Rise of Tyrus

The aftermath of his first rock spider hunt unfolded swiftly. Ignoring the sun's glare on his neck during the meditation, Tyrus was able to replenish most of his mana. After leaving the Sorcerer Plane, Meadow had apprised him of the surge in rock spiders that were wandering around when she went back to the cavern to inspect things. The shrill cries of the defeated one must have alerted them. Apart from that, nothing out of the ordinary occurred during his meditation.

Immediately, Tyrus began working on the corpse. Chipping away at the rock spider's body was an easy task since its armor was inferior to scales. And with Tyrus being able to sense mana, locating the mana core was easy. The head was where the flow of mana was most powerful, similar to the location of the drake. Although there was a similar pattern, it was still too early to draw a conclusion.

Despite the arduous work with a chipped dagger and Meadow's constant gagging near his ear, Tyrus quickly found the mana core by cutting through flesh and blood. He made a face of disgust and retrieved a tiny crystal by using the tip of the blade, then placed the mana core onto his stained hands.

The core's size, as predicted, was notably smaller than the drakes and roughly on par with the last rock spider. No impurities stained the pristine crystal, which shimmered with a white brightness fueled by a soft hum. Wasting no time, Tyrus went to work and absorbed the power through his hands. His chest constricted briefly, and he felt his power growing at a snail’s pace. Once the color faded to a dull gray, Tyrus tossed the item aside.

“That was the most disgusting process I have ever witnessed,” Meadow said with a scowl.

Tyrus snorted. “You’ll have to get used to it, sadly. It’s gruesome, but I see no other way in extracting the cores… unless you know of one.”

“If I knew one, I would have informed you about one long ago. Just thinking about staining my pretty hands with that horrendous liquid has me feeling queasy!”

While Meadow was hugging her stomach, Tyrus entered the Sorcerer Plane just to be sure. Pinpointing his sights on the third branch, the progress barely moved from its halfway point. That was to be expected since the mana core was small to begin with. He’d just have to find more and absorb them.

To fill up the third branch, just how much would he need? His first core of the day had barely made a dent, and with how long it took to kill one rock spider and refill his mana, taking on a few more now would take him until the moon had risen. A full day out of his week had already gone by, and while he learned a lot, filling up his third branch would be nice. Just how was he going to accomplish that?

Tyrus released a heavy sigh and turned to Meadow. “You said the rock spiders are wandering the cavern now, correct?”

“Yes. They aren’t at the entrance just yet. I’ve seen them near the place where we first encountered the one here.”

Tyrus nodded and glanced at the carcass. Luring them one by one had just gotten a lot more difficult if they were swarming the cavern, but that was to be expected. When one of your own brethren is making quite the racket and just outright disappears, the others would be curious about its whereabouts.

Fighting them all at once was a death wish as they had the numbers and strength advantage. There was also the case of their webs. The moment his arms and legs were bound, he was as good as dead.

To combat a group, only one idea came to mind, and that was isolation. He and Meadow would have to isolate one from the main group and lure them away somehow without alerting the others. For that to happen, he had to find a good enough bait that would catch its attention. It was similar to fishing, except it was done on land and with giant spiders instead of fish.

“Meadow, do you have any idea on how to lure a rock spider without grabbing the other’s attention?”

The fairy crossed her arms and pondered. “For that to happen, you would need something to attract it, but it has to be subtle. Subtle enough that it can catch the attention of one rock spider and not alert the others. Magical beasts are drawn toward mana like flies near a dead animal.”

Tyrus tapped his chin, staring at his hands. He remembered a passing conversation with the armless treant; the more mana that circulates, the more habitable and appealing the environment will be to beasts. Following that logic, the rock spiders making their nest in the cave would mean they habituated a place that appealed to them, and that may have been mana. But he didn’t really feel any power emanating from the cave like how a mana core would. What was the deal with that?

“Anyway… If magical beasts are attracted to mana, using my lightning will work, right?”

Meadow nodded. “You’ll have to be careful of the output. If you expel too much mana, you’ll stand out, so you have to minimize as much as you can while also grabbing one’s attention.”

…That means I need a lot of control for that to happen. It shouldn’t be difficult since I’m not actively using spells.

"If that's all, let's get a move on. Are you able to keep on going, Meadow?”

“I can call upon roots a few times more before running out of mana and needing to recharge. Other than that, I’m ready when you are.”

After inspecting his weapons and body one more time, Tyrus gave her the thumbs up and stepped forward, returning to the cavern.

****

Having gone back and found the way to the cavern, Tyrus let out a small gasp at what he saw before him. True to Meadow's description, the area was teeming with rock spiders, nearly indistinguishable from one another except for a single vital distinction. The formation of their rocky armor looked random as if someone grabbed a sack full of rocks and tossed them around each time for different results. Each one of them towered at the same stature and was equally intimidating up close. Hunting them one by one was truly a smart decision.

