A Shot of Salvation
"Scatter!"
I unleashed a swarm of tentacle spiders. Prioritize the two closest ones!
The Red Spiders bounded forward with their springy legs.
"Guh!"
"Disgusting little shits!"
The knights batted away the spiders as they retreated. But that would leave your vice-captain isolated, wouldn't it?
I spewed a bundle of tentacles from the Great Red Spider's mouth, lunging at Glova.
"Hup!"
Glova, who had planted his feet forward instead, slammed down with the white spear in his hand, severing the tentacles with brute force.
What the hell? The tentacles got cut by that raw power?
A skill? Or maybe... the weapon itself?
Glova charged ahead.
That's dangerous if it hits.
I tensed the sensory hairs across the Great Red Spider's body, focusing on the vibrations in the air. The thick fur on its legs picked up environmental changes with exquisite sensitivity. Not with eyes, but feeling the tremors!
"Haaah!"
I ducked low, evading Glova's spear thrust. He seemed slightly surprised too. But the spear thrusts didn't stop there. Glova twisted his wrist to pull back the spear, widened his stance, and unleashed a barrage.
"Dodge!"
I retreated to avoid it. Glova summoned a level measurement panel from his wrist to assess my info.
"...The spider's 520, the little one's 340."
"Vice-captain! Are you alright?"
Glova gripped his spear and faced off against me.
"The main body is the little one. It's not the Demon King. It's a tentacle monster type that the White Flame Knights exterminated before."
"The main body, you say..."
"Kill it, and it's all over."
This position sucks.
If I could head to where Syr and Lyr were, I'd grab hostages and fight way easier. But...
I couldn't turn my back to change locations.
"We'll take it down here!"
"We'll cover your back!"
Glova entrusted his rear to his men and blocked me. Quick transitions. As expected of the kingdom's knights...
Should I run?
If I bolted straight back, there was another manhole entrance. Slip out there and regroup? But feeling Lyr's soft skin in real-time changed my mind.
I might have to let go of Lyr for once. No way in hell.
Syr and Lyr, those big-titted twin sisters, had to become tentacle monster baby factories. Besides, running wasn't an option anyway. To survive showing my back, I'd need to halt their charge first, but that spear made it hard to find an opening.
"Haat!"
Sensing the vibrations with my sensory hairs, I evaded the spear thrusts one step ahead. Glova eyed my movements, starting to herd me to the side. To keep me from fleeing straight back. Sneakily shifting positions bit by bit.
Veteran move.
Impressive, Glova. Position is everything in a fight. But I caught on to his intent and refused to play along anymore. We turned the entire sewer pipe into a ring battlefield, probing, expanding territories, clashing fiercely.
The severed tentacle bundle's useless now. But...!
I've got my toothed tentacles! Timing his approach, I parried the spear thrust with the Great Red Spider's agility, then counterattacked with the toothed tentacle!
Shoosh! A graze would be lethal! Perfect timing, but Glova dodged like he'd anticipated it.
What?
A skill? One that reads my movements? Same for his men? They pre-sense the tentacle spiders swarming from all directions and react. Same principle as my Great Red Spider's sensory hairs.
We traded jabs, measuring distance. Glova baited my toothed tentacles with shallow strikes.
I'll bite that trap.
Split-seconds passed. We shifted to the next exchange. Glova feinted a deep thrust; I ducked low in the Great Red Spider's body... and launched the toothed tentacle in the gap. Glova read behind the behind, aiming to sever it.
Fine!
I can spare one tentacle. Regrow it after some HP recovery! Give flesh to take bone!
Sssshk!
Now!
I flung wide the prepped split mouth. Digestive fluid spray!
Spiiiish!
"Hup!"
Glova pulled back his spear and dodged swiftly, but couldn't avoid the fluid splashing his arm.
Sizzle!
"Kuh!"
"Vice-captain!"
"I'm fine!"
What the fuck is this guy? He shouldn't have been able to dodge that. Is that spear that light? Light enough to slice my weighted tentacles and still prance around?
Fuck. Even good weapons are just hunks of metal. How's that possible?
Plus, light weapons lack power. Not as tough as a Black Snail's shell, but tentacle monster combat tentacles have serious durability. Yet now... the severed part was burning away, the damage spreading wider.
