The nest has three paths that connect to the room in a triangle-like pattern, one of which led to the room where Dimas had been cornered. Leaving only two possible options.
"Which one is the exit?" Dimas flexes the fingers on his left arm. Pain shoots up his arm but he hides it.
"That one." Lilee points at the path directly across from them. "Let's go."
HISSS!
The spider scurries into the room, from the remaining path that Dimas assumes led to the entrance they came in from, in such a haste that its lower body slams against the wall after a sharp turn.
[There goes our window of opportunity.]
A cloud of dust and debris rushes at them from the side. The walls of the exit route, already fragile to begin with, crumbled from the shockwave created by the slam. Leaving their escape route blocked off by a pile of rocks.
[And there goes our opportunity…]
Four of the spider's six eyes stare at the duo with an intense hatred and hunger, while the other two bled blue. Its bright blue blood mixed with the black poison that leaked from its mouth, forming a small midnight blue pool underneath it.
"What are we going to do now?" Lilee appears calm on the outside but was slowly developing a fear of spiders on the inside.
Dimas stays silent. The pool mixture was different from before. Fumes of the same color begin to emanate from it.
[Even its blood is lethal.]
"I'll distract it. You try to find a way to use its blood and venom against it." Dimas picks up a decent sized stone. The spider tenses up.
"I don't know how to make poison!" Lilee says.
"Then you better learn fast." Dimas gets into a windup position. "You have maybe three minutes." He pitches the stone to his left. Hitting one of the eggs. It explodes with a foul popping noise. The spiderling falls out of the egg lifeless.
Filled with woe and fury, the spider charges at Dimas. Lilee barely manages to throw herself out of the way, while Dimas was already making his way to the back of the room.
[I'm getting really tired of this!]
Dimas rolls to his right just as the spider barrels past and crashes into the wall. Bits of rock fall rain from the ceiling while a low rumbling noise can be heard which dissipates soon after. Still exhausted, Dimas gives himself a few seconds to catch his breath while the spider shakes off the failed attack.
A stinging sensation begins to creep up on Dimas's right arm. Blood is spilling from the cuts from when he was climbing away from the spider. He tries wiping the blood off on his shirt but it only smears the blood all over his arm.
The spider sends a barrage of swipes towards Dimas's way. Dimas is able to evade each leg, although not as easily as before. A few get close enough for the spider's leg bristles to scratch Dimas. Which aren't poisonous but it feels like he's getting scratched by a broom.
After the barrage, the spider takes a few steps back. Dimas places his hands on his knees and begins to breathe heavily. He begins to feel dizzy.
[I can't keep this up much longer…]
Lilee watches as the spider crashes into the wall narrowingly missing Dimas. She fights the urge to join in and help.
'He looks so tired…' Lilee thinks to herself, reluctantly turning her focus to the poison mixture that Dimas told her to prepare.
The fumes sting her eyes and blur her vision.
'This is very strong! But it's the spider's own venom and blood. How can I make it work for us?' Lilee notices a cluster of the glowing mushrooms. She pulls out a few, their glow fade away slowly. 'Now I need to mix them but how? By hand maybe?'
Her eyes fall on the partially melted cow carcasses. 'Definitely not by hand.'
Exposed ribs stand out from the puddle, almost untouched. Having been protected by the skin and safely, for the time being, above the dissolving juices below. 'A rib will do.'
Easier said than done. The only usable bones are surrounded by a moat of venom and liquified remains. A miasma of rot and death hung around the death moat. Lilee wasn't prepared for the smell and gagged once she got close.
Lilee tries to think of a way to cross the moat to reach the bones. Her first idea was to gather rocks big enough to make a safe passage. However, like a canary warning the miner, Dimas's heavy breathing told Lilee her time was running short.
'No time. Going to have to risk it.' Lilee steps into the moat. Praying that her boots will last long enough. Three steps in and the ribs are within reach. She's able to break them off fairly easy thanks to a few fractures already present on the ribs. 'Poor things.' Lilee says a couple of quick prayers, one for each rib, and sloshes her way out of the moat.
Lilee begins cutting the mushrooms into small pieces using one of the ribs. Once that's done, she brushes the pieces into the blood and venom mix. Using her tunic as a mouth cover, since the fumes could become more dangerous, she begins to stir the mixture. After a few seconds, the concoction begins to bubble.
The rib she had been using to stir quickly dissolved. 'Good thing I didn't use my hand and that I brought two ribs.' She tears a part of her tunic and wraps it at the base of the spare rib as a means of holding the poison covered rib, sort of, safely.
'Done.' Lilee dips the tip of the rib into the bubbling mixture.
Dimas sees the spider's leg coming but is unable to dodge it. He rolls with the hit and it sends him rolling. Stopping a few feet from Lilee. Dimas tries getting up but he's past his limit and the spider closes the gap between them in no time.
The spider leans in slowly. It will savor this meal. It will drink slowly. It will make the trespasser pay.
Just as the spider's fangs are about to make contact, Lilee jumps at the spider's face, stabbing the bone into another eye.
The spider falls back. A horrible screech fills the room. Lilee pulls Dimas out of range and helps him get to his feet. Lilee slings Dimas's arm around her neck and places her hand around his waist. She attempts to get him to safety but when she looks behind her, the spider has already recovered.
"The poison isn't working fast enough." Lilee says.
Dimas leans down and picks up a rock.
"What are you doing?" Lilee asks.
Dimas stays silent. He cocks his right arm back.
The spider rushes at them, faster than before.
Dimas takes aim and summons the flecks to his arm. He hurls the rock with everything he has. It hits its mark, the poisoned rib that was sticking out of the spider's eye, sending it deep into the spider's body. Dimas falls to his knees, holding onto his arm, and screams in pain.
The spider veers off and hits the wall to the left. Squishing a good amount of the spider eggs in the process. A new and unbearable pain within the spider was causing it to lash out.
"We have to leave now! Come on!" Lilee was worried about Dimas but the spider was running into every wall. With each hit bringing down bigger and bigger chunks of rock. It wouldn't be much longer until it brought down everything around them.
Dimas nods, unable to speak from the pain. The duo make their way back to the cave entrance, Dimas leaning on Lilee the entire time. Climbing back up the slope took longer but soon the two were out of the cave. Not a minute later, the entire underground system caved in on itself.
The duo collapse on the grass. Both tired from the entire ordeal. Lilee begins to giggle which turns to laughter.
Dimas shakes his head. "I hate you." He doesn't mean it.
Lilee only laughs harder.