When the reset started I didn't immediately head toward the lab, which was what I call that damnable spiders liar, I only had 2 more shots and needed to be a lot more careful now that I had only one more chance to test out the scary string spider. I doubted that attack with the iron strings was anything close to its only trump card. Still, I learned some useful information from this first fight. First was that while fast its actual attacks weren't all that deadly and I can block them fairly easily thanks to my strength. Secondly, it wouldn't attack until I actually entered the room, or at least nothing seemed to point to any other explanation for why it hadn't done anything until after I had entered the room. Third I could keep more than weapons between resets, as evidenced by the flower still in my hair and the foul-smelling healing tears that sat in my newly acquired knapsack.
After going through the routine of killing the rieder as it trapped itself in the walls and the goblin by the door. I took some time to reflect on my next move. I had to be careful as I only had 2 resets before suffering the penalty. That meant actually using my knowledge of how the goblins would move and the knowledge of the environment in order to minimize the risks to my life. So rather than attack the two goblins that would soon make their way past the door. I waited for the coast to be clear. Making my way slowly down the stairs after I made doubly sure that no goblins would stab me in the back.
As I made my way back down to the third level I waited. I picked up some loose pebbles and threw them with enough force that all the 3 of the goblins at the bottom would hear it. Sure enough, the stupid creatures came charging up the stairs only for the first to meet a spear to the face and some judacucious use of [void thrust] allowed me to fell the other two before they had time to react. Now came the important part. First on the agenda was to check all the lab spaces and to my regret, the items I had taken had disappeared as if they had been on my person the whole time. So I couldn't try to infinitely duplicate items which while sad was not all that surprising. Next came the part I dreaded the most. Facing the spider. I opened up the door but rather than rush in I waited. After a few minutes passed I could confirm that the thing would not move until I entered. From my last encounter with the spidery beast, I had learned that it was some kind of glowing red core. Taking a breath I attempted to combine [void thrust] and [void strike] only double down on the floor as torrential amounts of void energy entered my body. I quickly stopped and drank a "healing tear" as blood vomited from my mouth. God the system could never just make things easy.
I opened the assault with a barrage of [Void thrusts} before entering the room the first thrust struck its legs removing a large chuck of the string and a few hit its torso before the damage woke the stringed beast up and it moves quickly in a blur with that the battle commenced. I blocked strikes with my spear but the thing seemed to take me more seriously this time. As it hit my spear then twisted itself midair shooting out the string that cut into my shoulder but hadn't managed to wrap around me. The pain made me almost double over but I willed myself awake as the creature once again struck at me with blinding speed. Each time it stopped I hit it with a [void thrust] taking more of its string as the battle raged on. Still, it was a delicate battle and even though I blocked most attacks I had needed to use almost all my [healing tears] as blits after blitz as seen tear through my legs and arms.
There was a massive difference in this fight. Mainly the spider wasn't holding back. The first time I fought it I had the impression of a dumb machine up until it trap at the end. Now the thing strategized and planned. It attacked using the walls as jump pads so it was harder for me to react. I blocked another attack sparks coming off my spear as its legs attacked me once again before moving off for another blitz. A volley of string hit me from above ripping the skin from my kneck, it was nothing lethal but the pain forced me to my knees giving it an opening to attack. If I died here I would only get one more shot so right before it attacked I channeled as much void as my body could muster and thrust my spear upwards empowering it with [Void strike} completely bypassing its string-enforced Exo skeleton to strike at its core. The thing immediately began to fall apart iron strands covering me head to toe, it took me what felt like hours to finally shake off all the strands.
Congratulations! For defeating the Iron Spider Queen you have gained 2 physical points and the passive perk [Void String creation]
Achievement unlocked [Void Huntress]
[Void string Creation] By using the secret mana absorbing strings coveted by the Aulmura Family you can create Void String in order to imbue clothing crafted from the string with the energies of Paradoxes. You will need access to an Aulmura String crafter in order to use this perk.
