Rock Spider Cave
Most importantly, while the others prepared for battle at the rear, I charged ahead.
To get a better look, I'd been using Track, but now I repurposed it.
And just like that, the world gradually darkened and slowed to a crawl.
Thanks to the search squad leader illuminating the area, I could still make out shapes ahead, so I unleashed Fleet without hesitation.
The next instant—
Krunch!!
I cleaved the lead rock spider clean in two.
Its carapace was so tough it didn't slice neatly but shattered apart instead.
Even tougher than I'd expected—better to find another approach than keep hacking away like this.
Too hard to parry with a blade.
Should've prepped some backup weapons for situations like this.
Still, the Garrett long sword's heft made it big and sturdy enough to handle this.
No way these things would dull its edge, no matter how much I bashed them.
Anyway.
My eyes locked on the next rock spider.
With other fighters here besides me, no need to rush in a rush.
I dashed at the nearest one and brought my sword crashing down.
Krunch!
Its back caved in with cracks spiderwebbing out.
Crunch! Krunch!
A few more strikes shattered its shell completely, and it went still.
"Hoo."
Tough bastard. The shell would make prime armor material... wait.
Come to think of it, that was on the material list.
I glanced at the spider's shattered fragments.
...Collecting that would be a pain.
Fine for small, pricey bits like fangs, but hauling chunks like these? Nah.
Anyway.
I swung at the approaching rock spiders swarming from all sides.
Were these things always this big and hard?
"Lorentz! Are these mutated monsters?"
"Bigger than average, yeah."
I asked just in case, and that's the answer I got.
Damn, mutated spiders too?
This mutation bulked them up, huh.
Waste of talent—not putting that growth power into livestock, but demon worship instead.
I idly mused that capturing the Demon Worshippers who made these could solve the kingdom's food shortages, then pulled back for a breather.
"What's up?"
"Sword's not cutting it. Got a hammer?"
"Handily enough."
Lorentz nodded toward one of his men.
A guy armed with a massive hammer.
Familiar face—from the sewer investigation last time.
"Mind if I borrow that?"
"Uh, sure? Yeah..."
I tossed him the Garrett sword and grabbed the hammer.
Lifting it, I felt its substantial weight settle in my grip.
Swords might feel heavy, but they were lightweights compared to this beast.
Whoosh—whoosh—
I swung it a few times to get the feel.
Of course, I'd handled giant hammers like this before.
Colosseum fights threw every weapon at you.
Your starter blade was usually junk anyway—broke mid-fight, you'd snatch the enemy's or grab whatever the arena staff had jammed into the ground.
Plus, Alden had drilled me on all sorts of weapons.
Truth be told, they all boiled down to the basics.
Short ones? Thrust.
Long ones like this...
BOOM!!
Swing.
One hammer blow pulverized the skull of the rock spider lunging at me.
Yeah, that's the feel.
Skitter-skitter—scratch-scratch—
But even as I smashed them, more poured in from across the cave.
Crawling over floor, walls, even the ceiling—it was downright creepy.
...A lot of them.
"We'll back you up. Handle it."
"Got it."
Not overwhelming, though.
Worst case, Lorentz was here.
He was conserving mana for now, only supporting endangered teammates.
"Here I go."
Yeah, mages needed to save their mana, so the stamina guy like me had to run around like a dog.
And I wasn't the only one bounding like one.
Thud! Krunch!
The man who'd introduced himself as the 2nd Mountain Search Squad's vice-captain.
No wonder he held the rank—he was soloing spiders left and right.
Name was... right, Lock.
We'd exchanged names on the way in.
Kieeeek—
Krunch!
Every arm swing impaled a spider, spraying ichor as it burst.
Curious, I looked closer—massive spikes protruded from his forearm sleeves.
Weapons, huh? Unique setup.
Long as they dropped spiders, fine by me.
I hefted the hammer and plunged into the thickest cluster.
Skitter-scratch—
Kraaak!!
They pinpointed my leap and swarmed below, jaws eager to tear me apart.
But—
'Rush.'
What hit their heads was a hammer head brimming with Aura.
KABOOM—!!
The impact shook the cave, obliterating the clustered spiders in one go.
"Hoo."
Refreshing.
That said, the tremor spooked me for a second.
Fine on the floor, but I couldn't risk hitting walls or ceiling.
Skitter-skitter—
Fresh spiders already refilled the smashed ground, closing in.
Annoying bunch.
Manageable for mutated monsters, though.
Better than a six-armed orc champion—bigger and harder, sure, but preferable.
