The swarm parted like waves under Grandpa's overwhelming power. His poisonous mist engulfed the smaller spiders, their bodies dissolving into nothingness as his sixth ring skill wiped them from existence. I rushed forward behind him, every step brought us closer to the Spider Emperor's lair.
The air grew heavier as we approached, the oppressive aura of the soul beast pressing down on us. When we finally broke through the last wave of summoned spiders, there it was. A grotesque, enormous creature that radiated malice. Its chitinous body shimmered with an eerie green sheen, and its eight glowing eyes seemed to pierce through to my very soul, and there was a clear intelligence behind them. Spikes jutted out from its legs and back, and its fangs dripped with venom potent enough to kill any ordinary soul master instantly.
Grandpa's eyes widened slightly as he assessed the beast. "An 80,000-year-old Mutated Spider Emperor," he murmured. "Bei, this is no ordinary opponent. Be careful. Even for you, this won't be easy."
I nodded, a determined look on my face. "Don't worry, Grandpa. I've been preparing for this."
With that, Grandpa moved to the side, his aura flaring once more as he began dealing with the newly summoned spiders. The Spider Emperor's ability to call forth reinforcements was relentless, and Grandpa's role was crucial in keeping them at bay. This left me to face the Emperor itself.
I activated my martial spirit, and my transformation began. My body became covered in a sleek, black exoskeleton, and the Eight Spider Lances extended from my back, radiating an ominous green light. My spirit rings, purple, purple, black, black, and black, appeared around me, their glow a testament to my power.
"Let's see how you handle this," I muttered as I activated my first spirit ability: Venom Thread Bind. Green threads shot out from the tips of my lances, aiming to entangle the Spider Emperor. The threads wrapped around its legs, but the beast's strength was incredible. With a violent shake, it tore through the threads, sending shards of venom flying in all directions.
I leapt back, narrowly avoiding the splatter. "Alright, you're stronger than I thought," I admitted, my excitement growing. "Let's see how you like this."
Activating my second spirit ability, Arachnid Shell, I felt my defense double as a hardened exoskeleton enveloped my body. The Spider Emperor lunged at me, its massive fangs aiming for my torso. I blocked with my lances, the impact sending a shockwave through the air. Even with my enhanced defense, the force was enough to make me slide back several meters.
Its movements were erratic yet precise, a testament to its intelligence. I activated my third spirit ability, Spider-Sense, allowing me to predict its next attack. I dodged to the side as one of its legs came crashing down, leaving a deep gouge in the earth where I had stood moments before.
"You're not making this easy," I said, my tone filled with both frustration and admiration. Activating my fourth ability, Spider Dash, I closed the distance between us in an instant. My speed caught the beast off guard, and I managed to land a solid strike on its abdomen with one of the lances from my arms. The Spider Emperor let out a screech of pain, venom spraying from the wound.
But it wasn't done yet. Its body shimmered, and suddenly hundreds of smaller spiders began crawling out from under its exoskeleton.
"More reinforcements?" I growled. "Fine, let's see how many of these you can summon before I take you down."
Grandpa's voice called out from the side. "Don't lose focus, Bei! Remember your plan!"
I nodded, using Camouflage to vanish from sight. While the smaller spiders swarmed the area, the Spider Emperor's glowing eyes darted around, trying to locate me. Thanks to my fifth ability, I was invisible to its senses (even if it was just for a moment due to its great strength), giving me a crucial moment to reposition.
Reappearing behind it, I drove my lances into its back, aiming for its abdomen. The Spider Emperor roared, its massive body convulsing as it tried to shake me off. Venom oozed from the wound, sizzling as it hit the ground.
"You're tough," I muttered, clinging to its back. "But I will fight worse in the future."
The Spider Emperor lets out a deafening roar, summoning an even larger wave of minions. Grandpa braces himself for the next attack, and so do I.