Minute Mage: A Time-Traveling LitRPG

Chapter 22: Arachnid Adversaries

I hurriedly readied myself against the charging Anacaps, standing up and turning to face them just as one of the monsters collided with me. Tumbling back to the ground with it on top of me, I tried my best to keep its long, pointed claws away from my body as I activated Noxious Grasp and cast Crippling Chill on the monster.

You have cursed Level 12 Anacap with Crippling Chill. For the next 15 seconds, it loses 5.51 Health and 4.41 Stamina each second, and its Dexterity score is lowered by 11.

47.3 Mana Cost. Your Mana is 168.

I could feel its movements slow as the curse drained away its strength at the same time that Noxious Grasp drained its life. Still, it was powerful, and it pinned me onto the ground underneath its large, spindly body.

I raised up my arms to try and fend off its attacks – Noxious Grasp was draining away its Health second by second, so all I needed to do was survive while it was touching me. That was easier said than done, though, as the monster used all six limbs to keep me from getting up while also attempting to stab at my torso, only being deflected by the frantic blocks and parries I performed with my hands.

A huge boom sound exploded out from somewhere next to me, and I glanced over to see the other Anacap fly off of Erani’s body from a high-powered detonation, seemingly one that she shot off inside the webby bonds restricting her. Her body was burnt and her clothes charred from the massive explosion, but the webs had burnt off of her as well, and the Anacap’s large but light body was launched at least a dozen paces away by the Spell.

I snapped my attention back to the Anacap as it struck at me again. I put up my hands to try and block it, but I was too slow, and it raked its blades across my chest.

You have been sliced by claws. 44 damage.

Your Health is 96.

I bit back a scream of pain as the claws split my skin apart. My Health protected me from the bulk of the damage, but the length of my body that was cut open hurt like the worst of the hells.

I twisted away from the Anacap, shoving it away while it was off-balance from its attack. The monster stumbled back and fell to the ground while I scrambled to my feet, wincing at the throbbing pain in my chest.

You have struck Level 12 Anacap for 102 damage and drained 51 Stamina over the course of 7.3 seconds using Noxious Grasp.

26.1 Mana Cost. Your Mana is 142.

I glanced around frantically and spotted Erani getting tackled back to the ground by the other Anacap. Trying my best to help, I cursed it with another Crippling Chill, but I couldn’t do much else.

You have cursed Level 14 Anacap with Crippling Chill. For the next 15 seconds, it loses 5.51 Health and 4.41 Stamina each second, and its Dexterity score is lowered by 11.

47.3 Mana Cost. Your Mana is 95.

Besides, I had other things to worry about. The Anacap that I’d just knocked away got to its feet, towering over me once again with its six bladed arms held out, ready to strike. I quickly dove forward, trying to get close enough to it that it couldn’t utilize its range advantage. Colliding with its skinny legs, I felt a snap from underneath me as one of the beast’s knees bent in the wrong direction.

You have struck Level 12 Anacap for 32 damage using your Body.

You have crippled Level 12 Anacap.

It let out a monstrous hiss of pain as it fell over on top of me. I was surprised at how easily the Anacap’s exoskeleton broke. I’d charged right into its knee, sure, but higher-Leveled monsters usually weren’t injured by so little force.

Then again, I’d already drained quite a bit of Health from the monster, so it didn’t actually have much System-related protection anymore. Plus, Noxious Grasp was at such a high Rank that its effects of withering away flesh and muscle would have been incredibly powerful, even against a monster as high-Leveled as this one. I had to remember that a Rank 7 Spell would only be allowed by the Soft Caps of Classers Leveled 12 and above. In that sense, I was incredibly ahead of my Level.

Noxious Grasp was already active – I’d activated it the moment my skin touched the Anacap’s exoskeleton – so I quickly grabbed onto the Anacap, unwilling to allow the opportunity of its leg breaking to pass. Gritting my teeth at the burning pain in my bleeding chest, I held the dazed monster down – now I was the one pinning it – and slammed my fist into its arachnid head, crushing its chitinous mandibles into its face.

You have struck Level 12 Anacap for 12 damage using your Fist.

Crippling Chill has worn off of Level 12 Anacap.

You have struck Level 12 Anacap for 83 damage and drained 66 Stamina over the course of 15 seconds using Crippling Chill.

Just as I struck it, though, Crippling Chill’s fifteen second duration let up. The Anacap immediately surged forward, its Dexterity now unburdened, and threw me away. I managed to land on my feet, preparing to cast another instance of my Spell on the monster, but in the split-second it took me to prepare Crippling Chill, the Anacap struck at me, its claws lancing into my stomach.

You have been stabbed by claws. 62 damage.

Your Health is 34.

The fistfull of blades sunk much deeper into my torso than they had into my chest before, my lower pool of Health protecting me less from damage. I coughed out in pain from the blow, agony sending me into shock, but I managed to get my cast off, covering the spider monster’s chitinous body in frost yet again.

You have cursed Level 12 Anacap with Crippling Chill. For the next 15 seconds, it loses 5.51 Health and 4.41 Stamina each second, and its Dexterity score is lowered by 11.

47.3 Mana Cost. Your Mana is 48.

Hissing as it felt the effects of the curse, the Anacap yanked its claws from my gut, a new bout of pain springing out by the sudden movement, and backed away from me, limping on its broken leg. I somehow managed to stay standing, my hands shivering and my forehead breaking out into a sweat from the intense burning in my gut.

But I knew I had to fight on. If the beast was backing away, it must have been low on Health. I could take it down if I could just get one more grapple in on it and get in a few seconds of Noxious Grasp.

The monster eyed me warily, as though it understood my exact thought process. In fact, it was probably thinking the exact same thing I was; I was one solid hit away from death, too.

