Noa darted his eyes between Aeris and the new foe that had turned up in front of him.
His sister was too frightened to speak.
She was clenching onto his clothes, trembling in fear.
As for the abomination, it was the biggest spider Noa had ever seen, towering over him with eight dim-colored legs.
It also had blue hues but was much more potent and dense.
The inspection skill worked only if the difference wasn't greater than one grade and ten levels.
Fortunately for him, he barely lucked out.
[ Bulky Spider Lv. 10 ]
[ Grade: Evolved Elite ]
Not only was there a huge gap in levels, but the spider's rarity was higher than Frail by two ranks.
'Elite spider.'
Noa recognized its potential and even the giant itself.
It was somewhat of a boss monster that led the spiders.
"What a load of bullshit!" he blurted, shaking with excitement.
Either it was fear or the thrill of the danger this upcoming battle would bring.
Honestly, he couldn't tell, but he was content with both.
He planned to get away from the danger zone, but it backfired, leaving him with the strongest monster of the first wave.
There was no protocol for Scars, and he couldn't guess when help would arrive.
Noa was alone to deal with this shit, but he had a premonition it would cost him a couple of deaths.
If Aeris wasn't present, he was confident he would stand victorious.
Her presence changed everything, which meant he had to consider her safety.
Resurrection was a quick process, but it still required a short period of time during which she would remain vulnerable.
Noa had no other options.
"Remember what I told you," he said. "I won't die no matter what."
As soon as those words left his mouth, Noa dashed at the spider.
It stood still some distance away from him, and due to its enormous frame, it had a hard time moving.
But it observed him with interest, hindering his path of retreat.
The others—the smaller spiders—halted their attack, circling the bulky creature.
"Shit."
Noa cursed as he lost a precious source of EXP and neared the gigantic monster.
However, it also allowed him to leave Aeris five meters behind, knowing that no harm would come to her, and even if something did happen, he was close enough to get back to her.
She watched his back, tears streaking down her face.
Noa had been the quiet type.
He barely spoke or displayed any confidence and struggled with cowardice.
But after awakening, he seemed different.
Not only did he speak with assurance, but even his vibe and aura appeared full of determination.
He fought against spiders, and not once did he show the usual timidity.
As Aeris was mulling over her brother and his sudden change, Noa said to the opponent,
"No hard feelings, but I have to kill you."
The spider had six eyes, and based on the information Noa had from the game, it had poor eyesight and could only detect movements instead of sharp and detailed images.
His breathing quickened, drawing all the attention upon himself.
Lowering his body into a crouch, Noa loudly stepped in one direction, then dashed in the opposite way.
It only brought him one second of distraction, but it was more than enough for him to execute a barrage of attacks.
He aimed at the spider's eyes, but he could only reach two of them.
Noa managed to cut them, but the wound was shallow, and at best, it could only momentarily blind those eyes.
A resounding shriek escaped the monster, deafening the two humans and addressing its combatants.
Noa knew he would get jumped on any second.
He had no time to waste.
The shabby blades danced in his hand, but his lack of solid experience showed itself.
With a downward strike, he tried to chop the spider's legs, but the dagger descended at an awkward angle, and he could barely crack its shell.
Now the abomination got offensive.
Eight legs were a tremendous advantage, and after the pain subsided, the spider attacked Noa.
He dodged the first leg.
The second one was barely parried with a sword that might snap on every contact.
As for the third leg, Noa could do nothing about it.
He knew that death was coming and slashed once more to inflict as much damage as he could.
Noa got hit, and it caused a deep wound in his abdomen.
The blood flowed out of his gash, and he heard a scream behind him.
'I've to be quick.'
His eyes became heavier, but before the darkness swallowed him, Noa held the leg that pierced his stomach.
He poured the last bit of strength into his hands, slowing the monster.
Just before the darkness arrived and weakness overwhelmed his being, Noa focused on another attack and thrust his dagger into a soft spot.
It was close to the spider's mouth, and he stunned the monster.
His sister wailed behind him, and Noa blacked out.
[ You died ]
The system rang in his head.
He was back in white space, but rather than glancing around and wasting time, Noa willed to revive.
[ Echo: 995/1,000 ]
His wish was fulfilled instantly, triggering his fifth rebirth.
And as always, the familiar anguish invaded his mind.
Soon, he was back in perfect shape, only pain and suffering still lingering in his head.
Regaining his consciousness, Noa searched for Aeris.
'She is alive.'
A wave of calmness washed over him as he glanced at his wounded opponent.
"Told you I won't die," he announced to his sister, flabbergasting the woman.
She seemed happy and confused, but still scared at the same time.
"You can do this!" Aeris cheered. "Don't give up!"
After seeing that her brother was alive, the creeping sadness was replaced by pure rage, dictating her actions.
"You fucker, it's time for round two."
He lost his level, but a new plan developed in his head.
Nothing out of the ordinary, the same tactic, but this time with even more vigor.
So he took the blade from the ground and sneered, ready for more bloodshed.