3.3.20.1. Fruits of Envy - Part Two

Nöac the Hellspawn, Son of Vordac, Spider Knight-General, Lord of the Doppelgängers (before monster transformation)

The old, but massive door creaks as the Paladins push it open, altogether.

            And then, a large, vast hall comes into view. It’s supposed to be a bridge between sections of this stronghold, except that it looks more like a spider nest. Thick, sticky webs are everywhere on the walls, blocking the doors, walls, windows and sections of the floor. Even the staircase that leads to the second floor of Kraal’Thragon is completely blocked, fully covered by the webbing.

            ‘It’s obviously a trap, devised for this sole purpose of defense,’ says Kyflynn, readying his double dagger, making a stance.

            Cristophe, leader of the pack immediately shouts, ‘CAREFUL! It’s a trap! Get ready for surprises!’

            A voice interrupts, ‘No need. Surprise is already here.’

            Kyflynn looks around and finds the source of that frightening voice – in a shape of a man in full plate armor with four extra limbs other than his hand and feet – giant spider legs, to be exact.

            Wielding the infamous Carrion Lance, the Demonic General known as Nöac comes down the webbed staircase with the four spider legs on his back in such fashion, like a god descending from the heavens.

            Silently, but frontally.

            A challenge, no doubt.

            The half-man, half-arachnid greets most politely, with a salute and a bow, saying, ‘Welcome to the Spider Barricade. In case you haven’t seen me before, I’m Nöac the Hellspawn, Son of Vordac and his most loyal retainer. I’m in charge of this area.’

            ‘The dungeons?’ Adler responds in distaste. ‘Oh, we happened to stumble upon your handiworks back there, and I’d say you really deserve a merit, a payment befitting that: A million years in HELL!!’

            To this, the Black Prince chuckles before bursts into a thunderous laugh, ‘Khu-khu… HAHAHAHA! Hell? Sounds like an interesting place for me. Alas, I think you lot don’t have enough strength to send me there. In fact, I’m thinking either to stall you all here or send you to hell myself.

            You see, when someone comes in this barricade, he can’t get out.’

            Suddenly, Nöac waves his hands and a big web bursts out from it. FWOORSH!! It hits the entrance door and covers it fully like a prison bar.

            ‘Huh! It’s only a measly, brittle web! Let me break it!’ Adler shouts and swings his great sword! TCHACK! ZZZT!! ZZTT!! The web is electrically charged, and Adler gets electrified!

            ‘GAAHH!!’ The none-too clever noble screams in pain. His hands are as though attached on his sword and he can’t take them off. The next moment, an arrow with razor-sharp wind aura flies like a homing projectile and CRAASSH!! Cuts the spider web so easily lke a cleaver to a bread.

            The Viscount moves back, seemingly out of danger now. He staggers a bit and then turns to face the man-spider without thanking Iris, his rescuer. The elf archer doesn’t seem to mind, though. She concentrates on the enemy like Adler does.

            ‘Oh, well, there goes my attempt to sort the stupid ones out. But, never fear. I also invite some friends to liven up this showdown. Forth, arachnids!’

            Soon, giant spiders, too many to count by only looking are booming from everywhere on or hanging down the web. Black, hideous spiders able to stun their enemies and break them with sharp pincers on their mouths. CLICK-CLICK! The continously clicking their mouth pincers, sounding a threat of sure death for all trespassers.

            ‘Well, that’s one messy battleground. My kind of mess,’ says Kyflynn casually, smiling in the face of danger in contrary of his serious-faced comrades.  ‘Hey, listen, Chris. I, Tina and Desmond will handle this spider-guy. You lot just clear the arachnids out of the way, open the path and rush on upstairs,’ he points at the stairs with his dagger.

            ‘No, Flynn. I say we must finish this guardian together,’ Chris shakes his head inside his helmet. ‘No one is leaving nobody behind!’ And the eight-legged gargantuans attack!

            To this, the night elf gives the leader a fierce stare, shouting, ‘No! Trust me. We can handle him. You must be quick! Our army is being massacred out there, and they’re counting on us! The clock is ticking, so do as they say and act now!’

            ‘Very well, you all heard Kyflynn? Let’s do this!’ Chris shouts at the top of his voice, whacking into a giant spider with gusto.

