Chapter 1688 Desperate Escape
Sounds of rapid energy bullets blasted through the damp, dreary air, rebounding off the cold stone walls. Their deafening reports ricocheted, echoing through the underground chamber, drowning out the maddening shrieking of the arachnid swarm.
Like a hailstorm of death, the barrage was unrelenting, obliterating numerous spiders in a gruesome ballet of carnage. It provided just enough of an opening, a sliver of hope for the magus group to make their desperate escape.
Atlas, led the charge, his imposing form darting through the relentless wave of screeching creatures. Three other magus, followed in his wake, their movements fraught with evident strain. Heavy bags, filled to the brim with the precious items they had risked their lives for, clung tightly to their arms.
Suddenly, a blur of motion tore through the chaos - the half machine Magus, acting on split-second instinct, tossed his burdensome bags toward the group. With a swift movement, mechanical in its precision, he propelled himself into the air, flying just above the sea of chittering monstrosities. Both of his mechanical arms were ablaze, discharging waves of vibrant energy. His spell, a powerful confluence of the primal elements - the fiery fury of a [Flare Tempest]. Burning flames and jagged lightning bolts rained down, shattering the creatures that dared to venture too close.
Yet amidst this maelstrom of chaos, Emery's keen eyes caught onto an unsettling detail. They were one man short. The full moon magus, their pillar of strength, Magus Blane, was conspicuously missing.
A knot of terror twisted inside Captain Steele's stomach as he bellowed, "Where is Magus Blane!" His voice, gruff and commanding, sliced through the symphony of chaos, ringing out like a desperate plea over the screeching of arachnids and the thunderous reports of his energy turret.
Before Atlas could muster a response, a scene straight from the most horrific of nightmares unfurled before their eyes. Emerging from the yawning mouth of the tunnel they had just bolted from, amidst an avalanche of tumbling rocks and dust, a grotesque figure was flung out.
Impaled grotesquely on the jagged appendage of a monstrosity, a human body was on gruesome display. The creature was a chilling sight, its anatomy a horrifying amalgamation of spider and humanoid. Its lower half was all spider - eight legs, skittering on the ground, while the upper half was eerily humanoid, twisted in a silent scream of agony.
[Phantom Drider - Mythical creature]
A name that invoked fear in even the most hardened of magus.
The sheer terror of the moment was amplified by the horrifying realization that the mangled body skewered by the creature was Magus Blane. The mythical beast had torn the full moon magus in half, effectively silencing the once formidable force in their group.
"Get inside! NOWW!!" Captain Steele roared, his voice echoing off the cavernous walls as he ramped up his energy bombardment towards the tunnel entrance. The aperture of the tunnel had grown ominously larger, and from its depths, more spiders continued to spill forth like an unholy tide.
Despite the urgency, Emery couldn't help but observe the blonde female magus. In the face of the nightmarish spectacle, she defied the captain's orders, and with a determined glint in her eyes, she charged headlong towards the colossal beast. Ignoring the danger and the captain's warning, she unleashed her own fiery torrent. Her spell - a swirling vortex of flame, a [Flaming Tornado], surged towards the advancing swarm.
In the heat of the moment, Emery had a stark realization. The blonde female magus wasn't simply disobeying orders. She was running headlong into the jaws of death, distracting the mythical Drider to buy time for the others, all in a desperate attempt to save the fallen Magus Blane. Her bold, yet reckless, maneuver successfully drew the attention of the creature. It turned its monstrous gaze towards her, the lethal focus shifting away from the rest of the group.
"THOSE FOOLS!!" The Captain's curse echoed within the chamber. His face twisted in a mix of frustration and concern as he continued to fire the turret, laser-focused on the growing swarm of arachnids.
The last of the bags of cargo made it inside the vehicles, their precious load protected. Silo, overwhelmed with panic, shouted, "We must move now!! Captain, please!!" His pleading voice bounced off the cavern walls, the urgency evident. But the Captain seemed deaf to his pleas, his attention solely on the ensuing battle.
Emery realized that the fastest way out of this nightmare was by saving the incapacitated Magus Blane. Falling to his knees, he put both hands on the ground, the dirt and grime clinging to his skin. He summoned his [Mineralized Warriors], beings of earth and stone, who charged headlong into the swarm, their aim not to win but to delay. Seeing Emery's strategy, Wex followed suit, summoning his spectral entities to join the fray.
A mythical creature like the Phantom Drider wasn't something they could easily vanquish. Especially not with the multitude of Dreadspinner spinners emerging from the cavern, their number increasing with every passing second.
Their sole aim was to hold the creature at bay long enough to escape.
Atlas, the most nimble among them, saw his opportunity. With a burst of speed, he darted towards the fallen Magus Blane and scooped up the upper half of his body. Despite the gruesome sight, he didn't falter. Carrying the critically wounded magus, he sprinted back towards the group, their ticket to survival in his arms.
A shrill, terrifying shriek echoed throughout the cavern, emanating from the enormous creature. Although its language was indecipherable to the humans, its intentions were clear: fury at having its prey snatched from it. The Phantom Drider launched into a furious rampage, charging directly towards the vehicles with a frightening speed that belied its monstrous size.
In this critical moment, Emery put his palms back on the ground, his fingers splaying wide against the cool stone floor. He drew upon his magic once again, performing a combination of two spells. From the depths of the earth, massive roots sprang forth, their gnarled and twisted forms shooting up to entangle the rampaging creature. At the same time, the solid stone beneath began to shift and soften, transforming into a treacherous pit of thick, sticky mud, attempting to hinder its advance.
"Go NOW!" Emery's voice cut through the pandemonium. One by one, the group swiftly entered the vehicles, leaving only Emery behind, watching as the mythical creature began to free itself from the dual-pronged magical trap he'd created. With a final glance and a nod of understanding from the Captain, Emery stepped into the vehicle, the doors sliding shut behind him.
The engines of the Juggernaut roared to life, echoing through the cavern as it shot off towards the tunnel entrance, the swarm of arachnids in hot pursuit. Another ear-splitting shriek filled the air, the creature's frustration palpable as it watched its prey escape.
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