[06: 20: 23: 14]
...
Cassian’s heart pounded in his ears as the spider-like creature began its slow, deliberate descent from the ceiling. Its seven wet, glossy eyes stared unblinking, each one locking onto them with predatory precision. The monster’s segmented body pulsed, dark chitin flexing as faintly glowing veins shimmered beneath the surface. From its center, a maw unsealed—layered with concentric rings of hooked, twitching appendages that writhed independently, grasping at air as if already tasting its next meal.
Its entire mass unfurled with grotesque grace, limbs stretching unnaturally wide. Then it dropped. The wet, meaty slap of its weight crashing against metal reverberated through the chamber. The lights above flickered wildly, sputtering with static. The walls themselves seemed to groan.
Cassian forced himself to breathe. Forced himself to look away from the monster’s eyes, which took quite a bit of willpower.
[ESSENCE: 42/42]
Gritting his teeth, he closed his eyes and reached inward, tapping into his well of essence. He summoned it with force of will, tapping the card in his mind.
“[Stone Golem],” he commanded.
[DING! RUN CARD ?STONE GOLEM(CREATION SUMMON)? USED, CHARGES: 5/10]
[DING! ESSENCE WELL: 39/42]
The floor ahead of him cracked and split with a thud as stone erupted upward, condensing and hardening into a massive figure. The golem stood tall, a humanoid titan of jagged rock. Its fists clenched with silent readiness.
Move in front of us and charge at the monster as soon as it moves! System enable combat logs.
[DING! AFFIRMATIVE]
The golem shifted forward obediently. As it moved, the hypnotic pressure radiating from the creature’s eyes diminished. Cassian exhaled sharply, tension easing just slightly from his spine.
“Dorian!” he shouted, snapping his head to the side. “Focus—don’t look into its eyes for too long! I think it’s using some kind of hypnosis!”
Dorian’s jaw clenched as he broke his gaze, stepping to the side to gain better cover and line of fire. He gave a short, sharp nod.
Cassian turned back toward the monster, already channeling his essence again, willing it to surge through his limbs like fire.
The spider-thing paused mid-descent, its massive body twitching violently as all seven of its wet, glassy eyes locked onto the golem. It hissed—a high-pitched screech laced with static and malice—and then it lunged.
The golem met it head-on.
Stone clashed against chitin with a thunderous impact. The golem’s thick arms locked against the creature’s bladed limbs, each strike and counterstrike resounding through the vault. Sparks flew. Ribbons of dark ichor spattered across the walls. The spider-Kalrach’s talons screeched across the golem’s torso but found no flesh to tear. The Golem retaliated with massive fists, pounding into the beast’s carapace, but even those heavy blows barely staggered it.
Cassian stepped back, keeping a sharp eye on the tide of the fight. “Use the distraction we are creating!” he shouted. “But don’t overdo it Only enter when you are confident!”
“Understood,” Dorian called back, already moving like a shadow along the left flank, weapon drawn.
With precise deliberation, Cassian then activated his Mana Shield card, pouring 5 more points of essence into it, and an invisible dome flickered to life around him, barely perceptible unless the light hit it just right.
“[Mana Shield]”
[DING! YOU HAVE FED 5 ESSENCE POINTS TO YOUR MANA SHIELD SPELL, CURRENT SATURATION: LVL 5 SHIELD (60) DMG ABSORBTION]
[DING! ESSENCE WELL: 34/42]
Okay, one more card! Target: Self. Then Dorian.
Cassian reached inward, tapping into his essence, "[Expedite]!"
[DING! RUN CARD ?EXPEDITE(DESTRUCTION SORCERY)? USED CHARGES: 10/25]
[DING! You have cast sorcery [Expedite] on yourself, gaining +5 strength, +5 perception, and a 40% increase in movement and reflexes; the buff lasts for 120 seconds.]
[DING! ESSENCE WELL: 36/42]
And with another cast, a pulse of energy rushed outward, latching onto Dorian.
