Chapter Sixteen: All Out!
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An orb of light—a brilliant sphere of pale radiance hovering just above Bly's head was all he had to guide him through the magical darkness that had suddenly engulfed Glemberfang’s lair.
But even at double brightness, the light of his spell didn’t allow him to see for more than a few feet past the ten-foot radius glow of his spell, beyond which everything was immediately consumed by complete and utter black. Half a thought had urged him to consider whether a seeing spell would have been more effective but now wasn’t exactly the time to start second guessing himself. In any case, he could still hear the faint sounds of Glemberfang’s movements—could still hear those massive legs shifting across the stonework, regardless of how hard it tried to conceal itself.
“System command, activate ability, x-p transmogrifier. Execute mana replenishment.” Bly murmured. In a flash, he could feel the resurgence of his magic aura, as the transmogrifier fashioned experience into mana. Satisfied, he glanced up into the darkness beyond the light.
Glemberfang might have had the edge in terms of size and visibility, but Bly had his magic, and more importantly, he had the resources to supplement it. And that had to count for something. If he was going to find any success in this battle, he had to at least try to put himself on the front foot; he had to find some level of proactiveness—cleverness that could gain him an advantage. If he could just find the right spell combination…
But before Bly could think about it any longer than the few seconds he had already, a deep, looming shriek resounded across the chamber, prompting him into action all at once.
“Input spell override, execute shield—twofold lattice.”
The barrier spell fired off, and it wasn’t a moment too soon, because Glemberfang breached the edge of the light no more than a few seconds later.
Two forelegs came crashing down upon the shield with force, followed up by a voracious maw that ripped violently into the barrier. Jagged teeth crunched into magical energy, cracking it in two places where the spider’s mouth clamped down hard.
His heart beating fast, Bly shrugged off the momentary shock and flicked his wrist towards the damaged barrier. With a mental gesture, mana began to siphon into the spell, replenishing its structure to as close to maximum integrity as he could get it.
Glemberfang stepped back with a chitter, before launching itself at the barrier once more. The damage was even more severe this time. But again, the shield held on by a thread, and was repaired straight away by mana in a matter of moments, as Bly maintained focus on the replenishment effort.
As if suddenly aware of its immediate shortcomings, Glemberfang gave up its frontal assault entirely and retreated into the darkness. Blychert could hear it shifting in circles around him, using the zero visibility to its own advantage. It lashed out suddenly, and again, and several more times in a circular attack pattern, seemingly more distraught with each failed attempt.
That’s it, wear you down. Bly heaved, beginning to feel the effects of spell fatigue on his body, but otherwise hopeful. Glemberfang couldn't breach the interior of his defensive spell; not while he channeled every bit of mana in order to reinforce it. Although, it dawned on him as Glemberfang attacked, that he himself couldn’t stay on the defensive forever. At best, this was just stalling the inevitable. Pretty soon, he was going to have to layer in an offensive strategy.
And that was going to compromise his position.
Blychert exhaled, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. One thing at a time. Lisel’s still out there helping the others. If I can just keep its focus on me—right, Xander’s plan. It’s the best one I’ve got. Take its legs out from under it… or die trying, I guess.
Diverging some of his mana away from the sustained barrier spell, Bly thrust his hand outward, saying softly, “System command, input spell override, conjure weapon.”
Instantly, the shimmering blue-violet of his summoning magic cut through the darkness just on the other side of his light spell, swirling to life in front of him as he pumped mana through it. Soon enough, the vague shape of a slender sword from his mind’s eye flourished through the air, ready for action. A moment's pause, Bly wasn't foolish enough to think that just because the sword he'd summoned was the one he drew on from his memoires of home—of watching Irvin make a fool of himself as he swung his sword at a tree for the millionth time—that it would somehow prove more effective than usual.
Alright, time for the real gambit. He thought nervously, gesturing for both his barrier spell to drop and for his sage terminal to activate simultaneously.
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> [Mana Surge] activated.
> [Brutal] trait added.
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The sudden flash of his pale-white scars caught Bly’s attention beneath the light spell briefly, as he glanced down at his fingers.
He couldn’t help but think that this must have been the most mana he’d expended in a single day since trying to flee the Guild, or at least close to it. And while it might have been true that he was a more proficient sorcerer, and that he still had his transmogrifier to fall back, spell fatigue wasn’t a joke.
Right now, this was do or die; all out, and nothing less.
Glemberfang approached from behind, ushering through the darkness towards the light once more.
“Input spell override, shield.” Bly cast, thrusting his hand up and swiping it across his body. He twisted around, as he moved directly into assuming control of the conjured weapon.
The giant spider lashed out, swiping its foreleg past the blade and straight towards Blychert. Its leg glanced off the shield for a split-second, but the reduced strength of the barrier was no match for Glemberfang. The shield broke, and the spider's foreleg sliced Bly across his left arm.
Blychert winced through the pain, momentarily regretting his decision to lessen the strength of his barrier spell. But he commanded the blade to attack, nonetheless.
