Hex Knight Chapter 3, Sanctum of the Dead

--[Quest] has been provided--

--Current [Quest] task: Clear the Forgotten Tomb. Patron Muurgre, God of the Dead and all Things that Rot. Reward, New Class.--

Sipping from his canteen, Alex started looking around to find the door to this supposed tomb when he pushed against a section of earth for it to crumble inwards, and a stale draft began flowing behind it. Summoning forth his shotgun and armor, he began to cautiously probe the interior. Spider webs hung like ropes around, and resisting the urge to call out into the dark depths, he took a few steps in, being careful not to touch any of the webbing.

Beyond the first antechamber he had stepped through, the tunnel had been pitch black. Thanks to [Dark Vision] and [Bestial Senses] working in tandem, he did not have to worry about anything sneaking up on him. There seemed to be only one way to go, so he headed deaper.

A subtle change in the airflow told him there was something around the next curve in the tunnel. Alex immediately dialed up a few notches on his senses, trying to determine the source, but nothing was happening. He was able to determine that it was several feet away from the curve, so whatever it was wouldn't be able to get the immediate drop on him. Trying to keep the clinking of metal on metal from alerting whatever it was that was there, he crept forth.

Peaking around the corner, there was a huge, hairy spider, about the size of a very large dog, covered in hair. Thankfully it was looking away from him, and trying to keep up with the element of surprise, Alex fired off a quick [Eldritch Bolt], and witnessed in horror as it took the hit and turned around with frightening speed and lunged for him. Almost fumbling, he brought the shotgun up and quickly blasted it. The roar of the shotgun in an enclosed space was loud, but while it may have been stupid, it wasn't the first time he had shot it without ear protection. The logic at the time being if he had needed to shoot it in his house, he wouldn't have the time to spare to grab them anyways. Still didn't make it hurt any less. Feeling a *ping* on his brain, he pulled up his status.

--You have defeated Dire Wolf Spider.--

--Bonus experience awarded for first defeat of an enemy of this type.--

Further inspection revealed the spider was level 8. While waiting for the ringing in his ears to subside, he hoped the hornets nest wasn't just stirred up. After a few minutes of waiting, he got back to delving the tombs depths. Further and further he went, and the webbing grew thicker and thicker. Reaching a large room at the very end, Alex began checking the walls, 3 other entrances much like the one he had just emerged from. Where the walls were, instead of being flat, there was a series of alcoves with something in them, bodies. The bodies didn't have much of an effect on him, they had to go somewhere after all, but what did was what some of said bodies attached to them, spider egg sacs the size of bowling balls.

What was with this universe and supersizing things that really don't need it? He was drawn out of his thoughts by a noise from above. Craning his neck to look, there was a supersized spider the size of a horse staring down at him.

--Dire Wolf Spider Queen lvl 30--

On a list of things Alex never wanted to see again, this topped it easily. The spider noticed it had been spotted and dropped down, a faint tremor being felt from the floor. Letting forth a loud screech, it charged to the side. Thinking fast, he shouldered his shotgun and fired. As he pulled the trigger, a passive *pinged* his brain, and the pellets struck the side of the scuttling beast. In his dim vision, he could tell the pellets hadn't done much penetration, but the resulting screech told him they were doing some damage.

Quickly swapping it out in favor of his lever gun, he aimed it for the face, but a quicker than what should be possible swipe from one of the spiders many legs had it knocked out of his grasp. It had already tasted pain from the strange sticks and wanted no more part of it. Praying the rifle and it's scope wasn't broken, Alex brough out his handcannon. A blob of webbing followed quickly behind the strike, seeking to hold him in place. A blast of [Surge] had him dodging it, before rolling underneath the beast. Under here, where the segmented armor underneath the hair was weakest, he quickly fired all 5 rounds into its chest, his brain going *ping* him with every shot.

Alex could feel blood leaking from his ears from letting loose with such a loud gun in extreme confines, before the noise from his gun was outdone by the shrill shriek of the spider. It continued its shrieks, deafening him as [Bestial Senses] backfired on him, before falling on its side, drawing forth a shuddering gasp, and a final twitch of a leg before dying altogether. Standing back up, he reloaded his revolver, before putting it away and walking to retrieve his rifle. Thankfully, his rifle had gotten caught on some webbing and hadn't struck the floor. Cleaning it was going to be a pain, but that was something he could fix, broken wasn't.

