The zombie elite had used its silk and I couldn't move my arm. I tried to use my flame, but it died as soon as it hit the silk.
15 fire damage dealt to Zombie Elite Giant Spider's silk
Some of the silk did shrivel away, but not enough. Cursing, I considered attacking the silk with my sword, but I couldn't afford the possibility of having it stick too. I let the shield go.
A second elite was raising as a zombie now and the hundreds of other spiders were almost upon me. I jumped at the closest Queen's leg and tried to climb it.
As it turned out, the scales made my job surprisingly easy. The zombie elite tried to attack me with silk again but missed as the Queen tried to shake me off her leg. I held and kept going up.
One of her other legs tried to hit me, but I just let my body fall while still holding with my legs and I found myself upside down. A new silk attack tried to bind me but yet again the Queen herself saved me by violently shaking her legs, which also put me back upright.
The scales were a double blessing: not only did they make my climb easier, they also were much more pleasant than a hairy leg would have been.
Climbing as quickly as I could, I got to the waist, keeping my legs on each side of her leg in the way a bronco rider would grip his unwilling steed. She tried to hit me with her human arm and I let her. It surprisingly did a lot of damage, forty-four points, but it was well worth it. I held her arm firmly and used it to get higher on her body.
A large strand of silk finally hit my leg and almost made me fall. I tried to pull away, but the zombie elite's counter-pull was too strong. I quickly decided against using the sword; it would get stuck and I'd be without a weapon. The Queen began to shake violently.
Gripping her desperately, I had an idea and stuck my silk covered leg to the Queen as high as I could, right under her breast. I used it as a solid foothold to stay high on her body. My hand touched her eyes and crushed them.
She screamed horribly in pain, and so did all her zombies, almost deafening me. After a quick look to confirm her teeth were human, I put almost my entire hand into her mouth to pull myself up to balance myself up, and the other hand attacked her eyes with my sword.
Critical hit for 2.0x damage!
112 damage dealt to Giant Spider Queen
I attacked again. And again. Four times total, until a silk hit my elbow and I couldn't move my arm anymore. The silk had come from the side and when the Queen moved again my arm stuck to her body.
Hopeful, I put all my strength into her jaw, forcing it down. Meanwhile, I started head-butting her already crushed eyes repeatedly. Yellow, green and white liquid goo, her version of blood, soon was all over my face.
Suddenly, I felt a burn on my back.
Acid has made a hole on your Low Quality Leather Jerkin!
Acid has made a hole on your Black Cotton Shirt!
30 acid damage received
HP: 151 / 235
I healed myself with one of the death morbs and kept going.
Each head-butt dealt three to twelve damage to the Queen, depending on where I hit.
And each time I hit I did it even more desperately, since I heard more acid and silk hitting around me.
The next few moments took forever. My head was hurting and I started to take damage as I smashed it into the Queen's eyes. Two more acid burns had found their mark, searing my body and I used the second death morb.
One death sphere to go.
That's when I heard a crack. Something loosened on the Queen's jaw and I screamed as I pulled it with all my power, ignoring the disgusting goo getting into my mouth. With a secondary crack her jaw broke and I took it from her head, ripping skin and muscle with it.
Fatal injury applied to Giant Spider Queen!
She screamed a last scream, her tongue loosely hanging from her throat, and her legs stopped supporting her weight. She dropped down and so did all her zombies, like puppets with their strings cut
My head was wet with goo and blood.
Shouldn't it be warm? Oh, right. Undead.
The ending of it all, the goo all over me, the creepy human jaw in my hand... It seemed funny somehow. I smiled and became even more aware of the horrid taste of the spider ichor and my own foul tasting blood in my mouth. It made everything even more comical for a reason.
I rested my head on the Queen's body and laughed exhausted.
For a few minutes I just kept laughing like a damn madman. I found it even funnier that I could laugh nonstop thanks to not needing air to make vocal sounds.
The humor slowly disappeared and I felt my body shaking because of adrenaline. Interesting, that. It meant that while I wasn't alive anymore, my undead brain and body still released some chemicals.
When the shaking stopped, I found myself in the utter silence of the chamber. I felt tired, not physically, but mentally. Even so, rest would have to wait.
Multiple flames helped me get unstuck from the Queen's body. I chopped her head off, used some web as glue to stick the jaw back, and stored it in my backpack. Then it was looting time.
I left the basement for the kitchen and the cook looked at me with plain disgust. I ignored her. I also ignored the way the innkeeper, all the players, and all the drow in the city looked at me. Telling the innkeeper that I would be back, I began to search the town.
It took me half an hour to find the first store which would buy the giant spider pincers, and then two more hours to find the one which would pay the most. Coincidentally, or maybe not, it was right next to Lithir's equipment store. The inside looked like some wicked witch's house, full of creepy ingredients on shelves: eyes in bottles and stuff like that. 'Little Alchemy' it was called.
One silver coin for each young spider's pincer, the same for weaving spider's ones – that was the real name of the elites –, two for each spitter pincer and incredible ten silver pieces for each weaving spider ass. Well, not the ass, but something called 'Silk Producing Gland' the size of my head that was found in its ass. It had not been pleasant to retrieve.
