The colossal spider’s leg lashed out with terrifying speed, catching Ethan off-guard. He tried to dodge, but the razor-sharp appendage sliced through his armor, piercing the side of his stomach. A cry of pain escaped his lips as he stumbled backward, pressing a hand against the wound.

“Shit,” Ethan hissed, feeling warm blood seeping between his fingers.

An angry hiss filled the air as Opie emerged from Ethan’s arm, the small obsidian snake’s eyes gleaming with fury.

Malakai’s grotesque form loomed before them.

He—no, it—was truly straight out of a nightmare. A fusion of human, the crystalline creature Ethan had fought back in Holden, and an arachnid. The creature stood at a towering height, its very presence seeming to distort the air around it—or maybe it was the green smoke coming out of it? It stunk, for one. Its lower body was that of a monstrous spider, with a chitinous exoskeleton gleaming wetly in the dim light. Eight spindly legs, each one thick, supported its massive bulk.

The upper torso was a twisted parody of human form. Warped muscle and bone were exposed in places, and crystalline growths jutted from its flesh, catching and refracting what little light there was. The head was that of a gigantic spider, mandibles clicking ominously. Yet protruding from this arachnid visage was a second, smaller human head—Malakai’s original face, which was now disfigured almost beyond recognition. Smaller spider heads sprouted from the sides of the human face like some hideous crown.

Most disturbing of all were the eyes.

Dozens of eyes, in various sizes, dotted Malakai heads. Each orb pulsed with a green light, tracking Ethan’s every movement.

Without warning, Malakai struck again. Bristled with coarse hairs and tipped with a wickedly sharp point, one of its legs lashed out at blinding speed. Ethan’s instincts screamed at him to move. He threw himself into a desperate roll, feeling the rush of air as the appendage whistled past, mere inches from his head.

The sudden movement sent a lance of pain through Ethan’s side, reminding him of his earlier wound. He stumbled as he came out of the roll, his vision blurring momentarily. “Damn it,” he muttered, pressing a hand against the injury.

Warm blood seeped between his fingers.

Getting hit just as the fight started was bad. Very bad.

Other appendages crashed toward Ethan, and he dodged. Again, and again until he started heaving. Malakai didn’t give him a moment of respite. He knew he couldn’t keep this up forever. Each dodge, each near-miss, was draining his stamina. His breaths came in ragged gasps, sweat stinging his eyes. He needed to turn the tables, and fast.

But Malakai wasn’t about to give him that chance. The abomination’s human face contorted, its mouth stretching impossibly wide. A soul-chilling wail erupted from its throat, echoing in the cavern.

The sound hit Ethan like a physical blow.

He staggered, a sudden weakness washing over him.

It felt as if his very essence was being torn away, taken away, going toward something... filthy. Something he didn’t want to be touched by. It was wrapping its hands around Ethan. It felt warm. It felt cold. It felt wet, and slimy. It felt disgusting.

It wasn’t physical.

He could tell.

His lifeforce was being siphoned away.

Gritting his teeth, Ethan fought against the pull. But no matter what he did, he could see wisps of some kind of ethereal energy flowing from his body towards Malakai through [Arcane Awareness].

The drain was excruciating, like having his life force sucked out through a thousand tiny straws.

His mind began to fog, thoughts becoming sluggish and disjointed. Ethan shook his head, trying to clear it, but the weakness persisted.

He stumbled, falling to one knee.

“No,” he growled, forcing himself to stand straight. “I won’t... Let it end like this.” He moved his hand and plunged his finger into his wound in the stomach.

Screaming in pain, he stopped himself from writhing on the floor. Through the haze of pain and encroaching darkness, Ethan remembered he wasn’t alone. “Opie!” he called out; his voice hoarse. “Disrupt his magic! [Chaotic Aura]!”

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The obsidian viper, which had been darting around Malakai’s legs looking for an opening, immediately responded. Opie’s sleek black body began to emit a subtle, shimmering aura. The air around the snake seemed to warp and twist, as if reality itself was bending.

The effect on Malakai was immediate.

The abomination’s wail faltered, its pitch becoming erratic. The flow of life force from Ethan slowed, then sputtered to a stop.

Malakai’s many eyes blinked in confusion, some rotating wildly in their sockets.

Seizing the moment of respite, Ethan drew in a deep breath, centering himself. The fog in his mind began to clear, replaced by razor-sharp focus. Fire danced at his fingertips, ready to be unleashed.

But before he could release the pent-up energy, Malakai’s skin began to writhe and pulse unnaturally. Ethan watched in horrified fascination as the creature’s flesh bulged and split.

Suddenly, a swarm of smaller spiders erupted from the openings, their legs skittering on stone as they rushed towards Ethan and Opie.

Changing tactics on the fly, Ethan directed his gathered mana into a different spell. A windblast. He shouted, thrusting his hands forward. A gale-force wind erupted from his palms, catching the front line of spiders and sending them tumbling backward. Many crashed into their brethren, creating a tangle of legs and bodies.