            Finishing conferring among yourselves, eh? Good! Your lame tactic wont’ work because my lance will skewer you all into oblivion!!’ Saying so, Nöac charges forward!

            His first target, of course is the leader of the Paladins, Cristophe! His lance thrusts forward with a single, centrifugal drilling motion of Hollow Seeker.

            However, before it comes even close to the target, BHLAANG! Something hits the lance real hard, deflecting it to another direction! Nöac is pushed backwards and his two spider legs steps on the floor, halting him.

            The man-spider turns and sees the one who interrupted him: Desmond the Berserker with his signature move, Thousand Gates Break.

And then Kyflynn’s voice comes, ‘Ah-ah-ah! You’re dealing with us! Just stick to the agenda, won’t you?’

‘Who the hell cares about your stupid agenda? Just shut up and DIE!!’ FWOOSHH!! Nöac thrusts one spider leg to where the voice come from, and it only touches thin air!

The next thing he sees is the super-quick night elf planting both daggers on both sides of one outstretched leg with a Backstab. CHRAAPP!!

‘G-GGAAAGHH!!’ Nöac shouts behind the x-shaped visor of his helmet. Kyflynn takes his daggers out and leaps to the other leg, but he can’t reach it and lands on the floor instead.

With one spider leg injured, the Spider Knight gets his feet on the floor. All his opponents are moving switftly and constantly, so it’s hard to lock on the next target. Aha, there’s one! He thinks.

SQUAARTTSCH!!

Desmond just flattened a giant spider to the floor like squishing a bug with the forceful swing-and-slam of his great hammer: Megaton Impact. That move makes him stationary for a moment, so Nöac attacks him with his lance and limbs all drilling at once (except the injured one, of course).

SWIIIRRR!! SWHIIIRRRR!!! The Five Abyssal Gates are closing in to that single target! Desmond tries to block it with his hammer and Stone Skin-reinforced hands.

In addition, Desmond’s team mate Flynn takes another go from Nöac’s side! SWHIRR!!

Suddenly, the drills change course! The blue-skinned elf is too late to evade it.

Yet, Kyflynn darts on, sways a bit and dodges three drills. CCRASSH!! One drill grazes his waist, and the other his right thigh!

‘UGGH!’ Flynn suppresses the pain from his wound. ‘Now it’s my turn! Taste my new move: Windwalker Barrage!’ CAP-CAP-CAP-CAP-CAP! The night elf lands multiple thrusts with godly speed on Nöac like a sudden thunder rain. The Black Prince barely defends himself, feeling excruciating pain like a thousand needles piercing through his armor, into his skin and flesh.

Adding to his misery, the ice mage showers him with a rain of Frost Arrows. The sharp shards of ice are targeted on the spider legs only, and soon Nöac suffers damage inside and outside.

‘GRRRHH!! YOU – DON’T – SEE – ANYTHING… YET!!!’

The dark lost souls in Nöac’s body culminate into a mana vortex, and he releases it in form of drilling thrusts of his lance towards his targets: Ten Pits of Underworld.

SWHIRR! SWIRR!! Desmond, Tina and Flynn swiftly moves away to evade that attack, and the ten drills elongate abnormally, thrashing and whipping everywhere like a Decapus (Octopus has eight legs, Decapus has ten).

CTAARRR! SWIRL! C’TARRR!! The great ‘tentacles’ chase the three attackers like homing missiles. Desmond tries to evade one drill, and the second drill comes and drills onto his back, CRRKL, CRRKL!! Putting his Stone Skin to the next grade test. Nevertheless, Desmond is still flesh-and-bone beneath his thickened skin, and blood starts to sprinkle from his slightly wounded back.

To Desmond’s surprise, comes the third drill aiming straight towards his head to finish him off! Ignoring his pain, he again resorts to a frontal, forceful swing of his hammer, again with the Thousand Gates Break move!

B’DANGG!! The impact between the drill and the hammer causes the drill to stop. Instead, the Bjordan Berserker utilizes that impact force into an overhead swing of Megaton Impact.

CCRRAACCKK!! That swing with multiplied power hits the man-spider’s black helmet, putting a crack on its iron surface!

