How could have these spiders turned into mana fiends? What could the root cause be?

Though these questions rang heavily in his ears, Kai knew he couldn’t afford to dwell on them. That was a mystery for another time— when the beasts he wanted for aid weren't on the brink of dying. For now, he wanted none of the arachne spiders to escape the cave alive.

Therefore he quickly jumped into action. He plunged into the cavern while chanting a quick incantation. A quick scotch of light appeared in his palm before it headed towards the spiders putting them into a frenzy.

He didn’t wait for their reaction.

Simultaneously, he wove a third-circle wind spell, slicing through their ranks with razor-sharp gusts. The fiery inferno and cutting winds worked in tandem, leaving charred and dismembered spider carcasses after.

In the middle of the chaos Kai created, Gareth and Ronan flanked him, ruthless eyes looking at the creatures. Gareth immediately moved with considerable accuracy, his sword flashing as he handled two spiders simultaneously. His strikes were hasty and measured, each blow landing with the intent to kill.

By how his sword moved with perfected arcs, it was obvious that the training of the past two months had been effective.

Ronan, on the other hand, had come a long way since he first came to Veralt.

Under Kai’s guidance, he had not only refined his skills but had also mastered area-of-effect spells, thanks to an upgraded spell structure. With him being a part of the guerrilla team, he had also gotten considerable experience of beasts and his progress was evident as he stood firm in the cave, his stance confident and presence commanding.

With a sharp, focused shout, Ronan called upon the wind. The air around him shifted to cackling energy as he gathered the mana, shaping it with precision. Then, with a swift motion of his hands, he unleashed a powerful gale.

The wind roared to life.

The spiders were caught in the onslaught, their brittle legs struggling to anchor them as the gusts of wind slammed into their bodies. The force of the spell was overwhelming, sending the creatures tumbling backwards smashing into the walls, their shrieks drowned out by the howling wind.

Behind them, the other two hunters— Lena and Jarek nocked their arrows, drawing their bows. Each release sent deadly arrows embedding into spider eyes and joints, making them vigorously move as the life drained from their body.

The fray, initially thrown off by Kai’s sudden arrival, quickly understood that he was against the spiders and hadn't attacked any of their kind. Realising that was a big boost to their morale and they quickly surged forward, helping them.

Kai ignored their shift of behaviours as he looked at the remaining fiends and stood alone amidst a writhing swarm of spiders, his expression calm yet focused. The sight itself was enough to bring someone's guts out because of the horror.

He counted a dozen spiders, their eight-legged bodies scuttling with unnerving speed. Each spider had grown in strength, their mandibles clacking, fangs dripping with venom, and snarling— making noises to assert domination over the situation.

He didn’t waste a second before raising his hands to cast a [Firestorm Sweep], a third-circle spell that literally swept across the cave floor like a tsunami. They all hissed and screeched, their bodies engulfed in flames. He followed it right after with another spell: spectral chains blazing with the fire burst from his hands, snaking through the air before coiling around the surviving fiends.

With a tug, he yanked them into the blaze of his previous spell that was still firing up like a circle around them and saw how their limbs twitched and burnt.

His mana surged again, and he summoned the final blow.

Drawing in a deep breath, he cast a spell for a torrent of scorching [Dragon Fire], the heat so intense it turned the stone beneath him molten. The remaining spiders were reduced to ash in an instant.

Beside him, the biggest fray in the cavern— a towering beast with white fur— rushed forward, picking off the ones still writhing in the flames. With each swipe of the claws that extended from its legs, he ended their suffering, leaving nothing but lifeless Itss.

It's size was enough for Kai to deduce his identity to be the fray king, and the additional glowing red lines that went around its neck in a unique pattern akin to a necklace confirmed it. In fray culture, more lines typically were the sign of strength and only the strongest can lead them.

He shifted his eyes from the fray ling. Most of the spiders lay dead or were in the middle of it.

A few tried to escape, skittering toward the shadows. Ronan was ready for them, his eyes narrowing as he muttered an incantation. A surge of energy radiated from him, expanding into an area-of-effect spell that ensnared the fleeing creatures in a web of shimmering wind, halting their escape.

Gareth didn’t waste a second. With a swift, lethal swing of his blade, he cut through the captured spiders.

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As the last spider fell, Kai let out a long sigh, surveying the cave surrounding.

The floor was littered with the remains of the fiends, their bodies twisted and burnt. The stench of dead mana hung heavy in the air, a foul miasma that clung to his senses. He could feel the taint of corruption emanating from their bodies, an unsettling reminder of what they had become.

“Fiends,” Kai muttered under his breath, his brow furrowing in thought. He had no idea how the spiders had turned into mana fiends, nor how deep the corruption went. It was a mystery that threatened to mess up his plans, forcing him to rethink his strategies and recalibrate his approach. But time was a luxury he did not have.

As his thoughts raced, Kai became aware of the eyes upon him. The frays were watching— curiosity, fear, and something else he couldn’t quite place reflected in their eyes. They seemed to be waiting for something, their postures tense and expectant.