[DING! RUN CARD ?EXPEDITE(DESTRUCTION SORCERY)?USED ON YOUR COMPANION, CHARGES: 09/25]
[DING! ESSENCE WELL: 31/42]
Cassian’s muscles tightened, energy flooding his body. Every motion felt sharper, faster. The blur of movement on the battlefield slowed his perception, expanding with the boost.
“Fuu…” he hissed under his breath.
Cassian propelled himself forward, dual knives glinting in the pulsating light of his torch. He shot under one of the monster’s flailing legs, sliding low as he drove one blade up into the creature’s undercarriage with full force. The blade sank less than an inch before stopping. The Kalrach’s hide was thick—layered, resistant, and unnatural.
A splatter of oily, dark blood burst from the wound, but the monster didn’t flinch. It barely acknowledged the strike.
Damn it… I really need better weapons... Oh shit!
Its legs twitched. Then struck.
Cassian’s instincts honed by [A knight’s squire] took over as he vaulted backward, just as a scythe-shaped limb slashed toward his ribs. It struck his shield instead, the impact flashing in a burst of translucent blue light.
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[DING! You have been hit by an Elite Kalrach(Spiderworm), CRITICAL DAMAGE, Shield active [40] DMG absorbed]
[DING! MANA SHIELD SATURATION — [20] DMG ABSORPTION REMAINING]
Cassian landed in a crouch, gritting his teeth. That would’ve cracked bones if not for the shield. Not wasting momentum, he darted right, flanking again, looking for another opening as the golem swung its massive arms into the Kalrach’s torso with a boom, and then the golem surged forward and crashed into the monster, pushing the spiderworm across the lab, crushing cabinets and sparking terminals in their wake. But the spider-kalrach’s tendrils and legs writhed with surprising agility, forcing the golem to strain as its charge was stopped.
Holy shit!… That single attack did 40 points of damage… Sonofabitch, If it weren’t for my shield HP or not, that would have sliced in two halves.
Focus on the fight now!
Cassian’s mind raced. He steadied his breathing, channeling his remaining essence deep into his core as he reached and called for another card.
“[Piercing Light]”
[DING! DECK CARD ?PIERCING LIGHT(KNOWLEDGE SPELL)? USED]
[ESSENCE: 22/42]
He nearly fell the moment the card was activated as it drained 10 points of essence in one go, stabilizing himself as the knowledge of how to use the card surged into his mind. His stance shifted automatically. His left hand extended.
A searing orb of light materialized in the air before his palm—pure, white-hot energy collecting in a soundless crescendo.
For five long seconds, time slowed for Cassian as the orb swelled, its radiance intensifying to an almost unbearable glare. Thankfully, there was the golem distracting the monster.
fuuu~ Now!
With a final exhalation, he unleashed the beam. The column of light screamed forward like a solar lance—blinding, focused, unstoppable.
It drilled straight through the spider-Kalrach’s chest, punching a massive hole in its side. The beam kept going, burning through the steel walls behind it before dissipating.
[DING! You have hit an Elite Kalrach(Spiderworm) with [piercing light], dealing [50] points of DMG and afflicting ?burn? status on the monster, doing [5] points of DOT for 120 seconds.
The Kalrach’s shriek was deafening, a screech of pure agony that shook the containment vault. Then—its glassy eyes flared with renewed hatred, all seven of them locking onto Cassian in unison.
Oh shit!
It lunged, only the golem stood in its path.
The Golem braced itself, arms slamming into the charging Kalrach, halting its momentum with brute force. The impact echoed like colliding freight trains, stone grinding against chitin as they pushed against each other. But inch by inch, the Kalrach began to twist and curl around the golem, its limbs wrapping like constricting cables. Chitin screeched against the hardened stone. Cracks began to spiderweb across the golem’s torso.
Shit, not good! At this rate, the golem won’t last long…
His eyes widened as an idea sparked. [Life for Life] card.
Yeah. It had to.
He tightened his grip on his knives, drew in a steady breath, and dashed toward the monster who was wrapped around his golem.
Golem, try to fall over the kalrach, use your force with the gravity card. Your sacrifice will be remembered.
Cassian met Golem’s bright blue eyes and for a moment, Cassian could’ve sworn it nodded.
