by Okina Baba
“That’s not true! I haven’t betrayed him!”
“But you are obeying our master. That makes you an enemy of the human race, my dear.”
“Ngh!”
“Ah, there it is. That face. That’s what I wanted to see.”
“You’re horrible.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment, thank you.”
SPIDER VS EARTH DRAGON ARABA
I’ve made up my mind to challenge Araba.
Now I’ll just check my status one last time.
Status: HP: 3,592/3,592 (green) + 1,700 (details)
SP: 2,413/2,413 (yellow) (details)
Average Offensive Ability: 2,392 (details)
Average Magical Ability: 11,158 (details)
Average Speed Ability: 7,440 (details)
MP: 12,110/12,110 (blue) + 1,700 (details) (blue)
: 2,413/2,413 (red) + 1,700 (details)
Average Defensive Ability: 2,363 (details)
Average Resistance Ability: 11,004 (details)
Skills:
[HP Rapid Recovery LV 7] [Height of Occultism] [SP Rapid Recovery LV 1] [SP Minimized Consumption LV 1]
[Destruction Enhancement LV 6] [Cutting Enhancement LV 8] [Status Condition Super-Enhancement LV 1] [Magic Divinity LV 2]
[Magic Power Conferment LV 7] [Mental Warfare LV 9] [Energy Conferment LV 5] [Dragon Power LV 7]
[Deadly Poison Attack LV 6] [Rot Attack LV 4] [Heretic Attack LV 6] [Poison Synthesis LV 10]
[Medicine Synthesis LV 7] [Threadsmanship LV 8] [Utility Thread LV 6] [Thread Control LV 10]
[Telekinesis LV 1] [Throw LV 10] [Expel LV 2] [Dimensional Maneuvering LV 8]
[Stealth LV 2] [Camouflage LV 1] [Silence LV 8] [Tyrant LV 1]
[Concentration LV 10] [Thought Acceleration LV 9] [Foresight LV 9] [Parallel Minds LV 7]
[High-Speed Processing LV 6] [Hit LV 10] [Evasion LV 10] [Probability Correction LV 7]
[Wind Magic LV 4] [Earth Magic LV 10] [Terrain Magic LV 1] [Heretic Magic LV 10]
[Shadow Magic LV 10] [Dark Magic LV 10] [Black Magic LV 2] [Poison Magic LV 10]
[Healing Magic LV 10] [Spatial Magic LV 10] [Dimensional Magic LV 4] [Abyss Magic LV 10]
[Destruction Resistance LV 5] [Impact Resistance LV 5] [Cutting Resistance LV 5] [Flame Resistance LV 2]
[Wind Resistance LV 2] [Earth Resistance LV 8] [Heavy Super-Resistance LV 1] [Deadly Poison Resistance LV 3]
[Paralysis Resistance LV 6] [Petrification Resistance LV 5] [Exhaustion Nullification] [Acid Resistance LV 6]
[Rot Resistance LV 7] [Faint Resistance LV 5] [Fear Resistance LV 9] [Heresy Nullification]
[Pain Nullification] [Pain Super-Mitigation LV 2] [Five Senses Super-Enhancement LV 1] [Perception Expansion LV 5]
[Night Vision LV 10] [Clairvoyance LV 8] [Jinx Evil Eye LV 6] [Inert Evil Eye LV 5]
[Repellent Evil Eye LV 1] [Annihilating Evil Eye LV 3] [Celestial Power] [Ultimate Life LV 3]
[Instant Body LV 7] [Endurance LV 7] [Fortitude LV 2] [Stronghold LV 2]
[Skanda LV 7] [Demon Lord LV 3] [Perseverance] [Pride]
[Wrath LV 2] [Satiation LV 7] [Sloth] [Wisdom]
[Conviction] [Hades] [Corruption] [Taboo LV 10]
[Divinity Expansion LV 6] [n% I = W]
Skill Points: 0
Titles:
[Foul Feeder] [Kin Eater] [Assassin] [Monster Slayer]
[Poison Technique User] [Thread User] [Merciless] [Monster Slaughterer]
[Ruler of Pride] [Ruler of Perseverance] [Ruler of Wisdom] [Wyrm Slayer]
[Fearbringer] [Dragon Slayer] [Ruler of Sloth] [Monster Calamity]
>
That’s a whole lot of growth, but my magic-related stats are especially crazy.
