Newly Summoned Demoness: Side Story One (Part Three) (Patreon)

Elania’s eyes glowed faintly in the dim light as she surveyed her companions gathered around Yolani’s shard-powered lantern. The worn map, with slightly frayed edges and a few ink-smudged routes, lay flat on the cool cavern floor. Yolani’s finger traced the lines and symbols, pausing at the blank spaces along the draw area’s edges.

“We’re officially off the map,” Yolani said, a note of concern threading its way into her tone. “We already left the waystations way behind. Now we’ll need to make sure we keep track of our route or risk getting lost.”

“I’m fairly confident in navigation,” Elania said. “I have the skill at Rank E.”

Harlock chuckled. “Don’t worry, lass. I will keep track of our way. I have Rank A.”

Elania’s golden irises flicked between him and Yolani. She noticed a tiredness that clouded her friend’s green eyes that had not been there before. “There might not be a waystation, but we can find our own place to temporarily camp.”

Harlock grunted his agreement, the lantern light casting his craggy features in stark relief. “Aye, we’ve come far enough today, and a weary blade invites defeat.”

Kael, who remained silent, nodded nervously as he glanced around the surroundings. Elania frowned and wanted to reassure him there wasn’t anything near them at the moment, but it wasn’t a bad thing that he was being alert.

Yolani packed the map back up and placed a small metal orb behind a large rock.

“What’s that?” Elania asked.

“Insurance, because ‘navigation’ isn’t a very reliable way of making our way back,” Yolani replied before pulling out a small, round metal object. It had a little arrow in it resembling a compass, the tip pointed straight towards the metal orb.

“Smart. Helps if either I or the Demoness gets hurt, too,” Harlock said.

The trek took them down a winding path along a deep crevasse that revealed a slowly flowing underground stream. The entire chamber was nearly pitch black, but on the other side of a narrow tunnel, a vibrant area opened up.

It reminded Elania of the Mushroohum Lands.

More importantly, there were dozens of cliff-like cuts in the sides of the cavern’s walls, and she pointed to one that was nearby. “I bet we can set up camp on one of those.”

“You going to hop up there and throw us down a rope?” Harlock asked.

Elania grinned. “Sure! That’s not a problem.”

Once everyone was situated on the large shelf, Elania spent her time gathering supplies they needed from the cavern. The wood and water were fairly simple, especially since Yolani provided her with an expanding bucket they hauled up with the rope.

When she was done, she focused on making the fire while Yolani pulled out several contraptions and placed them along the edge. A blue field appeared, creating a curved-like shield at the top of the cliff.

Elania blinked. “Wait, you can make a waystation field?”

Yolani shook her head. “Nothing as strong as that. But this will at least deflect projectiles or spells for a bit while alerting us.”

“Still will need a watch,” Harlock said.

That wasn’t something anyone was going to argue against.

Conversation ebbed and flowed around the fire while they cooked another travel meal. With their bellies filled with the warm stew, they finally settled down to rest. Elania took first watch.

The dancing flames played across the walls, casting a tapestry of light and shadow that seemed to whisper of the dangers they were seeking to explore. Her gaze finally settled on Yolani, the other girl’s even breaths hinting that she had fallen sound asleep.

Each one of them had their own responsibilities and goals from the expedition, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that… she’d made the right choices in teaming up with Yolani. And Harlock was a surprising source of… friendship?

When it was finally Yolani’s turn, she stayed up and kept the other girl company, even if they weren’t really free to chat. There was something nice about just sitting and looking out over the quiet, pretty glowing cavern together, though.

Harlock had the hardest watch in the middle. Yolani shook the old mercenary awake.

Elania curled up on her bedroll, which was beside Yolani’s, and they slept back to back. That wasn’t strictly necessary, but it was nice considering the damp chill of the cavern.

Dreams eluded her and it felt like no time at all had passed when Harlock shook her and then Yolani gently. “Wake up. Time to get moving.”

Yolani groaned as she pushed herself up, rubbing her eyes. “Already?”

“The Hornar won’t wait for us,” Elania replied cheerfully.

Yolani sighed and sat up. The two men began to pack the camp with practice hands, but Yolani looked at her bag. “Elania, pass me my bag? We need to check some things before we go.”

Elania nodded and grabbed the large leather pouch and handed it to her. Yolani opened it and began pulling out a line of red-colored vials. Healing potions. There were also a dozen gray orbs with blue tops.

“The resonance bombs need to be in top condition,” Yolani mumbled to herself. When everything was out, she counted the potions by twos, checking each one for damage. When she was done, she spoke up so everyone could hear. “Remember, everyone, we have a limited supply of healing potions. Just twelve left.”

Harlock guffawed. “Only? That’s three for each of us.”

