Proper way to deal with rampaging demon

I was down to the last gem bullet.

There had been no choice.

I had to use one during our escape from the giant black spider.

Stray debris, loose rocks, dead branches, and even a mailbox, shattered against the Material Barrier in front of the gilded chariot.

Hurricane winds tore apart the dead forest and the ruined town, carrying the pieces to their both cause and ultimate destination – the ever-hungry maw of the black spider that devoured even the air.

They weren't aimed at us. We were merely in the way.

Khenumra drove with supernatural skill, managing to weave between them, but there were simply too many.

That's why I had to sacrifice one of the two remaining high-quality gems to create that barrier.

Nothing else would work.

Perhaps if I could have held onto that True Magic spell, but there's no point dwelling on it. I had simply reached the limit of my skill, so I had to end it.

I could see it in the distance. The only thing that stood firm against the winds. The black, massive tower, that was my destination. The crimson lightning struck the top almost continuously, illuminating it like a beacon.

The wind was the cause. It had steered the air, moving grim dust clouds at great speed and generating much electricity.

I glanced back. I could see it, the great black shape. Eight legs and a massive torso. It was too indistinct to have any detail, for up close it devoured even light itself.

Of all the names Dustin could have given the demon, he really chose quite an unfortunate one: Shelob's big brother.

Exactly what this hellscape needed. A (fake) son of Ungoliant.

An all-devouring spider the size of a mountain.

Maybe: not a mountain, but at least a large hill.

I could also see the massive funnel descending from the clouds; they too were devoured. The crimson lightning crawled down it, disappearing into the blackness.

The amount of raw power was staggering. My hairs rose even from this distance. But for that thing, it was just a spicy snack.

Even with the consequences staring me in the face, I couldn't truly harbor anger towards Dustin. It wasn't entirely the boy's fault. Naming the demon without fully grasping the repercussions was reckless, yet the aspiring young scientist was unaware of this.

I had issued a warning, but it was directed at Will, not Dustin.

It was before he arrived.

And although what he had done was unwise, it shouldn't have escalated into a world-ending catastrophe.

The truth was, I shared the responsibility. Archer to some extent, but mostly me. His words might have triggered the end, but it was my actions that had set everything in motion. Each decision, from creating the demon, unleashing it, sacrificing a version of Two to save him and the other Numbers, to poisoning Creel, led to this moment.

The chain of events was so improbable, it was as if someone had accidentally spilled a bucket of paint and created the Mona Lisa.

It was a miracle. A bleak one. But not all miracles were benevolent.

For turning water into wine and slaying the firstborn child of every family in Egypt were both deemed miracles, albeit of a different nature.

The thaumaturgy was a science of recreating miracles.

And this was quite an inspiration. I didn't know what use I would have for a Kaiju, but it was good to have an idea of how to create a giant monster if I had a need for one.

However, if I ever did it on purpose, I should first make some control mechanism.

At first, it sounded like a distant heartbeat, but as we rushed with unreal speed, it began to morph into the deafening drumming of near-constant thunder.

Against the wind, the nightmare carried us over an almost flattened dead forest. Only a few of the largest trees remained, the rest had been uprooted by the gales.

Upwards, ever upwards.

Then over the ruined town, which had become a veritable desolate wasteland. Almost all roofs were gone, stripped by the winds.

And there towered the tower, rising high. The only structure appearing untouched by the tempest.

Theoretically, structures built using Adaptive Durability And Metamaterial Assembly Nano-reinforced Technology (A.D.A.M.A.N.T) were rated for such weather, but it was good to see that this Aperture technology had passed the field test with flying colours.

And above the tower, the glowing image of a tree loomed.

Like branches, streams of lightning descended from the clouds, gathering together like a trunk, until they struck the single point of the tower's roof.

The cause of the unusual weather form, the machine tree, served as a high-tech lightning rod.

The gilded chariot descended onto the roof, steadied by the windbreaker panels installed around the perimeter. Coated in the glaring blue of Aperture's Repulsion Gel, these panels were designed to divert strong winds upwards, creating a calm pocket of air on the roof. Instead of battling a hurricane, we were met with just a strong breeze as we landed.

