Chapter 354 - The Spider’s Cave

Kai leaped back as four spindly legs tried to seek him. A thin film of water coated his boots, keeping him from sticking to the webs that veiled the tunnel. The narrow dodge ruffled his hair as the monstrous spider’s bloated abdomen filled the passage with its bulk. Its bristling black body scraped the cavern walls in pursuit, pedipalps twitching around the clicking fangs, restless and hungry.

Hey, it’s not like we brutally murdered your whole family. Or wait… we kind of did. In our defense, they did try to eat us first. I’m not going to point fingers, but can you honestly say the fault is all with us? If you’d taught them better manners, they might—

Air whistled as the beast lunged at him again.

Hmm… I can see where they learnt their poor manners.

Kai channeled mana through his extended arm. Water Cannon formed between his fingers, reflecting the flickering torch he’d summoned for light. The skill whipped toward the spider’s wetly red eyes.

Like the previous dozen casts, segmented legs bent at unnatural angles to pull a web from the walls and catch the projectile. The spell lost its momentum, stretching the silk. Droplets ricocheted off the beast’s glistening chin.

Why did I think flushing out this thing was a good idea?

It was the strongest monstrosity in the colony, nested deep within the cave—a D-rank variant at high Yellow. The easy time against its smaller brethren had made him underestimate the threat. Not that he would choose differently. The only thing worse than venturing into a spider's lair was leaving it alive to weave an ambush at their back.

This would be a whole lot easier if I had a sword. Or a spear. Spirits, I’d even take a dagger! Damned student fairness.

Kai ducked to evade Shadowy threads spearing the air above him. The rock hissed where they struck. Icy shards shot toward the plate-sized spiders that had crawled from a crack to leap at his back. The giant spider’s piercing screech made his skin crawl as he pinned the red beasts to the cavern wall.

Whoops! Were they your babies?

Silky threads rippled toward him from the walls, only visible thanks to their shared Shadow affinity.

Trusting the whispers, he jumped and twisted, brushing the rocky ceiling. A stream of water sliced the thread he couldn’t avoid. His feet nearly slid on the landing before he controlled the spell on his soles and pushed himself into a retreat. Mana Observer spread ahead, tracing the bend that would return him to the cavern’s wider span.

Yellow beasts were annoyingly resilient. He had spells that might kill the spider, but he couldn’t drain his reserves without certainty. For once, he was grateful for his Water affinity. Few other elements could effectively drown the chittering hordes or shield him from threats above and below.

Too bad the furious beast didn’t appreciate his artistry.

Reaching the mouth of the passage, Hallowed Intuition whispered of doom as he got a glimpse of glistening filaments. A freshly spun web blocked the passage to the main cave—camouflaged to his senses. He had no idea when or how the little bastards had managed it. Nor did it matter. Moments from becoming a trapped fly, he cast a mist over the silk and froze it solid.

His body careened through the rigid strands. The web shattered like glass, letting him land in a frozen and mangled battlefield. The stale stench of decay meshed with the corpses of monstrous spiders littering the floor, crooked legs curled in death.

Frozen spiderlings crunched under his heel as he regained his footing.

How long since you’ve cleaned this space?

A bloodcurdling screech echoed from the dark passage.

Okay, fine. We’d have probably massacred your family anyway. Insects really shouldn’t scream. And yes, I know you’re technically an arachnid. Guess what? No one cares about your special tag. You shouldn’t—

The enraged creature answered his eloquence by leaping from the tunnel—another thing that no respectable spider would do. Empower flowed into his muscles. Kai jumped into a roll, casting another Water Cannon to cover his retreat.

Free to stretch its eight legs in the open cavern, the monstrosity stood taller than a horse, unblinking eyes flickering with cold fury.

Kai grinned at the beast.

You shouldn’t have done that.

The cold air whistled, torn by a flare of mana. Metal glinted with deadly speed. The shard cracked the spider’s chitin, embedding deep into its cephalothorax and provoked more pointless screeches—a small wound compared to its bulk, but that was only half the spell.

Kai could distinctly tell when the poison on the flying daggers began eating into the spider. Bristly legs with too many joints flailed. The pedipalps spasmed, evoking raspy shrieks.

He stepped away from the thrashing spider as more metal blades streaked from the darkness. Two pierced the striped abdomen. Another volley disemboweled the creature. More followed. And more…

Sweet mercy.

The screeches echoed off the cavern like nails on a chalkboard, fused with the wails of tortured infants. A Water curtain shielded him from the raining entrails hissing on the frozen spiderlings.

The shrieks soon cut off, but more projectiles pulped the target. It took nine more shots before light steps echoed in the gloomy cavern.

“Is it dead?” Alden asked, a hint of hesitation tinged his measured voice.

