Chapter 36: An Opponent Worthy of the Fight
"ROAR ROAR ROAR—!"
Araba roared frantically, glaring at Shiro with pure resentment.
"How is it? How's that taste?" Shiro continued to taunt him. "Feels pretty good, doesn't it?"
*Hoo!*
Araba's gaze gradually steadied. The previous look of contempt was replaced by a blazing fighting spirit. This shift in hostility made Shiro frown.
"What's going on? Is this guy finally getting serious?"
"ROAR!"
While she was thinking, Araba's hiss-roar blasted in her ears.
*BOOM!!*
A terrifying Dragon Breath swept toward them. Its target wasn't someone else—it was himself. The terrifying explosion caused by this self-destructive attack instantly incinerated the countless silk threads binding his body, catching Shiro completely off guard. The two spiders were blown away by the shockwave of the breath, looking utterly disheveled.
Within the smoke came Araba's excited hiss.
"This is..." Shirazawa's brow furrowed, realizing the situation had become grave.
Sure enough, as the smoke slowly cleared, the two spiders wore expressions of alarm. Araba, who had been bound by silk just moments ago, was now wreathed in flames. With the posture of a sovereign ruler, he charged toward them.
"This guy... he actually spent 40,000 skill points to learn specific counter-skills just for us!" Shiro said in shock, her face turning pale. "The highest tier of fire magic... You're an Earth Dragon, not a Fire Dragon, hey!"
"Dark Resistance to block our Dark Magic, and Spatial Perception to limit our speed... how are we supposed to fight this! He exhausted a massive stockpile of skill points just to beat two spiders? That's too damn wasteful!"
Shiro wanted to cry, but there were no tears.
"Heh, it's not being wasteful." Shirazawa shook his head calmly. "Why do you think Araba learned those skills?"
"Why?" Shiro was puzzled.
"Because... at this moment, he views us as opponents worthy of a true fight." Shirazawa grinned. "Against a strong enemy, it's only natural to give it your all."
Shiro froze for a moment, suddenly finding his words very convincing. *An opponent worthy of going all out?*
Heh.
The two shared a smile, their fighting spirit soaring.
"The battle has only just begun."
They whispered in unison, their figures flickering as they deployed their best techniques, attacking Araba without mercy.
"AOOO—"
Araba roared at the sky, the flames surrounding him surging as he lunged fiercely at the pair. A three-way chaotic brawl erupted, the combat turning incredibly intense.
[Proficiency reached. Skill Thought Acceleration Lv10 derived new skill Thought Super-Acceleration Lv1.]
[Proficiency reached. Foresight Lv10 derived skill Future Sight Lv1.]
Facing the fire-hell below, the two fought while retreating. Without realizing it, their skill proficiencies had hit the limit, giving birth to brand-new, powerful abilities. They were growing stronger, but Araba was growing stronger too.
The battle lasted for a long time, and the two gradually fell into a disadvantage. 40,000 skill points wasn't just a number.
"Watch out, he's using a big move again!" Shirazawa warned.
Araba's body expanded by a size, the fire burning even more intensely until he looked like a giant ball of fire.
"Flame Ball!"
He opened his mouth and spat out a crimson orb of fire, shooting it toward them with violent speed. The fireball cut through the air, approaching with searing heat. Shiro quickly pulled Shirazawa into a dodge, narrowly avoiding the impact.
*Bang—*
The fireball smashed into the ceiling behind them, scorching a deep crater into the rock. Then, the two discovered they had no path of retreat.
"Have we hit the ceiling already?" Shiro looked up. Aside from the rock wall, she couldn't find any other exit. Below them was a world of scorching fire; getting close would mean being burned to a crisp. This power was countless times more terrifying than the magma of the Middle Stratum. These flames were the product of the highest-tier Flame Magic, incomparable to ordinary fire.
"What do we do?"
"Stay calm!" Shirazawa soothed her emotions, pondering. "If we can't go up, then find a way to douse the flames!"
"Douse them?"
"Ocean of Venom!" they said in unison.
"Exactly." Shirazawa nodded, toxins condensing at his fingertips and erupting outward.
The terrifying venom landed on the flames; the lethal toxicity corroded the fire, extinguishing a portion of it. But another part continued to gush forth incessantly.
"Magic Minds, prepare Poison Magic!" x2
"Roger!" x8
*Hummm—*
In the next moment, a black magic circle that blotted out the sky manifested beneath their feet. Black mist swirled as if the end of the world had arrived.
"Poison Magic: Deadly Waterfall!"
With their command, the entire area was filled with a black ocean, terrifying power running wild.
*Splash—*
The endless black water formed a towering deluge, pouring down from all directions.
*Sizzle—*
Black water clashed with fire, each eroding and annihilating the other. The two powerful energies collided, creating countless ripples that spread through every inch of the void.
"When it comes to a war of MP attrition, we've never lost!" Shiro gritted her teeth. "Let's see who breaks first!"
"ROAR—"
Araba seemed to be responding to Shiro's challenge. Flames erupted from his body as it expanded further, the fire growing even more brilliant.
*Boom—*
The two energies slammed into each other, kicking up endless waves that washed over the cavern.
*Crack, crack—*
The hard rock walls began to show cracks under the pressure of the two forces, eventually crumbling.
"Not good!" Shirazawa sensed danger, and then the surrounding walls began to collapse. The two were forced to abandon their spellcasting to dodge the falling boulders.
"ROAR—"
Araba let out an excited roar. In a duel between masters, one does not let such an opportunity slip by. His massive frame bore down on them, and Earth Magic began to condense—four magic circles locked the two down completely.
Shirazawa's pupils shrank. "Dammit!"
Looking at the rapidly approaching maw, Shirazawa stopped holding back.
"Annihilating... Evil Eye!"
The attribute of Rot, representing death itself, erupted from his eyes and struck Araba directly in the head.
"Ugh-ah—!!"
"AOOO!!!"
The two let out a shrill scream at the same time. Shirazawa's right eye and one compound eye were instantly ruined. Araba was also heavily wounded, wailing in pain. A large, sunken hole had been carved into his forehead, blood flowing freely.
Shirazawa and Shiro took the chance to escape, fleeing toward the lower part of the cave.
"Shirazawa, how are you?"
Shirazawa held his right eye, blood streaming down. "I'm fine. It won't affect the fight."
"Bastard!" Shiro gritted her teeth, looking back at the pursuing Araba.
This guy... he still hasn't fallen? No, wait—his SP... it's almost exhausted!
"This is it!"
"Annihilating Evil Eye x3!!"
"Ugh-ah—"