Cato's mind was empty. His eyes saw nothing, his ears heard nothing and the rest of his senses were equally useless. Just as quickly, a flash of color filled his vision, as he recovered from his stupor.
However, what greeted him was the jagged edge of the spider's leg as it slashed down towards his head. Still dazed, Cato leaned back as fast as he could, but to no avail. A burning line ran down his face as the leg raked across his eye.
Cato had faced many different types of pain in his almost month of residency here. Burned, cut, frozen, poisoned, you name it. He was no stranger to pain, but this was something entirely new.
Cato couldn't help but let loose an agonized scream as one of his hands shot up to his face. The pain was so strong he was having trouble remaining conscious. His right eye had gone completely dark, although whether it was due to the amount of blood, or actually being blinded, Cato didn't know.
He instinctively ducked as another attack swept over his head. Despite the unbearable pain assaulting him, Cato managed to get a strong counterattack back, disabling another leg on the same side.
The spider quickly scuttled backward, hissing at him as it limped. With two legs on one side out of commission, it was dangerously close to losing all mobility. It seemed less intent to so forwardly attack anymore, once again trying to ensnare Cato with webbing.
Cato used the lull in the battle to quickly cut a strip of his shirt off and wrap it around his head. Whatever the case was with his eye, he needed to stop the bleeding immediately. He was already feeling woozy from the combination of blood loss and poison. If he passed out, he was dead.
Cato refused to die to a goddamn spider. If anything was going to kill him, he didn't want an overgrown pest to deal the final blow. Adrenaline pumped through his body, and Cato could hear his heart pounding as blood raced through him.
Despite the horrible position he was in, Cato couldn't help but grin. Every confrontation he'd had thus far in Gehenna seemed to be over quickly, with no serious consequences. The one time he'd been seriously injured was fighting the candidate in the beginning, and his wound had been fixed almost instantaneously.
However now, with adrenaline racing and his life on the line, Cato couldn't help but feel a sliver of excitement race through him. It both intrigued and terrified him. However, he pushed these conflicting feelings to the side now, as he focused on his adversary.
The spider had shot several webs now, but Cato had easily sidestepped them. With it tottering around, its aim had taken a hit. Now, Cato felt a smile spread across his face as he shot forward, pushing his advantage.
The tables seemed to have turned, as the spider was now on the defensive. It hurriedly blocked Cato's strikes as he honed in on it, a whirlwind of jabs and slashes. A leg on the opposite side of the spider was cut off in a splash of blue blood as Cato leveled a particularly vicious strike on it.
The spider hissed, and its eyes gleamed blue once more. Cato's eyes widened, as he felt the familiar blankness wash over him. He snapped out of it quickly, but not fast enough. A leg speared into his chest, and Cato felt his heart skip a beat. Without any thought, he slashed the leg off before it could do any more damage, just as another leg slammed into him, sending him flying into the corpse of the queen.
Cato saw spots in his vision as he sat up. He was on the ground by the side of the queen. The leg still cleanly pierced through his chest, but the spider had stayed back. It now only had two legs on each side and was struggling to stay upright. It regarded him with a murderous gaze.
Cato put a hand to the ground to steady himself, and felt a peculiar wetness touching his hand. He looked down and saw a small pool of viscous blue liquid coming from underneath the queen's body.
He sniffed the liquid, and the smell almost knocked him off his feet. It flooded up his nostrils, a cool smell that seemed to reinvigorate him. Another glance confirmed what it was. He was standing next to a pool of liquid mana.
When humans and creatures first grasped mana, they would develop a mana core. Thai is when they became practitioners. Cores were usually similar other than having different attributes, but there were stages. Stages 1-3 were considered the gaseous stage, and this corresponded with the average person on the first three stages of Gehenna.
Stages 4-6 constituted the liquid stage, when mana grows dense enough to assume a liquid form in the core, increasing the power and ease of usage astronomically. Finally, stages 7-9, with the corresponding layers of Gehenna, constituted the solid stage. At this stage, it could move mountains, evaporate oceans, and even split the Heavens. It was the peak of the powers in Gehenna.