Kai glanced at the splattered remains of what had once been a spider, craning his neck up to take in every bit. “Yeah, man. I think you got it.”

“I have more."

“No! I mean, it’s already dead. The first three strikes alone would have probably killed it.”

You’re starting to make me feel bad for the spider.

The pale boy stepped behind him, leaving a trail of corroded footprints on the webs veiling the cave. Three gleaming shards crowned his furrowed face. Nibbles slithered out from the collar of his shirt, pink tongue flicked and nudged his cheek to receive a scratch under his chin. “The first would have been enough. I was worried it would strike you before the venom finished it off.”

What of the dozen strikes after that?

Kai gave a tiny shake—some things were better left unasked. “I appreciate your… thoughtfulness, but I’d rather you conserve your mana. You never know when you’ll need it. Especially down here.”

“I have reservoirs to refill my pool for the next trial.” Alden fished out two marbles from his coat: one a steel grey sheen, the other a sickly pale green, both thrumming with unbelievably dense mana.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Seeing the mana stream up his roommate’s arm, they must work as some kind of magic power bank. They reminded Kai of the shiny bauble Hobbes had made him buy for his collar, though he couldn’t sense these affinities.

“Do you always carry those around?”

Alden gave him a puzzled look as if he couldn’t understand the question—or found it too obvious. “They don’t weigh much in a spatially expanded pocket.”

“I see…”

Of course he has spatially expanded clothes. Seriously, fuck fairness. How is that different from my ring? Those things can’t be cheap. Just a bit smaller and less convenient. Mhmm… maybe I’ll get one of those after the Trials.

Kai suppressed his irritation. Honestly, he should have known better than to expect any differently by now. “Is that Metal essence?” He asked. The grey motes reminded him of the solidity of Earth, though stiffer and sharper. The pale green one was harder to place. “And that’s…”

“It’s Poison mana,” Alden finished for him, covering the marbles with his fist. “It’s rarer to find around. I’d rather you not mention it around.”

“I… yes, of course”

How does Poison Magic even work?

It stood just on the boundary of a conceptual affinity, similar to Nature, but narrower—and likely more dangerous. His mind whirred with the possibilities. Alchemy seemed the most direct application. Could he turn any material poisonous, or did he need a base to manipulate? Perhaps he could make them more lethal?

It must work well with a snake familiar…

He vaguely remembered hearing that House Blackwoods dabbled in alchemy, though he felt too embarrassed to ask now.

“It’s not a secret that the affinity runs in my family,” Alden seemed to guess at his thoughts, focused on petting Nibbles, who happily wiggled on his shoulder. “Most usually evolve it from Plant at Green. I was lucky to have been born with it.”

How…

Kai bit his tongue. Curiosity begged him to press his roommate, but ultimately he opted for a compromise. “I’ve read some texts alluding to it, but they never went into detail… How does it work? How do you change an affinity? It’s only along the elemental branches, I assume. Do you always get the chance, or are there conditions?”

“That’s not—” Alden met his gaze with a stiff scowl—he liked doing that a lot. His brows furrowed as he regarded him strangely, then stalked into the cavern. The flying daggers began separating from the remains of the giant spider with a wet squelch. “I forgot the Republic regulates information at Green for commoners… You’re correct. Elements can evolve to their adjacent branches. It’s the only way to obtain most conceptual affinities. But it doesn’t just work for them. Changing Water to Ice or Earth to Metal is probably more common. Certain professions can also let you evolve or gain new elements.”

“New ones?”

Damned information hoarders.

“Yes, but unless you’re sitting on a pile of affinity treasures, it’s not that useful. Acquired elements are weaker than your natural ones. Evolving them at Green is little better. It takes more slots and lowers their starting value. It’s only worth the effort if you've specifically planned for that path.”

Hmm… that does actually make me feel better. Not that I need more. I barely have time to train the five I have.

Kai noticed Alden hadn’t mentioned the requirements. Something told him he wouldn’t find them browsing the library’s floors. Though not personally useful to him, having a reliable path to obtain or evolve an affinity might form the foundation of a patrician House.

I should not ask him then…

The hum of his silver bracelet brought a welcome distraction. A segment of the lines wrapping his wrist had faded, while the glowing number had climbed—confirming the spiders’ cave was part of the test. The academy must have a way of telling whenever he felled a beast. Now, it made its biggest jump yet.

That’s both reassuring and creepy.

Hobbes had warned him about the peeping toms in the walls and shiny crystals. His Royal Fluffiness lasted all of thirty seconds after seeing the sticky webs and the splattered spiders, before deciding his minions were better suited for the task. He’d left on a reconnaissance mission, satisfied that he had ‘saved’ him with the grace of his presence.