[Void Huntress] For defeating the Iron Spider Queen you have gained you gain +1 to all physical and Mental stats as well as the passive effect [Hunters Insight] which grants you enhanced understanding of animalistic behavior,
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WoW! those were actually pretty good but was still not enough to redeem the system in my eyes. I would hold on to that particular anger until the day I died permanently. Regardless it was time to collect my reward. I grabbed the skirt and cloak but rather than my jeans like an idiot since most of the goblins used poisoned daggers. Yeah, I wasn't going to show more skin than absolutely necessary. So instead I wore the skirt over my jeans. Finally, I wrapped the cloak around me expecting some kind of magical aura or prompt from the system. To my disappointment, none of this occurred. "Fuck you to system," I said in a grumble as I grabbed one of the books and began the truly nightmarish task of looking throuh the lab book tell I found the page I could actually understand.
"Dear Miss Rymes. I know you explicitly requested that we send you no gifts for the funding of Aulmura Lab. Still, without your kind graces, we could not have possibly succeeded in our endeavors. So forgive me my rudeness but I have made a gift for your daughter instead thus still fulfilling your request. I know you fear for young Annable's safety considering her passion for becoming an adventurer. As such I have made her an outfit out of our famous magic strings not only that but she will be the first benefactor of our reality realm strings. The Skirt and cloak are designed in the fashion that young Annable adores so she should find the outfit to be rather fashionable. The skirt will boost any clothing she wears with even the thinnest fabrics becoming as sturdy as steel. The cloak is even more inventive much like our iron spider project the cloak is actually a pseudo-living organism that defends the wearer against any projectile or magic aimed at them. "
That was the last page in the notebook but I still kept it like the other figuring I could sell such a valuable book for money. I tested the skirt's effect by lightly poking my jeans expecting to put a hole in the jeans but instead the spear couldn't pierce the clothing. At least the system didn't try to scam me. With some trepidation, I made my way back up the stairs to fight the goblins on the first floor. As I made my way through empty hallways I found the first group of goblins... playing cards... terribly. One of them was even openly showing its cards. I just sorta gaped at them for a long while. One of the goblins had decided to wear a tatty ripped dress while the other two wore hats, one red, one green. Green cap was the one who... won? The scene was so surreal that I almost turned on my heel. Still with way less vigor I walked over and stabbed the goblin in the dress while they were enamored with their game. As red cap tried to run and knife my shins but an odd sense overcame me. I could tell were and what each goblin would do or go. It was like I knew how they thought so while mad cap futilely tried to cut through my jeans I spun around and impaled green cap who had snuck from behind. then with a kick I struck red cap right on its furry head and with a swift motion impaled him into the ground.
After the fight had ended something nagged at me. I had yet to see the goblins deploy strategy or planning. Hell, these goblins who had been dumbly patrolling the hallways had in a period of an hour or two decided to wear clothes and play card games. While that alone wasn't worrying. What was worrying was the fact that the goblins had deployed actual strategies, ineffectively, but still strategy in the end. Were the goblins getting smarter? Those were questions for later, I had tested the magic skirt and proved that least the skirt did as advertised.
Congratulations! you have leveled up!
You have gained the class skill [Void echo] as well as 2 physical points, 2 mental points, 1 metaphysical point.
[Void echo] Call upon the actions of your past restarts. By channeling void energy into an area that you once performed an action in a prevoiuse restart a void filled spectator will repeat those same actions.
Neet! a new skill would come in handy so that was somewhat of a relief. I had grown a little worried when I had failed to level up after killing the spider. I took a step towards one of the goblins to see if it had anything useful only for the floor to creak, it took one second for my mouth to utter "Oh... shit." before the floor broke from underneath me, and my screams to fill the silence as I fell 3 stories and found out that armor did not protect you from falls. It might have been a terrible idea to spear a goblin to the floor knowing how weak and fragile this ruin was.
When I came too I growled in frustration as I noticed that all the free points had disappeared as if I never gained them to begin with along with the level. Still, at least I kept the skill. Regardless after completing the routine of killing the rieder and goblin I made my opening. I slowly walked towards where the king sat. The beast as was the last time awoke with a mighty roar as goblins scampered out from behind it. It was time for me to start escaping. The king stood in my way toward sweet freedom. There was only one logical conclusion.
It was time to kill the king.