Apparently, there was a stage beyond that, presumably Godhood, but Cato didn't know much about that yet, as he couldn't find anything about it in Pallas' expansive library. However, he recognized that the queen had a stage 4 mana core at the very least, as the liquid mana spilled out.
However, he was confused why whatever had killed it hadn't taken the mana. Such dense mana would surely provide innumerable benefits to whoever consumed and refined it. Cato was tempted to himself, but knew drinking any of it would be courting death.
He could barely handle the weakest mana, much less such a dense source as this. If he drank it, he might well explode. However, the condition of his body was horrendous, and he could already feel it failing.
Glancing at the mana once more, Cato sighed, before turning back to the spider. He wasn't that desperate just yet. He could still win, but it certainly wouldn't be easy. He grimaced as a sharp pain tore through his chest. He looked down at the leg that pierced his chest, and gave an experimental tug.
Cato's vision shook as his chest exploded in agony. He muffled a groan as blood dripped out of his mouth. Well, that was certainly one thing not to do. Cato felt dizzy as he removed his hand from the leg. If he took it out now, not even mentioning the pain, he would likely bleed out long before he reached Pallas, so he decided to leave it in.
However, it made movement awkward, so he braced himself before cutting off the ends, leaving only a small bit of leg coming out of each side. He immediately felt some relief, as the weight was much less awkward.
He regarded the spider, which still seemed to be nursing its wounds, with a serious expression. He now recognized its eyes as a mana ability of some sort causing a stunning effect with direct eye contact.
He'd heard about innate mana abilities before but this was his first encounter. Usually practitioners would have to learn a technique, but certain creatures and people with special bloodlines or traits could inherit innate abilities.
These abilities were a heaven sent blessing, as they were accessible immediately, were typically well suited to the user, and were more often than not immensely powerful. Cato hoped that he could gain one once he awakened, but he knew how rare they were, so he wasn't holding any hopes.
This spider's ability seemed especially effective, as even a momentary lapse of concentration against such a fast enemy would spell death or serious injury to any who weren't prepared. From what Cato had seen, it seemed like a hidden ace, as the spider had only really used it when its life was in immediate danger.
Cato had the beginnings of an idea on how to deal with the ability, but he'd have to manage to stay upright first. He looked down at his trident, noticing a crack running along the central blade. Frowning, he got into a combat stance, waiting for the spider's assault.
He didn't have to wait long, as it shot forward, quickly firing off several webs at him. He dodged out of the way, evading the half assed attacks. He knew these were only probing attacks, to measure how hurt he really was.
He had slowed considerably, and he was finding it hard to maintain a solid stance, but Cato persevered. The spider slowed after seeing he was still able to dodge, and suddenly, Cato felt a strange resonance in the air.
The hair on his neck raised as Cato watched the spider with apprehension. A green glow had begun to surround the spider's open mouth, and he had a feeling it spelled nothing good. He braced himself, just as a green glow emerged from the mouth itself, before shooting towards Cato rapidly.
He quickly realized he couldn't dodge, as the attack was simply too fast. He braced himself for impact, just as the green mana attack struck the tip of his trident. The attack seemed to move through the trident, as Cato felt something cold flood into his body through his hands.
Every muscle seemed to seize up, as Cato toppled backwards. It seemed like some sort of poison attack that used his trident as a medium to strike him directly. He felt numbness creeping up his limbs, and he knew the spider was getting closer. With a sigh, he looked back, as a familiar blue glow caught his eye.
----------
A figure flashed through a desert, wind causing their robe to flap in the wind. A horde of creatures flooded behind them, a pack of massive lion-like animals, with blue fur and a startling sharp crystal horn growing from their foreheads.
The figure flashed through a massive skeleton, using it as natural cover to evade the monsters. Kicking off the ground, they quickly reached the top of the gargantuan skull, looking down at the monsters passing by. They paused to catch their breath, their red eyes glowing under the hood.
Soren gazed out at the sprawling desert sands, loosely holding a massive blade in one hand. The blade was jagged, and sharp as a razor, clearly fashioned from some animal's bones. A strip of blue hide served as the handle, and red and blue feathers hung from the tip of the handle like a tassel.
It was a beautiful weapon despite its crudeness. Soren withdrew a shining blue mana core from a bag and quickly ingested it. The air around shook as a distortion appeared around Soren, signaling that they had awoken their mana.
