January 19, 2019, 5:00 pm.

The notifications weren't the last of it, nope.

The swarm of spiders that normally clamber around, following in the system boss's wake, have grown silvery wings. They rise into the air like a swarm of angry locusts. So now, the system boss is surrounded by a swarm of flying spider bots. On top of that, its single red eye is now ringed by eight other eyes, each shining with that same crimson glow.

Oh, and most importantly, it's headed straight for us, crushing buildings beneath its feet as it slowly drags itself forward.

Standing on the roof, inspecting the changes wrought upon the system boss, Rufka swears again.

"I never got a chance to get Tuffie to the other challenges," she offers by way of explanation.

Wait, that's what she's worried about?

"Okay, people. Looks like we just got shoved in the deep end," Beth remarks. The others are already getting ready. Josh's armour encloses him, then as he makes a giant leap towards the nearby building, large wing-like rose petals blossom forth from the shoulders of his armour. As he glides down, Roberts dashes across the gap, using transparent panels as stepping stones. Though perhaps since he's able to spread them nearly two metres apart, it'd be more accurate to call them leaping stones. Rufka's wolfadillo follows them, clearing the distance in single leap.

They're only slightly closer than we are but it sounds like they're planning to serve as a shield for the less mobile Beth. Not that it makes that big a difference yet, what with the boss still half a city away.

Then the flying spiders break away from the boss, buzzing towards us at incredible speed making defence a three-dimensional challenge.

Beth has her rifle out, taking aim while Tipan, Rufka and I rise into the air, spreading out. I'm hoping we can destroy these flying spiders quickly.

We really didn't need flying spiders.

A moment later, Beth's shot finds its mark. Even from more than a kilometre away, the effect is noticeable.

I barely notice one of the smaller eyes flicker but I'm definitely able to see the central eye when it starts glowing brighter. In fact, it's much brighter than it was a second earlier.

"Incoming," Beth screams out, diving over the edge of the building in front of her.

After a day full of dodging falling objects, everyone scatters remarkably well.

Beth disappears out of sight just before a bright red beam strikes the spot where she was kneeling seconds ago.

The blast doesn't stop there though. As I fly away as fast as I can I watch it carry through the collapsing roof of the building where we just completed our trial before reducing the building behind it to a pile of rubble as well.

What the hell?! Note to self, do not get hit by that beam.

While the attack forced us to scatter, no one took any damage. Smoulder and Rufka are already several streets forward, fighting the flying spiders.

Smoulder seems to be having fun, slamming into spider after spider. They're not falling though. Not yet.

As I move to help, I watch more of the silvery things descend, their bodies occasionally reflecting the setting sun's light into my eyes.

Shielding my eyes with twilight, I slow time then accelerate towards Smoulder, Rufka and the flying spiders. Tipan is close behind me. Unfortunately, unlike when we race, as soon as I start messing with time, she's unable to keep up.

As I'm closing on the swarm, another shot strikes the system boss (or Spider-Destroyer as the system labelled it in the quest,) one of its eyes dimming in response. This is followed by another eye-laser of destruction ripping apart the building Beth was firing from. Destroyer really is a decent name for that thing.

Once I'm close enough, my first lightning torrent hits a nearby flying spider but skips over it, leaving it unmarked. So, I release a flame, wind and water torrent hoping that at least one of them will work while analyzing them for weaknesses.

“Object analyzed: Venithal attack drone."

"These drones are used to protect their Venithal tech-savant. Deployed from a central unit, their primary purpose is to disable and distract allowing the tech-savant's primary weapon to destroy its target."

"Name: A563-0221."

"Attributes: Physical; High, Mobility; Medium, Magic; Low, Awareness; Medium."

"Attacks: Acidic projectile, adhesive netting."

"Defences: Physical: High. Magical: High. Lightning: Immune."

As I read the analysis I watch the effects of my spells. They visually deform under fire while wind and water throw them around but are otherwise ineffective. Immune to lightning. I already learned that the hard way, thanks.

I let everyone know to watch for acid and nets before sending off another fire torrent.

Fire isn't enough to destroy them, but it does slow them considerably.

I'm easily dodging their acid projectiles but I've almost been torn open several times. Definitely would've been, if not for my accelerated time. Then again, if not for my time abilities, I wouldn't be here. After a few more fire torrents, I start thinking about other options.

