Chapter 382: Breakthrough? (2)

*Tring!*

His system screen flashed in front of his face.

But Ray ignored it instantly as a leg shot towards his face with breakneck speed.

"Lengthen."

The lasso suddenly increased in length, sending Ray swinging downward as he avoided the leg by the skin of his teeth.

"Full Recovery!"

Letting go of the lasso, Ray lunged towards one of the colossal legs before swinging the dagger in his grasp, sending it tearing through the tissues between the chitin.

Landing on the ground, he watched as Nebula hurled her leg towards his head.

The shield instantly appeared in his hands, which he swung upward, blocking the leg with unwavering resolve.

The ground shattered beneath the boy’s feet.

Likewise, the cracks on the shield spread like spider webs before it shattered into nothing.

Quickly rolling away, he cast a swift glance in the direction of the cohort.

With the help of Felix and Chloe’s telekinetic ability, they were moving swiftly, and within a minute or two, they should be done.

The question now was whether Ray could hold on to his life for another minute.

Feeling the air shift behind him, Ray quickly flexed his biceps while hunching forward.

A translucent barrier of light instantly appeared around him just in the nick of time.

BOOOM!

The barrier gave way in a second, but Ray was nowhere to be seen.

He had already moved away with the help of his lightning.

Nebula’s eyes shot upward to see the element crackling within Ray’s hand and gradually taking the shape of something.

"My newest lightning skill."

[Lightning Spear]

"Hiyaah!"

Ray grunted as he hurled the lightning downward with all his strength.

A projectile as long and thick as a human’s arm shot forward with bone-rattling force.

BAM!

Before Nebula could even think of moving, the spear smashed into her head with concussive force.

Blue arcs of lightning illuminated her entire head for a second as a loud screech of pain tore through the air.

Ray smirked and landed on one of the colossal legs.

[Thunder Step Activated]

Bang!

He shot forward with blistering speed, closing the distance between himself and another leg in an instant.

However, even through the pain and paralysis caused by the lightning that had struck her, Nebula slightly tilted her head towards the boy.

And from her mandibles,

Tsshhk!

A rapid volley of razor-thin strands shot towards the boy like bullets.

[Blood Rush (Lv. 1) Activated]

[Description: Temporarily boosts the host’s speed and strength by five percent for a set period of time.]

[Time Limit: 5 mins. Cooldown: 1 hr]

A sudden rush of adrenaline coursed through Ray’s veins and body like water flowing through an open tap.

With lightning-fast movements, the boy sprinted across the beast’s legs before reaching out, grabbing his lasso, and leaping onto the Spider Queen’s back.

He swung on the lasso like a monkey, weaving around and between the Spider Queen’s legs while dodging every silk strand that came rushing towards him like bullets.

Ray wasn’t slowing down.

With the help of the lasso, he swung in wide arcs around the beast before finally reaching the front of her mandibles, which were already beginning to open again.

"Eat some lightning."

BOOOOM!

Another spear of lightning burst forward, crashing into the Spider Queen’s face with destructive force.

Nebula’s head was thrown to the side as blue lightning illuminated her entire face.

Vaulting off the lasso, Ray remained suspended in the air for a brief second as he took in the entire chamber, only to see that the cohort were almost done.

Good.

That meant he only had to keep her attention for a little longer.

Shooting back downward, a pair of daggers appeared in his hands from his inventory the moment he crashed atop Nebula’s head.

Due to the countless eyes across her body, she was able to spot Ray immediately.

The next second, darkness enveloped four of her eyes.

Ray whirled around and drove both daggers into the Spider Queen’s eyes, drawing a spray of blood and forcing a piercing screech of agony from the beast.

He didn’t stop there.

With [Blood Rush] still coursing through his veins, Ray blitzed across the Queen’s head like a streak of lightning, stabbing again and again with every ounce of strength he could muster.

Again.

Again.

Again.

Each strike landed with ruthless precision.

The more he attacked, the faster system notifications flashed before his eyes.

But Ray ignored every single one of them.

Nothing else mattered.

His entire focus was locked on blinding the monster.

Unfortunately, that intense concentration caused him to overlook one crucial movement.

