Chapter 31 - Dawn Rises

Amongst snow-covered trees. Amongst birds huddling for heat. Amongst fallen items by their feet, the moon shone like a spotlight, highlighting two adventurers and a beast.

"ZEIKA!"

A man draped in a fur coat dotted in red turned to watch an elf gasping for air. His eyes were bloodshot as he held an open wound which poured blood. Zeika brushed his long black hair to the side, showing his chipped and stained leather gloves.

"YOU BITCH! HOW COULD YOU!?" the elf wailed.

Behind Zeika, a wolf, measuring around 30 metres, lay beaten, bruised, scarred, and subjugated. The wolf's white and blue fur was stained with the blood of his assailants. The wolf's eyes were closed, and his soul was ready to be embraced by the heavens.

"YOU COULD'VE SAVED US ALL! US ALL!" the elf swung his arm around.

Zeika observed his surroundings- the gems and weapons of 6 strangers.

"YOU HAVE THE POWER TO DO SO AND YOU LET US-" cough, "DIE! YOU LET US DIE."

Zeika gazed upon the sky, staring at the drifting grey clouds. The man raised his gun to the wolf's head and BANG. Blue particles floated- the elf and wolf disappeared. With a solemn sigh, Zeika holstered his gun and began collecting his winnings.

***

Johnny rushed to his feet upon hearing Zein's words, mouth wide with joy in his eyes.

"Really!?"

"I'm asking am I not?" Zein chuckled, hanging on to his sword on the spider's back.

"But, but I don't have any more bullets…" Johnny retreated into himself.

"On your gun, do you see a little button on the base of your handle?"

"Yeah. But it drops all my bullets and spins like crazy!" Johnny explained.

"I know!" Zein retrieved his sword and dodged the spider's webs. "Just hit it!"

"O-okay, Mr. Cat."

Johnny hit the little button hesitantly, and the gun's cylinder popped out, spinning uncontrollably. 5 seconds later, it slammed back in.

"N-now what?" Johnny asked, confused.

"You see this big girl here?" Zein stabbed the same wound and guided the spider towards Johnny. "Shoot!"

"But there's no-"

"Shoot, Johnny!"

Johnny aimed his gun at the big blob of mass in front of him, closed his eyes, and shot. The gun's cylinder clicked, and a small blue-shaped bullet spiralled its way towards the spider's body. DINK. It bounced by Zein's leg.

"You see that!?" Zein ran to the joint connecting the head to the body, slashing his way there.

"N-no…" Johnny said meekly.

"You can shoot now!" Johnny jumped, landing on the edge of the pit. "Your gun will turn your mana into bullets! Dash." Zein slid down and dashed onto the spider's front leg, stabbing it to hold him.

"Woah! Really!?"

Johnny aimed his gun again, eyes wide open, and shot. He watched his gun cylinder click and shoot a small blue bullet, spiralling and making contact with the queen's eyes. The spider staggered back, whinging.

"Good timing, Johnny!"

Zein took the opportunity to leap onto the spider's thorax, stabbing and dragging his sword across her exoskeleton, unveiling each layer.

"Pretty cool, right?"

"Yeah! It can do that!? Do I not need bullets anymore!?" Johnny held his gun to the moon, examining it.

"You don't, but it consumes your mana. Do you have any mana potions?" Zein made his way back to the beast's body. He retrieved a stamina potion and downed it.

"I have like…" Johnny checked his inventory. "7."

"Alright, that's good." Zein planted his sword on the spider's body and caught his breath. "This fight is going to go on for a long time. So watch your mana and make sure you don't run out, okay?"

"Okay! How long will it take, though?" Johnny asked the cat engaged in combat, "Not that I'm tired or anything!" He said hurriedly.

"If Wu wakes up-"

"Oogie?"

"It'll take about half an hour."

"Oogie oogie."

"But without him, it'll probably take around an hour."

"Oogie!"

"Oh.. I see… Again, I'm not tired at all! Not at all…"

"Oogie gie!?"

"Alright, I believe you. Let's wrap this up quickly, then."

"Oogie ge oogie!???"

"Sounds good, Mr. Cat."

"OOGIE! OOGIE OOGIE! OOGIE GIE GIE! OOOGIEEE!!!"

Zein's ears pricked. He turned to the source of the sound and found a monkey with steam emanating from his head.

"Oh? Wu!" Zein said, surprised. "You're up! Perfect timing, buddy, how are you feeling?"

"Oogie oogie gie."

"Sorry, bud, I didn't mean to ignore you. You think you can forgive me?" Zein asked, running to the spider's head.

"Oogie…"

"I'll give you some treats once we finish! Slash." Zein cut through the spider's skin, digging his way towards her base.

"Oogie!" Wu's eyes lit up. "Oogie oogie oogie."

"Is that right?" Zein stabbed the area he had slashed. "I'll make sure not to ignore you again, alright?" he guided the spider closer to Wu, letting him leap on. The little monkey returned to Zein's shoulder, ready for battle.

"Do I continue shooting, Mr. Cat?" Johnny aimed his gun.

"Hell yeah! The plan hasn't changed. This time, try as hard as you can to hit her eyes or any visible wound, alright?"

