Reaper's Resurgence: A System Reset

Alexia Knight

I clench and unclench my fist as I stand in front of the tunnel leading to the boss room. And I can't help but notice that despite my anxiety, my palms aren't clammy.

Although now that I think about it, I'm not exactly having anything to drink to sweat in the first place. So I don't think my body is capable of it anymore.

Makes me wonder how my body regulates heat, but that's not important right now.

I take in a deep breath before letting it out and walking into the tunnel, leaving the Safe Zone.

Almost immediately, the tunnel goes dead silent, the hissing sounds stopping along with the scuttling sounds of spiders moving.

That's not a good sign.

I slowly continue making my way through the tunnel until I come upon a large wall made up of cobwebs. But before I can even get near it, it explodes inwards, following which lesser arachnids and venomous lesser arachnids begin piling into the tunnel.

Without hesitating for even a moment, I start blasting the things with quantum bolts while slowly stepping back, killing one spider after another as the things rush towards me in a frenzy. Which I'm actually rather thankful for since it's making them easier to kill.

This continues for nearly twenty entire seconds, the spiders just offering themselves up for sacrifice until the walls begin to vibrate and a hissing sound echoes out from the cavern behind them. Then the spiders all stop rushing in and begin moving back towards the cavern.

Where they end up getting eaten by the arachnid.

I blink at that.

Okay, do all the big spider mothers here eat their kids? Because I don't think that's healthy.

Or is it? Maybe it's healthy for spider mamas to eat their kids.

It did kind of make the lesser brood from before a lot stronger.

I don't just sit here and watch the creature eat though, instead raising my hand and blasting several quantum bolts at it before sprinting towards the opening while pulling my polearm back and then throwing it with all of my strength at the creature. But despite all of this effort, the quantum bolts only end up hitting one of its legs that it uses to block, destroying the leg in the process. And the weapon pierces into another leg but not all the way through.

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Shit, that thing's strong.

It also doesn't seem to be able to feel pain, considering the fact that it didn't make a single sound when my attacks hit it. The thing didn't even react to my attacks or its lost limb.

At least it spares my ears from its screeching.

I continue firing quantum bolts at it while occasionally throwing my polearm again, but this time it starts dodging a little, only taking some of the hits as it eats and runs. Literally.

When most of the spiders are all eaten from the vast cavern, the five-meter-long spider begins to glow with a black light. Then it stops running and turns its head towards me before spitting out a black glob of liquid at a few of my approaching quantum bolts, engulfing the bolts while only losing a little of its mass as it continues its way towards me.

My eyes widen as I realize the blob is still too big for me to dodge, especially since I'm still partially in the tunnel even if only at the entrance. So I grab two of the spider corpses next to me and toss them at the blob.

Then I watch in terror as the corpses rot at speeds visible to the eye.

Necrotic poison.

I should avoid that at all costs.

After tossing another couple corpses at it since it manages to eat through the first two, I sprint out of the way with a teleport, letting the massive blob hit the entrance, rotting all of the remaining corpses there and making my nose want to fall off due to the stench. My attention is quickly turned back to the arachnid again when I see another blob, albeit a smaller one this time flying my way.

Fortunately it's small enough for me to spam Quantum Displacement a few times to get away, it being several meters smaller in diameter than the first one.

Plus I wasn't in the tunnel this time.

I also can't help but notice that the black light emanating from the arachnid is dimming with every blob it shoots. Which likely means that the spiders it's eating are fueling the necrotic poison.

That's good. I don't think I would've been able to handle many more of those.

The thing rotted all my corpse shields after all, and I only have so much soul.

Although… I glance at the tunnel entrance, finding it to be very much not safe to pass through anymore.

That's unfortunate.

I focus on the arachnid again, my eyes narrowing.

Looks like there's no retreat allowed in this fight.

I glance at my soul to find it still at about three-quarters full before sending more quantum bolts at the arachnid, along with throwing my polearm once more as I sprint towards it. But while I'm still running, the creature finishes eating the last spider and turns fully to me, ignoring that it's lost another leg in my barrage. Then its eyes start glowing black, following which it opens its mouth and spits out another glob of necrotic poison, this one being about five meters in diameter.

Shit.

I spam Quantum Displacement while still firing quantum bolts at the glob to make it grow smaller, but even with that, this glob actually somehow manages to track me, following my movements.

Shit, shit, shiiit, this isn't good.

I continue spamming Quantum Displacement while firing quantum bolts back at the glob until I realize something.

It's following me. I am able to keep enough distance from it with Quantum Displacement to stay ahead. And the arachnid is just standing there panting, probably from the exhaustion of both my attacks and its own attack.

My panic turns to hope as I immediately change my direction to start teleporting over towards the arachnid, startling it in the process.

Let's see if you're immune to your own poison!