Chapter 35: Spider vs. Earth Dragon
*Rumble—!*
A deafening explosion rang out, and the entire earth shook violently as debris cascaded down. When the dust finally cleared, the spot where they had been standing was reduced to a chaotic mess.
Looking at the crater beneath him, Shirazawa couldn't help but swallow hard.
"Tsk, as expected, we can't fight this guy on the ground. We simply can't win like that. Shiro, up!"
At Shirazawa's signal, the two leaped into the air, putting distance between themselves and the floor. Araba seemed to see through their intentions; he let out a roar and leaped high into the air as well. He had his own pride; even if they left the ground, he would still take them down.
"ROAR—"
His cry was a provocation, daring them to climb higher. Shiro and Shirazawa exchanged a glance and flew into the mid-air reaches of the canyon. Araba pursued relentlessly, coming to a halt about a hundred meters above the ground. He stood on a Spatial Maneuvering platform, looking up at the two spiders.
Countless transparent strands of silk had formed an invisible web covering the sky, like a predator waiting for its prey to descend.
"Why stop chasing?" Shirazawa asked, raising an eyebrow.
The dragon's expression was hard to read. He wanted to catch them, yet he hesitated, as if wary of something. It seemed Araba understood that the web before him wouldn't be easy to handle, so he didn't charge in blindly.
A brief stalemate ensued. Shirazawa took a moment to check his own health and the dragon's status. As suspected, in that short window, their HP had already recovered to the maximum. Attempting to kill the dragon by depleting his HP was clearly a fantasy.
"Shirazawa, my Evil Eye effects are at full power, but they don't seem to work on this guy at all." Shiro frowned, her gaze heavy.
"He has Status Condition Super-Resistance. Ordinary attacks basically do nothing to him, unless..."
Before Shirazawa could finish, a massive ball of venom filled the sky.
"Taste my Great Venom Waterfall! Die!"
Shiro was full of confidence. Using Poison Synthesis, she condensed a literal ocean of lethal venom, attempting to use her most vicious toxins to dissolve the opponent. This was a spider's winning trump card; with her venomous attacks, she had slain countless powerful monsters. It was her go-to for turning the tables. Surely, it would work this time.
*Boom—!*
The sea of toxin poured down toward Araba, kicking up huge plumes of mist. But something occurred that left Shiro stunned. Araba simply summoned a mass of stone to block the deluge. Not a single scale was damaged; the toxin was completely ineffective!
"It's no use. His resistances are too exaggerated." Shirazawa shook his head, a trace of regret in his voice.
The two of them were now Lv29, while Araba was Lv32. The gap wasn't just 3 levels, but 33.
[Small Lesser Taratect → Small Taratect → Small Poison Taratect → Zoa Ele → Ede Saine → Zana Horowa.]
The two were currently in the fifth stage, Ede Saine, which had a level cap of 30. This meant their levels wouldn't break past 30 until they evolved to the sixth stage. In other words, the Zana Horowa stage is what truly corresponds to Araba's current tier. Fighting a Tier 6 as a Tier 5, with a 32-level internal gap on top of that—the disparity was simply too vast.
To Araba, this battle was likely as easy as a cat playing with a mouse.
"ROAR!"
Araba bared his teeth, ready to end this meaningless fight. His maw opened wide, and an Earth Dragon Breath erupted.
"Dammit!"
Shiro cursed, forced to stop her venom synthesis to dodge the incoming beam of energy.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
Multiple breaths streaked through the air, snapping the surrounding silk and sending it fluttering. Shiro gnashed her teeth. "Shirazawa, pin him down! I'll weave the trap—this guy is afraid of our silk!"
It was the only way to deal with him. Shirazawa nodded. "I'm on it."
"Then I'm starting."
"Go. Don't worry, I'll buy you time."
The two split up, pouncing toward the dragon in a pincer formation. Shiro went all out, spinning webs of unbelievable tenacity. Araba used his superior skills to dodge the threads, occasionally swiping with a tail or firing an energy blast to shatter them.
But Shirazawa wouldn't let him have his way.
"Magic Minds 1, 2, 3, and 4—load Dark Magic."
"Roger!" x4
He gave the orders calmly. Because their Dark Magic was boosted by the max-level Abyss Magic, its proficiency was also at the limit. Only Dark Magic stood a chance of dealing significant damage to Araba.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Dark magic shells slammed into Araba. Though he dodged most, the splash damage still chipped away at him.
"Ura-ura-ura-ura...!"
Araba continuously evaded the magical bombardment while chanting a counter-spell.
*Hummm~*
A strange sound vibrated through the air. Alarm bells rang in Shirazawa's mind; an ill omen took hold.
"Not good! Body Mind, move!" he shouted urgently.
*BOOM!*
A terrifyingly large stone pillar fell from the sky. It struck Shirazawa's back with the force of ten thousand tons, instantly crippling him and stripping his mobility.
*Fwoosh~~* Shirazawa's body collapsed, dissolving into an afterimage in the air.
"Heh, didn't expect that, did you? I predicted your prediction." Shirazawa lifted his chin, speaking triumphantly.
As the illusion vanished, Shirazawa used a spatial jump to appear directly above Araba while the dragon was still dazed.
"Super Dark Spear!"
He unleashed a massive spell—the most lethal in the Dark Magic arsenal. A giant magic circle expanded instantly. With the assistance of the Magic Minds, the power was doubled.
*Shoom—*
*BOOM!!!*
The magic pierced the air and slammed into Araba. The explosion sent magical energy spraying everywhere.
*Pfft—*
Araba was blown back, crashing against the canyon wall. But even as he was sent flying, he whipped his massive tail around in the final millisecond, catching Shirazawa in the abdomen and knocking him back.
Shirazawa's face went pale as he coughed up blood, his HP instantly hitting rock bottom. Neither side gained a clear advantage in that exchange. Or rather, Shirazawa was slightly at a disadvantage. By the time he recovered, Araba's health was already full, while he was still near death. If not for the health-lock from Perseverance, that last hit would have been the end of him.
"Holy crap, is he really this broken?" Shirazawa rubbed his aching stomach, watching Araba lunge again.
This time the dragon didn't hold back, his claws moving with terrifying speed. Shirazawa could only scramble to dodge, ensuring his weak points weren't exposed. Fortunately, his Spatial Magic was powerful enough to let him blink away in critical moments. He evaded the attacks steadily, not seeking glory, but avoiding mistakes.
He was waiting. Waiting for the moment Shiro was ready.
*Fwoosh...*
Finally, thanks to Shirazawa's relentless efforts, the web was complete.
"Hehe, take this!!"
Shiro smirked, raising the massive web of silk and hurling it downward.
*Slap!*
She hit the mark. The silk web instantly coiled around the dragon. Araba struggled, but his immense strength seemed hollow against the silk. It bound him tightly; no matter how much force he applied, he couldn't break free, leaving him to roar in frustration.
"Haha! Got you this time!" Seeing Araba trapped, Shiro was ecstatic.
"Heresy Magic: Phantom Pain!"
A red magic circle appeared, enveloping Araba.
"Phantom Pain doesn't cause physical damage, but it makes you feel endless agony. Even with Heresy Resistance or Pain Nullification, it still works. How does that long-lost feeling of pain feel? Enjoy it!"
"Ha-ha-ha-ha—"
Watching Shiro laugh like a maniacal demon while Araba wailed in agony from the phantom pain, Shirazawa's mouth twitched.
"Who's the villain here, exactly?"
"..."