But the swarm was relentless. Those that weren’t blown away continued their advance, while more poured from Malakai’s body. Ethan knew he needed to do more than just push them back.

“Time to turn up the heat,” he growled. Focusing his mana once more, Ethan cast something he dubbed Flame Whip.

A tendril of fire materialized in his hand, its heat intense enough to make the air shimmer.

A flick of his wrist, and Ethan sent the fiery whip arcing through the air. It slashed through the advancing spiders, leaving a trail of charred chitin in its wake. The acrid smell of burning arachnids filled the air, along with the sizzle and pop of bursting abdomens.

But Ethan wasn’t done. Maintaining the Flame Whip with one hand, he reached for the water pouch at his belt with the other. In a smooth motion, he uncorked it.

A globe of water formed above the open pouch, then Ethan compressed it. Not only through his control over water, but by pushing the sphere from all directions with air.

Then, it shot forward with a woosh. Ethan aimed not for the swarm, but for one of Malakai’s legs. The water struck the joint where the leg met the body, instantly flash-boiling from the heat of Ethan’s previous fire attacks.

Malakai let out a shriek of pain as superheated steam burst from the impact point, cooking the sensitive flesh beneath its exoskeleton. The leg buckled, throwing the massive creature off balance.

Ethan pressed his advantage, and moved close-ranged, letting Opie handle the little spiders. His [Severing Bite] coupled with [Chaotic Aura] would be enough. Not to mention, the little one was gaining levels quickly. Ethan wasn’t really worried about Opie dying, either. He could always be re-summoned.

He coated his blade in flame, then struck Malakai. Each swing left trails of fire in the air that kept the swarming spiders at bay. When Malakai lashed out with its legs, Ethan met the strikes with precisely aimed Water Bullets, targeting joints and other vulnerable spots.

Steam hissed and roiled where water met superheated chitin. Fire cast wild shadows on the walls, making it seem as if the very cave was alive and writhing. Through it all, Ethan moved with what he could only say was fluid grace, his sword flashing in deadly arcs. For his [Swordsmanship] was nothing to scoff at.

But Malakai was far from defeated. The abomination’s human face twisted into a snarl. Its spider mouth opened wide, then split into four, and pealed away like a blossoming flower, spewing forth thick strands of purplish webbing.

Ethan dove and rolled, feeling the cold brush of death as strands of webbing passed overhead. Where the webs struck the cavern floor, the very stone seemed to wither and crack. Rising to his feet, Ethan knew he had to neutralize this new threat quickly. An idea struck him—risky, but potentially game-changing. He took a deep breath, steadying himself.

Ethan channeled his mana. A swirling vortex of air formed around him, creating a protective cocoon. The air rushed from all over him and dove down, rushing up and outwards, so that anything coming would be deflected away. The rushing wind would, he hoped, deflect or at least disrupt the trajectory of Malakai’s webbing.

Malakai, perhaps surprised by Ethan’s move, stopped for a split second. It was all the opening Ethan needed. He charged forward, the wind barrier whipping around him.

Malakai spewed another spray of necromantic webbing. The strands hit Ethan’s wind barrier, most being deflected or torn apart by the swirling air. A few strands made it through, but their momentum was greatly reduced, allowing Ethan to dodge or swat them away with his sword.

His sword would be rather useless after this fight, unfortunately.

Reaching striking distance, Ethan channeled fire into his sword. The blade ignited, wreathed in intense flames. Ethan dispelled the wind barrier and brought his sword up in a powerful arc, erupting wind upwards, powering his blade.

The flaming blade slammed into Malakai’s abdomen. The sudden heat, combined with the force of the blow, was enough to breach the tough exoskeleton.

Malakai’s scream of agony shook the cavern, loose stones raining down from the ceiling. The smell of charred flesh filled the air, nearly making Ethan gag.

But he pressed on, using the momentum of his strike to spin away from a retaliatory leg swipe. As he created some distance, Ethan extinguished the flames on his sword, gasping from the exertion. His arms ached from the powerful strike, but the gambit had paid off—a deep, smoldering gash now marred Malakai’s abdomen.

Yet even as blood oozed from the wound, Ethan watched in disbelief as the edges of the injury began to knit back together. Malakai’s regenerative abilities were far beyond anything he’d encountered before.

“Did you really think it would be that easy?” Malakai’s human face sneered, its voice a mixture of pain and contempt. “I am beyond such petty concerns as flesh and bone. I am becoming a god!”

As if to emphasize the point, the abomination’s body began to pulse with renewed vigor. Its many eyes glowed brighter.

The cavern trembled as Malakai let out a roar. Ethan braced himself, knowing that the true battle was only just beginning. His body was battered, his mana reserves running low. But as he raised his sword once more, a grim smile played across his lips.

“Alright, you overgrown bug,” Ethan muttered. “Let’s see what else you’ve got.”