One, two, three, four strikes, and a heavy follow-up to finish the combination. Flashes of light along the backside of Glemberfang’s already damaged left foreleg shone, and the splatters of dark ichor on the ground beneath the light gave Bly a split-second reaction to lift his uninjured arm.
“Input spell override, execute icicle, execute firebolt.”
A flash of icy blue, a flash of burning red, spells struck one after the other in a dazzling explosion of elemental energy.
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> [Resistant] trait stack: +1
> [Resistant] trait stack: +1
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Glemberfang shifted right, dragging its bloodied foreleg across with it, as it moved in for another attack.
“Swift shield—!” Bly shouted, and new defensive energy burst forward.
The spider’s maw crushed its way straight through the barrier spell, dissipating it entirely. However, the reactionary cast lessened its momentum somewhat and proved just enough to prevent it from fully biting down through Bly’s shoulder. Though it still managed to tear away a layer of cloth and flesh.
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He couldn’t help but cry out this time, the searing pain of the spider’s jagged tooth running down the length of his already injured arm. Glemberfang hissed and squirmed, opening its mouth again, which suddenly began to drip with a familiar viscous substance.
Bly’s eyes widened.
“Input spell override—execute freezing chain—” Blychert groaned, no time to think, “Execute ensnare!”
The tendril of ice magic instantly streaked from his right hand and punched its way straight through one of Glemberfang’s teeth, cracking it entirely, and catching hold of something fleshy at the back of its mouth. The phantom spider quivered; its spitting attack brought to an abrupt halt as it tried to maneuver backward.
Blychert could barely lift his other arm, itself numb and bloody, but then he didn’t need to. The ensnare spell streamed from his open palm and covered the ground where both he and the spider stood in an instant. As it did, he thrust the chain away from his grasp and directed it to settle into the ensnare, just like he'd managed to do before.
In the blink of an eye, Glemberfang was fully chained in place. Using this lull, however, Bly channeled his sword and as much damaging magic as he could muster into the spider as it floundered. Icicle, firebolt, icicle again, summoned sword, attack after attack, scatter shot upon scatter shot, all of it pummeling Glemberfang into the ground. When mana surge ran out, he simply re-up’d without even thinking twice about it.
Dark ichor sprayed across Bly's face and clothes, but he didn’t care. He was in this to the end.
However, just as Bly thought he had finally gained the upper hand in this fight, Glemberfang snapped the freezing chain. Its maw chittered several times fast, before it lurched up onto its hind legs, pushing through the ensnare completely! Blychert raised his hand, readying to cast a hastened shield, but not certain he'd timed it well enough.
Suddenly, a brilliant flash of red energy streaked into Blychert’s light spell, carving through the glowing sphere as Glemberfang dropped its legs for a heavy attack. In a flash, Xander's figure appeared in an instant, a streak of blood running down the side of his face, but he caught the spider’s leg with a determined groan just as it was about to make contact with Bly. There, above both of their heads, his longsword remained steadfast against the phantom spider's assault.
“Xander…” Bly exhaled, a momentary feeling of relief washing over him.
Glemberfang peeled away with an almost frustrated sounding cry, pulling away into the darkness with a limp, shrieking as it went. The red-orange light glistening from Xander’s sword subsided, and that’s when Bly began to notice the small specks of blue light beyond his light spell, seemingly returning to the lair around them. One by one, blue flames bloomed, edging out the darkness, if but only gradually.
“It’s bloodied…” Xander huffed, drawing his longsword down and swiping it to his side, “We can take it down—Trelen, I don’t know what you've got left, but we have to try.”
“I have an… idea.” Bly stammered with a nod. He was badly injured, completely lightheaded, and he felt like he could drop to the floor at any moment. Frankly, it didn’t matter how much experience he had to draw on still. His rate of spellcasting and mana channeling would fry his brain before he ran out of experience. Their plan of taking its legs out wasn't working. What they needed, was one sweeping attack to put it out completely. Shaking his head, Bly added, “I have a spell, but… its dangerous. I've only cast it once before."
"Spell, huh…." Xander murmured, his attention turning to where the silhouette of Glemberfang was beginning to become more and more visible by the second.
"Xander, you have to keep it from moving." Bly insisted, "I’ve already expended a lot—too much. If you don’t, I don't think I can do it again. Focus on weakening its midsection, I'll keep my summons on it for a moment too. If I can target that area, I think this might work.”
“Midsection… got it.” Xander approved, as he turned to move forward without any hesitation, “On my mark then. Trelen, I'm counting on you.”
Let’s see if I can count on myself. Bly thought, but let the swordsman leap forward into action without another word.
Gesturing for his sage terminal to open, Bly quickly channeled more mana into his summoned blade and issued it to assume its own agency, always targeting Glemberfang. He then turned his gaze on the screen, hardly caring to take stock experience expenditure, and shifted across to his skills tab. Upon doing so, he carefully flicked down to where his Elemental Magic was listed, and opened it.
