Seeds of Discordia

A screech left the fanged mouth of a Burrower Soldier as it slumped over. Liam and the others breathed heavily as they scanned the area for more monsters. Nothing was in sight, and nothing moved.

Liam peered hard for the hidden doors these creatures loved to hide in so much but couldn’t find any. After he confirmed he relaxed his body and relayed, “All clear.”

Everyone relaxed their bodies. Artem dropped to his knees trying to catch his breath. Goosebumps formed along his arms as he felt the silky substance that covered the ground. “I can’t wait to be done with this tunnel.”

“Is it just me or does it seem like they are coming at us less now?” Avery questioned.

“I would hope so,” Roman replied. “That was what… group number six that we came across?”

“I lost count after the third group since the size of the groups grew,” Ariyana commented as she dusted herself off.

“There were a lot, but thanks to that I got a couple of levels in my Sub-stats, abilities and personal level,” Blair said as she looked at her character sheet.

“Same here,” Avery agreed.

Liam stared at his character sheet.

His Sub-stats Fine Motor, Reflex, Body Strength, Resilience, Physical Practicality, and HP Recovery each gained a level. His weapon skills in Daggers got a nice boost too. A few of those were now sitting at level 9 while the others were getting close to it.

As nice as it was that his sub-stats were leveling up so much, it was starting to be a concern to him that his personal level was slowly rising. While his team was getting personal level ups, he was still at level 2.

He shook his head as he closed his character sheet, looked at everyone, and said, “Let’s take a break here.” He turned to Artem and asked, “Do you have any more of those muffins?”

Artem tore his gaze away from the disgusting floor, stood back up and answered, “Yeah. I have enough to give everyone at least three more.”

“Alright, we’ll eat one before we enter the E.F.M.’s area so we don’t run out before fighting it,” Liam said as he turned to the fallen monsters and started harvesting them.

 

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“You have received Silk Slinger Spider Silk x 8. Crafting material. Item Rarity – Uncommon. Item Quality – Crude.”

“You have received Burrower Soldier Hide x 6. Crafting material. Item Rarity – Uncommon. Item Quality – Crude.”

“Congratulations! Class skill Harvest has reached level 10! You can now harvest better quality crafting materials. You can now harvest up to 3 harvestable crafting materials at a time!”

 “You have received Silk Slinger Spider Silk x 7. Crafting material. Item Rarity – Uncommon. Item Quality – Poor.”

“You have received Burrower Soldier Hide x 6. Crafting material. Item Rarity – Uncommon. Item Quality – Poor.”

---

 

“We should probably eat them now then,” Roman stated as he walked back to the group.

“Why do you say that?” Artem asked with a groan. “Don’t tell me you found the area?”

Roman nodded. “It’s actually right around the corner. I didn’t spot any monsters lying in wait, so I am going to assume the E.F.M. is the next thing we’re going to have to fight.”

 Artem placed a hand over his face as he asked with a look of desperation, “Please tell me its not a giant spider.”

Roman shrugged. “I couldn’t see what monster it was. However, the webs are thicker and have covered the entire area. Well covered more than this tunnel. All I saw was webs.”

Artem let out an unhappy groan.

“There were also some weird web shapes in there too,” Roman said as he looked at Liam.

“What do you mean?” Liam asked.

“Come see what I mean,” Roman said as he motioned them over.

Liam followed him around the corner and saw the wide open room. From the floor, up the walls and to the roof was covered with webs. You couldn’t see a single rock or speck of dirt anywhere.

Off to the back were several bundles of webs hanging from strings. Below them were webs formed in a shape like a creature was trapped inside. These wriggled around but couldn’t get free.

“Are those people trapped in the webs?” Artem gulped as his face slowly turned white.

“I don’t think so,” Mercer commented. “We should be the only ones in here.”

“So, then what’s trapped in them?” Blair questioned.

“Could be other monsters,” Avery guessed.

“I think that’s what we need to get,” Liam interrupted as he pointed to the ceiling.

A red stone hung from a long string of spider silk in the middle of the room. It emanated a red vapor while it hung. The red vapor looked more like it was pulse throughout the room.

“Where’s the E.F.M. at?” Aryana inquired as she looked around. “I don’t see anything in here.”

Liam peered through his goggles scanning for any movement. What he found made him gulp.

“What do you see?” Mercer asked.

“Well do you want the good news or the bad news first?” Liam asked without taking his eyes off what he found.

“I don’t like the sound of this,” Artem commented.

“Good news first,” Aryana decided.

“Good news is I found the E.F.M.” Liam started. He pointed to a spot under the red stone. “It’s in its hidey hole right there.”

“What’s the bad news?” Roman asked.

“I also found several trap doors throughout the room,” Liam said.

