Chapter 363: Mountain Spider
He quickly detected six powerful energy signatures positioned at different locations around him.
Alex constructed several Mana Bullets and fired them in different directions, watching as the projectiles struck invisible barriers. He immediately realized that the wall wasn’t an isolated structure but part of something considerably larger.
‘I’m trapped inside an enormous invisible dome. And judging by how suddenly it appeared, those monsters probably constructed it just now,’ Alex realized.
He immediately turned his attention toward the six energy signatures, two of which were close enough for him to see clearly. As expected, they belonged to spiders, although these monsters looked considerably different from the ones he had encountered earlier.
Surprisingly, both were only approximately the size of adult humans. However, the moment Alex examined them, his instincts began issuing warnings considerably stronger than anything he had experienced while fighting the house-sized spiders.
‘These must be the actual fighters. If I’m not mistaken, they’re probably the strongest monsters here after the Mountain Spider,’ Alex thought.
He couldn’t be entirely certain of that assumption, but his instincts rarely exaggerated danger to such an extent. Despite their relatively small bodies, these spiders felt considerably more threatening than the enormous monsters he had killed earlier.
Just as Alex prepared to attack, something unexpected happened. One of the eyes on each spider suddenly glinted, and Matthew emerged directly from their surfaces, swinging his daggers toward their remaining eyes.
Both monsters screeched as the blades struck, clearly caught off guard by the sudden ambush. Almost simultaneously, Alex heard similar screeches coming from the other four locations, suggesting that Matthew had attacked those spiders as well.
‘He really has become ridiculously strong. I wonder which of those abilities is his Class Skill and which one he obtained from the Trials,’ Alex considered.
He already knew that Rogues like Matthew and Emma received additional Class Skills every five Levels in Adept Rank. However, they could also obtain other Skills through Reward Boxes, and apparently, the Trials provided similar opportunities.
Alex didn’t have much time to consider the possibilities, since the spiders had already recovered from their initial surprise. Matthew was fighting them fiercely, but despite his impressive abilities, he appeared to be struggling to maintain an advantage.
“Alex, go! I’ll keep these things occupied, so don’t waste time worrying about me!” Matthew shouted from below.
Alex noticed that the invisible wall in front of him had begun flickering. Apparently, Matthew’s attacks had damaged the spiders enough to disrupt their concentration, weakening the enormous dome surrounding them.
“Be careful! I’ll finish this as quickly as possible, so just buy me some time and don’t take unnecessary risks!” Alex shouted back.
Without waiting for a response, he released an enormous amount of Kinetic Energy and accelerated forward. His speed increased rapidly, placing considerable pressure on his reinforced muscles and bones, but he continued pushing himself until the Mountain Spider finally came into view.
The enormous monster was still resting, apparently undisturbed by the battle taking place throughout its territory. However, the moment Alex approached it, his instincts began screaming warnings so intensely that goosebumps spread across his entire body.
His breathing became ragged, and a strange feeling of dread began spreading through his mind. Even with Neural Overdrive helping him maintain his composure, Alex found it difficult to suppress the instinctive desire to escape.
‘Is this some kind of attack? Is it awake and using an attack? No, it genuinely seems to be resting. Maybe it possesses an ability that affects everything in a certain radius,’ Alex wondered.
Considering the strange abilities possessed by its underlings, Alex wasn’t willing to dismiss the possibility of poison or some other invisible substance affecting him. He immediately stopped breathing normally and activated Sustain Breathing Spell, eliminating the need to inhale the surrounding air.
‘Alright, let’s get started,’ Alex thought, beginning to construct Mana Railgun Spell. Numerous human-sized spiders and several house-sized monsters were gathered around the mountain, but he ignored their threatening movements. He could attack the mountain spider before they could attack him.
Before continuing, Alex retrieved the Mind Soothing Potion he had obtained from the Reward Box while he was in the Badger Dungeon. He quickly drank it, and almost immediately, the mental exhaustion that had accumulated throughout his prolonged battles began disappearing.
‘This is incredible. It feels like I’ve just woken up after sleeping for an entire day,’ Alex thought, pleasantly surprised by the potion’s effectiveness.
His mind had been working almost continuously for more than twenty-five hours, and even Advanced Blood Vitalization couldn’t completely compensate for that exhaustion. However, the potion had restored his mental condition so thoroughly that he felt capable of pushing Neural Overdrive further than ever before.
Alex took several deep breaths before increasing the Spell’s output, accelerating his thinking speed to an extraordinary degree. His surroundings gradually became muted, and the countless movements occurring throughout the forest faded from his attention.
Eventually, only two things remained within his concentration: the mana he was manipulating and the enormous Mountain Spider resting ahead.
With Gerindas Wand improving his attunement, constructing Mana Railgun Spell had become considerably easier. Alex carefully refined its structure, concentrating as much destructive power as possible into the projectile before finally completing the Spell.
This was the strongest attack he had ever created.
He aimed directly at the Mountain Spider and fired. The projectile struck the enormous creature, triggering an explosion that shook the entire mountainside.
Powerful shockwaves erupted outward, throwing countless smaller spiders through the air while the surrounding trees caught fire almost instantly. Alex could even see several rocks near the impact melting under the tremendous heat.
The mountain itself began trembling, and enormous quantities of stone and soil broke loose, creating a landslide that swept through the surrounding forest.
However, Alex didn’t allow himself to believe that a single attack would be enough to kill such a powerful monster. Without wasting another moment, he immediately began constructing a second Mana Railgun projectile, preparing to attack again before the Mountain Spider could retaliate.
..
Author’s Note: If you’re enjoying the novel, consider leaving a vote. It helps the novel a lot. Thank you!