For a second, Soren's crimson eyes flitted, turning almost reptilian in nature, before they blinked and were back to normal. A crimson glow illuminated Soren's hand, and the gold bracelet on it hummed gently, before space tore, and a portal appeared.
Soren hesitated for a second, then stepped through. The portal stayed for a second, before shutting behind them. Behind it, the massive desert twinkled, as light caught the blood that coated the sands, with thousands of the monsters from before covering the sands. The first participant had passed the trial.
----------
Bon sat in an ornate room with his head in his hands. As of late, he'd had many restless nights, and it showed in his appearance. Nodding off, he didn't notice the figure in the corner of the room for several seconds.
When he did, Bon almost fell backwards. A woman stood in the corner, silently staring. She was dressed strangely, in a set of golden armor. Her teal hair went down to her shoulder, and a pair of slender golden horns arched from her head, curving towards the front then straightening.
Her eyes blinked vertically, the rectangular pupils gazing apathetically at Bon. He scrambled to his feet, before bowing. "Your imperial highness, I sincerely apologize for my lax attitude. I was just catching up on some rest after finishing preparations for the next round."
The women remained silent, merely staring at him for a few seconds, before sighing. "Where is Injari?" Bon forced out a grin, before answering. "They are currently assisting me with ensuring all the participants arrive at the same time. Given the magnitude of such a massive time spell, I'm not sure when-"
Bon was interrupted as another person entered the room. Dressed in a teal robe with golden highlights, the person appeared human, except for her head. She had three that sprouted from her lone neck.
They each took up a third of her head, circling around completely. The foremost was a young woman with flowing black hair, and twinkling gray eyes. To her left was a child's face, with shorter black hair, but the same eyes. Finally, to her right was an elderly woman, so aged she looked like she would blow away in the wind.
Wrinkles covered her face, as she sported white, brittle hair, and sightless white eyes. She bowed to the woman, not bothering to address Bon's presence. "Mistress, I had only now heard you were arriving here. My apologies for my tardiness." Her voice was disconcerting, a blend of the voices of all three heads, but she showed the utmost respect to the other woman all the same.
The woman nodded, and her eyes softened somewhat. "Injari, I take it you've finished the spell, correct? My mother has an urgent need for your assistance back home, and I believe there's no need to stay here longer than necessary with such…undesirable company."
The last line was clearly filled with discontent, as she shot Bon a glance filled with disdain. Bon maintained his smile, but inwardly, he was seething. Injari remained silent for a second before responding. "You know just as well as I, Mistress, that I cannot leave before the success of the spell is ensured. Rest assured, however, I will be back soon enough. After all, I am only waiting on one participant to finish his assessment, and then my job will be completed."
The woman snorted, before giving one last nasty look at Bon. "Very well, Injari. Any good talents amongst the lot of them?" Injari smiled then, and three pairs of gleaming teeth greeted her.
"Of course, Mistress. I have already sent the information to your mother, and have given 2 offers as of yet. The last participant remains to be seen, and then my report will be complete." Injari bowed, as the woman she called Mistress nodded.
"Well done. Well, I will be off then." With one last look at Injari, the woman's horns glowed, and she bled into the shadows the windows cast in the room, disappearing entirely. "Quite the exit", Bon murmured. Injari shot a venomous glance at him and also turned to leave.
Before she could, Bon stepped in front of her. "Having insider information of the participants beforehand is against the rules, you know? Now it will inevitably spread, and I will be the one receiving the blame."
Injari snorted at him. "Oh, my condolences, imp. Grow up. How can you hold such an attitude as a stand in for the administrator? I bid you remember that you are nothing more than a substitute, with none of the status to back it up. Now let me finish this spell so I can leave this god awful place and return to my home."
She left the room, leaving Bon with his forced grin. The minute she left, his face went blank, as he stared out of one of the massive windows. A beautiful garden lay outside, and one could see a green field. However, it was suddenly cut off, as the house sat on a small little island.
Beyond it was nothing, just twinkling stars and swirling celestial bodies. Bon sighed, as he sat back down. "I hope that the last participant hurries it up before any more problems arise."