They’ve broken into six digits now.
Height of Occultism is terrifying.
To be honest, though, I’m still not positive I can break through the earth dragon’s staggering magic defense.
The spider army was a good matchup for me, but with those scales that obstruct magic, dragons are a really bad one.
But with these insanely high stats, I’m sure I can at least do some damage if I just keep casting magic.
On the defensive front, I’ve been smacking myself around with Earth Magic to acquire and improve my Earth Resistance.
I mean, my defense is so low that it kinda feels like trying to put out a wildfire with a water gun, but it’s got to be better than nothing.
Then there’s my new Sloth skill.
As you can probably guess, it’s another one of the Seven Deadly Sin skills, like Pride.
This skill is gonna be my trump card in my battle against Araba.
Pride is a support skill that’s pretty much useless in battle, and Perseverance is a defensive skill.
By the same token, the Height of Occultism skill I got with Wisdom is helpful for attacking, but Wisdom itself is still a support skill.
Out of all the broken, OP skills I’ve gotten, I think Sloth is the first one that’s a proper attack skill.
With this broken skill, I can penetrate Araba’s defenses.
In fact, without it, I don’t think I could challenge it at all.
I spent quite a lot of time in the Lower Stratum raising my level, but even among all those powerful enemies, the strength of earth dragons is still a cut above.
And among those earth dragons, Araba is the strongest by a long shot.
I don’t think I’d stand a chance without all the preparations I’ve made.
Now I’m waiting in the pit.
All my senses are focused on awaiting its arrival.
My Danger Perception activates.
All the hair on my body bristles.
I remember this feeling.
I could never forget it.
I don’t think I ever will.
The first real terror I experienced after being reborn as a spider.
The symbol of the first time I became truly aware of death.
Slowly, I turn around.
Status: HP: 4,663/4,663 (green)
SP: 4,570/4,570 (yellow)
Average Offensive Ability: 4,610 (details)
Average Magical Ability: 4,022 (details)
Average Speed Ability: 4,555 (details)
MP: 4,076/4,076 (blue)
: 4,569/4,569 (red)
Average Defensive Ability: 4,597 (details)
Average Resistance Ability: 4,138 (details)
Skills:
[Earth Dragon LV 3] [Divine Scales LV 2] [Heavy Armor LV 1] [Ultra Steel Body LV 1]
[HP Rapid Recovery LV 8] [MP Rapid Recovery LV 5] [MP Minimized Consumption LV 5] [Magic Power Perception LV 10]
[Precise Magic Power Operation LV 1] [SP Rapid Recovery LV 7] [SP Minimized Consumption LV 7] [Magic Warfare LV 9]
[Magic Power Super-Attack LV 1] [Mental Divinity LV 1] [Energy Super-Attack LV 3] [Terrain Attack LV 10]
[Terrain Enhancement LV 10] [Destruction Super-Enhancement LV 3] [Cutting Super-Enhancement LV 10] [Piercing Super-Enhancement LV 8]
[Impact Super-Enhancement LV 10] [Dimensional Maneuvering LV 8] [Stealth LV 10] [Camouflage LV 3]
[Hit LV 10] [Evasion LV 10] [Probability Super-Correction LV 4] [Danger Perception LV 10]
[Presence Perception LV 10] [Heat Perception LV 10] [Motion Perception LV 10] [Earth Magic LV 10]
[Terrain Magic LV 10] [Seismic Magic LV 2] [Shadow Magic LV 10] [Dark Magic LV 7]
[Destruction Super-Resistance LV 1] [Cutting Super-Resistance LV 4] [Piercing Super-Resistance LV 3] [Impact Super-Resistance LV 5]
[Shock Super-Resistance LV 1] [Terrain Nullification] [Fire Resistance LV 6] [Lightning Resistance LV 8]
[Water Resistance LV 5] [Wind Resistance LV 6] [Dark Resistance LV 4] [Status Condition Super-Resistance LV 7]
[Rot Resistance LV 6] [Pain Nullification] [Pain Super-Mitigation LV 7] [Vision Enhancement LV 10]
[Telescopic Sight LV
8] [Night Vision LV 10] [Vision Expansion LV 7] [Auditory Enhancement LV 10]
[Auditory Expansion LV 3] [Olfactory Enhancement LV 7] [Tactile Enhancement LV 7] [Ultimate Life LV 3]
[Ultimate Magic LV 1] [Ultimate Movement LV 3] [Fortune LV 3] [Fortitude LV 3]
[Stronghold LV 3] [Deva LV 1] [Sanctum LV 2] [Skanda LV 3]
Skill Points: 41,100
Titles:
[Monster Slayer] [Monster Slaughterer] [Dragon] [Assassin]
[Champion] [Monster Calamity]
>
The dragon appears.
