Soul of Blades - Chapter 27: Four Choices II (Patreon)

Alex felt groggy as his senses returned to him. His eyes struggled open and was met with the blurred sight of a dim cave. And notifications. They filled his vision, distracting him from his surroundings.  He brushed away the notifications that filled his vision, some instinct buried deep within his groggy state urging him to be prepared for danger. He tried to rise and stumbled, still feeling groggy, and… constricted? Why do I feel constricted?, he wondered. It felt as though he was wrapped in loose linen, soft yet inhibiting.

Laying on the ground and giving up on his battle with gravity, he attempted to assess his surroundings.

A quick chance around revealed that he was in a cave of some sort, about the size of a small house. Dull green light from luminous moss painted the surrounding  cave walls with wavering shadows that played across his vision. He blinked, trying to clear the grogginess.

He was suffering from what felt like a hangover of biblical proportions. His thoughts were still hazy, and his memories were a blur as his consciousness surfaced more clearly by the second.

With a mental nudge for answers, Alex summoned his notifications once more in the hopes it would shed some light on his amnesia. The system intuitively responded to his will.

[Dynamic Quest - ‘The Hidden Queen’s Lair’: You have found yourself in the heart of an Arachnae designation ‘The Hidden Queen’s’ colony. You are one of the few to have miraculously survived  the Arachnae colony’s larval consumption of foreign species. An opportunity to accomplish something never before achieved on this region presents itself to you - Chart a path through the colony cave system and accomplish what none have done before: Escape the heart of Arachnae designation ‘The Hidden Queen’s’ colony alive. reach any non-Arachnae settlement to complete quest]

[As accomplishing extremely rare and difficult unrecorded feats on inducted worlds will provide the system with new and valued data, rewards for this quest have been increased. Grow strong and serve your masters well.]

[Reward: Feat generation, E grade equipment, Insight of the imperial]

Oh, that's right, he thought, I was fighting the Arachnae. Memories returned to him in a flood, as if doused. His battle, the giant Spiderling, their many legs, the fight. It all returned to him.

And they were weak as hell, he concluded. So how did I lose? He let out a muffled groan as a sharp pain throbbed in his chest through the numbness, still confused as to how such creatures had overwhelmed him. How did I end up in this cave?

The memory of stings came back to him – sharp, sudden – especially the little one he had yanked out from his neck.

Oh snap. All those smaller spiders... they were injecting venom, the pieces were falling into place and causing the image of his capture to become clearer. It explained why the guards and adventurers were losing despite being stronger than the numerous ‘Spiderling’.

Whatever toxin the Arachnae have must be potent, potent enough that it could affect him even with his high endurance stat. He now understood the guards' faltering steps, how they seemed to stumble and fall in the battle in seconds, and their unsteady hands dropping weapons.

Most of them had been killed as soon as they fell. Except For him, apparently.

The loss of the guards and citizens was all due to whatever venom the hostile species had. Probably a paralytic, Alex realized, one bite was all it took to immobilize a person of a much lower level, and it had taken a multitude of bites before he fell.

Anger bubbled beneath the surface of his thoughts. How did they not have countermeasures against the venom? From Kiers words the wars with the Arachnae had been raging across the world. But mainly in other lands, they’d said.

Maybe they Perceived the Arachnae as a foreign threat, something the only the other nations had to deal with and thus made no moves to prepare. That would explain the towns borders being so swiftly overrun. A lack of supply, perhaps. Why order stores of antivenom to fight when your country hasn't seen the enemy over a hundred years? It made sense, economically.

The lands waging the wars and facing the more immediate threat of the Arachnae had to have stores of antivenom Stockpiled. Maybe even immunity spells. But then Kier and Lyra had said all freely controlled magic was gone, that means spells too, he realized, his eyes widening. Any magical defence they had against the Arachnae is gone, and unless they have the right skills, class, or a stockpiles of antivenom, they're screwed. That could explain how what should have been an easy battle turned into such a disaster.

He turned his attention back to the rest of his notifications.

[You have defeated level 12 Arachnae Spiderling x7]

[You have defeated level 23 Arachnae Spiderling x6]

[You have defeated level 17 Arachnae Spiderling x14]

[You have defeated level 7 Arachnae Spiderling x9]

[You have defeated level 4 Arachnae Spiderling x 24]

[You have defeated…]

[You have defeated…]

[Level difference penalty applied]

[Level 32 > 36]

[Strength +16, Dexterity+16, intelligence+24, unassigned stats +16]

[Class milestone reached. Class milestone skill available. Please make selection]

Milestone… He thought, that implies a pivot of some kind. Will this affect my future options, or will all options be available for me to select at the next milestone? He made a mental note to ask any native of this world for an answer the first chance he’d get. But more importantly, the quest had said that he was in the ‘heart’ of the colony, which suggested that he was at the greatest possible distance to any exit he might find. And I’m the quest also heavily implied that nobody had ever managed to escape this colony, dubbing it the colony of ‘The Hidden Queen’. Alex reviewed the quest once more, ‘accomplish what none have done before’ it said. so nobody had ever managed to escape this place, and as a result a queen’s been hidden under the land for only god knows how long, He realised. He could be facing an endless horde of beasts and creatures. His milestone skill choice would be critical to his escape, he couldn’t afford to wait; he would choose whichever option ensured his success now.

