Ben

Leading around a hot chick in her PJs wasn’t how he thought the day was going to turn out but he wasn’t about to turn it down. Mathew sure is lucky. Though as he thought about it, maybe he should have turned her down. It wasn’t going to be nearly as easy to sneak around with a second person.

“I know I told ’em that I was going to get ingredients. But I want a weapon. So when we go hunting, keep yer eyes peeled.” Amber broke the silence.

This was good, something to talk about, something he could do for her.

“What type of weapon were you thinking about?” Ben tried to be casual.

“Bow and arrows. I’d like to get guns but I’ve got a feeling that we ain’t getting tight tolerance tooling anytime soon.” She scratched the back of her head with one arm and it did wonders across her top.

“We can make it happen.” Ben cringed on the inside. Why would I say that? Real weapons take monster parts. Monster parts are a huge fucking risk.

As he worked it over, a vague plan began to form. They needed food for Mathew to heal, Harper wanted reagents, and Amber wanted weapon parts. Food and weapon components could both be from a monster. After it was out of the area, they could harvest in relative peace for a little bit. They just had to assassinate a monster.

“You alright there, kinda quiet on me.” Amber was leaned in enough he could see the white lines in her concerned blue eyes. Reminded him of electricity within a plasma ball.

With a small jolt, he realized he’d been quiet for too long again. Ben answered. “Just thinking.”

Grant was right, girls would just get him into trouble.

Generating his cartography intelectus, Ben enhanced it to the version he could share. The burden was pretty high on his willpower and the nervous energy of his stealth magic immediately called on him to disappear. It always seemed as though the more power he gained the more costly things he found to spend it on.

A holographic image centered on the side of the tooth-like hill they were standing on formed above his hand. Steeling his nerves, Ben sidled up beside Amber.

“Here is where we are. In the Night Stalker Territory.” The barren stone hill jutting from the landscape highlighted in a silver glow. “Straight ahead is the Field Cat Territory. Here the Drull. Then there is a swamp. I haven’t scouted there much so I don’t know what owns that Territory. Beside them is a total fantasy Territory. Obsidian ground with transparent plants that is where the Shelda chased me and Grant from.”

Ben had Amber’s full attention and his heart was trying to climb his throat.

“Anyway, you want a bow I know where we can find some string." Ben skipped a few border territories. "Here a newer Alpha has set up a brood. They are blood spiders and I bet we could get you a bowstring stronger than any cable you could imagine.”

Quick in, quick out, they could poach a worker class spider.

“Alright, we’ll still need the right type of tree.” Amber nodded along.

“Then I guess I’ll have to stick around for that too then.” Ben smiled.

Dropping his cartography skill down to a mental map for himself was a relief.

Making their way around the Night Stalker spire, the territories expanded out like slices of a pie, viewed from the center. Ben had already read about how the Alphas of a Territory would modify the entire space over time. Contrasting the glossy black of the Shelda landscape with that of its neighbors put this phenomenon on full display.

Given the other side of the Shelda Territory was bordered by a stream, Ben got the impression that they were somehow weak to water. That was good because Ben could only imagine how much harder they would be to see underwater.

Spending time with Amber oohing and ahhing over the beautiful and deadly new world Ben started really considering if he wanted to stay away from others as he and Grant had done before. Maybe there was time to teach them all stealth and they could hide away together. The reality of how hard it was to gain new skills after the transition held his dreams up short. There was no compromise yet. She’d probably be monster chow at the end of two weeks.

Still, as Ben shared as much as he could… being listened to and being important, the foundation of his conviction crumbled at the edges.

Cresting a ridge brought the blood spider's Territory into view. It had changed since the last time Ben had scouted it. Before the land was rocky crags crisscrossed with webbing. From above, it looked like neurons. Connected and bundled together in clumps with mile-wide openings of empty space between them. Now the disorder was removed. Car-sized bridges of webbing spooled out from a central location over a far-off rise. At regular intervals, the smaller web structures split off and connected with adjacent main runners. Between the interconnections which Ben judged to be couch-sized, uniform-sized clearings were beginning to show signs of growth.

This was bad. The last time Ben had scouted here, the Territory was in disarray. Finding a gap in defenses was a leisurely stroll.

Amber whistled appreciatively. “That sure is a big web.”

Nervous energy flowed from the cloak of stealth magic that hung from Ben’s shoulders. “We are going to keep it simple. Just one worker picked off the edges and we get right back out.”

The magic never bothered him when he was alone. With people, the side effect of his power became an additional burden on his oversized willpower. That wasn’t what he needed when stepping into danger.

“Okay, you’ve lived out here a lot longer than me. I’m counting on you.” Amber looked up the slope at him.

With clenched fists and squared shoulders, Ben led the way. Descending the ridge to the northern slope, they stepped into the pool of shade cast by the mound of rock. Fully enveloped by darkness and no longer casting a silhouette against the sky, Ben felt more at home.

