The Final Symphony of Arachnid Agony. (94)

I stood on a darkened section of the stone arena, my bones tingling with anticipation as I flexed my limbs. My gaze locked onto Shorty Joe, who stood on the opposite end of the elevated platform. He wore a smile, directed at the Caretakers overseeing the match.

The entirety of the Fourth Level was alive with excitement. The atmosphere was electric, filled with creatures roaring and shouting about their experiences. All the noise merged into a single, tense anticipation.

Dozens of high-ranking skeletons summoned magic circles to protect the nearby skyscrapers from any potential attacks. I, elevated above the floating clouds, took in the fresh, cold air.

"You've certainly given me a pleasant surprise," the pale, corpulent figure leaned forward, releasing hundreds of small spider-like creatures from his back, summoning a legion of arachnids. "Your life in the Arena will not end in obscurity; death by my hand will be your ultimate reward."

The circles absorbed our tokens, and the section beneath us lit up with intense black. Joe lunged at me, his pointed limbs poised for attack.

I allowed him to draw closer before I unleashed the power of my Spiritual Weapon.

[Participant 137 uses a combination of skills:

The Spiritual Weapon absorbs 2 Spectral Familiars.]

The sword seemed to possess a mind of its own, evading the protective barrier formed by dozens of spider-like appendages and thrusting into Joe's massive shoulders.

"GRAAAH.."

The spiders clung to my armor as I took a deep breath, preparing for a Sonic Attack. The ground beneath us cracked, and the creature, a mere meter away from me, was sent reeling from the powerful air attack. He retreated, plunging his limbs into the stone, leaving deep furrows in his wake.

"HEH. You think you've learned a few tricks and can challenge me..."

Before he could finish his sentence, I summoned the weapon that was still lodged in his shoulder. A thick, colorless liquid gushed from the wound, and the creature's aura grew even more imposing.

The arachnids had already infiltrated my armor, and as they discharged their filth, I encased myself in a dark barrier. Many of the arthropods fell onto their backs, futilely waving their limbs in the air.

[Participant 137 is attacked by an enemy, suffering 500 points of damage out of 64,100.]

With my head bowed, I plucked the barely alive spider from my gorget's crevice. Its chelicerae clamped onto my swarthy skin, causing warm blood to flow from my bitten forearm. With a firm grip, I turned the creature into mush and observed Shorty Joe's complete transformation.

The massive mound disintegrated into tiny particles, scattering across a significant portion of the field. Instead of bodies, these particles were filled with Spiritual Stones encrusted with filth. Oval edges protruded from their limbs, and miniature grinning faces resembling Joe adorned their heads.

[The enemy activates the Purgatory death field.

There are over 10,000 enemies surrounding participant 137, each with half of their vital signs.]

I swiftly grabbed Explosive Talismans from my space bag, added a touch of Ignition, and released hundreds of them towards the approaching wave of whiteness.

They exploded, decimating almost half of the spiders, but...

I was still enveloped by a swarm of spiders that clung to my barrier, gnawing at it with their fangs in an attempt to breach it. Stretching my hand upward, I summoned a Shield of Light.

[Endurance Status:

67,300.]

Allocating 5% of my remaining power points to my next strike, I soared above the battlefield.

Instantly, the swarm of spiders congealed into a formidable entity with a bald head, and Joe shot a thin stream of saliva toward me.

Upon contact with my armor, the saliva spread across the steel surface, rusting it entirely.

I flapped my wings, lowering my Spiritual Weapon to clear the spiders climbing the rope, knocking down one-tenth of them.

The saliva continued to thicken until it completely covered me. I summoned a thousand Poisonous Arrows and launched them at Joe's appearing and disappearing figure across the snowy-white sea.

[Participant 137 is attacked by an enemy, taking 2,000 points of damage.]

My left cheek was burned to the gray bone. Sensing the imminent threat, I seized the moment when most of the spiders had congregated in one area. I used my Spiritual Weapon to strike the whitish silhouette from behind, with the attached Explosive Talisman serving as the epicenter of the explosion.

Snatching the sword as it flew back toward me, I tore away the sticky saliva and ascended even higher.

[Participant 137 is attacked by an enemy, sustaining 5,000 points of damage.]

Nine spiders plummeted to the ground, their limbs severed.

A white mist engulfed the entire Fourth Level.

Finally, Joe began to regard me as a genuine adversary.

