Garden Of The Abyss

Near the back, Aiko and Valerie fought shoulder-to-shoulder, with the beige-haired girl relying on her martial arts finesse to dance around the spider, leaving powerful blows against its exoskeleton. 

Utilizing her lance as a proper, physical weapon for once in an effort to reduce mana consumption, Valerie jabbed it against the giant arachnid--though it possessed a level of dexterity unforeseen as it attempted to snatch the weapon from her grip. 

Although it had no fingers to grip with, it managed to attain a stiff hold on the lance somehow as the horned woman attempted to yank it away. 

How is it holding on so damn tight?...It must have tiny little hairs on its legs that are adhesive, she thought. 

The thought was repulsive to her, but she grinned as she stopped trying to play tug-of-war with the armored arachnid--instead awakening the magical usage of the lance. 

I've got you just where I want you! She thought. 

"--Take this!" Valerie yelled with a smile. 

With the end of the lance being pointed directly between the mandibles of the creepy crawler, a burst of flames blasted directly against it. 

It unleashed a shriek, convulsing from the hungering flames as its lengthy legs contorted while it squirmed on its back. 

Within moments of the inferno's gluttonous destruction, the gargantuan arachnid stopped moving--succumbing to its wounds as Valerie let out a huff. 

Back to the vanguard, the snowy-haired otherworlder struck his blade through his eight-legged foe's head with a squelch that released a spurt of purple blood before he kicked it to release his blade from its flesh. 

"One down…" He muttered.

As he looked back, it seemed everyone in the group had just about finished off their arachnid enemy, but a weight dropping in front of where he stood, followed by the sound of many more dropping around their held position, brought his gaze back. 

Another one stood in front of him, twitching its salivating mandibles at him with ravenous intent glittering in its beady eyes. 

"...A lot more to go," he huffed. 

With another round of arachnid-battling beginning, they were confined to a small, circular portion of the cavern with all of their backs held together to ward off the incoming spiders. 

Hongse slammed his hammer down against one of the insectoid's heads, splattering it against the sturdy stone below, "You think these things are edible?" 

"If you wanna try, be my guest!" Mencius answered while combating one of the arachnids. 

While Hongse and Mencius had little trouble brutalizing the giant spiders with raw strength and finesse, Iris found herself in a troublesome situation. 

With only her staff wielded in her hands, what was on her mind was trying not to consume mana--but it was seeming impossible as the mandibles of the arachnid grew closer despite the swings of her staff. 

"Ghh…!" She gasped. 

Stumbling back as the arachnid pushed closer with saliva spewing from his maw, she raised her staff with a trembling hand. 

...I have to do it! She thought. 

As it loomed over her with hungering mandibles twitching, she pointed the end of the magic-focusing staff towards the creature. 

Through the usage of the staff, she was able to cast a spell with only intent, manifesting an arrow of light that pierced through the arachnid's head, shooting out from the other side of its body with a harsh squelch. 

As purple fluid spilled from the newly made holes through the eight-legged fiend, it slumped over lifelessly. 

"...I did it," she muttered. 

At a certain point, with the density of the cave-dwelling, armored arachnids growing as they began descending from the ceiling--it became painfully clear that attempting to hold out on magic usage would be a futile endeavor. 

Back-to-back, each of the Weltwanderers stood, united in a circular formation as they were surrounded by dozens of the creepy crawlers. 

"There's an army of these creatures!" Mencius shouted, holding his treasured blade in front of himself. 

"Keep 'em coming!" Hongse roared, "the way I see it, we've got an infinite supply of crab legs!"

"Stop focusing on food! We're in a battle right now!" Valerie barked. 

"Isn't it time to stop holding out? If we continue at this rate, we'll be overwhelmed…!" Aiko said as she pushed one of the arachnids back with a swift strike. 

"Sorry, if I don't hold out, you'll all die--so let's avoid that~" Jae-Seong answered in a cheeky, melodic tone. 

"Unfortunately, I know you're not lying," Macheo huffed, "I'll handle this--but I'm going to need Nakamura with me." 

"Why Ren?" Iris asked, looking to the side at the golden-haired prince. 

"I don't mind, but," He looked at Macheo, "what's the plan here?" 

Without any sort of warning, Macheo dashed towards him, grabbing hold of him and bringing him into the air as they traversed mystical platforms formed by the prince's magic. 

Macheo smiled, "The plan is...follow my lead!" 

"Huh?!" He let out in surprise. 

From below, the rest of the group watched as the two ran through the air by utilizing the platforms, though Ren stumbled a bit to regain his footing. 

