Magnus wandered around the cave in search of spiders to kill. He supposed there was a better way to hunt them but nothing came to mind. Only after looking around the place for a good half hour did, he get the idea to return to the place where he killed the last spider. The first spider disappeared when he first returned after all.
As the area slowly became more and more familiar, he started properly sneaking. Hiding behind a stalagmite he recognized he looked behind it. Just as he expected, one of the smaller spiders was feasting on the bigger one he killed. It stood with its right side facing him. Remembering to use his new [Identify] Skill, information flooded his mind.
[Cave Spider – Tier 0] – Level 3
Even if it was 2 Levels higher than him, he hoped he could kill it in one fell swoop and started slowly shuffling to get behind it, making sure to move only when it was focused on its meal. Just when he was preparing to move into the open behind it…
*Ding*
[Common Skill gained - Stealth]
[Stealth – Common] – Level 1
The art of remaining unseen. Allows you to hide, sneak, and avoid detection more proficiently. Remaining stealthy is easier with higher Skill Level and Agility.
“Another Skill, I can’t complain,” he thought. Feeling a shift in his movements he followed the skill’s subtle influence and managed to get right behind the spider. He stabbed for the top of its head, he felt the soft flesh give away and the spider go limp. The now recognizable cool energy slipped into the ball above his stomach.
[You are now Level 2. 2 Stat Points gained.]
“Almost too easy,” Magnus said as he let out a breath, he didn’t know he was holding and examined both the spider’s corpses. His eyes were drawn to where the small spider was eating the bigger one, a place right below its eight dead eyes. It almost seemed like the other pieces of the spider were ignored. Looking more closely he saw a lot of venom pooled in the wound. There was so much of it, he could smell it, like rotting flowers.
He looked back at the smaller spider he just killed and made an incision in the same place as the wound on the bigger spider. What awaited him was a dark green sac, its venom sac Magnus thought. Carefully cutting it out careful not to puncture it, he examined it.
The way he saw it he had two uses for it. Either he could slowly consume the venom inside to level his [Poison Resistance] or he could use it to ambush more spiders because the spiders seemed to want to consume it.
Deciding to use it as bait, Magnus figured that the bigger spiders had better venom, which would help level his [Poison Resistance] faster than the venom of the smaller spiders.
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But before he started luring the spiders, which inevitably put him in danger, he must decide where to put his Free Stat Points. Instead of pulling up his whole Status, he tried to only pull up his Stats. It worked.
Stats – 2 Free Stat Points
Body
Strength – 2
Agility – 3
Endurance – 5 + (+10%) - 5.5
Vitality – 6 + (+5%) - 6.3
Mind
Intelligence – 3
Focus – 2
Perception – 4
He put his Mind stats to the sideline as he needed more direct survivability for now. As of yet, he had no trouble with killing the spiders, so he also eliminated Strength for now. He could always put more points into it, he just needed to survive. Magnus eventually settled on putting 1 Point into Endurance and 1 in Agility. When he finished assigning his Stat Points, he felt it again. The cool energy from the dead spider pulsed, a lot weaker than when the tangle in his abdomen condensed but discernable nonetheless. He felt more of the cool energy settle into his veins.
Feeling like nothing could take him down, he put the venom sac he was still holding in front of the stalagmite he arrived near when he first saw the eating spider and hid behind it. [Stealth] and he felt as if a cold blanket of shadow settled over him.
After lying in wait for half an hour and starting to run out of patience, he saw them. Not one but two spiders of the small variant silently dropped down to the floor. He Identified them.
[Cave Spider – Tier 0] – Level 2
[Cave Spider – Tier 0] – Level 4
The higher-leveled one examined both the dead spider corpses, while the lower-leveled one started sniffing the venom sac. After the higher-leveled spider found nothing, the venom long since evaporated, it wandered to look at what the other spider was investigating. Best case scenario the spiders start to fight and Magnus jumps in.
When the spiders realized what the sac is they predictably started fighting. The bigger, higher-leveled one predictably gained the upper hand quickly, biting off the smaller spider’s front leg. The smaller spider hissing in pain retreats dejectedly leaving the bigger one to feast on the venom sac.
Judging the bigger spider to be the bigger threat, Magnus decides to take that one out first and then come at the injured spider later. Breathing in and trying to be as stealthy as possible he strikes from behind the boulder at the eating spider’s eyes.
Even with his [Stealth] the spider manages to react and dodges to its right, the lethal blow suddenly becoming a glancing one on the spider’s head. Cursing, Magnus steps back, making sure to keep his attention on both the spiders. Seeing the smaller spider pounce on the unoccupied venom sac, he judged it to not be a threat for now and fully focused on the spider before him.
The spider made the first move. It lunged for his right knee, but Magnus having expected it dodged backward while kicking out with his left leg. Moving faster due to his increased Agility, the kick clocked the spider in its ugly face. It hissed and started walking groggily to him. He decided to strike while it was disoriented and lunged for its head again.
The spider not reacting properly due to the hit to the head, couldn’t dodge in time, and paid the ultimate price. His knife was stuck deeply in the spider's head. The other spider decided now was the time to strike and jumped on his face, which Magnus only noticed thanks to his [Danger Sense] screaming. Holding on to the knife when the spider impacted him, he came crashing down now with the knife dislodged. Trying to shove away the spider with his left hand, he simultaneously started stabbing with his knife.
After what seemed to be an eternity of struggling but was in reality a few seconds, he finally managed to shove away the dying spider. Magnus ready to defend, sighed with relief seeing the spider lying dead on the ground curled up.
With the threat behind him for now, he decided to rest for a few minutes.