It took me six trips in total to sell everything, including the fishmen's eyes.
All the spiders I had killed had their pincers intact, but I had only been able to get about one pincer out of every two of the almost three hundred zombie spiders. The final profit was of six hundred and twenty-three silver pieces, or six gold and twenty-three silver. Not bad, but nothing amazing either, especially considering the amount of stuff I had sold.
Lithir, the clothes' store owner, looked at me as if I had just left a nightmare when I got into his store.
"Sir, I beg your pardon, but you are... Gooing my floor."
Gooing? Wow, that's an impressive AI, able to invent words by itself. "Sorry, Lithir. I just want to know how to fix these holes." I showed him the three holes on my backside, two in the jerkin and one on the pants.
"A leatherworker might be able to do that, sir, but it will... Not look the same."
"Yeah, I thought so. Can you recommend a good leatherworker?"
"Alas, no, sir. The sorins might have one, but I don't know of anyone in Ter'nodril."
A capital city without a leatherworker? This doesn't sound right. I took a gold coin out. "Are you sure, Lithir."
His eyes glistened. "Unfortunately, yes, sir."
"Okay, then," I put my coin back. "If I gave you these clothes back, how much would it cost me to get new ones?"
"Nine gold pieces, sir."
I frowned. "It makes no sense, Lithir. I'm pretty sure last time they cost me eight gold." The shield and sword had been the most expensive items.
He smiled. "You see, sir, prices rise accordingly-"
Without patience to hear bullshit, I left the store before he could finish. I was feeling so filthy, that I couldn't wait to take a bath; I spent ten silver coins on it and I went back to the cave under the basement. As I walked the streets I was uncomfortably aware of the cold air wafting across my skin through the holes in my clothes.
A lot of the webs on th
e ground had already been heated away by me when I had collected the pincers, but it was now time for a complete cleanup.
For hours all I did was heat webs away and destroy spider eggs. It was boring but necessary work, as I had no idea of what could be hidden in all that silk.
In the end, it was also useless work: only a single place had a hidden item, and it was right under the Queen, the place I cleaned last because of the difficulty of moving the body.
There was a small hole there, and right in the corner I saw the glow from the scavenger trait. Grabbing the item, I found a silver ring with a golden web pattern all over it. Around it, equally spaced between each other, seven small green stones were inlaid.
Ring
I frowned. Information was clearly missing there, which could only mean that the game had a yet unknown-to-me system to identify hidden properties in some items. As I thought about that, my frown deepened. Had the greatsword had hidden properties? Had I undersold an item that was more amazing than I thought?
Anyway, I opened my character's attributes window and put the ring on. Question marks appeared right next to each attribute, each trait, HP, MP and stamina. It seemed I would not cheat the system and discover the ring's hidden properties doing that.
Taking the ring off- Shit. It was stuck. I noticed three of the green stones were glowing and a fourth one lit right then. I became desperate and tried to take it off with all my strength, but it didn't budge. A fifth stone lit.
Yeah, Jack, don't worry, just put the unidentified ring on, no matter it was found under an undead giant spider queen that commanded an undead army. What could possibly go wrong?
The sixth store lit and I panicked, took the sword with my other hand and chopped my finger off. I screamed as it fell on the ground and the seventh stone lit.
From under the ring, green and golden webs appeared and covered the finger rapidly. Then the glow of the stones died. Meanwhile, I healed myself.
Whatever was happening on the finger did not end, though. It started to change. The upper side of the finger became black and small scales began to form. It also created... Legs. Black scaled spider legs. Repulsed, I stepped on the mutating thing before it could lay eggs. Whatever it was, it died.
I took the ring and its name remained the same. Wondering if I had just thrown away some one use only opportunity of becoming a mutant, I put it on the fingertip of yet another finger.
As soon as the first green stone lit, I took it away and this time I was able to. The light of the stone died right away. Now I just needed to hope it was not a two charges thing.
Good. I don't want to become a monster... Well, more of a monster than a human-looking undead. But someone might be interested.
Taking my small chest from my backpack, I put the ring in there after I confirmed that it would not turn my gold coins into some bizarre spider. Double checking the chamber revealed nothing and I ended up frustrated with a useless ring.
The holes where the spiders had come from were not inviting. I could try to find some more illusions on the wall but I didn't have the patience and just went back to the innkeeper.
"You took a long time doing it," he said in the kitchen as he held the half-smashed Queen's head in his hand. "A shame you had to do this to the piece, but a good taxidermist will restore it alright. A nice addition to my mess hall, don't you think?"
"You are going to stuff it?" I asked incredulous. I had done all that fighting so he could get a stuffed head?
"Of course I am. Here," he gave me five gold coins. "For you trouble. I have an inn to run now, so you can see yourself out."
I took the money. Then I created three morbs: fire, death and darkness. "I'm sure you remember we had an agreement?"
His eyes popped and he looked around. "He is threatening me!" No Blackguard appeared, though.