Crippling Chill has worn off of Level 14 Anacap.

You have struck Level 14 Anacap for 83 damage and drained 66 Stamina over the course of 15 seconds using Crippling Chill.

It seemed that my Crippling Chill had worn off of the Anacap Erani was fighting, but I couldn’t afford to distract myself from the battle in front of me, and my Mana was too low to safely cast another instance of it.

I ran forward, agony rippling through my gut. Clenching my teeth and groaning in pain, I kept sprinting until I slammed into the exhausted Anacap, pushing it into the ground and grabbing onto it with Noxious Grasp. I frantically tried to hold its arms down as it flailed underneath me, haphazardly trying to stab me with its claws.

But after a few seconds, the movement from underneath me stopped as the monster finally ran out of Stamina. Then, I got the fateful notification.

You have struck Level 12 Anacap for 69 damage and drained 34 Stamina over the course of 4.9 seconds using Noxious Grasp.

17.5 Mana Cost. Your Mana is 31.

Due to its target dying, Crippling Chill has worn off of Level 12 Anacap.

You have struck Level 12 Anacap for 48 damage and drained 38 Stamina over the course of 8.7 seconds using Crippling Chill.

You have slain Level 12 Anacap.

You have earned 131 XP. Your XP is 226.

Threshold reached. 200 XP.

Your Level has increased to 4.

Due to achieving Level 4 in the Minute Mage Class, you have been granted the following benefits:

-You have gained 1 Endurance.

-You have gained 2 Conjuration.

-You have gained 1 Intelligence.

-You have gained 3 Stat Points.

-Soft Cap has increased to Rank 3.

-Time Loop Talent Rank has increased to 4.

I was momentarily distracted by the words that rushed through my mind. Level 4! Holy shit! I also got another notification, something about my Intelligence Stat reaching a certain threshold to reward me with something, but before I could take any time to look at it, I heard a scream from behind me. I whipped my head around to see the other Anacap, poised on top of Erani, withdraw its claws from a deep wound in her shoulder. Blood spouted from the wound.

I rushed over, yelling both from the pain in my gut and chest and in order to try and distract the predator. The diversion worked, and the monster swiveled its head toward me, stumbling to its feet.

I could see that the Anacap was clearly badly damaged, burns and cracks covering its chitin. Erani had done quite the number on the monster, it seemed. However, that didn’t mean it would be easy to kill. I still only had 34 Health left, after all.

But Erani looked even closer to death – burnt, stabbed, and bleeding out – and I needed to get rid of this monster before I could help her. I didn’t have enough Mana to cast Crippling Chill, so I’d have to rely on Noxious Grasp to do all the damage. She began struggling to her feet, trembling from the no-doubt unimaginable pain she had to be going through.

“Erani,” I said, trying to ignore my own pain, “Stay back. You aren’t in any condition to be fighting.”

“N, neither a-are you,” she shuddered and groaned as she got to another knee.

“Stay out of this! You won’t–”

The Anacap interrupted my speech, leaping at me, and I ducked under its flurry of claws as it soared over my body.

You have been sliced by claws. 11 damage.

Your Health is 23.

My back got nicked by a few of the blades’ tips, and I grunted in pain as blood seeped from those wounds, as well. Just as the Anacap was at the peak of its arc, flying over my crouching body, I leapt up, uncoiling myself and grabbing tightly onto its torso as I dragged it to the ground. It flailed its pointed limbs, trying to stab them into my body, but I was hugging it so tightly that its long arms couldn’t reach me.

Squeezing with all of my might, I tried my hardest to fight off its attempts to push me off. But eventually it wriggled from my grasp, the monster’s smooth, chitinous exoskeleton too slippery for my bloodied hands to keep a grasp on.

You have struck Level 14 Anacap for 73 damage and drained 37 Stamina over the course of 5.2 seconds using Noxious Grasp.

18.6 Mana Cost. Your Mana is 13.

It scurried to its feet much more quickly than I expected – this Anacap had an unimpaired Dexterity Stat, unlike the one I’d fought and killed with Crippling Chill – and it immediately lunged forward, eager to strike at my defenseless body. I was still on the ground, unable to dodge the mess of blades aimed at my body, so I raised my arms, preparing for the strike that would kill me–

“No!”

I heard a shout from beside me as Erani threw herself in front of the charging monster, the Anacap slicing her with all six of its clawed arms and throwing her aside. I grunted in anger and charged at the distracted monster, wound up, and threw a strong punch at the thing’s face.

You have struck Level 12 Anacap for 11 damage using your Fist.

It fell to the ground. It attempted to scramble back to its feet, but I was on it first, raising my foot above it and stomping down on its thin chest. I felt a crunch as the hard exoskeleton broke under my weight, sending goop and guts across my legs.

You have struck Level 12 Anacap for 17 damage using Boot.

You have offered moderate contribution toward the slaying of Level 14 Anacap.

You have earned 73 XP. Your XP is 99.

I sighed at the notification telling me my enemy was dead. I wanted to collapse to the ground in pain and exhaustion – my body felt ten times heavier than it did moments ago, the thrill of battle leaving my mind – but I couldn’t rest yet. I ran over to Erani, who was lying motionless on the ground, a pool of blood forming from the numerous cuts and wounds covering her body.

“Are you alright?” I knelt by her side, ignoring the screaming pain in my gut and chest.

“...Hey,” her crackled lips parted as she weakly whispered to me. “You b– better not have been lying about that time power of yours. I don’t wanna die for good.”

She let out a final breath.

I stared down at her corpse.

Fuck.

I absolutely had to go back. I couldn’t just let her die.

Besides, killing these monsters again would give me a lot of extra XP. …Although it would fucking hurt to redo that fight.

But it was okay. I had a plan.

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