The issue was sheer numbers...
Thud!!
Krunch!
Teaming with that search squad vice-captain Lock, we could probably smash them all eventually.
Pretty strong guy.
Deron or Caiden level?
Man, those two were supposed to be Boyd family prodigies, but they didn't seem that exceptional.
Even got caught by me, who'd only learned Aura recently.
Whatever.
As we steadily cleared the cave, smashing spiders nonstop—
Thoom—!
A vibration like my earlier hammer strike echoed.
"This is..."
"From ahead."
Hearing Lorentz from behind, I pierced the cave's darkness with Track.
There.
Thoom-thoom-thoom-thoom-thoom—!!
A colossal spider, big enough to fill half the tunnel, barreled toward us.
"The boss?"
Looked nothing like the others.
More legs for starters, and its thicker, tougher carapace bristled with sharp protrusions.
...Definitely 100% mutated.
"It's the queen."
Lock had sidled up beside me.
He'd confirmed it with Track too, Aura user that he was.
"What now?"
I asked for tactical advice.
Size meant I'd need a full-power Rush to crack it.
But that charge speed and those horns sprouting everywhere? Not easy.
"I'll handle it."
"Got a plan?"
"Yes. Buy me time to focus."
No idea how he'd solo that thing solo...
But he had his methods.
His fighting earlier had earned my trust, so I gripped the hammer and charged first.
Clear the small fry to give him breathing room.
Whoosh—thud! Thud!
As I diligently hammered away—
Thoom-thoom-thoom—!
The queen spider drew nearer.
I glanced back.
Lorentz was... cool as ice.
A massive magic circle bloomed in his hand—reassuring just to see.
Seemed to be rationing mana, but he'd cast if we were in real trouble.
Still...
Kraaaak—!!
Up close, that queen was intimidating as hell.
What kind of spider looked that menacing?
"Ready."
"Roger."
Time bought—I leaped back.
Then—
Thud—!
Footsteps exploded from behind as I activated Track.
There—Lock rocketing forward on Fleet.
Body low like a loosed arrow.
Fast.
Fleet speeds varied by Aura user, but he was top-tier.
At least quicker than Deron or Caiden.
In a flash, he closed on the queen and thrust his right arm straight out.
Then—
The spike mounted on his hand swelled massively, and—
KABOOOOOM—!
A deafening blast—sheared the queen's head clean off, crumpling the rest into a spike-shaped wreck.
"Whoa..."
Esoteric Rush?
Incredible power.
Unlike the Boyd family's thrown Rush terror tactic, this was raw, exhilarating force.
I'd love to learn it myself.
Anyway.
Thud!!
The headless queen slumped to the floor.
Skitter-skitter-skitter—
The remaining rock spiders lost their aggression and scattered.
"Impressive."
"Huff... huff... Nothing special."
Lock looked spent after vaporizing the queen in one shot.
Made sense—power like that guzzled stamina.
A true finisher move.
"Nah, you saved our asses."
Left him vulnerable after, but the flair was worth it.
"You helped plenty."
"Yeah. Spar sometime if the chance comes..."
Bond formed.
Working in the capital as a civil servant and all.
With Deron and Caiden unavailable, building ties here could lead to training sessions.
"Talk later. Clean up first."
Then Lorentz and his men got to work.
Harvesting the queen's ichor and carapace, freeing survivors cocooned in webs.
"Silver-rank mercenaries."
"Been here a few days, looks like."
The rescues were gaunt but in no mortal danger.
Preserved nicely as future rations.
"Shall we?"
With gains secured, we headed for the exit—
Rumble...!!!
The whole cave shuddered.
And with it, a brain-piercing alarm blared through my body.
"Lorentz!"
The dizzying instinct hit after so long—I yelled, but Lorentz was already eyeing the entrance.
"Trouble at the entrance."
Shaking like it was about to collapse entirely.
Demon Worshippers must've rigged it.
Couldn't win by force, so bury us alive? Cowards.
"Cave's collapsing."
"Not quite..."
But Lorentz stayed calm.
His poise drew every eye, mine included.
"Not without me."
With that arrogant line, he raised a hand toward the entrance.
I forgot escape, mouth agape.
Because—
Whoosh.
A breathtakingly vast, intricate magic circle bloomed in his palm, and—
Kraka-ka-kak—!!
The floor flash-froze, ice pillars erupting to brace the crumbling ceiling.
"That's..."
"Hoo. Let's move."
I stared in awe as he shook frost from his hand and headed out.
...Magic really was the best.