Chapter 294 Testing Limits
"Eight Hours Later"
Alex stood in an open chamber that resembled a grotesque spider graveyard with tens of sliced-up, blooded corpses of giant spiders lying everywhere.
In the pitch darkness of the chamber, the echoing hiss of the Arachnoxus reverberated through the air, and tens of giant turquoise eyes glittering like malevolent gems in the inky blackness, each harboring a deadly intent, could be seen in every direction.
'Seventeen Arachnoxus, nine of them are at fifth Rank, and their leader is closer to high stage Fifth Rank creature,'
'This battle is going to be fun and should tell me where I stand,' Alex thought as he scanned his surroundings, his focus unbroken despite the odds stacked against him.
Alex was much stronger than he previously believed, as he could handle multiple early-stage fifth-rank opponents without much trouble, and even though taking on peak fifth rank creature was out of his reach because of the massive difference in states, he could still hold his own and not die.
The colossal spider that led this horde glared at Alex, venomous anticipation in its multiple eyes, as he radiated dance mana pressure and killing intent.
The Arachnoxus were nightmarish creatures, their grotesque forms illuminated by their multiple eerie turquoise eyes.
Their pincer-like mouths snapped open and closed, revealing rows of serrated sharp fangs dripping with venom, and their hard exoskeletons covered in layers of dark hairs gleamed ominously in the pitch darkness.
The silence was broken with a thunderous roar from the Arachnoxus leader, unleashing a colossal wave of purplish dark mist that enshrouded the chamber.
The other spiders roared with sinister hisses as they released bursts of corrosive mist, shrouding the chamber in a toxic haze.
Simultaneously, six spiders from each direction advanced, a seamless swarm of death unleashing torrents of sticky spider silk coated in toxic poisons, seeking to entangle and immobilize their prey.
'Let's get rid of the weakest first,' Alex decided, his focus honed on the approaching Arachnoxus.
The quickest among them closed the distance with blinding speed, his barbed legs slashing the air with deadly intent, but his attacks connected with nothing but the illusory mirage left behind by Alex.
The corrosive, poisonous mist did minor damage that was quickly handled by Alex's passive regeneration while simultaneously, his Psychic Bastion passive prevented the poison from manipulating his senses, rendering the illusions futile.
Alex moved through the battlefield like a phantom, his movements unhindered as he executed the Phantom Walk without missing a beat. He gracefully evaded spider silk, slashed through insidious webs, and sidestepped the relentless barrage of poisonous attacks.
Alex's obsidian dark sword shimmered ominously as it cleaved through the Arachnoxus with unerring precision, slicing through their vulnerable joints and puncturing their numerous eyes with ruthless precision.
Alex used his improved arsenal of spells, and without them going on cooldown, he abused them to gain every advantage he could, using the abyssal chains to immobilize Arachnoxus in their inky embrace, preventing them from moving.
Alex used Darkness Blast one after another to unleash lethal shockwaves of darkness that sent Arachnoxus sprawling while using the Corrosion Beam at point black range to tear through the skull of the spiders, giving them a swift death.
After seeing his underling getting played, the leader made a move and released continuous web strings from every direction, forcing Alex to halt and use blade intent and null energy to cut through the steel-like webs.
In this moment of vulnerability, the leader spat out a massive sphere of dark poison that exploded into a misty cloud of poison right before Alex and clocked him inside the dark mist.
Seconds inside the poisonous mist, Alex started to feel a headache creeping into his mind, which was a surprise for as even minutes in such an illusion-inducing poison shouldn't affect him.
Alex was trapped in a net of strings from every direction, and moving freely wasn't an option, so in this moment of dire situation, he used darkness blast right above his hand, pushing him back and clearing the poisonous mist.
Alex used Ebon Lance, molding the concentrated darkness into the form of a lance, and with a swift motion, he hurled it forward, and in an instant, it collided with the spider's web. The lance erupted into a violent burst of corrosive darkness, forcefully repelling the swiftly approaching arachnid.
'Phantom Sword Flash'
Alex's sword became a blur as it sliced through the cage of strings around him, and avoiding the bombardment of attacks, Alex appeared above the injured spider and executed the reaper slash, decapitating the creature in a swift motion.
Alex shook away the momentary failure and stayed true to his plan, not engaging with any strong spiders while only using his spells and sword to battle, saving his skills for the last.
Despite the overwhelming odds, Alex's mastery over his abilities allowed him to dance through the chaos, striking with precision and skill. With each swing of his sword and each spell he unleashed, he carved a path through the relentless Arachnoxus horde.
It took Alex half an hour of relentless battle to kill thirteen of the spiders, and it was not a smooth battle as, other than various crippling injuries, he lost his arm and almost his head to the enraged leader, forcing him to use Abyssal Restoration to recover and also summon an elemental for help.
The elemental was killed after just a few minutes, but he gave Alex enough time to recover fully and even thin down the number of spiders.
Even though the number of spiders was now thinned down to just four, they were all strong and enraged at the death of their comrades, giving Alex no time to rest and recover.
So to gain a few seconds to recover, Alex used a combination of 'Abyssal Maelstrom' 'Abyssal Chimerabell' and 'Doppelganger' skills simultaneously as he clung to his life.
Alex used the few moments to cast the Eclipse Dome spell as he drank the Elixir of Vital Renewal, and instead of hiding inside the dome, he used phantom walk to swiftly move through the chamber while he recovered his health and mana.
In just four seconds, Alex was back to his peak condition with barely any fatigue from the long and intense battle, and without any delay, he used the Darkness Embrace skill, currently the strongest damage dealer skill in his arsenal.
Alex knew that he had sixty seconds of unlimited mana, health, and stamina as he was recovering 50K with every passing second, so without restraint, he controlled the darkness and plunged the remaining four arachnids into a blanket of corrosive darkness.
Alex was burning mana at the same pace he was recovering it, and seconds into using the skill, he realized how much mental energy it took to keep the Darkness Embrace active.
After forty seconds passed, Alex started feeling lightheaded, making him realize that things might not end as he wanted, but now there was nothing else he could do, so he kept the skill active and hoped for the best.
Alex knew sixty seconds wouldn't be enough to kill even a single spider, let alone all, but he knew that it would be enough to corrode the inside of the spider to such a degree that killing them would be easy.
The sixty-second timer ended, and the pool of darkness faded away, leaving behind the four giant arachnids, their bodies covered with blood and their exoskeleton corroded to an unrecognizable state while their eyes filled with rage.
Alex used the Abyssal Lightning, targeting the leader, who awoke with a mighty roar as he created strings and rushed toward him, his sharp legs ripping apart the ground.
Alex was mentally exhausted as fatigue was settling in, but he clenched his teeth, cloaked his sword in null energy while also creating an ebon lance, and moved to end the lives of the three spiders before they could recover, leaving the rampaging leader to chase him like a mad dog.
The battle lasted for a few minutes, and it ended with Alex having a tenth of health left, his body covered with cuts profusely bleeding, and his sword plunged deep into the leader's skull with him lying above his corpse.
'I would have died if this bastard hadn't succumbed to his internal injuries for a few more seconds,' Alex thought, his grip on his sword slipping as it fell to the ground. He closed his eyes, the battle replaying in his mind as he contemplated to understand where he could have done better.
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