Archer was already waiting for me on the roof. I didn't call in greeting. The constant thunder was deafening, making any vocal communication almost impossible. It was almost painful.

The scent of ozone was overpowering.

Under the bright crimson light, created by the realm's lightning, his red hair appeared even brighter, like freshly spilled blood.

I reached out and fell into his embrace. Our foreheads touched.

The contact was to facilitate telepathic communication, but it was also very pleasant.

If only I had more time to lose myself in his blue eyes, but things were urgent.

I had many things to ask him, but one question came first. I reached with my mind to his, How are the children?

Not seriously injured, he replied in the same manner. Just some bruises, and mental exhaustion. Even Will. I had fed them some of that special chocolate and taken them all to Io. I thought it was the safest place for them, even if it revealed some of our secrets.

You have good instincts. I paused for a moment, collecting my thoughts. Should the worst-case scenario happen, additional genetic diversity would be helpful for rebuilding the human race.

For rebuilding the human race? Direct min to mind-to-mind communication was clearer then vocal. There was no need to interpret the tone of voice, body language, or facial expression. His skepticism was clearly communicated. Are you being overdramatic?

I gently drew him closer, our foreheads touching for a fleeting moment before I tenderly pecked his lips. It was a brief, soft exchange, a quiet promise amidst the roaring storm around us. Then, I pulled away but kept a firm hold on his hand, the warmth between our palms a lingering reassurance. And physical contact made telepathy easier.

Come and see, I urged telepathically, tugging him gently towards the edge of the roof.

The windbreaker panels were of a height that allowed us to just peek over them.

But in the distance, it could clearly be seen. The great spider shadow that covered the horizon. It was slowly, but inevitably marching towards the tower, and us.

A giant monster? Hardly surprising. Rather, I would think that you are overdue for one.

I could hardly take sole credit for its size.

False humility does not suit you, Master. This whole mess is completely your fault. Still, I should be used to it, I know you won't stop at just one. But next time, don't let it run wild. Once could be forgiven as an accident, but twice is just sloppy.

His sent thoughts hit their mark, piercing like one of his arrows. Malevolent was a title I could bear proudly. Incompetent, I could not.

Although such a situation was not uncommon, I held myself to a higher standard.

It's big, but hardly a world-ending disaster, he continued. In the background, I could feel his thoughts analysing the situation. Almost mechanically, like the gears grinding in his Reality Marble. We could just let it rampage here. I've already evacuated personnel from this facility. The only things we could lose are money and equipment. We just have to keep it here, away from Earth.

That's exactly what we should avoid at any cost. This tower and everything in it, the potential profit I could make from this mirror realm, I would gladly trade all of that for the knowledge I've already received. I've made several breakthroughs thanks to this. It's an unfortunate truth, that the path of the Philosopher can yield quick gains, if one does not mind the cost. A small pause. The warmth of his hand in mine was comforting, but not enough. Not for this. Shelob's big brother. What an unfortunate naming. Not that any sons of Ungoliant had even been mentioned in a story or song. Mainly because the Devourer of Light mated and devoured them. Only daughters had remained. Still, the association gives unfortunate properties. That which ever-hungers, eventually devouring itself. That's not just a giant spider, it's an event horizon in spider shape. And every moment it exists within this borderland between Earth and Xen, it draws them together. Into a grand collision.

Being a hermit suits you better. The distaste, and even touch of fear. And grim determination. It was comforting, should I lose myself in such a way that he would be there to pull me back. Ironic. The invasion you were trying to prevent, you may actually cause.

We don't have to worry about the invasion, I replied. Comparing what is about to happen with Resonance Cascade, is kind of comparing a nuke to a firecracker. Invasions serve to obtain things of value. With energies unleashed Earth would be of no use to anyone.

So easily? Is there no Counter Force in this World?

It could be so. Or it could be our presence is deemed enough. Or it could be that we're not actually on Earth, or even properly in Xen. Like shores, liminal areas can have unique mystical properties. Also, I said that Earth would be of no value, not destroyed.

Can you get to the point? Direct mind-to-mind communication is faster than talking, but we don't have unlimited time.

