Salvos

471. Archarachne

Daniel Song raised his head.

Even amidst the sounds of battle, he heard the screeching. A loud, distorted chittering that came from the city up ahead. He didn’t know what was going on in Ertos. He could see flashes of lightning coming from the other side. Powerful magic that came only from one source. The Great Tempest Archmage of Mavos Academy.

Helena Warshade.

And whatever she was fighting refused to falter. That worried Daniel somewhat. But he focused on what was before him. The army of Legions had been whittled to a third of their size at this point, and their numbers continued to dwindle. He cut them down by the dozens. His iridescent blade flashed with each swing, slicing apart Demons where its tip couldn’t even reach.

He wasn’t as much injured as he was exhausted. Culling such a vast number of Demons was a lot more tiring than it was dangerous to the [Hero]. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t dangerous. He cut through a group of [Greater Legions], only to stumble back as a blade struck him from behind. His Aura of Greater Protection shimmered— then dissipated.

Daniel spun around, gritting his teeth. It was recklessness that led to the barrier shattering. A [Greater Legion] stood behind him and raised a large axe. The weapon blurred— the workings of a Skill. It struck him in the shoulder, but didn’t dig deep. He swung up, and the Demon fell in twain.

All around him were Demons. Whether they were [Lesser Legions] or [Greater Legions]. It didn’t matter. Daniel had pushed his way deep into the enemy lines, and he was starting to pay for it. He was alone, with no allies fighting by his side. Fortunately, his [Vitality], his protective equipment, and his defensive Passive Skills was enough to protect him… thus far.

He spun around in a circle, slashing through a group of Demons leaping at him, creating a clearing in the Legion army. He panted as he ground his heels on the white floor and came to a stop. But the Demons just kept coming. A [Lesser Legion] charged at him, and he raised the Sword of Alexander.

“Fireball.”

But a blast of flames engulfed the Demon. Daniel blinked, lowering the blade. His eyes grew wide when he saw the figure approaching him.

“I didn’t think you’d need to use such a Mythical weapon to bring down such weak enemies.”

“Faith…?”

He stared at her. At Faith El the Fallen Queen of Elutra. She wasn’t alone. A retinue of individuals accompanied her. Members of Elutra’s Resistance. They spread out, exterminating all the nearby Demons as she nodded at the [Hero].

“Hello, Daniel Song.”

“What are you doing here, Faith?”

Daniel narrowed his eyes at her. She just smiled at him.

“It looked like you needed some help. So we came to give you our aid.”

“I… see.”

He watched as Gavyn and the rest of Elutra’s Resistance continued tearing through the ranks of Demons. The [Hero] shook his head.

“But what are you specifically doing here? You can’t fight. Not against an army. You should be staying back behind rather than risking your life.”

“I can fight. I was trained as a [Duelist]. Sure, I am not a high-leveled one at that. But see this?”

Faith raised a crystalline object, showing it to the young man from Earth.

“It’s a Fireball Wand. A Medium Grade Weapon. It can cast a [Lesser Fireball] spell every minute. And this—”

She raised her left hand. A ring glinted, sending a wave of frost out in a cone. It froze a dozen [Lesser Legions] in an instant.

“A Ring of Frost Repulse. I have enough artifacts to let me hold my own here. And I am not alone. So I will be fine.”

Faith gave Daniel a reassuring look. He hesitated. He looked at her level— she was about the same level as the average [Lesser Legion]. It was only thanks to the abundance of artifacts she had and the bodyguards accompanying her that she was able to fight here.

He opened his mouth.

“You shouldn’t—”

“Daniel.”

The Fallen Queen of Elutra interrupted him. She held his gaze. For a moment, amidst the fighting— the death and the destruction— neither said anything. He saw the resolve in her eyes. She wore a determined look on her face.

“This is my city. I have failed it more than once before. Please, allow me to fight for it.”

“I…”

Daniel trailed off. And a loud explosion interrupted both of them. He spun around, raising the Sword of Alexander warily. Faith blinked, looking towards Ertos. The city’s walls blew open as a giant figure emerged from the other side.

A massive spider crawled out from the rubble and dust. Its eight eyes glowed even behind the veil of smoke draping over it. It was a Demon. A Primeval Demon. One that was the size of a castle.

And it wasn’t alone.

Thousands of spiders crawled after it, each the size of a person. They poured out from the streets of Ertos. Lesser Demons. Daniel clicked his tongue as he stood protectively over Faith.

“Get back—”

He expected this outpouring of Demons to aid the Legion army. That this was some trap— some sort of reinforcements that had been waiting for the Human army to draw close. But the Primeval Demon opened its mandibles, where crimson energy coalesced into a sphere.

And a beam of red light shot forward. It moved its head, sweeping the beam across the battlefield. Daniel’s eyes grew wide, and he realized—

It was attacking everything.
“Huh.”

I stared on as the [Archarachne] unleashed a crimson blast through the ranks of Legion. It brought down hundreds of the Lesser Demons, before the attack reached the Human army. A handful of Humans were completely obliterated, before Helena Warshade swooped forward, raising her staff. She created a barrier, blocking the beam from reaching the rest of the army.

“Well, that isn’t good.”

It seemed that me killing that Demon— Forti— only made the wild Primeval Demon act out in a frenzy. The [Archarachne] was attacking everything. It lashed out in a frenzy. Its attack wiped out a good chunk of Legions, and killed quite a few Humans as well.

My plan backfired, so it was time to rectify it. I flew forward as I produced a large projectile from thin air. It wasn’t made from fire. It was an Epic Grade Weapon which I had actually stolen while I was here in this city. I created a fiery bow and pointed at the Primeval Demon’s back.

“Take this— the Giant Killer Arrow!”

The attack struck the [Archarachne]’s back. It bounced off the chitin, and the wild Primeval Demon turned its gaze towards me. It hissed, leaping into the air. I blinked, watching as flew towards me.

“What…?”

I nimbly soared through the air, reaching me just mere moments after it left the ground. The wild Primeval Demon struck down with its eight legs and knocked me out of the air. I crashed through three buildings, finally landing in the middle of a junction. I groaned, picking myself up from the crater, only to blink as the [Archarachne] appeared next to me.

“It’s fast—”

I ducked under a swing from its scythe-like legs. But then its mandibles closed around me. I quickly swapped my fiery bow with my Divine Nebular Scythe, using the weapon to block the maw of the wild Primeval Demon.

I held its mandibles back as I gritted my teeth. But the [Archarachne] was far stronger than me, It pushed me back as I grimaced. And then I saw a red glow coming from inside its mouth. My eyes grew wide.

“Oh.”

A crimson sphere formed, just about to explode. I braced myself—

And a shadow appeared from behind my back. A dark figure slashed up at the wild Primeval Demon’s head, knocking it to the side. The blast of crimson energy missed me and engulfed a nearby building as I blinked. I stared at the person who saved me.

“Orgaf?”

The Thief of the Golden Scales glanced back at me, smirking.

“Need a hand, Salvos?”