Chapter 25: 24. More Better

Out of the spider lair, I dismiss my companion and immediately summon him. We both start booking it out of the Dark Deep Woods without saying a word. Even though my minion could leave me in the dust, he plays the support role staying by my side. We are making good progress out of the Dark Deep. Even though we have been sprinting for miles, my breathing is coming easily. I start to think we will make it out spider free when webs start appearing everywhere. 

One spider, far bigger than any we have faced, appears in front of us, then another of the same size appears next to it. To our right, five more regular monster spiders appear. More and more are dropping from the trees. Detouring to the left, we take a few more steps before dozens of dark furry arachnids drop in front of us. We are surrounded. Webs begin encasing us tighter and tighter.  

"Boss, what do you think will happen to the brood if they take me down? Do you think they will all receive a boost? Will it be a big one or a minor one spread across the lot? Or maybe just one will get the upgrade. Become the queen or king or whatever you call the leader of the spider pack? Also, why the crap is it a pack? I thought spiders were the solitary type." I say more calmly than my current feeling would indicate while handing Bones two long swords.

"Cap, you bring up a lot of good points. Naturally, as the boss, I should have all the answers." Bones brandishes the two swords as he moves to cover my back. "Well, it just so happens I got no idea. Let's chalk this up to faulty construction or, at the very least crummy reconnaissance. At any rate, some of these life suckers seemed to be able to talk before. Maybe they are open for some talks?"

Hundreds of spiders are now surrounding us. I consider using trees to maybe sling myself out of this mess. That idea is quickly dismissed when I see even more spiders above us. 

"Hrghghmhm!" Bones makes a noise like he is clearing his throat before speaking up. "Hello friends, don't suppose you want to talk a little before feasting" Ambitious spiders keep closing the distance, simultaneously spreading their webs. 

"This is getting real sticky." I softly murmur back to Bones.

"They are a thorough bunch. I'll give them that." Bones responds in a like manner.

Encouraged by the silence of the fiends, Bones continues to ask his questions. "Say, how does this feasting work? I don't have much to offer. However, this chunk of meat beside me looks like he could be tasty. So do you all share? Does the killer get all the spoils?" Questions are only met with hissing, which in and of itself is horrifying.

Spiders step closer and closer. Chills crawl down my spine. Hissing intensifies. I can't prove it since Bones is standing behind me, but I am confident I hear him hissing back at the spiders. His hissing only stops when he breaks the screeching humming fest with some lyrics. "I don't suppose you would tell us why you run in a pack? I've never seen spiders before, though I'm led to believe your type tends to go solo?"

The hissing is louder as they are only a few steps away. "Murderers," "killers," "die," and other lovely words can now be made out from the hissing. 

"Friendly fiends for sure." It's awfully uncomfortable, but I try to keep some composure. "So boss, do we let this play out for the sake of science, or do you mercy kill me and we try again another day? I know it is going to get ugly. Certain gruesome deaths and more powerful spiders will be dealt with in the future."

"Let's consider this." Once again, the rhythmic hissing behind me stops. "I kill you now, and that is the end of this. Perhaps the spiders find us and hunt us down like the bear. We will have no more knowledge about them than we do now. If you let them take you, you might be able to learn a little bit more about them. They will definitely get an advantage by absorbing your power." He pauses for a bit before adding, "Most of all, we should consider the horrifying experience this is going to be for you." 

I think about his words for a moment. "Well, you know what they say—What kills you can only perhaps possibly make you stronger. Er em," I stutter at the end of my collapsing quote, "something along those lines. That's probably not an exact quote. Besides it would be nice to get my eye fixed" 

So, for the sake of experience, we decide to fight 'til we're burger or some time of food. Dagum spiders and their odd way of consumption. 

Back to back, swords in hand, Bone and me fight for as long as we can. The spiders are giant and number in the hundreds. However, we are fighting for our current lives and will take out many of the creepy crawlers before we go down. 

Each sword swing eliminates a spider from the fight, giving us a little more time. Every fallen spider brings the tiniest amounts of power to my core. Death aura thickens around us. Pale energy becomes so thick I can easily dissolve and absorb spiders the moment my blade takes a life. Absorbing spiders as they are slain clears the way for more spiders to be absorbed.  

Spiders begin dropping on top of us from the lurking trees. As I look up to see where to direct my blade next, I catch the sun's image. In all of the Dark Deep Woods, there is probably only one spot the sun can shine through, and I find it. Not once since we entered the dark woods did the sun rear its unwelcome face until now. 

"Son of a—" My words are cut off as I am forced to focus on two wars, one with the spiders and the other with the growing irritation inside my throat, nose, and eyes. Even my lousy eye is irritated, which seems entirely unfair. This is the absolute worst timing to be fighting off a sneeze attack. 

In the dire moment, I silently curse whatever cruel spell the sun has cast upon me. Trying my hardest to ignore my now watering eye and the burning irritation in my throat, I exert more energy into my blade swings. I force my body to not succumb to the sun's silly game. My efforts pay off, the sneezes are avoided, and the certain nasty death to follow is prolonged just a little longer. In fights like these, the tiniest misstep or, in this case, sneeze likely means the end. There is no margin for error. 