It’s as majestic and imposing as ever.
My trauma.
Crazy.
Those stats are seriously crazy.
It’s got all the strengths of Kagna and Gehre, and then some.
This dragon seriously has no weaknesses.
More defense power and defensive skills than Kagna.
More speed and speed skills than Gehre.
And on top of that, higher magic ability than Kagna or Gehre could ever dream of.
Worst of all, it’s even mastered Dark Magic, one of my chief attack methods.
Its Dark Resistance is really not a good sign.
Araba’s a perfect all-rounder.
Flawless attack, flawless defense.
No weaknesses to take advantage of, no weak points to aim for.
You could basically call it the ultimate life-form.
Ha-ha. Honestly, at this point, I just have to laugh.
Ahhh, what a relief.
The fear I felt that time was real.
The fear I felt that time was right.
Earth dragon Araba, you’re strong.
Scary.
And yet, I’m happy.
Ahhh, so happy.
I’ve grown strong enough to fight an opponent I could only hide away from in terror before.
With perception skills like that, you must have noticed I was still alive back then, right?
You noticed, but you overlooked it because I was too small and insignificant to bother about, didn’t you?
I’m going to make you regret that arrogance.
Thank you.
You taught me the fear of death.
That’s why I am the way I am now.
I ran away from you, ran and ran and ran, and now here I am.
So thank you.
And now, die.
You’re the irritating being who gave me my first taste of the fear of death.
Now I’m going to bury you myself.
By doing so, I will overcome my fear.
I’m not going to flee from you anymore.
My long life of running away ends right here and now.
I open with a Black Spear.
Araba avoids it with ease.
Then it counters with a breath attack.
I avoid it with ease.
Each of us understood that the other would dodge the attack.
It’s like we were testing each other’s feelings.
The events unfold as if we had arranged them beforehand, like lovers who have been separated for a long, long time.
Not that I would know, since I’ve never even had friends, never mind lovers.
After we exchange these initial attacks like greetings, the real battle begins.
Just as I planned in advance, I use Dimensional Maneuvering to rush up into the empty air of the pit.
That way, I can keep away from the ground and render Araba’s Earth Magic useless.
Araba does have Dark Magic, too, so it’s not like it can’t use magic at all now, but this gets rid of its home-field advantage for a fair fight.
Araba seems to understand this and kicks off the ground to follow me.
As I hop through the air, I shoot Black Bullets at Araba.
Paying no mind to how much MP I’m using, I fire away like a machine gun.
And yet, like an expert player of bullet hell games, Araba easily dodges around the hail of projectiles mid-approach.
Thanks to Divine Scales, a high-class version of Imperial Scales, the power of my magic is drastically reduced.
Still, with my six-digit magic attack power, it should at least deal a little damage.
If it hits anyway.
Araba has exceptionally high evasive power.
I don’t just mean skills. There’s also the dodging techniques Araba has honed over countless years of battle.
Its movements are honestly elegant.
I was confident in my evasive abilities, too, before, but seeing Araba’s with my own eyes, I realize my evasion just depends on the brute strength of my skills and stats.
After all the tough fights I’ve been through, I was starting to think of myself as a super-experienced fighter, but I guess my movements are still ultimately those of an amateur.
I mean, I definitely don’t have any martial arts knowledge or anything.
In terms of pure stats, my speed is much higher, but Araba closes that gap with actual technical ability.
If my magic lands a hit, I’m sure it’ll do some damage, but chances are Araba will recover from it before I can land another one.
And since I’m not using Parallel Minds right now, fighting and firing magic at the same time is pretty tough.
My Parallel Minds are currently engaged in a critically acclaimed mental battle with my mother.