Nebula suddenly spun with terrifying force.

The violent rotation almost flung Ray off her body.

And fly he did.

But before he could be thrown any farther, the golden lasso extended in an instant. Ray caught its end with one hand before it pulled him back toward the gigantic spider.

He swung beneath her enormous abdomen.

Immediately, he noticed her spinnerets contracting violently.

The next instant, a torrent of steel-like silk burst toward him.

[Arc of Judgement]

A sword-shaped beam of crackling energy rapidly formed within Ray’s grasp, twisting and spinning with immense destructive power.

Then—

CRAAASH!

Ray unleashed the beam upward before rolling out from beneath the Spider Queen at the very last second.

The steel webs shredded through the space he had occupied only moments ago, slicing apart everything in their path.

At the same time, the radiant blade tore straight through Nebula’s spinnerets with devastating force.

SCREEEECH—!

The Spider Queen let out another agonized scream that echoed throughout the cavern.

Ray wasn’t finished.

He had been spamming skill after skill without pause.

His energy and Meta Force reserves were plummeting at an alarming rate.

He knew it.

He simply didn’t care.

[Thunder Step]

Lightning exploded beneath his feet.

Bang!

Ray vanished just as one of Nebula’s colossal legs crashed into the spot where he had stood.

The impact blasted apart the marble flooring, carving out another massive crater while chunks of stone erupted into the air.

The deafening explosion drew everyone’s attention.

"How is Ray still alive and going toe to toe with Nebula?" Chloe asked in disbelief as she watched him launch himself back into the air.

Felix narrowed his eyes.

Something had caught his attention.

It was so subtle that almost nobody else would have noticed it.

A tiny detail.

A nearly invisible change.

Then his lips slowly curled into a grin.

"Let’s get a move on," he said while lifting another cocooned survivor. "Something is about to happen."

"Don’t you need to go help him?" Trisha asked, raising a brow.

Felix simply shook his head as he hoisted the final cocoon onto his shoulder.

"He doesn’t need it."

.....

Ray shot toward Nebula’s face once more.

Suddenly, two colossal legs swept toward him.

They were still unimaginably fast.

But...

Just a tiny bit slower than before.

[Static Shroud Activated]

Blue arcs of lightning erupted across Ray’s body, wrapping around him like a living cloak.

The two legs slammed into the crackling shroud.

Instantly, the skill retaliated.

A violent surge of electricity raced through both limbs, forcing Nebula’s body to stiffen.

Only half a second.

But that was enough.

Ray burst forward.

He reached the Queen’s face and drove both daggers into her eyes.

Again.

Again.

Again.

He stabbed relentlessly, as though the eyes owed him rent.

Nebula’s shrieks grew increasingly frantic.

Ray noticed her mandibles beginning to spread apart.

He gritted his teeth and prepared to retreat.

Then—

TSSHHK!

Five razor-thin strands burst forward faster than he could react.

Two punched through his sides, leaving bullet-sized holes.

Two pierced straight through his shoulders.

The final strand tore through his thigh.

"Agh!"

Ray crashed across the ground, tumbling violently over shattered marble.

He slid several metres before jamming one dagger into the stone.

SCREEECH—!

Nebula finally shook off the lingering paralysis from the lightning.

Her countless eyes settled upon the wounded Tribrid whose body was already beginning to regenerate.

The Spider Queen surged forward, determined to finish him once and for all.

"..."

Instead of panicking...

Ray smiled.

A calm...

Dangerous smile.

"Contract."

The instant those words left his lips, the golden lasso wrapped around Nebula suddenly tightened.

The loops drew together all at once.

Her massive legs lost their balance.

BOOOOM!

The enormous Spider Queen crashed helplessly onto the ground, sending a tidal wave of dust and broken marble rolling across the chamber.

The indestructible golden lasso locked around her body completely, binding her firmly to the ground.

"....?!"

Kai, who had just lifted Van onto his shoulder, froze and stared toward the enormous cloud of dust with undisguised shock.

The others reacted the same way.

Only Felix smiled knowingly as he watched Ray slowly push himself back to his feet.