This demon is born of a desire for survival. Even though gaining a Name had granted both potency and a greater form, its essential nature remains. The desire for survival isn't far from a hunger for more life. Thus, it is a proper little savior. To wish to save someone is also to wish for someone to be in peril. From a human's perspective, that may be a contradiction, but to the demon, it's simple logic. The desire to live is stronger when one is on the brink of death. It brings salvation and ruin at the same time.

Except everyone it saves will end like Brenner. Mad and mutated.

Men had endured worse in pursuit of immortality. But you can why such a world would not be a target for invasion. It is a solution, but not the one I will accept.

You almost had me worried for a moment. How do we stop it?

We seal it. Or rather I seal it.

If the solution is that simply what's the catch?

Time. I need time to prepare a proper prison. Time that we do not have.

Can we destroy it, instead?

It would be faster if we sealed it first. It is a demon of survival. Killing would be tricky. And a bit of waste. Once properly under my control, I am sure I can many uses for it. Time is the problem. There is a simple way to gain more time, but it is not without consequences. Location, this borderland, is the problem. The solution is obvious, move the demon out of it. There are only two choices Earth and Xen. Earth is inhabited, and Xen is possibly inhabited. I hardly think anyone would be pleased if we dropped in the giant spider monster for a walk.

Any third option?

Not to my knowledge. Perhaps if I had more time, I could find one. But if I had more time, I would spend it preparing a binding.

That we do what we must.

It's possible to walk into Xen and back from here. We could lure the demon over the storm wall, which might solve the issue temporarily. However, it could easily return. Since it has devoured the origin of this anomaly, it's likely to just move the borderlands. On the other hand, bringing it to Earth would require some effort, but it could probably eliminate this borderland entirely, which would solve some of our problems.

But neither is certain.

Again, if had time to carefully go over the data, I would have time to prepare the binding. And if I did, this situation quite unprecedented. So even, it would just be a guess.

Which is more likely to succeed?

I cannot be completely sure, but in my opinion Earth.

Then we lure it to Earth.

It will cause a lot of causalities. The demon consumes but also preserves. But I can't guarantee that I will ever be able to recover those that are already part of it.

Better some, than all. How long it will take you to prepare what you need for binding?

A day or less. I know it's a lot of time to let it rampage, but I don't have any other answer, or time to search for one. I will use the Ring of Fire as a base. It is something of a waste, but such material would save time. I have left it in the testing chamber. Did you know that the crystalline lattice of metal that composes the Ring of Power is arranged in a configuration that can be considered a computer? The precision of Elven craftsmanship is amazing, considering that it was done by hand. This concept of binding spirits into rings, drawing from occult traditions dating back to Solomon, provides the foundational logic for utilizing the Ring in such a manner. And there are legends of Jinn being bound into rings…

Through our link, Archer radiated fond amusement as I lectured, and the was a brief flash of emotion. Too fast for me to discern.

Lost something? I found this in the lab.

With his other hand, he pulled out the ring from his pocket. The only Ring of Power that I managed to save from that disaster at Cracks Of Doom. Narya, the Ring of Fire.

I took in my other hand, and briefly examined it. It was the same ring but modified. Into the ruby, there was embedded the piece of Magic Crest.

It was something I had theorized, that the Rings of Power were in a way similar to the Magic Crest. Crystalized Mystery, preserving is against the march of time.

The destruction of the Ruling Ring had rendered Narya inoperative. I had theorized that replacing the source of power with a compatible, one could restore some of the function or even bring new ones. One such compatible material was Magic Crest. But I was unwilling to risk damaging something so precious for an experiment.

At least for now.

Because that piece of Magic Crests resonated with my crest. Because it was the same. Just displaced in time. And it contained all the spells I needed for this situation.

Not yet, I replied. This is exactly what I need to bind it. Change of plans we are binding it now.

Perhaps time travel was not so bad after all. Except, this meant more work for future me. But that was his problem. I had a big problem as it was—a mountain-sized, spider-shaped problem.

What do you need from me?

Protection. For now, it is passively devouring everything, but I don't that would still be the fact after I start the binding.

Will it help if I can immobilize it for a short time?

That would be perfect. But how? You don't study demonology?