[Please make selection]

He willed his acceptance, and another notification appeared.

[System Message: Choose one of 4 Skills]

[F-grade Skill 1: Limitless Edge (Passive): To the sovereign, the entire world is a sword. Any item with an edge or point in the users grasp will become as sharp as blades, with sharpness and hardiness dependant on mastery. Peak mastery and understanding allows for precision strikes and deep wounds, capable of severing vital points or even bones.]

[F-grade Skill 2: Sovereign Poise (Passive): The sovereign's stature reflects the blade, unyielding. Grants permanent enhanced agility and movement, propensity to lose footing drastically decreased. Enhanced footing on all surfaces. Peak Mastery and understanding allows for perfect footing on a wider variety of surfaces.]

[F-grade Skill 3: Systemic Eye (Active): Peer beneath the surface of the system to glean glimpses of things unseen.]

[F-grade Skill 4: Sovereign Executioner (Active): The sovereigns blade extends to fealty, endless in its numbers. For a mana cost, summon a phantom, a sovereign executioner to mimic a single slash. The executioner will perfectly mimic your strike and simultaneously strike an enemy from an angle of your  intent.]

Wow… that’s better than I was expecting. Nice one, Pyra. Maybe this world wasn’t so bad after all. Alex was genuinely impressed. And conflicted.

Alex lay still, the weight of his decision pressing on him as he considered the four F-grade skills before him. His mind painted vivid scenarios with each potential choice. The immediate threat of losing his life and surviving the predicament took priority over the long-term implications of his skill choice on his class growth and future skill choices. He already had two movement skills: Phoenix Leap, which gave him three-dimensional movement, and Boundless Dodge. Although primarily a defensive evasion skill, Boundless Dodge was almost a movement skill of its own, sort of.

First was Limitless Edge, its allure in turning any object into a lethal weapon. He envisioned himself, surrounded by Arachnae, grasping a broken stalactite. In his grip, it transformed, edges sharpening to a deadly point, slicing through the exoskeleton of a nearby spider with ease. This skill's versatility, transforming mundane objects into deadly weapons, could be a lifesaver in the unpredictable environment of the Arachnae colony, where his primary weapon might be lost or damaged. Precision strikes targeted their vulnerable joints, immobilizing them, their venomous fangs clattering harmlessly to the ground. With the enhanced sharpness, Alex could penetrate the tough exoskeletons of the larger spiders, making his attacks lethal and ensuring survival against the immediate threat. The adaptability of using various objects as weapons would give him a strategic edge in the confined cave environment.

Next, his thoughts shifted to Sovereign Poise. He saw himself, agile and swift, moving through the Arachnae swarm. His feet found solid ground on the slickest surfaces, his body moving with an assuredness that belied the danger around him. However, with Phoenix Leap already giving him significant movement capabilities, Alex weighed the necessity of Sovereign Poise's enhancements. Its potential for increased combat efficiency and fluid swordplay was appealing, yet he pondered if the skill overlapped too much with his existing abilities. The poise skill was intriguing; at high mastery, he pictured himself standing on water or fighting along a vertical wall as if it were solid ground. But he already had Phoenix Leap. What was the use in wall-running or wall-walking when he could already move in three dimensions? It was still a skill he wished he could have, simply because it was cool, but it wouldn’t help him here.

The third option, Systemic Eye, unfurled a world unseen. He guessed Systemic Eye was another glitched skill, judging by the garbled, glitched text and its subversive nature. It sounded like an appraisal skill, and he desperately wanted it. He could picture it clearly; Hidden weaknesses of the Arachnae shone before him. This skill's potential to reveal vital information about the Arachnae and the environment was captivating. By understanding the stats, attack patterns, or weaknesses of the spiders, Alex could better evade their bites and avoid being paralyzed by venom. But in his current predicament, trapped in the heart of the swarm, he questioned the immediate utility of this tactical skill. Could it provide the offensive power he needed right now? He couldnt be certain. It wouldn’t help him escape or survive the colony or another swarm. Though he craved the skill, he had to let it go out of necessity; he prayed that with his choice, the skill wasn’t lost to him forever.

Lastly, Sovereign Executioner beckoned with its promise of multiplied force. In his mind’s eye, Alex saw a phantom emerging, mirroring his movements perfectly with a singular strike. The ability to attack from different angles, reaching enemies in difficult-to-reach positions, seemed like a crucial advantage in the cramped cave. This skill, capable of dealing with multiple threats at once, could likely be the key to his survival and escape.

