chapter 16: The Bone spider attacks
As the attacks skidded forward at the bone spider, a large bang echoed as the attacks collided with nothing and backfired. A large bang was heard as the attacks landed before the teenagers. They recoiled. Quinn watched as the spider scurried back to the orb. He groaned. Right now he could hear the feet of the other competitors as they dashed for the central hall. This was going to be harder with them here. He stealthily headed to another pillar. He opened his system tab.
[MANA] [20%]
[RECUPERATION RATE] [20%]
[MANA: 20/100]
[HP: 7/10]
[RECUPERATION RATE] [70%]
He smirked, he just had to wait for his body to fully heal. But it would be suicide if the others reached the central door. He watched as Marvis moved towards the others. "We have to get to that orb!" Marvis ordered. The girl aside Sonia cranked up. "Why! So you can cheat us out of victory!," She bellowed. Her voice echoed in the hall. Quinn's lips arched slightly. Just what he had been waiting for. "I won't listen to you!" Cassie yelled as she strapped another arrow into her bow. Marvis feet crackled with lightning. "I am a renowned noble blood! You will listen to me!" He charged. Quinn smirked. The bellow of thunder filled the hall as the ceiling crashed down. Lightning hurled down at the floor. They struck the spider simultaneously, not ending. Cassie left where she was, her arrow aimed at the spider. As soon as it left her bow, the arrow's size quadrupled turning into a massive arrow. The spider jerked upwards and gave a pyrrhic scream.
The arrow slowed down, Quinn's eyes narrowed. Warmth filled his gaze as the smell of honeysuckle warmed his nostrils. Thin filaments conjured at the base of the arrow, reducing its acceleration. As the arrow stopped it's journey, more attacks barged at the spider. Corno's arm spread outwards as rock slabs blasted out of his pockets. Quinn turned at the new talent. It was a common talent in the academy. The brute rocks rained at the spider.
Just as the rocks reached the spider, their direction altered. Blasting sideways. Corno shrank backwards. "Impossible!" He muttered. But Marvis headed forward. His sword brimmed with lightning, just as he did. He felt something. The air fluttered, wind blasted past his face as blood spilled from his two arms. His feet dug into the sand as his body dug.
Quinn saw the attack, the colony of glossy mana filaments. It was a calculated attack. And the spider was in power all along. He shrunk back. Fear written over his face. He clenched his fists. This was what the system had given him. A quest to defeat death. He breathed slowly.
Corno raised his hands as the rocks returned to him coating his axe. He gripped the handle harder. Mana streamed towards his hand. The air quaked around him. His brown hair flailed in this new wind. The air quaked as the spider glared at him. Quinn turned in shock as the mana level kept ascending. Corno maintained the uptake. Channeling all the mana in him towards the rock.
The brown rocks began to change colour. It's thick brown nature became glossy white. This was impossible. Sonia stood up in shock. Her body brewed with mana. Her hair dazzled pink. Her eyes sparked with energy as the two's energy kept ascending. Quinn watched in awe. This was the level of an E grade marked one. The spider scurried backwards, memorising the two. Cassie stood, being the only one left out in this power battle. Quinn watched as the power surged. The bone spider spread its legs and got ready for the attack.
The two students charged forward. Space contorted as they charged forward. Corno slammed his axe first. A splitting crack echoed in the hall. Sonia raised her palm. She punched the first leg. The force slammed the spider backwards. Corno turned, he swung his axe energetically. The axe crashed into the spider's leg. A scream tore through the air. The pillars trembled at the sheer force.
Quinn bolted away from his falling pillar and landed at next pillar. Quinn turned to the battle. The two seemed to outmatch the spider. The spider retreated backward, Quinn watched as corno's axe dug in, Sonia shot out pink wave at the axe. The two attacks charged at the spider and nearly instantly. The attack quadrupled in size. Cassie's hands outstretched, warped in green. Quinn watched as the attack clashed with the spider. A massive crater formed just as the central door bursted open and students started to filter in. Quinn snapped his gaze at the door.
"Not now," He hastened. The web of yellow flowed down his feets. Sweat streamed down his feets as the web thinned out. His skin splitted as blood drizzled out.
[WARNING!!!]
[HP: 5/10]
[MANA] [10%]
[RECUPERATION RATE] [10%]
[MANA: 10/100]
He gazed at the spider, it bursted out of the smoke. It's body battered. The spider slammed its feets into the floor and they saw it now. Glossy filaments scattered over the entire hall, shooting out of the ground, walls, ceiling. Quinn twisted as one thread snapped past him. His system barred at him as one thread snapped into his side.
[HP: 4/10]
Quinn's legs fastened on the Concrete ground. He drew his sword out of thin air. His mana level dropped drastically as he gripped the sword.
[MANA] [7%]
[RECUPERATION RATE] [7%]
[MANA: 7/100]
Corno and Sonia screamed as their body bursted with blood. Metallic scent filled the air. Quinn looked around gazed back at the sword. His grip tightened. Corno and Sonia were both suspended in the air, threads poised through their body. Cassie froze in shock and Marvis body struggled to remain afloat on the red sinking sand. Quinn gripped the sword tightly. The central door was blocked by the threads making it harder to see through the filaments. Cassie twitched her hand, creating a disturbance in the air. Thin filaments sliced through her, her neck bursted with blood.