Elania had found that the healing liquid was very expensive. It probably was normal for a party to only carry one or two potions for an emergency. Yet here they were with a dozen. It wasn’t like she needed any healing with her [Regeneration]perk, so it was more like four for each of them.

Still, if they got in a battle, having that option to quaff a bunch of potions was a good thing. They weren’t exactly super effective, from experience. Yolani had been hurt badly during the battle with Magister Relain, and one hadn’t cut it.

Moving out, Elania lead with a confidence born from the familiarity of the cavern and her heightened senses. [Tracking] cast a subtle glow on the cavern floor hinting at the passage of different creatures, but most importantly, the thin tracks that had been made by the Hornar spiders remained. They led through the cavern to the other side in an unerring, straight path.

The tunnel out of the cavern turned into a snarl of twists and turns, but eventually led to a smaller, darker section.

A low growl reverberated through the air, stopping all of them in their tracks. Kael pulled his sword. “What was that?”

Elania’s eyes adjusted to the darkness easily, her gaze falling onto the source of the growl. “A Darkwalker,” Elania answered without turning. The panther-like form stared at them with two yellow orbs. It was a teenager.

Yolani peered into the darkness, her kinetic wand at the ready. “Can we avoid it?”

“No need,” Elania replied, her own growl rising in her throat—a deep, dominant sound that echoed through the tunnel.

The young Darkwalker emerged, its fur bristled and eyes wary. It locked gazes with Elania, and for a moment, a silent communication passed between them. She felt recognition. She’d met this Darkwalker before.

“Do you…know it?” Yolani asked hesitantly. Her eyes flickered off the predator and onto Elania.

“Maybe I met it when it was younger,” Elania answered hesitantly. “Either way…”

She bared her teeth in a silent snarl and hissed loudly.

The Darkwalker froze, then backed away before turning and vanishing down another tunnel branch.

“Nicely done,” Harlock said with a note of approval. “Just don’t go too feral.”

Elania scoffed.

Yolani shook her head. “I never get used to seeing you do things like that.”

Elania offered a half-smile. “It’s just part of who I am now.”

They continued on their way, the tension of the brief encounter still lingering in the air. As they moved deeper into the caverns, Yolani kept close to Elania.

Several cavern transitions later, the first evidence that they were getting closer came into view. Webs, thick and long, ran haphazardly through a tunnel. The angles would bring anything hurtling through the space to a rapid and sticky halt.

“This is it,” Elania whispered. “The tracks lead right through there.”

Yolani nodded. “We’ll find them here.”

“Just keep in mind the plan. Resonance bomb to stun before getting in close and decapitating it,” Harlock said.

Kael nodded, his grip on his sword white-knuckled but determined. “We can do this.”

One by one, they crept through the zig-zag pattern required not to get stuck on the webs, their eyes fixed on the tunnel exit.

Together, they crept forward, their eyes fixed on the shadows ahead, where their quarry awaited. When they reached the end, Elania’s breath caught in her chest.

The cavern was a vast network of webs hanging from the rocky ceiling. They stretched in long sheets to the floor at random, leaving little free space except in the center where an enormous pile of bones had begun to take shape. All of them had been picked entirely clean, reminding her of the refuse the [Bone Demon] she had fought long ago.

The air vibrated with a subtle hum, a sensation that Elania felt more than heard. Something told her it was likely related to the magical resonance of the Hornar. She turned her head slightly, catching Yolani’s gaze. The other girl’s hand hovered over her open pouch of resonance bombs, her expression a mixture of anxiety and determination.

“We’re not alone,” Harlock whispered, his voice barely audible.

Elania’s eyes scanned the shadows, and there in a distant corner, the silhouette of a Hornar Spider loomed, two horns pulsing with a blue ghostly light. It didn’t seem to be aware of them.

The group shared a look, then pressed forward into the chamber toward their prey.

As they got closer, Elania realized just how big the spider was. It was easily two or three meters tall, and that was while sitting on the small mound it was perched upon.

Kael swallowed hard. “Are we sure there is only one?”

“There might be a few more, but they don’t like to nest in large groups,” Harlock stated quietly.

Elania crept closer to the unsuspecting Hornar, her breathing controlled, her body a vessel of coiled power ready to spring. The others stopped once Yolani was in throwing range, leaving her to sneak up alone. Coming to a stop below the massive spider, she crouched, poised, and ready to strike with her dagger in hand.

Yolani’s arm drew back, and with a flick of her wrist, the first resonance bomb sailed through the air, striking the spider on the head. It detonated on impact, emitting a deep, vibrating pulse that reverberated throughout the cavern and through Elania’s chest.

If there were more spiders, they definitely weren’t going to be asleep after that.

