Chapter 31: Regicide?
*Suck* *Suck* *Suck* *Suck*
The Spider Matriarch stared at me, the large shriveled creature indifferent to the struggles of her last surviving brood.
*Suck* *Suck* *Suck* *Suck*
Pitiful. The once proud and intimidating monstrosity, a shell of its former self. The Queen shifted, easily wiggling her way out of the hole that once encased her in the wall to rise from the ground.
My hands clenched, an odd sensation bubbling up in my core as I eyed the monstrosity and prepared for the battle to come.
What was this excitement? What was this anticipation? This slight underlying feeling of disappointment that envisioned a grand battle against the Queen at her peak.
Was I always such a battle junkie? Did I crave conflict so much that it left a shock of ecstasy through my body as I carved through my enemies?
Yes.
I shot off, avoiding the eye beams as magical sigils lit up the air.
Lightning, ice, fire. The Queen’s anima magic compelling the laws of nature to bend to its will. But I was piloting an undead, a being of darkness, Hector’s own natural body resistant to the magicka as Chloe unleashed her Aura of Death, dampening all anima type magic in the chamber.
From my memories, magic spells fell into one of three categories.
Anima. The forces of nature. Earth, wind, water, and fire. Elemental magicka one could say influenced by one’s direct control and mastery over countless hours of study or talent.
Holy magicka. Divinity and faith, spells that utilized the direct power of a patron or one’s own willpower to bestow blessings and favors. Miracles gained from enlightenment, steadfast order.
And lastly, Dark magicka. Spells that relied on the spirit and strength of soul of the user and an absence of faith and control, usually what one could call chaos.
Naturally, anima beat light, whilst light beat dark, and dark beat anima. A variable magic triangle that balanced each other out with anima magicka battles contingent on the elements used.
Aura of Decay greatly dampened the queen’s magic barrage, some spells, even fizzing out before they even reached their intended target.
Of course this wasn't because Chloe was so powerful or anything, but rather because of how famish the Matriarch was, her control greatly disrupted by her malnutrition.
Another boon for me.
I shifted and weaved, avoiding the attacks as they narrowly struck my body or splashed harmlessly on the ground. The Matriarch lifted a forward facing leg, the queen still possessing enough strength to maneuver her heavy plated arm and lash out.
But it was slow, lethargic, my body merely sidestepping the massive appendage to reach out and plant a knife in the tendon while my other hand moved towards my rubber body and activated Pilfer.
One minute.
Suddenly I felt a heavy weight in my hands, my yellow-shelled body displacing from the maw of the spider to Hector’s boney hand, freeing me at last.
Immediately there was a visceral reaction.
The queen’s eyes quivered, her mandibles slamming shut with an audible squish sound that sent acid splattering.
I retreated, my rubber ducky body in hand as the spider queen seemed to freeze, almost as if it couldn’t believe its lollipop was taken.
But I wasn’t a lollipop! I was a grown man! A human! Not a thing to be sucked on!
The matriarch suddenly began to move, to shift, her mandibles clacking repeatedly with a loud sucking sound that intook air before a shrill scream flooded the chamber.
Ohhhh quack.
Suddenly the Matriarch was off, a newfound never before seen strength invigorating the massive arachnid to propel it’s legs forward.
It brushed past me, or should I say, through me. Hector’s body making the Lego death sound as I was immediately disassembled from the impact of the arachnid’s body.
[MINION DECEASED!]
The familiar notification hit my screen, inflicting a pang of guilt into my mind.
One of my capruxas had died, crushed under the weight of the armored monarch.
Seek cover! SCATTER! I ordered as dozens of glyphs materialized to hang in the air.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
“GIVE IT BACK! GIVE IT BACK MY PRECIOUSSSSSSSS!!!!” The monarch screamed, unleashing a hailstorm of magic bolts that fired indiscriminately in an uncontrollable tide.
Dave raced into the barrage, the chitin armored croc-girl taking multiple hits as it dove to pick Hector’s skull and my body up. Slimey covered her, the Holy slime healing Dave’s injuries in the process of gathering us all up.
Suddenly my consciousness swapped, my mind out of my decapitated skeleton and now back in my duck body.
Chloe retreated, the skeletal mage removing its core to invoke a spherical barrier of magic that exhausted its MP to protect my other minions.
Then it stopped, the rain of magic ceasing as the Matriarch shuddered, its body releasing steam as if it'd had overheated.
Now! THIS IS OUR CHANCE! I ordered, Dave and Slimey rushing the Matriarch as my other minions charged.
Legs! GO FOR THE LEGS! BREAK HER KNEE CAPS! I ordered, squeaking in rapid succession so as to not miss a moment. Of course spiders don’t have kneecaps but you get it.
Dave roared, driving her fist into the bend of one of the massive legs, the Croco-girl ripping out the tendons in a show of brute force with her claws.
Slimey on the other hand went to pinning down the Queens movements, firing blasts of enlight at the titan's joints and weak spots, picking up nearby slimes and throwing the goops at the queen’s open injuries.