Quinn grimaced as Cassie laid dead. He wrinkled his nose in disgust. The spider now shone with grey hue signifying a berserk mode. He clenched his sword tightly and took a step.
The ceiling completely crashed as lightning struck insanely at the ground. Quinn jumped from one spot to another missing the lightning. His chest deflated as blood sprayed the red soil. His lungs burned and he wheezed uncontrollably. His eyes dimmed as he gazed at Marvis. "Why can't you just die in peace!" He cursed. His system shot up again in warning.
[HP:3/10]
His legs disobeyed his command as he gripped the sword tightly. The lightning poured down in streaks. The filaments of mana charred. Quinn stood up, Marvis struggled to the orb. Quinn growled. But Marvis had rose. He limped towards the orb. The red soil tugged at his body, but Marvis pressed on. The spider screamed just as something flashed through space and dug into the spider's head. It screamed before dying. Marvis ignored the death of the spider. The orb crackled with mana. As white glistened through the hall, Marvis turned with a bloodied grin. His face fell as blood escaped his chest cavity. An arrow tucked nicely into his chest.
His eyes widened. His lips parted with a gasp as the portal hummed behind him. Sonia staggered towards him. "You monster!" Her voice raved. She clenched her teeth,holding her side. The lightning barage seized. Corno was unconscious on the floor and Cassie's body had begun mutating. Sonia etched closer, her breathing tensed up. She had thrown one of Cassie's arrow at him. As soon as she was within range, Marvis threw his sword at her. The speed was impeccable. Blood sprayed behind her as the sword struck her chest. She stared down horrified.
"You fool! The strongest ones always win! your life force manipulation is useless!" Marvis snickered. As he turned to exit the sub space, a gasp tore his lips.
"You're right, but not accurate. The smartest one always win." His voice taunted. Before Marvis could turn, his head bounced off the floor as blood sprayed Quinn's body. He held his abdomen from the tear. And walked into the portal.
-------------
The scent of fresh paint welcomed him. His body materialized back in the hall. The stench of blood resonated off him. Pain streamed through his body as he fought to stay upright. His gaze narrowed as he saw a figure in the corner. She sat on a chair with a book on her lap. Blue hair flailed over her shoulder as she remained obsessed with the book. Quinn's lips scowled. "How come she's here?" He growled.
Noelle Darkfrost.
She remained zoned into the book. Quinn squinted to see the blue title but his eyesight couldn't still read the words. He glanced up at the score board for mana manipulation and was horror struck. Before him was the scoreboard with Noelle Darkfrost in the number one spot.
[NOELLE DARKFROST] [NO 1] [00:45]
He gritted his teeth. While he battled death, she treated the test like a walk in the park. Was this what her E grade was? Even the other E grade students died in the test, yet she sat here unscathed. Reading a book? He clenched his fist.
The balcony doors bursted opened as the teachers charged in, they glanced down in horror at the figure. "The murderer? How?" They thought. Quinn glanced up, disgust painted Layla's face. "Impossible! He couldn't have powered the orb!" Layla growled. Rey's lips thinned. His gaze narrowed. "He doesn't have a talent!" She thundered. The other teachers whispered amongst themselves. "He's the murderer isn't he?" Quinn clenched his fist.
"Even if I take down an A grade beast they won't still regard me." He cursed under his breath. "How do you know he doesn't have mana?" Rey's voice echoed in the hall. Layla snapped at him. "Because I am the mana management teacher." She sneered. "Rey has a point." Teacher Elvis interjected. "His talent is Mana manipulation. He should be more experienced at this than you." Teacher Elvis explained. He eyed Quinn drearily. Layla's face remained indifferent. "Then prove it!" She roared.
An orb materialised before Quinn. Sweats crept down his face even in the chilly atmosphere. Layla growled. Noelle remained fixed on her book. Quinn glanced up at Rey's eyes. Watching, analysing, waiting. Waiting for him to display a wrong magic. Quinn recoiled. He glided through the orbs with his fingers just as a notification barred at him.
[MANA] [2%]
[RECUPERATION RATE] [2%]
[MANA: 2/100]
Sweats trailed down his face. Quinn's heart hammered his rib cage. Pressure crept on his nerves. His brain reduced to mush as his skin crawled. The silence was deafening. cold. Noelle flipped another page, her gaze settled permanently on her book. Quinn reached for the orb once more, another ligament tore open as blood sprayed the freshly cleaned floor. He winced. Yet the professors refused to let him leave without proof.
"Do it!" Layla retorted. Noelle slammed her book shut and stood up. It crystallised instantly before turning to snow dust. "Distractions!" She muttered coldly and turned. Her steps faded from the hall as the door slammed behind her.
Quinn closed his eyes to the pain, the silhouette stirred and yawned in his head. Indifferent to the entire scene. Sweat crept down his face as his system sent a final warning.
[HP:1/10]
[BODY ENTERING TEMPORARY STASIS]
[ALL BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES SHUT DOWN]
He had barely read the message when his eyes blacked out.
....Darkness....