Free Web NovelChapter 202: Second Phase
The narrow passage finally opened into a wide, circular chamber. The walls were lined with the same crimson crystals from before, pulsing with a slow, steady rhythm. The floor was smooth, worn by time, and covered in a thin layer of pale dust that swirled gently with each step.
At the far end of the chamber stood a massive stone door. Its surface was covered in intricate carvings, and thick strands of webbing stretched across its face, glistening faintly in the dim light. The air around the door felt heavy, still.
Andrey stopped in front of it, his hand resting on the cold stone. His Ki senses probed the edges, searching for traps or hidden mechanisms.
"The boss room," he said quietly. "This is the entrance."
Sarah stepped up beside him, peering at the carvings. "Looks old and creepy."
Sein cracked her neck. "Let’s just open it and get this over with."
Lisa stayed a step behind, her wand gripped tightly, but she said nothing. Hope moved to the side, her greatsword ready.
Andrey pressed his palm against the stone door. The carvings pulsed faintly, and a low rumble echoed through the chamber as the door began to slide open, revealing the darkness beyond.
The team readied their weapons, stepping forward as the door fully opened.
Beyond it lay a vast chamber, its ceiling lost in shadow. Thick strands of webbing stretched across the walls and ceiling, creating a labyrinth of pale, silken threads. The air was still, heavy, and carried a faint, musty scent.
And perched in the center of the room, on a massive web that spanned the entire width of the chamber, was the floor boss.
A spider.
Its body was enormous, easily the size of a small building, covered in sleek, black chitin that seemed to absorb the light. Its eight legs were long and jointed, ending in sharp, curved claws. Its multiple eyes glowed with a cold, malevolent light. Its mandibles clicked softly, and from its abdomen, a thin strand of silk descended, swaying gently.
[Shadow Weaver Queen].
Lisa’s face went pale. Her wand trembled in her grip. "Th-that’s... a giant spider..."
Sarah let out a low whistle, though her voice carried unease. "That thing is creepy. Look at its face—I’m definitely having nightmares tonight."
Sein cracked her neck, flames flickering around her fists. "It’s just a big bug. Burn it, and it’ll stop moving."
Hope stepped forward, her greatsword gleaming. "Don’t underestimate it. This is a floor boss."
Andrey stood at the front, his staff extended, eyes fixed on the massive spider. His voice was steady, calm.
"Lisa, stay in the back and keep the barrier up. Sarah, focus on area attacks to clear the webbing. Sein, you’re on flank duty. Hope, you’re with me at the front."
The Shadow Weaver Queen’s mandibles clicked, and from its abdomen, a thick strand of silk shot toward the team. It landed between them and the spider, and more strands followed, weaving together into a wall of webbing that blocked their path.
Lisa’s barrier flared to life. "Aegis of Dawn!"
A mint-green dome expanded around the team, pushing back the webbing. The strands sizzled where they touched the barrier, but more were already being spun from above.
Sein launched herself toward the web wall, flames roaring. "Crimson Impact!" Her fist connected with the webbing, and fire erupted, burning through the strands. But more webs were already being spun, replacing the ones she had destroyed.
Sarah raised her wand, pink energy gathering. "Heartstorm Apocalypse!" A torrent of pink hearts rained down on the spider, but the creature moved, its legs carrying it across the ceiling with unsettling speed. The hearts struck the webbing, tearing through it, but the spider was already elsewhere, descending from above.
Andrey used Phantom Step to appear beneath the spider, his staff extended. "Ki Blade!" A pale blue blade of energy formed along his staff, and he swung upward, cutting into the spider’s underside. The creature screeched, recoiling, and retreated back to the ceiling.
The Shadow Weaver Queen let out a high-pitched hiss, and from its abdomen, dozens of smaller spiders began to descend—each one the size of a dog, their bodies covered in the same black chitin. They dropped onto the webbing and scurried toward the team, their multiple eyes gleaming with hunger.
Lisa’s voice was shaky but determined. "I’ll hold them back! Aegis of Dawn—expand!" The barrier widened, pushing the smaller spiders back, but they pressed against it, their claws scraping against the surface.
Sarah fired Pink Rain into the swarm, pink projectiles tearing through the smaller spiders. "There’s too many! They keep coming!"
Sein burned through a cluster of them with a sweep of her flames. "Focus on the big one! These small ones are just distractions!"
Andrey’s eyes stayed fixed on the Shadow Weaver Queen as it crawled along the ceiling, its movements deliberate. He could see the pattern now—the smaller spiders were meant to wear them down, to trap them in the webs while the queen prepared a more devastating attack.
"Hope, keep the smaller ones off us," he said. "I’m going to bring the queen down."
He activated Overdrive.
His body surged with power, white light blazing around him. He leaped, staff extended, and struck the ceiling with enough force to crack the stone. The impact sent shockwaves through the chamber, and the Shadow Weaver Queen was forced to drop from its perch, landing heavily on the webbed floor below.
"Now!" Andrey shouted. "Sein! Sarah! Hit it with everything you’ve got!"
Sein’s flames roared. "Crimson Cataclysm!"
Sarah’s wand blazed. "Heartstorm Apocalypse!"
Hope’s greatsword swung. "Radiant Judgment!" frёewebnoѵēl.com
The combined attacks struck the Shadow Weaver Queen, sending it reeling. Its body convulsed, its legs trembling as the webbing around it began to dissolve.
Lisa’s barrier shimmered as she reinforced it, her voice filled with determination. "Keep going! It’s weakening!"
Andrey landed beside the queen, his staff raised. "One more hit!"
Hope’s greatsword blazed with golden light as she leaped forward, her voice ringing out across the chamber.
"Radiant Judgment!"
The blade came down in a massive arc, golden energy exploding on impact. The Shadow Weaver Queen screeched as the attack carved a deep gash across its side, black ichor spraying across the webbing. The creature was thrown backward, its massive body crashing into the far wall with a thunderous crack.
The team paused, breathing hard, watching as the spider lay still.
Sarah lowered her wand, a grin spreading across her face. "Is it... over?"
Sein’s flames flickered as she caught her breath. "Tch. Finally. That thing was annoying."
Lisa’s barrier flickered and faded, her shoulders slumping with relief. "We did it..."
Andrey kept his staff raised, his eyes still fixed on the motionless spider. Something felt wrong. His Ki senses were still prickling.
Then they heard it.
A wet, sickening crackling sound, like something tearing from the inside.
The spider’s body began to twitch. Its chitinous shell split open along the seams, dark fluid seeping out. The team watched in horror as the creature’s legs pushed against the cracking shell, shedding its outer layer like a snake shedding its skin.
From the broken husk, a new form emerged.
It was sleeker, darker, its body now covered in a glossy black carapace that seemed to drink the light. Its legs were longer, sharper, tipped with gleaming barbs. Its eyes burned brighter, and from its abdomen, a thick, web-like mist began to seep, spreading across the floor.
The Shadow Weaver Queen had entered its second phase.
Andrey’s voice cut through the silence. "Everyone, fall back! It’s not over yet!"
Sarah’s grin vanished. "You’ve got to be kidding me..."
The Shadow Weaver Queen let out a deafening screech, and the mist around it began to rise, filling the chamber with a thick, choking haze. The team scrambled to regroup, their vision obscured by the spreading fog.
