NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 22: Darkness' Apex
Chapter 22: Darkness' Apex
The little spider was so small that it perched on Noah's palm.
It was Nocturne's fourth form, the Tenebris Spider.
While the serpent form had three uses Noah learned at once, the little spider had room to grow.
It felt like the serpent arrived as an adult, while the spider was a newborn that needed nurturing.
He didn't mind.
It sounded fun and exciting.
He also thought an adult Tenebris Spider, as big as a humanoid, might overwhelm him.
The little spider sensed his thoughts and tapped his palm, as if promising to develop with him.
"You're so little now that I don't want to let you fight alone," Noah said, poking Nocturne's plush spider body.
"Don't be like that, or Nocturne will turn into a snake and go on a lone voyage," Eleonora teased, leaning in to touch the new form.
Noah felt everything the spider felt, which was strange with Eleonora's finger.
He changed his approach and focused on learning the spider form's powers and limits.
He knew he couldn't summon two serpent forms at once, and he could only keep the serpent form and Fangs active together.
He hoped the small spider would let him double up, but that didn't happen.
"If I could have Nocturne's serpent and spider instincts at the same time, I'd have triple the reaction speed and insane perception," Noah said.
"In the future, handsome, you shall wield all of Nocturne's forms at once. You'll be a one-man army with hot wives' support," Eleonora teased, winking.
Noah smiled at the idea.
He kept testing the spider's abilities, and it ran across his orb web like it owned it.
Nocturne stopped at a thick tree trunk, then climbed it with ease.
From up high, it spat a black thread at another branch and skittered over.
"It makes threads faster than your robes!" Eleonora exclaimed.
Noah nodded.
He noticed the spider's threads were stronger than the silk from his Tenebris Spiders' Robes.
That gave him an idea.
He told Nocturne to come down, and it lowered itself on a strand from an organ on its back.
He realized Tenebris Spiders could produce silk from at least two places.
"I want to see if you can merge with the Tenebris Spiders' Robes," Noah said. "They have real spider silk and connect to my soul, so maybe we can make something amazing."
Eleonora's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
She prayed out loud for his success, even though she believed in him completely.
Nocturne merged with the robes more easily than he expected.
Then the robes wrapped around him, forming a tight cocoon.
He couldn't move or breathe.
Something sharp invaded his blood, heating him from the inside.
He screamed without making a sound, unable to grasp his aching head.
He felt something sprout from his back.
Eight spider legs appeared, each ending in a sharp black blade.
They swayed on their own while Noah endured intense pain.
After an hour, the pain stopped.
The black cocoon vanished with the spider legs, and Noah fell onto his bobbing web, gasping for air.
A system message hovered before him:
[You have found and extracted a rare bloodline of Tenebris Spider.]
[You have a drop of Tenebris Spider's Bloodline flowing within your veins.]
[You have obtained a new ability.]
[Darkness' Apex (Innate): This ability can be used only after merging with Tenebris Spiders' Robes and Nocturne's Tenebris Spider Form to create a husk that endures the power of the treacherous abyss. Inside that husk, your innate abilities are four times stronger, and you have the native powers of a Tenebris Spider. The husk lasts five to ten minutes, depending on your environment and condition. Darkness' Apex also passively doubles your strength and speed from now on.]
Noah stared at the words, then closed his eyes, lost in exhaustion.
—
"You have woken up!"
He opened his eyes to Eleonora's glowing face.
She leaned over him, and he felt something soft behind his head: her thighs.
He was dizzy and just enjoyed the warmth of her lap, along with her pretty smile.
"You're so amazing, Noah! You did something no one else has done! You got power from a Tenebris Spider of the treacherous abyss. I didn't see that in the Universal Library, so you're the first one ever. Thank you for this wonderful treat!"
Eleonora's thirst for knowledge was satisfied for at least a month.
She was proud of him.
Athena stood nearby, gazing at him with the same admiration.
She would think twice before going to the treacherous abyss herself, so her future husband having power from there was awe-inspiring.
"So admirable, Noah. I am honored," she said, smiling at him.
Noah blinked a few times, looking from his fox witch to his War Goddess.
Their happiness and beauty made his heart race, and he realized he had done something incredible.
"Yeah, I love you all, too," he said, making them blush.
Then he summoned Nocturne again.
It appeared in spider form but was now the size of an adult's palm, still adorable.
"Right… we evolved, didn't we?" Noah whispered, finally grasping how much stronger he had become.