Further inspection of the vast carcass revealed that the buckshot did more damage than originally thought. Where the pellets had hit, something like acid had eaten away at the points of impact. Pulling back up his status, you have defeated yada yada yada, there. [Mystic Arcanum] had done something.

--Necrotic damage has been applied to your attacks--

Still no level up, which Alex felt was bullshit. A giant spider the size of a horse didn't warrant enough xp? Placing his hand on the side of the body, he set about rotating it so he could see the damage dealt by his handcannon when he felt another *ping*.

--Heaven's Bounty is taking affect.--

As he watched in horror, the body began collapsing down upon itself. Empty of food, Alex could only spew up bile at the hideous scene. Crunching and slushing sounds reverberated throughout the tomb, before coming to a stop. In the carcass' place lay a halberd, but not shaped like many he had seen. The back spike was normal, but the axe head and spear point flowed into each other, kind of like a bardiche. The metal was black except for where the edges were, which gleamed like polished silver even in the darkness. It even projected a weak source of light. The head was about a foot taller than him, so about 7 feet tall, just a little too large for him to want to use it with his shield.

--Heaven's Bounty has generated Halberd of the Crescent Moon--

Halberd of the Crescent Moon: Deals Bonus damage during the night and in dark places. Also shows the current phase of the moon.

Holding it in his hands, it felt good, it felt right. The shaft was cool and smooth to the touch, the balance was pinpoint, and it merged well with [Martial Skill]. Moreover, Alex knew from his HEMA days that halberds were a menace to go up against thanks to how much reach they had. All inspections were cut short as he felt rather than heard a great trembling in the earth.

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A loud blast from their chambers had already placed the swarm on high alert, and upon hearing it again as well as their broodmother's high pitched shrieks had them running to repel whatever intruder had entered their home.

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A massive swarm of spiders barreled into the chamber surrounding him on all sides, behaving more like water than any living being. Breath hitching a bit at the sheer number of spiders surrounding him, Alex tightened his grip on his halberd, before deciding to let loose a powerful blow, using both [Surge] and [Crushing Blow] to blast a piece of the swarm away. [Mystic Arcanum] boosted his attack again, and some of the spiders who hadn't been insta-killed were eaten away by the necrotic element before they too died. And yet for every one he killed, 2 more spiders took their place. A spider behind him jumped, aiming to climb on his back, before getting caught on the spear section and impaled. A follow up swipe cut into several more who attempted to attack his back. Swing after swing was made, before they started to blur together.

At some point during the fighting, Alex's hearing had come back with a loud pop, filling his hearing with shrieks and gnashing of pincers, but now all was quiet. After about an hour of swinging, he laid his head against the shaft of his weapon, both it and him covered in spider guts and blood. Before he let himself rest though, he used the last of his mana to cast [Eldritch Bolt] on the egg sacs. Wouldn't do much good to remove that swarm if another one would spring up into it's place after all. Calming his heart and easing the tremors in his arms from such a long protracted fight, he felt a headache forming from being out of mana, before feeling a *ping* on his brain.

--[Quest] has been successfully completed.--

--Reward from Muurgre being generated.--

A presence behind him formed, and a voice made from the final breath of many things combined with the creaks and groans of many things being broke down spoke, "You have done well, cleansing my innermost sanctum. Be pleased, and take your reward."

--You have received a new class: Lord of the Dead.--

The same voice spoke, "For too long my chosen have been ostracized for actions not of their doing. Break the chains, and shatter the stereotype."

The presence faded, and now Alex's muscles trembled for a different reason. Contact with a being far outstripping his own had made him very aware of his mortality. Hastening to leave the depths, his leg brushed on one of the many bodies, and [Heaven's Bounty] took affect. Closing his eyes to not see the sight, he could still hear as bodies congealed to whatever may be created. Many gristly minutes later, the sanctum was clean of spider bodies, though the fluids remained. All that was left was a ring.

--Heaven's Bounty has generated Ring of the Flame-Touched--

Ring of the Flame-Touched: Allows wearer to utilize various flame spells.

Well, he had his means of fireball now. Grabbing it and quickly getting out of there, he passed the solitary dire wolf spider corpse he killed on his way in, having been knocked down a ways from the flood of its brethren. Pausing to touch it, nothing happened. Seemed he was getting everything out of [Heaven's Bounty] today that he was going to. As disgusting as it was, he hauled it over his shoulder and went his way back to his camp, hoping the spider provided something edible he could eat. Something that was even slightly appetizing.

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