Caelum felt the sting of the poison ebb slightly, his body adapting to the venom that had entered his system. His thoughts sharpened as his Poison Resistance kicked in, but even with his body fighting back, he knew he couldn’t take another direct hit like that. Aurelia was still bravely engaging the venomous spider, biting and dodging its relentless attacks.

We’ve got this, Caelum thought, watching as Aurelia delivered a well-aimed strike to one of the spider’s weakened legs, causing the creature to screech in pain. He could feel the tide of the battle turning in their favor. His fire magic had already burned parts of the spider’s body, and it was moving slower now, its legs faltering under its own weight.

“One more push, and we’ll finish it off!” Aurelia’s voice echoed through their telepathic link, filled with determination.

Caelum nodded in agreement, ready to summon another burst of Fire Magic to put an end to the fight. His body, though tired and battered, responded as he felt the heat gather in his core, the flames flickering to life around him. He was about to strike when something caught his attention—a faint rustling sound behind him.

No...

Before he could react, a sharp pain exploded through his back, followed by the sensation of something cold and venomous entering his system. He gasped, his vision blurring as he tried to twist around. Another spider—identical to the first—had emerged from the shadows, its fangs buried deep into his side. Its venom surged through him like fire, paralyzing his limbs and filling his veins with a cold, creeping numbness.

“Caelum!” Aurelia’s voice rang out in panic as she saw the second spider strike him.

His legs twitched, his body heavy with pain. He couldn’t move fast enough to defend himself, his fire magic flickering out before he could release it. The new spider’s fangs dug deeper into his soft form, and for a moment, all Caelum could feel was the overwhelming weight of the venom and the sharp, pulsing pain radiating from his wound.

His vision dimmed, and for a terrifying moment, he thought this might be it.

Not like this. I can’t die like this.

But Aurelia wasn’t about to give up. She launched herself at the second spider, biting viciously into its leg. The spider shrieked, pulling its fangs from Caelum as it turned its attention to Aurelia, snapping at her with its venomous maw.

The pain from the venom coursing through Caelum’s body was almost unbearable, but he forced himself to move, however sluggishly. His limbs felt like they were moving through thick mud, but he dragged himself back, putting some distance between him and the spiders. His Poison Resistance was working overtime, dulling the worst of the effects, but the damage had been done. His health was dangerously low, and he was barely holding on.

We need a plan, Caelum thought, gritting his mandibles in frustration. We can’t keep fighting like this—there’s two of them now, and we’re too exposed.

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Aurelia seemed to have the same realization. She darted back to Caelum, narrowly avoiding the fangs of the second spider. “We’re not going to win this without a plan,” she said, her voice laced with urgency. “We need to be smarter about this. They’re too strong.”

Caelum nodded, trying to push through the pain as he thought. The spiders were fast and venomous, but they weren’t invincible. The first spider was already weakened from their earlier attacks, and if they could focus on taking down one at a time, they might stand a chance. But they had to be careful. One wrong move, and either of them could end up poisoned—or worse.

“We need to split them up,” Caelum suggested, his voice strained. “If we can separate them, we can take them down one by one. I’ll try to lure the second one away. You focus on finishing the first.”

Aurelia hesitated for a moment, clearly worried about his condition. “Are you sure you’re up for that? You’ve already taken a lot of damage.”

“I’ll manage,” Caelum replied, forcing a small, determined smile. “I’ve got my fire magic. I’ll keep it distracted long enough for you to take down the first one. Just be quick.”

Aurelia gave a quick nod, her eyes hardening with resolve. “Alright. Let’s do this.”

With their plan in place, Caelum pushed himself to his feet, summoning the last of his strength as he prepared to execute their strategy. He glanced at the second spider, which was still prowling toward them, its venomous fangs dripping with toxic fluids.

Come on, you ugly thing. Follow me.

Caelum ignited his Fire Magic, sending a burst of flames toward the spider’s legs. The creature hissed in anger, its attention immediately shifting to him as the fire singed its exoskeleton. He turned and began to move, his legs trembling with the effort but still managing to carry him away from Aurelia and the first spider.

The second spider followed, its massive body skittering after him with frightening speed. Caelum pushed himself harder, his movements awkward and slow from the venom still coursing through his body, but he didn’t stop. He led the spider away from Aurelia, dodging and weaving through the underbrush, using every bit of his strength to keep the creature’s focus on him.

Meanwhile, Aurelia wasted no time. She lunged at the weakened first spider, sinking her mandibles into its already scorched leg. The spider screeched in pain, stumbling as it tried to fend her off. Aurelia was relentless, biting and dodging, her movements quick and precise.

Caelum kept glancing back at Aurelia as he led the second spider away, watching as she fought with everything she had. He felt a surge of pride—she was handling herself well, using her speed and agility to wear the spider down.

But just as he turned his attention back to his own fight, the second spider lunged at him, its fangs narrowly missing his head as it struck the ground with a loud crack. Caelum’s heart raced, and he instinctively dodged to the side, summoning another burst of Fire Magic to drive the creature back.

The flames hit the spider’s side, and it hissed in fury, its legs thrashing as it recoiled from the heat. But the venom in Caelum’s body was slowing him down, and he knew he couldn’t keep this up much longer. His energy was running low, and the spider was still relentless in its pursuit.

I need to end this—now.

Caelum gathered the last of his strength, preparing for one final, desperate move. He could feel the fire magic building within him, the heat pulsing through his body as he readied his attack. This was his last chance—if it didn’t work, they were done for.

Aurelia, sensing his determination, gave him a quick glance. “I’ve almost got the first one! Just hold on!”

Caelum nodded, his focus narrowing on the second spider as it reared back for another strike. This was it—the final move.