The academy likely couldn’t see everything, but enough that it was best to assume they were watching the main caverns.

“I have a hundred and eighty-three,” Kai read his number. “I think you were right about it being a point system for the Trials. The spiders were worth a lot more than the door maze. What did you get?”

Alden stopped collecting the gory blades. “A hundred and seventy. I didn’t do much. They must count us as a team.”

“You did kill the big boss.”

I wouldn’t have minded a bonus for kiting, though. Such misers.

“The big boss?”

“The large hairy spider.” Kai gestured at the pieces around the cavern. “You know, the owner of the entrails you’re playing with. Really, it’s a bit rude that you’ve forgotten about it.”

“I’m not playing with—doing that,” Alden huffed. With a sudden jerk, he pulled the last three knives from the spider’s abdomen, splashing fresh entrails across the caverns. The knives arrayed to shield himself from the gore, his face flushed with embarrassment and slightly nauseous. “We—we should go.”

“Yeah,” Kai agreed. The smell in the cavern was beginning to make him gag as his ice melted. “Just a moment. Do you mind if I take its fangs?”

The Shadow mana pulsing in the beast would make for excellent enchanting material. Despite the grossness, it was a high Yellow beast. It’d be a waste not to take a little souvenir.

“I’m good.” Alden waved him ahead, backing off from the spoils, his arm wrapped over his mouth and nose.

Hey, I wasn’t the one who squished it. My kills were clean.

Pieces of spider lay strewn all across the cavern. Entrails squelched beneath his boots. Kai found the first fang in a puddle behind a rock. He pulled and rinsed it with a tendril of water—for some things, it was worth sacrificing a bit of mana. The second took him a full minute to spot, lodged in a veil of silk on the ceiling.

A stream carried the gleaming black fangs toward him. The curved spikes tapered to a needlepoint, ridged with tiny grooves where the spider would pump venom into its prey. He didn’t dare touch the chitin with his hands until he scrubbed them with more than water.

“They’re poisoned.” Alden’s muffled voice confirmed. “Keep them still.” With a casual flick, an oily film lifted off the fangs. Instead of dumping it in a corner, the drops floated toward the snake coiled on his neck. The little noodle snatched them up with a pleased hiss. “Nibbles wanted a taste,” he muttered. “It's a paralytic venom. Decently potent. It needs to be injected to work. Do you want me to carry the fangs for you?”

“Hmm, if you don’t mind. Thank you.” Kai sent him the fangs on a frozen platter—again reminded of the convenience of his spatial ring. “Do you want help cleaning your murder weapons?”

“My—” His eyes flicked to the fourteen floating blades, still dripping ichor down the strands of silk stuck to them. He sighed. “Yes… I’d appreciate it.”

“No problem.” Kai cast his best freeze-wash over them. “Ever thought of opening a cleaning business? We make a good team.”

“I can say the thought has never touched my mind.” Alden turned to leave the stinking cavern without acknowledging him further.

“Let me know if you change your mind!” Kai strolled after him, grinning. If a gloomy cavern wasn’t the place for stupid humor, where else? “Do you even know where you’re going?”

“Do you?” Alden halted before a branching tunnel covered in thick webs.

“I know which path doesn’t lead to a dead end.”

“Are you talking about the skill that got us stuck in this cavern?”

Ouch!

“No, of course not. I have a much more trustworthy source.”

“Who would know? The Trials— Wait, do you mean…” His purple eyes flickered to the rocky walls around him before landing back on him, brimming with questions.

Knowing Hobbes’ habit of begging for treats at any hour, Alden must have already had his suspicions before glimpsing the silver blinks.

“Let’s do it like this,” Kai said. “I’ll answer three of your questions for three of mine once we get out of here.” He’d take anything but spilling his secrets in front of the peeping professors. Spirits knew if their arrays transmitted only images or sound too.

Future-Kai will surely figure out how to handle this.

Alden regarded his extended palm for a long moment, then shook it with cold fingers. “I accept, but it must be information of similar value. I won’t answer questions about my family’s secrets.”

“Sounds fair. Let’s get out of here then.”

His roommate gave one last suspicious look before nodding. “What path do we take?”

“Let me see…”

Hey, buddy? You’ve been gone on the scouting mission for an awfully long time. Some might think you were trying to avoid sticking your luscious fur with spider thread. Hmm… no. Of course, not me! I’d never believe such slander. Just… some other people. Anyway, where do we go?

“There are two paths out.” Kai rubbed his chin as he interrogated his wayward familiar. “We can go through the webbed tunnels. There shouldn’t be any spiders left above Orange, but some sections are quite narrow to cross. Alternatively, there’s a pest-free route, though we’d have to descend a level. Which do you prefer?”