Approaching the boundary of the world controlled by the blood spider, Ben stopped them to whisper. “Okay, be ready for anything. And uh… I need you to hold my hand.”

Amber raised an eyebrow at him.

“It’s for the magic.” Ben fidgeted under the look.

She took his hand and Ben sent the new spike of anxiousness to become a cloak around them. Fade into the background, it whispered, be unnoticed it beckoned soundlessly.

Veiled by magic, they made their way into the rocky crags of the monster’s domain. Ben drew up his status fixture.

[Benjamin Dean Miller ~ Gifted

Otherworld Human

Redacted 100% to level 6

Health 677/722

Reserves 744

Magic stealth

Stealth points 460/801

Body Total 43.2

Strength 14.8

Agility 12.5

Durability 5.5

Endurance 10.4

Mind Total 58.5

Willpower 18.3

Cognition 13.7

Resistance 8.7

Resilience 17.8

Combat skills

Netting 23

Stealth 34

Crafting skills

Sewing 14

Utility skills

Cartography 18

Spying 14

Deception 12]

A little over half his stealth pool had refilled. Hopefully, Amber was quiet enough that she wouldn’t draw his magic too quickly. The vibrant outfit she wore wouldn’t help but his high resilience should be enough to recharge his magic plenty fast enough.

Clambering over the terrain, it became clear that the old tangle of webbing was discarded into the cracks of broken boulders. A mix of scarlet and white, the new bedrock layer was emitting a noxious smell of blood and rot.

Amber slipped while he was distracted and a surge of his magic covered the sudden movement and noise. Taking care with his strength, he pulled her back up to the rock slowly. Her cheeks burned red and Ben was glad she couldn’t see him staring very well. Giving him the “go on” gesture with her free hand, they returned to their navigating.

Before the change, this place had stringers of webbing just lying around. Now the excess was bound into structures. Finding some free silk cables in this meticulous work wouldn’t be easy… It might not be worth it. Holding the hand of a pretty girl pushed his better judgment.

They made their way to an interconnecting tunnel. Looking through the gaps, its hollow nature was apparent. Ben pulled out one of his hidden knives. Small and hooked, the repurposed claw withstood and concentrated his superhuman strength.

Spinning up his sewing intelectus Ben let the skill guide his cutting of the spider silk netting. If he could find enough monster-quality webbing, he might be able to upgrade his combat net.

Under the veil of stealth, all was quiet. Quieter than someone could typically get. At some point, as hearing tunes into quieter and quieter noises, a person will begin to listen to themselves. Breathing or blood rushing near their ears with every heartbeat. Under the influence of this magic, a more complete quiet still was imposed. So when he heard the skittering of legs, there was plenty of time to withdraw.

Laying out his combat net, Ben readied for an ambush. Arachnoid skittering crawled out from the tube while still out of sight. It was subtle difference but the sudden increase in volume told Ben it's sound wasn't muted by being withing the structure anymore. Leaning back against the stone, Ben guided Amber to blend their profile into the craggy rock. It would reduce the draw against his magic from being observed.

White as a bone for all but the pink underside, the blood spider crested into view. Small enough to fit within the trunk of a sports car, the eight red eyes took in sight from all directions. Ben felt the eyes pressing against his veil. Relaxing his hold of the magic, he let the intelectus draw as many points as it needed to keep them invisible. This was all part of the plan.

While they waited, he scanned the monster.

[Blood Spider Worker

Laborer of the blood spider nests. The worker can be seen anywhere within their home Territory. Their blood poison is slower acting than that of the Blood Spider Warriors is. This allows them to farm a lifeform for their blood longer before it expires.]

From the top of the arched tunnel, the worker rebuilt the neat cut with an inexpert patchwork. The lack of care irritated Ben’s intelectus and he felt some emotional overflow from that. If he didn’t need to finish the job and go home, he’d have stopped supporting the intelectus then.

Extending his veil through the combat net by the tether he held cost even more stealth points but Ben was not about to let his ambush be ruined by spider senses.

As it worked, the spider began rotating around the thorax dipped closer and closer to the net. Patience had served him well, though, and Grant had trained him well when it came to this. Eventually, as the spider was finishing up the repair, it stepped fulling into the net.

Springing his trap was a burden against his willpower. At level 23, his netting skill had the throughput to take an enormous amount of will. More than he could bring to bear for sure. So instead of maxing the skill out he threw all he had into it. It was times like this that Grant’s restriction from leveling above five grated against Ben’s judgment.

It wasn’t a miracle when his net enclosed the spider and pressed it from all sides so hard it was curled into a ball. This was a plan he’d executed time and time before against different monsters and mundane prey. Being able to show it off for the first time put a foolish grin on Ben’s face.

