Odysseus made all the icicle spikes explode and my brain exploded.
Didn't he put up those spikes to protect themselves from potential web attacks? What's wrong with him?
During the entire exchange I couldn't think a reason as of why he'd do something like that. Sure Arachne was once a woman, but she still was a monster at the moment. I didn't know what to do; my mana was almost depleated and I still had some wounds that needed minimal care, but then an answer came to my questions.
[The Eternal Owl says you distracted her champion uselessly revealing Arachne's past]
So now it's my fault.
If what Athena said was true, I really was to blame, but…
No buts.
I needed to move, and move fast. The cobweb descended just as I predicted I needed to find a way to move without being found out. Seeing how many of my comrades were getting caught in the webs I thought the vibration I'd produce would go unnoticed in the middle of the battlefield, but I couldn't just jump on those rope-like webs or I'd be stuck as well.
Wrecking my brain to find a way to get close I started fidgeting with my spear.
I could continuously cast thorny path on a line… I just hope my mana will suffice.
Setting my plan into action I started casting and walking. One meter, two, five; I was just about 3 meters away from the head of the monster when I could feel my mana running dangerously low. I still couldn't afford to exhaust myself.
Trusting my newfound strength from the Dryad spirit formula I jumped with all my might, and for the first time I actually realised how strong this body really was.
No run to charge momentum, I was barely walking to keep my spells up and I was still able to jump 3 meters in length.
Crazy.
The moment my feet touched the creature I knew I didn't have much time to waste. Mustering all my strength I plunged the spear as deep as I could while screaming at the top of my lungs.
"ODYSSEUS MOVE YOUR FUCKING BRAIN AND BURN THE WEBS, OR FREEZE THEM, JUST MOVE."
The wind reacted to my word, but so did the spider that with an ear shattering shriek sent me flying while Odysseus' spell froze the cobweb.
Cursing the heavens for the hit and getting up I once again realised the disgusting strength of this body.
Had it been myself back then I'd at least have a few broken bones, fuck.
Still cursing my whole life decisions I noticed an angry Odysseus coming my way, but I couldn't let him have his way.
____________________
-Odysseus' POV-
Even before I could think of hitting this arrogant, foolish man, his voice interrupted me.
"Wits won't work, we don't have much time to plan, what we need now is brute force."
Although I'd argue we had plenty of time considering how many soldiers were ready to fight to the bitter end i knew what Dimitris meant.
We don't have time if we don't want useless bloodshed.
-the value of life- Those words kept ringing in my mind, why did Dimitris value life so much? What prevented him to kill unless his own life depended on it?
"Odysseus!"
Slapping my face to bring my attention back to the battlefield, he continued cursing me as nothing happened.
"I SAID BRUTE FORCE! STOP THOSE WHEELS YOU PSYCHO AND JUST TELL ME HOW MUCH TIME YOU NEED TO CAST YOUR STRONGEST SPELL."
I was mesmerized but the situation didn't really give me the leisure to observe Dimitris.
"I can cast a hurricane type spell, but I need at least 3 minutes to restrict the area it'll effect."
"Brilliant! Get going and signal me before unleashing it."
"Where do you think YOU are going now?!'
"To buy you 3 minutes you ungrateful bastard."
This bastard is trying to get himself killed.
Just as I was about to force Dimitris back, another man joined us.
"Second commander, take me with you, it'll be easier for us to buy time for the captain!"
Eurylochus?
"Eurylochus… Sure, keep up and don't you dare drag me down."
Like it was the most normal thing to do, the spearman accepted the soldier with sword and shield and rushed to the creature who was barely being kept in check by our comrades while shouting at every men to get back, protect me and gather any metal type weapon.
Soon the battlefield was restricted to the unexpected duo and a huge monster.
The dance begun and the way Dimitris complemented and adapted to Eurylochus fighting style left a pang into my heart. Jumping from one frozen web to another, Dimitris was limiting attacks from above while Eurylochus with his parries and slashes was able to further restrict the movement the creature was able to perform. Just two men were able to do something a hundred of others couldn't. But during battle everything is to be expected.
Soon a web shot towards Eurylochus and just as I was about to shout for attention, rose-like thorns grew under his feet making him lose balance but ultimately giving the man a chance to evade the dangerous web.
The 3 minutes mark arrived and I sent a signal to Dimitris freezing the tip of his spear just as he asked.
What happened next left me astonished; Dimitris run towards Eurylochus who raised his shield to form a step and as soon as Dim stood on it he was launched towards the beast's head and with extreme violence thrusted the spear into another of Arachne's eyes, left the spear there and jumping back to ground dragging our comrade with him to retreat.
Once my man was at a safe distance I casted my spell.
"Anemoi's rage!"
The hurricane came to life, engulfing Arachne and cutting her flesh in various places, but I knew better than thinking it'd be enough, and to prove my point Dimitris gave the order to throw all the weapons gathered into the hurricane.
Even if made of metal, those weapons won't be able to do much damage… wait metal? I see… When did you think of this Dimitris? Brute force my ass, why did you leave your spear into her eye then?
Sensing my thoughts Dimitris put his arm around my neck and with his other hand gestured towards the hurricane asked:
"You know what to do right?"
"Of course, we'll be impersonating The Lightning Bringer"
Removing his arm he made a disgusted face and left a snarky remark.
"Sure, whichever cheater fancies you the most mr. Handsome"
"Chained lightning."
Hahaha he really hates Constellations.
_______________________
The battle was coming to an end.
Arachne was motionless on the ground, but I knew better than to just take for granted our win, at the end of the day, no notification of the destruction of the fragment was issued by the system.