A deafening roar and a deep rumble, echoing to the very core of one's soul, swept through the hushed square.

Huge spider statues, adorned with dozens of sparkling eyes, loomed over the battlefield. These looming arachnid figures seemed ready to spring to life.

Then, with the howl of a ravenous whale, they burst through the meticulously crafted magic circles maintained by the guardians, crashing through the roof of a nearby skyscraper. Debris rained down perilously close to the onlooking spectators. Ignoring their desperate calls for help, I plummeted towards the ground like a speeding bullet, immediately beginning to sever the formidable bone limbs.

My Spiritual Weapon quivered with anticipation, surrounded by long spider legs. Just then, a voice echoed from the side.

"Ahahaha. Brat. You still possess some power. But it's a shame that one of us must meet our end in this place."

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Something dripped onto my helmet, and as I gazed up, I found myself staring into an open mouth adorned with jagged chelicerae.

Twelve eyes fixated on me, as if I were a delectable meal. With a deafening roar, a fanged mouth cleaved the air in front of me as I swiftly utilized Dark Steps to dart to the opposite end of the field.

Extracting the remaining talismans from my bag, I affixed them to the inner torsos of several giant spiders, all while deftly dodging their bloodthirsty bites.

Stepping into a milky mist, I listened intently to the sounds of sharp paws approaching and receding, as if Joe were toying with me.

I probed the air with my mental tendrils and discerned a network of viscous saliva spun by the Leader. Taking flight seemed perilous, as I'd likely be reduced to mincemeat before the acidic component of the threads corroded my armor.

[Endurance Window:

700.]

[Health Window:

20,900.]

[Participant 137 employs the remaining energy from the Lamp of a Thousand Dreams artifact.

Loading data.

Time to complete recovery:

79, 78, 77...]

A whitish limb skewered my shoulder, and with my waning speed, I could no longer escape Joe's onslaught.

The monstrous creature's grotesque face emerged, its slanted eyes revealing a sinister intent.

"This is the end of your little tale," it hissed, opening its mouth to an almost unbelievable width.

With a bitter exhale, I exhausted my last reserves of strength and triggered all the attached talismans.

*Explosion*

*Rumble*

*Bone-crunching*

Engulfed by my own attack, I was left practically naked. The armor disintegrated in the instant of the explosion, and my already tattered clothing, remnants from the Survival Crossroads, vanished completely amidst the fiery sparks generated by my skill.

Blue flames enveloped me, and seizing this respite, I changed into fresh attire.

Drawing in the foul air, I emerged from the blaze and stood before the fallen spider silhouette. Its limbs twisted at unnatural angles, its eternally grinning face now contorted in agony.

What a shame I no longer had any needles with maggots.

As I approached Joe, I noticed a stream of small spiders starting to flow into the whitish stream oozing from the creature's gaping wounds.

We had been locked in combat for over 17 hours.

But I had planned for this moment to come as swiftly as possible.

"You managed to recover using the flames... Are you a hybrid of an elf and a phoenix?"

The corners of my lips, once downturned, now twitched upward. Joe's massive belly bore a gaping hole in its center. Thick arms were adorned with hundreds of creatures, its neck snapped in two, and a lifeless skull hung limply.

With a resounding crunch, he snapped his neck back into place, then swung his torso in various directions as he advanced toward me.

His limbs struggled to carry his colossal bulk, quivering as though on the verge of breaking apart. Joe's appearance was simultaneously menacing and ironic:

"Die."

Driving my Spiritual Weapon into the ground, I heard the solemn voice of the system:

[Participant 137 has fully restored all parameters.]

Summoning Poison Arrows, I pinned the creature's body to the arena floor, then raised the tip of my sword towards the rising red sun, pointing it directly at the deranged expression on the Leader's face.

"I want to savor your suffering for as long as possible."

First, I tore open the creature's belly, and the chunks of flesh transformed into spiders that immediately scurried toward me.

[Participant 137 has activated a side skill: 25th level of Dragon Scales.]

My entire body became sheathed in silver scales beneath the armor, impervious to the attacks of a Rank 17 creature, while Joe was only at the 15th level.

My eyes transformed into a bright yellow hue.

"You..."

Joe was visibly shaken by the Dragon Aura I exuded. Grabbing one of his thick lips, I pulled out his elongated tongue and severed it at the base.

His mouth yawned wide open, and the upper jaw, unable to withstand the pressure, tumbled back with a wet, slurping sound.