Suddenly, a snapping sound, the Matriarch’s body partly smashing into the ground with an audible thud. Two of her legs broke, the malnutrition coupled with the lack of muscular supports unable to sustain the weight of her massive abdomen.
The queen shifted its weight, faint magical sigils appearing in the air that were immediately dispelled by Chloe who used her remaining mana to blast away the monarch’s swan song.
“YOU!!! COME BACK TO ME!!” The Spider Matriarch roared, it’s eyes charging up an attack as I ordered Dave to bring me to face the queen.
Of course, not before gouging several of the demonic spider’s eyes out and putting an end to her attack.
Well, well, well. I sent, the spider queen letting out low-sounding clacks. How the mighty have fallen.
“Pleaase…” The matriarch let out, the spider queen shifting weakly, her remaining eyes focusing on me.
Please what?
“Give…”
Give you what? Mercy? Why would I give you mercy after you killed so many of my minions?! Why would I-
“Me your delicious boddddy back.” The Matriarch let out meekly.
Oh….
“YOU DARE-!” Suddenly Slimey was on the move, the holy slime preparing an attack only to be stopped by Chloe dropping a magical barrier on the slime.
Injured and her army wiped out, the spider queen was now at my complete mercy.
Against my better judgment, I ordered Dave to insert me into the Queen's mouth much to Slimey's disgruntlement.
“NO! NOOOOOO!” Slimey began to rage, all of my minions attempting to restrain her as the Spider began sucking on me.
“MMHmh! So tassssty!!!” The spider Matriarch weeped.
I reached out, probing the Queen’s mind, the only thing on her arachnid brain being, suck, suck, suck.
You. Are. Mine.
I sent, my first attempt at dominating a higher level being.
*Suck. Suck. Suck.*
The spider of course ignored my intrusion.
YOU! ARE! MINE! I sent again, this time more forceful.
*Suck. Suck. Suck.*
Seriously?
I continued to probe the spider, feeling around and realizing that she had magic that protected her mind. No doubt, erected after my first incursion into her brain.
So, it was time for a different tactic. I ordered Dave to take me from its mandibles.
Of course the Queen refused to let go.
“NOOOO! NOOOOO!”
So Dave simply broke her mandibles, prying me out of her grasp with the spider Matriarch left weeping on the scorched floor.
Man… I kinda feel bad.
But if I couldn't dominate the monster, then… there would be no other choice.
“Gibb! Gib Bak!”
Not until you deactivate your magic, I sent, the spider matriarch shuddering from my touch as it stopped its begging.
“Gib.” The spider said, a mist rising off of its carapace.
Submit to me. My mind intruding into the matriarchs once more, this time, with no protections protecting it.
Immediately memories hit me, the spider originally one of thousands of bugs made to protect a treasury.
I could see it, an armory, one filled with… with…
MY WEAPONS! MY GEAR! TROPHIES TAKEN FROM MY COMPANIONS OF OLD!
That bastard Barborall!
Suddenly the memories shifted, showing me thousands of spiders dead, the armory being ransacked, attacked.
In the chaos of battle, I was the spider, a singular order in my mind being to protect the treasures at all costs before the connection was severed. On beady legs, I crawled, grabbing the nearest ticket I could before fleeing.
Suddenly I was back in my body, my mind flooding with notifications.
[You have laid claim to a minion!]
[Overwrite Creature’s name?]
It has a name?
[Magicka Spider Monarch Ayahkanomuthell]
Yeaaah, that's too long. Ayaka seems good.
Name: Ayaka
Level: 33
Species: Malnourished Magicka Spider Monarch(Addicted)
HP: 112/21560
MP: 21/970
Skills: Spin Silk LvL 10, Paralytic Bite LvL 5, Pouce LvL 10, Poisoner LvL 10, Blend LvL 5, Dark Vision LvL 5, Magic Vision LvL 5, Bile Spit LvL 5, Resonate Silk LvL 3, Magic Chant LvL EX, Magic Circulate LvL 8, Ice Spear LvL 3, Glacial Shot LvL 3, Flame Bolt LvL 4, Lightning Bolt LvL 3, Flamethrower LvL 2, Blunt Barrier LvL 4, Commander LvL 2, Egg Incubator LvL 9, Rune Gesture, Mana Charge LvL 3, War Cry LvL 3.
Addicted and Malnourished, two stats my newly acquired boss monster had. Of course when I get the boss as a playable character it was already nerfed.
But it wouldn't be for long.
“Giiiiiiib.” The Queen let out, asking for my rubber body.
I sat in Dave's hands, the Croco-girl holding me just out of reach of the Spidermonarch.
No.
At my reply, the spider paled, shifting, its broken mandibles reaching out to try and snatch me up.
Sit.
The spider hit the ground, its body smacking into the ground.
“No! Y-you! You promised!”
I lied.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOO!” It cried, the mighty monster throwing a fit as Slimey let out a cackle that was heard through everyone's minds.