Each attempt to heal Viri seemed to drain Tenshi's hope further. It was clear that Viri wouldn't wake up until we defeated the boss. The Spider Queen seemed to revel in our despair.
Reyna's anger was palpable, and her face wore a frightening expression that even seemed to intimidate the Spider Queen. With a determined shout, Reyna snapped her fingers and invoked,
"Phoenix_Entrapment!"
The walls of the cavern erupted in response as massive, blazing fire ropes materialized. These ropes, forged from pure, searing flame, coiled around the Spider Queen like snakes. The intense heat filled the cave.
"Now!" Reyna yelled.
"Hydrax_! Freeze it!"
POP
At the top of the cave, Seraphina took aim and fired a dragon-shaped bullet toward the Spider Queen. The bullet, imbued with icy magic, streaked through the air with a chilling aura. As it hurtled toward her, the Spider Queen attempted to leap away, but Reyna's Phoenix Entrapment had already ensnared her.
The dragon-shaped bullet struck with precision, and a shimmering web of ice materialized around the Spider Queen. The Spider Queen's body froze within seconds, trapped in the crystalline cage. For the first time in the battle, the cavern fell silent, the relentless swarm of spiders ceased, and we were left in the cold, our breaths visible in the icy air.
But Viri remained still, unconscious, her breaths shallow.
A sense of dread settled over me as I looked at the frozen queen. The glint in her eyes—still visible through the ice—made my heart stop. She wasn't dead, not yet. And there was something terrifying in her gaze.
Reyna broke the silence, her voice tight. 'It's not over.'"
A deep, rumbling noise echoed through the cave as massive blocks of ice tumbled from the walls. A glistening spear of ice was embedded in the side of the Spider Queen's body.
The Spider Queen's laughter rang out, dripping with malice. It echoed off the cavern walls, growing louder and more distorted until it left a heavy, unsettling silence in its wake. Above her, a white rune blazed to life, its radiant glow cutting through the dimness.
The rune spelled out:
"Heal_(duration: indefinite; effect: full restoration of health, mana, and physical form, including lost limbs and organs. Temporarily boosts health and mana regen. Debuff: removes all debuffs Toxin: removes all toxin, Activation: instant)"
As the spell's light enveloped her, the Spider Queen's initial shock melted away, replaced by a sinister, satisfied grin that spread across her face.
Reyna's face reflected her fear as the Spider Queen revived to full strength. With a menacing hiss, the Spider Queen released a stream of purple, rot-like poison throughout the cavern. Tenshi quickly summoned a barrier of mana, shielding us from the noxious fumes. The poison filled the cave, rising to our knees, burning and rotting everything it touched—from rocks to the remains of other spiders. As the poisonous sludge spread, it began to pool around us, forming a corrosive moat.
"The spell says it's indefinite. What do you think that means?" I asked the group.
"Most likely, it'll last until she's defeated," Reyna replied.
"Is this her skill?" Sera asked.
"It can't be," Tenshi spoke up.
"She didn't have a skill like this in the game."
"What does that mean?" Eli asked.
"It means another player cast it."
Tenshi lowered her barrier, revealing the pool of poison that surrounded us. The Spider Queen descended from above, landing gracefully into the toxic pool as if it were mere water.
"Don't you get it?" the Spider Queen taunted. "With the death of my kin, I only grow stronger. Just like you humans."
"We're nothing like you," Reyna shot back defiantly. "You're a pest that needs to be exterminated."
The Spider Queen seemed amused by our predicament. We were trapped in her web, unable to move, with nowhere to go.
"I've seen humans kill and betray in this very room," the Spider Queen retorted. "Admit defeat, and I will spare one of you."
Reyna extended her arm, preparing to activate Phoenix Featherstorm once more. "We're all leaving!" she yelled.
"If it's a choice between you all leaving or none, then I choose none," the Spider Queen replied, her voice shrill and cold.
"Max_Phoenix_Featherstorm!" Reyna commanded, and hundreds of fiery feathers enveloped her right arm.
In an instant, they surged toward the Spider Queen, surrounding her with a blinding display of light. Tenshi quickly reignited her barrier as Reyna snapped her fingers.
The feathers ignited, creating a series of explosive bursts throughout the cavern. Each explosion sent shockwaves through the cave, the sound echoing off the walls as debris rained down.
The spider queen. Now marked with hundreds of miniature craters on her exoskeleton
The white rune appeared again, its healing light mending the holes in her exoskeleton and reviving her. Despite the damage from the Phoenix Featherstorm, it became clear that if we couldn't defeat her in a single strike we would lose.
I glanced at Eli and Tenshi, both wearing helpless expressions. Seraphina was also within the barrier, though I didn't recall seeing her join us.