A muffled high pitch sound came from Artem’s closed lips.

Liam turned around and walked away from the opening. As the others followed, he instructed, “Make sure your health, mana, and stamina are good to go before we take this monster on.” He looked at Artem and instructed, “Can you pass everyone one of those muffins please.”

Artem didn’t respond as he muttered something over and over to himself.

“Artem,” Liam said again as he walked in front of him.

Artem stopped mumbling and looked at Liam.

“I know you really don’t like this, but after we beat it we’ll be done,” Liam started with a soft tone. “For that to happen I need you to focus. Can you do that?”

Artem hesitated for a moment before he slowly nodded and replied, “I can try.”

“That’s all I can ask,” Liam smiled softly. “Now can you pass out your famous muffins please?”

“Famous?” Artem questioned.

“They will be. The taste is amazing,” Liam winked.

Artem blushed as he shook his head and remarked, “I highly doubt that. Yeah, I can do that.” He pulled out and passed a muffin to each person in the group.

“Mmm,” Ariyana started as she took a bite. She gave him a satisfied look while doing a happy dance of sorts. “These really are good.”

Artem grew a shy smile as he said quietly, “Thanks.”

After they got done eating the muffins renewing the respected buffs, Liam looked at them and asked, “Are we ready?”

“To go in there no…to get this done with yes,” Artem replied unconsciously.

Blair rolled her eyes. “Let’s do this.”

Liam nodded. “Ok, Artem and Blair you two in the front. Try to get that things attention right from the start. Aryana and Mercer in the back. Ariyana cast that Echoes of the Voice on Mercer when the fighting starts.”

Ariyana nodded.

“Mercer, I want you to get Resilient Defense on Blair then Artem when you can.” Liam instructed as he looked at him.

“Got it,” Mercer said.

“After you guys get those spells out start attacking it.” Liam continued before looking at Roman and then at Avery. “Once when they are set, we will go in and attack as much as we can. Try not to pull any aggro from the monsters. If you do back off and use a ranged magic ability.”

Roman smiled wickedly as he popped his knuckles.

“Alright,” Avery nodded.

“I’ll try to keep an eye out for any unwanted visitors from those trap doors I saw earlier. Once when they join in, I’ll need either Artem or Blair to break away from the E.F.M. to get their attention while we take them down as quickly as we can. You guys got that?”

Everyone nodded or expressed their agreement with the plan.

“Alright let’s kill this thing,” Liam said as they made their way towards the entrance.

As they entered the room the floor beneath them lightly thrummed with each step they took.

A spot in the middle of the room vibrated slowly at first, but with each step they took on the web the faster it vibrated.

After a few moments a solid web mixed stone door swung open and crashed behind the hole. Two large black smooth spider legs reached out and gripped the edge closest to them.

It pulled out a smooth Black spider with crimson red eyes glaring at them. On the bulbus abdomen was a red hourglass symbol with a skull on each part of the hourglass. The size and length of the creature was as big as a school bus.

Liam assessed it.

 

---

“Black Widow Matriarch. 275/275 HP. 120/120 MP.”

---

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Liam shouted.

“What!” Artem yelled back as panic started to creep in. “What’s going on?!”

“That’s a Black Widow!” Liam replied. “Back in my world Black Widows are venomous. Be careful not to let it bite you!”

After the spider fully emerged from the trap door it moved to the side and closed it.

“Get started on those spells!” Liam barked.

“Voices raised high or volume of music reverberating around. Echo true inside the one who needs it most. Allow the sound to connect where it intends to. Echo loud and proud! Echoes of Sound!” Ariyana chanted as Mercer started glowing.

Echoes of Sound is a Senses Focus Point Ability giving a 2.5% buff to spell damage or magical instrument effects.

Mercer brought his flute to his lips and started playing a slow paced low and hollowed song. As the song started Artem glowed for a moment.

“Mercer, when you’re done with that play that Swift Footed song on Avery before you play Resilient Defense on Blair!” Liam shouted. “Ariyana once when he’s done cast Echo of Sound on him again before you start attacking!”

Without saying anything Mercer started playing a fast-paced A sharp song. The sounds leaving his flute gave a flighty and swift feel just from listening to it.

Swift Footed was a fast-paced song that gave a 2.5% buff to a target’s Agility and Speed Sub-stats for 30 seconds after the song stops playing.

As a light green glow washed over Avery, Liam ordered, “Artem and Blair start your assault.”

Artem let out a mighty roar causing the Black Widow to turn its gaze at him.

Blair wound her great axe to the side bringing it to her back and flung her arms over her head bringing the heavy weapon along with her. She then let one of the bladed edges come crashing down against two of the creature’s legs.