His existing skills melded with these possibilities. Phoenix Leap and Boundless Dodge provided unmatched mobility, Mana Blade a relentless edge, and Mana Burn a surge of raw power. Yet, the swarm of Arachnae, vast and venomous, demanded more.  Alex's choice crystallized as he imagined the Sovereign Executioner in action. The skill's immediate benefit in the dire situation he found himself in outweighed the potential long-term implications for his class growth.

Choosing Sovereign Executioner felt like a necessary gamble. The phantom, projection and silent ally, would bolster his offensive capabilities. With this new skill, the Arachnae, no matter their size or the deadliness of their venom, would face an opponent they could not envenom.

The skill's future potential tantalized him. While currently, it only provided a single phantom, Alex pondered the possibilities of mastery. Could they potentially last longer than one strike, acting as an extended limb, or even potentially work from a distanced, as a long-range strike, perfectly mirroring his movements? The possibilities unfolded in his mind like a map, each path brimming with potential.

Ultimately, he chose Sovereign Executioner, his thoughts remaining fixed on the myriad of ways it would help him battle a venomous swarm of Arachnae while complementing his other skills.

His decision made, Alex mentally nudged the system, affirming his choice. Sovereign Executioner was now his to command.

[Grade F Class Skill: Sovereign Executioner (active) selected!]

His decision made, he attempted to shift and finally noticed all of the webbing. Thick silken spiders web engulfed his body. It wrapped around him, binding his limbs and torso tight like a mummy in a spider's craft. He was covered in the stuff.

And he was also covered in wounds. Endless injuries from the battle outside the cities borders after he crashed to the earth.

Painful awareness of his body's unnoticed injuries came into focus, and his gut sank at each new sight. Horrified, he saw chunks of his flesh gone, leaving raw, open wounds. He saw fist-sized holes in his calf, legs, arms, stomach, and chest. In his chest, a particularly large wound exposed his cracked ribs and damaged lung. A damaged half-eaten lung.

The spiders paralytic venom still ran through his veins and dulled his senses, muting the pain even now as he assessed his gruesome wounds. He had assumed any injuries from the battle he’d gained were light, but he had clearly been wrong.

He assessed the damage further.

He had heard of this; in wars back on Earth, sometimes soldiers didn't notice they were shot or had limbs blown clean off when they were given enough morphine and at times opium, although morphine was said to be stronger.

Alex was experiencing something similar in real time due to the spiders venom.

Now that he could see the wounds, the pain that he had been ignoring this whole time held vivid clarity. The pain was persistent, but numb. Muted. A mild irritant instead of excrutation. A dull echo of something sharper, as if muffled by layers of cloth.

It was with that realisation that Alex began to worry.

How the hell am I still alive?, he wondered, before immediately realizing that his high endurance was keeping him from death's door, just barely hanging on. The world dimmed and brightened and swayed briefly and his breathing became mere whispers, faint and unnoticed as the world dimmed further. Colours became muted as darkness crept into the corners of his vision and Light faded.

This felt familiar.

Crap, crap. I'm dying, he realized, in further panic as in a rush he mentally summoned his inventoryand made to grab the last healing potion. The Vail materialized above his palm. As he grasped for it, his enhanced strength tore through the webbing on his fingers.The potion landed in his open palm and promptly fell through his fingers rolling among the rocks a few paces away with its contents shining reflectively in the dim light. The venom was still affecting his fine motor control.

Alex rolled to his side and pushed all his remaining free stats into boosting his endurance.

[Strength: 164 (113)

Dexterity: 207 (143)

Endurance: 61 (42)

Intelligence: 247 (170)

Wisdom: 41 (28)

Unassigned stat points: 0]

Between the battle at the town's borders and now, his stats had skyrocketed to increase by 235, with almost half of that coming courtesy of his feats. And he had just dumped 16 more into his endurance, the one stat that was likely keeping him alive. The increase would boost his resilience, but that would only delay the inevitable and the effort might just buy him a few more seconds.

But seconds would be enough if he could just reach the potion.

Using all his strength and will he moved towards the vail and began crawling, locking his eyes with tunneled vision on the potion a short distance away.

Alex reached the potion with a sigh of relief, his fingers moments away from grasping the small vial of red liquid.

And that's when he noticed the girl.

She stood directly in front of him, with hair so dark and thick it seemed to shine reflectively—almost metallic, the light of the moss bounced off her dark locks with each of her movements. She was wrapped in the same prey webbing as he was, except hers was covered in ichor and blood. Did she use a potion of her own to heal herself? Does she have high endurance like me? Or higher? Unlikely, she must've woken up earlier" Alex assessed her instantly. The webbing around her covered her arms, legs, and torso completely. It even covered her face completely, with only a small slit where her mouth was; probably to allow her to breathe.

Alex would've wondered how she could even see anything at all with her eyes wrapped like that, if she hadn't just knelt down and picked up his potion, taking it out of reach of his grasping hands.