Macheo looked back, watching as most of the army of arachnids scurried--rushing behind them as they crawled over the mossy ground, walls, and even the ceiling. 

"Just as I thought," Macheo smiled with sweat lining his cheek. 

"'Thought'? Though what?!" He asked, keeping up behind the golden-haired young man. 

Macheo raised the elevation of the platforms, causing the two to ascend closer to the ceiling as he stopped, turning around, "These things aren't risking even a single meal escaping! Most eyes are on us now! Just as I like it!"

"This is a good thing…?!" He looked back. 

"We're giving them back there less of a burden to deal with! This is the best way to do it!" Macheo replied. 

But what about us?! He thought. 

His skin crawled at the sight of seemingly countless, giant arachnids rushing towards them with their large mandibles twitching with savage hunger. 

"What's the plan here, Macheo? There's like a hundred of them…" He muttered. 

"We crush them--not letting even a single one escape," Macheo answered. 

He looked back at the crimson-eyed Lucrauvian, "...It's a plan, I'll give you that." 

It was something he began to realize from how differently the prince seemed to act in situations like this. The exuding confidence, joy, and trust he held--it all flourished in battle when they fought side-by-side. 

I don't think he had a particular plan in mind, but he trusts my strength...I guess this is his way of trying to protect Aiko, isn't it? Well, who am I to let down young love? He thought. 

"Nakamura! I'll bind them and supply you with footholds--just focus on cutting those bastards down!" Macheo shouted out. 

"Sounds like I have my work cut out for me," he smiled wryly while muttering. 

Flipping his broadsword and dagger between the fingers of either hand, he took in a calming, focused breath before leaping forward, hopping against each of the platforms as he greeted the incoming flood of arachnids. 

Macheo held his artificial, sable arm forward as the gemstones embedded in it glowed. 

Let's try this puppy out…'high magic control' let's see about that! Macheo thought. 

"Achelous: Drowning Angels!" 

--Shouting out this incantation, an unseen flood erupted from the stone corridor that contained all of the scurrying arachnids--reaching out mystically with aquatic limbs that wrapped around the giant, armored fiends. 

"Nakamura---!" Macheo shouted out as a signal. 

He smiled to himself, "I hear ya'--loud and clear." 

Maximizing his reinforcement, while it did have a toll on mana, it was less than utilizing even a single Araphel spell. 

With a single leap from one of the platforms, he carved through half-a-dozen arachnids with a single, dark-clad slash that sliced deep into the stone below. 

It was a feeling he missed since arriving at the third floor; the pure, untampered strength of full-force reinforcement. A single leap pushed him at such a speed that none of the arachnids could react--before their heads were swept from their bodies. 

In a waltz from platform-to-platform, he left a trail of violet blood behind him that rained down in his wake. With Macheo restraining the foes with his water-formed bindings, it was a perfect combination. 

No longer than a minute; that's what it took to eradicate the plentiful arachnids that chased after him as he finished, swiping his blood to rid it of the purple, repugnant blood that hung onto its steel. 

"Well, I didn't expect the plan to go that well," Macheo commented as he jumped down by the adolescent's side. 

He replied with a slight smile, walking past the graveyard of spider corpses, "I guess sometimes just brute-forcing it is best." 

Meeting back up with the rest of the group, they managed to handle their end of the eight-legged crawlers. 

As was the rest of the cavern by this point, the area was cluttered with the punished bodies of the fallen arachnids--prompting the Weltwanders to waste no time in moving forward to wherever the other end of the cavern led them. 

"After today, I never want to see another spider again," he muttered with a grossed-out expression. 

"...I still think we should really test out if they're edible," Hongse added. 

"No!" Valerie, Aiko, and Mencius shut the red-furred panda's proposal down instantly. 

Being so fervently rejected, the large panda let out a sigh, waddling forth with a saddened expression as the group traversed a new section of the expansive cave. 

"Look! I think I see an exit!" Aiko pointed out, rushing to the front of the group. 

As a cold, fresh air pushed against his skin, it seemed her discovery rang true as he continued marching up the now soil-laden section of the cave. 

"Let's hurry and get the hell out of here then. This place stinks like shit," Macheo huffed. 

"Although I would put it in a more...eloquent way, I agree. This cavern houses a rather unpleasant aroma," Mencius agreed. 

"I think 'shit' is a pretty accurate description of the stench in here," Jae-Seong said, keeping his hands tucked into his pockets. 

Trying to forget about the conversation he heard going on behind him, he marched up the incline of moist soil as the sensation of fresh, brisk air grew more tangible the higher he climbed.