With that silent farewell, the golem shifted and stood. The monster hissed in alarm as it realized something was wrong.
“[Gravity Well]”
[DING! RUN CARD ?GRAVITY WELL (KNOWLEDGE SPELL)? USED, CHARGES: 7/10]
[DING! ESSENCE WELL: 20/42]
The Kalrach screeched, its legs buckling under its own weight. The floor cracked, then shattered, as the golem collapsed forward with a sound like an avalanche.
Together, they crashed into the floor. The kalrach on the bottom, crushed beneath the full weight of the golem and the amplified force of the spell. A crater bloomed beneath them, spiderweb fissures stretching outward in all directions. Shrapnel and dust blasted into the air.
The Kalrach hissed in pain.
[DING! DECK CARD ?LIFE FOR LIFE (SACRIFICE SORCERY)? USED]
[DING! ESSENCE WELL: 19/42]
[DING! You have used [Life for Life] card and sacrificed your stone golem, the undying wish of the stone golem to serve provided HP, and ?unrelenting? buff to you.]
[DING! TRANSFERRING SUMMON’S COUNTERS TO YOU]
The threads that connected Cassian to the golem pulsed—then began to snap.
One by one.
Each break sent a wave of energy surging through his body. He felt it in his veins raw power slamming into his core. His shield shimmered with renewed brightness as his HP surged.
[DING! YOU HAVE ABSORBED THE STONE GOLEM’S LIFE ESSENCE]
[HP RESTORED: +125]
[ESSENCE RESTORED: +10]
[CURRENT HP: 430/305 ?Overflow?]
The Kalrach was still alive, heavily injured but alive.
Twisted and broken, pinned under the rubble of the fallen golem, its body spasmed, but it was no longer screeching.
Cassian bit down on his lip as the Kalrach began to stir.
The beast was mangled—badly. Several of its limbs lay twitching in ruin behind it, severed in the earlier clash. Two of its seven eyes had burst, darkened blood seeping down its chitinous face. Its movements were slower now, jerky and uncoordinated, but its hunger hadn’t diminished in the slightest.
It seems to be half HP down… good.
He dashed forward, closing the distance in a heartbeat. The creature snapped at him with its gaping maw, but he ducked under the strike, weaving in and out of its reach. His blades flashed under the dim red light, slashing across exposed sinew and cracked plates.
The Kalrach hissed and retaliated, lashing out with its remaining legs in a flurry of scythe-like slashes.
Cassian’s mana shield flared with every blow.
[DING! SHIELD SATURATION: 10/60]
A limb slammed into him. His barrier cracked. Without missing a step, Cassian channeled a stream of essence into the shield.
[DING! +2 ESSENCE FED TO MANA SHIELD, SATURATION: 30/60]
[DING! ESSENCE WELL: 27/42]
He ducked under a sweeping limb, rolled left, and came up spinning, both knives driving deep into the Kalrach’s side. He twisted the blades, forcing a hiss from the creature’s maw as a gout of black blood burst forth, sizzling against the ground.
Behind him, Dorian has finally decided it is time to join. He raised his handgun and fired—once, twice, three times—each bullet a whisper of death.
BANG!
The first shot tore into one of the Kalrach’s remaining eyes. The second and third bullets embedded themselves deep into the wounds Cassian had just carved.
The Kalrach reared back, shrieking in fury.
“Eyes!” Cassian shouted, never breaking his stride.
“I see them,” Dorian replied, cold and focused.
The Elite Kalrach struck again, lashing out wildly. Dorian dodged away narrowly evading a snapping leg. He rolled clear across the floor, boots skidding, and came up on one knee. His next shot caught the beast in the jaw.
Cassian didn’t give the monster time to recover.
Fueled by [Expedite], his movements blurred. He struck at tendons, and joints If his knives couldn’t slice apart the monster’s body then death by a thousand cuts would do. The Kalrach tried hard, but its injuries had slowed it too much. Its rhythm faltered.
