The tunnel of the Wall of Bones stretched like a dark throat, its walls bristling with jagged bone shards that glinted under the flickering light of Soehpt's blue flames. The Great Tyrants—Gills, Soehpt, Kira, Tyrnat, Yulius, Nera, Bhaadon, Solom, Orak, and Razhïel—advanced in tense silence, their steps echoing in the oppressive darkness, their shadows dancing on the walls like specters poised to betray. Ten years in the Black Eden had sharpened their instincts, but the mirage of Gota in the Forests of Sands—that vision of an Abyssal Lady draped in watery shadows—still weighed heavily, a reopened wound for some, a mystery for others. Satan's call pulsed in their Rings of Tyranny, a low growl guiding them toward his infernal throne, but the murmurs of the wall's skulls lingered in their minds, an echo of secrets yet unveiled.
The tunnel opened abruptly into a network of dark, damp caverns—the Arachnid Caves. Black stone walls oozed viscous water, dripping into murky pools that reflected a greenish glow emanating from shimmering webs strung between razor-sharp stalactites. These webs, thick as ropes and glistening like black glass, formed a suspended labyrinth, their strands vibrating softly as if alive. The air, thick with the acrid stench of mold and venom, clung to the skin, and subtle clicks—claws on stone, taut threads—punctuated the silence, heralding a threat lurking in the shadows.
Gills halted at the entrance, his scarlet flames crackling faintly around his gauntlets. He scanned the webs, his eyes narrowed, searching for a viable path. "This place breathes death," he murmured, his hoarse voice tinged with a caution forged by a decade of trials. "We don't cross without a plan." He turned to the group, his gaze sweeping their time-worn faces. "Any ideas?"
Soehpt approached a web, his blue flames streaked with black dancing around his fingers like curious specters. "These threads absorb energy," he observed, his analytical tone studying the glistening texture. "Touch them carelessly, and we'll be drained before we reach the other side." He stepped back, his eyes glinting with a calculating light. "We could skirt them… or burn them, but that'll draw attention."
Kira, leaning against a stalagmite, clashed her Astrugg Cestuses together, an orange glow awakening in the metal. "Let them come," she said, a savage smile on her lips. "I've got ten years of frustration to unload." Her confidence, tempered by newfound maturity, drew a smile from Gills, but he shook his head.
"We're not here to destroy everything," he replied, his tone firm but measured. "We need to save our strength for Satan… and Natass." The imp's name hung in the air, a reminder of Gota and unanswered questions.
Nera, perched on a rock, wove her shadow threads between her fingers, her cursed dolls twitching in the shadow of her cloak. "What if we use their webs?" she suggested, a sly smile on her lips. "They absorb energy… but I could manipulate them. A trap for a trap." Her eyes sparkled with a cunning honed by a decade of guile.
Yulius, with Massacre planted in a puddle, grunted in response. "Too complicated," he muttered, his deep voice vibrating with restrained savagery. "I'd rather cut down anything that moves." He ran a hand over the blade, a trickle of congealed blood dripping to the ground, a near-meditative ritual.
Orak, isolated near a wall, drove his spear into the ground, a frosty mist rising around him. "Plan or no plan, I'm not staying here," he declared, his gray eyes fixed on the darkness. "This place reeks of betrayal." Razhïel, silent, adjusted his cracked mask, Tenebris Lux faintly glowing at his side, his shadow-forged prosthesis rippling like a living extension.
But the tension spiked when Tyrnat, leaning against a stalactite, let out a mocking laugh, his cloak of shadows billowing like a broken wing. "What a bunch of whiners," he sneered, his tone dripping with venom, his black eyes glinting with provocation. "You keep bawling about a dead tree and a toy Natass has been playing with for ten years." He made a crude gesture, clearly aimed at Bhaadon and Solom, a cruel smirk on his lips.
Bhaadon, hovering inches above the ground, felt a surge of rage consume him. "This time, you've gone TOO FAR!" he roared, his voice echoing through the cavern, a massive stalactite levitating beside him, trembling with energy. "I'll crush you!" He charged at Tyrnat, his demonic horns glowing in the darkness, the stone poised to strike.
Solom, at his side, clenched his fists, his golden lightning crackling wildly. "Bastard…" he growled, his usual calm shattered, a bolt dancing in his palm as he stepped forward to back Bhaadon.
Tyrnat sneered, his scythe glinting in his hand, a coil of shadows rising around him. "Come on, then!" he hissed, his voice sharp as a blade. "I'll carve you both up!"
But before chaos could erupt, an oppressive aura flooded the cavern. Soehpt, without even turning, raised a hand, his blue flames streaked with black intensifying into a chaotic glow, his ominous energy pulsing like a warning. "Don't make me step in," he said, his voice calm but heavy with a rare menace, his chaos emerging like a specter ready to strike.
Tyrnat narrowed his eyes, a "Tch…" escaping his lips as he stepped back, his shadows fading slightly. Bhaadon, panting, let the stalactite crash to the ground with a low rumble, his fists still clenched. "Hmph… I'll have my vengeance, Styx Reaper," he growled, his voice trembling with restrained fury.