But I have a Ph.D. in Event Horizon Containment. If I combine that with that blessing and my skill in Projection Magecraft, I could make something. It won't last long. Not if make it in a hurry.

It will be enough. It has to be. Shall we?

I would have offered my hand, but I was already using to hold his.

You take me on the nicest dates.

I know what you like—saving people, fighting monsters.

The last high-quality mana-imbued gem I used to create a zone of still air, over the chariot as boarded it.

It was fortunate that winds were a mere side effect of the demon's endless hunger, rather than something with more conceptual weight.

I had to let go of Archer's hand, he would need both for his bow. That did make telepathy a bit more difficult, but manageable if needed.

The winds had stripped the town bare, leaving just a few walls, and the foundation of the houses.

Spider had almost reached where the town bordered the forest, although now there were neither houses nor trees there. All was devoured.

As we approached, the demon spider loomed larger, but not more discernible. It was as if someone had cut out the part of reality that shaped a spider, leaving just emptiness.

I had compared it to an Event Horizon, and while that could be contextually true, it wasn't really black hole.

Utilizing the Schwarzschild radius formula, I briefly calculated the mass of the singularity, if it were a real black hole, with Boaz's help.

If it weren't supernatural, it would have a mass range between a star and a small galaxy. And definitely would be a sphere, not a spider.

At this range, we'd have more problems with gravity, not just the winds.

But then, demons tended to treat the laws of nature like a five-year-old would treat tax law. Something they knew existed, but neither understood nor obeyed.

Also, it would have sunk in the ground. I mean that should have happened even if was a spider that size walking on normal ground, not an empty void carved from the face of reality.

I was distracting myself. Although all debris was mostly gone, fast air currents had created an abundance of static electricity. And from that, instead of rain, it was lighting that fell.

Khenumra danced among thousands of strikes as he drove chariot approaching the demon, in the spiral.

Archer stood proudly, bow drawn in hand, firing the special arrows. Not at the demon spider, but in places around him.

Each arrow found its mark, gradually constructing the improvised Event Horizon Containment Device.

The whole plan appeared insane. Creating a high-tech device with magecraft, by firing arrows amidst a hurricane.

Yet, it worked. I didn't know the specifics of what he had crafted—it was Archer's magecraft. It would be impolite to pry too closely; enough to praise his work, but not enough to pilfer Mysteries.

Not that he would mind, but there was no reason to be rude.

The beams of light ascending towards the turbulent clouds signified that Archer's work had reached fruition.

The grand sphere of interlocking petals—which bore a slight resemblance to the manifestation of Rho Aias, the shield used by the Trojan War hero Aias—encircled and then compressed the dark spider until a ball the size of a human head hovered over the barren plains.

The chariot drove right next to it.

Now, it was my turn.

I put on the modified Ring of Fire.

It was like grasping a live wire. Power surged through me as my Magic Circuit fully melded with the artifact.

The resonance between the two time-displaced segments of the Magic Crest thrummed like a second heartbeat.

Past and present spell formulas collided, amassing power.

Like a whirlpool, it drained all of the Od available within my body and more. Necrosis spread from my finger to my arm, threatening to reach my very heart.

My vision blurred, yet I endured.

The agony was indescribable as I pushed far beyond my limits.

All was necessary for this binding.

Finally, glowing letters erupted from the ring. Like chains, they encircled and bound the sphere that kept the demon captive.

And it was none too soon, for cracks were already forming in the sphere.

Swift as a serpent, the binding slithered through the cracks, and along the chain of letters, the liquid shadow retreated back into the ring.

"No. No," the shadows whispered, "Can't you hear them?"

And through the link, I could. A young man, dying from a gunshot wound, his last words calling for his mother. The pitiful whimpering of a starving child, too weak to even move. The lament of a wealthy old man that all was not enough as the grave approached. That and a dozen more voices. All dying.

"I can save them," the shadows continued to whisper, "Just let me go. I only want to help."

"Reckless. You do know what you do. That is why you must be bound," I retorted back and then spoke the secret name of God before all things, even demons must submit.

"Hateful master. Cruel master," the shadows whispered, and they were drained into the ruby, "How can you just let them die? No one deserves to die."

"No one gets what they deserve, and that is kindness."