Then I notice Rufka putting an arrow through one of the flying spiders I've deformed, taking it out of the fight.

Right, I have other spells. Too set in old habits. Firing a piercing flame arrow, I'm shocked when it rips through the nearest flying spider, sending it spiralling to the ground.

Changing tactics, I cast the occasional flame torrent to slow the spiders when they're clumped up, but spend more time using my piercing spells. Considering how cheap they are compared to my torrents, I decide to try my hand at every element, including several versions of twilight.

Except for Earth, lightning and twilight, every one of my arrows tears through the flying spiders as if they're made of paper. And after I inspect one that landed on a nearby building I discover why. Each one is basically a small bundle of flesh with a thin metal casing.

As I'm inspecting it, another spider flies up, taking advantage of my distraction to shoot a globule of acid at me.

Putting an extra half dozen arrows through that one, I'm knocked flying to the next building by a heavy force.

I'm about to retaliate when my IFF tells me that Josh just carried me out of the way of the eye-laser, the building behind us crumbling in a giant explosion of twisted steel and flying rock.

I'd been so focused on the lesser spiders, I'd forgotten the main threat. Which had apparently decided I was dangerous enough to shoot at.

"Thanks," I mumble as he picks himself up, helping me to my feet before glancing towards the boss.

"You're welcome. You shouldn't stop moving like that," he advises.

"Right. Thanks again," I reply. Once he's sure I'm okay, he turns away, leaping to the next building while heading towards Beth.

Taking his advice to heart, I fly straight up while surveying the battlefield. All our efforts haven't been for nothing. The flying spiders are down to less than a dozen. More importantly, none of them are harassing Beth any longer. Checking my party status reveals that we've taken some hits, but no one's in desperate straits. Rufka is technically down to a quarter of her health, but at 112/434 she still has more health than I started this fight with.

While we've been whittling down the flyers, Beth has managed to take out another of the eyes. That's three out of eight lesser eyes. I'm not sure why she's shooting them but it definitely grabs the Destroyer's attention.

As the Destroyer crosses the city towards Beth, I notice another flying spider join it from beneath its shiny carapace.

Moving closer, I have to change course when a beam suddenly shoots from one of the smaller eyes. While I'm able to avoid the worst of it, I'm still caught on the edge. I'm sent flying towards the ground and my health is reduced by twenty.

If I hadn't been in accelerated time, that would have hit me full on instead of barely glancing off. That's a good reason to be shooting those eyes.

Since I'm so high up, the lesser beam doesn't collapse buildings, but it does force me to rethink my approach. Flying directly at the Destroyer isn't going to work.

Oh, and look, another flying spider just emerged from underneath it.

Too bad there aren't any anchors up here for my teleport spell. I'd have to go back down towards the ground if I want to get closer that way. Which I really don't. I don't want to get closer at all at this point.

As I'm thinking, I notice that Tipan is firing her wind disks from nearly as far away as Beth is. Unlike my arrows, they're maintaining cohesion long enough that they're striking the Destroyer.

Huh. Well, why don't I just do that then?

Creating disks of fire, I join in the barrage. Both mine and Tipan's disks are far less effective than my piercing arrows, but they seem to be having some effect. But only when we're targeting the eyes. The rest of its body ignores our attacks entirely.

With only the main eye laser having extreme range and the Destroyer not being able to aim that laser without turning its whole body, we're soon using a strategy of surround and destroy. Beth, Josh and Roberts have all grouped up while Tipan, Rufka and I are all spread out around the boss.

I finally regroup with Smoulder since all the drones are down and she's done playing. It's a relief to have her back, which I express through head-scritches before setting her on my shoulder. She balances there with ease, watching my back while we continue to wear the boss down.

Finally, we seem to make noticeable progress, the last of the eight smaller eyes flickering then going dark.

Suddenly, the Destroyer starts firing its main eye-laser nonstop, destroying an entire block of buildings. It also starts moving twice as fast.

If Roberts and Josh hadn't been with her, I'm not sure Beth would have made it out in time. But the second the eye went dim, Roberts grabbed Beth before charging towards one of the silver bullets. The building stands up to the punishment fine but the resulting backlash sweeps across an even wider area, forcing us all to dodge the random pattern until they emerge from behind the building again. They're forced to remain on the move, barely staying ahead of the collapsing city as it tries to chase them down.