‘GAAAGH!!!’ Nöac holds his head and is thrown backwards! He staggers and tries to balance himself while guarding himself from so sudden a massive attack.

Well, no such attack comes. Instead, he sees the pink-haired sorceress and the green-haired elf enchantress cast Wind Shear and Fire Wall altogether, cutting and burning through the cobweb blocking the stairs.

My fellow arachnids... all annihilated? Is this the power of the Eleven? No, it’s not fair. I need... greater power. I just can’t handle all of them alone. These three pests can overwhelm me, but not for long. With all the spares gone so my other partners can handle the, nothing may come in the way so I can finish them off with my finishing blow.

Soon, the Paladins run swiftly along the stairway, leaving Kyflynn’s team to manhandle the man-spider.

Next omes Kyflynn, just restored from the last assault with drill grazes all over his body, shouting a taunt, ‘There, you really cannot hold us all in here. Now we just only have to eliminate you, so you won’t pursue and hinder my partners. Come on, show us what you’re really made of.’

‘Fine! Now I’m going to make you eat those words!’ Saying so, Nöac moves fast like lightning, using all his limbs, encircling the room. He thrusts his lance several times, but the three dodge it easily. Soon, Kyflynn’s team are all pitted together, standing back-to-back.

Suddenly, Kyflynn gets startled and he warns his partners, ‘Look out! It’s a trap! That tin spider ushered us like shepherd to a flock of sheep, and now he got us where he wants to!’

Nöac replies, ‘Fast thinking, night elf! But not fast enough. You are now but three flies trapped in a web, and my next move will devour you all at once! HEEEAAAHH!!’

Comes next a rain of chills from all angles, encircling and blocking its targets like a Devourer of the Sun. No one can escape it unless he can dig very fast and move far enough into the ground.

Great jaws close in for a quick bite, and the trio forms up defense! Tina conjures a Wall of Ice, and Desmond strengthens his Stone Skin, raising his great hammer to the sky, like an umbrella and a human shield to protect his comrades from the attacks from above.

CRACK! CRASH! DANG! DANG! CRACK!

The drills break the ice barrier and hit Desmond and Tina altogether! The berserker grits his teeth to bear the pain, and he moves a bit to cover the woman he cares for.

Tina, of course doesn’t say anything, but her eyes stare at Desmond warmly, grateful and touched by this selfless care. It’s the first time she give him that look, and this puts a peaceful smile between the hefty man’s trimmed beard, easing his suffering.

Soon, the attacks fade away. The Black Prince moves in to reap what he sown, and suddenly a big drill darts from beneath the formation!

SWWIRLLL!! It spins faster than Nöac’s, and with a concentrated, massive power, together forming the Soul-Splitting Drill.

Nöac sways a little to evade it, and CRAAACK!! The ultra-speed skill hits his head! His already cracked helmet can’t bear anymore abuse, and PHRAALL!! Breaks into pieces!

Ending his counterattack, Kyflynn immediately lands on the floor. The next thing he sees is Nöac covering his head and face with one hand, leaning on the Carrion Lance on the other, and then letting out a maniacal laugh.

‘WHUIIHIHIHIHIHIIII!!!’

‘What’s that all about?’ Kyflynn gets alert and moves into a defensive stance.

‘T-that’s... that’s hilarious. How pathetic. All those attacks to my strongest spot just to reveal the face inside my helmet? Well, at least I’ll give you the satisfaction of staring at my handsome face before you all die!’

Slowly, Nöac removes his hand and reveals a head with deathly pale-blue skin. His short yet untidy blond hair, his thick mustache make him look awfully familiar to the trio, and Tina immediately recognizes the distinguishing big scar on the cleft where his right eye was, saying, ‘Alaric.’

The pale-skinned man curls up a smile, ‘Oh, you recognized me eh, frosty lady? For your information, the ‘Alaric’ you all know has been dead for years, since I possessed him. And when my ‘human guise’ ‘died’ in the Battle of Myrcalia, Nöac returned, stronger than ever.

Well, being Lord of the Doppelgängers has its privileges, you know.’

Note: Page 323 of 487 start

Picture Source: Tibelluss the Spider Knight (Medieval Spider-Man, more like)

from http://andreiaugrai.deviantart.com  

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