Chapter 4 - Stalker

It was draining my health somehow and wasn’t stopping. Not to mention the creepy webs it wrapped around me kept me from struggling. It had me beat. I was going to die…

No!

I refuse to let this end, you’re just a creepy bug! A dirty cheater who stalks prey, so tell me this, Mr. Stalker Spider– have you seen me use this yet?

Webs tore from around me as my arms broke forward, through the mess of webs and towards the spider. It dodged just before impact and I delivered my {Wreck} skill into thin air. It felt weaker thanks to the webs, but I’m sure if it landed, I would have done some serious damage to it.

It ran away, no fair! It must have weak defence, but with that high agility, I won’t be able to catch it easily. We’re complete opposites in every way, a bad matchup on both ends… We stared each other down as it retreated back to the ceiling.

I guess it knows I can’t reach it up there. It’s been studying me this entire time. It even knew my skill was trouble, so it ran. Even if it takes a year, I’ll make sure I squash you!!

Level 10 didn’t seem too high, but it was literally double my level. I couldn’t take it lightly, especially with that weird life-draining skill it used on me. I had been cocky up till now thanks to my high defence, but that move it used… it completely negated that.

Wait, I didn’t even check.

{HP: 75/120}

Phew~ Looks like I'm safe for now, I guess it only continues to drain when we’re making contact. Still, when that thing used its bite on me, I’m pretty sure something about that felt familiar.

I looked back, but the spider was gone. I must have taken my eyes away for only a few seconds and it completely disappeared. I messed up. It was sneaky, not to mention fast. I couldn’t let it get the jump on me again or it was over for sure. I scanned the area, but its natural dark colours blended with the walls and stone ceiling more than I did.

Where are you… There you are!

Following the eerie feeling of its eyes and tracked it to the wall behind me. Its webs fell like silent rain, each strand longer and slower than usual. I wasn’t fast, but even I managed to dodge them. With a small side step, I drove my fist forward and ploughed into the wall, shaking the tunnel.

It moved, I’ll have to try again. How about this– and this– why won’t you stay still! Stop moving!!

No matter where I hit, it dodged and ran out of the way before I could land a blow. It was seriously fast, too much so. If I let it escape my sight again, it would catch me in its webs for sure. I just needed some distance, is all–

I can’t move. Wait, did it get me already?! It didn’t get behind me, so how? I couldn’t find any traces of threads, not a single glint of webs around me, and yet I was sure I was caught in its trap.

Wait, are these… invisible webs?! That’s cheating!!

The spider leapt from the wall and crawled towards me, all eight legs ran in perfect unison as the distance between us closed in seconds. The greedy look in all of those tiny red orbs above its fangs was horrifying. I could only imagine the disgusting thoughts it had as it crept towards me.

It must have used these webs when I was attacking it before. So that’s why it was only dodging… it was building its trap. I fell for it, hook, line and sinker. Damn, well, I can just break out using my skill then.

{Time Limit: 27 seconds remaining}

There’s a time limit?!

Thinking back on it, I had never attempted to use the skill so many times in a row. With all the chasing around I had to do, there was quite a gap of time in between strikes. Still, finding out this way is a little too cruel, isn’t it?

I struggled against it, but the overwhelming pressure behind every strand was undeniable. These webs were stronger, even if I couldn’t see them, I could tell from how little motion I could muster. I was nearly completely bound.

Wait a minute, I’m getting a weird sensation from these webs. I’m sure of it, this is the same sensation I got from when it bit me. System, what is this?

{Appraisal Skill is not able to follow command}

No dice, huh?

Suddenly, I felt the sensation of its bite again and warning signs flashed in front of me. The system was in just as much panic as I was as it chipped away at my health, second by second.

So that’s the plan, huh? It’s going to wear me down with this weird life-draining skill. Wait, maybe it isn’t a skill. When I use Wreck, I don’t feel anything similar to this. If it’s not a skill, it could be magic! My eyes darted between the spider and the draining health bar in the corner of my vision.

{HP: 50/120}

Crap– I can’t move at all while I’m caught like this, it’s going to drain me dry!

{HP: 40/120}

Is this really it? Is this really going to be my final moment-- again? It ends like this, to a pesky spider, just as I started enjoying my life?!

{HP: 20/120}

My final moments, this feels all too familiar, but in the worst way possible. I only just got this new life, I’m not ready to leave it yet. I haven’t made peace yet– so stop falling, HP bar!

{HP:10/120}

Huh, I’m not dead…? The sensation, it’s gone. Did it decide to spare me am I saved? Watching it pry its fangs from my stone shoulder, I noticed the purple glow had disappeared entirely from its fangs. A moment later, the webs around me flickered and appeared in perfect view. The aura I felt around me had disappeared simultaneously.

So that’s it, huh, you ran out of mana. So that feeling I got, it was using magic then!

The spider looked deflated, its movements became stiff and rugged as it crawled over my half-wrapped body. It could barely keep itself up. I was sure that even I could catch it in that state.

It’s weak from overusing its magic, I guess my huge health and defence managed to save me in the end! If only I was free though.

The look we exchanged made me certain we had the same idea floating between us. The spider forced out pasty streams of webs as it desperately wrapped over me, growing slower with every rotation, and my body fought in protest.

Its expression wrinkled and intensified as I forced my strength through the bindings, trying my best to break free.

Tough break, Mr. Stalker spider. While you may have better abilities, my stats are what saved me here. In a battle of endurance, I win every time.

WRECK!!!!!

My stump broke through the webs, and a burst of relief freed up my strength for a powerful blow. Purple blood splattered through the tunnel as it connected with its body.

{150 Exp gained}
{Level Up}
{Level Up}
{You have gained Skill: Sense}