Chloe and Amaranth stepped fully into the main chamber. It was a vast hall dominated by a colossal altar in its center.
Thirteen figures were already present. Clustered near the altar.
Jack, staying invisible, scanned the room. His spectral eyes narrowed in observation behind his mask. He observed everything. The chamber, the altar, the people… The backstabber might be among them. Most likely... that chubby woman, Jasmine Moonlake.
He did not just focus on her though. He also observed the others.
Dr. Crafton, a man whose scholarly aura was only slightly diminished by his current dishevelment, was locked in a debate with Leon Drake, the younger archeologist.
"The web patterns on the altar were undeniable evidence, Doctor," Drake was saying. His voice was enthusiastic and earnest. "Surely, it points to Lady Taranta, the Fallen Goddess of Intrigue. Her influence was widespread in this region."
Crafton stroked his chin. His gaze was fixed on the intricate spiderweb carvings adorning the altar. "Perhaps. But the deity associated with webs and spiders were not just her. We should consider the possibility of Webmother, an ancient deity of mystery, predating even Taranta. Her very essence was obfuscation, hidden knowledge, like a web concealing secrets."
Lucca, ever vigilant, noticed his niece's arrival. Amaranth hurried to his side, whispering urgently, "Uncle, we found dead bodies back in the labyrinth. Backstabbed. Two of them. Someone here is killing people."
Lucca's eyes hardened. "I suspected as much. Stay close."
Meanwhile, Chloe approached Dr. Crafton and tugged at his shirt shyly. "Professor, I want to say something..."
Dr. Crafton followed her away from the altar. When they were out of others' range of hearing, she whispered. "Professor, we found two bodies… murdered by sword from behind. The killer might be among us."
Dr. Crafton looked at her seriously. And then, he nodded. "I should have guessed. It's not an accident that we got here. Be vigilant."
Jack noted the subtle exchanges. Smart. Both girls were relaying crucial information without drawing undue attention. And the two older people were calm enough not to attract attention.
Furthermore. None of the girls said anything about him. He felt a flicker of… approval? He quickly suppressed it. Sentimentality was a weakness he couldn't afford.
He paid particular attention to Jasmine Moonlake. The cook that seemed very tired and out of breath. He noticed she was not sweating that much though. What was she hiding?
A few minutes later, the tension in the chamber ratcheted up another notch. A figure stumbled into the hall. It was a documentarian. His face was pale. He was clutching a bleeding wound. He collapsed near the entrance, gasping for air.
Amaranth quickly took a healing potion. She was about to get to the newcomer to provide first aid. But...
A deep rumble shook the chamber. The ground vibrated. And dust rained down from the ceiling. Everyone turned to see the various tunnel entrances, their escape routes, sealed shut. Massive stone gates rose seamlessly from the floor.
They were trapped.
Above the altar, a shimmering holographic projection flickered into existence. It was a disturbing blend of human and spider. Half upper body of a naked, scary-looking, woman, and lower body of a twisted demonic spider. It was the stuff of nightmares.
The holographic creature talked. It was speaking in a language none of them recognized. However, it was somehow translated directly into their minds.
"Greetings, trial-takers!" The Arachne said. Her voice was a chilling echo. "I am Labaa, guardian of this temple."
"Trial-takers?" Uthred Payton bellowed. His hand instinctively moving to the hilt of his sword. "We didn't sign up for any trial!"
Labaa ignored him. "All surviving aspirants have now converged. Fifteen candidates." She paused. The implication hanging heavy in the air. Seven gone. And judging by the grim state of the documentarian... more were likely to follow.
Jack noticed it. He was not counted among the candidates. Well, it made sense. He was technically... dead.
"Listen to me, damnit!" Uthred raged.
Leon Drake, despite the circumstances, couldn't resist adding his two cents. "It seems it was just a recorded message." He declared. His voice was surprisingly calm. "No actual intelligence."
Labaa, or rather, the recording of Labaa, continued as if uninterrupted. "Those who prove worthy may inherit the power of the ancient Spider Goddess of Mystery. The final trial awaits: Defeat the Great Guardian Spider in the Spiderweb Lair."
Before anyone could argue, protest, or even scream, a wave of energy washed over the chamber.
It wasn't painful. But instantly, the floor, the walls, even the air itself seemed to thicken. Jack immediately realized that the survivors were coated in webs. Incredibly strong and sticky webs. Movement became a slow, agonizing slog.
Except for him. Being a ghost had its perks.
Then, the Great Guardian Spider made its grand entrance.