The combination of gunfire and bladework formed a deadly rhythm—an oscillating chorus of chaos and precision. The high-pitched whine of bullets danced between the monster’s clicks and snarls, creating a battlefield soundtrack that was equal parts madness and focus.
Cassian pressed the advantage. Another shot from Dorian struck the exposed nerve cluster just as Cassian pulled his knife free. The Kalrach spasmed violently. The cuts weren’t deep—but they were deliberate.
Seizing the smallest opening, Cassian activated his next card with a wild grin.
"[Lightning Bolt]."
[DING! RUN CARD ?LIGHTNING BOLT(DESTRUCTION SORCERY)? USED CHARGES: 09/25]
[DING! ESSENCE WELL: 25/42]
A jagged arc of electricity surged from his fingertips, the sorcery crackling violently through the Kalrach’s slick hide. It wasn’t a killing blow, but it staggered the creature just enough. Sparks danced along its limbs, smoke curling from scorched flesh as the monster shrieked and flailed.
At that moment, when the monster was stunned and diverted by Cassian, Dorian acted. Slipping into the narrow gap between two twitching limbs, he raised his shotgun, breath slowed. Finger tightened. Trigger pulled.
Bang. Bang. Bang!
The Shotgun pellets drilled and blasted holes into the Kalrach’s body, piercing between plates, and finding soft tissue.
Good time for an experiment
Seizing the moment, He reached inward, drawing more essence and breaking past all the resistances of the card he forced with all his willpower, summoning a gravitational vortex around the monster’s damaged and exposed chest.
"[Gravity Well]."
[DING! RUN CARD ?GRAVITY WELL (KNOWLEDGE SPELL)? USED | CHARGES: 6/10]
[DING! ESSENCE WELL: 20/42]
The kalrach shrieked.
Its limbs jerked violently, yanked toward its center. Plates cracked. Tendons snapped. The creature convulsed under the pressure of the localized vortex like it had been caught in the center of a black hole. For a moment, it couldn’t move, couldn’t think, only writhe in panicked fury.
Cassian turned, voice sharp. “Dorian, keep pressing! We’ll end it together!”
“Copy that!” Dorian called back, already moving.
He surged forward in a blur. His boots skidded up the monster’s twisted legs as he ran up its back like a charging predator. His knives flashed as he stabbed deep into a remaining eye, twisted, and didn’t stop.
He sprinted along the creature’s spine, twin blades carving a long, savage line through meat, cartilage, and twitching sinew. Blood sprayed behind him in bursts.
The Kalrach reared up, howling in broken agony, but Cassian drove deeper still—running full tilt, blades dragging and cleaving as if trying to split the monster in half.
If only the blades were longer…
He dropped off the creature’s tail with a grunt, landing in a crouch, his breath ragged.
All of its limbs were severed or ruined. Its body quivered violently. Its eyes—what remained of them—hung as twitching, dark sockets.
Dorian raised his pistol again, ready to finish it—but Cassian held up a hand, panting.
“Hold. I’ve got this. Let’s save the ammo”
He extended his arm. His fingers spread.
“[Piercing Light].”
[DING! DECK CARD ?PIERCING LIGHT (KNOWLEDGE SPELL)? USED]
[ESSENCE WELL: 10/42]
A bright sphere of light formed at his palm, compressed and blinding. The air hummed with its energy. It ripped through the Kalrach’s head in a straight, silent line. No explosion. No gore. Just a clean hole.
Perfect and precise through the skull. The monster jerked once… then slumped.
[DING! YOU HAVE KILLED AN ELITE KALRACH (SPIDERWORM)]
Cassian stood still for a moment, chest heaving, hands dripping with blood and flickering essence. He lowered his arms slowly, the last remnants of adrenaline flickering through his system.
Behind him, Dorian exhaled with a faint whistle. “You good?”
Cassian nodded, grinning and wiping the blood off his face. “Better than that thing.”
They stared at the twitching corpse in silence—blood pooling beneath it like a dark lake, its twitching limbs finally still.
“Let's pray there’s not a bigger sibling,” Dorian muttered.
Cassian chuckled hoarsely. “Yeah… bet it’s an orphan”
...
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