This couldn't be said of all my companions.
Getting ready to cast another spell to end it all I heard Dimitris distressed voice.
"NO! SHE'S NOT DEAD YET! GET BACK!"
But it was already too late. Arachne, with a last effort bit down on the clueless men around her face decapitating them all together.
Dimitris fell to his knees, Eurylochus was trying to make him stand up only to get punched in the guts by a crying man.
I wanted to be there for Dimitris as well, but this war would not end if I didn't take action.
With the last mana in my body I casted multiple ice spikes and pinged them in the monsters for head.
You talk so crudely about the arrogance of gods, but you need to understand that men are just the same, if not worse. At least gods can back up their arrogance.
[Fragment of the king of titans successfully destroyed. Calculating rewards. In 2 hours you'll be transported to your place of access to the time fissure]
Leaving the system aside I approached the broken Dimitris, but just as I was about to tell something to try and cheer him up, he beat me to it.
"I know." He said.
"I know it's my fault for distracting you from the fact that at the end of the day she was a monster, your patron is gently reminding me of my arrogance in talking about matters that don't concern mortals, so leave it. I'm just gonna go grab something and wait to be back on the boat."
"That's not true at all! You saved countless lives!"
"Ha! Since when do you care of trivial things such as other people life?"
That froze me. The value of life, it didn't mean ones own, but the others around.
"Yeah, exactly. I'm leaving."
________________________
-Dimitris POV-
Leaving Odysseus to his devices of self inflating glory and whatnot I made my way towards Arachne's body.
I opened her mouth and retrieved the heads of my comrades.
Yeah, I'm definitely traveling alone as soon as possible.
Once removed the remnants of the warriors i started examining the body. Surely there must have been something valuable inside this monster.
"Yes yes yesss! Get the web Dim we can make those threads assassins used in your world!"
"Call me Dim one more time Merlin and I swear you will regret it for the rest of your life."
"But I'm… well immortal"
"Exactly."
"Brrrr, you really are scary… how should i call you then? Anyways, get the web, Athena also wanted it eheheh"
"Oh, if it's to fuck her up I'm all about it, should we also use the thread we'll make to hunt an owl and eat it?"
"My man, you are a completely reckless bastard. LET'S DO IT."
Leaving Merlin to talk to himself on how to cook the little birdie in the future I finally was able to remove all the webs from inside Arachne, disgusting, but necessary.
Storing the webs in my internal space I made my way to the other guys. I didn't really want to talk to nobody, but I also couldn't just ignore these guys.
"Secon commander, sorry for before! Please come rest with us!"
Eurylochus was on his knees begging me.
Before what? Ha right, I did punch his guts for trying to touch me.
"Rise Eurylochus, it's my fault, you have nothing to ask forgiveness for. Let's go rest with the other yeah?"
Clearly shocked at my nonechalance, he brought me to the others and gestured for me to go sit near Odysseus while whispering:
"The second commander should stay near the Captain… for the morale"
"You really are a smart kid, want my position?"
Eurylochus face whitened and he promptly shook his head.
Motherfucker you were the second commander in the OG epic.
I could do nothing but sit near the psycho bastard, who didn't miss his chance to make me angrier.
"Have you finished your side work with Arachne's web? My patron would like it as sacrifice for additional rewards"
"My master says we'll have Owl for dinner as soon as we're out of this place"
Silence. Nobody knew what to do.
Nobody had ever refused a clearly requested sacrifice.
"Dim, you can't exactly refuse a request from a constellation…"
"I swear I will change my name, also I don't give a fuck. She wants the web? You could get them for her, it's my hands that got dirty."
Then taking out the heads of the comrades I went to retrieve before I added.
"Now if there's something I care about is to make sure my comrades are able to pass the Styx without issues, so gather the corpses and unless you have drachmas to give our friends I don't wanna hear you voice."
There was something in my voice that scared shitless everyone present but at the end everyone complied. Even Odysseus who clearly had received notice from his patron to just give up.
Taking out a bag full of drachmas and giving it to me he then added.
"I don't have a spell to burn the corpses."
"I wouldn't have let you do it even if you had."
Standing up i started gathering every piece of wood I could possibly find and as a survivalist would I started a small fire with the hand drill technique.
Looking at my newly created fire Odysseus was a little sturstruck.
"I thought you had flint or something with the confidence you spoke before. To think you'd use such a method."
Ignoring the man I made my way to my deceased comrades who now held drachmas on their eyes and were surrounded by dry wood and the lavander thorns I retrieved from the battlefield setting everything ablaze.
[Constellations from the underworld are waiting your decree.]
Motherfuckers. Why would they wait my decree?
I nonetheless made my prayer aloud.
"My comrades. I pray for you all to have a safe travel in the underworld and successfully pass the Styx."
[The Father to whom all go accepts your sacrifice]
[the lavander thorns are successfully being transferred to the constellation]
[The Father to whom all go says to not be sad or afraid for death is a fundamental part of the cicle of nature.]
[The Father to whom all go rewards your sacrifice offering knowledge on a spirit formula of your choice.]
Looking at the fire before me and the thorns slowly turning into black particles before disappearing, I was conflicted. The knowledge of a spirit formula for the creation of my second circle would be amazing but could I just ask anything? Also I wasn't sure if I could ask something outside the domain of Hades, but I surely didn't want to become a necromancer or something like that.
Still focusing on the fire I finally made my decision.
"Fire, please. Something related to fire."
[The Father to whom all go smiles soflty]
[recieving knowledge: Spirit Formula, the Salamander]