"Guh...!"
It reminded me of White Flame. Not that strong, but it hurt like hell.
"Hup!"
Glova charged again. I sprayed digestive fluid from the split mouth to check his advance, buying time.
"Vice-captain! No more...!"
"Grah!"
Your minions can't hold off the tentacle spider onslaught! Just stall, and I win!
"Haaaah!"
Glova, reading the situation, went all-in. A barrage like his body was aflame! He spun the pure white spear and leaped at me!
You think I'll just take it!!
Tentacle spider dribble!!
Swish swish swish!
Glova pursued as I slid backward like a reverse drift! Impressive momentum, even as an enemy. He cleaved every spray of digestive fluid and probing tentacles, closing in to end me. No blocks left!
Glova severed the Great Red Spider's legs and closed to point-blank. Staring into his eyes up close, I knew. The real threat I had to watch was...
This guy!
"But you're too late, Glova!!"
The tentacle spiders broke through! Glova took a body slam from a Red Spider that shoved past his men, smashing into his back.
"Gahk!!"
That had to twist his whole body in agony! He swung his spear to fend off the swarm, but their numbers stalled his feet. Stab a vital, and he's done!
That's when it happened.
"Vice-captain!!"
Reinforcements...!?
Through the gap Glova had carved? That voice—Syr. Her variable-length sword extended, scooping up tentacle spiders in one sweep. The shredded spiders arced into the air and crashed to the floor.
"Syr... perfect timing...!!"
"Here to help! Seongyul Knights too!"
What? Trailing Syr were White Flame Knights members. And Seongyul Knights. A blonde short-cut with fierce eyes—a busty sister in a pervy modified nun outfit—led Star Church followers.
"Boni Peyuri here. Glova, sir, are you alright? I'll reapply the holy buffs."
"Thank you. The little one's... the main body. We can't let it escape...!"
"Leave it to our knights now."
Shit, this is bad. I can't get enough tentacle beast support here. If it'd been the Black Snail room, I could've managed. Syr glared at me, scowling.
"Let my sister go!!"
Ching!
A distant blade lashed out. Sword fragments split into dozens, dancing unpredictably. I barely sensed it with my sensory hairs and dodged, but that trajectory was hard to read. A pincer attack...
And I'm done! Glova, buffed by the blonde, caught his breath and rose. The tide had turned.
"Grr...!"
Nutrient-packed Black Snails were strong, but not nimble enough to rush to my aid in this pinch. Once the tentacle spiders were spent... nothing left.
I can't expect backup!
Had to admit it. Glova's breakthrough had cornered me. I'd ridden the Great Red Spider out here for easy grabs on Lyr and Jonah via one-sided DPS, but Glova sent only Syr there and flanked me separately. Smart play. Effective.
To survive, I'd have to struggle ugly. Arms crossed spectating was a luxury for the strong.
If only I'd had a bit more time.
...Push regrets aside. Time to show this monster's tenacious survival instinct! I tensed my body, prepping to leap. Planning a ceiling cling and frontal breakthrough. Getting farther from the hatchery just thinned my odds.
In the eerie tension thick enough to explode at a touch...
Huh?
Earthquake? The Great Red Spider's sensory hairs caught vibrations from an unknown source. The enemies hadn't noticed yet. But they were closing in. Right behind me.
...Behind?
What the hell was happening? Another kingdom knight trick? Just as Syr extended her variable sword again—
"No! Dodge!"
"Kyaa!"
Glova shoved Syr hard aside, and I whipped tentacles to the ceiling, hanging the Great Red Spider with me. Massive tremors! A storm of overwhelming heat and pale light rocked the sewer pipe, vaporizing even the polluted water in the pipes.
Whoooosh...!!
BOOM!!
"Gaaaaah!"
What the fuck!! Claire? Or Shiroko?! The ground shook like it would collapse. Where the pale light passed, eerie destruction lingered, sparking like embers.
...Who was that aimed at? Nearly wiped the knights instead of me. No, the risk was huge. If Glova hadn't warned them, Syr and the regular knights, even Seongyul members, would've been obliterated without a trace.
...Anyway. Chance to regroup!
I skittered across the ceiling and fled.