"Ha ha ha!" I immediately pull out my amulet and fire a fireball in the direction of the suspicious noise. As they say, it's better to shoot and reload than to shine a flashlight into the darkness and ask, "Who's there?"
A flash of flame, and the vaults of the cave are filled with the vile, nasty screech of a huge two-meter spider-like creature, into whose face a fireball crashes, setting it on fire and illuminating the surrounding space.
"Spiders!" For some reason my companion exclaimed joyfully, instantly pulling out a seventeenth Glock from under her skirt.
~Bah-bah-bah-bah-bah-bah-bah-bah-bah-bah~
She unleashed a veritable cannonade of gunfire, aptly killing the creatures climbing up the ceiling.
~Fshuuuuuuuuuuuh~
A harpoon shot kills another healthy monster, after which I have to roll to the side, pulling the girl with me to dodge the incoming web.
The cane had already returned to its original shape, so I had nothing to stop me from shooting the creature that had attacked us again and activating the shocker. It was a good thing that only large creatures were capable of throwing webs, which my assistant tried to disable first, and then put the gun away, deciding to save ammunition.
One of the smaller monsters loses four paws on its right side when it gets too close to a blonde warrior with a charming, bloodthirsty smile on her pretty face, swinging a bat. The beauty of the moment doesn't stop me from crouching sharply, avoiding the cat-sized spider-like creature leaping at me, and I manage to punch it in flight, hearing the satisfying crunch of the shell.
Ha ha ha, this is really fun! The fanatics I didn't want to kill, remembering my promise to Bats. There was nothing to stop me from acting with all my efficiency now, crumbling my enemies into vinaigrettes.
The first spider I killed was almost burned out, so I set a new one on fire to give Harley a chance to navigate properly, and even that light was clearly having a negative effect on our opponents, who were used to living in darkness.
The creatures kept coming, and I was puzzled by their numbers, for such a horde must have something to eat. The demon worshippers lived nearby, and they probably fed the monsters on the dead meat left over from the sacrifices. By the way, that's why the whole crowd rushed from the altar to the throne room instead of to the emergency exit, and I think they could open the lock on the grate.
There were a lot of spiders, their size ranged from fifty centimeters to two meters, but we tried to kill such giants in the first place, fortunately, the chitin in the muzzle area was quite soft, unlike the main body of large individuals. They also had weak points in the area of limb articulation. A blow with a cane or bat would break them with a satisfying crunching sound.
Our fighting duo, despite the adrenaline almost gushing from our ears, was starting to lose ground. I'd already pulled the girl out several times, instead of getting a nasty wound that would reduce my effectiveness with each passing second. Besides, there were only two fireballs left, and without light my beloved would become a burden, even the firefly spells wouldn't help much because of the cast time. I should have practiced it under cheerful memories.
"We've got to get out of here. - I shouted, breaking the legs of another arachnid, then stuck my weapon between its chelicerae, turning its brains to mush. There were fewer enemies, but it was unlikely that we'd kill them all, and after killing about twenty of them, we'd only saved the nest of mouths, since our enemies were now more cautious.
"I'd love to, uh, but where to?
"Tu... yeah... - I glimpse toward the supposed exit, but all I see is a solid wall.
"There's a magician in here!" I warned, realizing what was going on. - Huh.
Spiders trying to eat us are magical creatures for a reason. Yes, they grow to a huge size, but their main danger is that after the fifth molt, under certain conditions, some creatures awaken magical abilities. What do you think they are? The ones that help lure in prey, namely illusions. Plus the spider mages' intelligence is boosted, helping them use their newfound power more effectively. Damn, I didn't think this nest had managed to capture a powerful wizard alive to use as an incubator.
The main danger of spells used by monsters is that they do not try to influence the victim's mind by distorting the perception, like Zatanna does so elegantly and with minimum expenses (still, you need to have a pumped-up brain for that), they stupidly impose an illusion on the area of influence itself. You need to remove the passage: in this place there is a construction with the illusion of a wall, which will not disappear, even if you are a hundred percent sure that there is a way out. Yes, it's more energy-consuming and noticeably low in detail when you look closely, but at times, like in a dark cave, it's extremely effective. Heh, that's definitely not going to work against Superman. Because of the deeper perception against a Kryptonian you need a direct impact on the mind... Except I'm not a flying man in tights!
~Bah~
While I was frantically thinking what to do, my assistant fired her Glock in the direction of the supposed exit. With squeals and wheezes, the carcass of a large individual with a shot eye seemed to emerge from the unbreakable barrier, and, as if on cue, sticky threads flew straight from several distant walls in our direction.
Those bitches! Under cover of darkness, they shrunk the size of the cave, hiding their larger kin. That's not fair!
~Dzang~
The shield I'd put up collapsed, taking on the cobwebs that had fallen to the floor in a sticky clump.
~Whu-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u
My last fireball, buzzing, flew toward the supposed exit, and, because of the presence of magic, it shattered the illusion spell on impact, exposing part of the cave while managing to ignite the next big spider hiding there.
