I made a kind of weighted whip flail… thing by Wedging arrowheads on to the Either end of the chain. The arrowheads were round at the base and only bladed for half their length so they were easy to grip. I kept the best of the arrowheads as a rough and ready dagger. I’d still have preferred a spear but the wood here was all rotten as shit.

However The spitlered arrow shafts did find new life as a stack of ready to go mini rat torches. The arrowhead of crafting and a Suitable hunk of rock I’d already set in place would get me the spark I needed.

As for the pressure plate, that was now the brazier of burning shit down. fun fact, did you know dim-shrooms gave off horrible clouds of noxious smoke when burned? I did. It pays to read.

A spark caught on rag scraps in the little stone fire pit I built on my chosen ground. After tossing my arrowhead of crafting out of the way I lit a torch and walked to the brazier placed just outside the rat hole chewed in the door. I set it blazing before giving it a good shove with my foot, sending it under the door into the chamber beyond. The torch was flung on the rags I’d piled along Bottom Of the very dry, very wooden doors before I back off down the passage to my fire pit.

There was always a chance the burning door would hold them back long enough of the smoke to do for them. Dim-shroom smoke was nasty but wasn’t Particularly toxic, not that it needed to be. Enough smoke in a confined space was a killer in its own right. I’d be more than happy to take the easy win if I got it but who are we kidding. I pulled up my combat status.

[Hp: 5/5] [Mp 5/5]

[Dungeon points: 82 ]

Three hairy red and white striped spiders came bursting from the smoke and flames. Singed, Disoriented, terrified, and furious. Spider Body language was a hell of a thing.

[Delver’s Insight]

[Mr. Skitters]

[Monster type: Clown Spider ]

[Level: 6] [Hp:11/16] [Mp:???]

[Title: Guardian Beast ]

[Perks: Sticky Situation, ???, Clown’s bite ]

[Drawbacks: ???, Wrangled Beast, Black Lung ]

[Dungeon Points: ???]

Good to know that worked, but I was going to be too busy dealing with Mr. Skitters & co to really dig into the details right this second. I did smirk at the [ black lung ] drawback though, always nice to have hard work Recognized.

They were big damn spiders, but not huge. Back when I had Boots I'd have classified them as stomppable. Maybe a bit over two feet across but that was half legs. I didn’t feel the need to retreat to the little hidey hole I’d set up under the collapsed deadfall. It’s good to have a plan incase of too much spider.

three were on the ground. The reeking smoke already Billowing into the passage Deterring them from taking up places on the walls or ceiling. Sorry, no high ground for you today.

I lit another touch and charged while they were still reeling from the smoke and fire. I had to make the first strike count. Mr. Skitters was the closest and noticed me just before I was on him. I juiced [ Rat Bastard ] and flung the burning torch to the left of his face. With all the twitch reflex I expected of a spider it doged the fire. jerking it’s head to the right and back directly into the arc of my dagger. Don’t stab where they are, stab where they're going to be. I plunged my dagger right in the side of Mr. Skitter's face. Now this was a pretty big spider and a not so big blade, Unless I got Ridiculously lucky a single poke wouldn’t do much. Here’s the thing though. Since before I kicked off this scuffle with that friendly bit of arson I’d been holding my dagger and In my dagger I had been holding my Ambusher’s blade skill. The skill slowly wineds coiled strings of mana into a blade, twisting them tight and holding them under pressure ready to burst forth once released. Sink the blade in anywhere and the energy will whip free and do a bit of extra internal damage. Strike with Precision, hit some Complicated, delicate bit of biology? It'll go off like a firework from hell, playing absolute merry havok with their vitals along the way. That’s what I did to Mr. Skitter's head. Lot’s of set up. Big payoff. The way of the rogue. Still got it.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Riding the boost from [Rat bastard] I Wrenched my dagger free And leaped back. Immediately Dropping the perk to conserve [Mp]. I flicked my attention to the status.

[Hp: 5/5] [Mp 3/5]

[Dungeon points: 82 ]

Not a bad rate for a quick Physical boost.

While I gained Distance The spider was convulsing uncontrollably. I didn’t know if clown spiders kept their brains in their head but regardless there sure was something real important stuffed in there.

It’s a shame it was next to impossible to pull off a second Ambusher’s blade. Just too slow and fiddly to do in the middle of a fight. Still it was a hell of an opener and more often than not a one act show with rave Reviews. Really knocks ‘em dead.

I am not remotely sorry.

Mr. Skitter had gone still by the time I’d retreated back to my fire pit. The other two were just then twigging to the fact shit had gone very wrong very fast for their buddy and I was the one holding the dagger that did it.

A did a double shot of [ Devler’s insight ] As quickly unwound my Flail-whip of fuckery from around my shoulder.

[Mrs. Skitters]

[Monster type: Clown Spider ]

[Level: 5] [Hp: 9/14] [Mp: 7/9]

[Title: Guardian Beast ]

[Perks: ??? , Wacky wall climber, clown’s bite ]

[Drawbacks: ???, ??? , Black Lung ]

[Dungeon Points: ???]

[Skitters Jr.]

[Monster type: Clown Spider ]

[Level: ??? ] [Hp: ??? ] [Mp:???]

[Title: Guardian Beast ]

[Perks: ???, ???, ???]

[Drawbacks: ???, ???, Black Lung ]

[Dungeon Points: ???]

Oh, now I felt just a tiny bit bad. Also seemed rapiding firing [Devler’s insight] might not be the best for Quality results.

Just as I started my flail-whip spinning to ready for another charge Mrs. and Jr. decided they were done being stunned and we’re going back to being their usual pissed off monster spider selves. Why do all monster spiders know how to hiss Menacingly? It’s like the one thing they all have incommon. That and they taste like chicken.

In a Beautiful display of synchronicity they leap for me with Filial vengeance in whatever passed for a clown spider's heart.

I instantly dropped the flail-whip, called Entrenched footing, and yanked on the loop of wire at my feet with everything [ rat bastard ] could give me. The trap door I was standing in the middle of swung down and away. Unfortunately for the spiders who had dastardly plans of landing atop me (and make with the biting), where I was standing had just become open air above a pit full of rusty spikes. Plus, all the leftover Incendiary rags I had for good measure. I was anchored to the trap door with my skill. Also clinging to the loop on the end of the line I’d attached to its hidden release latch, Redundancy is rarely a bad idea. The spiders hit the spikes with a sound better left to Imagination followed by the woosh of my fallen fire pit Igniting the rags and Different sounds Better left Undescribed. I said a farewell to my flail-whip of fuckery under the burning impaled spider pile and climbed out.

My plan had been to play hit and run while I Distracted, Annoyed, and deterred the pair with my otherwise worthless flail-whip. Honestly that thing had been only fractionally more of a threat to spiders than me. I was just going to Sting them with my dragger when I could. aiming to hobble their Mobility whenever possible. Maybe light them on fire abit more. Eventually lowering their ability to respond with spider-like swiftness before I finally drew them into the perfect Position to spring my trap. I say my trap because it took me damn near an hour to get it working again, so I officially claimed that murder pit in the name of Rowan the rat. Anyway… Mrs. and Jr. decided to shit-can all my carefully laid plans and skip straight to the climax. Very rude of them.

I enjoyed some roasted Mr. skitters while I waited for the fires to burn themselves out. Spider never tasted more like victory (and chicken).