Mage Legend
Chapter 201: Episode 73: Lose-Lose

Chapter 201: Episode 73: Lose-Lose

Stone Leg shouted into the passageway, warning his companions to be cautious. Though he was unaware of what enemy appeared behind, Deluo indeed sensed a gust of wind at his back.

He then rolled aside, dodging to the side while slashing his double-headed sword at the martial monk’s feet. His attack was ineffective, but fortunately, he dodged in time, or else he would have been pierced to the core by the pair of slender, hairy claws hanging down from the tunnel ceiling.

Only then did Deluo notice that a giant spider had been lurking above them all along.

The spider repeatedly attacked downward with its eight legs, leaving Deluo no choice but to continuously roll in the filthy muddy water, as the clash of his sword blade against the sharp claws made a constant clattering sound.

Without the pressure of a warrior’s pincer attack, the martial monk felt an instant relief. Although the Half-Beastman’s offensive remained fierce, the monk could now fend off the attacks calmly. As long as he persisted and endured the Barbarian’s frenzy, Regula would be able to easily defeat the enemy before him.

Seeing the unfavorable situation, the Little Dwarf’s first reaction was to quickly free Deluo so he could rejoin the battle. With this thought, he aimed his repeating crossbow at the spider on the ceiling and shot a row of powerful arrows.

Though the spider had eight legs, it couldn’t block the swiftly flying crossbow arrows like Regula could. With three "puff puff puff" sounds, its plump abdomen was punctured with three holes, and yellow-green liquid spilled out with a stench.

"That hurts! You damn little runt!" the spider yelled, sounding like a woman in a furious rage.

Instantly, everyone except the martial monk was stunned, as if hearing an unbelievable voice. The spider lunged down from the ceiling, landing beside Nimo. By the light of the unextinguishable torch, everyone finally saw its appearance clearly. This peculiar spider had the head and upper torso of a Drow Elf, with wild silver-white hair in a tangled mess, a beautiful black face full of rage, and a pair of proud, sculpted arms with slender hands painted blood red, with two petite breasts prominently standing on its chest. However, its lower body was a terrifying spider, with eight segmented black legs covered in fine black hairs spread out on either side, and a huge round abdomen hanging below its slender spider waist, still oozing a viscous, nauseating fluid from three wounds.

"Spider Elf!" Stone Leg couldn’t help but exclaim. Every Drow Elf, upon reaching adulthood or when their martial skills and spellcasting abilities have grown to a certain level, undergoes a test overseen by the Black Spider Goddess. The tests vary, based on the whims of the Spider Goddess; some are difficult, some are easy. Only those who pass the test officially become members of the Dark Elf society. The failures are transformed into Spider Elves, eternally cursed by the Spider Goddess.

Once they become Spider Elves, they are exiled to the Underdark to fend for themselves, constantly tormented by pain, living lives of hellish suffering. The hatred between the Spider Elves and the Drow Elves is immense, as they believe it is the Drow Elves who passed the tests that shifted all the vicious curses onto them, allowing Dark Elves to thrive underground, while Spider Elves are burdened with resentment and pain forever.

Spider Elves generally retain the appearance they had before transformation, particularly their heads and faces remain unchanged. However, over time, under endless torment, they come to despise everything about the Drow Elves, including their original Dark Elf faces. Within a few years, they claw at their own faces, living with more terrifying visages.

But now, Stone Leg was absolutely certain of the face of this Spider Elf. With that expression brimming with fury, the Old Dwarf who had lived most of his life in Ratris City was convinced this Spider Elf was the eldest daughter of the first family: Zarra!

No one knew what mistake she committed to end up like this. As a powerful Spider Priest, Zarra herself had the ability to turn failing Dark Elves into Spider Elves during trials, and she should have had corresponding resistance. However, in Ratris City, the only one capable of converting such a high-ranking priestess into a Spider Elf, other than the Spider Goddess herself, was Matron Batana.