Without Beth's incredible damage it takes Rufka, Tipan and I five minutes of unrelenting assault before the boss stumbles and the large red eye in the centre dims.

I feel relief for all of a second before the boss starts crashing through the buildings straight towards Beth. Pausing time I finally risk getting closer, flying as fast as I can while shooting elemental disks at it. Once I'm within a hundred metres, I switch to my piercing arrows. Once again, they prove remarkably effective, creating holes everywhere they strike. A thick black substance oozes from the holes though, solidifying and reducing the effect of further attacks.

Tipan joins me a real-time second later, mimicking my attacks, though at a much lower rate of casting.

As I drop out of paused time I realize the boss doesn't have any way to shoot us. Its charge has also slowed to a rough stumble.

I drift closer, trying to find a target that will let us put this thing down properly. When my eyes settle on the main eye, I notice an important detail. While dimmed, it remains intact. Floating closer, I ready myself to unload on that eye.

But I don't get the chance. Less than ten metres away, a large silver limb flashes in my peripheral as the entire Spider-Destroyer spins in place at a frightening speed. I feel Smoulder's impact as she launches from my shoulder, trying to divert the massive leg. But it keeps coming.

I pause time, starting to fly away immediately. But it's the shield spell that saves me.

One paused second, a silvery leg as thick as a dumpster is flying towards me, practically guaranteed to strike me from the air.

The next, Roberts's transparent barrier is there, causing the leg to bounce off, deflecting it over my head.

Grateful, I continue flying away while unloading over fifty different piercing spells on my original target. The eye resists the first half of them before shattering when it's struck by a black bolt from Beth. The rest of my spells strike deep even as a crackling arrow from Rufka lands. Then a massive electrical burst explodes from within.

As I fly away, the boss shudders then collapses, spewing forth dozens of the flying spiders. As they take to the air, its body creaks before imploding accompanied by a horrible metallic screech.

We have the flying spiders measure by now, so they are dealt with quickly. I notice that Josh is crushing them with a quick thrust of entangling vines while Roberts has discovered a method of using his shields to slice into them.

Awesome.

While we regroup, I start looting the flying spiders. The loot is, frankly, amazing. There's a veritable landslide of mortal grade mana essence, a total of 93 for each of us. That's basically 9 integration points.

While the little flying spiders are responding to my looting ability, the large body of the Destroyer is immune. I'm not sure if that's because it's still alive or if it's just too large.

"Well, that was exciting," Roberts comments once we're gathered.

As he heals her, Rufka grins, "that was awesome. I can't believe mum didn't want me coming here."

"That could have gone very wrong, very quickly," Beth points out, but Rufka just shrugs.

Once Rufka's healed, we approach the Destroyer. With caution. We still haven't received a system update message saying the quest is completed.

When we get close, we find a broken shell. It reminds me of a crumpled up beer can, empty and messily crushed.

"Think there's an alien inside waiting to jump out and snatch us?" Josh asks as we approach.

Beth raises one eyebrow with a small smile as I respond, "probably. But they're most likely just trying to get you to buy into their pyramid scheme. You too can look like this if you use red lasers."

Roberts actually snorts at that while Josh nods before adding, "if only they knew that blue lasers are superior."

"Clearly," I agree, noticing Tipan glancing at Rufka, who just shrugs.

Surprisingly, when we get closer, we find something smaller lying inside. A dark brown spider creature that's merely the size of my bedroom. Most of what I can see is charred chitin, exposed through a gap where the eyes used to be.

It's flesh bubbles and pops, though it doesn't move. Either it's severely injured or it was never meant to walk on its own. After everything we just threw at it, I'm guessing it's the former.

As we approach, I analyze it.

“Creature analyzed: Venithal. Gene-seed B."

"Venithal are a race of arachnid idiot-savants that were nearly wiped from existence after attempting to subvert a trade deal with the Thenite Consortium of Free Worlds. The consortium responded with overwhelming force, crushing the Venithal. Using their superior position, the consortium forced the Venithal into indentured service. The Venithal now serve as shock troops for the Consortium, serving as an example while collecting on other's bad debts."

"Name: A563-0001."