The fray king stepped forward, his massive form dwarfing the others.

He raised his head and let out a guttural howl, a sound that reverberated through the walls and sent a shiver down Kai’s spine. The howl was meant for his kin, a call to attention.

Then, in broken common, he addressed Kai. “Human… Who you…” the fray king rumbled, his voice like gravel rolling down a mountainside. “Why you… help… frays?”

The words were halting, the grammar fractured, but the intent was clear.

Kai blinked, taken aback by the fray king's ability to speak the common tongue.

The diary from Hendricks had indicated they communicated through guttural sounds and gestures, using a rudimentary form of sign language. But this was different.

It seems like in the last few decades they have learned quite a lot of things. He didn't know how, but it was a relief to know they could converse directly. This would make things much simpler.

"I'm the Lord of Veralt," Kai said, trying to keep his tone steady and respectful. "I came here seeking the aid of the powerful frays against the brood mother's charge. That’s why I helped you with the spiders, our common enemies!"

The fray king's eyes narrowed, his expression unreadable. For a moment, the cave was silent except for the distant crackle of burning spider remains. Then, he leaned closer, his voice a low growl. "You… fight against… brood mother?"

"Yes," Kai confirmed, nodding confidently. "I wish to kill her and save the forest from her corruption."

The fray king considered this, his gaze intense as he studied Kai. Finally, he nodded in a slow, deliberate motion. "You… honourable. But the spider… gains new power. Rotten power. Not easy."

Kai frowned, sensing the gravity in the fray king's words. Was he talking about dead mana? If it was so, then it would confirm his suspicions on how the spiders had turned into fiends.

"What do you mean?" He asked, probing into it.

The fray king glanced around as if the shadows themselves might be listening. His voice dropped to a whisper, gravelly and foreboding. "Dangerous now. Alive yet… dead. Seeks power of death… to corrupt. Makes servants stronger. Scary. Spiders… get stronger every time… come to make us… submit."

Kai bit his lips. That all but confirmed it. The fray king's sentences were broken, but they hinted towards dead mana.

The brood mother becoming a mana fiend was a reality that was like a slap on all of his plans. The power it yielded wouldn’t just affect itself but also everyone, and although Kai wanted nothing more than to investigate more about it, he needed to get the frays on his side first.

Fortunately, they understood the threat of the brood mother.

"The power she has now will affect everyone— human and fray alike— if it’s not stopped. But for that, I need your cooperation and I am willing to offer a gift in exchange for your help. Come together with my city, Veralt and we will end the brood mother for once and all."

The fray king's ears twitched, interest flickering in his eyes. "Gift?" He repeated, tilting his head. "What gift… you bring?"

Kai gestured to the hunters to bring forward the bags they were carrying. Jarek and Lena quickly obeyed, pulling a large satchel from their back. They stepped forward, kneeling before the fray king and carefully unfastened the bag's leather straps.

With a swift motion, they tipped the bag open, letting the contents spill out.

A flow of small, glittering stones tumbled to the ground, catching the light in a dazzling display. The entire cave seemed to shimmer as if stars had fallen to earth. The frays erupted in noise, their guttural voices rising in a chorus of awe and excitement. Their eyes widened, fixed on the sparkling pile before them.

Kai couldn’t help but smile at their reaction. In Hendricks’ diary, the old explorer had written about the frays' love for shiny objects, mentioning that it was the only way he had managed to get close to them in the first place. He had bartered his way into their good graces with trinkets and baubles, and now Kai was doing the same.

Of course, these weren’t real jewels but rather finely crafted counterfeits, designed to mimic the brilliance of true diamonds. Still, they shone just as brightly, and that was enough to captivate the frays.

The fray king raised a hand, a silent command for his kin to quiet down. The noise subsided almost instantly, replaced by a tense silence filled with anticipation. He looked down at the pile of "diamonds," his gaze thoughtful, then nodded in approval.

“Shiny… very good,” the fray king grunted, a hint of satisfaction in his gravelly voice. He turned his gaze back to Kai. “We… be there. When brood mother… attack. We fight. No like the spider… either. Our duty… to rid forest… of such creatures.”

A wave of relief washed over Kai at the fray king's words. With their cooperation, he had secured a powerful ally against the brood mother.

"Thank you," he said earnestly. "Together, we'll rid the forest of this corruption."

As the fray king gestured for his people to gather the diamonds, Kai couldn’t help but feel satisfied.

He had gained the support of the frays, but he was also starkly aware of the magnitude of the challenge ahead. The mention of "rotten power" and "alive yet dead" had confirmed his worst fears. They weren’t just up against a formidable beast but a Grade 6 mana fiend, an abomination steeped in dead mana.

His mind raced, calculating the odds. With their current preparations and the men at his disposal, there was no way they could stand against such a powerful entity. Not without more strength, more allies, and a better understanding of what they were truly facing.

Kai inhaled deeply at that thought. Fate truly had a way of throwing a wrench into his plans.