The crawling or stationary rock spiders contaminated the cavern. Some would exude webs from their abdomen, further adding to the disarray of the already plagued cave. Just watching them from afar was nerve-wracking. Tyrus felt as if millions of ants were crawling all over his skin.

“I’m starting to have second thoughts about this,” he murmured.

Meadow peeked over his shoulder. “It is as you say, as long as we are careful, the plan will be successful. If you get nervous now, there’s a higher chance of failure.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I can’t get nervous, or a lot of mistakes will appear.”

“If you need me to wake you up, I’ll happily oblige. A slap or two on the cheek should help if you permit me to do so.”

Looking away, a quick scan revealed their tight position. They were hiding behind a pillar, out of view of the rock spiders, and near the entrance. Using Illumination or any spells for light was out of the question, so they had to make do with their own eyes. With how many dark corners and pathways there were, they had to be careful of where they walked, especially with the spider webs littering the ground. They had to take things slowly.

Taking a deep breath, Tyrus psyched himself up and was about to turn the corner until Meadow hissed at him.

“Savior, wait!”

He slinked back and crouched. “Is something the matter?”

“My apologies, but I forgot one crucial detail. Since magical beasts are attracted to mana, I’m afraid my presence would alert them. Spirits are practically made of mana because of our tight affinity with the elements and the world. I might as well be a small beacon of light in this cavern. I’ll be waiting at the entrance.”

Without waiting for a reply, Meadow leaped off and fluttered away, leaving behind a trail of light. Tyrus was left dumbfounded as she vanished from sight.

I can’t believe I didn’t think of that! If she didn't say anything at the last second, things could have gone bad.

After mentally berating himself for his ignorance, his focus shifted back to the matter at hand. He left his cover and crept through the cavern slowly. Without Meadow watching his back, he had to proceed slowly.

Looking for an isolated rock spider proved to be difficult. Many of them were a stone's throw away from each other, congregating like rats in a sewer. Tyrus had to hide behind cover every few seconds just to not get spotted. Once the coast was clear, he’d continue his search for a stranded rock spider.

As his search went on, he began thinking to himself that what he was doing may have been dumb. He wasted a lot of time that could have been spent doing other things, like meditation or training his element. Though hunting beasts would result in those things, the concern is not utilizing his time efficiently.

Absorbing a mana core proved to fill the branches in his Sorcerer Plane quickly, but actively slinging magic and refining his spellcasting and control was invaluable. At the same time, his fighting skills were sharpening, and his body was getting some much needed exercise. Hunting beasts had more benefits, but it was the most perilous method. Yet even through all that, he persisted. As Wanderer had mentioned before; struggle for a better life. So far, he was doing a good job.

After a period of time, Tyrus's luck finally improved. Concealed in a hole that was equal to his size, he eventually stumbled upon a solitary spider situated placidly on a cliff. There was enough distance for his magic to only attract the beast, and he could safely lure it away without running into another. Not only that, but its rock body had noticeably thinner areas than the others. Breaking through its armor should prove to be an easier feat.

Tyrus looked around last one time before raising one of his arms. A slight charge of power flickered on his palm, summoned by the power of his mind. It possessed a few particles of mana, and only a beast with a keen sense would know its presence from afar. Tyus figured if none of the spiders sniffed Meadow out even when she was close, then their sensitivity to mana was lackluster.

Gotta think of this like I’m fishing near a lake, he thought. Just as people hunt in woods and forests, many people fish with equal or greater enthusiasm. A memory of men clad only in trousers, fishing near vast water bodies with intense concentration entered his mind. They would sling their wooden rods with sturdy strings attached at the end and wait patiently for fish to bite. It was a mundane and boring experience to watch, so Tyrus didn’t enjoy sticking around and finding out whether they had caught something.

But that was all he needed.

Tyrus pictured a sole, gaunt tendril growing out of his hands. Hastily, he slapped his palm onto the ground and desired the ability to swiftly sprint along the earth. The emanating arcs of power obediently followed his hand's command, gracefully dancing across the rocky terrain and at the unsuspecting creature. Upon the tendril's close approach, the rock spider promptly redirected its focus toward the origin, intrigued by the sudden manifestation of mana. Instead of locating Tyrus there, there was nothing to be found. He had already departed from the area.

Skillfully weaving through the natural cover, Tyrus made his way toward the entrance, creating a mana trail that was only faintly pulsating with energy. The twisting tendril played the role of the fishing gear, and his mana was the attractive bait. His idea was good in theory, but it all depended on no other spider discovering it. If they did, another beast would follow the bait, and he’d have to face more than one.

To his amazement, he succeeded in his plans. Upon emerging from the cavern with a chest that throbbed, the rock spider halted just before exiting. Tyrus pivoted to face the beast, but Meadow was already channeling her earth magic. Following her lead, he used his own entrapment and executed the required steps to immobilize it. From there on, it was only a matter of extermination.

They managed to hunt the beast in less time than the last.