"Attributes: Physical; High, Mobility; Low, Magic; Low, Awareness; Medium."

"Attacks: Flensing claws."

"Defences: Physical: High. Magical: Low. Acid: Immune. Fire: High."

Seeing its battered form, the flesh broken and torn, it's almost hard not to feel bad for it.

Except, ugh. Spider.

Beth doesn't hesitate. Even as I'm reading the analysis, she draws her rifle then puts a round between its two rows of eyes before I can blink.

Her shot startles me slightly, causing me to jump as the Venithal's form tilts back before slumping down. Josh handles it even worse for some reason, turning and holding his hand over his mouth like he's going to be sick.

"Oh, god. That's awful," Beth proclaims as a horrid stench wafts over me. Oh, never mind.

Awful is an understatement.

This is worse than that time mom bought ten pounds of meat then left it in her room before disappearing for a month. Oh, and now all those bubbles are popping and I can almost see the stench.

We all back away. Quickly.

When the quest notification appears I barely acknowledge it, instead, continuing to retreat from the smell. Now that the boss is dead, I do send out a tether to loot it. I'm hoping that once it's looted it won't smell as bad. That's how it's worked for everything else.

A moment later we all receive three iron-grade mana essence and the air gets a little less rank. Not completely though.

With that resolved, I check the quest notification.

"Zone Quest completed: Reach the Eye. Requirements 1/1 Spider Destroyer destroyed. Rewards: 18 iron rank integration points, 1 iron rank class progression point, 1 Memory Locket."

"Rest areas have been disabled. Training completed. Teleportation has been unlocked. Any users who remain within the training area in ten minutes will be sent to the exit."

Ten minutes? Damn.

"I wish you hadn't done that Beth," Tipan remarks as she stares into the empty space where the Destroyer used to be.

"Yeah. Wouldn't have stood so close if I'd known."

"I mean shooting it so soon. The gliders are buried back there," Tipan points out.

"Crap. Can you guys go see if you can find them?"

"Yes, but we need to be together if we want to use my exit teleport," Tipan reminds us. It also reminds me that I never finished working on improving my return spell.

"We can carry them," I point out. "I carried Rufka before. It's awkward and slower, but better than hoofing it across a destroyed city."

"Good call, kid. I'm with Alexis. Rufka, you think you can handle Josh?"

"Ha. Are you kidding? If Lexi, can do it, so can I," Rufka boasts, walking over to Josh. She hoists him into the air before he can react. "See?"

While Rufka's showing off, Roberts and Tipan are already floating out of sight.

"Excellent. I see we're ready to go. Let's move," Beth says, stepping next to me. I lay down so she can sit on my back while Smoulder sneaks into my pocket where she'll be secure. I'm not like Rufka. If I tried to carry Beth, I'd probably drop her.

It takes us nearly two whole precious minutes to find the building we were on when the encounter started. Half a building and six minutes of searching later, we've only recovered one of the gliders.

It's at this point that Beth calls out. "Okay, people. Looks like they're lost. Let's not push this any further. Gather up."

At her words, we gather together in the shade of the only remaining building in the area.

"This may be a bit uncomfortable. It's a system ability but most people don't handle teleportation well," Tipan warns as we all hold hands. Rufka takes my right hand immediately while Beth is on my left.

"Ready?" Tipan asks. As our affirmation rings out I pause time, trying to watch the effect carefully. The runes that form are difficult to follow, barely visible. If I hadn't paused time, they wouldn't just be difficult to follow, they'd be impossible. In just ten paused-time seconds the entire structure expands, sophisticated interwoven runescapes that flow out from Tipan until they've encapsulated us. Then it shrinks, condensing us within it.

Then we're through, everyone stumbling, breaking the link as they lose their lunches. I'm completely unaffected, barely noticing their discomfort as I take in our new surroundings. We're in a forest of beautiful trees, covered in pink and white blossoms. Like cherry blossoms but a little more triangular at the ends.

It seems we've arrived in a well-kept forest. There's a packed dirt path that transitions into a narrow mountain trail before turning sharply to the right a mere ten metres away. The surroundings are quite picturesque, but they don't allow for much of a view.

When I turn back to the party, I realize I'm the only one that didn't get sick.

As I summon a ball of water, I can't help but wonder if scrubbing vomit off a forest floor will increase my cleaning skill.