Gills stepped between them, his scarlet flames crackling to draw attention. "Enough!" he commanded, his authoritative tone imposing a tense silence. "We've got a path to find, not grudges to settle." He shot a stern look at Tyrnat, then Bhaadon. "Gota… Natass… We'll get answers. But not by tearing each other apart."
Silence fell, heavy with grudges, but the group's fragile unity held. A sudden clatter shattered the moment, and massive forms emerged from the webs—Barkwidows, demonic spiders with woody carapaces bristling with thorns, their clawed legs clacking on the stone. Their multiple eyes glowed with a greenish light, followed by Shadow Weavers, smaller but agile, descending from the ceilings, their webs absorbing ambient energy in a dark shimmer. The creatures charged in a cacophony of hisses, their taut threads aiming to ensnare the intruders.
Gills reacted first, his scarlet flames erupting in a blazing arc. "Clear them out!" he shouted, a jet of fire charring a Barkwidow in a crackle of burning wood. Kira dove at a second, her cestuses igniting to shatter its carapace in a burst of splinters, her regeneration erasing the venomous gashes. "Too slow!" she scoffed.
Soehpt slashed the air with a Soul Blade, his blue flames streaked with black burning the essence of a Shadow Weaver, its threads dissolving into cyan ashes. "They don't handle spiritual energy well," he noted, a faint smile on his lips. Tyrnat summoned a Clawed Specter, its talons tearing a Barkwidow apart, while his scythe sliced a taut web. "Out of my sight," he snapped, his tone icy.
Yulius charged a Shadow Weaver, Massacre severing its legs in a spray of viscous black blood. "Fresh meat," he growled, his savagery dancing in his eyes. Nera wove her shadow threads, binding a Barkwidow before a cursed doll reduced it to shards. "Pathetic…" she murmured, a satisfied smirk on her lips.
Bhaadon levitated a massive stalactite, crushing a Shadow Weaver with a low rumble. "For Gota," he whispered, his gaze burning with rage. Solom unleashed a golden storm, electrocuting a Barkwidow in a blinding crackle, its smoking legs collapsing. "This is too easy; something's off," he said, his tone steady.
Orak summoned a wave of frost, freezing a Shadow Weaver mid-leap before shattering it with a spear strike. "No effort," he muttered, his frozen breath lingering in the air. Razhïel drove Tenebris Lux into a Barkwidow, a dark rune flaring to shred its carapace, his silence sharper than any cry.
But the spiders were numerous, and their webs thickened, draining the ambient energy. A deep voice suddenly resonated, vibrating through the caverns like a primal echo. "Enough," it boomed, and the creatures retreated, their clatters fading into the darkness. A colossal silhouette emerged from a central cavern—the Arachnid Queen, a half-woman, half-spider entity, her eight clawed legs supporting a humanoid torso draped in black silk. Her jet-black hair cascaded over alabaster skin, and her multiple eyes, glowing like gems, fixed on the Tyrants with cold curiosity. A throne of shimmering webs surrounded her, pulsing with ancient energy.
"You are bold," she said, her voice a blend of velvet and venom. "Few cross my caves and survive." She tilted her head, her eyes studying their Rings of Tyranny. "You bear Lilith's mark… and Satan's call. What do you seek?"
Gills stepped forward, his flames crackling faintly. "Satan's throne," he replied, his tone firm. "We cross your caves to reach it."
The Queen let out a crystalline laugh, her legs clacking on the stone. "Cross?" she repeated, amused. "My daughters don't let intruders pass… unless you do me a service." She gestured to a fissure in the ground, from which a low rumble rose. "A Depth Worm gnaws at my foundations. Kill it, and I'll guide you out of this labyrinth."
Tyrnat narrowed his eyes, his scythe glinting. "And if we refuse?" he challenged. The Queen smiled, her eyes gleaming with subtle menace. "My webs absorb more than energy… They'll take your souls."
Gills exchanged a glance with the group—Kira and Yulius eager, Nera calculating, Bhaadon distant. "We accept," he said, his voice sharp. "But no tricks." The Queen nodded, an enigmatic smile on her lips.
The ground trembled, and a Depth Worm burst from the fissure—a colossal creature with chitinous rings, its mandibles dripping corrosive venom. The Tyrants reacted without summoning their Chaos Forms, their raw power still sufficient. Gills unleashed a torrent of scarlet flames, searing its rings, while Kira smashed its head with her blazing cestuses. Soehpt sliced its flank with a Soul Blade, and Razhïel drove Tenebris Lux into its heart, a dark rune finishing it in a burst of shadows.
In moments, the worm collapsed, its smoking remains littering the cavern. The Queen clapped slowly, her eyes sparkling. "Impressive," she murmured. "You are indeed Lilith's blades… but for whom do you truly shine?" She wove a shimmering web, opening a passage to the exit. "Go… Satan awaits."
Gills nodded, his gaze sweeping the group. "We press on," he said, his voice firm. "But Natass and Gota… their shadows follow us." Bhaadon clenched his fists, his silent rage fueling his steps as they ventured into the passage, the webs whispering behind them like specters of an uncertain fate.