Holding up his status, stealth, sewing, cartography, and netting minds was pressing on his prodigious stats all the same. Getting to work cutting again, Ben extracted a section of the tube large enough to make a tent out of.

All that remained in that length of the tunnel was the center cable of silk. It had a glimmer to it that Ben identified as monster-level material. His skill also told him that cutting it would release tension across the entire tunnel. Knowing that spiders used vibration to find prey, it was a risk he just couldn’t justify. Could he?

[Magic stealth

Stealth points 209/801]

They had time. He could try, right?

Placing Amber’s hand on his shoulder, he got to work with both hands. Peeling off strands of web, he tied them across the gap. His sewing skill guided the process of making a patch cable beside the enhanced one. Working at an inhuman speed, he spun together strand after strand. In disbelief, he kept going. His skill demanded an absurd amount of weaker strands in order to complete the patch cord.

His workflow was interrupted after a short time.

[Crimson Reed Stalk

This cane grass is one o' them reagents. Vital properties, whatever that means.]

Ben’s hands halted as and he tried to figure out what was going on. The tap to his shoulder drew his attention to Amber, pointing at a plant. She’d shared a notification! That was so cool!

So many options of how to use different notifications while sneaking. Sending over any enemies scanned so everyone is aware. How come me and Grant hadn't figured that out yet? Grant isn't much on teamwork that's why. Ben put his hands back to the task.

Finally, it was ready. Making the first cut was difficult, and even pressing the very point of the claw into the web gained little traction. The longer he worked, the more it came apart. Each strand that broke put more tension on any that remained. Under that tension, his progress began to domino.

Slicing through the cable, he watched a ripple of motion as the patch cable stretched under the strain.

He didn’t feel good about it. Rushing to the other side of the eight-foot cable as fast as he could he stepped on the thread, pinning it down and dug his claw knife into it.

Methodically he worked, ready to physically grab up Amber and sprint away. No warrior spider emerged. Not even another worker spider. Having entirely severed the cable, he coiled it up and they began to retreat.

Darkness had further dimmed the path home. It was a welcome blessing for his dwindling stealth magic.

Near the edge of the Night Stalker spire, Ben noticed a small shuffle. Rocks that moved against each other. The spiders had laid a trap.

Checking his magic, it ticked down faster than before. He was on the edge of detection for something.

Fuck it. Ben thought.

Picking up Amber in a princess hold and with his net across his back, Ben started sprinting. He aimed for the ridge that would take them back to the Hub. It took about a second for the last of his magic to fizzle out.

Exposed and noticed, an explosion of activity appeared. From Ben’s left, where he had been going before he changed course, a monster emerged.

[Blood Spider Warrior

The webbing of this monster will cause a hemeopermability effect on skin, blood will leave the body and poison can enter. This monsters poison will attract blood once injected into a victim. Causing swelling blisters of blood that split skin open and cause blood loss faster than a wound could bleed naturally.]

The warrior spider had chunks of rock stuck to its body by patches of web. Curled into a ball, it blended into the environment well enough to fool him.

He was faster than it though, even with Amber’s additional weight. The speed spiders often displayed didn’t scale up with their size. We are going to make it!

It stood tall on its legs as Ben outpaced it. Giving up, are you! Ha!

Then it swung its abdomen under itself. Crimson thread shot out in front of Ben’s sprinting path. His enhanced cognition kept up with the speed and he could see it laid out clearly. The string was shot with expert marksmanship and had a wave to it. Rather than taking up a thin straight line, its path went up and down, making a fence Ben was bout to get caught up in.

Contacting the sticky cable, Ben tried to power through it. As a gleam of sunlight flowed across them, he continued. A bite of pain licked his arm where skin came into contact with the sticky web but it didn’t stick at all. Running up the slope, Ben looked back. The blood spider warrior stopped at the start of the sloped stone. Refusing to follow them into the Territory of the Night Stalker.

Setting Amber down gently, Ben dropped all his powers but the netting and his cartography. Heat radiated from his short but explosive action.

“Tada.” Ben grinned.

“Is it always like that?” Amber asked.

“Nope, just something extra I do for a pretty girl.” Ben did a mental double-take. What did I say?

“Worst time ever.” Amber shook her head. Before Ben could overreact to that, she continued. “Thank you, regardless. We got what we came for and that’s mostly due to you. Let’s get home before something happens.”

Conflicting emotions roiled through Ben. He nodded and they started making their way to the Hub. Grant would’ve chewed him out for taking risks like that. Rightfully so. Ben had seen death before. It wasn’t pretty. If the description of the worker spider was anything to go by, it’d be better to die at the fangs of the warrior. With a high health pool, though, that fate was unlikely. Ben shivered as they hurried to arrive at refuge before the Night Stalker came out. A refuge that would poison his resolve to survive with the temptation of more.