----------
Cato had managed to roll himself backwards, despite the paralytic effect of the spider's attack. His left arm was completely numb, and he could feel tingling in his legs as well. His right arm still had some feeling, and he slowly dragged himself away from the spider, which was slowly approaching with its limited mobility.
However, one could tell the spider was at ease, as it approached slowly, with a visible ease. Cato kept an eye on the approaching spider as he backed up further, until he felt a subtle sting at his back. He couldn't help but grin, as he slowly raised the trident in his right hand while stretching his numb left hand out behind him.
The spider clicked its mandibles, looking down at Cato with a strong malice. After all the damage Cato had dealt it, how could it not? It was just enjoying a feast of the queen's corpse when this strange intruder came in and crippled it. No matter though, as a few days of eating from the queen's corpse would help regenerate the limbs.
The spider finally decided it was time, as it sank down, before shooting towards Cato at full speed. It blurred in Cato's vision, and appeared before him, covering several tens of feet in an instant.
At this moment, the fingers on Cato's hand touched the surface of the liquid mana pool, and a stream of energy flooded through him. His muscles burned, his blood felt like lava, and Cato could feel his flesh begin to tear apart from the massive amount of mana flooding through him.
However, a large portion began to pool into his trident, which seemed akin to a blackhole, sucking in endless amounts of mana. The trident began to gleam, as a blue ripple ran along the length of the weapon.
Cato's vision was shaky, and he could barely move, but he still gave a powerful thrust with the trident, slamming directly into the abdomen of the unsuspecting spider. It punched through the exoskeleton with ease, ramming all the way through and coming out of the back of the spider, skewering it.
However, the spider's forward momentum wasn't to be underestimated, as it slid down the length of the shaft and viciously bit into Cato's neck. Shock filled Cato, as he hadn't expected the spider to be this tenacious or spiteful.
The trident thrust was clearly the more lethal of the attacks however, as the spider loosened its hold on Cato's neck and slumped down. Cato sighed in relief, but his worries weren't over, as the flood of mana still rumbled through his body, giving him various internal wounds.
Cato spat out blood as he gasped, and tried to push the mana into the trident. Somehow, it managed to work, as the trident absorbed it all, greedily drinking it all. It seemed to be going through a qualitative change, as the cracks in the blades began to disappear, just as the wood began to darken, and the blade began to close together.
Cato felt relief flood through him, but in his distraction, he failed to notice the spider still stubbornly clung to its life. As a last vengeful act, its eyes once again flashed blue as Cato's eyes caught its gaze, and he lost sensation.
In his short daze, he lost hold of his precarious position, and tumbled backwards into the mana pool, disappearing from view in mere seconds. The trident sunk in after him, all the while releasing resonant mana waves that increased in intensity as it drank more and more mana.
If just dipping his hand in caused immense pain, being fully immersed in the pool was utter hell. Cato had clearly underestimated the depth of the pool, as he continued to sink down, but he soon stopped thinking about such things. His mind went blank, as the only sensation that rocked his body was agony.
Curiously, he felt a strange sensation in his chest, as mana gathered and condensed rapidly into a tiny core. He felt that the threshold for him to awaken was reached almost instantly, but the mana kept rushing in, engorging his still forming mana core to a painful extent.
With such a massive rate of increase, the core couldn't hold its form and burst, pain racking Cato's body. The shards of the mana core seemed to be absorbed by his body, healing it somewhat, but the flood continued, and the process repeated.
After every repetition, his core seemed to grow a little larger before shattering, but Cao was too delirious to notice. Nor did he notice that his skin was rejuvenated and strengthened with each subsequent shattering, his bones growing denser, and his body undergoing extreme changes.
His trident was undergoing a similarly shocking change. First of all, and most importantly, it had ceased to become a trident, as the blades had merged into a single point, becoming a razor sharp spear.
The wood of the handle had darkened to an abyssal black, and no light seemed to be able to escape its surface. The blade was a dark blue, with occasional ripples of a lighter blue. It emanated a razor sharpness that could be felt from several feet away, and was releasing a steadily increasing aura.
This aura pierced through the queen's chamber, through the nest, and throughout the forest. Many animals perked up, sensing the climbing aura, and in a massive tree, a hooded figure shot to their feet, and raced out into the forest.