: [Bite (10 E)]

-Rank 1: [Creep (3 E)]

>>Available Spells<<

-Rank 1: [Olfactory Confusion (10 E)]

>—————————<

Zulu's gaze darted through the options. Quickly, his attention narrowed on one.

"Buy [Razor Teeth]!"

[Confirmed. Applying upgrade.]

And everything went dark.

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Jolting awake, Zulu found the villainous spider looming over him like a mountain. It had saliva dripping from its maws as it reached for its meal.

Zulu didn't give it the chance and narrowly dodged the spider's pincers, rushing under it and employing his [Bite] skill with improved teeth. His razor teeth sunk into the spider's carapace, causing a slight trickle of green blood to ooze out.

'It's not enough,' Zulu inwardly lamented.

The spider released an ear-piercing cry, not so much in pain but rather astonishment. The minuscule creature had actually penetrated its glorious defense.

The spider jumped away to eye its now more dangerous opponent, but to its shock, realized that the orange creature was running away again! It instantly resumed its hunt.

Zulu could feel the poison in his shoulder slowly inching towards his abdomen, numbing it.

'I need to hurry.'

Zulu dashed to the torch and snatched it between his teeth before turning to greet the oncoming spider.

Many of Zulu's ribs were broken, and he was sure that he had a concussion, but he could only clinch his teeth and endure the waves of pain assaulting him.

The spider's sharp pincers spread wide before squeezing shut on its enemy. However, it quickly realized that something was wrong. Its eyes focused on the prey caught between its jaws, only to find that it was actually a wooden stick!

The close proximity to the light of the torch had rendered the spider unable to completely see what it was clutching in its pincers. It was the strange solid texture that clued it in to begin with.

Of course, the fire of the torch had no effect on the spider's resilient carapace; However, that was never Zulu's intention.

Zulu used the momentary respite created by the spider's confusion to leap into the air and slam his jaws tightly around the spider's head, activating [Bite].

'It's just as I thought,' Zulu thought, a wide grin forming on his face.

Zulu's fangs easily pierced the softer head carapace of the spider, driving them deep into the arachnid's brain.

The spider released a shrill cry. It knew it would be the one to become food. However, the spider's cries held a strange tinge of desperation that Zulu couldn't understand. Though he quickly ignored it, continuing to pressure the spider's head with fervor.

The spider's carapace shattered and its head was crushed entirely, blood and brain matter spraying everywhere. Its body lost life and dropped to the floor like a discarded puppet.

Zulu fell to the floor as well, landing gracefully. Inspecting his deceased opponent, he breathed a sigh of relief, and his grin grew wider.

'VICTORY! HAHAHAHAHA! THE ALMIGHTY-TORCH WINS AGAIN! FOX SPECIES REIGNS SUPREME!'

Zulu calmed his overwhelming elation when he noticed the condition of his body.

'I should rest and heal my injuries. But first, I need to eat this bad boy. Also, I should probably do something about this poison, not that I know how. Let's just hope it goes away for now.'

After reaching that conclusion, Zulu began to tear into the spider carcass, peeling its carapace away like an egg shell in order to reach the mushy innards.

An hour of avid consumption passed, and Zulu laid beside the mutilated spider corpse.

'Hmm, not as good as the chef rats, but it does have its own charm. Man, I really have become an animal. More than that, I've lost feeling in my legs. Alright, I'll nap and check out my gains. I'm physically exhausted anyway.'

At that thought, Zulu curled into a little orange ball. Bloodied and battered, the baby fox drifted off to sleep.