Chapter 82 — Collision of Worlds (Part 2)
Peterson ran straight past them.
No hesitation.
No second thought.
The moment the barrier shattered behind him, he moved—cutting through the battlefield like a line drawn with purpose.
Behind him, the cavern exploded again.
Jean-Daniel stepped forward, planting himself between the spider and the rest of the team like a wall that refused to break.
"THE AGGRO IS ON ME, GUYS, REMEMBER!"
His hammer slammed into the ground—
BOOM!
The spider answered instantly, its massive body shifting as it redirected its focus entirely toward him.
Naëlle moved behind him without even thinking.
Water surged around her arms and legs, tightening, layering, reinforcing.
She also summoned her twin water blasters and her water skate boots; she was ready to do whatever it took to help keep the attention off Peterson's back.
"Don't take it head-on again!" she snapped.
"I'm fine!" Jean-Daniel shot back.
"Just so you know, I got your back!"
The spider's leg came down again—
Naëlle's shield caught it—
The impact cracked through the water—
But held just long enough.
Kemi exhaled sharply.
"Clear the sides!"
Flames burst from her palms, sweeping outward in a controlled wave—not to dominate the fight, but to keep the swarm from closing in.
Wilkens moved next.
He cut through the edges of the battlefield, fast and precise, keeping anything from slipping past Jean-Daniel's defense.
"Keep pushing it back!" he called.
They held their ground.
Just barely.
And just like that—
Peterson was gone from their sight, making his way to his main target.
Ahead of him—
He could still see the Ant Queen, almost motionless.
The massive body lay half-buried in torn webbing, cracked shell exposed, legs twitching slowly as it forced itself back to life.
It wasn't dead.
Not even close.
Peterson slowed slightly.
Not from fear.
He just didn't want to rush in blindly, so he focused on the trapped Ant.
"Target Status: Inspect."
[Ant Queen — S Rank]
[Status: Critical / Near Death]
[Type: Queen-Class Entity]
"…Good," he muttered.
That meant it was still dangerous.
But killable—at least the spider boss did 95% of the work, so he could get the glory prize.
He stepped forward—
And then—
Four figures dropped in front of him.
Peterson stopped his advance.
The ground cracked lightly beneath their weight.
Four spiders.
Not like the others.
Sharper.
Heavier.
Controlled.
Each one carried five horns sticking out of their backs.
They didn't rush him immediately.
They didn't hesitate to protect their prey either.
They stood between him—
And the Ant Queen.
"…The Spider Queen guard units, I guess," Peterson said quietly.
[Inspect Activated]
[Spider General]
[Rank: A]
[Type: Elite Guard]
[Count: 4]
Then—
The system responded.
[New Objective]
Defeat the Four Spider Generals
Bonus Reward: 1000 EXP
+500 EXP per kill
Elite Guard Spider [0/4]
Peterson exhaled slowly.
"…So that's how it is."
Behind him, the distant sounds of battle echoed.
Jean-Daniel shouting, striking with all his strength.
Naëlle calling out tactics and dangers, also skating around while shooting water bullets and jet streams.
Kemi's flames cracking against stone, burning the enemies to a crisp and keeping them at bay.
Wilkens moving like lightning, taking care of anything that might try to do a surprise attack.
But none of it reached him anymore.
This fight—
Was his alone.
Peterson smirked nervously.
The first Spider General moved.
Fast.
Its leg cut through the air toward his chest.
Peterson reacted instantly.
CLANG!
The Veve Staff appeared just in time, blocking the strike as Peterson's arms started changing into a very dark color, with faint white lines glowing.
The impact pushed him back slightly.
"…Very strong! Well, I planned not to hold back either."
The second came from the side, slicing downward.
He twisted his body quickly.
Barely avoided it.
The third dropped from above—
Peterson stepped forward instead of backing off.
His body moved on instinct.
Cleaner and sharper.
More controlled.
"…Yeah, I've got bad news for you bugs," he muttered.
"…I leveled up."
He raised his hand slightly, ready to spin his staff to change it into a sword.
Something inside him responded.
A skill.
One he hadn't tested for a while after getting some of his powers back.
"…Let's see."
"Summon."
The air shifted.
The ground cracked faintly behind him—
Then—
A figure stepped out.
Peterson froze for half a second.
He could see another replica of himself, standing and staring.
The presence felt… deeper.
The clone didn't speak.
It simply stepped forward.
And stood beside him.
Peterson exhaled once.
"…Alright, I hope it's better than the skeletons. Feels like an upgrade."
The generals attacked again.
Both Petersons moved.
In sync.
The staff appeared in both their hands.
Spin—
Peterson's weapon shifted first into a Great Sword.
The blade extended, heavy, sharp, balanced.
The clone followed—
But instead—
The staff expanded—
Forming a massive war hammer.
Its weight alone cracked the ground beneath it.
"…Not bad," Peterson said quietly.
The first general lunged—
Peterson stepped in—
Steel met chitin—
The clash rang out sharply.
He pushed forward—
Cutting deep with his sword—
Faster than before.
The second attacked—
The clone moved—
The war hammer came down with a—
BOOM!
The impact stunned it instantly.
The force rippled through the ground.
Peterson didn't waste the opening.
One clean strike—
The first general split.
[+500 EXP]
No pause.
The third attacked from behind—
Peterson turned—
Blocked—
Countered—
The clone stepped in again—
Another hammer strike—
The second general collapsed.
Peterson rushed in and finished it with just ONE swing.
[+500 EXP]
The remaining two didn't hesitate.
They attacked together.
Faster.
More aggressive.
Peterson stepped back, avoiding a barrage of slashes.
Then he moved forward.
Timing his swing with precision.
The difference was clear now.
Before—
He would've struggled.
But now—
He controlled the pace.
The clone mirrored him perfectly.
With his hammer.
In speed and power.
One moved—
The other followed.
The fourth general jumped—
Peterson slid under it—
Then slashed upward, cutting the spider.
The clone finished it mid-air.
Both the clone and the spider landed with a heavy CRASH!
But only the clone was left standing.
[+500 EXP]
Spider General [3/4]
The last one tried to retreat after seeing its fellow companions defeated by mere humans—but it was too late as Peterson dashed forward—
With one clean strike, slicing its head off.
It dropped.
[+500 EXP]
Spider Generals [4/4] QUEST Completed
Bonus Reward: 1000 EXP
Then it was just silence as they stared at the dead spiders.
The battlefield around him felt distant again.
The path was open once again.
Peterson stood there, breathing with slight exhaustion, but it was now clear to him that he had gotten even stronger.
Then slowly—
He looked forward, staring at the Ant Queen.
Still alive.
Still waiting.
The clone stood beside him.
Silent.
Peterson tightened his grip on his weapon.
"…Now, time for a great reward."
He stepped forward.
Ready to finish it.
[End of Chapter 82]