It was monstrous. It was as big as the biggest one Jack and the two girls previously defeated. It was easily the size of a small truck. But it was much uglier, and more twisted.
Similar to its predecessor, its eight eyes was gleaming with predatory hunger. It scuttled effortlessly across the thick web coating the ceiling. Its hairy legs walking on the thread with grotesque ease.
Labaa's image vanished. The trial had begun.
The firs target was the documentarian. He was already clinging to the edge of death. He didn't stand a chance.
The spider descended with terrifying speed. It was a blur of fangs and legs. A scream echoed through the chamber. It was abruptly cut short.
Jack cursed inwardly. It had happened too fast. He hadn't been able to react in time. The spider was fast. Very fast.
He desperately tried to use [Mysterious Dream]. Hoping to ensnare the creature in a nightmarish illusion. He focused his will. He targeted the fear within the creature.
Nothing.
Damn it. Jack cursed again. The analytical part of his brain supplied the answer. The spider was not normal. It was too primal, too instinct-driven.
Illusions required at least a small degree of sentience. It needed a capacity for fear and imagination. This thing did not have a shred of sentience. It was purely a killing machine.
Meanwhile, the normal magicless life had now been shattered. The transcendent individuals in the chamber finally threw off their disguises. They embraced and showed their powers completely.
Dr. Crafton took out his grimoire. He frantically flipped through the pages. His spectacles fell. Yet, he ignored it.
He muttered an incantation. Runes glowed on one of the ancient pages. With a shout, he unleashed a volley of fireballs. They were immediately followed by searing bolts of lightning.
Lucca flicked his wrists. With a grim face, he took out a pair of ornate daggers. He threw them and they spun towards the spider. They were guided by his will. They danced around the creature. Drawing its attention.
Uthred Payton's eyes were blazing with religious fervor. He began to chant a prayer. A palpable aura of faith enveloped him. Shimmering like heat haze.
The web that had ensnared him dissolved as he surged forward. He drew his sword. The blade glowed with holy light as he charged the spider.
And then there was Leon Drake. The young archeologist revealed himself to be a dual-power threat. With a surge of primal energy, he transformed.
His body shifted and contorted. His bones cracking. Muscles bulging. Skin hardening. When the metamorphosis was complete, he stood tall. He was transformed into a black knight. Encased in a suit of black exoskeleton chitin armor.
But instead of charging headfirst into the fray, he did something unexpected. He dropped his sword.
Instead, he pulled out a grimoire. And started casting Lightning Strikes, just like Dr. Crafton.
Jack blinked. He was surprised by the absurdity of it all. Leon... this guy was both Primal Sorcerer and Mystic Scholar.
Chloe, seeing the chaos unfold, opened her own grimoire. She unleashed a barrage of Magic Missiles. They struck the spider. But they seemed to do little more than annoy it.
She was about to cast Water Splash. But Jack, in his invisible form, zipped over to her and whispered urgently.
"My Nightmare is not working. We won't be able to use that trick!"
Amaranth was prepared to create a Rain Cloud. But Jack, again, intervened with the same whispered warning.
"Don't waste your energy. The trick won't work with this beast."
Amaranth nodded. She abandoned her Rain Cloud magic. Instead, she summoned two serpentine figures of swirling mist.
The other survivors, the non-transcendent ones, were also putting up a fight. But it was a desperate, uphill battle for them.
The spider had perfectly adapted to the web-filled environment. It moved with terrifying speed and agility. Its attacks were coming from all angles.
On, the other hand, the humans were in trouble. The web made moving and dodging very hard for them.
Another scream pierced the air. One of the hired guards was pulled into the air. His face was frozen in a mask of pure terror. The spider made quick work of him.
Jack was frustrated by his inability to directly harm the creature. He decided to focus his attention elsewhere.
He used [Mysterious Control], his telekinesis to aid the survivors. It was similar to the battle against the zombies. He stealthily protected them.
He deflected chunks of falling debris from the helpless survivors. He blocked stray spider legs from the web-immobilized ones. He pushed away the ones targeted by the monster...
He also tried to subtly undermine the spider's mobility. He focused his telekinetic power on individual strands of web. The ones beneath the creature's legs.
He attempted to weaken or sever them. It was a delicate process. Requiring precise control and focus. But, once in a while, he managed to make the spider stumble. And lose its footing momentarily. Every little bit helped.
Then he realized Jasmine Moonlake was gone again. He must have missed it with all the chaos. The woman was like a goddamn ninja.
Jack wanted to look for her. She was dangerous. However, he was too now busy trying to keep people alive.