"Got it." Johnny answered, confidence in his voice as he shot, striking the spider's eye.

For the next 30 minutes, Johnny aimed for the eyes and wounds, resting and drinking potions anytime his mana got too low. Every time he rested, he got to witness Zein lead the spider to its slow and miserable fall with Wu by his side.

He knew the spider wouldn't cause too much trouble once a rhythm was set. Monsters at the lower level were less intelligent after all. Moves could be repeated with the occasional adaptation coming through. If you slashed at her body, she'd try to stab with her appendage or shoot poisonous webbing. If the queen was annoyed enough, she'd tunnel into the ground and attempt to pincer you. If you were slashing at her appendages and scurrying on the floor of the pit, the beast would use all three of the above attacks.

Only once was Zein caught off guard over the course of the fight. While stomping around, the beast kicked up sand. Whether it was purposeful or not, it blinded Zein, and the queen smelled an opportunity, going in for the kill. If it weren't for Wu bringing him to the ground, the cat would awaken in Old Rocky Town.

Using Monkey's Blessing and Monkey's Paw, Zein played the role of an annoying itch who dug into the beast's shell-like skin, making her scars larger and larger. It didn't help that she'd get her eyes stung by mana. By the end of 40 minutes, the Spider Queen's eyes barely functioned, her body was painted in her blood, and the joints on her legs were ready to break apart. The end was in sight, and all it did was increase the viciousness in her attacks.

"Mr. Cat! She seems more mad!" Johnny shot, expending the last of his mana.

"That's cause she is!" Zein held onto his sword with his dear life as the spider swung around recklessly. Wu held onto Zein with his dear life as he swung around recklessly. "Don't worry about it and keep shooting!"

"I'll do that, Mr. Cat, but I'm down to my last potion." Johnny replied, drinking the blue liquid stored in the bottle.

"Perfect timing. Keep aiming for the eyes, Johnny. You're doing great!" Zein cheered, enjoying the rodeo.

"I'm a cowboy, I'm a cowboy, I'm a cowboy."

Johnny repeated the phrase like a mantra before each shot. They connected. The crimson red turned black as blood oozed from the sides. It started with one, then 3, then 7, and then 15.

Down to her last eye, the spider queen rolled, trying to crush the insects still slashing on her back. Zein, surprised by the sudden roll, jumped and flung Wu to the pit's opening. "They updated the AI… Dash!" he dashed right after and drove his sword into the side, hanging.

Using the last of her strength, the queen lunged at Zein, mouth wide open, pincers ready to clench. Zein released his hold and slid, letting the spider slam into the sand. He retrieved the venom daggers from his inventory and dashed onto the queen's body.

"Wu! Buff!" Zein roared.

"Oogie!" Wu casted.

Zein ran towards the spider's head, sliding his luck towards his strength. Shaking the sand off its face, the spider looked around for her prey. Where. Where. Where!

"Over here! Stab!"

Zein stabbed two eye sockets and swung her head around. The two fought for power. The spider, desperate in her attempts to free herself, and Zein, desperate in his attempts to keep control. This struggle went on until the spider faced Johnny the Cowboy.

"Shoot, Johnny!" Zein yelled. "Now's your chance!"

The final eye. It shone like a gem under the moonlight, and it sat right by Zein. Taking deep breaths, Johnny followed the spider's head, swaying his gun with her movements.

"Give it everything you got!"

Johnny poured the rest of his mana into his gun.

"MARK!"

BANG!

The bullet pierced the spider's last eye, making it burst. Within, a brown, translucent object pulsated. Zein's mouth went wide, his canines on full display. He drew the gun he received from Johnny and inserted it into the socket, clicking the button at the bottom. The beast, unwilling to give up, thrashed her head around and screeched. Zein, unwilling to give up, gripped the spider's head with his legs- thighs ready to tear from the tension.

"MARK!"

Zein's voice bellowed as mana gathered into the empty gun, draining the man for everything he had.

He pulled the trigger.

BANG!

The recoil sent Zein rolling down the beast's body. A blue light emitted from the Spider Queen's head before it split apart, flying into the pit's walls. As the head slid down, it, along with its body, disintegrated into blue pixels. Zein crashed into the sand along with an assortment of weapons and gems. He stared at the disappearing stars. At the deep blues and purples of the sky, lightening and incorporating oranges. Zein smiled while Wu ran down the pit and towards his friend.

Johnny simply sat, star-struck by what he witnessed.

"We did it! We did it, Mr. Cat! Ohhh my brother won't believe it!"

The cowboy bumbled his way towards the cat and monkey. He took a couple of steps back when he spotted the fallen loot, ensuring he didn't step on them.

Surrounding Zein, 2 Spider Queen fangs, 10 Spider Queen claws, a gold ingot with a scratch down the middle and infused with the Spider Queen's essence, and 2 orange gems.

"Mr. Cat! Look at all this loot!" Johnny reached for the items but kept his excitement in check, barely. "How will we split it!?" he said, giddy.

"Aren't you excited, Johnny!" Zein said, catching his breath. "Do give me a moment. I want to lay down here for a second and watch the sun rise."

Johnny took a seat by Zein while Wu examined the orange gem on Zein's chest. Together, they watched the sun rise.