I can't figure out where the exit is, and we only have one shot left. Theoretically, we could use a shield spell, but not only would we have to get close to the walls, leaving a fraction of a second to react, but the enemies wouldn't allow us to hold the spell for long.
"Bitch!" One of the smaller creatures managed to inflict another cut on my arm as I threaded it onto my cane like meat on a skewer. I flicked the dead carcass in the direction of the nearest enemies, watching the small droplets of blood scatter.
"Harley, watch carefully where the exit appears and claw your way out!
"I'm not leaving you!" The blonde girl in the seylor-fuku responded with a heavy breath.
"These monsters prefer live food, so you just have to go get help. I'll be alive for at least two days... I'll have to extract the spiders from me, but the important thing is that I have someone to do it with!
"Mr. J. ...
"After the flash, get down. - Throwing her my last amulet with a shield spell. - Hah! Flash!" I toss my last flash grenade at the cluster of spiders and cover my eyes with my hand.
~BANG! ~
The bright light shone even through the covered vision, blinding the monsters hiding in the darkness and making them squeal, but now it was important to execute the second stage of the plan. What did it say? Better sorcery from an open wound? I have them!
Concentrating on the desired image, my consciousness draws the symbol of a circle with a dot in the middle, and then I turn sharply around my axis, spreading my arms to the sides, with bloody darts flying out of the wounds.
Some of the projectiles slam into arachnids, some into ordinary walls, but some collide with illusions, dispelling them.
Uh, yo. My head is spinning, but I'm still on my feet and I can see the exit, which is covered by one of the larger spiders.
That's why I love Harley, it's her ability to act rationally (when it's really necessary). The blonde, without a second's hesitation, launched herself in the right direction, using the last of her fireballs to clear the passageway.
I didn't stand still either, running after her and even catching up with her. Honestly, I thought I'd be much worse off, and like a true hero (a moron who couldn't plan and got in the wrong places) I'd stay behind to cover the retreat, but the flash gave us a good head start.
"There's an exit up ahead. - My companion said as she ran, seeing the dim light around the corner.
"I see. - Except that I can also hear the scraping of many legs of the eight-legged creatures chasing us, and from the consumables I have only useless cards, although a couple of eyes can be knocked out with them.
Twenty meters, ten, five, one. We turn the corner and almost fall into the cobwebs stretched in the passageway. It wasn't a continuous pattern, leaving room for maneuvering, but given the pursuers coming after us, there was no escape.
"Harley, we've been over this, so I'm counting on you.
"Don't you dare die. - The girl hesitated for a moment, and then, kissing me on the lips and giving me all her amulets and Glock with a spare magazine, she quickly went out, avoiding the sticky threads while showing great flexibility, agility and grace.
After admiring her firm ass in her swimsuit for a couple seconds, I turned toward the danger.
The first monster I met with an accurate shot to the head, given to the will of reflexes, with the next three managed to deal in a similar way, after which I had to dodge sharply, avoiding the flying web.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha! What's the matter, you critters want some fresh meat? Fuck you! I'll kill them all, I'll be the only one left!
Yeah, I shouldn't have used the fun memories after all, since I was clearly a better shot without them. It's not that now I started to miss, but it turns out that the speed of reflexes is a bit faster than conscious aiming with overclocked brains.
The first small creatures finally reached me, forcing a melee, so I had to use my cane to deal with them. The light coming into the cave was not to their liking, but still they continued to try with the tenacity of donkeys to capture me and snatch a piece of meat at the same time.
~Ding-ding-dong-dang~
It had to happen sometime: they managed to deprive me of my cane, which happily bounced on the floor, and now only a gun and a few cards separate me from the fate of the incubator.
~Click~
It was the turn of the firearm.
From the darkness of the cave, giant carcasses emerged. It looked like one of my worst nightmares was about to come true.
"Heh!
"Scree-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee!" The spider roared, losing its eye, which was now replaced by a shiny metal rectangle.
"Ah ha ha ha, sorry, it was an accident, I wanted to kill you right away, but you're too big.
The wounded arachnid lifted up and shot a web at me, only this time two more blobs flew at me from the depths of the cave. I managed to dodge the first two, but the last one didn't, and my foot was stuck to the floor. The monsters shrieked happily, and then came in droves.
~Dzang~
The first shield shatters into splinters.
~Dzang~
The second one suffers the same fate.
~Dzang~
Covering my eyes to avoid seeing the chelicerae snapping in front of my face.
***
A couple dozen minutes ago.
When Zatanna had finished exorcising the spirits, she bent over tiredly, rising from the focusing pentagram in the center of the runes in the courtyard: sitting in a not-so-comfortable position for so long was tiring, and not even a soft pillow under her ass could help. The parade of planets had just ended, and she had to endure the onslaught of many spirits trying to occupy the dead bodies. Frankly, she could have moved the cemetery somewhere else a long time ago, or destroyed the old bones soaked in dragon vein magic, but there was no guarantee that a couple or three angry owners wouldn't show up and become Revenants, and the most evil ones didn't even need a physical receptacle. It was a good thing her father had discovered the vein in time to tie the streams to the family, or else Gotham could have been a full-fledged necropolis with a lot of undead, from zombies to lichs or bone dragons.