The Hornar reeled and let out a painfully high-pitched shriek. Its massive form convulsed as its horns flickered erratically as the magic within them was disrupted.

It was time to strike.

With a burst of speed, she leapt from the ground, straight for the spider’s head. She slashed as she passed by its face, but the cut was shallow as it lurched away. A length of horn came toward her and she grabbed it.

Electric shock poured through the connection, but she grit her teeth and forced a flood of power down her limb, which buffered and repulsed the beast’s own magic. She redirected her flight path onto the spider’s back and slid down its smooth chitin carapace.

Before she fell off, she stabbed her [Vorpal Dagger] into it, body weight dragging the blade through in a long line that left green ooze erupting from the wound. The Hornar reeled and raised itself upward in an attempt to dislodge her.

Hands slick with ichor, she couldn’t keep her purchase and fell to the ground, barely retaining her weapon. A spindly leg slashed through the air down at her and she jumped and rolled out of the way as the spider counter attacked.

Another resonance bomb landed nearby, exploding with enough power to shock the spider into stillness again.

“Keep pressure!” Harlock shouted from near Yolani.

Elania glanced over at the rest of the group. The older mercenary had formed a small shield wall with Kael, both of them standing in front of Yolani protectively.

A dangerous hum filled the air above her, and Elania realized her mistake in looking away. The second resonance grenade had not been as effective, and the Hornar’s two antlers had taken on a bright blue glow. Suddenly lighting bolts began to slam into the ground around the spider, one of them striking Elania in the chest and blowing her backwards in a spinning ball.

She found purchase with her feet and hands, bringing herself to a sliding stop. The spider had seemingly forgotten her and was focused on the rest of the group, lightning bolts slamming into the two mercenaries’ raised shields.

Yolani raised her wand, lifting a field of rocks and debris from the ground to levitate in the air before pointing at the spider. Lightning bolts lashed out, blasting the projectiles by the dozen, making the attack look ineffective.

But mixed into the swarm was one of her resonance grenades. It weaved its way through the deadly bolts and exploded just a meter away from the spider’s antlers.

The beast shrieked and stumbled, the strength in its front legs failing.

Elania glanced at her dagger. It was too small. She needed something larger. Something like Eziel would have been perfect, but the sword had been sacrificed to Neftasu’s Celestial Engine.

“Close in and strike!” Harlock’s command was blunt, and he and Kael began to advance together.

Elania’s eyes fell on a large rock nearby, and then she shouted back. “No! Let me!”

They looked at her, confused. There was only going to be a few seconds of the spider remaining stun locked. Thankfully, they listened.

Elania slid her dagger into its sheath and grabbed the rock. It was almost as tall as she was, and her hands dug into the surface as she pumped her [Power] throughout her entire body.

It probably weighed a hundred times what she did or something, but she’d become much stronger since falling into the Celestial Engine. Leaning back, she got leverage on the back of the rock and pulsed another wave of [Power] into her ridiculous projectile. The stone turned red, and her flesh began to sizzle from the heat.

Too much [Power]. If it got any hotter, it would weaken and melt on her.

She hurled it.

The spider caved in on itself as the boulder slammed into its side, lifting it into the air. Both crashed into the wall with a massive, reverberating crunch that shook and jostled the entire cavern like a minor earthquake.

The rock she’d thrown shattered into a spray of molten rock shards, slicing into the spider before impacting the thick webs throughout the cavern like an erupting volcano.

They were lucky the spider silk wasn’t flammable like glow moss.

The spider crashed to the ground, its entire middle section completely flattened. The beast’s legs moved haphazardly for a second longer before going limp.

[You have slain Hornar Spider!]

[You have gained a level!]

They stood in silence, everyone’s chest heaving with exertion, as the reality of their victory sunk in. Elania glanced over to the two men. Their shields were blackened and charred where they had absorbed the lightning strikes meant for Yolani.

They hadn’t been actively attacking the spider, but they still look spent.

Yolani was the only one in the group who looked fine.

They all converged on the carcass. Yolani smiled at her, eyes shining with admiration. “Elania, that was incredible!”

A smile appeared on Elania’s face. “Your decoy rocks worked good to stun it.”

Harlock grunted and looked at Kael. “Stay sharp. All the noise might attract attention,” he warned.

“Yessir,” Kael answered quickly. To the young man’s credit, he seemed to firm up and wasn’t nervous anymore.

Grabbing the carcass, Elania pulled the body down to bring the attachment point of the horns to within reach so Yolani could use one of her artifice tools to magically shave it off at the base.

They’d been right to bring the two mercenaries for sure. There was no way they’d be able to carry more than one antler per person. Elania blinked. She hadn’t asked how many they needed.

Was a pair of them enough?