Chapter 297: Liam Vs Arachne Boss (2)

The Arachne staggered back as Storm Shadow tore through the last of her defensive pattern. Her legs trembled and her upper body dipped as she coughed out thick blood.Her breath came in uneven pulls, and her eyes, sharp and filled with fury, fixed on Liam who was slowly walking toward her.

The glow in her eyes softened for a moment and she released a skittering sound, a mixture of her native tongue and a bitter question.

"Why do humans hated anything that was different from them. Why they marked such things as monsters and then started killing them without thought," she asked.

Her voice carried weight and frustration that felt far older than the dungeon itself.

Liam stopped walking when the words reached him. They struck deeper than he expected. He had not expected anything meaningful to come from her mouth, but there it was, a question that belonged to every world.

He stared at her in silence for a moment as his grip on Storm Shadow loosened. He knew very well that the question did not have a good answer.

He knew humanity’s history and the things they had done. Anyone different became a target for fear, anger, or dominance. He felt the heaviness of that truth rest in his chest and the fight lost a bit of its meaning.

The Arachne saw the shift in his expression and the sadness in his eyes. It made her believe she had reached the core of him.

She smiled faintly, her fangs barely showing. She was certain she had found the weakness she needed.

The truth was that she did not care about the moral question she asked. It was nothing more than bait. She knew that a mind shaken by doubt was slow to react. She knew a thinking opponent was easier to strike than a fighting one.

She pushed the pain aside and her legs tightened. Her blades angled low and her venom glistened under the dim green light. She moved with explosive speed and lunged at him, targeting his throat and stomach with a single smooth motion that would kill even armored adventurers easily.

Liam sighed once more. He was turning Storm Shadow slightly, preparing to send it back into the Dimensional Space to end the fight without another strike.

But the moment he saw her move, he changed his mind. A small smirk formed on his face and he vanished from the spot completely.

The Arachne’s blades stabbed into the empty air where he had been standing. She hissed in shock, her legs skittering across the stone as she tried to locate him. She felt a breeze behind her and she spun, her blades crossing in front of her.

Storm Shadow met her weapons in a clean strike. The sound echoed across the large chamber.

Liam pushed her back with one smooth motion and he leveled the spear at her chest. She hissed loudly and circled to the side, but he stepped with her, matching her movement easily.

"Why did you ask me that question? Let me guess, you were trying to catch me off guard," he said, speaking in her language, in a calm voice.

The Arachne’s reaction was instant as shock rippled across her face. Her eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. She froze for a second, unable to understand how this human could speak her language so cleanly. She narrowed her eyes and her legs lowered into a tight stance as she glared at him.

"You understand me?" she hissed. "You can speak my tongue?"

"I can," Liam said.

She clicked her fangs together as rage and confusion mixed inside her. She never expected someone from the outside world to understand her.

She had spent her entire life fighting intruders who could not even hear the meaning within her screechs. She steadied her breathing and released a slow, bitter sound.

"Yes. I wanted to see your reaction," she said. "To see if you would stop thinking long enough for me to strike. Humans always pause when they hear things they fear or avoid. You all carry guilt. You all carry fear. You all carry arrogance. I wanted to use any of them. Anything to pierce your guard."

"As expected, it was nothing more than a distraction," Liam nodded in understanding.

"Of course it was," she spat. "Words do not change anything. If words were enough, the weak would rule the world. War exists because words fail."

Liam tightened his grip on Storm Shadow and stepped toward her. She mirrored the step and swung both blades at him. The fight began once more, but now it carried a deeper weight.

Their weapons met again and again and sparks danced around them as steel clashed against her dual daggers made from her chitin.

Liam pushed forward with a strike aimed toward her leg, but she shifted her weight and blocked the spear shaft with her blades, forcing it upward and nearly throwing his balance off. She lunged forward but he twisted and used the spear’s shaft to redirect her attack before sliding back.

She skittered across the wall and came down with force, her blades aimed at his head. Liam raised Storm Shadow and blocked.

The force behind her attack cracked the stone floor and she pushed him back. He stepped with the momentum and ran up the wall.

She chased him, not slowing at all. They clashed on the wall and he jumped off while twisting mid-air. She followed him and their weapons collided again before they both landed on the floor.

The room trembled under the impact of their movements. Dust drifted from the ceiling and web strands shook. Liam’s jacket fluttered around him and her legs dug deep into the stone for grip.

Their fight flowed without hesitation. Each strike carried force and each dodge carried intent. She was fast and she was strong. He moved with calmness and precision, watching her closely, studying her patterns.

"You fight differently," she hissed between strikes.

Liam blocked her dual blades with the spear and lowered his stance, and replied, "I came here to test myself, not to take anything from you."

"You killed my children," she hissed, pushing harder.

"They attacked me," Liam replied.

"That is their nature," she said. "And killing them is yours."

Liam didn’t argue with her words, as their weapons clashed again. She pushed him back with a sudden burst of strength, but he anchored his foot and slid only a few inches.

She rushed at him once more, attacking with more emotion than technique. Liam watched her movements and moved with controlled ease.

Their fight continued for several minutes. She struck harder the longer it lasted, driven by rage. Liam blocked every strike, but he felt the pressure. She was not weak.

At last, Liam decided the exchange had gone far enough. He tightened both hands on Storm Shadow and pushed the Arachne back with a strong sweep. She staggered and hissed. He stepped forward and lifted the spear slightly.

He moved with full speed and she rushed at him with the same wild intent. Their weapons met in a devastating clash that shattered the floor under them.

This time he pushed harder. She slid backward and tried to recover but he pressed forward and attacked again. Storm Shadow blurred in his hands and she blocked the strikes but her movements were becoming slower.

She tried to leap onto the wall but he pulled the spear back and thrust toward her. She dodged but her balance shifted for a moment. And that moment was enough.

Liam coated the spear in lightning.

Storm Shadow sparked and the air hummed lightly. He swung once. The electricity wrapped around her body and she screamed in shock. Her legs trembled and her upper body tensed.

She tried to move but her muscles jerked uncontrollably. Lightning crawled across her limbs and locked her in place.

She dropped her blades as her body stiffened.

Liam stepped in front of her. She stared at him with a mixture of anger and fear. She tried to hide it and forced a smirk.

"Kill me," she taunted. "Show me the heart of a human. Kill the monster. Show me what you really are."

He did not react to her words. He lowered his gaze and looked at her upper body. She was completely bare. Her human torso had nothing covering it.

She noticed where he was looking and something playful flickered in her eyes. She tried to arch her back slightly, using the only advantage she had left.

But that advantage died instantly as Storm Shadow pierced her heart with one smooth thrust. Her eyes widened and she stared at him in pure shock.

"You killed a woman without hesitation?" she whispered weakly.

Liam looked at her calmly. "My fists do not know gender and you tried to take my life."

Her body sagged against the spear as the last of her strength faded. Liam pulled Storm Shadow free and she collapsed to the floor. He watched her for a brief moment before turning away.

A soft mechanical hum sounded behind him. A monster core extractor robot rolled into view, its metal arm already extending toward the Arachne’s body.

Liam did not need to say anything. The machine began its work and he walked toward the exit.

It took only a few minutes for him to reach the dungeon entrance. The cool night air met him when he stepped out, and he stopped walking when he saw the three catkins standing in front of him.

They stared at him in complete silence, their eyes wide, their expressions unreadable.