The Black Widow’s legs jerked from the force of the attack. However, it didn’t change targets since Artem taunted it with his War Cry Defender skill. It recovered from the attack and swiftly struck four times at Artem.

Artem brought his Kite Shield up in time to block the attack.

“I guess it has some pep in its step…attack I guess is the better word. Let’s change that,” Liam muttered as he pointed his dagger towards the creature and chanted, “O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Become heavier and stronger. Bring the Force down upon my enemy, slowing and hindering its movements. Gravitational Force Increase!”

The Black Widow glowed a light purplish color as its attacks slowed a bit allowing Artem to parry them and strike back with his mace.

Blair swung her great axe horizontally as she spun with the momentum bringing it over her head once more for a powerful strike.

Without needing any prompt Roman and Avery rushed in and started their assault against the creature.

Blair glowed a light steel color as Liam heard Mercer play the Resilient Defense song.

A violet ball suddenly flew pass Liam’s side and crashed against the Black Widow Matriarch as Ariyana readied another spell.

Liam watched as Avery swung her rapier fluidly across the creature’s leg closest to her as Roman dared to get closer to the side of the creature’s face and threw as many punches as he could.

The Black Widow Matriarch lifted its right smooth leg up and to the side as far as it could go. The drop in speed was evident as it did this giving Liam enough time to shout, “Everyone pull back!”

The four front liners scattered away as the leg swiped horizontally, missing everyone in the strike.

As they started to jump back in Liam noticed slight vibrations from the wall where Roman was currently close to. The four rumbling spots on the wall suddenly flung open.

“Roman behind you!” Liam shouted. He watched as Roman jumped forward into a roll and narrowly dodged the surprise attack attempt. As he rolled, he turned his body to face the monsters that appeared.

It was three Burrower Soldiers and one Silk Slinger.

“All attacks focused on the mobs,” Liam ordered. “Artem, can you grab one or two of the Burrower Soldiers attention?”

“Yeah, give me a sec…,” Artem started to say as he turned to face the creatures. Acting with some sort of natural or lucky instinct, he swiftly brought his shield up to cover his shoulder from a three-strike flurry from the Black Widow Matriarch.

“You’ve got to be…,” Liam swore then relayed, “Keep That EFM busy instead. Blair, can you…”

Before he could finish Blair was already running towards the pack of spiders.

“Never mind. You’re already on it,” Liam muttered under his breath. “All attackers focus on the Silk Slinger first! That’s the main threat of the group.”

As the Silk Slinger started to spit a web out, a Fire Ball the size of a baseball collided into its mouth. While it recoiled from the heat of the spell Liam and Roman appeared on both of its sides and unleashed a flurry of strikes. After a couple seconds passed a violet ball and an arrow struck true and killed it.

Liam turned to see Avery trading blows with the Burrower Soldier that Blair wasn’t able to pull. “Roman, go help Avery.” Liam said as he looked at him.

Roman nodded as he ran for the creature.

“Ariyana and Mercer, pick a Burrower Soldier and whittle some of their HP down. After one of the three dies, Mercer play the Resilient Defense again on Artem!” Liam ordered.

“Got it!” Mercer shouted back as he released an arrow watching it fly and hit the Burrower Soldier Blair was striking.

Liam ran towards the creature Roman and Avery were dodging and striking. As he approached, he jumped and plunged his dagger down into the abdomen causing it to slump with one final breath.

As the creature fell down the three turned and ran towards the closest mob to them and repeated the attack pattern of two to three strikes then dodge.

After the last Burrower Soldier fell, they turned to see Artem parry a leg strike and counter with his mace.

“Blair switch with him! Artem after she gets its attention heal yourself with a potion!” Liam instructed.

Blair rushed towards the Black Widow Matriarch, jumped up with her arms up and great axe behind her. As she descended, she swung the weapon as hard as she could down on the head of the E.F.M. A loud thud was heard, but no blood was drawn.

“How hard is its skin!” Roman commented as he watched Blair release a mighty roar from her lungs, making the creature turn to her. A deep low hollow song danced in the air as she glowed a slivery color.

Artem backed away as he pulled a green potion out and downed it. After he finished it, he commented, “This tastes sooo much better now.”

“When you’re ready Artem, join back in,” Liam stated. “Attackers continue your assault.”

Before anyone could move Mercer released an arrow, he had ready, and was able to lodge it into one of the creature’s eyes.

The Black Widow Matriarch reeled back from the pain and started vibrating its body. After a moment a shrill high-pitched voice escaped its fanged mouth.

“What’s it doing now?” Avery asked while not moving from her spot.

Liam scanned the walls but didn’t see anything. His eyes then glued to something and then widened. One of the hanging sacks of webs behind it started to shake violently.