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[Elemental Magic]
> Authority Level: II
> Control Level: II
> Accuracy Bonus: 10%
> Damage Bonus: 6%
> Penetration Bonus: 2%
> Proficiency Level (Fire): I
> Damage Bonus (Fire): 3%
> Proficiency Level (Ice): III
> Damage Bonus (Ice): 9%
[Known Spells]
> Basic: Firebolt, Icicle, Blade of Frost
> Intermediate: Freezing Chain
> Advanced: Wall of Ice
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Wall of Ice… the strongest elemental spell he had. For maximum damaging effect, he needed to stack it with mana surge. There was no way he had enough willpower to chain cast it, but a dual casting? That was risky—beyond risky, it was stupid.
It was going to work.
Glancing up, intense streaks of Xander's blade shifting from red to blue, accompanied by brief flashes of Bly's summoned blade, sparked through the chamber as the blue flames of the surrounding candles began to grow even brighter. Glemberfang wasn't moving nearly as quickly, but its attacks were fiercer—desperate, like a wild animal, as it tried to turn the tide back in its favor. Suddenly, several flashes of purple burst across the back of the phantom spider from above, and Bly peered up to see the silhouette of Lisel wielding her bow from an alcove far up the chamber wall.
They’re doing the best that they can. Bly thought to himself, shaking his head. Just hang on a little longer.
“System command, disengage all abilities.” He exhaled steadily, “Clear all inputs.”
In an instant, the light spell faded, the hasten spell dropped, and Bly’s summoned sword dissipated completely. He raised both his hands, thereafter, preparing to cast. Despite the agonizing pain radiating out from his left arm, he gritted his teeth and focused all his mana into the spell of his mind's eye.
“Shards of winter's night, craft your bulwark and arise.” Bly murmured, feeling the pull of his magic aura as it reciprocated his command. His mana channeling was so much weaker than it normally was. But thanks to his transmogrifier, he was sure to pull through, if for but only one more spell, “Upon the frostbite that whispers, may this biting cold reign, and let stir your design. Let these bitter winds blow, weaving frozen calamity unto itself—wall of ice!”
Elemental energy swept up through the air in a blistering vortex. Ice and freezing cold radiated from Bly’s hands as he pushed the spell forward with all his remaining energy. It ushered through the lair, pulling itself apart at the seams as the mana folded and stretched into a dazzling line of blue energy. But it held—held above Glemberfang's body as Bly waited for Xander to call out his mark.
Bly grimaced in pain.
Any second now, he just had to hold on!
“Trelen!” Xander finally shouted, “Now!”
Glemberfang paused, and Blychert thrust his hands down as fast as he could.
A brilliant sheen of pale blue energy suddenly erupted across the ground, and in its wake a twenty-foot-tall wall of glistening ice sprouted forth. Glemberfang shrieked. Its forelegs scrambled in desperation, its maw mashing every which way, but the spell was already complete.
Chilling wind erupted out across the chamber, and as it settled, Glemberfang's body was cleaved in two; two halves situated on either side of the frozen bulwark.
Sound seemed to fade at that moment, and Blychert's vision became blurry. Spell fatigue had completely taken a hold of his body. He coughed, keeling over somewhat as he tried to catch his breath. Unable to do so, he simply fell down across the floor. As his eyes rolled, his face stirred, and he could see swirls of blue light dancing across the chamber, separated by a silhouette here or there. He turned his face again, slow and lethargically, and saw a pale, almost ethereal set of legs walking towards him.
It was just a vision; his head was too foggy to think straight.
Bly closed his eyes, and opened them again slowly.
Someone was kneeling beside him. Was it… Lisel? Xander?
Closing his eyes for a third time, Bly felt the headache pour over him, and the complete and utter exhaustion riddling his body. Something was shaking him, stirring him awake, And so, Bly opened his eyes again.
A face—a woman’s face, pale and ghostly—stared at him with a longing smile. There was a cold sensation too, running across the length of his cheek.
Bly blinked.
There were no words, but in the back of his mind, it felt as if this apparition was trying to speak to him, trying to communicate but unable to do so. It pulled away, and Bly tried to tell it not to go, but he couldn't find the enegy to speak. As the face faded, a silhouette hung over him. The shadow adjusted, and it was Xander's face looking down on him.
What was that? A daydream? Whatever it was, it was gone now, and Bly could feel his senses coming back to him now.
“…Is it dead?” Bly croaked, but his sage terminal suddenly made a blipping sound.
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[SAGE ---> Raven System Notification]
[Experience removed: -994 xp]
[Experience gained: +3,990 xp]
[Experience total: 12,148 xp]
[Cumulative total: 20,410 xp]
{exploit_alias_advancement-message transmitted}
> Level up added.
> Level [8] removed.
> Level [9] added.
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Xander gestured towards the sound emanating from his own sage terminal, "That answer your question?"
…One of them. Bly thought.
Despite his overwhelming exhaustion and brain fog, he could still remember Xander's words in the middle of that fight.
“I’m going to do something now… I don’t know what will come of it. But we don’t have any other choice. I’m sorry…”
What the hell did that even mean? He wondered.
But before Bly could even think to ask about it, another system blip caught his attention. And this one… this one made his eyes widen.
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[Sage ---> System Notification]
> You’ve received a unique drop [Devouring Threads].
> Do you accept?