I smiled. "I guess they don't care what happens to a liar." Fire of Revelation, I thought and the flame formed. I moved it next to the drow.
"Alright! The first clothing store on the south gate. Go there and ask about a black sun. Then ask for the hidden secrets of death."
"I'm sure you can be more specific than that." I said. The cook was just looking impassively at us.
"I can't! That's all I know, I swear." I extended my hand his direction. "The clerk! The clerk dresses up like some clown! I know nothing more!"
I withdrew the flame and the innkeeper sighed in relief. "Thanks, good innkeeper. A pleasure doing business with you." I left.
"Why didn't you help?" I heard the innkeeper yell at his wife.
"I told you I don't like undead! Did you help me? I don't think you did!" She yelled back.
And I admit that seeing the fear in the innkeeper's eyes, knowing that I held power over him... That was a damn nice feeling. I gulped at the thought. That was a very dangerous path to walk, especially for me.
As if hearing my thoughts, a Blackguard appeared before me moments after I left the inn. Being on the receiving end of a powerful gaze – even though I couldn't see her gaze – was not nice.
Was I still going to die after all that? If I did, I would quit Valia without a doubt.
"Don't get used to it, deathlord. I allowed it because the Ways says all agreements made under the Devourer must be honored. But only the Blessed may enact punishment. If you had so much as touched his hair, your blood would be covering the White Spider's kitchen floor right now." She faded away.
I sighed. The good news was that I was alive and knew where to go. The bad news was that a Blackguard had her eyes on me, and not in a good way. There were two new exclamation points on the edge of my vision.
Quest completed: Destroy the Spider Nest in the Basement
Random primary attribute points received:
» +1 charisma
Bonus for finding the hidden ring:
» +1 perception
Level up!
Current level: 10
HP, MP and stamina restored
Title received: Pioneer
You were the first of your subspecies' (unbound deathlord) Travelers to reach level 10!
For achieving such a feat, you were recognized by the gods as a Pioneer.
Unfortunately, you are late in the fold and will receive greatly decreased bonuses.
Random primary attributes points received:
» +1 intelligence
MP: 550 (+65)
» +1 charisma
Fun fact: Yours was the 36th overall and 7th Underworld subspecies to receive this title
A lot of thoughts invaded my head as I read the messages.
First, it was good to know that quests could have hidden objectives, like finding that ring.
Second, I was a little pissed for receiving 'greatly decreased bonuses.' The Underworld was supposed to be harder to play than the Surface, so I clearly deserved more than that.
Third, it made me pissed that I wasn't as overpowered as the small talk I had heard – and the guy who left the game in the White Spider Inn – had made me believe. A lot of people were stronger than me. Well, not a ridiculous amount of people; I bet I was in the top hundred or two hundred, even if more people of the same subspecies had gotten to level ten too. But I was still far from being number one.
I'd have to fix that.
Then, I will conquer all known Valia, starting with the Underworld, and-
Wait, when had I decided that? I shook my head and decided to focus on the Resistance for now.
So, a visit to the merchant who had judged me by my appearance. Well, after I had seen myself on a mirror, I couldn't rightly blame him. At least he would not see the holes in my equipment unless I turned my back to him, so I would look damn nice now.
On the way there I began to see shadows. The street had various dead end alleys between some buildings. I saw something moving at the edge of my vision and when I looked, there was nothing there.
The first few times it happened, I thought it was only my imagination. After the hundredth time, I was scare
d.
It's just the Resistance. They know I'm coming and they are watching, I kept repeating to myself. People started looking at me strangely on the streets. Or were those the same looks they had always given to a stranger in their city?
I could swear the weather was getting colder. It was getting darker.
Wait, I have darkvision. Why is it darker?
I created a fire morb and the darkness receded. I turned it into a small flame and moved it around. I saw the shadows going away, running from the fire.
"What do you think you are doing, deathlord?" The male voice came from directly in front of me and I saw a Blackguard appear.
"Huh?" I said smartly.
"Do you have permission to carry fire on the streets?"
"Do I need it?"
"Yes. Turn it out. Now." I saw the outline of his hands on his waist, probably on the weapon and willed the flame off. " Don't do it again."
"But the shadows..." He disappeared. I looked around and found out there were no moving shadows anymore.
Still frightened, I walked. A few hundred meters later, no new shadow appeared at the edge of my vision. Assuming I was seeing things because of mental exhaustion, I decided I would drop in an inn for a good night's sleep after I met the Resistance, even if I theoretically didn't need to.
The fat clerk was already at the counter this time, reading a book. He looked up when I entered the store and his face showed clear disgust.
"I remember sending you away from my store."
"I know, I know," I raised my hands in peace, not understanding the hostility. "I was just wondering if you know something about the black sun."
He squinted his eyes. "I don't think I understand what you are saying, deathlord, but you must leave right now."
"Thank you for remembering I am a lord over death. You wouldn't know any secrets of death, would you?"
His angered face gave way to a perfectly still poker face, so quick it made me impressed. He opened the door behind him and motioned for me to get inside. "Over here, please."
Unbound Deathlord: Challenge Page 20