If I could engage them, I could probably use a barrage of magic too big for Araba to avoid or recover from and bulldoze my way through for the win.
But I can’t do that now, so there’s no point in thinking about it.
I have no such ace in the hole.
So there’s only one tactic I can take right now.
I have to make Araba think I’m worth fighting at full strength.
If Araba goes all out in this battle, my shot at victory will come into view.
Because as soon as that happens, my second, invisible form of poison will start to eat away at Araba’s body.
Araba prepares an attack.
My Foresight skill tells me it’s about to use Breath.
The same attack that once destroyed my home.
Araba’s breath attack flies at me.
I use Short-Range Teleport.
Landing directly on Araba’s head.
As the defenseless head continues to emit the breath attack, I fire a Black Bullet at it.
It lands a direct hit, forcing Araba’s mouth to close.
The mouth that’s still producing Breath.
With nowhere else to go, the breath attack explodes in Araba’s own mouth.
Apparently, a dragon’s breath attack isn’t just the Attack attribute of that dragon.
Because although Araba has Terrain Nullification, its HP decreases.
Combined with Black Bullet, I did a pretty decent amount of damage.
Short-Range Teleport takes a few seconds from preparation to invocation, so I can’t just use it constantly, but if I prepare it in advance like this, I can pull off a decent surprise attack.
Although I’m sure Araba will be on guard about it from now on, so it won’t go quite this easily.
Even as the mouth explodes, the tail attacks me like it has a mind of its own.
This tail is going to be a real pain.
I avoid it as it lashes out like a whip.
The powerful whooshing noise it makes as it flies just past my face makes me shiver.
Considering my HP and MP, I don’t think I would die from a single hit.
Still, it’s so powerful that I can’t help picturing myself being sliced in half by that awful tail.
Following the tail, a front paw comes swinging at me, so I jump back.
Putting some distance between us, I fire a Black Spear as a feint.
Araba stops for a moment to avoid running into it.
Araba’s HP recovers at a rapid rate.
So fast.
Just as I thought, defeating it by whittling down its HP would be next to impossible.
As I
sigh inwardly, several black balls appear around Araba.
Is this the Dark Magic spell Dark Bullet, maybe?
Spurred on by Araba’s will, the Dark Bullets come flying at me.
I could dodge them, but then I’d make an opening for Araba, who’s speeding toward me along with the spells.
Time to fight darkness with darkness!
I activate the same spell, canceling out the approaching Dark Bullets with my own.
At the same time, I avoid Araba’s gnashing fangs and fire a Dark Bullet as a counterattack.
However, Araba’s paw knocks the bullet away, and the tip of its tail whips toward me at the same time.
Giving up on attacking for now, I focus all my power on dodging.
I flee even higher into the air.
Close combat is definitely not ideal for me here.
Araba has all kinds of attack methods—fangs, claws, that tail, and even a body slam with that enormous body could be dangerous if Araba felt like using it.
It’s like its whole body is weaponized.
We’re nowhere near the ground, and that last round proved that Araba’s Dark Magic is no big threat, so my best bet is probably to keep as much distance between us as possible and engage in a long-range battle.
Just as that thought crosses my mind, Araba’s mouth creaks open.
Then, with almost no charge time at all, it fires a No Motion Breath.
Wha—?!
I didn’t know you had that move!
I invoke Repellent Evil Eye and generate a repellent force all around myself.
The pseudophysical barrier it forms protects me as I hurriedly dodge to the side.
Araba’s breath passes by narrowly, practically grazing me.
No, not practically. It did graze me!
That was close! Too close!
Because it wasn’t charged up at all, it wasn’t very powerful, but a direct hit would probably still do some damage.
Damn. I might not really have the advantage in a long-range fight, either.
Since Breath is some kinda pure energy, not really physical, I guess my pseudobarrier won’t really work to fend it off.
Dammit, my Evil Eyes are practically useless here!
I’ve been using all my Evil Eyes on Araba since the battle began, of course.
But none of them seems to be working very well.
It’s not that there’s no effect whatsoever, but it’s not enough to be significant.
I can barely tell if Jinx Evil Eye has lowered Araba’s stats by even 1 percent, and judging by Araba’s movements, I doubt Repellent Evil Eye’s gravity attack is causing it any trouble.