Eternal Winter's Reign - Book 2 - Chapter 24 - Claiming the Cavern (Patreon)

Alexander North

The moment I step into the room the giant spider lets out a loud screech, causing all of the cocoons in the cavern to split open as baby spiders flood out of them towards me. But I just start slashing my claws through the air over and over again, sending arcs of cold energy cutting each of the spiders while only letting a few reach me. And even those few don’t manage to do anything, instead freezing alive when they try to bite me thanks to their miniature size and low amount of energy.

I continue pushing through the baby spiders, which don’t actually number too many since I just dealt with a batch that left when I opened up the cavern, before swiping my claws in an X shape through the air, sending ten arcs of cold energy straight at the giant spider. But the giant spider simply lets go of the string holding its weight and lands on the ground with a loud crash that scatters dust and crushed rock into the air. Then it turns towards me and lets out another screech as its eyes flare with a blue light before returning to pitch black again.

Without hesitation I sprint forwards even faster while drawing back my claws, only for the spider to move out of the way in the blink of an eye. And as if that weren’t enough I feel something impacting my side, making me stumble before turning around to find the spider already backing away again.

So it focuses on speed. Not power.

This shouldn’t be a problem then. Not in this cavern.

It’s not like it can build up much speed in a tight space like this after all.

I grin, only to find the spider rather annoying as it repeatedly attacks me from every directly, moving faster than I can keep up with. But at the same time, its attacks aren’t doing much, and the little damage they are doing is healing almost right away. So the battle ends up in a bit of a stalemate.

Okay, this might be more annoying than I thought.

After several minutes of being cut by the spider’s claws, all of its children already having been killed either by me or the spider itself on accident by now, I let out a low growl and raise a fist to then smash it into the ground, cracking the ground in the process and shaking the cavern a little. All while making absolutely certain that I’m nowhere near the crystal. Because destroying the crystal with a shockwave would make this whole battle rather moot.

The large spider in question begins shaking along with the ground, making it lose its balance a little as I slash my claws through the air again, sending arcs of cold energy right at it. And this time when it tries to dodge the attack it simply trips on a bunch of rocks that fell from the ceiling during the shaking instead. Which leaves it wide open for the arcs to cut straight through the two legs it raises to block, severing both legs with ease.

Definitely a squishy and weak little thing if you don’t consider its speed.

The ground stops shaking after a few seconds, following which the spider regains its balance. But when it tries to move again, it proves to be far slower than before. Slow enough for me to keep up with it now.

Not to mention that it’s dragging along a trail of blue liquid that likely serves as its ‘blood’.

It lets out another screech when I finally manage to respond to one of its strikes, batting it away with my own claws before reaching forwards and dragging my other hand’s claws across that very leg.

Looks like this battle won’t last too much longer.

As if responding to my thoughts the spider backs up to the wall and lets out a much louder screech with its eyes glowing blue. So I tense up, preparing for the worst.

Only for the thing to climb the wall onto the ceiling and begin running towards the entrance.

I blink for a moment before scowling at it.

Seriously? Coward.

I quickly send as many arcs of cold energy as I can towards the entrance, but even if the spider is slow enough now for me to respond to its attacks, it’s still faster than me overall. So, while I manage to deal it a few more hits, the monster still gets through the cocoon and out into the cave.

Damnit, how the hell am I supposed to chase after it without something else stealing the damned crystal?!

I run to the entrance of the cavern before looking around the corner and barely seeing the spider turning another corner while dragging its body. But that sight alone manages to calm me down.

It won’t get far. The thing is missing two legs entirely with another two wounded and a large wound opened up on its abdomen. So even if it doesn’t die alone somewhere it’ll still be stuck somewhere here.

Besides. I can track it with my energy.

I glance at the blood trail its leaving.

Or that.

That works too.

Hey terminal, how far do you think it’ll get? And how long do you think it’ll take for the crystal to stabilize?

|It is estimated that the crystal will take six more hours to stabilize. Furthermore the frozen one will most likely collapse from blood loss within ten minutes.|

So it won’t get far.

I’ll just go deal with it after I grab the crystal.

With that thought in mind, I walk around absorbing the energy of the baby spiders before going back over to the crystal and lying down on the ground with my eyes closed. Simply keeping my senses open for any new frozen one presences or people in general.

This is going to be a little boring though.

Kind of wish I had something to do.

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