As the battle progresses, our momentum carries us further. We carve a path of corpses through the dark forest, felling any spider or web that attempts to stop us. Despite the numerous casualties, the spiders are relentless. However, now they are a little timider in their approach. On the other hand, layers of webs have slowed our progress. Each swing devoted to cutting a path through the trap is another swing not spent bringing an end to our foe. Even though I have the stamina to fight, it's only a matter of time before that is no longer the case. 

Taking advantage of the spider's slight hesitation, I lay my hands on the fallen and start reanimating corpses. I've been hoping for a small opening so that I can add to our numbers. Now I have my chance. One spider corpse comes back to life, then a second. Jumping into action, the two ally spiders give me even more of a breather. 

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Before long, I have ten spiders fighting at my side, and the numbers keep growing. At twenty minion spiders, I have maxed out my core capabilities. Even though my core isn't wholly strained yet, holding active spells like reanimation restricts the amount of mana I have available in my core. I'm less than two percent of available mana to use. While I don't have enough capacity in my core to reanimate any more spiders, because of the abundance of death, I have plenty of mana to summon arrows.

We are putting up a good fight between the twenty spiders, Bones, and me. Bones is hacking anything that gets close to us. Reanimated spiders keep other spiders at bay. I shoot arrows helping both groups. When our spider allies fall below fifteen, I am quick to reanimate another. Fighting like this allows me to recover more stamina to fight just a little longer. We slowly make our way out of the dark woods as a group.

Inevitably, the inevitable happens. I can no longer replenish our fallen soldiers and the live spiders keep coming. One by one, my minions drop. It doesn't take long before it is only Bones, four minions, and I left. Swords back in my hand, we are fighting desperately; however, our forward progress is completely halted.

First, the spider on my left succumbs to its final death. As the foes clamber over the corpse to close in the gap, I swing my sword viciously, slicing through them and stopping them from getting a more advantageous position. 

Then two minions on my right fall to the pack of spiders. Bones swings to push the spiders back, and as he does so, he is attacked from above by five spiders. This time they don't go for the kill. Instead, they are spreading their web as fast as they can, entrapping Bones, taking him completely out of the fight. If I could resummon him, I would. For now, he is left in the trap. Finally, my lone surviving ally is buried under numerous enemy spiders. 

Alone, I desperately fight for every second. I really don't want to experience death by spiders. I'm going to die. There is no escape. Of that, I am sure. Yet, every second I live is another second I am not dying. Holding on to sage wisdom of mine, I am fueled more by fear and continue to put up a respectable last stand, prolonging my life just a moment longer. By now, Bones is completely encased in webs. Selfishly I choose not to un-summon him so that I'm not facing this end entirely on my own. 

Skill and precision guide my blades in an endless orbit around me. Shrouded in the aura of my swords, the spiders can't touch me. Any that try to engage are struck down and ultimately absorbed. Webs are cut the moment they get near. Survive! Pushed by my will, my blades continue bringing me life. Energy is renewed, and I keep fighting.  

Eventually, the spiders avoid engaging me head-on. Instead, they are shooting webs at me from every direction. I dodge and sidestep meticulously, avoiding their snares. I slice my way free from any entanglement in a dance of blades. 

Alone, I push forward out of the woods, regaining the momentum I once had when I had an army of my own. Cautiously spiders step back, giving me space while slinging more and more webs. In my orbit of blades, they have no effect on me. If nothing else, my reaction and timing have significantly increased from this fight alone. 

The two swords in my hands respond brilliantly to every motion I make. Cutting my way forward, I can finally see the end of the Deep Woods. Hope that I never held onto rushes to my soul. I feel stronger than ever and am determined now to live. 

Contrasting the darkness blanketing the Dark Deep Woods, the Deep Woods appears to be glowing in their wealth of light. Triggered by the brightness emanating from the Deeps, the sneeze I pushed back earlier rears its ugly face. Desperately I try to resist. Violently the itch persists. 

"Ah-Choo!" Miraculously I maintain my blades keeping myself safe, further aided by the loud shout that scared the spiders back.

"Ah-Choo!!" My blades falter for only a moment. Luckily, the spiders are still hesitant, and I am still standing. Surviving the second sneeze, I should be in the clear. Sneezes only ever come in twos. No more, no less. It is the common law of sneezes. 

"Ah-Choo! 

Ah-Choo!" 

Two unsuspected consecutive sneezes have their way with me. "Welp. Shoot." I quietly exclaim my dilemma. 

For a split second, my good eye closes, and I lose the slightest bit of focus. Glimmering bright lights like stars shroud my vision when my eye opens again. 

There is no hesitation this time. A second opening is all it takes. My arms are quickly trapped, stopping me from slicing any more webs. I try to rip them free. They won't budge. Then it is my legs. The last thing I see is webs all over my body which quickly encase my entire head. All is dark. Two sharp pain points explode into my back, followed by a terrible burning sensation flowing through my whole body. If I was capable of any yelling, I would be screaming. Then there is more darkness, a deeper dark. 

When I wake up, I am enclosed in webs, my body is stiff as a board, and I can still feel the burning sensation coursing through all my veins. Clicking steps can be heard all around. Individually the small steps produce a faint sound. Multiply that by thousands, and the should be gentle sound becomes a thunderous riot. Constant rioting noises all around me are almost worse than my burning insides. 

Sometimes the noisy steps can be felt pressing on my body. Then there are probing pokes which I imagine are testing for my body composition. I don't know. I am not a spider expert.

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