Limbs thrashed upon the field, attempting to escape from my grasp.

His figure began to fragment into three, then into hundreds.

I extended my Steel Claws and tore Joe into a monotonous mass of half-dead spiders.

"I surrender. I surrender," echoed the distant voice of the Infernal Legion Leader.

Did he think he could escape?

With a swift flap of my wings, I materialized behind Shorty Joe, exposing his true form to the audience's horrified gaze.

Grinning confidently, I exchanged nods with Margot, who passed a spatial ring to the uninterested Caretaker.

"You see," I whispered into the creature's ear, my sword plunging into his back. "It seems that you no longer have hope either inside the black section or outside," I twisted the hilt, eliciting a pained groan from Joe.

"Gha-ah..."

"Let me guess, you paid them off too, didn't you?" I questioned, locking my gaze with his pair of black beads. As his mouth with chelicerae opened, dirty blood spattered onto my armor.

Joe lacked the strength to feed his spiders any longer.

After withdrawing the blade, I observed the Leader's world crumbling around him. He sprawled on his stomach, unable even to lift his head.

"People, creatures, worse than beasts, no, everyone here is the worst, but they still hold their values." I remarked, my heavy boot pressing into the creature's plump, almost childlike hand.

Distant images of a conveyor belt and the creaking of machines in the Lower Arena flashed in my mind. With little effort, I flattened Joe's finger bones into a gruesome pulp. The whitish skin burst, releasing a flow of blood.

"Gha-a. I... no... about what... I don't regret it," Joe spat out the words from his twisted mouth. "Would be better... if you died from... my hands... Don't go... there."

His eyes gazed at me with a tinge of pity.

With a cynical laugh, I kicked the creature hard in the stomach, sending him tumbling through the air. Utilizing Shadow Steps, I kicked him like a soccer ball all across the field.

Shut up. Shut up. Shut up.

You have no idea what I've been through, so don't try to impose your beliefs on me.

I didn't realize that I had nearly depleted all of my Stamina. Deactivating the side skill, I gazed down at Joe's mangled body.

Broken ribs protruded from his torn interior, and his purple heart pumped blood through ruptured veins.

Your demise.

I raised my leg over the shattered skull, and the fading life within it stared vacantly into the azure sky. The blue tongue hung from his neck, his lungs filled with blood, and his arms and legs had been severed from his torso half an hour ago.

[Participant 137 is officially recognized as the Leader of the Infernal Legion.

Congratulations...]

---

As I descended, I was met with thunderous cheers from the assembled creatures.

Thousands of Alliance minions knelt before me, chanting my name with fervor:

"KAI THERON! KAI THERON! KAI THERON!..."

I noticed joyous expressions on some of their faces. It was too early for celebration, my friends.

I had no intention of incurring the System's punishment, so in the year ahead, before completing my journey through the Arena, I would become your living nightmare.

Mina trembled, attempting to climb onto the field. Extending a hand, I prevented her from entering the closing portal.

"You can't. He's already passed, feeding the plants."

"I just want to see it with my own eyes," she persisted.

"Congratulations." Margot settled beside me, extending her hands.

I retrieved the lamp and placed it in her delicate palms, scratching my cheek in thought.

"As we agreed."

She laughed heartily, the Winged Leader stroking the rusty handle. "Then I'm off..."

*PUFF*

The counterfeit transformed into a wooden figure of a muscular beast.

*Oh, my...*

She squeezed its rounded hips, her gaze lowering to the bulge beneath its waist. Her scarlet lips twitched involuntarily as she almost lost her balance. I caught her bare shoulders, offering a guilty smile.

"I don't think that was the original," I remarked.

"Oh... not... the original. Ha ha ha..." Dropping the figurine onto the stone floor, she raised her blue eyes, brimming with questions.

The noise and clamor ceased, replaced by an eerie silence as a magic circle of Destructive Resonance appeared.

"I was expecting something more from these twenty-odd hours," Margot admitted, her gaze lost in the sky, mirroring Joe's hopelessness before his demise. "But in the end, I was just playing around."

Uchi picked up the figurine from the floor, examining it from all angles, before delivering his verdict.

"Quite passable. I looked like this about 150 years ago."

  ---

Author: How challenging it can be to grasp the entirety of a situation and recognize a hero's mistake. I'm sorry, Shorty Joe, once hailed as the flawless 19th Leader of the Infernal Legion.