As the music reaches a fever pitch, red-eyed Helob lifts from its long-dormant spot and starts for them at a rapid, lifted gait.

“Piiiii!” Bright-Solemn squeaks in horror as Helob opens its iron-hard fangs to devour them all. Bright-Solemn hates spiders. In a flash, it’s floating behind Hero and Gulrin for cover.

The two waste no time to draw their weapons, as anyone would when a giant spider is running up to them. It’s clear that

Gulrin is expecting to be defensive as he draws up his crossbow from his layers of mail. “Alright, lad,” Gulrin says as

Hero leans in as if ready to dash forward. “I’ll distract it with my arrows, and you’ll-… Hero?” The dwarf realizes just in time that Hero isn’t terribly interested in having Gulrin fight.

“I can’t risk you here,” Hero says, Helob just fifty meters away.

Gulrin mutters stupidly in confusion the same second Hero leaps forward, Dragon Scythe raised high.

In a splitting sound that should never be described for the health of the reader, Helob separates with a splash into hundreds of pieces.

-OVERKILL-

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Hero’s splashed with the spider’s venom and bacterial ooze, riddling him with a host of status effects ranging from [poison 3] to [slow 2], but these have no noticeable effect on him. His stats have been raised to a point that even a boss like Helob couldn’t even land a hit. In only hours Hero has gone from a weary prey, to an absolute predator, and he’s only getting stronger.

Gulrin’s brows are raised high in shock as Helob’s confetti-like organs spiral through the air with a flourish of spider silk.

“W-well done, lad!” Gulrin says with a twinge of shock as the millions of spiders scramble out of the area in fear of incurring Hero’s wrath upon their loathsome arachnid souls.

Hero, in the middle of the clearing, nods the two to come with him. “I think it’s this way out.”

Gulrin and a very-pleased Bright-Solemn catch up and they start out from the dark woods into steadily-lighter territory.

“You’re something to see, lad,” Gulrin admits with a lowered brow. “How did you get all that power?”

Hero nods. “The One True Goddess Rondi chose me as her champion,” Hero says with a simple nod.

Gulrin’s brow arches more. “And who is this Rondi?”

Hero hums. “Is she not a deity known across our whole world?”

Gulrin shakes his head. “I haven’t heard the name in all of Akernia.”

Hero stops in his footsteps, halting the party. “Our world is Aydoss, dwarf.”

The two share an awkward exchange of glances, not hostile, but concerned, as if both are steadily realizing some deep, cruel trick played on them.

“I’ve never heard that name in all my life, lad.”

“And I’ve never heard of Akernia.” Hero looks over a moment to Bright-Solemn, silently wishing that it could talk and tell him all the secrets he never thought to ask Kell.

The three move on through the dark wood and into darker, eviler territory.