Getting back to the various undead, is that why Jay agreed to help with Grundy? The dead guy doesn't even seem to be on a rampage. He comes out of his grave once every fifty years for a couple or three days. And he hunts for the relatives of those who killed him, ignoring the rest of the people unless they try to interfere. She knew that Virginia and Georgia were old sissies, fully worthy of their ancestors who'd made their fortunes on other people's grief and bones, and the Winslows and the Parishes were no better, though the latter seemed to have taken up charity after leaving the city.
For the sorceress, it was a kind of right to revenge that she wasn't going to deprive anyone of.
Looking at the cemetery visible through the fence, she sighed sadly and headed for the house where the portal circle was waiting for her. It was still worth checking on her unexpected students, John was acting a little suspicious, but he was almost always like that, which made it a little confusing.
A short adjustment according to the coordinates already entered into the portal, and in a moment the enchantress finds herself in some warehouse, feeling the increased magical background, as during the parade of planets.
"Strange... The mana from the destroyed altar should have rushed out in all directions, quickly dissipating into space. - She muttered quietly to herself.
At the same time, the screams of people being devoured alive could not be heard outside, which meant that her... Zatanna's cheeks flushed a little when she remembered the suggestion of a certain horny blonde, which did not cause her much inner protest. She is after all a woman, or rather, a very, very young woman in her prime who knows what she wants.
Shaking her head to get rid of the unwelcome thoughts, the illusionist cast a light diversion with a warming spell and then stepped outside, activating her magical vision.
In the distance, a spiraling energy pillar danced in the distance, slowly diminishing as if being drawn in somewhere.
This definitely shouldn't be happening, which means something has gone wrong. A fixation on a distant image and one of her least favorite spells.
"EGGSATROPELET!
Zatanna feels as if her body is being pushed through a narrow tube, an unpleasant lump in her throat, and then she emerges into the air above the melted ruins of a once majestic castle. The place looks as if it's been through several air strikes with napalm seasoning. Gravity takes its toll, and the sorceress's body hurtles toward the ground. A mental effort not to give away her voice, and she begins to float gently toward the center of the anomaly, which has all but disappeared.
Even from this angle, the sorceress already sees a familiar beige cloak, which sways as if blown by strong currents of air, but only the remains of the walls do not allow the wind to penetrate into this place, which was only a dozen minutes ago the throne room.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, stepping closer while weaving an attack spell.
"Oh, Zatanna, hi. - The man responded cheerfully, still standing with his back to her as if nothing was happening. - I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly.
"John, what's going on? Where are Jay and Harley?
"One second. - The column of energy finally disappeared, absorbed into the warlock, and then he turned around. - I suspect it's somewhere downstairs, at the altar.
"You've decided to screw over my students?
"What?! Of course not!" He was genuinely indignant, and, patting himself in his pockets, took out a cigarette, clamped it in his teeth, and lit it immediately. - It's just that I had some unfinished business, so I got held up. Don't worry. They should be just fine. The altar's destroyed, which means all the cultists are close to being vegetables, plus I've absorbed all the extra mana, so your demon-worshipping disciples can take them down with one stone.
"Why would you need that much energy?" The sorceress was still wary.
"Eh, you would have found out anyway. - The man grinned sadly and started unbuttoning his shirt.
Soon he got rid of it completely, showing three seals arranged in a triangle, two on his chest and one on his stomach. They were all in the form of inverted pentagrams, with symbols in the center: a chest of jewels, a snake wrapped around a cross, and a black spire tower.
"Melholm, Marbas, and Mulciber. - The magician commented on his tattoos.
"When you got them... And how... So many... - The illusionist couldn't find the words.
"Well... Have you ever wondered how an unborn mage could have such a huge reserve? The answer is simple: you just have to sell your soul to three Lords at once, and as a bonus, Marbas cured my lung cancer so I could walk the earth longer and the demons wouldn't have to start a war for my soul. And as for the question of when, well..." John took a good puff, exhaling a cloud of smoke. - A year and a half ago.
A second, and the sorceress' eyes flash with genuine fury.
"Bastard!!! YAINLOM!
~Tresk~
She casts a huge lightning bolt, a meter thick, but the electric lance dissipates against the muzzle of a fire dragon that emerged from the mage's spit out cigarette.
"Zatanna, I'm sorry if you can, but you yourself realize that I needed magical knowledge.
"I trusted you!
~Sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-sh~
The two-meter long ice icicle evaporates after colliding with the red aura of the wizard protector.
"Again, I'm sorry, maybe when I get rid of this nasty thing I'll be able to have a normal conversation. By the way, tell the students they did great, and I'd be happy to give them a couple lessons. Ha ha, of course, if they can find me.
~Click~
A portal appeared at his feet, from which half of Tyndall's hound fell to the ground, then John jumped a little, and was sucked into the vortex. The dragon was the only thing left standing, but it didn't last long, vanishing, leaving only a burnt cigarette filter in its place.