I can feel my voice stutter, as I try to find the right words to say.

"What? Again?"

Her face looks grave, as it looks like she's concentrating on something else. All she gives is a nod. I move my attention towards the only thing that she'd be focusing on at a time like this.

Normally, I keep myself somewhat disconnected from the spider horde. Mostly because the emotions and thoughts from them sometimes disturb me. Not because of any fault of their own, but from what I've had them do in the past. And likely will do again.

It was a more subconscious thing rather than a conscious effort.

I keep myself connected just enough to know when one of them gets significantly hurt, showing something has happened.

And of course, it is at this moment that the first spider death happens. Near instantly and without pain. The small healing that I have on them not being able to bring them back fast enough.

My full attention shifts over to them, and I can see the devastation that's happening only a little outside of Gong's area of control.

Demi humans running from place to place, desperately trying to find cover. Flames rippling up and around all areas. Shockwave pulses flying from area to area, all tinged with a hint of fire. Always oriented at an angle downwards.

And the two cultivators that seem to have started it all.

Considering the clear urgency of the situation, I try something new with my scan.

I attempt my scan through my connection with the spiders. What I quickly find is that while it is still intensive, it is not as hard-hitting on my mind, as if I tried to reach that same location with my scan normally. Seeing all the distance in between.

I could attempt to query that specific location, but I wouldn't know what to query or where to query exactly, which would use far more mental energy.

The spiders provide a centering point.

Regarding what it tells me, I find out that these are the same cultivators that had fought, the day that I had explored the city with Ai, Lin, and Gong.

The first thing that comes to mind is that this is no accident.

Gong speaks up suddenly, affirming my thoughts. Her face, the picture of frustration.

"James, I've been using the spiders to shield them. The cultivators aren't directly attacking them, but seem to fight more intensely in areas where demi humans live. Possibly for deniability. This could just be a guess, but these might be loose cultivators, with no attachment to any sect. A rogue element, that could be used for anything. One thing is for sure, they're at least in the mid Qi Condensation realm."

Fuck… that's around the same level as Shi. If the speed of her was the average…

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Before I can even blink, Gong has me in her arms. Rushing us to the surface.

She quickly apologizes, letting me know that we'll need to hurry. Because of the urgency of the situation.

She also says that she'll need my help fighting them.

Fighting them…?

In what way could I help fight?

I see now. She needs my help to keep her alive. Since she can't handle cultivators of this level.

I directly question her about this method.

"Gong, we can't have you fighting cultivators again! Especially ones in the mid Qi Condensation realm. Didn't you tell me previously that you wouldn't be able to handle that even with the best preparation? From what I can tell, these guys actually have a good foundation. If I heal you that much, they'll know something's up.

"I'm not sure even you could handle fighting them, even with my healing. What if they get away? And that doesn't even include if they catch on that you don't have a curse! Then the abilities that you supposedly have will get out to everyone. Then they'll rip this place and us apart."

As I continue to talk with her, the frustration is evident on her face.

She yells, her eyes closed. Tears forming on the corner of her face, as her voice practically booms.

"I CAN'T JUST SIT HERE AND LET THEM KILL EVERYONE I KNOW!"

She slows a bit. Her face conflicted, as she is clearly distracted.

"I've already let go of so many people. People I had to leave behind, so they wouldn't be tortured. Children that have nowhere else to go. I don't have enough! I don't have enough power. Enough spiders. If I don't go out there and defend them, they'll just keep killing them! Look at them! They're only fighting in the areas that people can't defend themselves. If they keep this up, everyone will die. Even if I use the spiders…"

Her voice gets more and more hoarse as she speaks. Stuttering to a stop.

Fuck, I'm going to need to go all out on this one. I'm not having us fight. I've learned my lessons. But there are other ways to do this.

I rack my brain for ways we can solve this, without giving up everything in return. Or showcasing my abilities for the world to see.

Silence falls between us; with the only sound we can hear being the air passing by our ears.

"… Alright, Gong. Here's what I think we can do. I can heal the spiders using the majority of my energy, but I need you to stay out of the fight. What I can guarantee, is that the spiders will practically come back to life, considering the types of hits that are currently coming at them."

I do a quick check of my numbers for my manner. Trying to get a rough estimate of how long I think I can hold out based on it.

"I can maintain this for few hours at most. If you can hide them within the other spiders…"

Before I can even finish, I already see that her eyes are shifting from place to place, her mind is racing. She's reorganized the spiders into more stealthy and defensive formations that would utilize my abilities in the most efficient way.

She seems to have centered herself. This fits one of the fighting styles we talked about. No more words need to be said.

For the first time that I've been here, I truly go all out with my healing.

It's almost as if a hidden world around me freezes in place, like time has stopped for it. Something ancient within this world, that has been untouched for so long suddenly activated on a large scale.

It rises.

And then pours into me like a sinkhole. Uncontrollably.

In response, from every part of my body, shivers erupt, feeling like surges of icy waters are rising from my bones to the surface of my skin. The massive stores of mana that lives in me flows outward at my will.

This duality of in and out soon balances, like a fountain of water.

A comforting feeling emerges from this balance.

I direct all that energy ahead of us, towards the spiders that are currently fighting to defend and survive.

I can feel one spider hidden within the group instantly regrow, that was on the verge of death. Groups of spiders that just absorbed a Shockwave from one of the cultivators, sinks into the deeper into the group and heals.

It still scares me how good Gong is at adapting.

She is having the spiders that take deathly hits, hiding them behind waves of other spiders. The new wave of spider gets hit with any additional attacks and restarting the process.

Different from the tornado of spiders around Gong that happened during the Vermillion Stripes fight… this is more like smoke from a volcano at full blast, continuous outpouring.

My mind shifts to the defense of her territory.

All safe. Looks like this wasn't a cover for an attack. Though, it appears Gong was ready for that.

The only spiders that are currently in the Gong's territory are the big ones. Of which, there are plenty.

She's only using the smaller spiders for this fight.

My mind drifts to my powers.

I… hope I will be able to last through this battle. I'm not hopeful that no one will notice what's going on with the spiders. There will probably be ramifications to this.

Fuck… I can't catch a break.